dax: chief... commander, what are you doing up at this hour? i want you to look at something. i couldn't sleep, so i got up and decided to scan the wormhole for radiometric anomalies. at 3:00 in the morning? i find anomalies very relaxing, don't you? i was using the wideband filter protocols and when i ran the primary calibrations check i found this. oh, they're slightly off spec. yes. i thought it might be a fused matrix invertor until i ran a level three diagnostic. have a look. we'd better wake the captain. at are you eligible for medicare? the medicare enrollment deadline is just a few weeks away. changes to medicare plans could impact your healthcare costs. are you getting all the benefits available to you? increase your benefits and lower how much you pay out of pocket. to update your coverage- or enroll for the first time -- call healthmarkets. we'll help you make sure you have the right medicare plan. hi, i'm doctor martin gizzi. it's a new medicare year. that means more changes... and more confusion. here's what i tell my patients... start by asking ... what kind of care is best for your current situation? 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computer, display diagnostic. chief? we've identified 943 tiny fluctuations in the primary communication relays and several power distribution junctions. fluctuations that can't be attributed to anything except external intervention. someone's gained access to our systems and is altering them. for what purpose? we're working on that. at this point, it's hard to even call it sabotage. there's been no real damage. the systems are just a little off spec. so far, these alterations don't seem to pose any threat be just the tip of a very large and dangerous iceberg. can we trace how this was done, and by whom? it has to be someone familiar with the station's systems. maybe someone who worked on the station under the cardassians. i'm running extensive security checks on all recent visitors but i haven't found anything. maybe someone who's been on the station a long time-- someone with a lot of access. maybe even someone on the maintenance crew. chief? yes. yes, what? do you think it's someone on your staff? man: chief o'brien, i have a call from your daughter. go ahead. dax: it really could be anyone. odo: there are numerous possibilities. it's hard to narrow them down. molly, honey, what is it? hi, daddy. mommy told me i could call you. i hope we didn't interrupt anything important. it's all right, molly. she missed her mommy. isn't that sweet? when are you going to come..? ow, mommy! that hurt. oh, i'm sorry, sweetie. all you all right, molly? she's fine, miles. she just wants to know when you'll be finished. i told her you had to work another two hours 22 minutes and 13 seconds. how long is that, daddy? soon. i'll be home very soon. good. we both miss you. everything all right? fine. i'm sorry about the interruption. you were saying you thought you knew who the saboteur might be. le. hello, chief. what are you doing, rom? i can't talk about it. oh, yes, you can. and you will. coming, chief? i'd better see what he's been up to here. i'll take care of those. has he said anything? not much. for the first 40 minutes, it was like pulling teeth even getting him to admit his name. i don't know. rom admits to nothing. now he's asking to see chief o'brien. he won't talk to anybody else. then get the chief down here. i want to know what's going on. security to chief o'brien. go ahead, constable. we need you in security right away. i'm still trying to figure out what rom did to these systems. that will have to wait. i have captain's orders to get you down here immediately. on my way. computer, time remaining? 36 minutes and nine seconds. computer, locate maintenance technician rom. maintenance technician rom is in security holding cell number four. initiate security override and scramble surveillance channels four-a, b, c and d. authorization o'brien 7-1-2. specified security channels scrambled. now begin recalibration of gravitic sensors at access panel 3-7-9 as indicated. the chief is here, rom. now, what do you want to say? alone. i'll only talk if we're alone. what is it, rom? it's okay. i've disconnected odo's eavesdropping devices. i haven't told anyone anything, just like you said. you're a good man. now, why did you call me? i told you we were under very tight time constraints. captain sisko is really angry. if i didn't know he was pretending... rom... don't worry. i can hold out until you say otherwise but there is one thing i have to know. go ahead. why are we focusing a chroniton beam at the wormhole? what? array aimed directly at the wormhole. so i just wanted to know... what are you talking about? the chroniton beam is harmless. to us, but its temporal disruption would kill a wormhole alien instantly. of course. why didn't i think of that? she has me so on edge i haven't been able to see the forest for the trees. who's she? i don't have time to explain now. the question is... everyone has enemies, even the prophets. that's right. they're not just wormhole aliens, they're... they're prophets part of bajoran mythology... just like the pah-wraiths of the fire caves. so... what have those wraiths got to do with the wormhole aliens? koss'moran. what? it's a bajoran legend. from the verb kosst meaning "to be" and amoran-- banished. leeta's been telling me all about bajoran legends. she can go on for hours. she says i'm a good listener. i'm sure you are. now be good talker. go on. well, uh, according to leeta the pah-wraiths used to live in the wormhole. they were part of the celestial temple. they were prophets. false prophets. they were cast out of the temple and forbidden to ever return "lest they face the wrath of the true prophets." so if these false prophets were to return to the celestial temple... i don't think they'd be welcomed. unless... she kills all the wormhole aliens first. rom... i'm going to have to leave you in a tough spot. captain sisko, odo-- they don't know about any of this, do they? no. no, they don't and i want you to help me keep it that way for a little while longer. i have to stay here and play the idiot? i'm afraid so. no matter what odo asks you... i'm quark's brother. i know the role. ( sighs ) computer, time remaining? ( odo clears throat ) sorry to disturb you, chief. couple of things are still bothering me. rom couldn't have done all this sabotage alone. there were too many changes for any one person to make. maybe so. right now i've got a frequency problem in the cascade feeder. i checked with the repair logs. match someone's movements to the locations where the alterations were made but i couldn't do that. we had a matrix systems failure yesterday. those files were lost. sorry. hmm. we've had a lot of systems failures recently haven't we, chief? really? i hadn't noticed. i've been too busy repairing things. like the surveillance channels in the holding cells? you authorized a security override. what was wrong with them? e isolinear chip junction was... enough, chief. you didn't cover your tracks very well. why? i didn't have time. i still don't. ( groans ) sorry, odo. chief o'brien to keiko o'brien. this is keiko. i've finished, but we have to move quickly. this place is going to be swarming with security. how did you know i'd want a runabout? i know what you're planning to do but don't worry, i don't give a damn about the celestial temple or your non-corporeal feuds. i just want my wife back. now, you still need me to pilot you through the wormhole. so let's stop wasting time. agreed? that's correct, commander. i want to test some new magnetic constrictors in the runabout's impulse thrusters. dax: very well, chief. you're cleared for departure but before you go there's one thing i'd like to ask you. what's that? did you enjoy your birthday? well, it was full of surprises. good. those were always my favorites. hold position here. computer, initiate modifications o'brien 7-3-1 and enable remote comlink. comlink enabled. what the hell? have us face the temple. the blast will last only a fraction of a second. they'll be dead before they even see it. oh! you have no idea how many centuries i waited for this. let's get on with it! miles, you have a lot to learn about patience. proceed. sisko: chief, what's going on out there? i'm ordering you to return to the station. now. ( screams ) ( screaming ) miles... ( relieved sighs ) chief... it was more like having something coiled around inside my head. i could see and hear through it but anytime i tried to do anything... it was like being stuck in sand and squeezed. yeah. kind of a cold rage. i don't think it had any intention of leaving either one of us alive. you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. it feels better to talk about it. besides, i don't want to forget how hard you fought for me. ( sighs ) ( yawns ) hello, brother. you look horrible. i'm telling you, rom working the night shift is driving you to an early grave. i wasn't working. what do you mean you weren't working? i'm not on the night shift. i knew it. o'brien fired you. no, brother. in appreciation of my work to the day shift. he says i have a promising future in engineering. why do you look so tired? i was celebrating. with who? my crewmates. i think they like me. do they? especially litana. she's always finding excuses to talk to me. well, rom... i'm glad things are going so well for you. no, you're not but thanks anyway, brother. i guess you'll be wanting the "chief's special" again? actually, no. i've discovered bacon doesn't agree with me. what a surprise. instead i'll have a short stack of pancakes dripping with butter, a side of sausage and... pineapple. pineapple? that's the breakfast of choice on the day shift. ( sighs ) [captioning sponsored by the u.s. department of education and paramount television the devore ships are assuming a tactical formation. bridge to transporter room: status? all set here, captain. pattern cohesion looks stable. cargo bay one, report. the bay is clear. they're powering weapons. why do they bother? they know we won't resist. "protocol," mr. paris. gaharay vessel, prepare to be inspected. crew members are instructed to step away from their stations. we know the drill. side arms and scanning equipment are to be set aside. deviation from this or any other inspection protocols will not be tolerated. all hands, this is the captain. prepare to be boarded by devore inspection teams. give them your full cooperation. let's get this over with. ( mahler's symphony number one playing ) devore inspector: captain janeway, report to your ready room. good morning, captain. i took the liberty of playing this music throughout your ship. i thought it might help your crew relax. sometimes these inspections can be stressful. how thoughtful. me coffee. black, as usual? black. prax here still refuses to try it but then, he's a man of few pleasures. captain [captioning sponsored by paramount television those cell cultures are extremely fragile. please... you've been routing power through your transporter system. why? it's a routine diagnostic. we've been having trouble with our imaging scanners. the problem is in the primary energizing coils. focus your efforts there. thanks for the tip. contaminated antimatter. a bionetic implant? an interlink node. it permits communication with other borg drones. you are not a telepath. no. remarkable. how old is this? about 600 years. my grandfather gave it to me when i was a child. it seems you have a long-standing obsession with exploration, captain. i, on the other hand, have much more in common ancient soldier. he's from earth's classical period. it produced some of our greatest artists as well. your culture has many contradictions. violence and beauty, science and faith... all somehow mingled harmoniously. like the counterpoint of this music. mahler symphony number one. am i correct? you're getting to know my database better than i do. i've had time to review it since our last encounter. i'm just trying to get to know you, captain. there's no reason for us to be adversaries. i could be your friend and right now, you could certainly use one. really? why is that? your predicament. i don't expect it's be easy. thousands of light-years from home navigating by strange stars trespassing in other people's space ignoring their laws. we're just trying to get back to earth. through the devore imperium? he effort. we don't exactly embrace outsiders. " gaharay." it means "strangers." which brings me to a matter that could threaten our friendship. i've examined your crew manifest from our last inspection. commander tuvok, ensign vorik-- vulcans. ensigns suder and jurot-- betazoids. all telepaths... for a very simple reason. they're dead. tuvok, vorik and jurot died in a shuttle crash about two months ago. suder was killed in a conflict with a species called the kazon. that's fortunate... for you, i mean. if i'd known you were harboring telepaths i would have had to arrest you for breaking our cardinal protocol. they were valued members of my crew, inspector not criminals. perhaps. captain... do you trust me? not for a second. exactly. and why should you? trust has to be earned. it's gradual and yet it's the foundation of every relationship professional and personal. it's also a concept alien to the telepathic races. why take someone at their word when you can simply read their mind? ( door opens ) we've completed our inspection. however, their sensor logs indicate they deviated from their assigned course on two occasions. in both cases, to avoid ion storms. imperative 32, codicil 626: "all gaharay vehicles "that deviate from prescribed flight vectors will be impounded, their crews detained and relocated." prax, it's clear the captain didn't intend to break protocol. i expect we can overlook these infractions. sir? yes, sir. captain, i'm a reasonable man and you've been cooperative, but consider this a reminder. you have a long trip through devore space and good friends can be an asset. the devore vessels are out of range. bridge to transporter team: you're clear. cargo bay one to ensign kim: pattern enhancers are in place. initiating rematerialization sequence. harry, i'm routing maximum power to the transporters. kim: got it. n angstroms. energizing. ( erratic transporter beam ) ensign kim, the confinement beam is unstable. we're trying to correct it now. what's the problem? we're unable to consolidate their patterns. they've been in suspension too long. harry, increase power to the imaging scanners. aye, captain. 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( door opening ) why don't you all go play by yourselves for a while? oh, fine, more or less. they don't understand what all the fuss is about but they're telepaths, captain. if the parents are concerned or fearful the children feel it, too. you did the right thing. if we hadn't taken them off that freighter they'd be in a detention center by now. well, we're going to make sure that doesn't happen. is the kitchen still open or are you just serving stories? for you, it's always open. m detecting a vessel 300,000 kilometers and closing. the signature is devore. red alert. shields up. bridge to captain. more company, commander? looks like it. get our visitors to the cargo bay. stand by for transporter suspension. aye, captain. neelix. right away. come on, now. we're going to go see your parents. let's go. report. if this is another inspection it's certainly a different approach. we're being hailed. open a channel. captain. inspector. it's urgent that we speak. you know the way to my ready room. it's all right, ensign. inspections because you outgunned me, but i don't see warships nearby. i have no intention of cooperating. i'm not here to search voyager. then what do you want, inspector? call me kashyk, please. i never liked that title. in fact, i've left it behind. did somebody offer you a promotion, or are you just having a bad day? i'm defecting, and i need your help. me? before i end up in a detention center myself. now, why would i risk the safety of my crew by harboring a defector? because of what i'm about to tell you. if you continue on your present course you'll be intercepted by a squadron of my warships. voyager will be seized, your crew imprisoned or worse. the nebula is a trap, captain you've inspected my ship three times. you know we aren't smuggling telepaths or anyone else. what i know is that you have 12 refugees aboard right now that you rescued them from a freighter three weeks ago and that you've been concealing them in cargo bay one, using your transporters. i could have exposed them at any time but i wanted them to escape as much as you do. i can still protect them it's only a matter of time before they find it. you have no choice, captain. this is our rendezvous point inside this nebula. unfortunately, the transport vessel we're supposed to meet is no longer there. one of a dozen positioned throughout the nebula-- all invisible to our sensors until kashyk showed me how to compensate for their refractive shielding. your soldiers intercepted the transport ship? over a week ago. we were the ones who changed the rendezvous coordinates. two vessels carrying refugees have already been seized. voyager would have been next. all right, inspector you helped us avoid this ambush. what now? we'll have to get your passengers to the wormhole on our own. these are the schedules and routes of our patrols along with tactical data on our shield and weapons configurations-- enough to ensure that you avoid another inspection. how long before you're missed? well, i took two weeks' leave. enough time, i hope, to find the wormhole and get the passengers safely through it and myself, as well. your data is useful but it doesn't guarantee our success. no. for that, you'll need my guidance and some luck. i'll have to take this up with the brenari... i'll let you know what they decide. i'll have to insist you remain under guard. no hard feelings. no hard feelings. it's unusual... but not unheard of. there have been sympathizers before. kashyk may be telling the truth. you should read his thoughts. devore soldiers undergo years of mental training to prevent that. he might be telling the truth but he also might be using us to find the wormhole. so what do we do, throw him in the brig? no. we take him up on his offer to help see how it plays out. but i want 'round- the-clock security. we need to watch his every movement. that leaves us with our next question: how do we find the wormhole? i've given it some thought. there's a scientist named torat. he's from a nearby system. he's rumored to know more about the wormhole than anyone. he might help us... for a price. they power their ships a price? perhaps we can replicate it. on its composition. see what you can do. in the meantime we'll set a course for torat's planet try to track him down. nervous? ( sighs ) let's just say... i'm not used to other people deciding my fate. until today, you were part of a government responsible for persecuting thousands of innocent people. why the sudden change of heart? there's nothing sudden about it. i've been looking for a way to escape for years. voyager was the perfect opportunity. how so? well, what are you suggesting... i ask a brenari vessel for assistance? they'd throw me out an airlock. i've read your database. i know all about starfleet philosophy unless you left those ideals behind in the alpha quadrant. i certainly don't grant asylum to every person i meet especially ones who ransack my ship and terrorize my crew. you're asking me to believe you're someone else... and... that's a leap of faith i'm not ready to make. you're turning me away. no. no. i'm going to give you safe passage to the wormhole... in return for your help in getting us there but i'm also imposing some restrictions. you'll have your own quarters but limited access to voyager's systems and your whereabouts will be monitored at all times. i'm used to being surrounded by armed guards. consider them a reminder that voyager is my ship. i don't think anyone could doubt that. n's log, supplemental. it's taken us nearly two days but we've managed to locate torat the man who's supposedly an expert on wormholes. unfortunately, he seems reluctant to share his expertise. he's trying to evade us. hail him again. mr. torat doesn't seem too trusting. maybe he's been through one inspection too many. no response. tap into his computer; override the lockout. do it. go away! this is captain kathryn janeway of the federation starship voyager. we have no hostile intent. then why are you pursuing me? we'd just like to ask... federations... imperiums... why do you people feel such a need to align yourselves with monolithic organizations? i'd be glad to discuss that and any other philosophical issue you care to raise if you would just slow down and talk. sorry. can't do that. i'm late for a very important conference! this is a waste of time. disable his ship. that's what we call overkill, inspector. ensign, can we transport at this range? absolutely. energizing. welcome aboard. janeway: 20 centiliters of mercurium isochromate-- no impurities-- and this is just a sample. we've synthesized enough to power your ship for a year. it doesn't matter. i never heard of this... wormhole you're looking for or these so-called refugees. well, they've heard of you. well, no doubt. my research is famous. think of all the stars you could research once you've infused your propulsion system with this. there's no point in bribing me. what do you mean by that? i doubt you'd know a wormhole from a dark matter inversion. professor... kashyk is another expert i've retained to help us with this matter. i'm afraid he's not as impressed with your work as i am. in fact, he discouraged me from seeking you out. professor kashyk? never heard of you. not surprising considering you toil in scientific obscurity. ( scoffing ): not worth the sensors they were recorded on. oh... there's no need to insult the man. just because he doesn't know how to find an interspatial flexure. interspatial flexure? why didn't you say so in the first place? he said wormhole-- a layman's term that... that covers any number of phenomena. i am familiar with a certain anomaly that could be categorized as an "interspatial flexure." actually, a better question would be where is it now? it's really quite interesting. the aperture of the phenomenon-- which i prefer to call an intermittent cyclical vortex-- is unfixed. it manifests infrequently for only brief periods of time and in varying locations. ( spits sharply ) ( sighs ) i can give you the last four locations. ished a scientist as you claim to be. think. i'm thinking. think harder. four wormhole appearances less than 20 light-years apart-- there's no pattern. did you apply a fractal coefficient? didn't work. neutrino flux parameters? mm-hmm. statistical algorithms? every one i could find. this wormhole defies analysis. maybe torat was right-- we're just out of our league. think harder. how do you predict... a random occurrence? you follow your instincts. ( symphonic music playing ) captain? counterpoint. it's in all great music. parallel melodies playing against one another. we've been looking at the obvious-- frequency, location, timing-- but each of those parameters could have a counterpoint in subspace. it might reveal our pattern. computer, run a subspatial transkinetic analysis on the wormhole data. analysis in progress. this'll take a minute. ( symphonic music continues ) i'm going to miss this... coffee of yours. well, i will give you the recipe. thank you. you don't sound too happy about leaving. the brenari aren't about to embrace a former inspector. anxiety doesn't become you, inspector. try to relax a little. i suppose you liked me better in uniform. i haven't decided whether i like you at all. we call them the kolyan kolyar-- infinite spirals. beautiful. as a boy, i spent years s the last time i'll ever see them. we have something similar back on earth-- the aurora borealis. which you, too, may never see again. i suppose we're both refugees, in a way. i'm still counting on getting this ship home. are you sure you'll be welcome when you do? i came across something else in your database-- the "prime directive." the federation's cardinal protocol. it seems well, let's just say i usually go with my instincts... and sort it out later at the board of inquiry. those admirals and i were on a first-name basis, you know. ah. you're risking a lot, too. why? three months ago my teams were inspecting a plasma-refining vessel. we found a family of telepaths very young. she'd been inside it for days, barely able to breathe. when i lifted her out and set her down on the deck... she thanked me. i sent her to a relocation center with the others knowing full well what would happen to her. after that, i could think of nothing else and when i couldn't stand it any longer... you're my deliverance, captain. analysis complete. it worked. it looks like it'll appear in about three days... less than eight light-years from here. the tehara system. is that a problem? there's an automated sensor array between here and tehara. can we go around it? l have to find a way to avoid detection. ( sighing ): let's do it in the morning. we've done enough for tonight. are you saying good-bye? there'll be other spirals. they've just never looked quite so... beautiful before. could be the company i'm keeping. or the polarization axis of the windows. that must be it. ( laughs softly ) how often does this array emit a scanning pulse? every 40 seconds. range? ten light-years. the pulse is designed to track warp fields and impulse signatures. if we lower our power output to beneath its detection threshold... we could drift past undetected. it's worth a try. well, good night.