Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Episode Guide Part 2 @~Continued from Issue 62 005 "Babel" Stardate 46425.8: Business as usual is keeping O'Brien the busiest man on DS9, as systems continuously break down almost at random, mainly food replicators. In the course of his repairs, O'Brien accidentally activates a concealed Bajoran device designed to release an adaptive virus into the food generated by that replicator. He is immediately stricken with the disease, which scrambles his brain's ability to connect language, stimuli and responses. Quark, impatient to get service back on schedule at his bar, unwittingly spreads the virus to all of his patrons, and a stationwide epidemic ensues. Bashir, before falling victim to the virus himself, discovers that the plague was created by the Bajorans in an attempt to prevent the construction of the station years ago, and it is eventually fatal. Most of the population is rendered useless, with a few exceptions, among them Odo, Major Kira and Quark. They must find an antidote to the virus and try to ensure the station's safety until a cure can be found. 006 "Captive Pursuit" Stardate not given: The first ship from the Gamma Quadrant emerges through the wormhole and arrives at DS9. Its single occupant is convinced to dock at the station to allow the crew to repair his battle-damaged vessel. O'Brien tries to get acquainted with the alien, who identifies itself only as Tosk. As soon as no one is watching, however, Tosk begins trying to determine how to fight and hide on the station. Odo discovers Tosk tampering with a security junction and Tosk winds up in the brig. A second ship arrives from the wormhole. Sisko gives the new visitors every chance to make friendly contact, but they instead disrupt the station's shields and beam into the Promenade without permission. Armed, they begin searching for Tosk and hold the crew at bay. It turns out that they are game hunters searching for Tosk, and advise the crew of DS9 to stay out of their way. O'Brien decides to take the rules of the hunt into his own hands to prevent Tosk from having to be bagged in captivity and disgrace. 007 "Q-Less" Stardate 46531.2: A Runabout barely returns from the Gamma Quadrant after experiencing a power loss on its way back to DS9. The crew must be rescued by Sisko, Kira and O'Brien on arrival, and they have brought a passenger back from the other side: Vash, Captain Picard's old flame from a vacation on Risa, last seen going off to explore the universe with Q. Vash has apparently been wandering through the Gamma Quadrant on her own for two years, and once she gets settled in on the station, begins making plans to sell several artifacts from the Gamma Quadrant. In the meantime, power failures begin occurring on DS9, coinciding with the arrival of Q, who is pestering Vash to continue her travels with him. Q also introduces himself to Sisko and the station crew and delights in irritating them as much as he has always enjoyed badgering the Enterprise crew. In the meantime, Vash meets Quark and they begin planning an auction of her Gamma Quadrant loot - off of which they both expect to make a fortune. Power failures and Q continue to plague the station, climaxing with a gravitational force sucking DS9 straight toward the wormhole. Sisko is unsure whether an unknown natural phenomenon is dragging the station to its doom, or if Q is simply playing another of his infamous pranks. 008 "Dax" Stardate 46910.1: A small group of Klaestrons try to kidnap Lt. Dax from the station, but Sisko snags their ship in the station's tractor beam before they can escape with their hostage. The leader of the Klaestron party, Ilon Tandro, claims to be carrying out the extradition of Dax on charges of treason and the murder of Tandro's military father 30 years before, when Dax inhabited the host body Curzon. Sisko, not believing the charges and unable to comprehend Dax's silence regarding the situation, stalls the Klaestrons' plans by calling for an extradition hearing overseen by a Bajoran judge, and sends Odo to Klaestron 4 to find out as much as he can about Curzon Dax's activities 30 years ago. Meanwhile, time, and possibly the letter of the law, are against the case for Dax's freedom and survival. 009 "The Passenger" Stardate not given: As Odo and Starfleet newcomer Lt. Primmin irritate each other while trying to co-ordinate security for the transfer of a deuridium shipment due to arrive at DS9, a Runabout is sent to aid a crippled Kobliad prison ship, containing investigator Ty Kajada and two corpses, one of which was a notorious Kobliad criminal known as Rao Vantika, who, even after being pronounced dead by Bashir, is still considered a major threat by Kajada. Dax discovers, during post-mortem investigations, that Vantika was capable of transferring his consciousness into the mind of any other being without the recipient's consent or even their knowledge. The vital shipment may be lost to Vantika, whoever his evil ambitions inhabit now - and he has henchmen waiting to assist him on the station. 010 "Move Along Home" Stardate not given: A group of Gamma Quadrant aliens led by Falow makes first contact with the station, an event which Sisko intends to treat with the utmost seriousness and ceremony. Sisko is surprised, however, when Falow and his fellow travellers seem to be interested only in games. After Sisko leaves the proceedings out of boredom and mild disappointment, Quark cheats Falow in his casino, and Falow means to get even by introducing Quark to a game from the Gamma Quadrant. At the same time, Sisko, Dax, Major Kira and Dr. Bashir vanish from the station without a trace, finding themselves in a surreal maze occupied by images of Falow and others. As they try to work out the puzzle and help each other survive, Quark continues to play the game, only gradually becoming aware of who his pawns are. @~To be continued next issue - o -