1:[2,#B],3:[3,#I]@1“The Abandoned”@2Deep Space Nine episode #52
Written by D. Thomas Maio & Steve Warnek
Directed by Avery Brooks
Stardate 48214.5
First aired in 1994
GUEST STARS
Marta JILL SAYRE
Teenager BUMPER ROBINSON
Boslic Captain LESLIE BEVIS
Odo tries to convince a young, violent Jem’Hadar that there is more to life than fighting and killing.
A Boslic Captain talks Quark into purchasing the wreckage of a ship that crashed in the Gamma Quadrant. Unfortunately, he ends up with much more than he bargained for when he finds a newborn alien infant hidden inside. Quark brings the baby to the infirmary, where the child’s presence reminds Sisko of his teenage son Jake’s own infancy – and Sisko’s fatherly concern now that Jake is dating Marta, a twenty-year-old Dabo girl. Bashir notices that the baby has a phenomenal metabolic rate, and the child develops so rapidly that he changes from an infant to what looks like an eight-year-old boy in a few hours.
While the boy is no more than two weeks old genetically, he is already able to speak. Bashir soon determines that his advanced skills are artificially implanted as the result of genetic engineering. The crew quickly sees what kind of alien he is when the boy matures again – into a violent, teenage Jem’Hadar.
Sisko plans to send the teenager to Starfleet Command for study, but Odo objects, knowing what it is like to live as a lab specimen. Despite the danger the Jem’Hadar poses, Odo wants to prove that he isn’t just a programmed killing machine. He asks Sisko to let the boy stay, thinking he can control the alien since Jem’Hadar soldiers are bred to serve Odo’s race of shape shifters. Because the child’s race is dangerous to the Federation, Sisko is reluctant, but he lets Odo work with the boy. Later, Marta joins Sisko and a nervous Jake for dinner. But, despite his initial thoughts, Sisko finds Marta to be very nice – and learns some things about Jake in the process. Meanwhile, Odo talks to the alien, who shows his obedience, then expresses a desire to stay in Odo’s quarters, which he allows.
Odo talks at length with the teenager, and learns that he wants to know more about the Jem’Hadar. But the boy’s only desire seems to be for violence. Kira warns him that the child may be a lost cause – if he was engineered to kill, Odo will not be able to change him. Odo tries to show the teenager that there is more to life than fighting, but a holosuite battle reveals that the bloodlust remains. Later, Sisko has word that Starfleet has sent a ship to pick up the young Jem’Hadar. But before Odo can leave to tell the boy, he suddenly appears in the room, pulls a phaser on Sisko, and announces that he refuses to go where they plan to send him.
The teenager demands a Runabout so he and Odo can go home to the Gamma Quadrant, then takes him through the corridors en route for the vessel. Much to Odo’s disappointment, the boy reveals that he wants to be a Jem’Hadar. But when Sisko attempts to stop him from leaving, Odo intercedes, insisting on returning the teenager to his homeland. Knowing that the Jem’Hadar will either kill someone or be killed rather than go with Starfleet, Sisko agrees. Odo handles this final task and returns to the station, sadder but wiser for his experience.
~1:[2,#B],3:[3,#I]@1“The Adversary”@2Deep Space Nine episode #72
Written by Ira Steven Behr & Robert Hewitt Wolfe
Directed by Alexander Singer
Stardate 48959.1
First aired in 1995
GUEST STARS
Krajensky LAWRENCE PRESSMAN
Eddington KENNETH MARSHALL
Bolian JEFF AUSTIN
One of Odo’s people tricks Sisko and the crew into actions that could start a devastating war in the Alpha Quadrant.
During a party celebrating Sisko’s promotion to Captain, Admiral Krajensky takes him aside and quietly reveals that there has been a coup on the Tzenkethi homeworld that could threaten Federation colonists. Sisko and his crew are to take the Defiant and Krajensky to this sector. Soon after departing, they receive a distress signal from a colonist indicating that Barisa Prime is under attack from the Tzenkethi. The signal then goes dead – the colony has apparently been destroyed.
The crew sets course for Barisa Prime, but when Sisko tries to notify Starfleet Command, power fluctuations in the ship’s communications circuitry prevent it. O’Brien and Dax go to work on the problem, and discover strange alien devices attached to almost every critical system throughout the ship. They determine that there is a saboteur aboard. Dax scans each member of the crew, and when she gets to Krajensky, he suddenly morphs into a Changeling and escapes.
The Changeling takes control of the Defiant, activating the cloaking device and arming the ship’s weaponry. Sisko realizes that the visit from Krajensky, the coup, and the transmission from Barisa Prime were all faked – the Dominion is hoping to start a war between the Federation and the Tzenkethi. With the Defiant primed for battle and within seven hours of the Tzenkethi border, this looks likely if the Changeling is not located and stopped. Later, Dax is found unconscious in the engine room, forcing O’Brien to try to regain control of the ship without her. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Sisko decides that if this cannot be accomplished before they cross the border, he will be forced to destroy the Defiant.
Since the Changeling can take the form of any crew member, the officers are paired off for the search. Later, Sisko, Odo, Kira, a Bolian officer, and Eddington are separated from their partners, and each is suspicious that another is the Changeling. Odo remarks that the bleeding Sisko cannot be, because his blood would have reverted to a gelatinous state when leaving the body. Bashir draws blood from everyone, and when Eddington’s seems to morph into orange goo, he is taken into custody. However, another Bashir is found, revealing that the duplicate is the Changeling. He escapes again as the ship enters Tzenkethi space.
With twelve minutes left before the ship’s attack program will activate, Sisko initiates the auto-destruct sequence. O’Brien begins a last-ditch effort to access the sabotaged systems when two Odos appear. The Changeling then assumes his true form and attacks. During their fight, he takes a fatal fall into the warp core. But before dying, he whispers something to Odo. Regaining control of the Defiant, Sisko cancels the auto-destruct program. But the crisis isn’t over. Odo later reveals to Sisko the Changeling’s last words: “You’re too late. We’re everywhere.”
~1:[2,#B],3:[3,#I]@1“The Alternate”@2Deep Space Nine episode #32
Teleplay by Bill Dial
Story by Jim Trombetta and Bill Dial
Directed by David Carson
Stardate 47391.7
First aired in 1993
GUEST STAR
Dr. Mora Pol JAMES SLOYAN
Odo’s mentor arrives on Deep Space Nine intent on resuming his search for Odo’s true origin.
Dr. Mora Pol, the Bajoran scientist who studied Odo after he was discovered, arrives on Deep Space Nine with the announcement that he may have a clue to Odo’s origins. The scientist’s presence makes Odo, who did not relish his life as a “living experiment,” somewhat uncomfortable, but he cannot resist the prospect of possibly finding others like him. With this in mind, he asks Sisko for a Runabout to take to the Gamma Quadrant, where Mora has discovered some unique DNA patterns that resemble Odo’s. Odo, Mora, Dax, and another scientist, Dr. Weld, head for the Gamma Quadrant and transport to the surface of the planet where the DNA was discovered. There, the group explores some stone ruins until Weld discovers a tiny life form that may be related to Odo. They prepare to transport back to the Runabout, but at that moment, the planet is rocked by tremors and clouds of a volcanic gas are released. Mora, Dax, and Weld are all incapacitated by the fumes, but Odo is seemingly unaffected and transports them all back to the ship.
Odo pilots the Runabout back to the station and the others are transported to the Infirmary. Later, O’Brien, filling in for the ailing Dax, attempts to classify the life form the group retrieved, and tells Odo that he is having a hard time because the organism keeps changing and reproducing. That night, Kira summons Sisko with some disturbing news – someone has ransacked and almost completely demolished the Science Lab.
The officers realize the life form is missing, and since there is no sign of a break-in, O’Brien theorizes that the life form itself caused the damage. Sisko orders a sweep of the station to search for it, while O’Brien searches the conduits. Communicating with Sisko and Odo, O’Brien learns that there was a power interruption and a temperature increase in the Science Lab at the time of the “disturbance.” Suddenly, the dead remains of the life form, which appears to have grown, fall on O’Brien. Bashir studies the inert material later that evening, and is attacked by a strange creature. He is able to fend off the creature, but it disappears into the night.
The officers assemble to investigate, then Mora accompanies Odo to the lab, where a recovered Dax discovers the life form from the planet is not the same creature that is wreaking havoc on the station. Mora looks at the data and realizes that instead, the violent creature’s DNA matches Odo’s. Without telling Dax, he tracks Odo down and breaks the news.
Odo declares that he was in his pail during the attacks and is upset by Mora’s accusations that he may inadvertently be responsible. However, Odo realizes that the gas from the Gamma Quadrant planet may be to blame, sees through the doctor’s concern, and firmly tells Mora that he will not leave with him and become his subject again. At that moment, Odo morphs into the creature. Sisko orders the power shut off and Mora lures the creature to the Promenade, where it is captured and morphs back into Odo. Odo is then taken to the Infirmary and cleansed of the gas, and Mora pays him a visit. The doctor apologizes for the pain he caused his former subject, and Odo, having forgiven Mora, finally begins to form a true bond with his mentor.
~1:[2,#B],3:[3,#I]@1“Armageddon Game”@2Deep Space Nine episode # 33
Written by Morgan Gendel
Directed by Winrich Kolbe
No stardate given
First aired in 1994
GUEST STARS
Keiko ROSALIND CHAO
E’Tyshra DARLEEN CARR
Sharat PETER WHITE
Nydrom LARRY CEDAR
Bashir and O’Brien work to rid two alien races of deadly weapons, unaware that their hosts intend to sacrifice them as part of the peace process.
Bashir and O’Brien travel to a lab orbiting T’Lani Three in an effort to eliminate the Harvesters – a deadly biomechanical weapon used in the centuries-long war between the Kellerun and T’Lani societies. Working with scientists from both races, they finally find a solution, and the Kellerun Ambassador, Sharat, orders the group to destroy the entire remaining supply. However, just as their mission is about to be accomplished, two armed Kellerun soldiers enter the lab and start firing. Bashir and O’Brien manage to kill their assailants, but fail to notice that during the fighting, a small amount of Harvester material spilled onto O’Brien. As more Kellerun soldiers arrive, the pair attempt to transport to their Runabout, but are unable. Instead, they beam to the surface of T’Lani Three.
Ambassador Sharat and T’Lani Ambassador E’Tyshra inform Sisko that O’Brien and Bashir were killed when O’Brien accidentally activated a hidden security device that emitted a deadly pulse of radiation. They hail the pair as heroes and give Sisko a video recording of the tragedy. Sisko, Dax, Odo and Kira later view the recording, and, not realizing it has been altered, accept that their crewmates are dead. Back on T’Lani Three, however, Bashir and O’Brien are alive, and have set up a base in a deserted military command center in hopes of finding a way to communicate with the space station. O’Brien begins to work to repair an old com panel, but suddenly feels feverish. Bashir examines him, and reveals that O’Brien has been infected by the Harvesters.
Sisko is saddled with the difficult news of telling Keiko O’Brien of her husband’s demise. After viewing the tape, Keiko points out a major inconsistency. The tape shows O’Brien drinking coffee in the late afternoon – something Keiko insists he never does. She believes this indicates the tape has been tampered with, and Sisko travels to T’Lani Three with Dax to find out why. Meanwhile, with O’Brien’s coaching, Bashir works to repair the com panel. O’Brien continues to worsen, and is horrified to discover that he can no longer feel his legs.
Despite his condition, O’Brien is able to help Bashir get the com panel up and running, and Bashir sends out a weak distress signal. Sadly, both realize that O’Brien will probably die if the signal is not answered soon – by the right people.
Meanwhile, Dax tells Sisko five minutes have been erased from the computer log on Bashir and O’Brien’s Runabout, and that the time of the erasure proves that the pair could have been alive after they were supposedly killed. Soon afterward, E’Tyshra and two T’Lani soldiers arrive at Bashir and O’Brien’s hiding place. The pair are thrilled to see them, until Sharat and his soldiers also arrive. Together, the Kellerun and T’Lani officials inform Bashir and O’Brien that they must be killed since they know too much about the Harvesters and could reproduce them.
Just as a soldier prepares to kill them, Bashir and O’Brien are beamed away to their Runabout, where Sisko and Dax are waiting. Bashir immediately injects O’Brien with a hypospray and the group flees the area. However, they soon realize that a T’Lani vessel is pursuing them. The enemy ship fires a warning shot and Sisko hails his assailants, who demand Sisko turn over Bashir and O’Brien. Sisko refuses and sends the Runabout directly toward the T’Lani vessel. Seeing no other choice, E’Tyshra and Sharat blow up the Runabout, only to realize that Sisko, Dax, O’Brien and Bashir transported to a second Runabout and have left the area. The group arrives safely home, and O’Brien is able to recover.
