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Excuse me.
You're Dr Bashir, aren't you?
- That's right.
- l'm Leeta.
l've been meaning to come by
the infirmary to see you.
Oh, dear.
How long have you had
that cough?
A few days now.
May l?
Cough for me.
ls it serious, Doctor?
No, but we need to start
your treatment immediately.
Bring me a Fanalian toddy,
very hot.
Make that two.
l'm feeling a cough
coming on myself.
l'm sorry to hear that, Doctor.
No, please.
Call me
- Julian.
- Hi.
- l'm Jadzia.
- Leeta.
Before l forget
here's that immunological data
you asked for.
How nice of you to put it together
for me so quickly.
l think l'll go over it right now.
Oh, by the way, l hear the Lexington's
docking here for a few days.
The Lexington?
Excuse me for just one second.
Stay there.
Jadzia.
Do you know when the Lexington
is coming in?
Three weeks.
Don't you have a friend aboard?
- Do l?
- The medical officer.
- Elizabeth Lense?
- Elizabeth Lense
She may have been in my class
at Starfleet Medical.
- Wasn't she valedictorian?
- That's right.
- And you were salutatorian?
- Second in my class.
lf l hadn't mistaken
that pre-ganglionic fibre
For a post-ganglionic nerve.
l know.
l would've been valedictorian.
You must be looking forward
to seeing her.
l can hardly wait.
- Hey, Jake.
- Hey, Dad.
Hey!
- What is this?
- l thought it was time for a change.
- What do you think?
- l like it.
- How was Bajor?
- You should have come with me.
The re-opening of a library
isn't my idea of a good time.
Not just a library.
We're talking
about the most extensive collection
of Bajoran antiquities.
l saw manuscripts that dated back
to before the fall of the First Republic.
- Great.
- Here.
- Look at this.
- What is it? Some kind of ship?
The ancient Bajorans used ships
like these to explore their star system
When humans were sailing the oceans,
Bajorans were going to other planets?
Some say they made it all
the way to Cardassia.
That seems hard to believe.
What are these?
Solar sails.
These ships were propelled
by light pressure.
- Like a sailboat catching the wind.
- Exactly.
l wonder if a ship like that
could really fly?
l don't know.
That's why l'm going to build one.
l'm expecting a lumber shipment
from Bajor this afternoon.
Which reminds me.
l'll need a sabre saw.
You know, to cut wood.
Why not use a laser cutter?
l want to use the same types
of tools the Bajorans had.
As soon as these containers are
out of the way, l'll start construction.
l've looked over the specifications
you brought back from Bajor.
l'm not sure this design is spaceworthy.
A ship like this could never have made it
- from Bajor to Cardassia.
- Why?
At sublight speeds,
the trip would have taken years.
One unexpected ion storm
would have torn the sails to pieces.
Maybe they were lucky
and didn't go into any storms.
l don't see how this ship
could have made the trip.
There's only room
for a few weeks' air supply.
Maybe they recycled it,
used some kind of photosynthetic plant.
Maybe.
You sound just like a Cardassian.
They have denied the possibility
of ancient contact for decades.
They cannot accept that Bajor
had interstellar flight before them.
You're beginning to sound
like a Romulan.
There's no technology they don't claim
they invented first.
l don't plan to spend the next few years
sailing to Cardassia.
All l want is to build one ship
and prove that it's spaceworthy.
A computer model could do that.
Why go to all that trouble?
Why? Because it'll be fun.
Oh, yes.
l've been thinking.
According to the star charts,
the most difficult part of the trip
between Bajor and Cardassia
is getting through the Denorios Belt.
After that, it would be smooth sailing
the rest of the way.
Making that part of the trip
would demonstrate
that the Bajorans could
have made the journey to Cardassia.
Seems reasonable.
lt should only take
about four, five days.
- That's not so long.
- So?
- What?
- Come with me.
We'll have a great time.
The ship will be ready in a week.
That's when Leanne gets back
from Bajor.
l really want to see her.
Oh, well.
lf you can't do it,
you can't do it.
l'd like to, but it's just not
good timing, you know?
Sure.
l understand.
Hi!
- Hello, Jadzia.
- l brought you something to eat.
Let me just finish this welding
and l'll take a break.
l can't believe the work
you've put into this.
l'm just following the blueprints.
You didn't need detail like this
to prove that the ship is spaceworthy.
l suppose not, but l want everything
to be just right.
lt's an exact replica,
except for the gravity net in the floor.
Weightlessness makes me queasy.
l haven't seen you like this
for a long time -
so caught up in something,
so excited.
Not since Not since you
and Jennifer decided to have a baby.
The nursery.
No one's ever put such effort
into making a room for their child.
lt turned out pretty well.
Especially the starscape
on the ceiling.
Jake loved that ceiling.
When we moved out,
he couldn't understand
why we couldn't bring it with us.
You're disappointed
he's not going with you.
He has other things
he'd rather be doing,
friends he'd rather be with.
lt's funny.
A year or two ago,
nothing would have stopped him
from coming on an adventure like this.
l guess l waited too long.
You'll have other adventures, Benjamin.
They'll just be different.
l know.
l've been a father
a couple of times myself.
- l could tell you stories.
- You already have.
That's right.
l have, haven't l?
Then you know l'm right.
Computer, are there any messages
for me?
One.
From Wellington, New Zealand.
Display it on screen.
- Hello.
- Welcome aboard, sir.
- So, what do you think?
- lt's wonderful.
Maybe a bit small for two people,
but l could get used to it.
That is, if you still want me along.
A Survey of Cygnian Respiratory
Diseases? Fascinating.
l'm reading everything l can.
l don't want to be caught flat-footed
by Dr Lense.
She's probably discovered the cure
to ageing by now.
The two of you are competitive?
Absolutely.
We were neck and neck
until the final exam.
Then l blew it.
That's how
she wound up on the Lexington,
a post everyone in our class
was hoping for.
lncluding you?
No, this is the assignment l wanted.
- Then what does it matter?
- Don't you see?
She could have taken this post
from me.
No matter what l accomplish here,
that'll always make me feel
second best.
l understand you're planning a trip.
Word gets around.
l can't believe that you would
take stock
in Bajoran fairy tales
about ancient contact.
You thought the Celestial Temple
was a Bajoran fairy tale
until we discovered the wormhole.
l suggest you reconsider your plans.
Solar vessels are very fragile
and it's a long way to the Denorios Belt
at sublight speeds.
l'll have emergency equipment.
lf something goes wrong,
Major Kira can have a runabout
to me within an hour.
An hour can be a very long time,
especially if you encounter
something unexpected.
- Like what?
- A Maquis ship, perhaps.
Why would the Maquis
have any quarrel
with an unarmed ship sailing toward
the Denorios Belt?
They have nothing at stake here,
nothing to prove.
Or should l say disprove?
Commander, l contacted you
out of concern for your safety,
but you seem to be intimating
that l've made some sort of threat.
Then l'm glad l was wrong.
l thought that you had been
put in charge
of the Cardassian Ministry for
the Refutation of Bajoran Fairy Tales.
Since l don't seem to be able
to dissuade you
from undertaking this voyage,
l'll wish you luck instead.
Let's hope you don't need it.
First we have to deploy the mainsails.
Take that winch there.
Release brakes.
When l give you the word,
crank it with all you've got.
And now.
- That's as far as they'll go.
- Lock it off.
Let's work on the spritsails.
- lt's just
- Oh.
- Now get your back into it.
- All right.
That's right.
We'll make a sailor out of you yet.
These will trim the spritsails.
- Now l get it.
- What?
- Why you wanted to build this ship.
- lt is beautiful, isn't it?
Jake, trim the starboard sprit
about six degrees.
- How's that?
- That should do it.
We'll pick up speed
as the pressure on the sails builds.
- Dad, where do we sleep?
- We have hammocks.
- ls this the bathroom?
- Yes.
lt was designed for a zero-gravity
environment.
- How are you supposed to?
- You'll get the hang of it.
We'll tack against the light
most of the way.
We'll run like this for 90 minutes
or so, then come about
and l'll calculate the next leg
of our trip.
- How about something to drink?
- Yeah, sure.
Don't tell me we only have
zero-gravity rations.
That's all the ancient Bajorans had.
Listen.
- l don't hear anything.
- Exactly.
Not even the hum of an engine.
lt's almost like being on the deck
of an old sailing ship,
except the stars are not just
up in the sky.
They're all around us.
lmagine how the ancient Bajorans
must have felt,
heading into space
in a ship like this one,
not knowing what they would find
or who they would meet.
Jake, l know that you really didn't
want to come on this trip.
l just want to say
l'm glad you're here.
There's something
l need to talk to you about.
What is it?
First you should read this.
- lt's a story l wrote.
- A story?
That's why you put this away
every time l walked into the room.
lf you keep an eye on the rigging,
l'll read it now.
Deal.
lt looked better where it was.
You might want to know the Lexington
docked a few minutes ago.
Already? l thought it wasn't coming
for another day or two.
She's in Quark's.
OK.
- Are you going to talk to her?
- She's busy.
You never mentioned
she was beautiful.
l never mentioned her to you at all.
Morn gave me 3-1 odds
that you'll exchange pleasantries
then say goodbye.
l'm betting that your charm
will take you further.
OK, then.
She's getting up.
See you there.
Bye.
So what do you think?
- l liked it.
- You're not just saying that?
No, no.
lt's good.
What about the part where Jared
thinks he's been betrayed?
l don't think that he would confront him
with it, not right away.
He could wait until he gets back
from the Demilitarised Zone.
That would make it more believable.
- You really think it was good?
- lt shows a lot of promise.
What?
Promise?
ln a few places you write about things
you haven't experienced.
l hope you haven't experienced.
Unless you've joined the Maquis
without telling me.
l can't talk about it.
l had you going there.
l really am impressed.
You should keep writing.
- l'm thinking about it.
- Don't think about it, just do it.
What l mean is
l got a communication from the
Pennington School in New Zealand.
They offered me
a writing fellowship.
Jake, that's terrific.
- l didn't realise you had applied.
- l didn't really.
l showed a story l wrote
to Mrs O'Brien.
She showed it to a friend
who knows someone at this school
The starboard sprit is fouling
one of the mainsails.
Can we fix it?
We have to jettison the sprit.
Lock that down
and give me a hand.
One more turn.
Lock it.
Good work.
l'm going to jettison the sprit.
That's better, but we're still getting
a lot of spill off the sails.
We won't be able to make
much headway with each tack.
l don't think we'll get
to the Denorios Belt like this.
The Bajorans probably ran
into these problems.
l suppose they did.
Did they give up and go home?
We're here to prove
that they didn't.
What are we waiting for?
Let's get to work.
Lay out the port sprit.
Coming about.
Bring me my chariots of fire
l will not cease from mental fight
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
ln England's green and pleasant land
That was really beautiful, Chief.
You know what we should do?
We should go to Quark's
and sing it for everybody.
l think we should switch
to synthale.
No, this isn'ta synthale kind of night.
She walked right past me, Chief.
Acted like l wasn't even there.
- Do you know what l think?
- What?
l think she's in love with you.
- l don't think so.
- lt's the only explanation.
Unless
Unless she really ignored you
because she can't stand you.
lsn't there some explanation
in between?
Well, you're not an in-between
kind of guy.
- What do you mean?
- People either love you or hate you.
Really?
l hated you when we first met.
l remember.
But now
And now?
Wellnow l don't.
That means a lot to me, Chief.
lt really does.
Really.
Now
that is from the heart.
l really do
not hate you any more.
Hey.
Do you know what l think?
lf you want to know
why she ignored you,
you have got to confront her.
You're right.
l'm going to go right up to her
and ask her flat out
where she gets off
walking past me like that.
- Better wait until tomorrow.
- Why?
Why not right now?
Because you can barely stand up
right now.
Good point.
Good point.
Good point.
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains
Lock it.
Coming about.
Now.
Good.
Solid job.
Let's take a break.
String up the hammock.
- Hammock time.
- Yo.
Hop in.
Phew.
Oh, man.
Nice.
- l'm OK.
- Comfortable, isn't it?
We'll make a sailor of you yet.
Congratulations are in order.
Pennington is a good school.
Before you say anything.
l'm turning down the Fellowship.
- Turning it down? Why?
- l'm just not ready to go.
An opportunity like this
doesn't come along every day.
l can defer admission for a year.
Fine, but why will things
be different in a year?
They just might be, that's all.
l remember, Jake.
l wasn't much older than you
when l left to go
to Starfleet Academy.
For the first few days
l was so homesick
that l'd go back to my house
in New Orleans every night for dinner.
l'd materialise in my living room
at 6:30 every night
and take my seat at the table
just like l had come down the stairs.
You must have used up a month's worth
of transporter credits.
My parents never said anything
about it.
Just, ''How you doing, son?
How was school today?''
They knew that l would get over
being homesick.
After the fifth, sixth day,
you couldn't pry me from that campus.
lf you go to Pennington, you won't
be able to beam back to the station
to have dinner with the old man.
After a week or so,
you'll get over it.
lt's not me l'm worried about.
lt's you.
lf l go, you'll be all alone.
l appreciate you thinking about me,
but please don't turn down
this opportunity on my account.
l can always eat dinner with Dax,
Dr Bashir or
even Quark.
l guess, but l'd feel a lot better
if you had someone.
Someone special, like a girlfriend.
l see.
lt's been over a year
since your last date.
A year!
You've got to make time
for these things.
l cannot believe that l'm getting
advice about women from my son.
Don't think of me as your son.
Just think of me as another guy,
another guy who knows a very attractive
lady who wants to meet you.
You are trying to set me up?
Why not?
What was that?
Whatever hit us almost tore off
the port mainsail.
- We're moving at warp.
- How can that be?
l don't know.
What happened?
That's a good question.
There's no record of spatial
anomalies in this region.
- What are these?
- Tachyon eddies.
Could we have got caught in one?
Tachyons don't have enough mass
to affect a ship of
This isn't an ordinary ship.
lt has more surface area
relative to its mass.
- Because of the sails.
- Since tachyons travel faster than light,
it could be that their impact
on the sails
accelerated us to warp speeds.
We could be light years off course.
The question is,
where did we end up?
You check the rigging.
l'll try to figure that out.
We lost the jib and port mainsail.
- Damn!
- What?
lt's useless.
Now we can't figure out where we are
or where we're going.
We have to contact the station,
let them know they have to get us.
We were so close.
Another day and we would have
made it to the Denorios Belt.
We did pretty well getting as far
as we did.
- ls something wrong?
- The station's not responding.
- ls the com unit damaged?
- Not as far as l can see.
Maybe they haven't received
our message yet.
Could we have been carried
that far away?
l suppose it's possible.
They'll find us eventually, right?
Sure.
- Excuse me.
- Yes?
We were at medical school together.
- Julian Bashir.
- You're Bashir?
- You sound surprised.
- l thought you were Andorian.
Andorian?
Someone pointed out an Andorian
at a party
and said that was Julian Bashir.
lt was New Year's Eve
at Bruce Lucier's, four years ago.
l did go to that party.
May l?
Yes.
With my friend, Erit.
He's Andorian.
No, thank you.
All these years,
l thought you were someone else.
Didn't you see my speech
at graduation?
No, l was waiting to give my speech.
l was so nervous
l almost passed out.
l know the feeling.
You gave me quite a run for my money.
lf it hadn't been
for that pre-ganglionic fibre
You know about that.
lf you hadn't got that wrong,
you would be valedictorian.
l never got a chance
to congratulate you.
Seems like a long time ago,
doesn't it?
Not so long.
So you got the Lexington.
You must have had quite an adventure,
meeting fascinating new species
with fascinating new diseases.
lt ended up being
more of a charting expedition.
Sometimes it would be months
between planetary systems.
l'd get so excited if we actually
found something living,
even if it was just moss
under a rock.
Don't take this the wrong way,
but there were times when l regretted
not taking your assignment.
l read your paper on the project
you've been doing on Bajor.
- lt was brilliant.
- Thank you.
l envy the opportunity you have to work
on that kind of long-term project.
On the Lexington, it was collect
your samples and then move on.
- l suppose l was lucky.
- What's happening on Bajor?
Were you able to get the T-cell
anomalies under control?
lf you're really that interested,
l can show you my latest results.
l'd love it.
Morn, about that bet.
l believe
the odds were 3-1 .
We're not going to run out of air
or anything, are we?
Somebody will find us
before that happens.
Tell me about this woman
you want me to meet.
Wellshe's a freighter captain.
A freighter captain?
Dad, trust me.
You'll like her.
l'll agree to meet her
on one condition.
What?
You don't base your decision about
Pennington on how our date turns out.
Don't worry.
l won't.
l've already decided to wait a year.
- Why?
- Well
l've heard that you can only write
about what you've experienced.
And Deep Space 9 is a pretty
good place to get experience.
Dad.
lt appears we've got company.
What do you think they want?
Looks like we're about to find out.
What can l do for you, Dukat?
l wanted to be the first one
to congratulate you.
Congratulate me?
On managing to make it
all the way here.
- All the way where?
- Don't you know?
You've just entered
the Cardassian system.
The tachyon eddy must have taken us
past the Denorios Belt.
The same thing must have happened
to the ancient Bajorans.
We did it!
We proved the trip was possible.
l hate to interrupt your celebration,
but l have a message
from the Cardassian Government.
''Your voyage is a testament
to the spirit of the Bajorans
''who first ventured into space.
lt could not be more appropriate
''that your arrival coincides
with the discovery here on Cardassia
''of an ancient crash site
believed to contain the remnants
''of one of the Bajoran vessels
whose journey you have just recreated.
''
- What an amazing coincidence.
- Yes.
lsn't it?
Welcome.