Star Trek: Deep Space Nine s02e09 Episode Script

Personal log, stardate 47329.
4.
l've realised why l've had trouble|sleeping the last few nights.
Yesterday was the fourth anniversary|of the massacre at Wolf 359, the fourth anniversary|of Jennifer's death.
l'm not sure what bothers me more:|the date itself or the fact|that it almost passed unnoticed.
Dad, what are you doing up? - l was about to ask you that.
|- l had a weird dream.
Get some hot chocolate|and tell me about it.
lt's nothing.
Come on.
|Tell me about this weird dream.
- lt's stupid.
|- Maybe so, but if you talk about dreams,|they kind of go away faster.
- OK, but don't laugh.
|- l promise.
l was on the station somewhere.
l'm not sure where.
l was trying to get back here,|but l couldn't find my way.
Every time l saw a familiar corridor, it led in some other direction.
- l told you it was stupid.
|- You've got me interested.
l guess l got a little scared|and started looking for you.
But l couldn't find you.
Somehow l ended up in ops,|but you weren't in your office.
Andand then it was like|the floor started sloping and l couldn't keep my balance.
- All l wanted to do was find you.
|- Here l am.
Dad, l love you.
l love you, too.
l have a calculus test in the morning.
Then you'd better get some sleep.
Dad? l miss her.
Me, too.
Beautiful, aren't they? l've never seen the stars|shine so brightly.
The Bajorans call that constellation|the Runners.
l can never figure out|if they're running toward something or away from something.
Does that matter?|Sometimes it just feels good to run.
l never thought about it that way.
l'm Benjamin Sisko,|commander of this station.
l'mFenna.
You must be very busy.
|l didn't mean to bother you.
- You're not bothering me at all.
|- Good.
Commander of the station?|That must be very exciting.
All those ships coming and going.
Every day must bring something new.
lt has its moments.
ln some ways, though,|l prefer this time the best, when everything's quiet and And you can feel|anticipation in the air, like something wonderful|is going to happen.
That sounds silly, doesn't it? Not at all.
That's one of the great|things about this station.
You never know|what's going to happen next.
Or who you're going to meet.
l like it here.
- l wish l could stay longer.
|- Where are you going? l'm not really sure.
l guess l'll just keep going,|like the Runners.
Before you run any farther, why don't l show you|around the station? lf you have the time.
Fenna? Good morning, Chief.
|ls this maintenance or repair? Right now it's maintenance,|but it'll be repair when l'm through.
lf everything worked,|you'd be miserable.
You may be right, sir,|but l'd be willing to give it a try.
Good morning, Major.
Computer, one Chiraltan tea|with a double twist of lemon.
- Something wrong?|- No, nothing.
lf something's bothering you,|l want to hear it.
Every morning you start your day|with a "raktajino" .
- l love "raktajino" .
|- You don't talk until you've had one.
l'm not awake until l've had a cup.
So how come|you're drinking Chiraltan tea? l er l just felt like having something different.
- That's all right with you, isn't it?|- You can drink whatever you like.
Thank you, Major.
|l appreciate your support.
- Dax to Sisko.
|- Go ahead, Lieutenant.
Professor Seyetik and l|are in the science lab.
On my way.
- Where's our guest?|- lnside the flux generator.
He could be killed in there.
- That's what l tried to tell him.
|- He went in anyway.
- Have you ever met a terraformer?|- No.
So? You can't tell them anything.
lt's a talent|bringing dead worlds to life, but humility and common sense - aren't part of the job description.
|- Oh.
There you go, Lieutenant.
That should increase your output|by at least five percent.
You must be Commander Sisko.
- Gideon Seyetik.
|- l'm a great admirer of your work.
A man of intelligence and taste.
We're going to get along famously.
My son and l visited Blue Horizon.
|l must say l was impressed.
Of course.
l created the place|and even l'm impressed.
- How did you like Da Vinci Falls?|- We didn't get to see them.
Commander, you missed|Blue Horizon's crowning glory.
lmagine water cascading off cliffs|the height of Mount Everest, thundering through rainbows straight into an ocean|the colour of sapphire wine.
l'll have to take you there.
- l'd like to see it again myself.
|- l may take you up on that.
Good.
|But first, Epsilon 119.
l understand the initial surveys|look promising.
They look magnificent!|lmagine.
Reigniting a dead sun, bringing new life|to an entire solar system.
lt makes terraforming planets|seem like child's play.
Let's hope it works.
|Right now it's a promising theory.
Of course it'll work.
|l never fail.
Well, l did once,|but it didn't agree with me.
l swore never to do it again|and l never break my word.
Be glad you're coming with me.
|This will be my crowning achievement.
Giving birth to a star.
Even l will have a hard time|topping that one.
You're not letting that Andorian|tuber root go to waste? - Why do you ask?|- lt's delicious.
May l? Be my guest.
l need the extra calories|to keep up with Seyetik.
He works almost as much as he talks.
|Benjamin? - What?|- Are you looking for someone? What were you saying? Nothing important.
|l have to meet with Chief O'Brien.
We are boosting the maximum speed|of Seyetik's ship to warp 9.
5.
lf his experiment fails|and that sun goes supernova, - we'll need to get out of there fast.
|- See you in ops.
Benjamin, l was hoping|l'd see you again.
- l was just thinking about you.
|- Were you really? l've been thinking about you, too.
Where did you disappear to last night? l'm sorry.
l didn't mean to rush away|like that.
Does your invitation still stand?|To show me around the station.
- What would you like to see?|- Everything.
Everything?|That's going to take some time.
l don't mind if you don't.
- What do you think?|- lt's wonderful.
- l'm glad you like it.
|- You must come here all the time.
A ship is usually blocking the view.
- We should have brought a picnic.
|- Here? What better place? - l guess there is tomorrow.
|- ls that an invitation? Sounded like one to me.
- Then l accept.
|- Good.
There's plenty to see.
|We can't see it all in one evening.
You can show me the rest|after our picnic.
- Do you always do that?|- What? Say exactly the right thing.
- No one's told me that before.
|- There you go again.
So tell me all about yourself.
- There's not much to tell.
|- l want to hear it.
- l can't.
|- Can't what? - l can't tell you.
|- Why not? - l'm sorry, Benjamin.
l have to go.
|- Fenna, wait.
Tiet looked at Altrina's lunch|and said, ''Klingon food? ''Those are worms!''|Altrina vomited on the table! - lt was pretty disgusting.
|- That's nice, Jake.
Nice? She threw up.
Oh, l'm sorry.
l must have been|thinking about something else.
- Dad, are you in love?|- What? With a woman?|You're showing all three of the signs.
- Signs?|- The ones Nog told me about.
Loss of appetite, daydreaming,|smiling all the time.
You've been talking to Nog|about women again? l want you to know that|if you're in love, it's all right with me.
- Thanks, Jake.
|- What's she like? She'sreally interesting.
lnteresting?|When do l get to meet her? lt might be a little early to do that.
- Why? She likes you too, doesn't she?|- l think so.
Then what's the problem? Well it's just that she keeps disappearing.
Above all, stay alert.
|lf the subspace transmission is correct and Villus Thed|is en route to the station, notify me the moment he arrives.
|Keep him under surveillance.
But remember,|he's a short-range telepath so stay at least five metres|away from him at all times.
Commander, what can l do for you? l need to ask a favour, Constable.
|Of a personal nature.
l'm looking for someone.
|A woman.
- Name?|- Fenna.
- First name or last?|- l don't know.
- Species?|- l don't know.
Humanoid.
- What ship did she arrive on?|- l don't know.
- Well, what can you tell me about her?|- Let's see.
l'd say she's about 1.
6 metres tall.
Brown skin, dark hair.
The last time l saw her,|she was wearing She was wearing red.
That's something, anyway.
- Do you think you can help me?|- l don't know.
l need to find her.
|l think she may be in trouble.
What kind of trouble?|Let me guess.
You don't know.
lt's not much to go on,|but l'll do what l can.
l appreciate your help, Odo.
- Benjamin, do you have a minute?|- ln my office.
What's on your mind, Dax? - You have nothing to say to me?|- l don't follow.
- You have no intention of telling me?|- Telling you what? Come on, Benjamin! l saw you with her|last night on the Promenade.
What's her name? Fenna.
But there is nothing|to talk about.
- You used to tell Curzon everything.
|- Not everything.
You know what l mean.
- lt's because l'm a woman, isn't it?|- Don't be ridiculous.
lt's hard to talk man-to-man|with a woman.
- That has nothing to do with it.
|- Then tell me what's going on.
l will.
As soon as there is|something to tell.
Personal log, supplemental.
Odo continues to search|for information about Fenna.
Professor Seyetik has invited me|and the senior staff to dinner on the Prometheus.
A great terraformer needs|the green thumb of a gardener, the eye of a painter|and the soul of a poet.
And it doesn't hurt|to be a raging egomaniac.
- Which makes you eminently qualified.
|- Of course! Terraforming is amazing, but how do you intend to reignite|a dead sun? l'll use a remote piloted shuttlepod to deliver protomatter|into the dead star.
This will cause a cascade effect that will|transform the star's carbon and oxygen into elemental hydrogen.
Then we stand back|and watch the fireworks.
lf it doesn't work,|it might be the last thing we see.
Nothing of worth|was ever created by a pessimist.
Van Gogh, Beckett, Y'raka.
|l wouldn't call them optimists.
Precisely and look at their work:|dark and dreary and dismal.
Art should be an affirmation of life.
Take my own work in the field.
l once saw an exhibit of your paintings|at the gallery on Ligobis X.
They certainly were memorable.
l've never seen such huge canvases.
Nobody ever accused me|of understatement.
- Nobody who read your autobiography.
|- Nine volumes and counting.
l always said l wanted to write|as many books as l've had marriages.
Which reminds me.
Wait till you taste the food|my wife has created.
None of that replicated nonsense|you're used too.
Every dish was prepared entirely|by Nidell's own sweet hands.
- l can't wait to meet her.
|- And so you shall.
She should be ready.
|l'll go and get her.
Would he notice if we weren't here|when he got back? Don't even think about it.
l've had dinner with two dozen|Bajoran ministers.
You owe me this.
Seyetik is one of the Federation's|greatest minds.
- l know.
He told me.
|- l find him remarkably entertaining.
Ladies and gentlemen, l'd like you|to meet my wife and my inspiration: Nidell.
Now we have something to talk about.
l can't eat another bite.
That was delicious.
|Could l have the recipe? lt's Gideon's creation.
lt took me years to perfect it.
The secret is to sear|the kalo roots slightly before layering them over the slices|of roasted waroon She acts like she doesn't recognise me.
- lt is the same woman, isn't it?|- She looks the same.
half a dozen humat pods and ice salt.
|Then you reduce it, cook it exactly 500 degrees Kelvin and then just pepper to taste.
- Any questions?|- Maybe you should write that down.
Of course.
No trouble at all.
l think we should continue|this conversation in the other room.
We shall be more comfortable there.
- Can l help you with something?|- l hope so.
lt would have been easier|if you'd told me you were married.
l don't understand.
Yesterday on the Promenade|you had plenty of opportunity.
Commander, l've never met you|before tonight.
l suppose you never told me|that your name was Fenna? Would you like to talk about this? You have mistaken me|for someone else.
Seems that way, doesn't it? lt was the same woman.
The face, the voice.
|lt was Fenna.
Talk to her when her husband|isn't around.
- She's a married woman.
|- That wouldn't stop Curzon.
This was the first time|since Jennifer's death that l felt drawn to someone.
Commander,|may l have a word with you? l've checked this week's|docking and transporter logs.
There is no record of anyone|matching the description you gave me.
Thanks, Odo,|but you can call off your search.
l've found the woman.
You did? Where was she,|if you don't mind my asking? - Aboard the Prometheus.
|- The Prometheus? Are you sure? - Yes, we just left there.
|- That's impossible.
l checked the de-embarkation logs.
Apart from Professor Seyetik,|no one has left the Prometheus during the entire time|it's been at the station.
Commander,|l thought you could use this.
- No, thanks.
l was just leaving.
|- Stood you up, didn't she? When you work in a bar,|you recognise that look.
l've even seen it in the mirror.
- l'd better be getting home.
|- lf you like, we could go down to the bar|and talk.
- You know, about women.
|- l don't think so.
Don't forget.
|The holosuites are always open.
Benjamin! l missed you.
ls there something wrong? l just had dinner with someone|who looks exactly like you.
Like me? How strange.
Your name isn't really Nidell and you're not|the wife of Gideon Seyetik? Of course not.
|l'm Fenna, you know that.
Right now l'm not sure what l know.
- You don't have a twin sister, do you?|- Not that l know of.
Fenna l need to know where you came from|and what you're doing here.
- Does that matter?|- Of course it matters.
l need to know who you are.
You do know me, Benjamin.
When l came here,|l thought l was looking for a place, somewhere l belonged,|but l was wrong.
l wasn't looking for a place.
|l was looking for a person.
l was looking for you.
Benjamin! l've got the warp drive|on the Prometheus purring like a kitten.
lt'll do 9.
6 but l wouldn't take it faster.
l thought the theoretical maximum|for those engines was warp 9.
5.
Must l remind you?|Some of us have only one lifetime.
l'll be right there.
Good luck, Lieutenant.
Commander.
- Come to see us off?|- l'm going with you.
How often do you see a star reborn? ls this a good idea? l need answers, Dax.
The key to Fenna's disappearance|may be on that ship.
Have you finished loading|the protomatter device? All set.
The containment fields|are holding fine, remote guidance systems|are fully operational.
When l was through with New Halana|it was a paradise.
- How are we doing?|- lnitiating scans in a few hours.
Let me know when we get there.
You must be eager to get started.
|What did you call this? - Your crowning achievement.
|- Don't remind me.
Commander, my entire life has been|a series of escalating triumphs.
No matter what l achieve,|there's another triumph waiting for me.
And now? Are you familiar|with the Klingon poet G'Trok? A little.
''The Fall of Kang''|is required reading at the Academy.
''So honour the valiant|who die 'neath your sword ''But pity the warrior|who slays all his foes''.
Yes.
Well A bit obvious perhaps,|but true nonetheless.
- So, what were we talking about?|- You.
Of course.
My favourite subject.
|Where was l? You had just finished terraforming|New Halana.
You can imagine how grateful|they were.
Endless parades and receptions.
Got to be a bit of a bore, actually.
But then l met Nidell,|the daughter of a local dignitary.
She was utterly infatuated with me|from the very start.
l can't say l blame her.
|l was surrounded by crowds of people unveiling a statue|they'd commissioned in my honour.
l could tell from the start|she was something special.
She'd never been off-world|before she met me.
l promised to show her the galaxy.
l would have given it to her|if l could have.
- She must love you very much.
|- She does, Commander.
Don't ask me why, but she does.
- Fenna.
|- Benjamin, l'm so glad to see you.
Dax, report to my quarters immediately.
- On my way.
|- Benjamin, what's wrong? The last time l saw you|you vanished.
l'm with you now and l'm never|going to leave you again.
l wish l could believe that.
You have to, Benjamin.
Dax, this is Fenna.
- What is she doing?|- She's not going to hurt you.
l'm not reading any cellular structure.
|No DNA patterns.
- Just pure energy.
|- What is she talking about? l think it's time we find out.
Help her.
She won't wake up.
She's in shock.
|Her respiration is shallow.
Her heartbeat is irregular and falling.
Her blood pressure's dropping.
|Benjamin, she's dying.
- You've got to do something!|- l don't know that l can.
Fenna.
l should have known.
But you can't be here.
Nidell promised|you'd never come back.
- What are you talking about?|- Look at her! - She looks like me.
|- She is you! The real you.
- What's going on here?|- That thing isn't real.
She's an illusion created by my wife's|unconscious mind.
That's not true!|You know that he's lying.
Nidell is a psychoprojective telepath.
Fenna's just another one|of her projections.
l've never seen readings like these.
|She's giving off enormous energy.
l don't see how she could survive|more than an hour or two like this.
- You've got to do something!|- There's nothing l can do.
Get Fenna to my quarters.
|Notify - Get her out of here, Dax.
|- l want to stay with you.
l need to talk to Professor Seyetik.
Professor, if what you're saying|is true, Nidell's psychoprojective abilities|are killing her and l need to know why.
Nidell doesn't even know|this is happening.
ln times of deep emotional distress,|Halanans sometimes lose control of these abilities.
My wife is very emotionally distraught.
This happened once before,|three years ago on Terosa Prime.
lt nearly killed her then.
She swore|it would never happen again.
Obviously it has.
You may have noticed that l tend|to evoke strong emotions from people,|particularly my wives.
They all start out loving me, but a few years of togetherness|soon cure them of that.
The others had the good sense|to leave me.
Why can't Nidell?|What keeps her with you? Halanans mate for life.
She can never leave me, no matter how much she might want to.
l've never seen Seyetik|or that woman before.
The things he's saying about me|are lies.
- l'm as real as you are.
|- How l want to believe that.
But where did you come from? How did you get to this station? Can you tell me a single memory|of your life before we met? Benjamin, l'm so frightened.
Nidell's dying, Fenna.
|She only has a few hours.
What happens to me if she dies? You no longer exist without her.
But you can save her, give her back the life|she gave to you.
- l don't know how.
|- You can go back to her.
l've seen you do it three times.
lf she lives, l die.
Everything that you and l have|dies with me.
What we have is a dream.
l wouldn't trade it for anything, but it's still just a dream.
Nidell's dream.
She won't remember any of it,|will she? There's no way to be sure.
l love you, Benjamin.
|And l always will.
Commander, you'd better come|to the bridge right away.
What is it? Seyetik has launched the shuttlepod|toward Epsilon 119.
He's on board.
On my way.
- He's opening a channel.
|- On, screen.
l hope this transmitter is working.
|l'd hate to do this without an audience.
Professor, what do you think|you're doing? Making history.
You might want to record this|for posterity.
He's about 60 seconds from impact.
Gideon, we've found a way|to save Nidell.
l had a feeling you would, Commander.
This is the only way l can set her free.
|l owe her that.
This'll be my crowning achievement.
Remember ''The Fall of Kang''? This is one warrior|who refuses to be pitied.
- What's he talking about?|- Klingon poetry.
Turn the shuttlepod around.
Too late.
|l've entered the star's gravity well.
- Engage the tractor beam.
|- He disabled it.
When all this is over,|you'll find a case of mine.
- There's something l want you to find.
|- What is it? My obituary.
|l wrote it myself.
l couldn't leave such|an important document to a stranger.
See that it's sent to|the Daystrom lnstitute for publication.
l didn't get a chance to update it|before l left.
Let the record state, ''He sacrificed|himself on the altar of science.
'' - Ten seconds.
|- l'll be sure they get it.
- l'm sure l can count on you.
|- Five seconds.
You'll never see|anything like this again, Commander.
Let there be light! Station log, supplemental.
Epsilon 119 continues to burn brightly, a fitting memorial to a brilliant man.
l'm happy to report Nidell|has made a complete recovery.
Unfortunately, she has no memory|of Fenna's experiences.
Commander.
Nidell.
- How did you know l was here?|- Lieutenant Dax told me.
When does the Prometheus leave? Soon.
l just wanted to say goodbye|and thank you.
lt'll be good to get home.
How long do you plan on staying|on New Halana? For the rest of my life.
|l've been gone too long as it is.
l wish that l could remember Fenna.
What she did how she felt, but l can't.
|l'm sorry.
That's all right.
|l can remember for both of us.
- Tell me one thing.
|- lf l can.
- What was she like?|- Fenna? She was just like you.