Dramatis Personae ( episode ) The crew becomes infected by a telepathic imprint of a culture that destroyed itself . Summary . Teaser . Commander Sisko and Major Kira Nerys are in dispute over a Valerian freighter that is requesting permission to dock at the station . Kira wants to deny their request because the Valerian s ran weapons - grade dolamide to the Cardassian s during the Occupation of Bajor , and she believes that they are still continuing to do so . Sisko asserts that without proof , there is nothing that they can do . He appeases Kira by promising to contact the Federation about the matter if she brings him solid proof . In the meantime , the Valerians will be allowed to dock . As Kira steps into Ops , Chief O ' Brien is bemoaning to Jadzia Dax the fact his wife is taking her school on a field trip to Bajor to visit a grain processing center at Lasuma . Odo exits the turbolift and informs Kira that he looked into the captain of the Valerian ship like she requested . A Klingon attack cruiser , the , returns from an expedition through the wormhole a month ahead of schedule . Immediately after clearing the event horizon , the vessel explodes . A Klingon officer , Hon - Tihl , barely manages to materialize on the transporter pad , but the transport does not stabilize properly . O ' Brien and Dax launch into action and coordinate the sensors allowing Hon - Tihl to fully materialize , but he immediately collapses . Doctor Bashir rushes over to tend to him , and as he leans over , Hon - Tihl grins and hisses the word " " Victory ! " " before dying . Act One . Bashir tells Kira , Sisko , O ' Brien , and Odo that he found tritanium alloy fragments in Hon - Tihl ' s body , but also notes that there are severe weapons burns . The " Toh ' Kaht " had been on a bio - survey mission in the Gamma Quadrant , so the final words of Hon - Tihl make little ( if any ) sense . Sisko sends Dax and O ' Brien out on a runabout to check the wreckage and look for the mission recorder to find out what may have caused the damage . O ' Brien promptly gets up to leave , but Dax remains sitting and starts smiling to herself , as if enjoying a private joke . O ' Brien calls after her , and she leaves with him for the runabout . In the meantime , the Valerian ship , " Sherval Das " , has been trying to get clearance for docking at the station . Kira is trying to keep the captain entangled in false delays , but Sisko appears and overrules her . Kira protests by explaining that she did a background check on their ship and has learned that it passed through Fahleena III and Mariah IV , the same two stops that the Valerians made when running dolamide for the Cardassians . At his bar , Quark is trying to be a good bartender by listening to one of his patrons , but seems to be doing most of the talking . After his patron walks off , Odo arrives and asks Quark what he has heard among the Klingons . Quark complains about the damage the last crew had caused to one of his holosuite s , and how they talked of being on a " glorious mission " , despite it being a bio - survey . Quark demands a bribe in exchange for more information , but Odo threatens to reassign the work crew away from the holosuite repairs . Quark says that the Klingons mentioned they were in search of something that would " " make the enemies of the Klingon Empire tremble . " " As Odo goes to leave , he screams in agony and grabs his head , which splits in two and collapses in the doorway . A panicked Quark rushes to get Dr . Bashir . Act Two . In the infirmary , Odo awakens with a start to find Bashir leaning over him , checking him out . Bashir notes that he had no way of knowing if Odo was all right or not , because his body chemistry defies all of Bashir ' s instruments . As Odo hastily gets up to leave , Bashir ' s voice takes on a conniving tone , and he asks if Odo shares his concerns about " the Valerian situation " . Confused , Odo asks what he means , and Bashir gloats that the " uneasy alliance " between Sisko and Kira will soon start showing cracks . Odo is put off by Bashir ' s eerie demeanor and refuses to commit himself to either side of the matter . Back in Sisko ' s office , Sisko is busy drawing some sort of blueprint on a PADD when Kira enters . With glee , she announces that the Valerians have visited the Ultima Thule station a week prior , and thus must be carrying dolamide . She announces her intention to board their vessel , confiscate the material , and take them to Bajor to press charges . Sisko , still calm , refuses to allow anything of the sort . Tensions in the room escalate until Kira reminds Sisko that Deep Space 9 is technically Bajoran property . Sisko grimly asks if she is challenging his authority . On the runabout , Dax and O ' Brien locate the debris from the " Toh ' Kaht " . While looking for the mission recorder , O ' Brien notes that Kira has been acting aggressively of late , but Dax blows it off as a simple difference of opinion with Sisko . O ' Brien does not press the matter , and for a short while the mood of the ship returns to normal . As they sift through the wreckage , O ' Brien continues to needle Dax , who seems to be drifting off into her own world . O ' Brien cuts off one of her rambling thoughts and demands to know if she ' s becoming " friendly " with Kira . He advises her to consider her loyalties , and warns that " " anyone against Sisko is against me . " " At this point , they find the mission recorder . Back in the security office , a seductive Kira enters and starts fawning over Odo , noting that the two of them have worked very well together in the past . Odo responds with caution , and Kira asks for his cooperation in breaking into the Valerian ship to acquire proof of weapons smuggling . Odo asks if Sisko suddenly changed his mind . Kira claims he has . Suspicious , Odo offers to check in with him , prompting Kira to admit her lie . When Odo asks whether she is asking him to go behind Sisko ' s back , Kira warns him to remember who his friends are , then leaves . Act Three . In Ops , O ' Brien and Dax present the information they found to Sisko , Kira , and Odo . A recording from Hon - Tihl has been recovered , in which he reveals that he killed the medical officer of the ship , Kee ' Bhor , believing that he was a spy from the captain of the ship , Tel ' Peh . Through the static , Hon - Tihl can also be heard discussing telepathic energy spheres from Saltah ' na , which he suspects are somehow responsible for the violence on the ship . Sisko , obviously bored , flatly states that he doesn ' t care about anything that happens on a Klingon vessel . O ' Brien and Dax continue working on interpolating more of the data in order to fill in the blanks . Dax , still in her own world , childishly remarks that the search is the real reward . In his bar , Quark set a fancy drink , a modela aperitif , in front of Dax . Kira enters and barks at Quark to " get lost " , insulting him and driving him to the other end of the bar . Kira begins to flatter Dax in the same seductive manner she did with Odo earlier . She insists that Dax is the most valuable officer on the station . Dax is oblivious to Kira ' s advances and continues to quote stories about herself and Sisko . Kira angrily tells Dax that she is going to be rid of Sisko , and threatens Dax with the same . A startled Quark listens to this and accidentally drops a glass . Kira notices Quark ' s eavesdropping and grabs him by the collar , hoisting him up and throwing him against the back wall of the bar . Back in Odo ' s office , Quark enters wearing a neck brace and demands that Odo take action against Kira . He outlines the events in the bar , but Odo is more interested in whether or not Kira managed to persuade Dax . Quark admits that he did not hear much , but that Dax seemed to be " on the fence " . Odo inquires about the change in personalities of the other officers , then realizes that Quark hasn ' t changed at all . With his questions answered , Odo exits , leaving Quark frustrated and demanding satisfaction . Odo arrives in Sisko ' s office , but Sisko is nowhere to be found ; instead , O ' Brien is sitting in Sisko ' s chair , watching more of Hon - Tihl ' s journal . O ' Brien informs Odo that Sisko is " safe " in his quarters . From the journal , it is noted that Hon - Tihl had placed a thalmerite device near the reactor core to destroy his ship , killing his own crew while he attempted to beam safety to DS9 . It seems that there was some sort of mutiny on the ship . O ' Brien promises to give Odo access to each of the journal entries as they are reconstructed . On his way out , Odo receives yet another stark warning about his loyalties . Odo goes to meet with the increasingly reclusive Sisko , and is surprised to find two guards at the door to Sisko ' s quarters . Inside , Sisko is continuing to work on his blueprints and is becoming apathetic . Odo presents his suspicions about the behavioral changes amongst the crew , but Sisko is uninterested and tells him to go talk to O ' Brien . Sisko put down his PADD to reveal that he is drawing up a set of plans for a highly complex clock , which perplexes Odo further . Act Four . Odo returns to his office to find Kira relaxing in his chair with her feet on the desk . Kira informs him that she locked down the clamps on the docking pylons to keep the Valerian ship from leaving . She states that she is now going after Sisko and O ' Brien , and that she needs Odo ' s help . Kira entices him with the prospect of a station run entirely by her , where Odo will be given free rein to maintain security however he likes , even to declare martial law . Odo decides to play along and asks what Kira ' s plan is . However , Kira won ' t share , knowing that Odo ' s the most incorruptible person on the station . She prefers to wait until Odo proves his allegiance to her camp . When Kira leaves , a distressed Odo immediately attempts to contact Starfleet Command , but finds that Kira has locked out access . He then tries the Bajoran Council , only to guess that O ' Brien has similarly locked them out as well . Fortunately , the computer has finished reconstructing the journal of Hon - Tihl . In his office , Sisko is busy building his clock while O ' Brien paces around impatiently . O ' Brien updates Sisko on the situation , and confides his suspicion that Kira is about to make an attempt on Sisko ' s life . Sisko happily suggests that they should arrest Kira , along with every Bajoran on the station to root all of her sympathizers . O ' Brien counsels against it , due to their larger numbers . He instead suggests leaving the station to gather a Federation attack force ; at this , Sisko flies into a rage . O ' Brien manages to talk Sisko down , but notes that for his plan to work , they will need time to free the Valerian ship so that they can hitch a ride on it . In the infirmary , Bashir hands a small device to a Bajoran officer and begins telling him how to use it . When Odo enters , both react as if caught , but Bashir pretends to be giving the Bajoran medical advice . The Bajoran leaves , and Bashir smugly advises Odo to choose sides soon , as events have moved swiftly since their last conversation . Odo decides to talk to Bashir as if he were a co - conspirator , in order to coerce information about the Klingon first officer ' s autopsy out of him . It seems that there were some symptoms that could have arisen due to some sort of telepathic influence , and that the telepathic archives from the energy spheres could be reenacting the power struggle that had destroyed the Saltah ' nan civilization . The only people who have been affected were standing in Ops when Hon - Tihl beamed on board . Odo theorizes that the anomaly tried to control him too , but that he was unaffected due to his lack of a humanoid brain ; this explains his earlier seizure in Quark ' s Bar . Odo coerces Bashir into helping to find a way of removing the telepathic influence , promising him that the means to remove the virus is the key to seizing control of the station for themselves . This nullifies Bashir ' s suspicion and makes him cooperative . Back in Ops , O ' Brien is still laboring to release the docking clamp s , with Dax ' s help . Sisko steps out of his office to see how much progress is being made . The Bajoran officer that was in the infirmary earlier exchanges a glance with Dax , then takes a PADD over to Sisko . In a flash , he pulls out the device that Bashir gave him and prepares to jab it into Sisko ' s back , but O ' Brien sees it and alerts Sisko . Dax instantly contacts Kira , revealing herself to be a conspirator ; O ' Brien hits her across the face and silences her . Sisko violently interrogates the Bajoran as to whether or not Kira put him up to this . He picks up the weapon the Bajoran dropped and prepares to use it on him , but at that moment Kira and her guards storm into Ops . Kira points a phaser at Sisko , telling him to drop the device . Act Five . Kira commands her group to seize O ' Brien and Sisko . O ' Brien cautiously reaches his hand to the control panel , and both he and Sisko beam out of the room . Frustrated , Kira demands to know why Dax didn ' t disable the transporters , to which Dax groggily replies " " I forgot . . . " " In an airlock corridor , O ' Brien and Sisko find that instead of materializing on board the Valerian ship , their transporter signal has been diverted by Kira , and they are now blocked in on both sides by force field s . Despite his apprehension as to Odo ' s loyalty , Sisko contacts him for help . Odo uses his priority security codes to guide the pair to the cargo bay entrance at docking bay 4 . After the call , both O ' Brien and Sisko leave their combadge s behind , so that their movements won ' t be traced . Meanwhile , back at Ops , Kira and Dax are confused as to why Sisko and O ' Brien don ' t appear to be moving , before realizing that they must have discarded their combadges . Kira quickly deduces that someone has been overriding their security force fields . In anger , she contacts Odo and demands to know what side he is on . Odo coolly replies that he is with her , and that he has just trapped Sisko and O ' Brien behind the impenetrable cargo bay door . Bashir , still conspiring with Odo , expresses admiration at Odo ' s ploy and announces that he has set up an interference signal in that cargo bay , to drive the telepathic field out of the afflicted officers . In the cargo bay , Sisko and O ' Brien discover that they are trapped . Kira , Dax , and their guards make their appearance at the opposite end of the bay . Sisko admonishes Kira for her lack of gratitude , and declares that history will vindicate him . Just as Kira is about to kill Sisko , Odo and Bashir open the door that O ' Brien has been trying to open . Odo tells the computer to execute his program , and a strange wave of energy passes through the air of the room . Everyone drops their weapons and , save for Odo , collapses in pain as the telepathic force is driven from their minds . Odo advises everyone to grab onto something , then opens the airlock . The energy field is sucked out of the station into space , and Odo triggers the door shut again . In the commander ' s office , Sisko and Kira discuss the strange clock that Sisko built during his affliction . Kira expresses deep regret for her attempted mutiny . Sisko replies " " I think we ' ll let it go . . . this time . " " Sisko then focuses his attention on the clock , starts it and seems to still be fascinated by it . Memorable quotes . " " I ' ve been friends with Benjamin Sisko for many years . . . In many ways , he ' s like a son . Or a nephew . . . Some kind of close relative anyway . . . " " " " Is this a Ferengi fashion I ' m not aware of ? " " " " How are you , Lieutenant " ? " ( tired ) " " You know what they say – put the shoe on the right foot first , but put the left foot first into the bathtub " . " ( confused ) " " I understand " . " " " What do you think ? " " " " What is it ? " " " " A " clock " ! Fascinating , isn ' t it ? " " " " Anyone who ' s against Sisko is against me . " " " " The Klingon , Doctor ; what did you find ? " " " " He ' s still dead , if that ' s what you mean . " " " " I want you to arrest them . Kira and every Bajoran officer on this station . I want the names of every sympathizer . . . " " " " That ' s not a good idea , sir . There are a lot more of them than there are of us . If we tip our hand , it could work against us " . " " " What can we do " ? " " " Leave the station " . " ( shouting ) " " NEVER ! Get me a phaser , and I ' ll get rid of Kira ! " " " " Hear me out , sir . . . We leave the station . Raise a Federation attack force . . . and return . " ( pause ) " And on that day we ' ll get rid of all your enemies " . " " " How do we proceed " ? " " " I need a few more hours to free up the Valerian ship . I ' ve already talked to their captain . He ' s more than happy to take us back to Federation space " . " ( whispering ) " " Call me as soon as you ' re ready " . " " " So , this is how it all ends . " " " " For you . " " " " You know what disturbs me ? The ingratitude . I offered you my kindness , my help , my leadership and how do you repay me ? With betrayal . But you won ' t get rid of me so easily . You see , unlike " you " , I " understand " history . My name will blaze across the stars long after your petty treacheries have been forgotten . " " " " But you won ' t be here to see it . " " " " Welcome back , everybody . " " " " Did you really build that ? " " " " Apparently so . " " " " Why ? " " " " I have no idea . " " Links and references . References . admiral ; airlock ; alien ; alloy ; archive ; armory ; assassination ; assassination device ; autopsy ; background check ; Bajor ; Bajoran ; Bajoran Council ; Bajoran phaser ; Bajoran system ; Bajoran wormhole ; bathtub ; bio - survey ; blueprint ; brain ; brain stem ; bulkhead ; Cardassian ; cargo bay ; channel ; clock ; columnar cell ; combadge ; comet ; commander ' s log ; constable ; containment field ; crossbeam ; crossover bridge ; cryostasis ; ; data interpolation ; day ; debris ; diplomatic pressure ; docking clamp ; docking port ; dolamide ; duranium ; ear ; energy matrix ; Fahleena III ; Federation ; first officer ; first officer ' s mission journal , IKS " Toh ' Kaht " ; foot ; force field ; furniture ; Gamma Quadrant ; grain ; grain processing center ; hailing frequency ; holosuite ; ; hour ; insomnia ; ionic interference signal ; Kalean ; Kalean party ; Kee - Bhor ; Klingon ; Klingon disruptor ; Klingon Empire ; Klingon High Command ; Kobheerian ; Lasuma ; level 5 security protocol ; log entry ; magnetic field ; Mariah IV ; martial law ; medical officer ; meter ; microtissue analysis ; minute ; ; mission recorder ; model ; Modela aperitif ; month ; murder ; mutiny ; ; neck brace ; nephew ; neutrino ; ; Occupation of Bajor ; Odo One ; ops ; painting ; personal log , Miles O ' Brien ; phaser ; phoretic analyzer ; power generator ; presentation ceremony ; Promenade ; purification plant ; reactor ; reactor core ; resonance frequency ; Rochani III ; runabout ; Saltah ' na ; Saltah ' na clock ; Saltah ' na energy sphere ; Saltah ' na homeworld ; scan ; secondary hull ; security code ; security protocol ; security sensor ; sensor ; " Sherval Das " ; shoe ; short - range sensor ; short - range transport ; sir ; slit ; son ; spy ; star ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Command ; Starfleet Headquarters ; station log ; student ; subspace communication ; subspace message ; subspace transponder ; tab ; telepathy ; telepathic archive ; telepathic field ; Tel - Peh ; thalmerite ; three - dimensional chess ; throat ; ; transporter ; transporter pad ; transporter signal ; tricorder ; tritanium ; Ultima Thule ; unnamed medical device ; Valerian ; Valerian transport ; ; Vulcan ; Vulcan admiral ; wanted poster ; weapon burn ; weapons scanner ; week ; work crew ; wormhole Unreferenced material . drought ; Elanu IV ; Kelton IV ; Pistres