Captain's log, stardate 51474.2.
The Defiant is investigating a rare subspace compression
recently found in Federation space.
This assignment is a welcome change from combat duty against the Dominion.
Three officers are taking a runabout into the anomaly.
They will be subjected to severe spatial distortion.
A tractor beam should minimise the effect.
So, how small are they?
The miniaturisation won't begin until they reach the edge of the accretion disc.
l see. And then they'll begin to shrink?
Yes, sir.
Major, are you laughing at our investigation of this anomaly?
No, sir.
The data could be the key to creating transwarp corridors through space.
lt could give us a real advantage over the Dominion.
lt's very important research.
What? l'm not laughing.
Just because we are shrinking three people to the size of coffee cups...
Smaller, actually.
l do not see what is so humorous about being small.
Neither do l.
- On screen. - We have audio only.
- Go ahead, Rubicon. - We're entering the accretion disc.
- l wish l were with you. - l'll send you a postcard.
Tell Worf l look forward to his poem, l bet it's inspiring.
We'll talk again once we've left the disc and reversed the compression.
- Rubicon out. - Good luck, Rubicon!
- We've lost their signal, Captain. - Thank you, Ensign.
Mr Worf. Poem?
lt is a Klingon tradition to commemorate an important event with a poem.
- Jadzia asked me to compose one. - What have you got so far?
They've penetrated the accretion disc.
ls it my imagination or did the kid just cover for him?
This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
They are getting smaller.
Even the space within their subatomic structure is shrinking.
l wonder what it feels like.
l don't feel any smaller.
You're about a metre tall and shrinking fast.
Soon you'll be half the size of a com badge.
There's a comforting thought.
The gamma ray flux is increasing. We should close the blast shutters.
Take a last look. We're on sensors from here on.
You're sure we'll return to our normal size once we clear the anomaly?
The probes did. You saw the data.
- Something wrong? - No, l'm fine.
l'm just not in love with the idea of being small.
What are you smirking at? You're as small as l am.
You're sitting 1.14 metres closer to the focal point of the anomaly,
which means you've shrunk .04% more than l have.
- What was that? - The tractor beam's fluctuating.
The Jem'Hadar are coming again!
Radiation from the vortex must have masked them.
Return fire, Mr Worf. Ensign, pull the Rubicon out of there.
Phasers are off-line.
- We're a sitting duck. - l won't leave them if l can help it.
Mr Worf, go to Auxiliary Control and target the phasers manually.
l'm losing the Rubicon, sir.
lf we're going to get out of here l need warp power now!
l'm on it.
Report.
Shield generators and impulse engines off-line. Warp engines, too.
Surrender or you will all be killed.
- Chief, you OK? - l think so.
- Julian? - l'm fine, but you're not.
- That's better. - That was the easy part.
The good news is we're alive, so we escaped the anomaly.
The bad news is external sensors and the com system are down.
lt will take time to patch around the damage.
Better add the blast shutters to your list. l can't get them open.
There you go.
Can that thing fix our communications system?
Picking up the Defiant's transponder signal. We can home in on that.
One-quarter impulse.
Either open the shutters or give me external sensors.
l need to see where we're going.
The bridge is secure.
Tactical report.
The bridge officers are in the mess hall, other survivors in the cargo bay.
We will have impulse power soon
but it will take hours to restore warp capability.
lt must be gratifying for an Elder to end his career with victory.
l feel privileged to be here with you at such a moment.
There is still much to do before we declare victory.
While in Federation space we are vulnerable...
l am First and l have declared victory.
That is, of course, your prerogative.
- Open a channel to the Vorta. - Yes, First.
- We have the boarding party. - First. Your report?
- The Defiant is ours. - Good. Very good.
l must admit, l was sceptical about the Jem'Hadar bred in this quadrant,
but this is a most impressive debut. Wouldn't you agree, Elder?
The takeover of the ship was competently executed.
Do l detect a note of jealousy in your voice?
lt must be difficult to watch a new race of Jem'Hadar
beginning to supplant you and the old guard.
l serve the Founders.
lf it is their will to create a new race then that is the order of things.
But...?
But the Jem'Hadar bred here
have not proven themselves superior to those in the Gamma Quadrant...yet.
Not yet?
lt is the Alphas who made this victory possible.
- But for us, you'd never... - Argue about this later.
How long until you restore warp power?
l will make a complete survey and report in one hour.
Very well. l await your report.
Bring me Captain Sisko.
l would suggest that his execution can wait
until we have completed repairs to the ship.
l'm not going to execute him.
Are you about to question my order, Second?
- No. Obedience brings victory. - And victory is life.
Find the transponder and shut it down.
l don't want anyone tracking us. And get these chairs off the bridge.
- Thanks. That's enough. - l should have foreseen this.
l should have sent out probes to scan for enemy ships.
- Or recalibrated the sensors. lf l had... - lt wouldn't have helped.
They approached from the anterior angle of the anomaly. Their warp signature...
- He's just trying to tell you... - l do not need to be told.
Everybody settle. We don't know what happened to the Rubicon.
They may have got out of the anomaly.
lf so, they're headed home and in much better shape than we are.
So let's hold off analysing our mistakes.
lf they restore warp power we'll be in a Dominion prison camp.
Restoring warp power... might not be so simple for them.
lt took us a week just to learn how to pilot one of their ships.
We might have a chance to retake the Defiant
but we can't do anything unless we can get out of this room. Suggestions?
Captain Sisko, come with me.
Everybody sit tight. l'll be back.
- We've lost the Defiant's signal. - Coming to a full stop.
They must have stopped transmitting.
- l can't keep flying blind. - Try the shutters.
- Nice work. - Ask and you shall receive.
- What the hell is that? - A wall?
- ln the middle of nowhere? - Wait. There's a symbol up there.
lt looks like a large black circle.
- Anything else? - Hold on.
Chief...you're not going to like this.
You said we'd return to normal size once we left the anomaly.
- We should have. - We didn't leave by the same path.
So the process didn't reverse itself.
Are you saying l'll be this bloody tall for the rest of my life?
This bloody tall, actually.
But all we have to do to regain our original size
is re-enter the anomaly and take our original trajectory out.
- ln theory. - ln theory.
l'll tell you what isn't a theory. We'll need the Defiant's help.
How do we get their attention?
- Fly up to a window and knock? - Wait...
lf we're...this big, that means the Rubicon is this big?
And the Defiant's aft plasma vent is...this big?
Are you suggesting we take the Rubicon inside the Defiant?
Why not? Getting past the anti-back flow valve might be tricky,
but once inside we've a better chance of attracting attention than we do out here.
l love it. Let's go.
The engineering team reports we can start impulse engines in 12 minutes.
Good.
Captain Benjamin Sisko... the one the Bajorans call ''the Emissary.''
l am First Kudak'Etan. ln a strange way, you are the reason l exist.
lf you had not eliminated our fleet in the wormhole,
there would be no need to breed Alpha Quadrant Jem'Hadar.
You didn't bring me here to say ''thank you.''
No. The impulse engine sustained only minor damage in our attack
but the warp drive was badly damaged.
l need your technical expertise in order to repair it.
Bring him to the engine room so he may begin necessary repairs.
lt's a mistake.
Giving him access to the engine room gives him a chance to retake the ship.
ln fact, he's working on a plan at this very moment.
l was not aware telepathy was a Gamma characteristic.
l know what he's thinking because it's what l would do in his position.
Kill him now, before he can put his plan into motion.
You are the Second. l am the First. Do not presume to tell me what to do.
l'm glad the two of you worked that out.
What makes you think l'll help you?
Your choice is to repair the warp drive
or watch me execute your crew one at a time.
Have Sixth Duran'Adar bring a prisoner to the bridge for execution.
l can't do this job alone. l'm going to need some of my crew.
- How many? - l urge you to refuse this request.
You have the weapons.
Are you afraid you can't handle a few unarmed prisoners?
l won't be baited by a prisoner... and neither should you.
OK, l'm in no hurry to reach a Dominion prison camp.
lf you want me to teach your men how to repair a warp drive, fine.
Primary command and control systems should take about six hours.
Then, basic engineering theory for a class-7 warp drive. Then...
Enough!
You may have the other three bridge officers but that is all.
And l'm not interested in any more ''suggestions.''
Now take him to the engine room.
Where are we?
We've reached the bipolar flow junction, l think.
- You think? - l'm not used to this perspective.
Once we reach the flow junction,
we should be able to go up the warp plasma feed,
then exit by the diagnostic panel.
This conduit's filthy. Don't you ever clean it?
- Let's not badger the Chief. - Sorry. lt was very small of me.
Whatever it is you're planning, don't.
l'll be watching you,
and at the first sign of treachery l will kill all your bridge officers.
- l'm a prisoner. l... - The First may be a fool, l am not.
Then it is a pity for you that you are not the First.
l was...until two days ago.
lf l was still in command, we wouldn't be having this conversation.
Deck 2, section 5.
- What happened? - He is an Alpha. l am a Gamma.
His DNA and psychological profile are designed for this quadrant.
The Founders think that makes him a better leader.
What do you think?
l think l've given you enough information already.
We have restored impulse power. The warp drive will be fixed in five hours.
Excellent. lt's good to see my faith in you has not been misplaced.
The Founders will be pleased.
lf that is all, l will resume our mission to Coridan.
Let's hope the dilithium miners
are as surprised to see us as the Defiant's crew was.
- Victory is life. - lndeed.
Set course for the nearest Dominion outpost.
Engage impulse engines.
Uh-oh.
- What is it? - The plasma guides are heating up.
They've initiated the prestart sequence.
This conduit is about to be filled with superheated plasma.
''Superheated''?
lf l can't find another way out we'll be vaporised. ls that clear?
Crystal.
There's a distribution manifold coming up. Take the left conduit.
Then make a quick right into the relays.
Left...then right.
- l hope you know where you're going. - So do l.
Through the relays. There's an inspection hatch coming up on the right.
- lf we can figure out a way to open it... - We're out of time.
- What about the hatch? - We'll open it the old-fashioned way.
- Let's not do that again. - No promises.
So where are we?
We should be in the engine room, near the warp core.
There's the core. Looks like the warp drive is off-line.
Quite a mess. l wonder what happened.
What are you doing?
Realigning the dilithium articulation frame.
lnstruct him on how to complete the realignment.
- lt'll take longer to explain than to... - Then explain it quickly.
Give him the tool.
All right. Start by decoupling the lateral microbrace.
That's not good.
l need visual sensors as fast as you can get them to me.
Julian, give me a hand down here.
You should have visual sensors now. And the com system's back on-line.
They're forcing them to repair the warp drive.
Why is Sisko going along with this?
lf l know Benjamin, he's up to something.
- Can you focus on the display? - l think so.
Do you see what l see? Problem is, it's never going to work.
The bridge control lockouts.
The security codes are hardwired through the encryption circuit.
Will someone explain this to me?
The Captain's trying to take control of the ship.
Kira is the only one actually working on the warp drive
but it doesn't look like she's in any hurry.
Worf's trying to cover their tracks. He's sending false signals to the computer.
Nog is trying to override the bridge lockout to release the command codes.
lf he can, the Captain can control the ship from the operations console.
Nog's smart, but it will take him weeks to release the codes from here.
- Can we do anything to help him? - Not from engineering.
lf we could get to the bridge, we could release the codes from there.
One thing at a time. First, let's get out of the engine room undetected.
Why is the Klingon working on the plasma display system?
- l told him to. - lt has nothing to do with the warp drive.
Maybe not on Dominion ships,
but l need the display to monitor warp plasma stability.
Now what?
We wait until someone walks out that door.
Sixth! Relieve the Klingon.
Take over the repair of the display subsystem.
lmmediately, Second!
- Give the Klingon another task. - Why?
Because l said so.
- Why is the warp drive not on-line yet? - He's stalling.
''Stalling''? Your Second is the one who's slowing down the work.
He overrules me, reassigns my crew. l can't get any work done in here!
You were told to watch them, not interfere.
You're playing right into his hands. Don't you see that?
Captain Sisko, you have 30 minutes to restore warp power,
or l will kill...her,
and another of your crew every 15 minutes until you do.
And you, Second, will not interfere with their work.
Get ready. When he activates the door sensor, we'll...
Nice bit of piloting.
lf you liked that, you'll love what's coming next.
- Any luck, Ensign? - Not yet, sir.
The system is always ahead of me.
When l get past primary security, the secondary net kicks me back out...
...and the codes are all reset... and l have to start again.
Like that.
- Do you have a backup plan? - Yes. l'll destroy the ship.
There are still a few algorithms l haven't tried yet.
Thanks. l'm ready to connect the deuterium injector.
Go to the plasma relay and power it up, but slowly, like l showed you.
l'm about ten minutes away from prestarting the warp drive.
- How's Nog doing? - Not good. Find another problem.
Too fast! Reinitialise the system and start again but at about half the speed.
He's not stupid.
He's already memorised the whole system. l can't keep him fooled forever.
ln a battle of wits between you and him, l'll bet on you every time.
What kind of odds are you giving?
First?
l've realigned the targeting sensors. There were tracking errors.
You were not ordered to check them.
l thought it a wise precaution in case we encountered an enemy ship.
Your initiative pleases me. lt's a trait the Gammas lack.
The Gammas have many flaws.
When we return from this mission there will be need for a new Second.
- l will recommend you. - You will not be disappointed.
l'm sure that l won't.
Alphas will determine the future of this quadrant.
That will be the new order of things.
We need another ticket into the bridge.
How long do we wait?
We don't.
l cannot access the auto-destruct system unnoticed.
Plant a computer virus in the warp plasma subprocessor.
Set it to cause a core breach once the ship reaches warp 1.
Understood.
Don't hit it too hard. lt could shatter the control panel.
- Don't worry. l have a light touch. - Not according to Worf.
What?
We can't release the control lock while the First has his hand on it.
Can we bypass it?
l suppose l could reroute the encryption subprocessors manually.
But...?
But l'd have to leave the ship to do it. And l'm not fond of the idea.
There's a thousand ways a one-centimetre man could get fried
inside a circuit housing.
Relax. You couldn't go out there. You wouldn't be able to breathe.
The oxygen molecules are 2,000 times larger than you could assimilate.
- You'd suffocate. - That takes care of that idea.
Unless... Circuit housings are airtight.
l could beam a bubble of compressed air ahead of you,
and it would expand to fill the housing.
lt should work. The air would be thin, but you could breathe for 20 minutes.
- And then? - You'd pass out.
We'd pass out. You're coming with me.
This might take longer than l thought.
All right. lf we beamed into the primary safeties junction,
we should see a cluster of heuristic subprocessors
next to a rectilinear expansion module.
The question is, what does a rectilinear expansion module look like
when you're one centimetre tall?
What? l haven't the faintest idea... but it's amazing.
lt's like we're in the middle of an optronic forest.
Looks like we need to go... Julian, stop!
That chip behind you is carrying 20 microamps of electric current.
- Now that's not very much... - But enough to fry my tiny body.
Thanks for the tip.
All right, stay right behind me.
- Don't touch anything without asking. - Believe me, l won't.
The white.
lt is time.
- How's it coming, Chief? - We're making progress. Aren't we?
l'm still trying to locate the security protocol interlink.
lt shouldn't take much longer.
The sooner the better. Things are getting crowded up here.
We pledge our loyalties to the Founders...
We're all Alphas here.
Our loyalty is demonstrated by our actions, not our words.
All right. Now...
- Miles...we're lost, aren't we? - Yes, we're lost.
l can draw these circuits in my sleep.
l've just never seen them from this perspective.
Disorientation. lt's one of the effects of hypoxia, lack of oxygen.
Need to focus on a landmark.
There. That large isolinear chip...
number 58966/D. What is it?
There are two dozen 66/Ds in the asymmetric encryption circuits alone.
All right, then what's... this here at its base?
That's a four-way interlink shunt.
So...that would mean this chip is...?
l don't know! l told you they all look the same to me.
All right, don't look at it. Close your eyes. Use your memory.
OK. There's a four-way shunt
at the base of a 58966/D isolinear chip...which is where?
The only four-way shunt near a 66/D
is at the base of the master differential relay.
- That's got to be it. - So the interlink we want has to be...?
That way.
Trouble. They're cross-checking the diagnostic protocols.
Has Nog made any progress?
Not yet.
lt's stuck.
- Which one? - That one.
No, no, no.
- That one. - You sure?
Again.
Julian.
Rubicon...
Mission complete.
Oh, l am good.
Come with me.
All of you, step away from the consoles! Right now!
Captain, l did it. l don't know how, but l released the command codes.
Well done. We need a diversion before they go to warp.
Silence!
All command functions have been transferred to Engineering.
- But nothing's happening. - Maybe the Captain doesn't realise yet.
Maybe he's in trouble.
The First was called to the engine room a few minutes ago.
How long has the warp drive been repaired?
- At least one hour, maybe longer. - And they concealed it from you?
- You ordered me not to interfere. - l also said to watch them carefully.
lf we had let Jem'Hadar do the repair, as l said...
l am not interested in your excuses. Bring the warp drive on-line.
Wait.
Before we activate the warp drive
we should check the entire system for sabotage.
That would take hours. Every minute in Federation space is a risk.
l would hate for your last mission to end in failure, Elder.
Do it.
And when you have sufficient engine power, bring us to warp 4.
- At least we'll take them with us. - Secure them with the other prisoners.
- Dax, upper rail. - l've got him.
- This guy is getting on my nerves. - l have torpedo lock.
Fire.
l'm flooding all the other compartments with anesthesine gas.
Major, get rid of that virus before someone engages the warp drive.
Aye, sir.
He should have listened to you and killed me when he had the chance.
He was a First. They don't need...to...listen.
Obedience brings victory, and victory is...
Mr Worf, l think your wife is here.
Captain's log, supplemental.
After completing repairs, we returned to the anomaly
and restored our runabout and its crew to their normal size.
The surviving Jem'Hadar are now in a Federation P.O.W. camp.
- ls that your poem? - Yes.
Bloodwine.
- Can l hear it? - lt is not finished yet.
Please, just the first line?
- All right. But it is my first poem. - l understand.
- l have worked long and hard on this. - l know.
- l do not wish to be ridiculed. - l promise.
Very well.
''This is the story of a little ship that took a little trip.''
What do you think?
lt's, uh...
Well, it rhymes.
There's nothing on this padd.
We were minding our own business.
Suddenly, right in front of us, was this immense Jem'Hadar.
He looked as tall as a Seltan carnosaur.
We were so close, you could see the veins in his eyeballs throbbing.
We ducked behind the operations console.
We had to get our sensors back if we were going to help the Captain.
- So l said to Julian... - ls there something wrong?
Are you sure you've returned to your normal size?
Of course.
Why?
You both appear to be a couple of centimetres shorter than before.
A changeling notices that sort of thing.
l didn't want to say anything but you do look a little on the petite side.
lnfirmary.
And they say you don't have a sense of humour.

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