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October 28, 1998
RUNTIME
45 minutes
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142
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2024-09-12 20:38:03
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Version 2
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SUMMARY
Stardate: Unknown. Dr. Bashir attempts to bring one of his genetically engineered friends out of the catatonic state she is in, and when he is successful, he begins to fall for her.
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TRANSCRIPT
[Promenade]
(Bashir is outside Quarks looking for company.)
BASHIR: Miles. Fancy a drink?
O'BRIEN: I can't. Keiko and the kids are waiting on me for dinner. Next Thursday. Book a holosuite. They're going to Bajor.
(Kira and Odo are in evening dress.)
KIRA: Hi, Julian.
BASHIR: Hi. You going to Vic's?
KIRA: Yes.
BASHIR: Mind if I join you?
ODO: Actually, we were looking forward to spending an evening alone.
BASHIR: Great. Well, have a great time. I understand.
[Bashir's bedroom]
(Working on a PADD.)
BASHIR: Cheeky virus. You've gone and mutated on me. Well, you can run, but you can't hide. (he settles down to sleep.) Lights.
NOG [OC]: Nog to Doctor Bashir.
BASHIR: Go ahead.
NOG [OC]: You're needed in the Infirmary, sir.
BASHIR: It's three in the morning. Isn't Doctor Girani on duty?
NOG [OC]: Not anymore. Admiral Patrick threw her out.
BASHIR: Admiral who?
NOG [OC]: He wants to see you immediately, sir.
BASHIR: On my way.
[Promenade]
BASHIR: What's going on, Ensign?
NOG: Sir, Admiral Patrick and his staff just arrived on the Farragut.
BASHIR: What happened to Doctor Girani?
NOG: The Admiral said she was asking too many stupid questions.
[Infirmary]
BASHIR: Doctor Bashir reporting as ordered.
PATRICK: Finally.
(It's our trio from Statistical Probabilities in Starfleet uniforms.)
BASHIR: Patrick!
JACK: That's Admiral Patrick.
LAUREN: Mind your manners, Doctor.
BASHIR: What are you doing here?
PATRICK: That's a stupid question.
BASHIR: Where did you get these uniforms?
PATRICK: That's a stupid question, too.
NOG: Please excuse the doctor, sir. He just woke up.
BASHIR: They're not Starfleet officers, Nog.
NOG: They're not?
JACK: We're mutants.
LAUREN: Genetically engineered mutants. Can't you tell?
BASHIR: Does anyone at the Institute know you're missing?
PATRICK: That's a stupid question.
BASHIR: Will you stop saying that!
JACK: Why are you so upset? You wanted Sarina brought here. Well, here she is!
(Sarina is sitting quietly on a biobed.)
BASHIR: I was considering bringing Sarina here for treatment when I was ready. But I still have to modify my surgical equipment before I can begin the procedure.
JACK: Well don't worry, we'll help you. And when we're through with Sarina, she will be just like us.
BASHIR: Do you have any idea how much trouble you could get into for impersonating Starfleet officers?
PATRICK: Jack, you didn't say anything about us getting in trouble.
JACK: We didn't get caught, did we?
BASHIR: Didn't anybody question you?
JACK: Of course. But when they did, Patrick would say
PATRICK: That's a stupid
LAUREN: You'd be surprised how well it works.
NOG: I'll say.
PATRICK: What are they going to do to us?
BASHIR: Oh, it's all right. I'll find a way to straighten this out. Somehow. Hello, Sarina. Remember me?
JACK: Of course she remembers you. She's not an idiot.
LAUREN: She's just a little cataleptic.
PATRICK: Are you really going to be able to make her better?
BASHIR: I'm going to do everything I can. I promise.
[Captain's office]
SISKO: They posed as an Admiral and his staff. If you want me to convince Starfleet not to press charges, you're going to have to give me a damn good reason.
BASHIR: They wanted to bring Sarina here so that I could help her. They meant well.
SISKO: They meant well? That's the same excuse you gave me when they were caught trying to pass military secrets to the Dominion.
BASHIR: They were trying to save lives by
SISKO: Doctor, I appreciate that you feel a connection to them because you're genetically engineered yourself, but they have displayed a consistent disregard for the rules that the rest of society lives by.
BASHIR: Maybe that's because they're not allowed to live in society.
SISKO: We are not here to debate Federation policy toward the genetically enhanced. We are here to discuss what to do about these people now that they're aboard.
BASHIR: Of course. Well, with your permission, sir, I would like to proceed with Sarina's treatment.
SISKO: Well, I take it the Institute has given the approval to move forward?
BASHIR: A copy of the medical protocols I submitted. Doctor Loews, Sarina's legal guardian, has given her consent.
SISKO: It appears that this procedure's never been done before.
BASHIR: There's no guarantee that it'll work, of course, but if it does it could change everything for her. There's no reason to think that she's suffering from the same type of behavioural disorders as Jack and the others. Her problem is that she's trapped inside her own mind. This could free her. There are still a few technical issues that I have to work on, but I feel confident that I can iron them all out.
SISKO: You've put in a lot of time on this, haven't you?
BASHIR: I owe it to her, sir. I could have ended up the same way as Sarina, but I was lucky. My DNA re sequencing didn't have any unintended side effects.
SISKO: All right, Doctor. I'll take care of Starfleet, you take care of Sarina.
BASHIR: Thank you, sir.
SISKO: I'll arrange to have the rest of the people sent back to the Institute.
BASHIR: Actually, I was hoping you'd allow let them to stay on for a while.
SISKO: For what reason?
BASHIR: Sarina's spent the last fifteen years with them. Now, assuming the procedure works and she comes out of her isolation, I think it would be helpful to have some familiar faces around.
SISKO: Well, we'll arrange for quarters to be set up in a cargo bay.
BASHIR: I appreciate it.
SISKO: Just make sure they stay there. I don't want them to get out and cause trouble like they did the last time.
BASHIR: I'll see that it doesn't happen again.
SISKO: I'll hold you to that. One thing more. Get them out of those uniforms.
BASHIR: Aye, sir.
[Cargo bay]
(Lauren is brushing Sarina's hair.)
LAUREN: There. Don't you look pretty?
JACK: Why are we doing this, anyway?
PATRICK: Keep going.
JACK: Here?
PATRICK: A little to the left.
(They put down Lauren's couch.)
PATRICK: That's not where it was last time.
JACK: Oh, what difference does it make?
LAUREN: He's right.
JACK: Fine. (kicks it.) How's that?
PATRICK: Much better.
(Bashir enters.)
PATRICK: Here he is.
JACK: Well, well? What did the Captain say?
BASHIR: All systems are go.
JACK: See? See? I told you it was a good idea to bring her here.
PATRICK: That's right, Jack. I remember.
JACK: So, when do we operate?
BASHIR: We?
JACK: You're going to need some help.
LAUREN: Oh, so you're a surgeon now?
JACK: How hard can it be?
BASHIR: Thanks for the offer, but
JACK: Oh, I get it. You want to take all the credit.
BASHIR: It's not about credit, it's about what's best for Sarina, I think.
JACK: Fine. I'm busy anyway. New project.
BASHIR: Oh, glad to hear it. What are you working on?
JACK: Wouldn't you like to know?
BASHIR: Well, I'll leave you to it. But do me a favour and change out of those uniforms. Sarina? I'd like to take you to the Infirmary and run a few tests. Is that all right?
LAUREN: She's afraid it's going to hurt.
BASHIR: It won't hurt. I promise.
LAUREN: You're in good hands. Very good hands. Don't get your hopes up, Julian. It's over between the two of us. I have a new man in my life. That gorgeous little Ferengi.
BASHIR: Nog?
LAUREN: Jealous? That's so sweet.
(Bashir takes Sarina's hand and she gets up. They walk out of the cargo bay.)
PATRICK: Hurry back.
[Infirmary]
BASHIR: Sarina's cerebral cortex was genetically enhanced in order to accelerate the rate at which she can process information. Now, the only problem is, her visual and auditory systems can't channel the stimuli into the cortex fast enough. So because they're out of sync, she can't focus on what's going on around her.
O'BRIEN: Well, is there any way to get her sensory processes up to speed?
BASHIR: I need to stimulate the growth of new synapses in the thalamus. Which means I have to manipulate neural proteins at a subatomic level.
O'BRIEN: Then you've got a problem. This is the most advanced neurocortical probe made, and it's not nearly that accurate.
BASHIR: Now you know why I asked you down here.
O'BRIEN: I wish I could help you, Julian, but at resolutions that small, quantum fluctuations are impossible to control. And I can't make this thing any more accurate.
BASHIR: How can you say that before you've even tried it?
O'BRIEN: I'm sorry, Julian. It can't be done. I'm sorry.
BASHIR: Well sorry just isn't good enough, Miles. This is Sarina's only chance at living a normal life.
O'BRIEN: Julian, I can't break the laws of physics. Nobody can.
[Cargo bay]
JACK: Your friend was right. You can't break the laws of physics.
(They've augmented the medical probe with a tricorder fastened to it and lots of wires.)
ALL: But you can bend them!
JACK: We recalibrated the imaging diodes. It is so accurate that you could clip the wings of an angel dancing on the head of a pin. If you wanted to.
[Surgery]
(Sarina lying on the operating table with the probe behind her. She's put to sleep. We see Bashir operating with red and green lights going into Sarina's head. Later, it's all finished and she's lying on a biobed, eyes wide open. The group are waiting in the cargo bay.)
BASHIR: Anything?
(The nurse shakes her head.)
BASHIR: Sarina? Now just how am I supposed to know you understand me if you don't give me some sign? Anything. it doesn't matter how small.
[Quark's]
BASHIR: It's been five days now, and she's as unresponsive as she was before the procedure.
EZRI: I know you're disappointed, Julian, but you did everything that you could.
BASHIR: Well, it wasn't enough.
EZRI: I'm sorry. Obviously you want to punish yourself. Do you want help? Because I'm really good at punishing myself. Let's see. If I were you, I'd be kicking myself for making promises I couldn't keep. For getting people's hopes up. For being arrogant enough to think that I could help Sarina even though dozens of other doctors have failed. Should I keep going?
BASHIR: No, that just about covers it. Thanks.
EZRI: Glad I could help. What is it?
(Bashir is looking towards the entrance.)
BASHIR: I'm not sure.
[Promenade]
(Sarina is standing, staring.)
BASHIR: Excuse me. Sarina? What are you looking at?
SARINA: (slowly) Everything. You heard me. I thought something and you heard it.
BASHIR: Sarina, you spoke.
[Infirmary]
(Sarina is walking around, looking at everything and smiling.)
BASHIR: Sarina, come and sit down. I need to run a few tests.
(Sarina smiles at the tricorder.)
EZRI: What is it?
SARINA: Listen. It's nice.
BASHIR: You're right. I hadn't noticed that before. That's a little odd. Her norepinephrine levels are slightly elevated.
EZRI: What's causing it?
BASHIR: I'm not sure.
SARINA: It's probably due to limbic overcompensation. The levels should drop when the new thalamic connections stabilise.
BASHIR: You're right, I think.
SARINA: I was listening when you were telling the nurses about the procedure. I kept thinking that I wanted to thank you for what you were trying to do for me, and now I finally can. Thank you.
[Cargo bay]
PATRICK: Did you move this?
JACK: Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't.
LAUREN: Would you leave him alone. Patrick, it's where it's supposed to be.
(Bashir enters with Sarina.)
PATRICK: Oh.
SARINA: Hello, everyone.
PATRICK: Did you hear what she said? Did you hear that?
LAUREN: I don't think I've heard a more beautiful sound in my life.
JACK: It was my idea to bring you here.
PATRICK: We missed you.
LAUREN: You look so different.
JACK: Aren't you going to thank me?
PATRICK: Did the surgery hurt?
SARINA: There's so much I want to say to all of you.
JACK: Why are you talking like that?
LAUREN: Quiet.
JACK: (mimics) There's so much I want to say to all of you. There's so much I want to say to all of you.
BASHIR: Jack!
SARINA: No, he's right. I can hear the way I sound.
BASHIR: Don't worry, it's only temporary. It just takes a little practice.
JACK: Practice! Ah, practice. Good idea. Listen to this, Sarina. (sings a sol-fa scale) Do ray mi fa so la ti do.
SARINA: (on one note) Do ray mi fa so la ti do.
JACK: Are you tone deaf?
LAUREN: You're the one who's tone deaf. (scale) Do ray mi fa so la ti do.
SARINA: (almost correct) Do ray mi fa so la ti do.
LAUREN: Much better.
JACK: Do ray mi fa so la ti.
LAUREN: Do ray mi fa so la ti.
SARINA: Do ray mi fa so la ti.
PATRICK: (bass) Do.
JACK: Let's improvise. Lauren.
LAUREN: Do ray me do ray me.
JACK: Do ray me do ray me.
LAUREN: Fa mi ray
PATRICK: Fa mi ray do.
SARINA: Do ray me do ray me fa
LAUREN: Do ray me do ray me fa.
PATRICK: Fa me ray do.
JACK: Fa me ray do.
(Bashir applauds.)
JACK: Molto allegro.
(And the group moves on into four part harmony and I give up trying to transcribe it.)
[Quark's]
BASHIR: It was amazing. Within a few minutes, Sarina's voice just took off. That kind of improvement usually takes weeks of speech therapy.
O'BRIEN: That is amazing. Julian
BASHIR: So she was exhausted. I took her back to the Infirmary. I needed to monitor her neural activity anyway while she sleeps. But I still can't get over that transformation. Yesterday, she was silent as a stone. Today, she's singing and laughing. You should've seen her, Miles.
O'BRIEN: How could I? I've been sitting here all night.
BASHIR: Is it Thursday?
O'BRIEN: Why I else would I be sitting here all night?
BASHIR: Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot.
O'BRIEN: It's all right. Morn caught me up on how his seventeen brothers and sisters are doing. I'd better head off. I've got an early start in the morning.
BASHIR: I'm sorry about the mix-up, Miles.
O'BRIEN: It's all right. I'm happy for her. I'm happy for both of you.
[Bashir's quarters]
BASHIR: Sarina, what are you doing here? How did you get in?
SARINA: It wasn't hard. Your access code only has six digits.
BASHIR: Is something wrong?
SARINA: I couldn't sleep.
BASHIR: My nurse could have given you something.
SARINA: I don't want to sleep.
BASHIR: Why not?
SARINA: What if I wake up the way I was? What if I can't
BASHIR: It's not going to happen. Your life's going to be different now. Your future is full of possibilities. You know, you're going to be doing things that you haven't even dreamed of. There's really no reason to be afraid. Sarina?
(She's fallen asleep on his shoulder, so he tries to sleep sitting up on the couch. He wakes to discover her leaning against his chest working a PADD.)
SARINA: Good morning.
BASHIR: Morning.
SARINA: You didn't account for the L two codon.
BASHIR: What?
SARINA: That's why the virus mutated. You need to target the RNA transcriptor. Hungry?
BASHIR: The L two codon. Of course. Why didn't I think of that? Sarina, you're amazing. I've been working on this for months.
SARINA: You would've seen it sooner or later.
BASHIR: I don't know about that. Thank you.
SARINA: I'm glad I could do something for you. You've done so much for me.
NURSE [OC]: Infirmary to Doctor Bashir.
BASHIR: Go ahead.
NURSE [OC]: Doctor Girani's asking for your assistance in surgery, sir.
BASHIR: I'm on my way. Well, it looks like I'm going to be tied up for the next few hours. What would you like to do in the meantime? Would you like a tour of the station? I can ask Ezri to show you around.
SARINA: That's all right. I think I'll go see Jack and the others.
BASHIR: All right. I'll have someone take you to the cargo bay. And when I'm finished with surgery, I'll join you there.
SARINA: Oh, wait. You need your breakfast.
(A bread roll or similar in a napkin.)
BASHIR: Thank you.
[Cargo bay]
(A big display screen with the title The End Is Near!)
JACK: The fact is that the universe is going to stop expanding and it is going to collapse in on itself. We've got to do something before it's too late.
PATRICK: How much time do we have left?
JACK: Sixty trillion years, seventy at the most.
PATRICK: Oh, no.
(Lauren has Nog's biography on a PADD.)
LAUREN: Isn't Nog handsome?
JACK: What are you doing? We are running out of time!
(Sarina enters.)
JACK: Sarina, thank God! Nobody else around here ever listens to me.
SARINA: What is it, Jack? What's wrong?
JACK: There's too much matter. The universe is too heavy for its own good.
LAUREN: You need to lighten the load.
JACK: Yes, yes, yes, exactly. We have to find some way to decrease the mass.
SARINA: Of the entire universe?
JACK: That's the whole point.
SARINA: Is that possible?
PATRICK: That's what we're trying to figure out, Sarina.
LAUREN: What if we found a way to manipulate subspace?
JACK: Change the cosmological constant.
PATRICK: That would do the trick.
SARINA: You can't change the cosmological constant.
JACK: You know something, Sarina? We are trying to save existence as we know it, and all you can do is criticise!
SARINA: I'm sorry.
JACK: Thank you. Now, where were we?
PATRICK: Manipulating subspace.
JACK: Right. Right.
(Later, Bashir arrives as promised to discover Sarina sitting staring at nothing. The display title is now How To Avert Disaster...)
JACK: Doctor! Glad you're here.
BASHIR: Is she all right?
JACK: Sarina, are you all right? She's fine. Listen, you have to talk to Starfleet for us. We need subspace field generators, lots of them.
BASHIR: Can we talk about it later?
JACK: Later? There isn't going to be a later, later. (goes back to work) Now, once we get the field generators
BASHIR: Sarina?
SARINA: Hi.
BASHIR: Is something wrong?
SARINA: No. They're used to my being quiet. It's easier this way.
LAUREN: Could be very messy.
BASHIR: Some of my friends want to get together a little later on at Quark's, and I was wondering if you'd like to come along.
SARINA: Me?
BASHIR: Do you want to?
JACK: When should we be ready?
BASHIR: Er.
LAUREN: Oh, we're not invited, Jack. Just her.
JACK: Figures.
PATRICK: That doesn't seem fair.
LAUREN: It's all right. Come on, Sarina. Let's get you dressed.
(Bashir is pacing as the other men wait and watch him.)
LAUREN: Sorry to keep you waiting. Come on out. Come on.
(Sarina comes out in a dress, with her hair fastened back a little.)
LAUREN: Am I good, or am I good?
[Quark's]
SARINA: Look at all the people.
EZRI: There they are.
O'BRIEN: I didn't remember her being so
ODO: Beautiful?
BASHIR: Everyone, this is Sarina. Sarina, this is everyone.
ODO: Odo.
KIRA: Nerys.
O'BRIEN: I'm Miles.
SARINA: I remember you. You're Julian's best friend.
O'BRIEN: Well, we get on all right.
BASHIR: For the most part.
SARINA: Why are you pretending that it's not true?
EZRI: Because they're men. And men have trouble expressing their feelings.
SARINA: You don't.
KIRA: Oh, are you kidding? Odo never talks about his feelings.
SARINA: He took your hand. He's showing you his feelings.
ODO: Thank you.
O'BRIEN: Julian, why don't you show everybody how much you love me and order the next round.
BASHIR: Hey, Broik.
[Promenade - upper level]
SARINA: I liked your friends. All of them. If I had to find someone to replace Atlas and hold up the world, it'd be Miles. He'd do it with a smile, too. And Kira, she never doubts herself, which is what Odo finds so fascinating because he doubts everything but her.
BASHIR: What about Ezri?
SARINA: The day she realises she's more than just the sum of her parts, she's really going to be something.
BASHIR: I can't believe you saw all that after just a few hours with them. I'm going to have to start putting on my poker face.
SARINA: Too late. You've already given yourself away.
BASHIR: Is that right? And how would you describe me?
SARINA: Compassionate. Brilliant. Lonely.
BASHIR: Well, two out of three isn't bad.
SARINA: Which two?
BASHIR: Now that would be telling. I'm glad you liked my friends. I know they liked you.
SARINA: I felt so comfortable around them. I didn't have to worry that someone was going to throw a tantrum, or break into tears all of a sudden.
BASHIR: They only usually do that at staff meetings.
SARINA: Jack's always talking about how we're better than normal people. He says that's why they keep us locked up. But he's wrong. He couldn't get by in the real world. He'd get himself into too much trouble. So would Lauren and Patrick.
BASHIR: That's why they belong in the Institute. In fact, Doctor Loews wants me to get them back there as soon as possible.
SARINA: I'm not going with them, am I.
BASHIR: You don't belong there. Not anymore.
SARINA: Do they know?
BASHIR: Not yet.
SARINA: They've been like a family to me for as long as I can remember.
BASHIR: I know how much you care about them.
SARINA: As difficult as they can be sometimes, I'm going to miss them. We had our own little world, just the four of us. So, what's a genetically enhanced girl supposed to do when she wakes up from a long sleep? Point to one of those little specks of light out there, pack her bag, and go make a life for herself?
BASHIR: Why does she have to go anywhere at all?
(And Bashir kisses Sarina.)
[Cargo bay]
BASHIR: Sarina isn't going back to the Institute with you.
PATRICK: She's not?
BASHIR: No. She's staying here.
LAUREN: Oh really? Huh. How nice for you.
BASHIR: I've arranged for her to have her own quarters.
PATRICK: We're never going to see her again.
JACK: You have no right to do this. No right!
BASHIR: Look, I know you're going to miss her, but it's the best thing for Sarina.
JACK: We did not help you so you could take her away from us!
BASHIR: Stop thinking about yourself for a second, Jack, and think about her. Face it. She doesn't belong with you anymore.
JACK: Why? Because we're not normal? Because we're crazy?
BASHIR: Oh, Jack.
PATRICK: Couldn't you make us normal like you did for Sarina, and then we could all stay together.
LAUREN: Go on, Julian. Tell him. There's nothing you can do for us. We're too far gone.
JACK: Oh, who wants to be normal anyway? We're better than they are. You don't see any of them trying to save the universe from collapsing, do you? Let's get back to work.
[Promenade]
BASHIR: Well, they took it rather hard.
SARINA: I should go talk to them.
BASHIR: In the morning. Give them a little time to get used to the idea. Come on, I've got just the thing to cheer you up.
[Quark's]
ALL: Dabo!
O'BRIEN: She's unbelievable!
BASHIR: Tell him how you do it. Go on.
SARINA: It has to do with a series of binomial equations and probability factors.
BASHIR: Explain how you track the dependent variables.
SARINA: It's really not that interesting.
ALL: Dabo!
QUARK: Well, hasn't this been fun. Why not take a seat and top off the evening with a lovely bottle of spring wine?
SARINA: Should we?
BASHIR: He's just wants you to stop playing so he doesn't lose any more money.
QUARK: Did I mention that the wine was on the house?
EZRI: Julian, let's sit down.
BASHIR: But she's winning.
SARINA: I've played enough.
QUARK: This way. This way. Excuse me please. Excuse me. Ezri, over here.
ALL: Dabo!
(Behind Bashir and Sarina, a Klingon's arm sends a waiter's tray flying. There's the sound of breaking glass. Sarina freezes.)
BASHIR: Sarina? This way.
SARINA: Julian, would you mind if we left?
[Corridor]
(Outside Sarina's quarters.)
BASHIR: I'm sorry. I thought you were having a good time.
SARINA: Oh, I was. But there was so much commotion. Maybe I'm just tired.
BASHIR: I'll tell you what. Tomorrow night why don't we have a nice quiet dinner in my quarters. I have a week's leave coming up. I thought we might go to Risa together, get away from all the distractions around here, spend a little time alone.
SARINA: All right.
BASHIR: I'll let you get some rest then.
[Replimat]
(Closed for repairs.)
BASHIR: She's wonderful, Miles. I've never met anyone like her. She's brilliant, sweet, everything's new to her. Being with her is so refreshing. She takes such delight in what she's experiencing. It makes me appreciate things I usually take for granted.
O'BRIEN: Like hot coffee?
BASHIR: Like coffee. Music. The way the stars shine.
O'BRIEN: What is wrong with this thing?
BASHIR: Are you listening to me?
O'BRIEN: Yes. Yeah. Coffee, music, stars.
BASHIR: Well, don't you have anything to say?
O'BRIEN: As a matter of fact, I do, Julian. I haven't seen you like this for a long time, and I'm really happy for you. But don't you think it's all happening a little fast?
BASHIR: We're genetically engineered. We do everything fast.
O'BRIEN: Julian, she's your patient.
BASHIR: Not anymore. I've asked Doctor Girani to take over her care. Miles, I don't think you understand what this means to me. All these years I've had to hide the fact that my DNA had been resequenced. I'd listen to people talk about the genetically engineered, saying they were all misfits. I used to fantasise about meeting someone who was like me, who could live a normal life. But it never happened. Until Sarina. Don't you see? She's the woman I've been waiting for all my life.
O'BRIEN: Good luck.
[Bashir's quarters]
(The classic romantic dinner for two - red rose, candles, champagne on ice.)
BASHIR: Computer, music. Something romantic.
(Violins play. Time passes, and the candles are out, but the champagne is unopened.)
BASHIR: Computer, locate Sarina Douglas.
COMPUTER: Sarina Douglas is in her quarters on the Habitat ring corridor H six section twenty seven epsilon.
[Corridor]
(Bashir rings the doorbell.)
BASHIR: Sarina, it's me. Computer, override door locks. Authorization Bashir delta five seven alpha.
[Guest quarters]
(Sarina is just sitting staring out of the window.)
BASHIR: I've been waiting in my quarters for you. Sarina? Is something wrong? Sarina.
[Infirmary]
BASHIR: Apparently the thalamic pathways I generated are still functioning, but Doctor Girani's not detected any neural activity in them.
EZRI: Do you have any idea what's wrong?
BASHIR: Not a clue. It's as if she were just slipping away and there's nothing I can do but wait and hope she pulls out of it.
GIRANI: You can go in now.
BASHIR: Sarina? Don't be afraid. Everything's going to be all right. I'm not going to give up on you. Ever.
[Cargo bay]
BASHIR: I don't know what's wrong with her. I need your help.
JACK: Why should we help you? You just want to steal her away from us.
BASHIR: Look at her. Do you really want her to spend the rest of her life like this? I've been trying to find a way to reach her, but I can't. Maybe there isn't one. All I'm asking is that you try. The three of you know her better than anyone else. Please. I don't want to lose her.
LAUREN: All right, Julian. Leave her here with us for a while. We'll see what we can do.
BASHIR: Thank you.
[Bashir's quarters]
(Bashir lays down on the couch. The red rose has wilted.)
[Cargo bay]
JACK: Are you sure?
PATRICK: I'm sure.
LAUREN: We have to tell him.
JACK: Why? This way we can all stay together.
(Lauren gets the door open.)
LAUREN: Let's go.
[Corridor]
JACK: This way.
LAUREN: That way.
PATRICK: I think we passed it.
OFFICER: Can I help you?
PATRICK: That's a stupid question.
[Bashir's quarters]
(Doorbell.)
BASHIR: Come in.
LAUREN: We have to talk to you.
BASHIR: About Sarina?
JACK: Tell him.
PATRICK: She can still talk, it's just that she's afraid to.
BASHIR: I don't understand. What's she afraid of?
LAUREN: We don't know.
JACK: But we think it has something to do with you.
BASHIR: I'm going to go talk to her. Stay here.
[Cargo bay]
BASHIR: Sarina, talk to me. Please. I know you can. What's wrong? Is it me? If it is, don't be afraid. I'm going to do whatever it takes to make it right because I love you. I want us to be together. Tell me, do you love me?
SARINA: I don't know. I don't even understand what love is. I don't understand anything.
BASHIR: Sarina.
SARINA: What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to feel? Tell me. I want to make you happy. I owe you everything.
BASHIR: Shh. No, you don't owe me. You don't owe me anything.
SARINA: I'm sorry. I wish I could be the woman you want me to be.
BASHIR: Shh.
[Replimat]
O'BRIEN: Morning. Is she gone?
BASHIR: Her shuttle leaves in a few minutes.
O'BRIEN: What about the others?
BASHIR: They left for the Institute this morning.
O'BRIEN: I understand you've arranged a position for Sarina at the Corgal Research Centre.
BASHIR: Yeah, an internship. She's going to work under one of the scientists there, live with his family.
O'BRIEN: You okay?
BASHIR: How could I have been so blind? What was I thinking trying to move things along so fast? She needed time. I didn't give it to her. I came this close to driving her back inside herself. I'm supposed to be a doctor. I'm supposed to put my patient's needs above my own.
O'BRIEN: You didn't want to be lonely anymore. Nobody does. I have to go to work. Do you want to come over for dinner tonight? Keiko's making tempura.
BASHIR: No thanks.
[Airlock]
BASHIR: So here you are, on your way to one of those tiny little specks of light out there.
SARINA: I guess that's what a genetically enhanced girl should do when she wakes up from her sleep. Go make a life for herself. I'm going to miss you.
BASHIR: I'm going to miss you.
SARINA: You won't forget me?
BASHIR: Forget you? Never.
COMPUTER: Final boarding call.
SARINA: Well, I'd better go.
(One last kiss, and she walks through the airlock. Bashir watches the shuttle leave from an upper pylon.)
2024-09-12 20:38:03 -
Pike:
Added the transcript.
