Chief medical officer's log, stardate 52645.7.
Colonel Kira, Garak and Odo have returned to the station.
l'm yet to make any progress toward finding a cure for Odo's disease.
- How long do l have? - l can't be sure.
You can make an educated guess.
First l'd like to talk about slowing down the progress of the disease
with a series of nadion bursts...
l want a time frame, Doctor.
A week. Maybe two with the nadion therapy.
Thank you. Now l want to see Kira.
Let me emphasise, Odo, that l haven't given up hope, and you mustn't either.
Understood. Now please let me see Kira.
- How do you feel? - Better.
This contraption of Julian's seems to alleviate the pain.
Good.
- You should be going soon. - l'm not going anywhere.
Damar and Garak can lead the rebellion.
Damar needs someone who's actually fought with a resistance movement.
- That's you, not Garak. - l'm not leaving until l know you're...
l want you to leave.
Why?
You watched Bareil die in this very room
and l know how that's haunted you.
l don't want your last memory of me
to be witnessing my death.
- lsn't that my choice? - Maybe it is.
And maybe l'm being selfish telling you all the things l want.
But l don't want the last thing l see
to be pain in your eyes.
You'd be surprised how well l can hide my feelings when l need to.
Not from me.
You have to go, Nerys.
All right.
l can't be a very pleasant sight.
l don't care how you look.
l've got so much to say, l don't know where to begin.
Just say you love me. That's all l've ever cared about.
l love you, Odo.
l love you, Nerys.
l forwarded the schematics of the Breen weapon to Starfleet Engineering.
They should have a preliminary...
- Garak and l should be going. - She's correct.
We have to evade several Jem'Hadar patrols to reach Damar's base.
lf we wait, they may alter their patrol routes.
Chief, is there anything else before they go?
No, sir. l think we have all the data we need.
Well, then. Good hunting to you both.
Thank you, sir.
- Julian... - l'll do everything l can.
Doctor, is there anything l can do to help?
Any additional resources you might want?
No, thank you. l have everything l need.
Sir, research is not the only avenue we've been pursuing.
Miles.
Whatever's going on, l want to know it right now.
We're trying to lure someone from Section 31 to the station.
What do they have to do with this?
We believe they're responsible for infecting Odo.
We think he became infected
when he underwent medical examination at Starfleet Headquarters.
Section 31 wanted Odo to transmit the disease
to other Founders when he linked with them.
Genocide.
Committed by people who call themselves Federation citizens.
Why didn't you come to me earlier?
- We felt that... - Miles wanted to tell you,
but l ordered him not to.
l'm still waiting for an answer.
We have no proof. Besides, l knew that if we told you what we suspected,
you'd inform Starfleet Command.
Section 31 would realise we were onto them and go even deeper into hiding.
What difference did that make?
There came a point when my research was going nowhere.
l couldn't find a cure here in the lab.
So Miles and l decided to look for one in Section 31 itself.
l sent a false message to Starfleet Medical saying l had found a cure.
The idea is that when 31 hears about it, they'll want to destroy Julian's research
to prevent it going to Dominion hands.
So you're trying to lure one of their operatives to the station.
OK, let's say it works. What then?
We capture them, find out what they know about the disease,
who's involved, and maybe where to find the cure.
How do you propose to do that?
l managed to get my hands on a Romulan memory scanner, sir.
Since they're illegal, l'll assume that's another reason you didn't come to me.
Yes, sir.
Well. Setting aside all the legal and ethical issues involved,
l still think this is a pretty long shot.
l do, too. But l'm afraid it's the only shot Odo has.
- Can't sleep? - No.
- How did you get in? - The lock isn't that complex.
What are you doing up?
l was testing the Breen weapon.
l was trying to read, but l kept reading the same page over and over again.
What were you reading?
''lt was the best of times, it was the worst of times.''
''Tale Of Two Cities''. My mother's favourite book.
l was enjoying it.
Except tonight my mind was elsewhere.
Odo?
Section 31.
So many people must have been involved in the conspiracy
to infect him with the disease.
Computer experts, doctors, security officers, admirals, clerks.
ln the end, l came up with at least 73 people.
For a minute there l thought you were going to say 70,000.
This organisation...this thing...
that's slithered its way into the heart of the Federation, has to be destroyed.
You won't get any argument from me on that.
But for now, the focus has to be Odo.
The cure has to be our priority.
All right.
- l've had enough. Have you? - Sure.
Sleep lightly. Section 31 may still fall for the trap and show.
l'll be ready.
Lights.
- Hello, Doctor. - l didn't think l'd ever see you again.
l have another assignment for you.
Really?
What a coincidence. Because l have an assignment for you.
l take it l'm supposed to feel shocked and humbled by your ingenuity.
Frankly, l don't care how you feel.
- Bashir to O'Brien. - Yeah?
Mr Sloan is here. l have him in a containment field.
- l'm on my way. - Good. Bashir out.
- What do you want, Doctor? - The same thing you want.
The cure to Odo's disease.
What are you talking about? You have the cure.
No, you don't. Your message to Starfleet Medical was just bait.
Which l'm happy to see you swallowed.
Well...
You've got me. What good do you think is going to come of this?
You can't turn me over to Starfleet Security. You have no evidence.
l'm not interested in turning you over to anyone.
Hello, again.
Shooting an unarmed man. That's a little ungallant, isn't it?
You wouldn't have come here of your own volition.
You're probably right.
Hello, Chief. How's the family? Everyone OK at home?
- What's that supposed to mean? - Nothing.
l'd just hate to see anything happen to them.
Don't listen to him, Chief. He's playing games with you.
He doesn't have a wife and children to worry about.
But if something were to happen to me...
What? They'd be killed? l'm disappointed in you, Sloan.
You don't usually wield such a blunt instrument.
So am l supposed to guess what's going on
or do l lay here in terror waiting for you to tell me?
l told you what's going on.
You're going to help me find a cure for Odo's disease.
What makes you think l know it?
You came here because you thought l'd discovered a cure
and you wanted to destroy it.
But first you'd have to find it in my lab.
You'd have to know exactly what you were looking for.
You call that reasoning?
lf l wanted to eliminate your work, l'd just destroy your lab.
Oh, no, Sloan. That would be too sloppy. You like surgical precision.
You came here to destroy the cure,
so somewhere in your brain is the information l want.
- You really expect me to tell you? - No. l expect you to resist to the end.
We're ready.
Remember these? Romulan mind probes.
They're not the most pleasant of devices, but they're efficient.
They're also illegal in the Federation.
l hope you can appreciate the irony of that statement.
l don't know anything about the cure.
Then l won't find anything.
- lf Sisko finds out what you're doing... - He knows. We have his full support.
Julian, l'm sorry about Odo.
But l can't take a chance that the cure will fall into the hands of the Founders.
l'm afraid the choice is no longer yours.
l misread you. l thought you were just a misguided idealist.
But you're a dangerous man.
People like you would destroy the Federation if given a chance.
Fortunately there are people like me who will die to protect it.
Damn! He's trying to kill himself! He's activated a neuro-depolarising device.
l have to stabilise him.
- lf he dies... - The cure for Odo dies with him.
- What's the verdict? - He's stable for now.
But the neuro-depolariser did damage his brain.
His higher cortical functions will fail within the next hour.
He committed suicide just to prevent us finding the cure.
We had him cornered and he knew it.
He couldn't let one of Section 31's darkest secrets get away from him.
The cure is still in there somewhere.
This might sound a bit morbid,
but what if you used the Romulan mental probes now?
His memory pathways are scrambled to prevent someone from doing just that.
There has to be a way to retrieve that data.
Maybe we should just let him die in peace.
Miles, l need a multitronic engrammatic interpreter.
Or maybe l'll find you a multitronic engrammatic interpreter.
This is crazy.
lt will work.
You have me re-routing so many power relays and transfer coils
l can't guarantee this will work without running diagnostics.
l've already done the diagnostics in my head.
The neural interface will provide a basic pattern to my hippocampal nuclei.
l give up. You've explained it three times and l still don't get it.
You just have to trust me, Chief. l know what l'm doing.
Even if you can link minds with Sloan, how will you find the cure?
Everything will be processed into images that my mind can comprehend.
ln essence, l'll see the neuronal pathways in his brain
as literal pathways or streets or corridors or something.
And you'll wander along these streets looking for a box labelled ''the cure''?
lt may be just that simple. Or it may be more surrealistic.
l may wind up in memories of Sloan's childhood.
Will he be aware of what you're doing?
l won't know that until l'm there.
We don't know what the conscious mind can perceive this close to death.
How will you get out?
Being genetically enhanced, l can control my vital signs.
When l want to get out, l'll raise my blood pressure 40%.
The equipment will break the link.
What if you get disoriented or lost in a nightmare of Sloan's and he dies?
Worst case scenario, l die with him. But l think it's a manageable risk.
- l'm going with you. - What?
You heard me. And it's not open to debate.
lf you're going on this lunatic mission, somebody sane has to be with you.
You just don't want Captain Sisko to find out what we're doing.
- There's that, too. - l'd better get another bed.
How long have we got?
Sloan's brain will die in about 43 minutes.
We have that long to get in, find the cure and get out.
The analyser is on-line. Are you ready?
No. But let's do it anyway.
- Julian? - Miles.
- Why are we in a turbolift? - l'm not sure.
- l don't remember getting in here. - We're in Sloan's mind. Remember?
Sloan.
But we're really still in the lab.
Yes. This turbolift is just an abstraction.
Where are we going?
l don't know, but we're not wasting any time getting there.
- Aren't you glad you came along? - Wouldn't have missed it.
- So what do you think? - l think we've stopped.
- Are you sure? - Either that or we're falling very slowly.
You mean we can let go?
l don't see why not.
- Well? - Well what? You first.
Oh, no. This little trip wasn't my idea.
All right, we'll let go together.
On the count of three.
One, two...three.
See? Nothing to worry about.
l wasn't worried.
- What now? - Good question.
Doctor! Chief O'Brien. Welcome. l can't tell you how happy l am to see you.
We're glad you're happy, Sloan.
Now tell us how to cure Odo and we can all be happy.
Nothing would give me greater pleasure.
But there are people l'd like you to meet.
- We're a bit pressed for time. - But you just arrived.
Oh, l see. You're afraid that if l die while you're still in here, you'll die, too.
We can't let that happen. We'd better hurry.
We're not going anywhere until you give us the cure.
All right. lf you insist.
lt's a simple nucleotide marking sequence.
Radodine...
You mind repeating that?
We're not playing games, Sloan.
l want to tell you what you need to know.
- Then tell us. - l can't.
You see?
Part of me doesn't want you to know until you come to the wardroom.
Maybe we should do as he says.
l don't blame you for being suspicious,
but if you want the cure, you'll have to trust me.
- The clock is ticking. - He's right about that.
Follow me.
Relax, Doctor. l'm the one who's dying, not you.
- Why Deep Space 9? - Excuse me?
Why does the inside of your head look like our space station?
l wanted you to feel at home. Comfortable.
l thought it was the decent thing to do.
Everyone, if l can have your attention, please.
l hope you'll forgive me if l take a moment and say a few words.
As l stand here, reunited with my friends and family for one last time,
l want you, the people l love,
to know just how sorry l am for all the pain that l've caused you.
l dedicated my life to the preservation and protection of the Federation.
This duty, which l carried out to the best of my ability,
took precedence over everything else -
my parents, my wife, my children.
l lived in a world of secrets. Of sabotage and deceit.
l spent so much time erasing my movements, covering my tracks,
that now, as l look back on my life, l find nothing.
lt's as if l never really existed.
l cheated you all out of being in my life.
And what's more, l cheated myself as well.
l know a simple apology won't change that.
l feel the need to apologise anyway.
No tears, please. My death isn't a tragedy, it's a celebration.
ln death, l can finally step out of the shadows
and prove to myself that l existed, that l lived.
That was beautiful, Luther.
Gentlemen, l'd like you to meet my wife, Jessica.
This is Dr Bashir and Chief O'Brien. lf it weren't for them, l wouldn't be here.
l'd like to thank you for all you've done for Luther. And me.
Frankly, being married to him was a living hell.
- But thanks to you, that's all changed. - Congratulations.
Doctor, you've been a beacon of light to me.
You're living proof that ideology
is a poor substitute for kindness and decency,
and that it's our actions, not our beliefs, that define who we are, what we are.
Yes. Thank you. l'm glad to have been helpful.
But if you don't mind...
You want me to tell you how to cure Odo. Gladly.
My dear, l need that padd l gave you for safekeeping.
Oh. Yes, l think l have it here.
Thanks, muffin. Here you go, Doctor.
l'm sorry, Doctor, but l can't let you have that.
- Julian? - Don't look at me for explanations.
- l knew it. - Knew what?
That this wasn't going to be easy.
- You mind telling me what's going on? - l have no idea.
The Chief was meant to fix my sonic shower but he didn't show up.
l asked the computer where he was, and this is what l found.
- Have any idea who this is? - Sloan. He works for Section 31.
Then l'd guess this isn't some kind of obscure meditation therapy.
- Sisko to lnfirmary. - lnfirmary.
Send a medical team to science lab 4 right away.
l wish l knew how long we've been in here.
- 23 minutes and 11 seconds. - Show off.
That leaves us less than 20 minutes to find a cure and get out.
Locked. All locked.
Sloan could be hiding in any of these rooms.
- What's your point? - He has to want to be found.
- lt's his playing field. - You two, stop right there.
- Now what? - You're in a restricted area.
l thought we were in the cerebellum.
- We're looking for Sloan. - Mr Sloan is not available.
We don't have time for this. We need to speak to Sloan!
- You shot him! - That really hurt!
He was a threat to the Federation.
- You all right? - Do l look all right?
lt doesn't make sense. lf none of this is real, why does it hurt so much?
Sloan's mind must be sending sensory stimuli to ours,
causing us to experience pain as if we'd really been shot.
Of course, that's just a theory.
That makes sense. Maybe this is a good time for you to get us out of here.
- l can't. - What do you mean?
l just tried the hypothalamic feedback loop. l must be too weak.
What? Julian, we have to get out of here!
l know that! But l've been shot. At least my body thinks l have.
l don't believe this.
l'm sorry.
- So this is it? - lt does look that way.
l should've left a note for Keiko to let her know what we were planning.
Why worry her?
l want them to understand why l had to do this.
She'll understand. She'll know you did it for me.
That's what will upset her the most.
She always said l liked you more than l liked her.
- That's ridiculous. - Right.
Well, maybe you do. A bit more.
What? Are you crazy? She's my wife. l love her.
Of course you love her. She's your wife.
l'm just saying maybe you like me a bit more.
l do not!
- You spend more time with me. - We work together.
We have more in common.
Julian, you are beginning to annoy me.
Darts, racquetball, Vic's lounge, the Alamo... Need l go on?
l love my wife.
And l love Ezri. Passionately.
- You do? - Yes.
- Have you told her? - Not yet. But l will.
- When? - When l'm ready.
lt's just that l...like you a bit more.
See? There. l've admitted it.
Well, l love my wife.
What's that?
- lt's the tunnel! - What tunnel?
You know the... tunnel to the Great Beyond.
lt is. l must say l'm a bit disappointed.
l expected it to be more elaborate.
No. No. Come on.
We can't just sit here waiting for death.
Come on. On your feet, man!
- Let's check one more door. - What's the point?
The point is to do our duty right up until the end.
Like Travis and Crockett.
One more door.
Dr Bashir's regaining consciousness, Captain.
How's Miles?
l'm fine.
Did you find what you were looking for?
No, l'm afraid not. We have to go back in.
Sloan is dying. We can't risk losing you as well.
He can't die. Not yet!
Get me cordrazine. Ten milligrams.
His alpha waves are attenuating.
Cortical stimulator.
You're not getting away from me that easily, Sloan.
lncrease the resonance frequency 10%.
- His neurosynaptic activity is falling. - l know. 15 milligrams of neurotropan.
Come on, Sloan. Come on back.
- Complete neural failure. - No!
Doctor, he is dead.
Doctor.
lt's over, Julian. He's gone.
And so is any hope of curing Odo.
l'm sorry, Odo. l wish l had better news.
l understand, Doctor.
You've done everything you could,
more than l would've thought possible, and l appreciate it.
ls there anything l can do?
Thank you, but right now l'd simply like to be alone.
Of course.
- How did he take it? - Better than l would have.
l need some sleep. So do you.
- Look, Julian... - l know. l know. l did all l could.
But it's a small comfort, isn't it?
- ''lt was the best of times... '' - ''...it was the worst of times.''
- lt's the first line of the book. - So why is it on page 294?
Must be a misprint. The book starts over again.
lt can't be. Ezri loaned it to me. lt used to be Jadzia's and l know she read it.
- You and Ezri are exchanging books? - Don't you see what's going on?
- She's playing a practical joke. - No, she isn't.
lt's Sloan. We're still inside his mind.
What? These are my quarters. Keiko's asleep in there.
No. Sloan is making us think we're back on the station.
The book is incomplete because l haven't finished it.
- You don't know what happens... - So he couldn't finish the story.
- He's trying to stop us finding the cure. - We must've been close.
The door we were about to open when we woke up. The cure must be in there.
- What's happening? - Sloan's dying.
- This is it! - Are you sure?
l can tell.
Sloan?
Welcome to Section 31, gentlemen.
- You know why we're here. - You don't expect me to help you.
You sure you want to throw that one away?
l'm collecting medical information.
lt's not just any report. That's on Jaresh-lnyo.
- Former President lnyo? - The one and only.
My God. 31 had a man in his cabinet.
Don't let him distract you.
Just one of the little nuggets lying around in this once-tidy room.
You'd be amazed at what you could find.
Current operations on Kronos. Martok would love to see this.
Julian! Look at this.
Radodine, lidestolinine, asporanine, adenine. That's it.
- lt's time we got out of here. - Hold on a moment.
These contain all of Sloan's memories on Section 31.
We could destroy the entire organisation.
- That'll have to wait. - lt's not that simple.
There is no building, no room like this, in the real world.
Section 31 has no headquarters.
These files, they exist only in the minds of a very select group of people.
l happen to be one of them.
lf you really want to destroy Section 31, it's now or never.
He's right. This is an opportunity we can't pass up.
Julian, listen to me!
He wants us to die with him. lf we die, Odo dies too!
All my secrets are yours for the taking, Doctor.
lf you want them badly enough.
Odo needs you, Julian. He's counting on you.
You're making a terrible mistake, Doctor.
l don't think so.
Julian, are you with us?
Ezri, you look so...beautiful.
- Did you locate the cure? - l think so.
But there's only one way to know for sure.
- Sloan? - He died about two minutes ago.
He almost took you with him.
Julian, next time you take a trip into someone's mind, you're going alone.
Right.
l should warn you. You may feel some discomfort.
lf you mean it's going to be painful, just say so.
lt's going to be painful.
All right then. Go ahead.
When will Odo be up and around?
His morphogenic matrix needs time to heal.
But he should be his old self in a few days.
Here we go. l knew Quark had a bottle of the good stuff.
- This is older than l am. - What?
l'm drinking with a child.
To aging...gracefully.
Very funny.
To Odo.
- Wow. - Wow is right.
Tell me something.
lf you'd had time to read the data in Sloan's mind,
do you think we'd have brought down Section 31?
We'll never know. But one thing's for sure.
Sloan knew he had the perfect bait, that l wouldn't be able to resist.
There was one thing he didn't consider.
- What's that? - You. To Miles Edward O'Brien.
To friendship.
l better get home. Keiko's holding dinner for me.
- This late? - She's a helluva woman.
- That's why you love her. - That's why l love her.
- You wanna come? - Sure.

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