"I'm not what a lot of people think." "If you're a dabo girl, you know, you get a reputation." "Miss Sarda, tell me exactly what happened." "When did you first have trouble with Quark?" " Five minutes after I arrived." " He made advances?" " He said it was part of the job." " What did you say?" "I said I'd wear the costume and entertain the gamblers but to keep his knuckles to himself." " That didn't stop him?" " He said it was part of the job." "He showed me my contract." "There it is in the Ferengi print." "Page 21, subsection D, paragraph 12." "You're telling me the contract you signed requires you..." "I should have read it carefully." "I'm not a legal expert." "I'm not either, but I can assure you after I talk to Quark, he won't hold you to this provision concerning the exchange..." "'Sensors are picking up elevated neutrino readings." "'Something's coming through the wormhole. '" " Excuse me." " Thank you, Commander." " Are any of the transports due back?" " 'Not according to our logs. '" "Put us on yellow alert." "It doesn't match anything in Starfleet files." "I'm getting readings of a massive energy flux." "It may be damaged." "Sensors indicate a single, humanoid life-form on board." " Hail it." " Aye, sir." "Hail acknowledged." "Response coming in." "On screen." "Welcome to the Alpha Quadrant." " I'm Commander Benjamin Sisko." " Alpha Quadrant?" "You've passed through a wormhole into a new part of the galaxy." "I saw a small ship disappear." "I followed it." "That was one of our patrol vessels." "You've travelled almost 90,000 light years." " Where are you from?" " How long does this anomaly last?" "It's stable." "You can return whenever you want to." "For now, dock here." "We'll answer your questions." "No." "No time." "Inertial stress is overloading his structural capacity." " Prepare to transport him off his ship." " I will not abandon my vessel." " Your ship is in danger of..." " I will not leave." "We can use a tractor beam to tow him in." "The beam should show up the structural integrity." " Do it." " Cut your engines." " Why?" " So I can save your ship, friend." "We'll try to fix you up as good as new." "Good." "Engaging tractor beam." "Steady now." "Feel the graviton field taking hold?" "Yes." "You'll be fine now." "Just relax and enjoy the ride." "We might want to skip formal first-contact procedures." "Agreed." "Meet him by yourself at the airlock." " He might find that less intimidating." " Aye, sir." "And, if you can, find out what he's so nervous about." "Aye, sir." "O'Brien to Ops." "'Go ahead, Chief. '" "Sure you didn't beam this fellow out?" " Negative." " 'He's not in here. '" "Sensors say he's still on board, Chief." "Friend?" "If you're in here, you've got nothing to worry about from me." "Understand?" "I'm just going to take a look at your ship." "See what the problem is." "OK?" "Just to let you know, I'm an engineer." "I know a little bit about ships." "Well, more than a little, actually." "But I'll tell you, I've never seen anything close to this." "All right, then." "Is this some sort of plasma injector?" "OK." "Then... that must be an off-axis fuel controller over there." "Huh-huh..." "The coladrium flow has been damaged." "You can't go sneaking up on someone like that." "It's an Alpha Quadrant rule." " Can it be repaired?" " That all depends." " Depends?" " On what exactly a coladrium flow is." "On my world, it would be simple." "I could do it myself." "I didn't say we couldn't figure it out." "You'll just have to teach me." "I'm sure we can..." "I have no time." "I know." "Everyone's in a hurry these days." "We'll have you away as soon as it's humanly possible." "That's me-human species." "Name's O'Brien." "O'Brien." "Miles O'Brien." "Chief of Operations." "How about you?" " I am Tosk." " That's your name or your species?" "I am Tosk." "Oh." "Well, Tosk it is." "Come on." "There's nothing to be afraid of out there." "We've got to wait for your reactor to cool down." "Come on." "I've got work to do." "What happened?" "Looks like you took a shot to your hull." "The passage through the anomaly was very rough." "Yeah, sure." "The wormhole can shake you up, all right." "Security sensor." "Screens for weapons." "It's just picking up my phaser." "You're fine." " You wear a weapon?" " Defensive purposes only." "It may not seem hospitable, but when you go into an alien ship you never know what might be in there." "You may even find someone who can make himself invisible, you know?" "I understand." " A health centre?" " Yeah." "That's Dr Bashir." "He looks after our medical problems." " How many live here?" " Well... 300, more or less." "What is its purpose?" "Purpose?" "Defence?" "Surveillance?" "Sometimes, when I walk along here," "I feel like we're the flea markets of the sector." "But I guess our real job is to keep an eye on the wormhole." "There's traffic going in and out all the time now." " Many ships dock here?" " Five or six a week." "We sometimes have a whole convoy on its way through the wormhole." "But you have the honour of being the first visitor from the other side." "Others will detect ships from your quadrant, as I did, and follow them here." "We hope so." "Our mission is to seek out new life-forms so we can learn about each other." "Madam, I distinctly saw you move your wager to the green line after the play was completed." "I will return your currency, but you will promptly leave the establishment." "You are not welcome here." "There are some things to learn about us that can wait." "How about you?" "Are you an explorer?" "A scientist?" "I am Tosk." "Right." "Computer, lights." "I wasn't the decorator." " I wish to begin work on my ship." " We'll start as soon as we can." "Why don't you get some rest?" "I require only 17 minutes of sleep per rotation." "Really?" "If I don't get eight hours I'm not the same man." " Are you hungry?" " Hungry?" "Would you like to eat?" "Take in sustenance?" "Liquid nutrients are stored in plasmic fibres throughout my body." "Oh." "Well, this is the food replicator in case you change your mind." "We've finally got it making a good bowl of oatmeal." "Just ask the computer if you need anything else." "O'Brien?" "Thank you." "As the Vulcans say, "We're here to serve. "" " Computer." " 'State request. '" "I wish to see a display of this facility." "'Specify exterior or interior display. '" "Interior." "'Lnterior display available in 19 sections." "'Specify requirements. '" "Show me where the weapons are stored." "'Habitat Ring." "Level five." "Section three." "'Access restricted to security clearance seven and above. '" "It's hard to say, sir." "You hate to prejudge anyone." " What are you thinking, Chief?" " You know the old saying..." "A man looking over his shoulder is waiting for trouble." "You think he's on the run?" "He wasn't telling the whole truth about the damage to his ship." "It wasn't the wormhole." "Somebody took a shot at him." "It came in at a 45-degree angle to the hull, sliced through two propulsion systems." "I'll know more later." "Stay with him as much as possible while he's here." " I'll tell Odo to watch him, too." " Aye, sir." "No." "The coladrium flows through the arva nodes." "Are they some kind of high-energy magnetic coils?" "For fuel replenishment." "Fuel?" " Like a ramscoop." " Ramscoop?" "To capture stellar gases and convert them into usable fuel." "Yes." "The arva nodes convert space matter into fuel." "Got you." "Piece of cake." "Piece of cake." "Ramscoop." "Arva nodes." "Piece of cake." "It's an old human expression." "It means it'll be easy to fix." " They will be easy to fix?" " Sure." "We'll get my crew to remove your arva nodes then we'll make new ones." "Piece of cake." "How long?" "Maybe a day or two." "We'll run some tests after the replacement unit's in." "No." "No time for that." "I let you take that unit out without proper testing, it breaks down, you blame me, then my work has a bad reputation in the Gamma Quadrant." "I would not blame you." "I was joking, Tosk." "I cannot tell, O'Brien." "Sorry, it's in my nature." "And you're the most natural straight man I've met in ages." "Come on." "While the fellas are working I'll buy you a drink and you can tell me why you're in such a rush." "Dabo!" "Nothing like this exists on my world." "This is where we do most of our RR." "What is RR?" "Rest and relaxation." "Downtime." "When we're not working." "You sleep a full third of your rotation." "You rest and relax while you are awake." "Alpha Quadrant has far too much downtime." "My wife would laugh at that." "She's barely seen me in the last three weeks." "We are very different," "Tosk and O'Brien." "I've noticed." "Hey, barkeep." "Don't call me barkeep." "I'm not a barkeep." "I'm your host." "The proprietor." "A sympathetic ear to wretched souls." "And a man who will exploit any vice you may have." "Two synthales, barkeep." "I am sorry." "I have no vices for you to exploit." "A challenge." "Tosk is our first guest from the Gamma Quadrant." "I'd take him at his word." "Perhaps a short adventure in a holosuite?" " Holosuite?" " A fantasy encounter with danger." "Romance." "Thrills." "Created for your personal entertainment by the brothers Quark." "I have no use for fantasy adventure." "I live the greatest adventure one could ever desire." "Then I envy you, Mr Tosk." "What are you talking about, Tosk?" "What is this adventure you're on?" "I cannot discuss it." "Sure." "Of course." " You've changed your mind about him?" " Not exactly." "He's running from something, that's for sure." "And he's in danger." "And he can't or won't talk about it." "People tell doctors things they wouldn't tell others." "If you could get him to have a medical..." "I kind of like him." "I'm not even sure why." "In a way, he's almost naive." "I guess anyone would be in an alien environment." "But I don't sense criminal intent or dishonesty about him." "He lied about the damage to his ship." "He didn't exactly lie." "He didn't exactly tell the truth." "He keeps the truth pretty much to himself." " When will his ship be ready?" " Tomorrow." "We don't have much of a choice." "We can't hold him." "If he tells the truth, fine." "If not... wish him well and send him on his way." "Just what do you think you're doing?" "Computer, seal off corridor 14A, habitat level five." " 'Seal confirmed. '" " Security to habitat 5-14A." "When you get tired of bouncing off forcefields, we can talk." "I did nothing to you." "It's that security junction I'm curious about." " I must prepare." " For what?" "I cannot discuss it." "I am Tosk." "I'm sure you are." "Let's go down to my office while Chief O'Brien looks to see what you've been doing." " O'Brien?" " Right." "I'm going to release the forcefields now." "I don't need a fight from you." "Understand?" "I will not fight you." "Good." "Computer, release the security seals." " I cannot discuss it." " I can't accept that." "I did nothing to you." "Tampering with the security grid is a threat." "He was trying to shut out the lock-outs to section three." " The weapons locker." " What did you want with weapons?" "Are you wanted by authorities in the Gamma Quadrant?" " Wanted?" " Have you committed crimes?" "Never." " I am Tosk." " What does that mean?" "Should that explain all this?" "It is all I can say." "Don't you think we deserve some answers?" " What should I do with him?" " Hold him for now." "We'll wait to see if someone shows up looking for him." "Enough of this craziness, Tosk." "Tell me." "What were you doing?" "O'Brien, you must let me out." "Tell me." "Allow me to die with honour." "Die?" "Who'd want to kill you, Tosk?" "Allow me to die with honour." "He's climbing the walls like a trapped animal." "I'm sorry our jail cells aren't to his liking." "Somehow I feel responsible." " You do?" " Yeah." "Well..." "I guess I kind of adopted him." "I talked him into coming on board." "You didn't talk him into breaking into the security system." "I just feel sorry for him." "I don't think he means us any harm." "What the hell is his secret?" "Sensors are picking up ionised L-band emissions." " The patterns match Tosk's ship." " Hail them." "Maybe we'll get a few answers." "No response." "Again." "Rotate frequencies." "It's a modulated particle beam." "It's scanning us." " Ready shields." " Not yet." "Let them look at us." "I'm reading phased power fluctuations." "They may be readying a transporter." " Now, Major." " Shields up." "Open all hailing channels." "This is Commander Benjamin Sisko of the United..." "They're bombarding us with some kind of radiation." "Very rapid magnetic flux variations." "What the..." "They've reversed the polarity of our shields!" "I'm picking up transporter locks." " They're beaming on board." " Location?" "Promenade." "Security to the Promenade." "Kira and O'Brien with me." "Dax, you have Ops." "Ready phasers." "I'm commander of this station." "Put down your weapons." "Increase setting to level six." " It's Tosk they're after." " Maybe they have a right to him." "Nobody's abducting a prisoner out of my brig." " You may need this." " I never use them." "I have Tosk." "Alive." "It is over." "What a disappointment." " And after such an entertaining beginning." " Entertaining?" "These aliens gave us a lot of resistance." "How did you get their cooperation without violating your oath of silence?" "I told them nothing!" "But to see you here, caged!" "Helpless!" "How could you allow this?" "It is a disgrace to all Tosk." "And the most disappointing hunt in memory." "This whole thing is a hunt and Tosk is the prey?" "You were right." "This Tosk is unworthy of such a noble description." "For this dishonour you'll endure the greatest humiliation Tosk can know - to be captured and brought home alive." "You will live on public display where children can make fun of you, toss you scraps of food, which is more than you deserve." "Release him." "You disrupted life on this station for the pleasure of your hunt?" "I'm not inclined to take orders from you." "Odo, watch the prisoner while our guest and I discuss this." "Unless you intend to take him by force, in which case I'll open fire on your ship." "Over this Tosk?" "Have you nothing similar in your society?" "Centuries ago, people engaged in blood sports, killing for pleasure." "A few cultures still do." "Even they wouldn't hunt a sentient being!" "He is sentient only because we made him sentient." "He has been bred for the hunt." "His entire reason to exist is the hunt." "To make it as exciting, as interesting, as he can." " You do not comprehend." " I comprehend just fine." "I have no tolerance for the abuse of any life-form." "Abuse?" "We honour Tosk." "They are the symbol of all that is noble and courageous." "They train and condition themselves all their lives for this event." "They're proud of their role in our culture." "I can't judge what is right and wrong for your world." "But on this station..." "In future, passage through the anomaly will be considered out of bounds." "Will that satisfy you?" "Now you will arrange for release of the Tosk." "I've agreed to release him." "But Tosk is an intelligent, living being." "It's their custom, Chief." "We have no right to interfere." "What if Tosk were to request asylum?" "If he asks for it..." "All right." "I have a way out for you." "A way out?" "Of here?" "Request asylum." "Asylum?" "You ask for the protection of the Federation." "You understand?" "My commander is willing to protect you." "O'Brien." "I am Tosk." "I cannot hide here, behind the protection of your Federation." "It is against everything I believe." "You'd rather go back and live in a cage on public display?" "To stay would be a greater dishonour." "I am Tosk-the hunted." "I live to outwit the hunters for another day." "To survive until I die with honour." "But that will not be my fate." "But I will not deny my existence as Tosk." "Thank you, O'Brien." "But I cannot request asylum." "I'm not impressed with the tourist trade from the Gamma Quadrant." " Not one has bought a drink." " Shut up." "More trouble with the little woman?" " What does that mean?" " You might want to talk." "There is nothing wrong between my wife and I." "If there were, I wouldn't talk to some barkeep about it." "Sorry." "My mistake." "What?" "Your face gets very pink when it gets aggravated." " Much more than other humans." " So stop aggravating me." "Not me." "You came in this way." " OK, I'm aggravated." " I am a keen observer of behaviour." " Do you want to talk?" " No." " Why not?" " It wouldn't do any good talking to you." " Try me." " Forget it." "It's just the rules of the game." "Uh-huh." "Rules of the game." "Go on." "It's a hunt." "Did you know that?" "They're chasing Tosk in a hunt." "They're playing by their rules, we're playing by ours and he's caught in the middle." "I suppose if the Ferengi don't like the rules, they change them." " Rules are subject to interpretation." " Of course!" "Change the rules..." "Why didn't I think of that?" "Thanks, barkeep." "So." "What's bothering you today?" "Computer, access the power grid to security checkpoint four in the Promenade." "That isn't necessary." "Our ritual requires it when a Tosk is captured alive." "Let's go." "I'll escort the prisoner to the transporter station." " This is a security matter." " This is a Starfleet matter." " Orders from Sisko." " We'll see about that." "Do not trouble yourself." "My ship will transport us." "That won't be necessary." "Good relations with other cultures is our highest priority." "Commander Sisko wants to apologise to you for interfering with your hunt." "We'll give you an official escort off the station." "It's a token of goodwill and respect in our society." "Very well." "Starfleet has no business taking charge of a prisoner transport." "What are you talking about?" "You ordering O'Brien to escort Tosk off the station." "I didn't give him any orders at all." "Sisko to O'Brien." "'Mr O'Brien, report to Ops immediately. '" "This way." "Glass jaw." "Now I know why you wear a helmet." "Up here." "The hunt has resumed." "Come on." "Your ship's ready." "Security reports a fight in the Promenade." "Here." "Apparently, O'Brien set him loose." "I'm showing someone in an access conduit above Quark's." "Two life-forms." "One's human." " They're heading to the docking ring." " I'll seal off the corridors." " They won't get far." " Constable." "There's no hurry." "Here." "Now you are Tosk as well, O'Brien." "These conduits are made from two-metre thick duranium composite." "I've never seen a scanning device that could penetrate it." "Till now." "Around this next corner and we're there." "No." "He is mine." "No." "Go on." "What now?" "The hunt... goes on." " You wish to come?" " No." "No." "One day as a Tosk is enough for me." "And my wife and kid wouldn't fit into this lifestyle." " Will you be punished for helping me?" " Maybe." "But if I know my commander..." "Hell, those guys wanted a hunt." "I just gave them one." "You'd better get out of here while you still can." "O'Brien." "Die with honour, O'Brien." "Die with honour, Tosk." "Just what did happen at that security checkpoint, Chief?" "The weapons sensors must have overloaded on all his gear." " Must have?" " Yes, sir." "Must have since I increased their output by about 200%." "So you assaulted him - our first contact with a new species." "Yes, sir." "We've got dozens of top-level officials waiting to hear about the first new life-forms to come through the wormhole." "How will I write this up?" "Well, sir, I'm not one to say, but..." "These hunters weren't happy at having to bring Tosk home." "In the interest of mutual understanding and future relations..." "Save it!" "You ignored your duty to Starfleet." "You took off your combadge and ignored me." "You even ignored the prime directive by interfering." "Another stunt like this and your wife won't have to complain about conditions here." " Do I make myself clear?" " I understand." " I was surprised by one thing, sir." " What's that?" "I knew I couldn't override all the security seals in the station." "And I figured once you and the Constable located us it'd be over." "We'd find ourselves locked behind some forcefield somewhere." "I guess that one got by us." "Yes, sir." " Thank you, sir." " Dismissed."