Star Trek: Deep Space Nine s01e07 Episode Script
Dax
So, there l was,|fighting the toughest battle of my life, looking around,|hoping to spot a friendly face, only to discover my colleagues|were gone.
l was alone.
l admit, for a moment|l considered giving up.
l could feel the seconds ticking away,|panic building up.
My only chance|was to trust my instincts.
So l closed my eyes, took a deep breath and just like that, it came to me - the answer l was looking for.
A pericardial membrane! l looked down and punched|the answer into my computer terminal just as the buzzer sounded,|ending the exam.
And that, l suppose,|is the stuff salutatorians are made of.
Salutatorian? Well, l mistook a preganglionic fibre for a postganglionic nerve during the orals or l would have been valedictorian.
lt was a trick question.
Fascinating.
Not nearly as fascinating as when l Dr Bashir? Chief O'Brien?|Report to landing pad five.
Bad timing.
There'll be another time.
Starfleet medical finals.
Gets them every time.
- lt's no use.
|- Chief! We must get this hatch open.
Lieutenant Dax and Ensign Pauley|are trapped.
The runabout barely made it back.
Power levels were near zero.
There's not enough juice left|to release the servos.
Life support's down.
|Oxygen levels are dangerously low.
Have to burn it through.
The hatch is made of duranium composite.
|lt'll take an hour.
We don't have much time.
|How many passengers were aboard? - Two.
|- l'm reading three.
We need to get power|to the hatch servos.
Hand me the EPl capacitor.
|Middle shelf.
Try her now.
- Dax?|- l'm fine.
Check the others.
- Vash?|- That's right.
Miles O'Brien, from the Enterprise.
- Yes, of course.
|- What are you doing on the Ganges? We found her in the Gamma Quadrant.
- She'd been there for over two years.
|- Two years? Doctor, we'd better get these people|over to the infirmary.
Right this way.
How did you get|to the Gamma Quadrant? - A friend dropped me off.
|- Oh.
- Will l live?|- You're fine.
ln fact you're in remarkable shape.
Thank you, Doctor.
l try.
l mean you'vemanaged quite well considering you've been out of contact|with civilisation for two years.
l'd hardly call the Gamma Quadrant|uncivilised.
Some of the cultures have histories|dating back millions of years.
Really? l'd love to hear about them.
We have no idea what's beyond|the wormhole.
Maybe l'll write a book.
lt's sure to be a bestseller around here.
Well no sign of disease or malnutrition or parasitic infections.
You sound disappointed.
l am.
Now l have no reason|to keep you here.
You almost make me wish|l wasn't feeling well.
She claims she knew nothing|about the wormhole? She seemed surprised about it.
She didn't expect|to see this part of the galaxy again.
How could she get there|if she didn't go through the wormhole? She didn't want to talk about it.
Said it was a personal matter.
A human alone in the Gamma Quadrant|for two years? Check her background.
- She claims to be an archaeologist.
|- That's a good place to start.
You sure this place is safe? The Assay Office|is the most secure area on the station.
The chambers are surrounded on all sides|by individual force fields.
And how are the locks controlled? Once you secure a chamber,|it can't be opened except with|your personal authorization code, combined with a verified retinal print.
- A Cardassian MK-7 scanner?|- MK-12.
With an L-90 enhanced resolution filter.
l suppose that will have to do.
Computer, begin inventory|for cubicle 19.
One statue stone.
Assorted gems.
Gold necklace.
One dagger.
Bronze and gold.
About 25 centimetres.
Beautiful.
|l've never seen anything quite like it.
Some kind of Promethean quartz.
l thought so too, at first, but its molecular density|and refraction index is much higher.
Remarkable.
End inventory.
Please, enter an access code.
All right.
|l'll pick everything up tomorrow.
l've booked on the Mulzirak Transport.
- You're not leaving us so soon?|- l'm afraid so.
The Daystrom lnstitute|will be very disappointed.
The Daystrom lnstitute? They want to hear|about the Gamma Quadrant.
Every place you've been,|everything you've seen, could be important,|including how you got there.
Sorry, Commander,|but that's a personal matter.
So now the Daystrom lnstitute|is interested in me.
That's ironic.
Professor Woo seemed eager|to speak to you again.
Did he tell you|he suspended my membership from the Archaeological Council? Twice.
Something about|the sale of illegal artefacts.
lf it's a choice|between science and profit, l'll choose profit every time.
He hoped you'd make an exception.
l haven't been back to|Earth init must be 12 years.
Here's your chance.
|l could arrange passage.
l think l'd like that.
Fine.
l'll take care of it.
l don't understand it, Commander.
l can't find anything wrong with her.
This ship is completely functional.
- lt didn't look that way this morning.
|- Don't get me wrong.
The power reserves are empty.
The inertial damping fields|are barely operational and the warp drive containment field's|on the verge of collapse.
But there's nothing wrong|with any of them.
Once we put power back in,|she should be operational.
Did you check|the central power linkages? Yes, l ran a level-1 diagnostic.
|Everything checks out.
l can't explain it.
lt's like something tapped into the ship's|systems and drained them dry.
How well do you know Vash? l only met her one time|aboard the Enterprise.
What was she doing there? Vash and Captain Picard were friends - close friends, if you follow my meaning.
Seems they met on Risa|a few years back.
She must be special,|being friends with the Captain.
- She doesn't seem his type.
|- The Captain likes a good challenge.
Status report? We had broad-spectrum power drain.
Power transfer is inoperative.
The energy was drawn out|faster than it could handle.
Chief, are you reading|any graviton flux around the transfer systems? l am detecting|a low-level graviton disturbance.
That's what happened|when we lost power on the Ganges.
These were Cardassian living quarters.
The bed may take some getting used to.
As an archaeologist,|l've spent half my life sleeping in tents.
To me, any bed will be a luxury.
You've never slept|on a Cardassian mattress.
- lf you need anything, ask the computer.
|- Thanks, Chief.
By the way, how's Jean Luc? The Captain?|The last time l saw him, he was fine.
Now that l'm back,|l'll have to look him up.
Really, Vash, l can't believe|you're still pining for Jean Luc - that self-righteous do-gooder.
He warned me about you.
You're hurt, you strike back.
But cheer up.
|l bring you wonderful news - l'm back.
lt was cruel of me to leave you.
Very touching,|but you didn't leave me, l left you.
You left me, l left you.
Details! The important thing is we're a team again.
- Joined together at the hip.
|- Not a chance.
You're going to miss me.
Don't flatter yourself.
l thought we'd first visit|the Teleris Cluster, look in on the star dancers at Mundahla.
Or head over to the Lantar Nebula and view the Sampalo relic|on Hoek lV.
Not interested.
l know, Vadris lll.
|Charming little world.
The natives think they're|the only intelligent life in the universe.
No! You choose, then.
l choose never to travel with you again.
You don't know what you're missing.
l promised to take you places|no human had seen.
And you have.
lt was wonderful.
- Thank you.
Goodbye.
|- Two years in the Gamma Quadrant hardly qualifies as a grand tour|of the universe.
There's the Delta Quadrant to explore, not to mention all the other galaxies.
Q, l want you out of my life.
You are arrogant|and you think you know everything.
But l do know everything.
That makes it even worse.
What is it you really want? l want the life l had before l met you.
And a stellar life, indeed.
The eminent Vash - barred from the Royal Museum|of Epsilon Hydra Vll.
Persona non grata on Betazed.
Wanted dead on Myrmidon|for stealing the Crown of the First Mother.
Dead or alive.
Preferably dead.
lt's a wonder you haven't offended|every race in the galaxy.
You almost got me killed|on Erriakang Vll.
They weren't thrilled to see you on Brax.
|''The God of Lies.
'' Come in.
- l|- Go away.
Q, bring him back.
What business could you have|with that disgusting little troll? You didn't give him time to tell me.
Bring him back this instant.
All right.
Can l help you? My name is Quark.
lt's come to my attention that you have access to certain items.
ltems that might perhaps turn a tidy profit? l'm listening.
For a percentage, l might be able to arrange|a buyer for your trinkets.
Perhaps an auction.
l'll only accept payment|in gold-pressed latinum.
l'll shower you in it.
50-50.
Mr Quark, l believe|you're trying to take advantage of me.
Some wine? You have a talent for oo-mox.
So l've been told.
l'll not be distracted|by your feminine wiles.
l demand 40%.
All right, 30%.
What magnificent cartilage.
You've got a deal.
l expect you'll make|the necessary arrangements? You're good.
You're very, very good.
How perfectly vile.
- No wonder you ended up with Picard.
|- Go away.
- Enter.
|- Aren't we the hub of activity? - Am l interrupting anything?|- No, come in, Doctor.
- Please call me Julian.
|- Julian.
ls this medical business? l thought of official reasons|for dropping by but your good health|robbed me of excuses.
That didn't seem to stop you.
l'll contribute to your good health|by buying you dinner.
Quark's makes a delicious couscous and the company|might be mildly entertaining.
Sounds like fun.
Though, l would like to freshen up first.
Could l meet you there|in 20 minutes or so? Those 20 minutes|will seem like an eternity.
These mating rituals you humans|indulge in are disgusting.
- Get out.
|- You don't mean it.
- Out!|- You'll be lost without me.
- l can take care of myself.
|- We'll see about that.
- Just a cup of mint tea, please.
|- You're making a terrible mistake.
Why? The replicators|haven't malfunctioned again? l'm talking about Vash.
|Stay away from her.
My God, you're an impertinent waiter.
l'm a friend, giving you friendly advice.
|She's trouble.
l don't see that|it's any of your business who l see.
- l'm having dinner with her.
|- You look tired.
- l feel fine.
|- No, you look very tired.
Funny, l l do feel a bit spent.
|Maybe l should Maybe l should go and lie down|for a minute.
Hopefully by yourself for a change.
Bloody hell.
The Klingon scout ship has departed|docking bay 11.
Good.
l'll tell Odo he can relax now.
We've got a problem.
|l just saw Q on the Promenade.
- Here?|- What's Q? A powerful and unpredictable entity.
l was at a Starfleet briefing on him|two years ago.
- Blasted menace.
|- What does he want with us? Whatever it is, we won't like it.
You might ask Vash.
|They know each other.
From the Enterprise? They actually met in Sherwood Forest.
lt was one of the little jokes Q played|on the Enterprise crew.
Main power grid has dropped 80%.
Sensors are reading|a massive graviton build-up.
- How long before we regain full power?|- lt's already normalising.
lf we have an outage|during a docking procedure we could lose an entire pylon! l've checked every system.
|There's nothing wrong with them.
lt's got to be Q -|another one of his stupid jokes.
l'm not laughing.
l figured we'd auction this off last.
lnteresting,|but hardly of any intrinsic value.
l thought it was the best piece.
My associates have more|sophisticated tastes than you're used to.
But just so it's not a total loss, l'll buy it for seven bars|of gold-pressed latinum.
- lt's worth 50 times as much.
|- Ridiculous! All right, 18,|but you must never tell a soul about my foolish generosity.
You'll have to be|a lot more foolish than that.
All right, 30.
Now, give it to me.
Bidding starts|at 200 bars of gold latinum.
l can't decide what's more intoxicating - this Gamzian wine,|or your negotiating skills.
We need to talk.
The lady and l|are having a private conversation.
lt can wait.
Tell me, Commander,|where is that doctor of yours? He was supposed|to meet me here earlier.
- Tell me about Q.
|- l'll tell you anything you want to know.
Just answer one question -|is Starfleet penalising you or did you actually request|such a dismal command? - l want you off this station.
|- Don't be hasty, my happy-go-lucky friend.
This gulag could use a little colour,|some excitement.
And who better to provide that than "moi?" Although, l must admit,|l like your new tailor.
l'm not impressed by your parlour tricks.
These power outages are going to stop.
Why tell me? Of course, go ahead.
|Blame Q if it makes you feel better.
lt's my fate to be|the galaxy's whipping boy.
Heavy is the burden of being me.
lf you're looking for sympathy,|you're in the wrong place.
l was hoping for a witty repartee|but l won't get any of that.
At least your beloved Jean Luc|knew how to turn a phrase.
Take a hint, Q.
|No one wants you around.
Really, Vash,|this playing hard to get is growing tedious.
Remember,|l'm the Q and you the lowly human.
l'll decide when this partnership is over.
|Understand? Why don't you and l|continue this discussion in private? Excellent idea.
You're right.
|This is an excellent idea.
- Sisko to Ops.
|- All gone.
- Bring them back, Q.
Now!|- Or what? You'll thrash me? Shall we settle this "mano a mano?" - Marquis of Queensberry rules?|- What? Fisticuffs, pugilism,|the manly art of self-defence! Come on.
|lsn't this wonderfully barbaric? Take a poke at me.
|l know that's what you want to do.
- l'll wager five bars of latinum on Sisko.
|- You're on.
Fight back!|This is supposed to be brutal.
You can pay me out of your profits|from the auction.
You hit me.
Picard never hit me.
l'm not Picard.
lndeed not.
|You're much easier to provoke.
How fortunate for me.
Not again.
Damn it, Q.
Enough is enough.
- We're losing atmosphere.
|- Decompression protocol.
Mr O'Brien,|raise the confinement shields.
- Shields up.
|- Damage report.
A minor hull breach|in one of the upper bulkheads.
l'm getting reports of hull fractures|throughout the station.
Emergency systems|appear to be functioning.
The breach was caused|by a focused graviton pulse.
Every time we've had a power drain it's been followed by an increase|in the graviton field.
We could have a breach in|a reactor core.
- We'd lose half the station.
|- Maybe we should negotiate with Q.
l'm not convinced Q is behind this.
Playing with the lights|doesn't strike me as his style.
You wanted to see me? Make it quick.
|l have important business.
Yes, l know.
|You're auctioning off some artefacts from the Gamma Quadrant.
You were eavesdropping|on my conversation with Vash.
What were you this time? The table? One of the chairs? The wine bottle.
When will you realise|that you have no secrets from me? l have nothing to hide.
|l sell merchandise to select clientele.
And what makes them so select? They're all ridiculously wealthy and not too bright.
l'll never understand this obsession|with accumulating material wealth.
You spend your entire life|plotting and scheming to acquire more and more possessions until your living areas|are bursting with useless junk.
Then you die.
Your relatives sell everything|and start the cycle again.
lsn't there anything youdesire? l have my work.
|What more do l need? A suit of the finest Andorian silk? A ring of pure Surax? A complete set of Tanesh pottery? How about a latinum-plated bucket|to sleep in? Well, l'm glad to see you've packed.
- l hope you said goodbye to your friends.
|- l don't have time for this.
You've led a charmed life|these past two years under my benevolent protection.
- l can take care of myself.
|- Really? Do you remember|that tiny little insect bite you had on Erabus Prime? lf l hadn't been there l am not going with you.
The galaxy can be a dangerous place|when you're on your own.
lt's over, Q.
l leave you now to reconsider|my offer of friendship.
Station Log, Stardate 46531.
2.
The station's power|continues to be drained and converted into gravitons.
At this rate, our life-support systems|will fail in 14 hours.
We can't find the source|of the power drain with these Cardassian sensors.
|They're not sensitive enough.
Let's make the drain easier to detect.
lf we flood the station with tritium gas we can trace the particle flow|to the source.
Tritium? lsn't that toxic? Only when highly concentrated.
|We'd only use a small amount.
Do it.
Unless we get this|under control in the next eight hours|we'll evacuate.
Still chasing your own tail? Picard would have solved it hours ago.
No wonder|you're not commanding a starship.
- Security to Ops.
|- Aren't we the feisty little go-getter? l'd keep my eye on this one.
Chances are she's after your job.
Why don't you do|something constructive for a change, like torment Cardassians.
- Do l know you?|- O'Brien.
From the Enterprise.
Enterprise? Oh, yes.
Weren't you one of the little people? Quite a motley crew|you've assembled here, Benji.
My advice to you is to evacuate now|and save all this pointless guesswork.
Q, tell us what's going on|or get out of the way.
l'll tell you.
|While you conduct futile experiments Vash is below engaged in base commerce and setting Federation ethics back|200 years.
Believe me, gang,|she's far more dangerous to you than l.
Kolos, my friend.
|l don't know which pleases me more - your smiling face|or your overflowing purse.
Quark, you obsequious toad.
Your so-called Gamma Quadrant|merchandise had better be legitimate or l'll toss you out an airlock.
No cause for alarm.
Each piece comes with a statement|of authenticity from Vash, the Federation's foremost expert|on the Gamma Quadrant.
ln that case, stop snivelling|and give me a synthale.
Are they all that pleasant? l don't care about their manners.
The important thing is they're honest|collectors of antiquities.
- How honest?|- As honest as you and l.
Then we'd better keep|a close eye on them.
My dear, l've been thinking.
What would you say|to a permanent partnership? With your knowledge|of the Gamma Quadrant and my business connections,|we could make a fortune.
Sorry, Quark,|but l've slept in my last tent.
l'm looking forward|to a nice, quiet life back on Earth.
You won't last a month.
|You're like me.
You live for excitement and profit.
- Not anymore.
|- Would you care to bet on that? The graviton field|has increased by 60%.
When can we begin the sensor sweep? Not until we've increased tritium levels|to one part per million.
Should be another seven, eight minutes.
We're being pulled out|of our normal position.
- Use control thrusters.
|- Firing thrusters.
We're still moving.
lf the graviton field|is feeding off the power we can cut its supply|by shutting reactors.
Put life-support on emergency backup.
|Take everything else off line.
We're still moving out of position.
What's our heading? Bearing 157 mark 13.
Straight into the wormhole.
Now, as you know,|payment must be in gold-pressed latinum and all transactions are final.
Remember, bid high, and bid often.
Ladies and gentlemen,|our first item is a statue from the Gamma Quadrant's|Verath system.
l should take a minute to tell you|about the Verathan civilisation which reached its height|some 30,000 years ago and spanned over two dozen systems, interconnected by a highly developed|communications network.
This statue represents Drohlak,|the Prime Ossemite of the 19th dynasty.
- Vash, what are you doing?|- l'm providing a historical context.
Give me that.
|This isn't the Daystrom lnstitute.
Watch closely.
Friends it's rare it's beautiful and it's a Gamma Quadrant original! And it can be yours.
Bidding will start at ten bars|of gold-pressed latinum.
Make it ten.
Who will say 17 and be the first to own|a piece of the Gamma Quadrant? Tritium levels have reached|one part per million.
lnitiating sensor sweep.
We can rule out the docking ring.
The tritium gas seems to be draining|towards the central core.
- Where in the central core?|- l'll try to get a more precise reading.
lt's not clear enough.
l can't pinpoint an exact location.
Based on our current trajectory, we'll hit the wormhole in 18 minutes.
What the hell could be pulling us|into the wormhole? Do we have time to transfer|auxiliary power to the deflectors? Sir, there's not enough power left.
lf we get sucked into the wormhole|we'll be in a billion pieces by the time we reach|the Gamma Quadrant.
Sold to Kolos for 36 bars|of gold-pressed latinum! Next, we have a dagger.
Studded with some|very interesting-looking gems.
Think of it as a weapon and an investment.
Bidding will start at 40.
Don't hold back.
You know you want it.
|Give me 50.
We have 50.
l hate to interrupt such a thrilling display|of naked avarice but it's only right of me to warn you that this station|is hurtling towards its doom and it's unlikely that you will survive|to enjoy your purchases.
l just thought l'd mention it.
|Carry on.
Ladies and gentlemen,|l assure you everything is under control.
Drinks for everyone! And free use of the holosuites|at the conclusion of the auction.
l don't think l realised until this moment|how evil you are.
You'd kill all these people|to get even with me.
The thought had occurred to me, but this station|is in enough trouble already.
Although l'd be glad to save you.
|Just ask.
l'll take my chances with the others.
l'm going to sit right here and watch.
l've never seen a space station|torn apart by a wormhole before.
Sold to my cousin Stol for 105 bars|of gold-pressed latinum.
What if we pump more tritium gas|into the central core? The sensors might be more accurate.
lt might work|but we'll all die from tritium poisoning.
Wait a minute.
|Bring the reactors back on line.
But they'll just feed|more energy into the graviton field.
lf we generate enough energy it should create a power drain|we can trace.
lt might also push us a lot faster|into the wormhole.
lt's a chance we've got to take.
|Bring us to full power.
- Everything you've got.
|- Aye, sir.
Sold to Rul the Obscure|for 151 latinum bars! And now Our final item.
And l think you'll agree with me|it was well worth the wait.
Bidding will start at 200 bars|of gold-pressed latinum.
Can l get 250? - 350?|- Here.
Five? 520? lt's not in any of the crossover bridges|or in the habitat ring.
lt's in the upper core.
Three minutes,|14 seconds to the wormhole.
We're picking up speed.
l've got it.
The power drain's|coming from the Promenade.
Chief, you have Ops.
This way.
- 3,000 bars!|- A million.
A million bars of gold-pressed latinum? Over here.
- lt's by the podium.
|- A million going twice - That's it.
|- Three times.
- This auction's over.
|- Sold.
Shut down the reactors.
We've found it.
And it's about time, too.
Sorry, all transactions are final.
This belongs to that gentleman over there.
l'm reading a massive graviton build-up|inside this container.
lt's increasing.
|We have to get it off the station.
Chief, lock onto my combadge.
Prepare to transport it|500 metres off the docking ring.
- But l haven't been paid!|- Energise.
Station Log, Stardate 46532.
3.
With the embryonic life-form off the station, graviton levels have returned to normal.
We've used the control thrusters|to return the station to its original position.
So, you're off to the Daystrom lnstitute.
Bet you can hardly wait.
Long, boring lectures,|endless conferences, whining students dogging your every step.
Sounds delightful.
Of course - No, you wouldn't be interested.
|- ln what? l hear they've uncovered the ruins of a Rokai provincial capital on Tartaras V.
lf you could obtain|some Rokain artefacts Forget it, Quark.
|l'm going back to Earth.
- Have it your way.
|- An abysmal place.
- Tartaras V?|- Earth.
Don't get me wrong.
Crusades, Spanish lnquisition, Watergate.
Now it's just mind-numbingly dull.
Then by all means,|don't come with me.
l think you'd be much happier|poking about the ruins of Tartaras V.
l don't need your advice.
You really think l? l still feel that l owe you|a million bars of gold-pressed latinum.
Keep it - just give me back my life.
- You'll regret it if l do.
|- l'll take my chances.
lf you insist.
But it's not going to be the same|without you.
When l look at a gas nebula,|l just see a cloud of dust.
Seeing the universe through your eyes, l was able to experiencewonder.
l'm going to miss that.
Well, l guess in some ways,|l'm going to miss you, too.
- Maybe l could drop in some time.
|- God, l hope not.
Hey, Quark.
|What's the quickest way to Tartaras V? l feel as though|l've been asleep for days.
What? Did l miss something?
l was alone.
l admit, for a moment|l considered giving up.
l could feel the seconds ticking away,|panic building up.
My only chance|was to trust my instincts.
So l closed my eyes, took a deep breath and just like that, it came to me - the answer l was looking for.
A pericardial membrane! l looked down and punched|the answer into my computer terminal just as the buzzer sounded,|ending the exam.
And that, l suppose,|is the stuff salutatorians are made of.
Salutatorian? Well, l mistook a preganglionic fibre for a postganglionic nerve during the orals or l would have been valedictorian.
lt was a trick question.
Fascinating.
Not nearly as fascinating as when l Dr Bashir? Chief O'Brien?|Report to landing pad five.
Bad timing.
There'll be another time.
Starfleet medical finals.
Gets them every time.
- lt's no use.
|- Chief! We must get this hatch open.
Lieutenant Dax and Ensign Pauley|are trapped.
The runabout barely made it back.
Power levels were near zero.
There's not enough juice left|to release the servos.
Life support's down.
|Oxygen levels are dangerously low.
Have to burn it through.
The hatch is made of duranium composite.
|lt'll take an hour.
We don't have much time.
|How many passengers were aboard? - Two.
|- l'm reading three.
We need to get power|to the hatch servos.
Hand me the EPl capacitor.
|Middle shelf.
Try her now.
- Dax?|- l'm fine.
Check the others.
- Vash?|- That's right.
Miles O'Brien, from the Enterprise.
- Yes, of course.
|- What are you doing on the Ganges? We found her in the Gamma Quadrant.
- She'd been there for over two years.
|- Two years? Doctor, we'd better get these people|over to the infirmary.
Right this way.
How did you get|to the Gamma Quadrant? - A friend dropped me off.
|- Oh.
- Will l live?|- You're fine.
ln fact you're in remarkable shape.
Thank you, Doctor.
l try.
l mean you'vemanaged quite well considering you've been out of contact|with civilisation for two years.
l'd hardly call the Gamma Quadrant|uncivilised.
Some of the cultures have histories|dating back millions of years.
Really? l'd love to hear about them.
We have no idea what's beyond|the wormhole.
Maybe l'll write a book.
lt's sure to be a bestseller around here.
Well no sign of disease or malnutrition or parasitic infections.
You sound disappointed.
l am.
Now l have no reason|to keep you here.
You almost make me wish|l wasn't feeling well.
She claims she knew nothing|about the wormhole? She seemed surprised about it.
She didn't expect|to see this part of the galaxy again.
How could she get there|if she didn't go through the wormhole? She didn't want to talk about it.
Said it was a personal matter.
A human alone in the Gamma Quadrant|for two years? Check her background.
- She claims to be an archaeologist.
|- That's a good place to start.
You sure this place is safe? The Assay Office|is the most secure area on the station.
The chambers are surrounded on all sides|by individual force fields.
And how are the locks controlled? Once you secure a chamber,|it can't be opened except with|your personal authorization code, combined with a verified retinal print.
- A Cardassian MK-7 scanner?|- MK-12.
With an L-90 enhanced resolution filter.
l suppose that will have to do.
Computer, begin inventory|for cubicle 19.
One statue stone.
Assorted gems.
Gold necklace.
One dagger.
Bronze and gold.
About 25 centimetres.
Beautiful.
|l've never seen anything quite like it.
Some kind of Promethean quartz.
l thought so too, at first, but its molecular density|and refraction index is much higher.
Remarkable.
End inventory.
Please, enter an access code.
All right.
|l'll pick everything up tomorrow.
l've booked on the Mulzirak Transport.
- You're not leaving us so soon?|- l'm afraid so.
The Daystrom lnstitute|will be very disappointed.
The Daystrom lnstitute? They want to hear|about the Gamma Quadrant.
Every place you've been,|everything you've seen, could be important,|including how you got there.
Sorry, Commander,|but that's a personal matter.
So now the Daystrom lnstitute|is interested in me.
That's ironic.
Professor Woo seemed eager|to speak to you again.
Did he tell you|he suspended my membership from the Archaeological Council? Twice.
Something about|the sale of illegal artefacts.
lf it's a choice|between science and profit, l'll choose profit every time.
He hoped you'd make an exception.
l haven't been back to|Earth init must be 12 years.
Here's your chance.
|l could arrange passage.
l think l'd like that.
Fine.
l'll take care of it.
l don't understand it, Commander.
l can't find anything wrong with her.
This ship is completely functional.
- lt didn't look that way this morning.
|- Don't get me wrong.
The power reserves are empty.
The inertial damping fields|are barely operational and the warp drive containment field's|on the verge of collapse.
But there's nothing wrong|with any of them.
Once we put power back in,|she should be operational.
Did you check|the central power linkages? Yes, l ran a level-1 diagnostic.
|Everything checks out.
l can't explain it.
lt's like something tapped into the ship's|systems and drained them dry.
How well do you know Vash? l only met her one time|aboard the Enterprise.
What was she doing there? Vash and Captain Picard were friends - close friends, if you follow my meaning.
Seems they met on Risa|a few years back.
She must be special,|being friends with the Captain.
- She doesn't seem his type.
|- The Captain likes a good challenge.
Status report? We had broad-spectrum power drain.
Power transfer is inoperative.
The energy was drawn out|faster than it could handle.
Chief, are you reading|any graviton flux around the transfer systems? l am detecting|a low-level graviton disturbance.
That's what happened|when we lost power on the Ganges.
These were Cardassian living quarters.
The bed may take some getting used to.
As an archaeologist,|l've spent half my life sleeping in tents.
To me, any bed will be a luxury.
You've never slept|on a Cardassian mattress.
- lf you need anything, ask the computer.
|- Thanks, Chief.
By the way, how's Jean Luc? The Captain?|The last time l saw him, he was fine.
Now that l'm back,|l'll have to look him up.
Really, Vash, l can't believe|you're still pining for Jean Luc - that self-righteous do-gooder.
He warned me about you.
You're hurt, you strike back.
But cheer up.
|l bring you wonderful news - l'm back.
lt was cruel of me to leave you.
Very touching,|but you didn't leave me, l left you.
You left me, l left you.
Details! The important thing is we're a team again.
- Joined together at the hip.
|- Not a chance.
You're going to miss me.
Don't flatter yourself.
l thought we'd first visit|the Teleris Cluster, look in on the star dancers at Mundahla.
Or head over to the Lantar Nebula and view the Sampalo relic|on Hoek lV.
Not interested.
l know, Vadris lll.
|Charming little world.
The natives think they're|the only intelligent life in the universe.
No! You choose, then.
l choose never to travel with you again.
You don't know what you're missing.
l promised to take you places|no human had seen.
And you have.
lt was wonderful.
- Thank you.
Goodbye.
|- Two years in the Gamma Quadrant hardly qualifies as a grand tour|of the universe.
There's the Delta Quadrant to explore, not to mention all the other galaxies.
Q, l want you out of my life.
You are arrogant|and you think you know everything.
But l do know everything.
That makes it even worse.
What is it you really want? l want the life l had before l met you.
And a stellar life, indeed.
The eminent Vash - barred from the Royal Museum|of Epsilon Hydra Vll.
Persona non grata on Betazed.
Wanted dead on Myrmidon|for stealing the Crown of the First Mother.
Dead or alive.
Preferably dead.
lt's a wonder you haven't offended|every race in the galaxy.
You almost got me killed|on Erriakang Vll.
They weren't thrilled to see you on Brax.
|''The God of Lies.
'' Come in.
- l|- Go away.
Q, bring him back.
What business could you have|with that disgusting little troll? You didn't give him time to tell me.
Bring him back this instant.
All right.
Can l help you? My name is Quark.
lt's come to my attention that you have access to certain items.
ltems that might perhaps turn a tidy profit? l'm listening.
For a percentage, l might be able to arrange|a buyer for your trinkets.
Perhaps an auction.
l'll only accept payment|in gold-pressed latinum.
l'll shower you in it.
50-50.
Mr Quark, l believe|you're trying to take advantage of me.
Some wine? You have a talent for oo-mox.
So l've been told.
l'll not be distracted|by your feminine wiles.
l demand 40%.
All right, 30%.
What magnificent cartilage.
You've got a deal.
l expect you'll make|the necessary arrangements? You're good.
You're very, very good.
How perfectly vile.
- No wonder you ended up with Picard.
|- Go away.
- Enter.
|- Aren't we the hub of activity? - Am l interrupting anything?|- No, come in, Doctor.
- Please call me Julian.
|- Julian.
ls this medical business? l thought of official reasons|for dropping by but your good health|robbed me of excuses.
That didn't seem to stop you.
l'll contribute to your good health|by buying you dinner.
Quark's makes a delicious couscous and the company|might be mildly entertaining.
Sounds like fun.
Though, l would like to freshen up first.
Could l meet you there|in 20 minutes or so? Those 20 minutes|will seem like an eternity.
These mating rituals you humans|indulge in are disgusting.
- Get out.
|- You don't mean it.
- Out!|- You'll be lost without me.
- l can take care of myself.
|- We'll see about that.
- Just a cup of mint tea, please.
|- You're making a terrible mistake.
Why? The replicators|haven't malfunctioned again? l'm talking about Vash.
|Stay away from her.
My God, you're an impertinent waiter.
l'm a friend, giving you friendly advice.
|She's trouble.
l don't see that|it's any of your business who l see.
- l'm having dinner with her.
|- You look tired.
- l feel fine.
|- No, you look very tired.
Funny, l l do feel a bit spent.
|Maybe l should Maybe l should go and lie down|for a minute.
Hopefully by yourself for a change.
Bloody hell.
The Klingon scout ship has departed|docking bay 11.
Good.
l'll tell Odo he can relax now.
We've got a problem.
|l just saw Q on the Promenade.
- Here?|- What's Q? A powerful and unpredictable entity.
l was at a Starfleet briefing on him|two years ago.
- Blasted menace.
|- What does he want with us? Whatever it is, we won't like it.
You might ask Vash.
|They know each other.
From the Enterprise? They actually met in Sherwood Forest.
lt was one of the little jokes Q played|on the Enterprise crew.
Main power grid has dropped 80%.
Sensors are reading|a massive graviton build-up.
- How long before we regain full power?|- lt's already normalising.
lf we have an outage|during a docking procedure we could lose an entire pylon! l've checked every system.
|There's nothing wrong with them.
lt's got to be Q -|another one of his stupid jokes.
l'm not laughing.
l figured we'd auction this off last.
lnteresting,|but hardly of any intrinsic value.
l thought it was the best piece.
My associates have more|sophisticated tastes than you're used to.
But just so it's not a total loss, l'll buy it for seven bars|of gold-pressed latinum.
- lt's worth 50 times as much.
|- Ridiculous! All right, 18,|but you must never tell a soul about my foolish generosity.
You'll have to be|a lot more foolish than that.
All right, 30.
Now, give it to me.
Bidding starts|at 200 bars of gold latinum.
l can't decide what's more intoxicating - this Gamzian wine,|or your negotiating skills.
We need to talk.
The lady and l|are having a private conversation.
lt can wait.
Tell me, Commander,|where is that doctor of yours? He was supposed|to meet me here earlier.
- Tell me about Q.
|- l'll tell you anything you want to know.
Just answer one question -|is Starfleet penalising you or did you actually request|such a dismal command? - l want you off this station.
|- Don't be hasty, my happy-go-lucky friend.
This gulag could use a little colour,|some excitement.
And who better to provide that than "moi?" Although, l must admit,|l like your new tailor.
l'm not impressed by your parlour tricks.
These power outages are going to stop.
Why tell me? Of course, go ahead.
|Blame Q if it makes you feel better.
lt's my fate to be|the galaxy's whipping boy.
Heavy is the burden of being me.
lf you're looking for sympathy,|you're in the wrong place.
l was hoping for a witty repartee|but l won't get any of that.
At least your beloved Jean Luc|knew how to turn a phrase.
Take a hint, Q.
|No one wants you around.
Really, Vash,|this playing hard to get is growing tedious.
Remember,|l'm the Q and you the lowly human.
l'll decide when this partnership is over.
|Understand? Why don't you and l|continue this discussion in private? Excellent idea.
You're right.
|This is an excellent idea.
- Sisko to Ops.
|- All gone.
- Bring them back, Q.
Now!|- Or what? You'll thrash me? Shall we settle this "mano a mano?" - Marquis of Queensberry rules?|- What? Fisticuffs, pugilism,|the manly art of self-defence! Come on.
|lsn't this wonderfully barbaric? Take a poke at me.
|l know that's what you want to do.
- l'll wager five bars of latinum on Sisko.
|- You're on.
Fight back!|This is supposed to be brutal.
You can pay me out of your profits|from the auction.
You hit me.
Picard never hit me.
l'm not Picard.
lndeed not.
|You're much easier to provoke.
How fortunate for me.
Not again.
Damn it, Q.
Enough is enough.
- We're losing atmosphere.
|- Decompression protocol.
Mr O'Brien,|raise the confinement shields.
- Shields up.
|- Damage report.
A minor hull breach|in one of the upper bulkheads.
l'm getting reports of hull fractures|throughout the station.
Emergency systems|appear to be functioning.
The breach was caused|by a focused graviton pulse.
Every time we've had a power drain it's been followed by an increase|in the graviton field.
We could have a breach in|a reactor core.
- We'd lose half the station.
|- Maybe we should negotiate with Q.
l'm not convinced Q is behind this.
Playing with the lights|doesn't strike me as his style.
You wanted to see me? Make it quick.
|l have important business.
Yes, l know.
|You're auctioning off some artefacts from the Gamma Quadrant.
You were eavesdropping|on my conversation with Vash.
What were you this time? The table? One of the chairs? The wine bottle.
When will you realise|that you have no secrets from me? l have nothing to hide.
|l sell merchandise to select clientele.
And what makes them so select? They're all ridiculously wealthy and not too bright.
l'll never understand this obsession|with accumulating material wealth.
You spend your entire life|plotting and scheming to acquire more and more possessions until your living areas|are bursting with useless junk.
Then you die.
Your relatives sell everything|and start the cycle again.
lsn't there anything youdesire? l have my work.
|What more do l need? A suit of the finest Andorian silk? A ring of pure Surax? A complete set of Tanesh pottery? How about a latinum-plated bucket|to sleep in? Well, l'm glad to see you've packed.
- l hope you said goodbye to your friends.
|- l don't have time for this.
You've led a charmed life|these past two years under my benevolent protection.
- l can take care of myself.
|- Really? Do you remember|that tiny little insect bite you had on Erabus Prime? lf l hadn't been there l am not going with you.
The galaxy can be a dangerous place|when you're on your own.
lt's over, Q.
l leave you now to reconsider|my offer of friendship.
Station Log, Stardate 46531.
2.
The station's power|continues to be drained and converted into gravitons.
At this rate, our life-support systems|will fail in 14 hours.
We can't find the source|of the power drain with these Cardassian sensors.
|They're not sensitive enough.
Let's make the drain easier to detect.
lf we flood the station with tritium gas we can trace the particle flow|to the source.
Tritium? lsn't that toxic? Only when highly concentrated.
|We'd only use a small amount.
Do it.
Unless we get this|under control in the next eight hours|we'll evacuate.
Still chasing your own tail? Picard would have solved it hours ago.
No wonder|you're not commanding a starship.
- Security to Ops.
|- Aren't we the feisty little go-getter? l'd keep my eye on this one.
Chances are she's after your job.
Why don't you do|something constructive for a change, like torment Cardassians.
- Do l know you?|- O'Brien.
From the Enterprise.
Enterprise? Oh, yes.
Weren't you one of the little people? Quite a motley crew|you've assembled here, Benji.
My advice to you is to evacuate now|and save all this pointless guesswork.
Q, tell us what's going on|or get out of the way.
l'll tell you.
|While you conduct futile experiments Vash is below engaged in base commerce and setting Federation ethics back|200 years.
Believe me, gang,|she's far more dangerous to you than l.
Kolos, my friend.
|l don't know which pleases me more - your smiling face|or your overflowing purse.
Quark, you obsequious toad.
Your so-called Gamma Quadrant|merchandise had better be legitimate or l'll toss you out an airlock.
No cause for alarm.
Each piece comes with a statement|of authenticity from Vash, the Federation's foremost expert|on the Gamma Quadrant.
ln that case, stop snivelling|and give me a synthale.
Are they all that pleasant? l don't care about their manners.
The important thing is they're honest|collectors of antiquities.
- How honest?|- As honest as you and l.
Then we'd better keep|a close eye on them.
My dear, l've been thinking.
What would you say|to a permanent partnership? With your knowledge|of the Gamma Quadrant and my business connections,|we could make a fortune.
Sorry, Quark,|but l've slept in my last tent.
l'm looking forward|to a nice, quiet life back on Earth.
You won't last a month.
|You're like me.
You live for excitement and profit.
- Not anymore.
|- Would you care to bet on that? The graviton field|has increased by 60%.
When can we begin the sensor sweep? Not until we've increased tritium levels|to one part per million.
Should be another seven, eight minutes.
We're being pulled out|of our normal position.
- Use control thrusters.
|- Firing thrusters.
We're still moving.
lf the graviton field|is feeding off the power we can cut its supply|by shutting reactors.
Put life-support on emergency backup.
|Take everything else off line.
We're still moving out of position.
What's our heading? Bearing 157 mark 13.
Straight into the wormhole.
Now, as you know,|payment must be in gold-pressed latinum and all transactions are final.
Remember, bid high, and bid often.
Ladies and gentlemen,|our first item is a statue from the Gamma Quadrant's|Verath system.
l should take a minute to tell you|about the Verathan civilisation which reached its height|some 30,000 years ago and spanned over two dozen systems, interconnected by a highly developed|communications network.
This statue represents Drohlak,|the Prime Ossemite of the 19th dynasty.
- Vash, what are you doing?|- l'm providing a historical context.
Give me that.
|This isn't the Daystrom lnstitute.
Watch closely.
Friends it's rare it's beautiful and it's a Gamma Quadrant original! And it can be yours.
Bidding will start at ten bars|of gold-pressed latinum.
Make it ten.
Who will say 17 and be the first to own|a piece of the Gamma Quadrant? Tritium levels have reached|one part per million.
lnitiating sensor sweep.
We can rule out the docking ring.
The tritium gas seems to be draining|towards the central core.
- Where in the central core?|- l'll try to get a more precise reading.
lt's not clear enough.
l can't pinpoint an exact location.
Based on our current trajectory, we'll hit the wormhole in 18 minutes.
What the hell could be pulling us|into the wormhole? Do we have time to transfer|auxiliary power to the deflectors? Sir, there's not enough power left.
lf we get sucked into the wormhole|we'll be in a billion pieces by the time we reach|the Gamma Quadrant.
Sold to Kolos for 36 bars|of gold-pressed latinum! Next, we have a dagger.
Studded with some|very interesting-looking gems.
Think of it as a weapon and an investment.
Bidding will start at 40.
Don't hold back.
You know you want it.
|Give me 50.
We have 50.
l hate to interrupt such a thrilling display|of naked avarice but it's only right of me to warn you that this station|is hurtling towards its doom and it's unlikely that you will survive|to enjoy your purchases.
l just thought l'd mention it.
|Carry on.
Ladies and gentlemen,|l assure you everything is under control.
Drinks for everyone! And free use of the holosuites|at the conclusion of the auction.
l don't think l realised until this moment|how evil you are.
You'd kill all these people|to get even with me.
The thought had occurred to me, but this station|is in enough trouble already.
Although l'd be glad to save you.
|Just ask.
l'll take my chances with the others.
l'm going to sit right here and watch.
l've never seen a space station|torn apart by a wormhole before.
Sold to my cousin Stol for 105 bars|of gold-pressed latinum.
What if we pump more tritium gas|into the central core? The sensors might be more accurate.
lt might work|but we'll all die from tritium poisoning.
Wait a minute.
|Bring the reactors back on line.
But they'll just feed|more energy into the graviton field.
lf we generate enough energy it should create a power drain|we can trace.
lt might also push us a lot faster|into the wormhole.
lt's a chance we've got to take.
|Bring us to full power.
- Everything you've got.
|- Aye, sir.
Sold to Rul the Obscure|for 151 latinum bars! And now Our final item.
And l think you'll agree with me|it was well worth the wait.
Bidding will start at 200 bars|of gold-pressed latinum.
Can l get 250? - 350?|- Here.
Five? 520? lt's not in any of the crossover bridges|or in the habitat ring.
lt's in the upper core.
Three minutes,|14 seconds to the wormhole.
We're picking up speed.
l've got it.
The power drain's|coming from the Promenade.
Chief, you have Ops.
This way.
- 3,000 bars!|- A million.
A million bars of gold-pressed latinum? Over here.
- lt's by the podium.
|- A million going twice - That's it.
|- Three times.
- This auction's over.
|- Sold.
Shut down the reactors.
We've found it.
And it's about time, too.
Sorry, all transactions are final.
This belongs to that gentleman over there.
l'm reading a massive graviton build-up|inside this container.
lt's increasing.
|We have to get it off the station.
Chief, lock onto my combadge.
Prepare to transport it|500 metres off the docking ring.
- But l haven't been paid!|- Energise.
Station Log, Stardate 46532.
3.
With the embryonic life-form off the station, graviton levels have returned to normal.
We've used the control thrusters|to return the station to its original position.
So, you're off to the Daystrom lnstitute.
Bet you can hardly wait.
Long, boring lectures,|endless conferences, whining students dogging your every step.
Sounds delightful.
Of course - No, you wouldn't be interested.
|- ln what? l hear they've uncovered the ruins of a Rokai provincial capital on Tartaras V.
lf you could obtain|some Rokain artefacts Forget it, Quark.
|l'm going back to Earth.
- Have it your way.
|- An abysmal place.
- Tartaras V?|- Earth.
Don't get me wrong.
Crusades, Spanish lnquisition, Watergate.
Now it's just mind-numbingly dull.
Then by all means,|don't come with me.
l think you'd be much happier|poking about the ruins of Tartaras V.
l don't need your advice.
You really think l? l still feel that l owe you|a million bars of gold-pressed latinum.
Keep it - just give me back my life.
- You'll regret it if l do.
|- l'll take my chances.
lf you insist.
But it's not going to be the same|without you.
When l look at a gas nebula,|l just see a cloud of dust.
Seeing the universe through your eyes, l was able to experiencewonder.
l'm going to miss that.
Well, l guess in some ways,|l'm going to miss you, too.
- Maybe l could drop in some time.
|- God, l hope not.
Hey, Quark.
|What's the quickest way to Tartaras V? l feel as though|l've been asleep for days.
What? Did l miss something?