- Chapter 05 -

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Sisko watched the older man pacing slowly to and fro. The captain was seated at a plain wooden table, his elbows propped on the table and hands steepled in front of his face, bracing himself for the conversation he knew would follow. His expression was deadpan and resolute as he warily watched his captor.

"You know why you're here, Captain?" The other man suddenly stopped in mid-stride, hands clasped behind his back. Slowly, he turned and took one step toward the small table with its two plain chairs, where Sisko was waiting for Telac to voice his business.

"Actually, I don't," Sisko replied in a firm voice, about to add more. But then he thought better of it and decided to let Telac make the first move. He had already heard about Telac's plan from O'Brien and therefore knew what he was very likely going to learn first-hand now – though he couldn't say he was looking forward to it.

Telac nodded. Without another word, he moved to the table and nonchalantly took the seat in front of Sisko, facing him with a sudden seriousness that startled the captain.

"I need data," Telac said in a cold voice.

"What data?"

Telac made a vague gesture and snorted derisively at the question, as if the answer was too obvious.

"About the wormhole. I need you to tell me about the wormhole. About your Celestial Temple, as you may call it. I need you to tell me about its internal subspace structure, its neutrino flux sequence, the very details to lend my work the destructive power it needs. To cut it short, I want all the data that your Starfleet has available, especially on the internal structure of the wormhole."

Not taking his eyes off the other man, Sisko leaned back in his chair. Telac might be serious, but so was Sisko. Very serious. Although O'Brien had already reported Telac's plan to destroy the wormhole, Sisko hadn't been ready to believe it at that time.

It was ridiculous. How could anyone seriously try to blow up the wormhole linking the Alpha and the Gamma Quadrant? There were so many things to consider. The specifications that had to be applied to its warhead in order to match the exact neutrino sequence so that the destructive energy outburst actually made the steady subspace matrix of the wormhole collapse were only one of those things. Sisko shook his head as he thought of the difficulties of such an undertaking. But apart from the technical problems, he wasn't sure if Telac was actually aware of the fact that his bomb wouldn't even make it anywhere near the wormhole in the first place. If he had a ship and directly brought the device into the passage, it might have been possible, but under the present circumstances – there wasn't any chance the bomb could fool the regular sensor sweeps of the Federation's subspace relay system. There was no chance they could bring the device into the wormhole in the first place without anyone noticing. Telac's plan was utterly absurd – but somehow Sisko couldn't shake the feeling that Telac didn't mind.

"I can't give it to you. And I wouldn't do it, even if I could. I don't know what makes you think you can get away with such an action, but let me enlighten you about the consequences. Even trying to send a bomb to the wormhole will be considered an act of war against the United Federation of Planets. Apart from the fact that your plan won't be successful, you'll have to officially account for your actions."

Telac shook his head, a look of barely tempered rage on his face. His brow furrowed with disdain as he held Sisko's gaze defiantly.

"Don't you dare take me for a fool, Captain. I'm very well aware of the difficulties we're facing here. Believe me, I've already undertaken every step necessary to make everything go off without a hitch. I'm not insane, Captain, I'm more rational than anyone else," he hissed. He inhaled deeply as if to gather himself, then scowled again at the captain.

"I'll just end what unnecessarily began four years ago when your race made use of the passage leading to our world. You were never invited to this part of the galaxy, but still you decided to explore the unknown territory, intruding into our privacy, making the Gamma Quadrant one of your little adventure trips." Sisko could see the open hostility that was now almost distorting Telac's face. The man's former almost stoic composure was gone. Now his eyes were filled with intense rage and hatred.

"No one ever welcomed you here, Captain. But nevertheless, you came, and you brought with you only trouble and unrest by forcing other worlds to follow your principles. Forced principles by a race not satisfied with what it has already claimed. No. Your people, your United Federation of Planets, your adventurers never had enough. With the Alpha Quadrant so uninteresting, so familiar, so normal, you were more than delighted to have a new opportunity to gain new influence, new territories. You established colonies. On worlds already inhabited! How could you even dare? How could your Federation even dare intrude into other peoples' privacy? Who are you to take the freedom from others, to bring conflicts to worlds not even your own?"

Telac's heated tirade was anything but over when he suddenly turned his head and cast his gaze toward the floor. His eyes were so full of undisguised hatred that Sisko wasn't sure if he would ever make it out of the room alive.

"Yes, you came, Captain, and you brought us war. And now I'm going to end this war. I'll close the passage. I'll make the Gamma Quadrant what it had been for centuries, for millennia before you came and brought conflict and death. And I'll make Felan III the authority it once had been."

Sisko's brow furrowed. He wasn't sure how to make Telac realize that one single, certainly futile terrorist attack would change nothing.

"You don't believe in what you're saying, do you?"

"I do, Captain Sisko, I do. I'll restore my planet's dignity. As soon as the wormhole is destroyed, Felan III will regain its former power. And then we'll restore peace. We'll never let it happen again."

It was absurd. Not only Telac's plan to close the wormhole but all his ideas. The man was obviously beyond reason. How could he make him realize that he was wrong? That what he thought of as truth was nothing more than a twisted, distorted version of reality?

To the best of his recollection, Felan III had never held any significant status within this territory of space. When he had consulted the computer's library back on the station, Felan III had been classified as a planet fairly detached from other worlds. It wasn't even equipped with any larger space vessels, nor any kind of necessary means to put Telac's plan into action. With the planetary defense system in its orbit, the Felani were at best able to keep uninvited guests out of their homeworld. A policy to expand their influence into space just didn't suit them – not to mention the fact that it was not realistic.

"What about the Dominion?"

For a second, Telac seemed caught off guard. A look of confusion crossed his features, the ardent hatred replaced by some nondescript emotion that was hard to place.

"You forgot about the Dominion," Sisko offered thoughtfully, not missing Telac's slightest reaction. "If there's one power claiming to police order and peace in the Gamma Quadrant, it's the Dominion. I don't think they'll agree to share power."

"You apparently don't understand. It's not about the Dominion. They're far away, busy with their own business. I'm talking about Felan III, about the outer territory of the Gamma Quadrant. The Dominion has never claimed control over these regions so utterly uninteresting to them. But still, we do need some order-making authority here. We need peace. We have to reestablish order!"

"The Dominion won't share your point of view," Sisko held, still determined to stop this madness.

Telac was obviously not yet finished sharing his twisted ideological ideas, but suddenly lapsed into silence. He shook his head in resignation as if he had suddenly realized that there was no point in trying to convince Sisko. Instead, he chuckled humorlessly and let out a long sigh.

"Anyway, it's none of your business, Captain. The only thing I need from you is data. It's that easy."

"And I'm sorry that I can't give it to you. I won't change my mind, Telac."

A short but intense silence followed Sisko's last statement, then the other man spoke up again. Smiling, he shook his head. It was a false smile, and too calm a reaction to bode well.

"How amazing. Your doctor said exactly the same…"

"What about Dr. Bashir?" At the mention of the young man's name, Sisko felt his own anger rise.

Telac drew himself up and sighed. "How I hate these discussions. They're long and tedious and in the end, you never get anywhere." Turning to Sisko, he clasped his hands behind his back again. "It was the same with Julian. Brave young boy, he was. He said exactly the same, refused to help me, told me that I was mad. Believe me, Captain, it took me a great deal of effort to make him realize that he was wrong."

Feeling the bile rise in his throat, Sisko suddenly stood up, too. He couldn't bear hearing Telac speak in that disrespectful way about Julian. Not after what he had actually done to the young man….

"Torture isn't the right means to make anybody believe in your truth, Telac," the captain said through clenched teeth.

"It isn't," the other man replied coldly, "but it is effective. Given time, you'll understand."

When Sisko didn't reply, Telac nodded.

"I'll give you some time. You may consider my offer till then – but keep one thing in mind: You and your crewmen are completely at my mercy. As is Julian's well-being."

When Telac turned to leave, he was called back by Sisko's angry voice.

"What about Dr. Bashir? Where have you taken him?"

Telac stopped, fixing Sisko with his chilly stare. "As I said, your doctor's well-being is completely in my hands – or let's say, in yours."

Without another word, he left. Only slowly did it begin to dawn on Sisko what his last words really meant.

"Is there any news?"

Jadzia was sitting with her back against the uneven wall of the cell, her legs folded beneath her. She seemed tired, though Sisko couldn't tell if she was just missing sleep or tired because of the last few days' events. When he sat down next to her and gently rubbed his eyes, her frown immediately deepened as if she was anticipating bad news.

"How did it go?" she anxiously asked, waiting for Sisko to share his encounter with their captor.

"Not very well... I suppose."

"You suppose?"

Sisko sighed and tried to compose himself. It was hard for him to fight the anger their little conversation had stirred up in him, and it was even harder not to give in to the sudden urge to punch the wall. He wasn't keen on repeating the exact conversation with Telac, so he cut it short: "Telac wants to destroy the wormhole."

He could see Jadzia's bewilderment at his words. "So it's really true...?"

"I guess it is," Sisko said tiredly, not sure how to assess the new turn of events. "Though I can't see there's anything we can do about it but wait." And as an afterthought, he added: "How's your work going, Chief?"

After Telac's men had both Bashir and O'Brien escorted out of the cell, only O'Brien had come back some hours later, telling them about Telac's work and that he was expected to help him finish the bomb. They hadn't had much time to discuss the matter when O'Brien had been called away again – and hadn't returned yet when Sisko had been called to see Telac himself.

"Too well, I guess," O'Brien snorted. "Most of the inner systems are already online – or will be within the next few hours. I'd say, one or two more days and the bomb will be ready for launch. They're already running test sequences with miniature probes; too small and harmless to actually trigger the wormhole. I tried to delay the process the best I could without anyone noticing, though they're already growing suspicious. Telac has one of the guards assigned to watch every step I take, and he just doesn't strike me as a very easy-to-deceive type."

"Chief, according to your estimation, how much destruction could the bomb cause if it actually reaches the wormhole?"

The Irishman's frown deepened. He was obviously reluctant to answer the question. "Well, if it should really reach the wormhole, I'd say, we'd better be back in the Alpha Quadrant by then."

Jadzia swallowed. "You mean, it's really possible that…"

"…Telac could destroy the Celestial Temple," Sisko said. "We have to prevent this by all means."

"There's still hope, Captain. When Telac asked me to help, I wondered what there could be left to do… It's the shield emitters. Telac doesn't know how to get his bomb into the wormhole without it being detected by our sensors in the first place. He's got the bomb, but he still doesn't know how to launch it without anyone noticing and destroying it before it reaches its destination," O'Brien elaborated, giving them a thoughtful look.

"And he won't know if we don't tell him." Sisko was not in the least happy about the direction this discussion was heading.

Dax wasn't convinced either. "Why doesn't he just bring it aboard a ship, set course toward the wormhole, and place it directly into the passage? That would be much easier."

O'Brien shook his head. "The bomb's too heavy and bulky. He'd need at least three times as big a ship to transport it and from what I know, the Felani don't have such big vessels." And as an afterthought, he added: "They're not a space-faring world. The planet might have some survey ships, small cargo vessels, or short-range runabouts, but nothing big enough to be of any use to Telac's plan. The only way he can place the bomb is to directly fire it from the planet's surface. And without the specific shield emitters, it won't make it past our subspace relay system."

"At least this is good news." Sisko sighed and recalling his conversation with Telac some time earlier, he said: "There's also another thing still missing in Telac's equation. He still needs the right specification to adjust the energy modulation in the warhead to the exact neutrino flux within the wormhole to work the most destruction and make its inner subspace matrix collapse."

"He could have learned that from Julian," O'Brien said in confusion. "Such specifications are not secret. Julian would have known. Even by checking the runabout's database, Telac should have easily been able to find out about the internal neutrino flux."

"Well, whatever happened, let's be glad he hasn't," Sisko said darkly.

"We have to play for time. I'm sure DS9 already knows what happened. We have to delay Telac's plans as long as possible." Jadzia wasn't happy about the idea either, but there wasn't much choice left. They had to prevent Telac from finishing his bomb, no matter what.

It was when Sisko wouldn't answer, when the captain took a deep, laborious breath, that the young Trill knew he hadn't told them everything. Some sort of misgiving already told her that their plan wasn't as simple as she had thought.

"It's not that easy, Old Man. I wish it were, but it isn't. Telac still has Julian – and he'll use him to make us follow his orders. Not telling him what he wants to hear is very likely to involve Dr. Bashir and make his situation even worse."

"You mean, they'll torture him to make us talk?" O'Brien slowly grasped in shock.

"But Benjamin, we can't give Telac the information, that's just impossible." Sisko could sense Jadzia's bewilderment but also her fear of losing Julian.

"I know," he said, wishing that he didn't. "And you can be sure that Telac won't get any data. And that's an order. None of us will give him any information he needs, neither the specifications of the wormhole nor any actual help on his shield emitters. Our only hope lies with being rescued in time. Until then, we have to hold out."

O'Brien shook his head in disbelief. "But what about Julian? We'll risk his life! He'll be tortured! He'll probably even be killed…"

"I know, Chief, and believe me, I'm sorry. I wish I could help Julian, but under the present circumstances, no one can. Neither you, nor Lieutenant Dax, nor I. Our only hope is to keep him alive long enough for Starfleet to find us." Rubbing his tired eyes, Sisko let out a long sigh, wishing that it wasn't true, wishing that everything was a nightmare he could finally wake up from. But it wasn't. It was reality, and he had to face it.

"I… see," the Irishman mumbled, turning and leaning his head back against the wall.

They didn't talk any more. There was nothing left to be said.

He was sorry. He was so sorry that he'd rather die himself than submit his crewman to more pain. But the choice wasn't his. He could do absolutely nothing to save Bashir from whatever Telac had in mind. Even if he gave his own life, there was nothing he could do right now.

The awareness brought no relief, though. Nothing could lessen the indescribable feeling of guilt, the crushing weight of his own responsibility.

He could only imagine what the last three months must have been like for Bashir: crashed on an unknown planet, captured, abused, and broken by a man driven by pure madness. And there had been no one to come for him. No one to help him endure the ordeal. Sisko could barely fathom what Julian must have felt when he had finally realized that he was on his own.

He could even feel it himself. Now, in the dark, lying on his side and waiting for recovery time to end. He could feel it – how fear was slowly creeping up on him, how hopelessness was slowly but surely taking root in his heart. The feeling of loneliness. Yes, he could feel it – how Julian must have felt.

How long had he held on? How much pain had he endured before breaking under the merciless pressure? He didn't even dare imagine. Sisko knew Julian, knew his eagerness, his compassion, his sense of justice – and he knew that it had just made everything worse. He had seen Julian in the end. There was not much left of the young, buoyant man he had once known, the man he still wanted back by all means.

He hated his position, hated having to give orders that were very likely to destroy another man's life.

But there was no choice. He was the captain. And he had to save as many lives as he could.

Allowing Telac to finish his bomb, to actually destroy the wormhole, was simply out of the question. He would do anything to stop this maniac, to save the link between the quadrants. To save the Prophets. But he was also very well aware of the silent but growing anger that was building in his chest. Anger directed toward those who had led him here, who had given him enough hints to find Telac, to uncover what he intended to do. Who had sent him to prevent the extinction of their kind…

Oh yes, they had led him here, shown him everything he needed to know to save them. But the truth was, he had been used. He was the Emissary, a puppet of the Prophets, and they had used him for their own purposes. Obviously, they didn't care much about his captivity, nor did they care that his orders, his conviction, would ultimately destroy another man's life.

In that moment, he hated them. Hated being a puppet of the Prophets with all his heart.

But the bitter and terrifying truth was that he could do absolutely nothing to change their current situation. He could do nothing to avoid the inevitable. He could only stand by and watch. Watch and fear what was going to come.

He had to follow his conviction, his principles – his position – even if it meant losing Julian…

He didn't know how much time had passed when he was finally summoned by Telac again. It might have been hours, or even one or two days. He wasn't sure; he had lost all sense of time – though it didn't even matter in the end.

Sisko stood in the middle of the small room, its cool, oppressive atmosphere only serving to increase his anxiety. He didn't even need to look around to know it was the same room where he had first witnessed the encounter between Telac and Bashir.

"I suppose you've made up your mind by now?"

He didn't react to the sudden voice that penetrated the stifling silence but kept staring straight ahead. A few seconds later, the other man entered his line of sight.

He looked content. Almost happy. Their last conversation apparently hadn't affected Telac's ego at all. Smiling his perfect smile, he waited for Sisko to answer, arms crossed over his chest. Telac fixed him with a penetrating stare, making Sisko feel even more uneasy, though he tried to clamp down on his nervousness as best he could.

The captain inhaled deeply and braced himself against the queasiness in his stomach. He had played this moment through so many times in his mind. But standing now in front of his captor and saying the decisive words was far more difficult than he had imagined.

"I have. And I'm sorry, but I'll have to refuse."

Telac nodded, ever smiling. A sadistic, self-satisfied smile it was, making Sisko wish to wipe that loathsome expression from his face. He suppressed the urge, though, unwilling to lose control in front of Telac. Instead, he scowled at him, the only thing he could do in this situation. His hands were bound…

"Well, I can't say that I wasn't expecting those words. But very well, Captain. I've already warned you. In the end, I'll have you talk, believe me."

Only a few seconds later, with a short beckon from Telac, Julian was brought in.

He seemed unharmed, though Sisko knew that even if his outward appearance was fine, his inner state was not. Sisko watched intently as Julian was walked over and strapped to the wall, the young man's expression blank and his gaze broken. He offered no resistance, though he involuntarily winced when his injured arm was roughly bent upward and secured in the iron brackets. When the guards left, he didn't look up, just kept staring absently at the floor. With his body so still, he barely seemed alive at all.

"Shall we begin?" Telac faced Sisko again, rounding him as he cast a long look toward his second prisoner. "I need the specifications. As you know, it's the last piece missing in my perfect puzzle of a new world. If you could just tell me what I need to hear, I promise I'll never bother you or your crew again."

When Sisko didn't respond, Telac nodded – and only seconds later, Sisko wished himself far, far away.

Julian's sudden cries were so heart-wrenching, so full of misery and hopelessness that Sisko could barely endure them. He didn't even need to look into the young man's face to know he was nearing his breaking point. He would lose him. Writhing and tearing, Bashir struggled frantically to free himself, convulsing with pain as his mind was slowly pushed toward the abyss. Ever so slowly.

"That's enough," Sisko yelled, rage flaring within him. The words sputtered out before he was fully aware. "Make it stop!"

In an instant, the cries subsided, turning instead into quiet sobbing. He could hear Julian unevenly gasping for air – and the sound made Sisko sick to his stomach. He didn't look at his first medical officer, unable to endure the dead weight of guilt any longer.

"As you wish, Captain. If you could just give me what I want, I promise I'll give him back to you. I won't hurt him anymore. Just give me what I need, and he'll be safe."

Scowling at Telac, Sisko struggled to hold back his emotions. His fists shook with barely contained rage as his chest filled with unspeakable hatred.

"He's not of any use to you anymore. I suppose you have what you wanted. You dragged it out of him by force. So leave him alone. I won't tell you the specifications, and you know that. No one will. No matter how hard you try to make me sway, I will not help you. There's no need to make Julian suffer any longer," he shouted, unable to control his voice.

Telac's stare was icy and calculating, his vicious expression like a blow to Sisko's face.

"There is, Captain. I don't think you understand the whole point of this, but somehow it doesn't even matter…"

"You're running out of time, Telac, and you know it," Sisko finally managed. He had to buy time, he had to engage Telac in conversation – give Julian enough time to regain some strength.

"Don't try to fool me. I know what you're alluding to. I hate to break it to you, but you're on your own. No one will come for you. No one will ever know you're here. Playing for time is pointless." He almost hissed the last word.

It was the way Telac spoke, his growing anger and impatience clearly visible in his cold eyes. He was feeling anxious, no doubt about that. He was acting under pressure, no matter how much he tried to hide it. So there was still hope. More than before, Sisko knew he had to keep Telac distracted, preventing him from hurting Julian any further. If only he knew for sure, if Sisko just knew there was someone coming for them…

"Fine then…" Telac suddenly spat. "Very fine. I have other ways to get what I want."

Sisko wasn't sure he'd heard right. Startled by Telac's sudden change in demeanor, he tried to keep his voice steady, though a voice deep within his heart warned him that those other ways wouldn't be any better than what Telac was doing right now. "You don't even have to try the same with Lieutenant Dax or Chief O'Brien. None of them will talk," Sisko said. The last thing he wanted was to get his other crewmen involved.

Telac laughed humorlessly. "I won't lay a hand on your precious crewmen, don't worry. The one I'm counting on is your doctor. Alas, you won't survive to know if I succeeded."

Feeling his heart skip a beat, Sisko glowered at him with open disdain. "What are you talking about?"

"Your doctor has a very amazing mind. I'm not sure if you were aware of it, but it's impressive indeed," Telac replied absently, then suddenly met Sisko's eyes and added: "I wish it weren't, though. It would have saved me a lot of trouble."

"What have you done to him?" Sisko nearly shouted.

Telac seemed absorbed in thought for a moment, obviously pondering whether Sisko was worth being told the truth.

"I tried to extract the information I was seeking. He didn't give it voluntarily, so I had to make him. But somehow I failed." Telac shook his head again, a blank expression on his face. "I made him betray everything he believed in. I broke him. I made him realize that his life was worthless, that I owned his life. I almost had him tell me the data I needed. Almost. But then his mind shut down. I don't know how, but he suppressed what happened. He banished it from his mind, shutting down every thought of his past life. He simply didn't remember. No matter how much I tried to extract the information afterward, he couldn't tell me. He simply couldn't recall anything about his past life. Not concerning Starfleet, anyway."

"That's why he can't remember any of us…" Sisko whispered, suddenly understanding.

"He was useless to my plans. The only way to obtain the data he had forgotten, along with everything else, would have been to forcibly make him remember what happened. To bring it all back into his mind."

"But you couldn't be sure he wouldn't crack under the pressure. You would have risked losing him – and the data – forever…" Sisko concluded grimly.

He closed his eyes, some part of him wishing that Telac was lying, that all of this was just another way to sow doubt in his mind. But looking into Telac's eyes, sparkling with a warped kind of amusement, Sisko unmistakably knew that Telac was telling the truth.

"I didn't have any other choice but to wait. Until he finally remembers," Telac said almost sadly, glancing back at Julian, who still hung slumped against the wall, the only thing preventing him from collapsing right in front of them the thick iron brackets around his wrists that securely held him in a nearly upright position. "But then you came… and made everything worse…"

Following Telac's gaze, Sisko felt a painful twinge in his heart. "What are you going to do…?"

"Make him remember. By force, if I have to. I can't wait for you to tell me what I need, so I'll take him."

Without another word, Telac turned, beckoning to the guards to get Sisko. He didn't offer any resistance when he felt their firm grip around his upper arms, his mind desperately searching for a solution. For a loophole. A way to regain control over their situation.

But he bitterly realized that he was no longer in any position to influence the course of events. And probably he never really had been in the first place.

He was led into yet another room, larger than the previous one – but apparently for the same purpose. They strapped him to one of the walls and left without further comment. Not sure what was to come next, Sisko closed his eyes, trying to regain some inner composure. Thinking of what Telac had said about Julian, he felt bile rise in his throat. He could hardly imagine what Telac had in mind, how he would force Bashir to recall events he had banished from his mind in a desperate attempt to maintain his sanity. He only knew that it would destroy Julian. Even if the prior events hadn't, forcing him to remember what he had so desperately tried to forget would destroy what was left of him.

Drowned in his own misery, he wasn't really aware of his surroundings until the guards suddenly reappeared, followed by Lieutenant Dax and Chief O'Brien. And John.

He suddenly noticed that he hadn't seen the young engineer since he had been called away to meet Telac shortly after they were captured. Although John seemed all right, he didn't meet the captain's eyes, nor did he look at Dax or O'Brien.

Sisko couldn't blame him – after all that had happened.

John had warned them. He had tried ever since their first day in Velurin, after he learned who they were and what role they played in Julian's past life. But Sisko wouldn't have listened. No, he couldn't blame John for resenting them. He had every right to.

Glad for not having to endure John's accusing gaze, Sisko leaned his head back against the cool wall and mentally braced himself for what was to come.

He heard his crewmen being strapped to the wall next to him and wondered why Telac needed all of them. He wasn't sure what roles they would play in this unfolding drama, though he was anything but eager to find out.

"What did Telac say, Benjamin? What's going on?" Dax whispered to his left, scowling at the guards who had already stepped back, taking positions next to the door. Not showing the slightest hint of having heard, they obviously ignored their conversation.

It took Sisko some time to answer, but then he reluctantly turned his head to face her. "Telac is going to use Julian to get the specifications he needs," he answered curtly. Seeing her confused expression, he slowly added: "From what I gathered, Julian must have collapsed under the pressure. He's closed his mind to everything that happened before his captivity. He forgot his past life – and Starfleet as well. That's why he doesn't remember any of us. He's suppressed those memories, and now Telac wants to force them back into his consciousness."

"He's doing what?"

John suddenly interrupted their conversation, his face flushed with some vague emotion hovering between anger and panic. Leaning forward as best he could with the iron brackets holding his wrists back beside his head, he shot daggers at the two Starfleet officers.

"He can't do that. You've seen what happened when you tried to make Julian remember, Captain Sisko. You've seen his reaction back in the cell. He won't be able to cope with the memory. He'll break!"

"Don't tell me, John. I've seen him. But there's nothing we can do about it…"

Before John could respond, their conversation was suddenly interrupted. It was Telac, accompanied by Julian, who entered the room. Their captor seemed even more nervous than before, roughly pushing Bashir farther into the room. The young man stumbled, but Telac's firm grip on his upper arm forced him to remain upright. Finally, Telac directed his attention at Sisko.

"I've already told you that I don't have time for your little games, Captain. I'll get the information I need, and then I'll complete my work. It's a pity it has to be this way…"

"Telac, wait!" Sisko suddenly shouted with a small flicker of hope. "What if you fail? Do you want to risk losing your only opportunity to obtain the data by destroying Julian? What if his mind breaks? You'll gain nothing and lose the only advantage you have. Are you really ready to take such a risk?"

"Honestly, I don't care. I'll get what I want, either way. It's just a matter of time, but in the end, I'll have either one of you talk. Believe me."

Telac instantly turned to Julian, producing a small dagger-shaped knife from somewhere behind his back. Bluntly, he dragged Bashir closer toward the prisoners and, with a serious and resolute expression, showed him the knife.

"Listen to me, Julian, there's something I want you to do for me," he said, intently watching Bashir's reaction. Seconds passed before he finally voiced his decisive order. "I want you to kill Sisko."

Not believing his own ears, O'Brien gasped for air. "Julian, don't listen to him. He can't force you. You just have to hang on. Kira's already coming to our rescue!"

O'Brien knew that it was a lie, even though he desperately wished it were true. Nevertheless, he had to draw Julian's attention, keeping him from doing what Telac had ordered – dragging him back from the abyss Telac was pushing him toward. He could see Julian shaking his head in short, staccato movements, his expression one of pure panic.

Though he had seemed apathetic before, Bashir's demeanor changed in the blink of an eye, incredulous bewilderment now filling his eyes.

"No… I…" the young man stammered suddenly, refusing what Telac was presenting him. He didn't have a choice, though. Telac forced the knife into his hand, closing his own around Julian's relentlessly.

"You know what will happen if you don't obey. You know what I'll put you through, don't you?" Telac gently whispered into the young man's ear, never releasing Julian's shaking hand.

No matter how trivial Telac's words might have seemed to the others, Julian was obviously paralyzed, staring aghast at the Starfleet officers before him. Eyes wide with fear, he stood ramrod stiff, seemingly given the key to memories long lost, long forgotten.

Unable to move or speak, Bashir stood motionless in the middle of the room, though his horrified stare made Sisko involuntarily recall Telac's earlier words: that Sisko wouldn't be alive to see if his experiment had succeeded.

"If you refuse to obey, the chief will be the first to suffer the consequences."

Only a moment later, one of the guards drew his weapon and aimed it at O'Brien.

"I'm waiting, Julian."

He was in shock. His mind flooded with memories long lost – long forgotten. Memories he had desperately tried to shut out. Memories he feared and dreaded more than death itself.

But suddenly they were back.

Within seconds, his vision narrowed – with Sisko at its center.

His whole world began to spin violently around him as his vision blurred and his mind exploded into a dizzy whirl of chaos. But still, the man in the center of his view remained steady, his dark eyes stabbing through Julian's heart like sharp daggers, making him feel nauseated and sick with guilt. He couldn't push the memory from his mind. No matter how hard he tried to shove it away, no matter how much he struggled to fight the memory down, he couldn't. It came rushing back to him, drowning him in its icy floods, dragging him deeper and deeper into the engulfing darkness of despair. Everything in him screamed to tear his gaze away from the ghastly sight and run, but he just couldn't. He couldn't look away from the man. Nor the blood. So much blood, clinging to Sisko, staining the walls, pooling on the floor, dripping from Julian's very own hands.

And then there was Dax. Her once-beautiful face so utterly distorted with pain and bewilderment. Her hair stuck to her sweaty forehead, her mouth twisted in disbelief, as if begging him to undo everything.

He let out a terrified scream, feeling his legs give way. He hit the ground, unable to break his fall. Covering his head with his arms, he shook with pain and horror.

Make it stop. Make it stop!

But it didn't.

The young girl. The young girl he had once sworn to protect. He had sworn to save her life. Dead. Lying before him, her throat cut with a single quick slash of a knife. He had betrayed her as he had betrayed everyone. Her long hair formed patterns of death, reminding him of everything he had tried to run away from. It all crashed down on him, washing over him like a merciless wave, drowning him in its dark water.

Make it stop!

He shook violently, his hands, balled into fists, pressed against his temples. His heart pounded so hard he could hardly breathe. But then a cruel, cold voice cut through his horror, like Julian's knife once had through Sisko's innocent flesh.

"I'll count to three, then he'll die."

No. No. No. No.

No more murder! When there was one thing he knew it was that he didn't want any more people to die. He would do anything, anything to prevent further murder. And he'd do anything to stop them from hurting him. He couldn't endure any more pain. He wanted it to stop. He would do anything to just make it stop!

Tears forced their way down his cheeks as he struggled to get to his feet. His vision blurred, but he knew what he had to do.

"Julian!" It was not so much fear for his own life but rather for the young doctor's that made O'Brien act before it was too late. "Don't listen to him, Julian! If you don't give him the data, he won't…" O'Brien suddenly lapsed into silence as the phaser rifle forcefully connected with his skull. He went limp immediately.

"Telac, stop it!"

Sisko tried in vain to free himself, feeling the iron brackets cut painfully into his wrists. He didn't care. He didn't know what Telac had done to Julian, but the young man was hovering on the verge of madness. He gripped the knife with a desperate, white-knuckled grip, and Sisko could see the tremendous effort it took him to will himself to move.

When Julian finally stood in front of Sisko, their eyes met, and Sisko winced at the emptiness he saw there. Julian's expression was beyond reason, leaving no doubt. Sisko was looking into the eyes of a broken man.

"I'm… sorry…" Bashir choked out, tears welling.

"Julian, it's me, Benjamin Sisko. I'll get you out of here. You'll be safe. Please, Julian, put down that knife."

He knew that it was one of the worst things he could say to Bashir. He was begging for his life.

"I... can't," Julian cried, shaking his head ever so slightly. His voice was barely above a whisper now. "He won't let me. He'll kill more people. I… don't want any more people to die…"

Slowly, Bashir raised his hand, placing the knife's point on Sisko's chest. His hands trembled so much that he barely held it steady. With closed eyes, Julian clutched the hilt with a white-knuckled grip, though something still seemed to hold him back.

"That's enough, Julian."

The disruptor bolt that shot across the room made Julian's head jerk up involuntarily. The knife clattered to the floor as he saw the yellow streak hit O'Brien squarely in the chest, the chief's already unconscious body convulsing under the heavy impact. Bashir's face drained of color.

"No… I… I just…" Bashir stammered in bewilderment but was interrupted by Telac's firm voice.

"No more delay, or John is next."

Unable to pick up the knife again, Julian could only stare at his friend's lifeless body. He had killed O'Brien. Julian had killed his best friend like he had killed everyone else. Paralyzed, he couldn't move. He tried, but he couldn't.

"Julian!" Telac harshly admonished, already moving toward the unmoving young man – when all at once and without warning, he lost his footing like everyone else, tumbling to the ground as the lights flickered and went out moments later. Immediately, the ground shook violently, and small trickles of sand and plaster fell from above. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

When the backup system abruptly churned to life, the room was bathed in a dull red glow, casting ghostly shadows on their ashen faces, while the ground continued to shake with increasing thunder resonating from the stone walls. Staggering to his feet, Telac somehow managed to keep his balance. He quickly brushed dust from his robe and instinctively looked up, though he could see nothing but the dark, red-tinged ceiling.

"What's going on?" he shouted, and with enough presence of mind, he managed to run over to the commlink and punched in commands. Only a moment later, a strained voice responded.

"Sir, this is Mehel. We've been fired upon. You better come up here as quickly as possible." The voice was interrupted by another blast that seemed to occur not far from their position.

"Fired upon? What the hell is going on?" Telac's voice trembled with fear, his eyes wide with bewilderment. He spun around and raced through the door, followed by the two guards who didn't even cast a last look around as they abandoned their prisoners to whatever fate awaited them.

"Kira?" Dax called out hopefully over the din, trying to keep her footing on the shaking ground.

"If it's really Major Kira, her timing couldn't be better," Sisko replied, ducking his head as another trickle of sand fell from the ceiling. "I can't imagine anyone else who would have reason to attack Telac's lab. Whoever it is, we owe them our lives."

When another bolt hit, a section of the ceiling caved in, but by sheer luck, no one was injured.

Sisko turned his head toward Julian, who still knelt where he had gone down to the ground. His shoulders hunched and both arms wrapped around his abdomen, he didn't even seem aware of what was happening. He just kept staring in horror at O'Brien's body.

"Julian," Sisko gently urged. If he could bring Julian to free them, they would have a much better chance than waiting in this damaged room for someone to rescue them – or for the rest of the ceiling to collapse and bury them under a lethal layer of rubble. But what was even more important, he had to make sure that Julian was okay. He needed to take care of Bashir as quickly as possible and help him through the trauma he had suffered at Telac's hands.

"Julian!" he tried again, this time more firmly.

The young man's head jerked up, and he fell backward as he was abruptly yanked back into reality. Reaching out to catch himself, he let out a sudden cry as his broken arm couldn't support his weight, and he crashed to the floor. He didn't cry out a second time, just staggered to his feet and stumbled backward, away from Sisko, away from them all. And from one second to the other he broke into a run.

"Julian!" Sisko called after him, though the young man was already out of earshot.

"Julian, wait! It's the Defiant! JULIAN!"