- l've never seen anything like that. - Hm?
- l've never seen anything like that. - The woman?
She was dead. The tricorder showed...
Well, tricorders - accurate with live people,
not so accurate with dead ones.
We learnt that first year medical school.
Well, l was very impressed, Doctor.
And well you should have been.
l impressed myself on that one.
What other doctor would consider examining the scapular nodes?
l just seem to have a talent, l suppose -
a vision that sees past the obvious,
around the mundane, right to the target.
Fate has granted me a gift, Major.
A gift to be a healer.
- l feel privileged to be in your presence. - Glad to have you along.
Did anyone ever tell you that you're...?
Priority one broadband distress signal.
Kobliad transport ship Reyab to any ship.
Our central power linkage has exploded.
We're losing life support. Please respond.
Picking it up on long-range sensors.
Bearing 347 mark 08.
l'm reading massive energy leakage.
lts aft structural integrity field is failing.
This is the Federation ship Rio Grande. We're on our way.
O2 pressure dropping rapidly. Toxic gas levels rising.
We've only got ten minutes' breathing time left.
Automatic fire suppression must be off line.
l'll check the central power linkage.
Relax.
- l'm a doctor. - What happened?
You lost consciousness.
ls there anyone else aboard? We've got to evacuate it.
The pilot is dead.
l'm reading another life-form.
- No, don't open that. - lt's sealed.
The prisoner l was transporting...
he started the fire to escape.
He's dying! Where's the manual override?
No!
Stop!
Don't!
Wait. Don't go in there!
He's dangerous.
ln this condition, he's of no threat to anyone.
Power linkages are shot.
Manoeuvring subsystems are out.
l've stabilised the structural integrity field
but l don't know how long it will last. We'll have to tow it in.
His synaptic field is dissipating.
l have to get him to the emergency unit on the runabout.
Computer, four to transport.
Make...
me...
live.
This one, l can't bring back.
Where am l?
On Station DS9. l'm Dr Julian Bashir.
Ty Kajada.
Kobliad security.
DS9...
But that's where he was going.
Where is he? Where is Vantika?
Your prisoner? He's dead.
- You're certain? - Yes. You were the only survivor.
- Where is his body? - ln stasis.
- l want to see it. - When you're stronger.
Now!
Examinations show that he died of a respiratory failure
brought on by the pulmonary trauma suffered during the fire.
- Are you sure it's the same body? - Quite certain.
lt's been sealed in here ever since our arrival.
Have you run a retinal imaging scan?
What for?
To confirm there is no residual activity in the visual cortex.
Miss Kajada, l assure you, he is dead.
He's faked death countless times.
And the last time someone thought he was dead
they didn't live to regret the mistake.
He was a murderer?
That description doesn't do justice
to the horrors he's responsible for on my world.
He's quite brilliant, in his own way.
A man of science,
who killed others to prolong his own life.
l've tracked him for 20 years.
Please perform an autopsy.
l want his identity confirmed with a DNA scan.
Er...of course.
And have someone scan my ship.
l want to make sure there are no anomalous life-forms on board.
- Are you sure that's necessary? - Very sure.
lced raktajino, extra cream.
- Thank you, Quark. - At your service, day or night.
Thanks.
Poor woman. She's obviously infatuated with me.
- Huh. You're deluding yourself. - Nothing wrong with a good delusion.
l sell them upstairs to dozens of people every day.
Besides, there is something in her eyes when she looks at me.
Hm. An allergic reaction, no doubt.
- l think she's lonely. - Dax?
She has ten lifetimes' worth of friends
to call on before she calls you.
And every man on the station would like to be buying her a raktajino.
But l'm the one with the raktajino machine.
She seems to prefer spending most of her time alone,
which l understand perfectly.
Then that must make her perfect for you.
l wouldn't intrude on her privacy, as some would.
You're pathetic. You think everyone in the galaxy
should be as lonely and as miserable as you are.
As hard as it may be for you to understand,
some of us like company.
The sound of a friendly voice.
The sight of a familiar face.
The feel of smooth, pliant flesh.
- Why do you bother? - lt's good to want things!
Even things you can't have?
Especially things l can't have.
- Like the deuridium shipment? - Deuridium shipment?
ls there a deuridium shipment coming here?
l'm watching you, Quark.
And l'm watching you, Jadzia.
lnteresting technique.
Do you always prepare for an operation
by leaking word of it to the black market?
How l handle my business is none of your concern.
l'm afraid that it is.
Lieutenant George Primmin, Starfleet security.
l would like to talk about the deuridium shipment.
Nothing to discuss. Security is in place.
l would appreciate it if we could go over it anyhow.
lt took me three weeks to get here
and l'd hate to think it was for nothing.
lf you insist.
Meet me in my office at 17:00 hours.
The autopsy revealed nothing unusual.
Fingerprints, cerebral scans,
retinal patterns all matched the records perfectly.
Vantika may have faked death before but not now.
- Why was he coming here? - They're Kobliad.
The deuridium.
- l'm sorry? - They are a dying race.
They need deuridium to prolong their life span.
The Federation's been working to supply them with deuridium
but the new deposits aren't enough to service the whole population.
Some of the Kobliad have gone underground to get it.
He was coming here to hijack a shipment?
- Exactly. - ls Kajada satisfied with your autopsy?
Nothing will convince her he's dead, Commander.
Vantika has been the focus of her attention for most of her life.
They were as intimately connected as any two beings could be.
Let's grant her requests, as long as they're not too far out of line.
A quick sweep of her ship is not too much to ask.
Vantika might have had help here for the hijack.
Mr Primmin. Good. ln my office.
l want to brief you on a security issue that's arisen.
- l'll get Odo. - That's OK.
l'll fill him in on what he needs to know.
How are you getting on with the Constable?
l'm sure he keeps order on the Promenade.
But isn't the security of a deuridium shipment
a little over his head?
He was chatting about it in the bar with that Ferengi, Quark.
lf l could overhear it, so could others.
lt's hard to keep a secret in a place like this.
- l understand that. - Everyone knows about the shipment.
Odo was making sure Quark knows we know he knows.
lt's not the way they taught us at the Academy.
- lf you want my opinion... - l don't.
You and l are guests of the Bajorans, Lieutenant.
You don't have to forget what you've learned,
you just don't throw it in anyone's face here.
lf you're smart you might learn about security from our Constable.
- Clear? - Very clear, sir.
Now, regarding the shipment.
We've been made aware of a Kobliad plot
to hijack the deuridium.
You and Odo ought to have a talk with Kajada,
the Kobliad security officer who arrived yesterday.
Before we get started, l want to apologise
for us getting off on the wrong foot.
- Think nothing of it. - l know this is your bailiwick.
l don't mean to be throwing my weight around.
- No hard feelings? - None at all.
Just because l'm from Starfleet security
doesn't mean l don't respect your opinion.
Show me what you got and l'll see if we can work with it.
Lieutenant, you're welcome to see my plans
but l assure you, l've taken every precaution regarding the shipment.
However, if you have any suggestions, l'd be happy to hear them.
What?
- Odo to Ops. - Go ahead.
Major, are we having some sort of computer problem?
Everything in active memory has been purged.
- That's impossible. - lt's possible.
Vantika did the exact same thing on Rigel Vll.
l know Vantika. l've learned to think as he thinks.
Our evidence suggests Vantika stopped thinking two days ago.
He's alive and his first thought when he came on board this station
was to plan a way to access your security files
on the deuridium shipment.
Even if he was alive, it doesn't make sense
that he would purge an entire computer memory
to go after a single file.
lt makes perfect sense.
Try to access the single file
and you'd be stopped by a lock-outs that l put in to protect it.
But you wouldn't lock out the memory of your entire system.
You couldn't use the computers at all.
- That's where you're vulnerable. - How would he gain access?
ln the past, he's used a subspace shunt.
lt would be linked to a secondary system
that runs throughout the facility but isn't covered by security.
The lighting controls. Or the replicators.
l'm showing an unauthorised tap into the computer system.
A temperature control panel, level 21, section 10.
- Security to level... - Security...
To L-21, S-10.
We're looking for a crossover link to the computer system.
- Acknowledged. - Tell them to be careful.
Vantika equipped the shunt with an auto-destruct system.
You know that for certain, without having to check?
l know Vantika.
Miss Kajada, l'm having a tough time with your theory.
Then you're making a fatal mistake.
Three passengers were on your ship.
Two bodies are in our morgue.
- Unless the ghost of Vantika is... - Don't patronise me!
lsn't it more likely that some accomplice did this?
Rao Vantika is obsessed with his own survival.
He's prolonged his life through the use of drugs,
cryogenics, transplants.
As a medical supervisor in a high-security penitentiary
he used prisoners for his illegal experiments in cellular longevity.
He's organised raids on government labs
to steal bio-regenerative research.
When he started that fire on board my ship
he had a plan to survive.
l'm not sure what that plan was but l'm convinced it succeeded.
Doctor, how soon before we get the results of the DNA trace?
l sent it to Starfleet Command yesterday.
They'll have to coordinate with Kobliad security.
l'd say another 12 hours.
Until then, we will operate under the assumption
that Vantika is alive.
Commander.
May l have a word with you?
- What's on your mind? - My resignation.
- You're overreacting. - So you already know about this.
Lieutenant Primmin mentioned to me...
You asked me to stay in charge of security.
l did not ask you.
Constable, no one knows this station like you do.
l've noticed that. ''Constable.'' lt's very cute.
lt's an expression of affection. Major Kira was the first...
l don't need affection.
l do need clear jurisdiction or l am out.
l like you, Odo.
l like to know where a man stands.
There's never been any question of that with you.
l need you here.
- No Starfleet officer can do the job you do. - You've got that straight.
But Starfleet will not take command of a station
without some security to protect its interests.
Understandable.
You'll have to work with Primmin. You have to get along.
- Tell him that. - l already have.
- Who's in charge? - ln joint operations like this one...
you are.
l can live with that arrangement.
- What have you got? - l'm not sure.
l finished the sweep of Kajada's ship.
There was one odd thing.
Someone tried to break into the cargo bay.
There was no damage to the cargo area when they brought it in.
What do you think they were after?
This, maybe. l found it in Vantika's personal belongings.
- What is it? - A map of the humanoid brain.
You call this clean? l've found three coins on the floor.
Who knows what else there is?
Somebody may have lost some jewellery or something.
Fine.
Never mind. l'll do it myself.
And l'll keep it myself. Leave!
You just can't find good help anymore.
Have you made the preparations?
Preparations? What preparations?
The deuridium shipment.
You were to hire mercenaries to help me.
Help you...
but you can't be Vantika.
l told you to expect me at this hour.
Yes, and l contacted some very reliable soldiers of fortune
in anticipation of your arrival.
But l was told you were dead.
Almost...
but not quite.
- You wanted to see me? - Kajada. l'll be right with you.
Next time, lift with your back straight
and use the anti-gravity generator.
l'm sorry. l have the DNA scan results.
l thought you might like to see them.
l tried to call you last night, but you never responded.
l have a little trouble sleeping.
Last night was particularly bad
so l used an alpha wave inducer.
They're only meant for occasional use.
- The scan results, Doctor. - Oh, yeah.
There wasn't even a trace of diploid variation.
lt's definitely not a clone.
Positive identification - Rao Vantika.
They must have overlooked something.
Dax to Bashir.
l need some advice. Can you come?
l'll be right there. Bashir out.
Every conceivable test has been done, Kajada.
Here's the hypothesis.
The body dies, the consciousness lives on.
- ln another brain? - Possible?
The closest thing l've seen is synaptic pattern displacement,
never done by a non-Vulcan.
l think Vantika was working on it.
There are over 70 different computer simulations in his file.
All involve storing neural energy patterns
in different areas of the brain.
There's plenty of room. A humanoid uses a small portion of the brain.
What if another entity shared the unused portion?
Hypothetically...
Vantika's consciousness could be occupying someone else's brain
while he waits for the deuridium to arrive.
But whose?
- Kajada. - They're both Kobliad.
What better place to hide than in the mind of your enemy?
lt doesn't make sense.
She's done everything to convince us that Vantika is alive.
lf he's controlling her, why would he call attention to himself?
We're not suggesting he's controlling her.
This is theoretical, but to extend the logic,
there's no reason to believe she'd be aware of it.
Like a stowaway - the pilot's at the helm
but someone is along for the ride.
Would an examination of Kajada confirm this?
We don't know what we're looking for.
We have to identify a method of transfer.
l could assign some personnel
to maintain continuous surveillance on Kajada.
We're stretched to the limit preparing for the shipment.
l'll just set the computer
to alert us if she goes near a secured area.
She has to be left out of our security plans.
- She won't like that. - We have no choice.
- What do we tell her? - She'll figure it out.
When she does, send her to me.
The security codes have been changed.
l've been denied access. Why?
- Because l ordered it. - What kind of fool are you?
My own special variety.
l'm the only one with experience of Vantika.
l believe it's necessary at this point to restrict access
to the security files to four people -
myself, Lieutenant Primmin, Major Kira and Commander Sisko.
When is the shipment scheduled to arrive?
l can't give you that information.
- What about this Ferengi, Quark? - What about him?
From what l understand, he has his hands into everything.
- ls he under surveillance? - l always keep an eye on him.
l hope so, because he's exactly the kind
that Vantika would use in his plans.
Everything has been taken care of.
You said that about Vener Vll.
You should thank me for Vener Vll. You got paid, didn't you?
We almost got killed.
A normal risk in your line of work.
A normal risk when we work for you. That's for certain.
So when do we meet this Kobliad?
When he decides it's appropriate.
All right, then, a better question -
when do we get paid?
- When the job is completed. - Not acceptable.
We'll require an advance payment of 70%.
Durg, wake up.
This is Quark you're talking to, remember?
All past debts have been settled.
They'll never be settled.
You'd still be rotting in a Cardassian jail if l hadn't...
- Can you speak? - Pushed... Vantika.
l can't keep her conscious any longer.
lf she moves too much she could suffer permanent paralysis.
Did you see anybody behind her?
l just heard the scream and looked up.
She fell from the balcony. What was she doing up there?
She had a feeling you might be helping someone
hijack this deuridium shipment.
- l resent the inference. - lt's a suspicion.
Was anyone else in the bar?
- At the time of the accident. - No, just me.
Just tidying up, which, if you'll excuse me, l must finish.
Not so fast, Quark.
l want to look at that third floor
before you get rid of all the evidence.
Be my guest but l'm telling you, she was alone up there.
And she had no business invading the privacy of a law-abiding citizen.
What do you think? Could this have been a suicide attempt?
There's no indication of suicidal behaviour,
but who knows what the effect of sharing one's brain might be?
l'd still like some confirmation of that.
l'll have to tend to her injuries before any brain scan.
But until we find the transfer method Vantika used
l'm not even sure what to look for.
Computer, location of Lieutenant Dax.
Lieutenant Dax is in the stasis room.
- Find something under his fingernails? - Not yet.
What are you looking for?
Confirmation of a theory, l hope.
l've been asking myself
why would anyone induct a bioelectrical charge into a glial cell.
A question l have always wondered about.
lt makes sense if you want to send a bio-coded message
along the glial cells of someone's nervous system.
l think that's what Vantika was trying to do.
Using his fingernails?
l can't think of another way
he could have delivered the bio-coded message.
He must have used a weak electrical charge
or the sensors would have detected it.
ldeally, he would have injected
the bio-coded message directly into his victim's skin,
but there were no hyposprays or needles anywhere on the ship.
A microscopic generator.
You're suggesting he stored his consciousness?
His neural patterns encoded as bioelectrical pulses.
He could have placed that device under his nail months ago
just in case he needed an escape route.
- His last resort before death. - Will this show up in Kajada?
Now we know what we're looking for,
a glial scan should be able to confirm it.
Do it as soon as Bashir stabilises her. Nice work.
Confirm that each distribution amplifier is at 100% efficiency.
lf there's more than a .03% fall-off, replace it.
That won't mean a thing if the power waveguide outlets fail.
- Double-check them. - We only have an hour.
- Where's Primmin? - He's not with you?
l sent him to help you make the final security sweep.
He has not been here all morning.
l won't be going with you.
l'm simply a middleman, a facilitator.
- A profit monger. - And proud of it.
How did you get your hands on a Federation runabout?
l can't take credit for that.
Your employer has somehow managed to arrange security access.
When do we meet this employer?
His message said he'd be waiting for us on board.
Oh...er...er...
l'm terribly sorry. We seem to have made a wrong turn.
We didn't mean to disturb you, Doctor.
Not at all, gentlemen.
l've been expecting you.
Julian?
Computer, location of Dr Bashir.
Dr Bashir is in the infirmary.
What are you doing? l told you to sweep the docking bay.
- l took a cue from you. - From me?
You understood the logic of Vantika's MO
when he downloaded the computer memory -
avoid the single file, attack the system.
l'm not following.
Vantika has to know that our security efforts
will be focused on the docking ring.
And...?
That's not where he'll try to hurt us.
l ran a diagnostic on all the systems
that could shut down our defence array.
- l've done that twice. - l didn't find anything, either.
Then l went to the backup systems
and l found a glitch l couldn't explain.
And l tracked it back to the waste reclamation system,
where nobody would look
because it's considered nonessential.
l found this.
Another subspace crossover shunt
like the one Vantika used when he tapped into the computer.
And it's set to feed back into the primary command
and control functions.
This would have shut us down for an hour.
Time for him to grab that freighter
and warp it to who knows where.
Yes, Major?
The Norkova's come through the wormhole,
requesting permission to dock.
Go to a Security Alert Yellow.
- What bay? - Number eight.
Odo, maintain a visible contingent of security at bay eight.
But l'm sending the Norkova to the second backup.
- Bay twelve. - l'll send additional forces to twelve.
Lieutenant Primmin just saved us a lot of problems.
Another subspace crossover
that would have let them escape.
Odo, did you deploy a runabout to escort the Norkova?
No.
- The Rio Grande's meeting it. - On screen.
- Benjamin, Julian's missing. - Missing?
His combadge was in the lnfirmary. l can't find him.
Computer, who authorised access to Rio Grande?
Authorisation access code 4-1-2-1.
Dr Julian Bashir.
lt's safe.
- Shields up. - Done.
Secure the rest of the ship.
Be sure to account for all twelve members of the crew.
lf they resist, kill them.
Enter the new course.
Aye.
The station has locked a tractor beam on us.
But that's not possible.
They should be shut down by now.
Well, they're not.
They're hailing us.
Hailing...us?
Engage engines, full impulse.
We're not going anywhere with a tractor beam on us.
Do it!
Full impulse engaged.
The tractor beam is holding.
But they won't be able to pull us in.
We can't just sit here and wait.
What do you intend to do?
Open a channel.
l'm Benjamin Sisko, Commander of DS9.
Rao Vantika is my name.
But l assume you know that already.
l want to talk to Dr Bashir.
Unfortunately, he's not available at the moment.
ls he all right?
His body is - how do you humans say it? -
fit as a fiddle.
Looks rather good on me, don't you think?
What have you done to his mind?
lt was necessary to render him unconscious for the time being.
l might consider leaving his body
and returning him to you.
But first, you must release your tractor beam.
- l can't do that. - Then l'll take this vessel to warp.
The tractor beam would rip apart your ship.
- Everybody would be killed. - Exactly.
So if you care at all about the welfare of your doctor...
you will release your hold on us.
You have one minute to decide.
Can we get a transporter lock on him?
- Negative. Their shields are up. - Suggestions?
A runabout might be able to get close enough
to overload their shield generators with phaser fire.
We used to do it to Cardassian freighters.
You'd be risking a hull breach and with all the deuridium on board...
He's right. We can't risk releasing deuridium into the system.
Every populated area would have to be evacuated.
Dax, is there any way to disrupt Vantika's control over Bashir?
l have an exact model of Vantika's neural energy patterns.
lf l can design an electromagnetic pulse to disrupt them,
Julian might emerge.
We need a way to get it there.
Could we run it along the tractor beam
at the same frequency as their shields?
The pulse would resonate off the shields
and create a reflected EM field on board.
- He's hailing us. - l need some time.
l'll give you as much as l can. On screen.
Have you decided?
lf l permit you to leave, what guarantees that you'll return Dr Bashir?
You're far too ready to capitulate, Commander.
Would you be planning a rescue attempt, perhaps?
l'm only interested in my doctor's safety.
You insult my intelligence. Prepare to go to warp.
You've gone to great lengths to survive, Vantika.
You won't kill yourself.
And you are not ready to risk spreading deuridium
all over this system.
Ready to engage warp engines.
You must be crazy! l want no part of this!
No more middlemen, Sisko.
No more delays.
What's it to be?
All right.
We'll release the tractor beam.
- Dax? - Ready.
Do it!
Dr Bashir! Answer me.
Bashir!
Yes? What?
Doctor, lower the shields!
What?
What shields? Where am l?
l'll explain later. Lower the shields now!
- Shields are down. - Get him out!
Energising.
lt's OK.
lt's...
me.
l've programmed this transporter
to isolate any glial cells with Vantika's neural patterns...
and to beam them from Julian
into this micro-containment field.
Once they're out, he should be back to normal.
l'm only reading human neural patterns. He's clear.
l have the worst headache.
Dr Bashir, l'm so sorry for all of this.
We should have listened to you when you said he was alive.
You couldn't control what he was doing to you.
l'm afraid l don't remember it.
Actually, l feel quite humiliated.
- No one blames you, Doctor. - lt wasn't you.
lt was that.
What do you intend to do with it?
May l assume you've returned custody of the prisoner to me?
The prisoner? What's left of him.
Good.

---

---