Star Trek: Deep Space Nine s07e14 Episode Script

- How long was l asleep?|- Almost two hours.
Are we close to home? We entered the Bajoran System|a few minutes ago.
What's that? The shopkeeper l bought it from|called it a ''knickknack''.
- l didn't know you collected them.
|- lt's a present for Kira.
Oh! You don't think she'll like it? l'm sure she will.
lt's just|that l didn't get anything for Keiko.
The conference kept you pretty busy.
You found time to get something.
- Not chocolates as well.
|- Rigelian chocolates.
Her favourite.
- l'll buy them from you.
|- Pardon? l'll buy them from you.
|She doesn't need two presents.
l'm sorry, Miles, but the answer is no.
- There's something behind us.
|- lt's gaining on us fast.
- You think it's friendly?|- l hope so.
lt's certainly taken an interest in us.
Uh-oh.
- lt's gone.
|- What? - There's nothing out there.
|- Where did it go? lt's a changeling.
Stay where you are or l'll fire.
- You.
You are a metamorph?|- l'm a changeling, yes.
Tell the mono-form|to put down its weapon.
- Why did you board our ship?|- Because l sensed you were here.
l had to see if it were true,|if l'd finally found another metamorph.
You've never met|another shape-shifter? l've been trying to find others|for a long time.
Stay where you were.
- How do we know he's not a Founder?|- He's not.
- He's one of the hundred.
|- The hundred? Over the centuries, our people sent|100 infant changelings into the galaxy.
We were to learn about other species|and later share what we'd experienced.
That would explain|why l was alone on Varala.
l didn't even know what l was at first,|or that l could assume other forms.
l was the same way.
Shouldn't we get him into|a containment field until we know he's telling the truth? l'll allow myself to be taken prisoner|to show my good faith, but only if you vouch for my safety.
l do not trust humanoids.
So where is he now? ln a holding cell.
|Captain, he's not a threat to us.
He's travelled a long way|to find out where he came from.
- You believe his story?|- Yes.
How can we be sure|he's not a Founder? lf he were, he'd be infected with|the disease that's afflicting the Link.
Dr Bashir scanned him.
His morphogenic matrix|is as stable as mine.
Sir, with your permission,|l'd like to release him.
Well, l'm sure you can appreciate|why l'd have reservations about that.
We're still at war with your people.
The Founders|have deceived us before.
l realise that.
But he is not a Founder.
He's one of the hundred, l'm sure of it.
Sir, l'm asking you to trust me on this.
All right, Constable.
l'll release him into your custody.
Thank you, sir.
When l found out our people|were the leaders of the Dominion, l realised l had no place with them.
This war they're fighting is wrong.
l can understand their distrust of|humanoids, but why conquer them? Better to avoid them altogether.
You don't much care for humanoids.
l know from experience|they don't much care for changelings.
l think you'll find|the people here are different.
- They accepted me.
|- Have they? ls that why you've stayed? l told you,|l want no part of the Founders.
But what about the hundred|that were sent out? Haven't you ever tried to find them? No.
lt's a huge galaxy.
|They could be anywhere.
l found you.
l have a life here.
l have friends.
When did you first assume|humanoid form? A little over 30 years ago.
So that's it.
lt's all still so new to you.
l spent time living among humanoids,|as well.
- How long ago was that?|- Over 200 years.
l must have been sent out|earlier than you.
Or it could be that l was adrift|for a long time before l was found.
Either way, it explains|why you've chosen to stay here.
l too was fascinated by humanoid life|in the beginning.
- But you lost interest.
|- l found it limiting.
The Varalans never|accepted me as one of them and l was never able to fully mimic|their appearance.
- Faces aren't easy.
|- No.
And humanoids|are not very tolerant of difference.
Some of them are.
There are dozens|of species on this station.
They tolerate|each other's differences very well.
He has bumps on his forehead.
She has a wrinkled nose,|but they're basically alike.
They are bipeds|that eat, sleep, breathe.
You and l are nothing like them.
We're changelings.
|We can be like them when we choose.
l choose to be like them as little|as possible.
That's where we differ.
Let me show you|where you'll be staying.
You haven't told me your name.
The Varalans called me Laas.
|lt means ''changeable''.
- Not very imaginative.
|- But it's appropriate.
Mine is ''unknown sample''.
The man|who found me didn't know what l was.
These are my quarters.
|l'll be stayingsomewhere else.
Feel free to shape-shift as you please.
|Some of these forms are interesting.
This hasn't been used in some time.
l'vebeen busy.
Who is this? - Her name is Kira.
|- Ah.
- l had a mate once.
|- Oh? On Varala.
Not long after|l first assumed humanoid form.
And? What happened? We couldn't have children.
|That was important to her.
ls it something that matters to this Kira? - We've never discussed it.
|- Neither did we, at first.
Do our people reproduce? lt's complicated.
ln our natural state,|we don't exist as separate entities.
l don't understand.
Our people|spend most of their time in the Link.
lt involves a melding into one, a merging of thought and form,|idea and sensation.
You're speaking in riddles.
- lt's difficult to explain.
|- Then don't.
Show me.
Of course.
Take it.
For the first time in my life,|l understand how l was meant to exist.
You've given up|a great deal to remain here.
Yes.
Yes, l have.
But l won't have anything to do|with the Founders' war.
Odo, we linked.
l know the truth.
You stayed here because of Kira.
lf it weren't for her,|you would be with our people.
War or no war,|you would be a Founder.
- Hi.
|- Hello, Nerys.
l can't believe it.
Another changeling!|What's he like? He'scomplicated.
Like you.
- Are you all right?|- l'm fine.
You seem far away.
We linked.
- l see.
|- There's nothing to worry about.
He's not trying|to lure me to the Dominion.
The Link is part of what we are.
lt comes as naturally to us|as talking does to humanoids.
lt's a little more personal|than talking, isn't it? l suppose.
So.
Do l get to meet him? - lf you like.
|- l would.
Then l'll arrange it.
Here they are.
This is Laas.
- Nerys.
|- Julian.
- Ezri.
|- Miles.
- We've met.
|- Look, l'm sorry.
We didn't know who you were.
|You gave us quite a scare.
l've always wondered how it would feel|to be able to fly through space like that.
lt's a shame|you're incapable of experiencing it.
Guess so.
- Tell us about Varala.
|- No Federation ship's been.
lt's just like any other planet|overrun with humanoids.
Cities and farms everywhere,|other lifeforms displaced.
Once l migrated to the southern|continent with a herd of "volg.
" When we later returned to our breeding|grounds, they had been fenced off.
The herd died out|within two generations.
lt's the same wherever|humanoids thrive.
They disrupt the natural balance.
- Who ordered the vilm steak?|- Ah.
Umyou better keep that warm.
Whatever you say.
The truth is, l prefer|the so-called primitive lifeforms.
They exist as they were meant to,|by following their instincts.
No words get in the way.
|No lies.
No deceptions.
We're not the ones who can disguise|ourselves as anything we want.
- Meaning?|- Shape-shifters are not to be trusted.
- l trust Odo.
|- Of course you trust Odo.
Look at him.
You've convinced him|he is as limited as you.
- Laas.
|- You've seen through our evil plan.
- Foiled again.
|- lt's not funny.
No.
l'm very worried for him.
Odo can take care of himself.
Thank you, Colonel.
Well.
This has beeninteresting.
lf you'll excuse us,|Colonel, Counsellor, Doctor, Chief.
Laas.
Nice to see you again.
This way.
- Did you have to insult them?|- l was just speaking my mind.
- You could call it that.
|- Humanoids are tragic.
They can't take joy in simply existing, yet their consciousness|can't exist independent of form.
You're not afraid|to make generalisations.
l've been many things.
|l speak from experience.
Enough talk.
Link with me.
- Here?|- Why not? - That's not a good idea.
|- Are you embarrassed? No.
You don't want to remind them|that you're not a humanoid.
l don't go out of my way|to point it out, no.
Are you afraid they will reject you? l don't like to confront people|and make them uncomfortable.
So you deny your true nature|in order to fit in.
You're reading too much into it.
Before l came here, when was the last|time you assumed another form? You can't even remember.
You've pretended to be humanoid for|so long you forget you can be different.
That's not true.
l've been involved|with other things lately.
Like courting Kira?|She can't even link with you.
- Leave her out of this.
|- lt won't last.
The fact that your relationship failed|doesn't mean that mine will.
True.
And if you're very lucky,|you can watch her grow old and die.
l think you should stay out of my affairs.
l don't want to see you|make the same mistakes l made.
You're wasting your time trying to be|a humanoid.
You're limiting yourself.
Let's leave here, Odo.
|Let's find the others.
A hundred were sent away|and they're out there somewhere.
lf we can find even a few of them,|we can form a new Link.
Think of it.
We can exist the way|we were meant to.
As changelings.
l can't believe he actually thought|you'd leave with him.
He just can't understand|why l want to stay here.
How did he take it when you said no? You did say no, didn't you? l told him l'd think about it.
|l didn't want to dismiss it out of hand.
He would've taken offence.
Why do you look at me like that? lt just bothers me that|he thinks you're not happy here.
lt makes me think|he knows something that l don't.
What makes you say that? He linked with you.
Something gave him the impression|that you might want to leave.
lt's just wishful thinking on his part.
The thought of the two of us|looking for the others, exploring the galaxy as changelings.
lt's very alluring.
To him.
Sounds like it's alluring to you, too.
l'm happy here.
l'm sorry l can't link with you.
lt doesn't matter, Nerys.
l love you.
Computer,|activate fire suppression sys Laas? l need to talk to you.
You didn't realise it was me.
Did you|even know we could exist as fire? l didn't think so.
No matter.
Once we're away, l'll teach you to be|things you've never dreamed of.
l'm not leaving.
l'm staying here.
Why? So you can keep on pretending|to be one of them? l'm sorry if you're disappointed.
l'll survive.
And when l find some of the others,|l'll send for you.
You'll change your mind.
You'll join us.
lt could take a long time|for you to find another changeling.
ls that supposed to discourage me? All l'm saying is|you don't have to leave right away.
l wouldn't mind the company of another|changeling.
You wouldn't either.
All right, Odo.
l won't abandon|you to these mono-forms.
As a favour to you, l'll stay a while.
You might as well.
|lf you can't get along with me, you may not get along|with any other changeling.
Just remember,|l have no interest in mono-forms, even if they are your friends.
l don't think you have to worry about|an overcrowded social schedule.
Good.
- The environmental system's out.
|- There goes our holosuite reservation.
- l'll go see what it is.
|- lt's not the environmental system.
- Then where's this fog coming from?|- lt's not fog.
lt's Laas.
- Laas?|- What's he doing? Being fog, what's it look like? - Can't he be fog somewhere else?|- Or when no one's around? - He's not hurting anyone.
|- Still.
lt's creepy.
- Careful, Miles.
He might hear you.
|- Good.
Laas.
Laas.
Congratulations.
You've managed|to disrupt the entire Promenade.
- l was just relaxing.
|- lf you want to relax, do it in private.
Did l embarrass you? - What is this Founder doing here?|- He's not a Founder.
Move along.
Don't change form|in my presence again.
l will change form where l please.
- Look at the hate in his eyes.
|- Laas.
Your hands are stained|with the blood of Klingons.
But then,|the stench would still be on them.
Mine's bigger.
No! No! Dr Bashir wasn't able|to save the Klingon's life.
General Martok has asked|that Laas be detained until the magistrate can|determine jurisdiction.
- The Klingons want to extradite him.
|- He killed in self-defence.
- That is in dispute.
|- He was drawing his disruptor.
He was reaching for his dagger.
- You say that's not true?|- lt happened too fast.
But their intentions were obvious.
The Klingons say Laas knew|he couldn't be harmed by a knife, so he wasn't justified|in using deadly force.
The Klingons have resorted|to legal quibbling? They get involved in fights all the time.
|They never file charges.
They're now exercising their rights|under the law.
Sir, they're only doing this|because they distrust changelings.
- He should not have provoked them.
|- Provoked them? They attacked Laas.
They claim he|''surrounded them menacingly''.
They felt menaced by fog? They weren't the only ones.
|Twelve other people filed complaints.
ls it a crime to shape-shift|on the Promenade? lt's not a crime,|but it's obviously not a good idea.
You're going to extradite him, knowing|the Klingons won't give him a fair trial.
That's up to the magistrate.
You'd just as soon be rid of him.
|You didn't want him here.
l had to beg you to release him.
That's enough, Constable.
Martok has expressed concerns|about our security arrangements.
Meaning? He's not sure it's appropriate|that you're in charge of the prisoner.
May l ask why? Because you were a witness|to the alleged crime.
That's a relief.
For a moment l thought you were going|to say it's because l'm a changeling.
Odo.
l heard the Klingons|want to put your friend on trial.
They're the ones who should be on trial.
lf they'd attacked anyone else,|they would be.
You're probably right.
That fog episode certainly didn't help.
- Laas was doing what comes naturally.
|- You never pulled a stunt like that.
People don't want to be|reminded that you're different.
Who wants to see somebody|turn into goo? - l hope you don't do that around Kira.
|- Why shouldn't l? lf she's anything like me,|she'd rather you didn't.
Don't you get it? Humanoids are a|product of millions of years of evolution.
Our ancestors learned|that what you don't know might kill you.
They had to jump back|when they encountered a snake.
Millions of years later,|that instinct is still there.
lt's genetic.
|Our tolerance to other lifeforms doesn't extend beyond|the two arm, two leg variety.
l hate to break this to you, but when you're in your natural state you're more than|our poor old genes can handle.
What are you saying, Quark? That the Klingons|couldn't help what they did? l'm not trying to excuse what they did.
|l'm only telling you why it happened.
Watch your step, Odo.
|We're at war with your people.
This is no time for a changeling pride|demonstration on the Promenade.
- Constable.
|- l need time alone with the prisoner.
Sorry, sir.
l have my orders.
- l don't know what to say.
|- You could say you were wrong.
You could say the people here are|no different than any other humanoids.
This will all get|straightened out at your hearing.
l'm sure it will be fair and impartial.
Just tell them exactly what happened.
My word against a humanoid's? Whom do you think|this magistrate will believe? l shouldn't have convinced you to stay.
lf l had just let you go,|none of this would've happened.
My only consolation is that this may finally make you|understand that you don't belong here.
You saw the hatred|in that Klingon's eyes.
Perhaps now you'll recognise it when you see it hiding in the faces|of your so-called friends.
They tolerate you, Odo,|because you emulate them.
What higher flattery is there? ''l, who|can be anything, choose to be like you.
'' But even when you make yourself in|their image, you are not one of them.
They know that what you appear to be|does not reflect what you really are.
lt's only a mask.
What lies underneath is alien to them.
And so they fear it.
And that fear|can turn to hate in the blink of an eye.
They're going to extradite him.
|l know they are.
- No one will do anything to stop it.
|- There's not much anyone can do.
lf he weren't a changeling they would.
- That's unfair.
|- ls it? You sound like Laas.
Maybe l'm starting|to see things more clearly now.
Look at me, Nerys.
What do you see? - l see you.
|- No.
This is just a form l've borrowed.
l could just as easily be something else.
l know that.
But this|is what you have always chosen to be.
A man.
A good and honest man.
A man l fell in love with.
Are you telling me|that he never really existed? l don't know.
l care for you|more than anyone l've ever known.
These last few months|have been the happiest of my life.
But even so, part of me wishes that|Laas and l were out there right now, searching for the others,|existing as changelings.
Because that's what l am.
|Not a humanoid.
l'm a changeling.
Then maybe you're right.
|Maybe you do belong out there.
- Can l help you, Colonel?|- l need to talk to the prisoner.
Alone.
Aye, sir.
Go to the third planet|in the Koralis System.
There's an orbital tether running down|to a mining complex.
- l'll tell Odo to meet you there.
|- ls this some kind of a trick? Do you want to get out of here or not? That vent will lead you through|some conduits to an airlock.
Why? l love him.
Escaped? How did he get through|the containment field? All l can tell you is what l saw.
He turned into plasma energy|and forced his way through.
Before l could stop him,|he'd disappeared.
One of the airlocks was activated|shortly after that.
Why didn't our sensors detect him? A freighter left about the same time.
- He must have shadowed it.
|- He could be anywhere by now.
General Martok won't be happy.
By fleeing,|he has demonstrated his guilt.
Either that, or his lack of faith|in our justice system.
He must be brought to trial.
Have all available runabouts|begin a sector-wide search.
Aye, sir.
Good luck.
Constable, l know it's a long shot, but l'm sure you agree|we should try to find him.
- Of course.
|- Dismissed.
Level 9.
You didn't hide it very well.
|That you're glad he escaped.
l should've known|he'd be able to escape.
What's a forcefield|to a changeling with his abilities? You said you wished you were|out there with him.
Well, it's not too late.
l don't understand.
He's waiting for you|at an abandoned mine on Koralis lll.
You helped him escape.
l don't want you to stay here|out of some sense of obligation.
Good luck.
l hope you find what you're looking for.
Laas? l knew you would come.
This is a new beginning for us, Odo.
A new beginning for our people.
You and l are about to embark|on the adventure of our lives.
- What's wrong?|- l'm not going with you.
Why are you here? l've come to say goodbye.
Don't be a fool.
|What are you holding on to? Kira? She knows that|this is what's best for you.
Why else would|she have helped me escape? You really don't know, do you? You've no idea what it means to love|someone enough to let them go.
She let you go so that|you could find out where you belong.
l know where l belong.
Laas, humanoids are not the petty|creatures you perceive them to be.
What Nerys did|should prove that even to you.
Love conquers all, is that it? l'm sorry you can't understand.
You've done many things,|been many things but you've never known love.
Compared to the Link,|it is a pale shadow, a feeble attempt to compensate|for the isolation mono-forms feel because they are trapped|within themselves.
Perhaps the fact that it's not easy|is what makes it worthwhile.
Odo, the Founders are dying.
This could be your last chance|to exist the way you were meant to.
Don't throw it away.
You'd better go.
|They're looking for you.
Good luck.
And to you, Odo.
|You'll need it more than l.
Watch over him.
Help him find his way.
Yes.
l didn't think l'd see you again.
l couldn't go.
lf l've ever made you feel that you|couldn't be yourself with me, l'm sorry.
l want to know you.
The way you really are.