Distant Voices ( episode ) After an alien assault leaves Bashir unconscious , he is trapped inside his mind . Summary . Teaser . Doctor Bashir and Elim Garak are having their usual lunch together in the Replimat as Garak produces a gift for Bashir : a Cardassian enigma tale holonovel . Although Bashir usually enjoys mystery novels , he confesses his dislike for Cardassian ones , as the suspects are always guilty . Garak points out that the challenge is figuring out who is guilty of what . Bashir reveals that he feels glum because it is his 30th birthday , a sign in Human culture that one has lost one ' s youth , which contrasts the Cardassian view that growing old is a sign of power and dignity . The conversation is interrupted when Quark approaches with a Lethean companion named Altovar , who is interested in purchasing bio - mimetic gel . Everyone present knows purchasing the gel is illegal , but the Lethean " convinced " Quark to bring him to Bashir . He offers to buy the gel at any price , storming off angrily when Bashir firmly refuses . Later , Bashir returns to the infirmary , where he finds Altovar has broken in . The Lethean grabs his head , releasing an electric discharge of some kind , and absconds with the gel , leaving Bashir unconscious . Act One . When he awakens , Bashir finds the computer is off - line and will not respond , the lights are flickering , and he is alone . He wanders out to the Promenade , which is deserted , but he notices his reflection in a mirror and observes that his hair seems somewhat gray . In Quark ' s , he finds the Ferengi cowering behind the bar , hiding from someone in the shadows . Quark claims whoever it is going to kill everyone ; before he can answer any more questions , he runs off . Whoever is in the shadows hurls chairs in every direction , so Bashir follows suit and leaves . Garak surprises Bashir when he reaches the security office , both of them mistaking the other for an intruder . It seems all the station ' s systems except life support and basic functions are off - line , which Garak suggests might be the result of a virus , anomaly , or a Dominion attack . However , Bashir is interrupted by faint , indistinguishable voices . Garak hears no voices but observes how grey ( now more so than previously ) Bashir ' s hair is becoming . The two of them split up , Garak searching the docking ring while Bashir searches the habitat ring and central core . Wandering through a corridor , Bashir hears something behind him . One by one the lights in the corridor begin to shut down , a trail of darkness chasing him as he moves . He soon runs into a force field and is trapped . Act Two . Bashir narrowly escapes into a turbolift , barely getting away from Altovar , the Lethean from before . There is only a momentary peace as the turbolift descends before the Lethean can be heard pounding on the roof , attempting to break through . Bashir leaves and makes it to the wardroom , where he finds Chief O ' Brien , Commander Dax , Major Kira , and Constable Odo . Bashir is glad to see familiar faces , but each person seems somehow out of character . O ' Brien is pessimistic and afraid , while Dax seems all too eager to face the Lethean with a phaser , Odo does not trust anyone , and Kira is frustrated with the entire group . However , Bashir is unable to scan the room for anomalies since the computer is down , so they head for a cargo bay where O ' Brien believes he can access the proper components to get the station up and running . In the cargo bay the officers continue to bicker while O ' Brien attempts to make his repairs . Bashir is still convinced something has affected the others , although from the voices he is hearing and the fact that he appears 60 rather than 30 , Kira believes he is the one with a problem . Strangely , O ' Brien picks up an audio - only signal from an unknown source , in which Dax appears to be discussing Bashir ' s condition ; he is in a coma and will die within hours . A tricorder scan reveals only delta wave s from Bashir . It appears the voices are correct . Act Three . Bashir finds no life sign s from the others . He deduces that they are different parts of his brain and thus he is talking to himself . O ' Brien is his sense of doubt . Kira is his sense of aggression . Odo is is his sense of suspicion . Dax is his sense of confidence and adventure . However , as he figures this out Altovar emerges through the side of a nearby container and disappears with Dax . Moving toward Dax , Bashir suddenly finds himself playing tennis with Garak on the Promenade . It seems the station is Bashir ' s mind and Altovar is the force which is killing him . Garak , a natural choice for Bashir ' s sense of intrigue , seems pessimistic but agrees to continue searching while Bashir heads for Ops . The situation worsens as Bashir progresses . Wounded people line a corridor and he finds Sisko there with a nurse , trying to heal them just as Bashir might . Naturally , Sisko is his sense of professionalism . The commander agrees to help Bashir ( who has aged yet again ) get to Ops , but moments later Altovar pulls Sisko into a nearby wall , disappearing once again . Bashir runs , but runs into Altovar , who states he wants to systematically destroy Bashir ' s mind and then kill him . Bashir runs . Act Four . Shortly thereafter , Bashir finds a dead Kira and melting Odo , both of whom have fallen victim to the Lethean . As Odo dies , he advises Bashir to use the conduit s to get to Ops quicker . Although unsure whether he is going the wrong way , Bashir is determined to find Ops . His hopes rise when he finds O ' Brien , but this version of the chief , Bashir ' s sense of fear and doubt , does not want to face the Lethean . He advises Bashir of which way to go , and reluctantly agrees to go along despite Bashir ' s rapidly accelerated aging . At the juncture where Bashir should emerge in Ops , he finds himself on the Promenade again , this time outside Quark ' s , where something important seems to be going on . People are gathered around a table on which Bashir finds his unconscious body ; Quark explains that he is taking bets on everything from how long Bashir will live to which organ will fail first . Their conversation is interrupted by dismayed cries from the crowd as O ' Brien ' s lifeless body appears in place of Bashir ' s . The Lethean appears once Quark calls off the bets , killing the Ferengi and informing Bashir that he is next . The now - decrepit doctor runs as best he can to the Promenade . Bashir falls next to Garak , but he breaks his hip due to his advanced age . Act Five . Garak does not see how Bashir will fix the station if he is hardly able to walk . Nonetheless he agrees to help Bashir get to Ops , observing how stubborn his friend is . The pair eventually make it to Ops , where there is a surreal feeling . A banner hangs in the otherwise deserted room , proclaiming , " HAPPY BIRTHDAY , JULIAN , " and a beautiful Bajoran woman in a skin - tight outfit approaches , singing " Happy Birthday to You " . Joining in , Garak congratulates Bashir on having a fascinating mind once the song is over . The doctor is still determined to fix the station despite Garak ' s continued pessimism , but when he opens a panel , he finds not computer circuitry but tennis balls , which fall on him . As Garak reiterates the hopelessness of the situation , Bashir confronts him , claiming he does not belong and demanding to know who he really is . Garak transforms into Altovar . Before Bashir can make it to a turbolift , Altovar confronts him about his past failures – the way he quit tennis to become a doctor because his parents would not approve , the way he intentionally missed a question on a preganglionic fiber for a postganglionic nerve so he would be second rather than first in his class because of the pressure , the way he has never acted on his feelings for Dax – which seems to wound Bashir as he knows Altovar is right . However , he activates the turbolift and leaves . Making his way to the infirmary , Bashir appears to know what he is doing . Altovar joins him , confused . Although Ops is the center of the real world , Bashir explains that the infirmary is the center of his . Since Altovar has not killed him , he continues to persist as it appears he must give in for the Lethean to win . Finally , he opens a panel and fixes the computer . Suddenly , the lights come online and the computer begins working , and Bashir activates a quarantine field around Altovar . He then tells the computer to begin sterilization , which causes Altovar to disappear . Bashir now wakes up in a hospital gown in the infirmary , having cured himself . Sisko , Dax , Jabara , and the others are amazed to see him alive . The next day , Bashir and Garak resume their lunches together as usual and the topic of discussion is Bashir ' s experience with Altovar ( who , in the real world , tripped a security alarm and was quickly apprehended by Odo ) . As Bashir muses that he was lucky to survive his ordeal , Garak tells his friend that Cardassians do not believe in luck , and it was Bashir ' s strength that saw him through the nightmare . Bashir then says that after being a 100 - year - old in his mind , he decides that being 30 is not so bad after all . Garak responds by toasting to his birthday . Garak then brings up on how Bashir ' s mind subconsciously portrayed him , surprised that after all this time his Human friend still does not seem to trust him . As Bashir fumbles for an explanation , Garak grins and says , " " There ' s hope for you yet . " " Memorable quotes . " " I wasn ' t aware that Humans saw growing old as a negative experience . On Cardassia , advanced age is seen as a sign of power and dignity . " " " " Well I am aware that aging is part of a natural process of life , but I don ' t want to be reminded of it , that ' s all . Now look , Garak , in two days I turn thirty . If I choose to be grumpy about it , that ' s my prerogative ! " " " " Don ' t take it personally – he ' s turning thirty . " " " " I haven ' t picked any of you – I ' m in a coma ! " " " " You can ' t escape , doctor ! You can run if you want to but you " can ' t " outrun death ! " " " " My . . . tennis balls ? " " " " This station is in worse condition than we thought . " " " " You can ' t do this ! " " " " I can do anything I want . It is " my " mind . Computer , begin sterilization . " " " " To think , after all this time , all our lunches together . . . you still don ' t trust me . There ' s hope for you yet , doctor . " " Links and references . References . backbone ; Bajor ; Bajoran s ; ; ; betting pool ; bio - mimetic gel ; Cardassia ; Cardassian s ; casting ; central computer network ; coagulation activator ; coma ; constable ; cordrazine ; cranial trauma ; dabo ; dabo girl ; delta wave ; Dominion ; engineering extension class ; enigma tale ; Federation ; Federation law ; felony ; gift ; " Happy Birthday to You " ; holosuite ; inpedrezine ; internal sensor s ; Lethean ; meter ; mystery novel ; osteogenic stimulator ; palm beacon ; paranoia ; Promenade ; Quark ' s ; replicator ; Replimat ; sabotage ; Shoggoth ; Starfleet Medical Academy ; starship operations ; Tarkalean tea ; tennis ; tennis ball ; tricorder ; Yigrish cream pie Unreferenced material . hydrocortiline ; Mount Olympus ; Paris ; ; tripdecederine