BEGIN ACT 1


FADE IN on QUARK's BAR. DAX, KIRA, DOCTOR BASHIR, and CHIEF O'BRIEN are
seated at the counter and are in the middle of a discussion.

O'BRIEN: And the Captain's furniture was just GONE?

BASHIR (nodding): Yep, (shakes his head) not a THING left.

KIRA and DAX giggle as QUARK walks up to them.

QUARK: What's so funny?

BASHIR (laughing): Oh, nothing, just about something that happened to the
Captain this morning.

QUARK: Oh, you mean the missing furniture?

O'BRIEN: You KNOW?

QUARK (shaking his head): Who DOESN'T? It's all over the station. It's only
seven and I already heard twenty people talk about it.

DAX and KIRA look at each other with smiles of surprise on their faces.

QUARK: Now, what can I get for you?

O'BRIEN: Um, orange juice.

BASHIR: Water.

KIRA: Root beer.

DAX: Cola.

QUARK: Coming right up. (leaves)

DAX: You know, I'm really WORRIED. I mean, what if whoever stole the
CAPTAIN'S furniture tries to steal MINE?!

KIRA (shrugging): I dunno.

O'BRIEN: Well, we'll all keep a watch out.

At that moment, SISKO walks by.

O'BRIEN (turning around): Oh, Captain-

SISKO stops and turns to face him.

O'BRIEN: I . . . just wanted to say that . . . we're all SORRY . . . about
your furniture.

O'BRIEN looks away, afraid to face him.

SISKO's face remains expressionless.

SISKO: That's very kind of you, Chief. (turns to leave)

Before he takes two steps, O'BRIEN gets up and turns towards him. SISKO
turns and looks at him.

O'BRIEN: Oh, and, sir, . . . I've done some modifications to the warp
engines on the DEFIANT. When would be a good time to test them?

SISKO (shrugging): RIGHT NOW if you're not busy.

O'BRIEN (shaking his head): Uh, no, sir. (nods) Thank you, sir.

SISKO nods back, then turns and leaves. DAX and KIRA get up, and the three
of them follow him, leaving DOCTOR BASHIR alone at the bar.

QUARK comes back with their drinks on a tray, and is puzzled as to why there
is only one person left.


Show the DEFIANT flying through space on impulse power.

SISKO (V.O.): Captain's Log, Stardate 51000.2: We have completed some
routine tests on the new warp engine modifications, and they appear to be
working properly, with some slight improvement, of course.


Show the BRIDGE of the DEFIANT, with O'BRIEN, KIRA, and DAX at their
stations and SISKO standing in front of his chair.

O'BRIEN: Last test appears to have been successful, Captain.

SISKO: I must commend you on your fine job, Chief.

O'BRIEN: Thank you, sir.

SISKO: Let's head on back to the station. Take us back to the Alpha
Quadrant, Chief.

O'BRIEN (pressing buttons on his console): Aye, sir, course laid in.

SISKO: Enga-

DAX (interrupting): Hold on, sir. I'm picking up an energy reading off our
starboard bow.

SISKO: Can you be more specific, Lt.?

As DAX talks, everyone turns in their chairs to face her.

DAX (shaking her head): NO, sir. I've never seen anything LIKE this! It
. . . appears to be a TRANSPORTER TRACE . . . something . . . like a
collective body of DATA! It's . . . WEIRD!

SISKO (looking at O'BRIEN): Chief, . . . do you suppose we could beam
(glancing momentarily at the viewscreen) whatever that is onto the ship,
and have it materialize into a solid form?

O'BRIEN looks away for a moment, thinking, then back at SISKO.

O'BRIEN: It's worth a try.

KIRA (objecting): Sir, we don't even know what that IS out there! It could
be DANGEROUS, it could be a DISEASE, . . .

O'BRIEN (to SISKO): Sir, I could set up a FORCE FIELD around the transporter
pad. That should keep us safe.

SISKO (getting up): Very well, make it a level 10.

O'BRIEN presses a button before getting up.

O'BRIEN: Aye, sir.

O'BRIEN follows SISKO to the turbolift.

KIRA looks at DAX with her mouth wide open and an expression of disbelief
on her face.

KIRA: I can't believe he'd DO something like that!

DAX smiles and shrugs.

DAX: He's the Captain. (gets up)


Show the TRANSPORTER ROOM.

The doors swish open and out comes SISKO, O'BRIEN, DAX, and KIRA. O'BRIEN
gets behind the transporter console, while SISKO stands in front of the
console and off to its left, with KIRA on his left and DAX on his right.

O'BRIEN presses some buttons.

A forcefield appears around the transporter pad.

O'BRIEN: Force field in place. (reading from the console) The data appears
to be human DNA, sir.

SISKO (looking at O'BRIEN, surprised): HUMAN?

O'BRIEN (nodding): Yes, sir. Human female.

SISKO turns back towards the pad.

SISKO (shrugging, curious): Energize.

O'BRIEN presses some buttons, then looks up.

As the DNA patterns materialize into a solid form on the surface of the pad,
SISKO and the others look down at it. The form of a human begins to take
shape on the pad. After the transport is complete, the human is shown to be
LT. NATASHA YAR (DENISE CROSBY), killed in action on the TNG episode "Skin
of Evil". She is wearing the old Next Generation-style communicator pin.
She's wearing the same yellow uniform she was wearing on "Skin of Evil",
with the same old Next Generation-style collar. Her position is the same as
it was on "Skin of Evil", with her head tilted to her left, her left arm
thrown to the side, and her right hand over her heart. Her phaser is still
in its holster. The brownish-colored mark is on her left cheek.

Everyone comes over and stares down at her.

FADE OUT on TASHA lying on the floor.


END ACT 1