"Computer, download file to padd F7." "Come on." " Download complete." " Thank you." "Nurse." " You're up late." " l've got a few things to finish." "I'm presenting a paper at a medical conference." "I see." "Where is it?" " Risa, Casperia Prime?" " Casperia." "How did you guess?" "Doctors always hold conferences at sunny resorts." "Don't you think we deserve a break from all the illness and death?" "Don't forget to take plenty of sunscreen." "Let me guess." "You dislocated your shoulder." " Not again." " Afraid so." "You promised not to go kayaking until your shoulder healed." "I know, but I can't stay away." "It's like the river calls to me." "It's saying, "Stay away." "Don't come near me or I'll hurt you more!"" " Much better." " lt will be tender for a few days." "Right." "If the pain gets any worse, Nurse Bandee will give you something." "Thanks, Julian." "Have a good time on Casperia." "I'm going to a medical conference, not on vacation." "If the river calls you again, listen to it and stay away." " The time is 0700 hours." " What?" "You're joking." "Computer, confirm time." "The time is 0700 hours, 11 seconds." "Something tells me I'm going to need a lot of "raktajinos" today." "See you in a few days, old chum." "Keep the home fires burning." "This is the Captain." "Senior officers report to Operations." "What now?" "This better be quick." "I've got a shuttle to catch." " What's going on?" " lnternal Affairs." " What are they doing here?" " They're not saying." "If they called ahead, we could have thrown them a party." "It's not a social visit." " Where's the Captain?" " He's in there." " He doesn't look too happy." " No, he doesn't." "All right, people, this is Deputy Director Sloan of internal Affairs." "He's here under the authority of the Federation Council." "Give him your full co-operation." "Starfleet Intelligence believes there's been a security breach aboard DS9." "Someone has been passing information to the Dominion." " There's been some kind of mistake." " l hope you're right, Commander." "But until we determine the source, we will follow containment procedures and isolate all members of the senior staff." "You're all relieved of duty and confined to quarters." "Confined to quarters?" " l don't like it any more than you do." " You'll be contacted shortly." "You are not to discuss this matter amongst yourselves." " Any questions?" " How long will your investigation take?" "That's difficult to say, but we've informed Starfleet you won't be attending your conference." " That's very considerate of you." " Take them to their quarters." "Would you come with me, please?" "Hot buttered scones, "moba" jam, red leaf tea." "Please." "What's the matter with this thing?" "All right." "Come in." "Would you please come with me, Doctor?" "Yes." "Certainly." " Where are we going?" " To the wardroom." "Director Sloan wants to ask you a few questions." "Stand clear!" " What's going on?" " Nothing you need worry about, sir." "This way." "Dr Bashir, sir." "Thank you." "Dr Bashir." "Have a seat, please." "I'm sorry you're going to miss your medical conference." "In a case like this, I have to follow strict procedures." " l understand." " Maybe it's a blessing in disguise." "The last time you were taken prisoner by the Dominion." "An experience I wouldn't care to repeat." "I'm sure you wouldn't." "Five weeks in a Dominion prison camp?" " l can't imagine what it was like." " Not pleasant." "I read your report." "It made me ask myself how I would have held up." "You never know until you go through it." "I'm sure you would have coped." "We do what we have to to survive." "I was just reading some of your case reports." "Fascinating stuff." "Your work with those genetically enhanced patients." " Very impressive." " Thank you." "Before you worked with them, Starfleet Medical described them as" ""alienated, uncommunicative and hostile"." "You were the first doctor to establish a dialogue with them." "The fact that I'm genetically enhanced made them more open to accepting me." " You spoke their language." " Exactly." "I envy your profession." "You have a positive impact on people's lives." "You know, I considered becoming a doctor myself." "You have a good bedside manner." "When I came in here, I suspected that I would be interrogated under a very bright light." "Not this time." "I see no need to trouble you any longer." "Thank you for your co-operation." "My pleasure." "Lieutenant Chandler will take you to your quarters." "You'll have to stay there until I finish the interviews." "Maybe someone could take a look at my replicator." "We took them off-line." "To prevent anyone from replicating a communications device or a weapon." "I just wanted some breakfast." "What would you like?" "I'll have it sent up." "Hot scones, "moba" jam and some red leaf tea, please." " Coming right up." " Thank you." "Doctor, one more thing." "Those genetically enhanced patients." "Did Starfleet Medical ask you to work with them?" " l volunteered." " l see." "Very good." "Come in." " Here you are, sir." " Thank God. I'm famished." " Cheers." " Enjoy." "It's a little early for "gagh."" "I hope you're enjoying my scones, Worf." "Miles." "Sloan said we aren't supposed to talk to each other." " Are you all right?" " l'm fine." "Except someone's been snooping around my quarters." " Has Sloan questioned you?" " Just finished." "It went fine." "He just asked a few questions." "It's not fine." "He just grilled me for over two hours." " Two hours?" "About what?" " About you." " You're joking." " l wish I were." "Every single question was about you." "I'd better go. I just wanted to warn you to watch your back." "Wait." "What did he want to know about me?" "Just be careful. I think..." "Come in." " Director Sloan wants to see you." " Again?" "That's right." " Did you get your breakfast, Doctor?" " Yes, I did." "Good. I was going over my notes from our last conversation." "There are some things I'd like you to clarify." " You have a problem with that?" " Not at all." " Your time with the Dominion...." " l was their prisoner." " You were at lnternment Camp 371?" " That's right." " Barrack 6?" " Yes." " You were there five weeks?" " 37 days, actually." " You're absolutely sure about that?" " Yes." " And General Martok was with you?" " Correct." "He said the Jem'Hadar removed you from the barracks." "I complained so they threw me in solitary." "I see." "Did you meet with anyone during that week?" " l was alone." " You're sure about that?" "Wait." "Let me think." "Was I alone in solitary?" "Yes. I think I was." " You didn't meet with a Vorta?" " No." " Or a changeling?" " No." "You spent seven days in complete isolation." "It wasn't seven days, it was five." "General Martok said you were gone for seven days." " He was wrong. lt was five." " Why would he lie about that?" "He wasn't lying." "He must have lost count of the days." " He was under stress." " And you weren't?" "Human beings are more adaptable to incarceration than Klingons." "Especially when they're genetically engineered?" "Meaning what?" "Let's move on to your escape." "I'll quote from your report." ""We constructed a transmitter from the barracks life-support system." ""We used it to contact our runabout and beam out of the camp."" "Forgive me, Doctor." " That sounds hard to believe." " lt's what happened." "Why would the Dominion leave your runabout orbiting the camp?" " They didn't think we could contact it." " Why not?" "They left you everything to build a transmitter." "Isn't it more plausible that they wanted you to escape?" " Why would they do that?" " So you could start working for them." " But I'm not working for them." " How can you be sure?" "Excuse me?" "How can you be sure you're not working for them?" "Are you familiar with the term "engramatic dissociation"?" "Vaguely." "The theory holds that if a person's mind is sufficiently disciplined, he could compartmentalise contradictory information, believing one thing while doing another." "I think you possess that kind of mind." "I think the Dominion took advantage of that." "They turned you to their cause and then had you suppress the memory." "You're saying I'm a Dominion spy and don't even know it." "You won't get caught because you don't even know you're working for them." "When they want to debrief you, they trigger your memory." "That's ridiculous." "Doctor, I am trying to help you, but I need your co-operation." "Tear down the walls inside your mind, dredge up a fragment of a memory, anything about your mission." "I know it's not easy, but you've got to try." "There are no memories to dredge up." "I'm not suffering from engramatic dissociation." "I'm a loyal Starfleet officer and will not answer any more questions unless I can respond with the benefit of counsel!" "I've had enough of your lies, Doctor!" "You think you're smarter than the millions of brave men and women who put their lives on the line for the Federation." "I'll get the truth out of you and when I'm done I'm going to lock you away." "Guards!" "is it necessary to drag a Starfleet officer in irons?" " We have our orders, sir." " Please stand aside." " We'll get you out of this." " l'm sure this is all a mistake." "is it?" " Where's Odo?" " ln his quarters." "We'll be handling security for the time being." " Too tight?" " A bit." " You'll live." " Nice to see you enjoying your work." "I was with the Seventh Fleet when the Dominion attacked Tyra." "98 of our ships were destroyed." "I lost a lot of friends." " l lost a lot of friends, too." " But yours were Jem'Hadar." "You won't be needing this any more." "Step inside." "With all due respect, Captain, if you would wait in the security office," " you can discuss..." " There is nothing to discuss." "I want ten minutes alone with my officer now." "Very well." "Odo did some checking." "Sloan had a son in Starfleet, a transport pilot." "He was killed by a Dominion patrol." "Maybe he thinks I gave them information that helped target the ship." "That's exactly what I think." "When my son's convey rendezvoused with a Klingon bird of prey, they found three Dominion attack ships waiting for them." "I'm sorry for your loss." "But doesn't your son's death indicate a conflict of interest in your investigation?" "I think it gives me an added incentive to go after the truth." " What was it you wanted?" " l need to talk to my officer in private." "I can understand that." "But no one talks to the prisoner without clearance from me." "Have you received orders to relieve me of my command of this station?" "No, I haven't." "As long as I remain in command, I will see Dr Bashir whenever I please." "I will sit in on all interrogation sessions to make sure his rights are observed." "Do I make myself clear?" "I believe so." "Well, we'll see each other tomorrow." "In the meantime, enjoy your conversation." "I appreciate your help, sir." "We'll get this straightened out." "I promise you." "Let's go back a few years to the incident at Bopak lll." "According to your report, you and Chief O'Brien crash-landed on the planet and made contact with a group of Jem'Hadar." "They captured us." " Why didn't you attempt to escape?" " We didn't have a chance." "Chief O'Brien says you were more interested in curing the Jem'Hadar" " of their addiction to ketracel white." " l'm a doctor." "They're the enemy." "Genetically engineered killing machines." "They're sentient beings." "I couldn't just watch them die." "Because you felt sympathy for them, being genetically engineered yourself?" "This happened before Dr Bashir allegedly became a Dominion agent." "It shows he was already sympathetic to the Dominion." "We spoke yesterday about a group of genetically enhanced patients that you brought to the station." "Why did you decide to work with them?" "I thought I might find a way to help them assimilate into society." "A laudable goal, but it's puzzling the way you went about it." "These misfits had been sheltered from the outside world, yet you swamped them with information about the war with the Dominion." "I'm surprised it didn't scare them into a deeper isolation." "I wanted to engage them." "And it worked." "So you convinced Starfleet to give them access to classified battle plans?" "Starfleet wanted to hear our ideas on how to win the war." "How to win the war?" "You recommended surrendering." "We were looking for a way to save lives." "If you'd examine the findings..." "Captain, you examined the findings, didn't you?" " l did." " Did you agree with them?" "No." "Of course not." "No loyal Starfleet officer could." "I won't deny that Dr Bashir has made some questionable decisions, but that's a long way from convincing me that he is a traitor." "Your case is based on circumstantial evidence." "What other case can I make?" "He covers his tracks so well." "That's a circular argument!" "If Dr Bashir had been involved in one or two questionable incidents, you might dismiss it." "But the sheer number of incidents form a pattern of behaviour that can't be ignored." "You want to be loyal to a man who's served under you for so long." "You're inclined to take his word over that of an outsider." "But step back for a moment and think about it." "This man concealed the truth about his genetic enhancement for 30 years." "He lied to get his medical licence." "He lied to get into Starfleet." "He lied to you when he came aboard and he's been lying to you ever since." "He did eventually come forward and tell the truth." "That's right." "He did." "Why?" "What made you confess?" "Did you realise that it was your duty to be honest with your captain?" "You felt guilty for lying to him for so long?" " Why did you come forward?" " l was found out." "If you hadn't been found out, would you have come forward and told your captain the truth ever?" " l don't know." " l see." "Sloan was right about one thing, sir." " l should have told you the truth." " You're right." "You should have." " Let's put that behind us for now." " How can I defend myself to this man?" "He either thinks I'm lying or repressing my memories." "I know you're not lying, Julian." "But?" "But, as a doctor, isn't it possible that the Dominion did recruit you and you have blocked it out of your memory?" "Even if it is possible, it didn't happen." " You don't believe me, do you?" " l don't... I don't think you're lying, Julian." "It's late." "Try to get some sleep." "We'll talk again in the morning." "Sorry to interrupt your sleep, Doctor." "You're going on a vacation after all." " Where are you taking me?" " Starbase 53 for further questioning." " Does Captain Sisko know about this?" " lt's none of his concern." " You have no right to do this, Sloan." " Oh, but I do." "Starfleet Special Order 66715 gives me the authority to neutralise security threats to Deep Space 9 by whatever means necessary." "You're about to spend the rest of this war in a maximum security cell." "Unless you put your thumb print on this confession." "We can reword it if it doesn't meet your exacting standards." "You can take that confession and throw it out of the nearest airlock." "I thought so." "Take him to the shuttle." "Would you put your hands in front of you, Doctor?" "He's beaming out!" "Stop him!" " Good evening, Doctor." " Weyoun?" "Welcome home." "It would appear we got you out just in time." "It's all right." "You're among friends now." "Did they mistreat you?" "I don't see any bruises." " Why did you bring me here?" " What choice did I have?" " Starfleet discovered you work for us." " l don't work for you." "I'm not a Dominion spy." "You actually believe that, don't you?" "That's why you're such a good operative." "You're lying." "Here we go again." "These little conversations of ours always follow the same pattern:" "you're confused, then angry, then you deny everything until finally the walls inside your mind start to break down and you accept the truth." "What truth?" "That you broke me in your prison camp?" "We're not barbarians." "There was no torture involved." "We helped you to see that there's no way Starfleet can defeat the Dominion." "Because you didn't want billions of citizens to lose their lives, you agreed to give us information that would end this war quickly." "You rose above the petty question of whose side you were on and made a moral decision." "It's not surprising, really." "After all, you are a doctor." " You're saying that I'm a traitor?" " Traitor." "Hero." "Those are just words." "Your friends may vilify you, but history will judge you to be a great man who brought an end to one of the most devastating wars in the galaxy." " l don't remember any of it." " Of course not." "You suppressed the memories." "It's a remarkable ability, but it does make these initial conversations a bit wearing." "Have something to eat." "You always reintegrate better on a full stomach." "Do you remember when I first offered you scones back at the camp?" "No." "Concentrate." "Sensory details are the key." "I had you brought in from solitary." "You were very hungry but you refused to give me the satisfaction of seeing you eat." "Do you remember?" "I don't remember..." "because it never happened!" "You were almost there." "With a little more effort, you can break through." " l'm not a Dominion spy!" " This is going to be a difficult session." "I'm innocent." "I don't care what you or Sloan think." "Wait a minute." "Why would you both be trying to convince me of the same lie?" "Unless...you were working together?" " Please, Doctor, listen to yourself." " Sloan's the traitor." "Combat stations." "Enemy ship approaching." "Sisko." "We'll have to continue your debriefing later." "Am I glad to see you." "Away team to the Defiant." "We got him." "You have an explanation for the Dominion breaking you out?" " l understand how this looks." " What did they want?" "I think Weyoun and Sloan are working together." "You won't exonerate yourself by casting suspicion on someone else." "Maybe he's been replaced by a changeling." "He and Weyoun are trying to frame me." " You have run out of excuses, Doctor." " You have to believe me." " l'm innocent." " l have had enough of your lies." "You can't just dismiss what I'm saying." " Get him off my bridge!" " Jadzia, you believe me, don't you?" " Why did you do it, Julian?" " Miles?" "You?" " Your shoulder. lt's all right." " Of course it's all right." "But you dislocated it yesterday when..." " ...we were playing springball." " So?" "It's better now." "You didn't hurt it playing springball." "You dislocated it kayaking in a holosuite." "You're not Miles." "And you're not Captain Sisko." "He'd be willing to hear me out." "This isn't real. lt can't be." "You're right, Doctor." "None of it was real." "But I am." "And this isn't over." "Congratulations, Doctor." "It's not often that we're proven wrong." "You finally believe I'm not working for the Dominion?" "I'm leaning in that direction." "But to erase any lingering doubts, let's make one final test." "I've finished playing games!" "I assure you, Doctor, this is no game." "Don't be afraid." "I just need to remove an implant from behind your right ear." "Why don't you do the honours?" "Give it to him." "It's only a neuro-synaptic relay." "You've been recording my neuro-electric responses." "Now I'd like to check the findings to confirm what I already believe:" "That you're an innocent man." "Either you remove the relay or we will." "Thank you." "This will only take a moment." "Take your time." "I don't seem to be going anywhere." "Your sense of humour's returning." "That's a very good sign." " Of what?" " You're beginning to relax." "We subjected you to high levels of stress to ensure accurate results." "I'm glad to say the results are in your favour." "Your loyalty appears to be above reproach." "Why do I still detect a hint of doubt in your voice?" "I would have preferred to keep you under observation a little longer." "Unfortunately, we didn't know about Chief O'Brien's injury." "You beamed me into this holosuite when I was asleep." " We allowed you a full hour." " No wonder I feel so tired." "Your subjects are more malleable when deprived of sleep?" "Not a new technique, but an effective one nonetheless." "So why don't you tell me who you are?" "Who you work for?" "The same people you work for." "The Federation, Starfleet." "You don't expect me to believe you're with internal Affairs?" "Of course not. internal Affairs is a competent department, but limited." "Let's just say I belong to another branch of Starfleet Intelligence." "Our official designation is Section 31." " Never heard of it." " We keep a low profile." "Works out better that way." "What does Section 31 do, apart from kidnapping Starfleet officers?" "We identify potential dangers to the Federation." " And once identified?" " We deal with them." " How?" " Quietly." "If I had been a Dominion agent, what would have happened to me?" "We wouldn't be having this conversation." "Starfleet sanctions what you do?" "We don't submit reports or ask approval for specific operations." " We're an autonomous department." " Authorised by whom?" "Section 31 was part of the original Starfleet Charter." "But that was 200 years ago." "You've been working on your own ever since?" "Without specific orders?" "Accountable to nobody but yourselves?" " You make it sound so ominous." " lsn't it?" "If what you say is true, you function as judge, jury and executioner." "That's too much power for anyone." "I admit it takes exceptional people to do what we do, people who can sublimate their ambitions to the best interests of the Federation." " People like you." " Me?" "You have the qualifications to be a very useful member." "You were calling me a traitor." "Now you're recruiting me." "You're intelligent, resourceful, fascinated by covert operations." "Why else would you spend so much time in the holosuites playing spy?" " You're serious." " We're on the same team." "We believe in the same principles that every Federation citizen holds dear." " Yet you violate those principles." " ln order to protect them." "The ends don't always justify the means." "Really?" "How many lives do you suppose you've saved in your medical career?" "Hundreds?" "Thousands?" "Do those people give a damn that you lied to get into Starfleet Medical?" "I doubt it." "We deal with threats to the Federation that jeopardise its very survival." "If you knew how many lives we've saved, you'd agree that the ends do justify the means." "I'm not afraid of bending the rules if the situation warrants it." " l don't think you are, either." " You've got the wrong man, Sloan." "In time, you'll come to agree with me." "Don't hold your breath." "All I ask is when you get back, you consider what I've said." "What if I decide to expose you?" "Let's just say I'm not going to lose any sleep over it." "This fellow Sloan is clever." "He timed the abduction to coincide with the medical conference." " That way he wasn't missed." " Yes, he's clever." "We couldn't find any residual transporter signatures." "Either they got him off another way or have technology we can't detect." "is there any word from Starfleet about Sloan or Section 31?" "There's no record of a Deputy Director Sloan in Starfleet." "And as for Section 31, that's a little more complicated." "Starfleet Command doesn't acknowledge its existence, but they don't deny it, either." "They simply said they'd get back to me." " When?" " They didn't say." "It's a cover-up." "I can't believe the Federation condones this kind of activity." "Every other great power has a unit like Section 31." "The Romulans have the Tal Shiar, the Cardassians the Obsidian Order." "What does that say about us?" "Are we willing to sacrifice our principles to survive?" "I wish I had an answer for you, Doctor." "Maybe we should try to track down Sloan ourselves." "If Section 31 has existed for so long, they've learned to cover their tracks." "We don't have to find them." "They'll come to us." " Sloan tried to recruit you." " l turned him down." "He doesn't strike me as a man who takes no for an answer." "The next time he asks you to join his little group, you will say "yes"." "Congratulations, Doctor." "Looks like you get to play a spy after all." "Only this time, for real."