Visionary (episode)edit this page

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"Visionary"
DS9, Episode 3x17
Production number: 40513-463
First aired: 27 February 1995
← 62nd of 173 produced in DS9 →
← 62nd of 173 released in DS9 →
  {{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 173 released in DS9 Remastered  
← 354th of 727 released in all →
Teleplay By
John Shirley

Story By
Ethan H. Calk

Directed By
Reza Badiyi
48576.7 (2371)
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O'Brien makes repeated jumps through time; a Romulan delegation visits the station.

Contents

[edit] Summary

Dr. Julian Bashir is tending to Miles O'Brien in the Ops pit. When O'Brien asks what happened, Commander Benjamin Sisko tells him that one of the plasma conduits blew out while O'Brien was re-routing a phase inducer. Bashir tells him that he has a mild case of radiation poisoning and that Bashir gave him some hyronalin. On the way, with Major Kira Nerys, to meet a Romulan delegation, Sisko is surprised to see some Klingons on the Promenade. Constable Odo explains that the Klingon ship needs an overhaul and will be at Deep Space 9 for at least two days. Sisko notes that the Romulans are scheduled to be on the station for two days. He asks Odo to keep a close eye on the Klingons. Later, the Romulans are curt when Sisko welcomes them. They want to get right down to business: the Federation's intelligence report on Dominion activity, as the Federation agreed to in exchange for the cloaking device for the USS Defiant.

In his bar, Quark is hanging up a dartboard for O'Brien, though he's dubious on its profitability. Trying it out at O'Brien's urging, Quark throws a handful of darts all at once and several of them hit Morn. Quark realizes he's got liability issues too. O'Brien shows him the right way to throw a dart. Just as he releases it, O'Brien is transported, somehow, to the upper level of the Promenade. He looks across the way and sees another version of himself talking to Quark. Quark is complaining that some Klingons destroyed two of his holosuites. Quark walks away and the other O'Brien turns to see the first O'Brien, just as the first O'Brien is transported back into Quark's in front of the dartboard, and collapses. Later, in the infirmary, Bashir explains that the collapse is due to the radiation poisoning and that O'Brien's "vision" is also a side effect. O'Brien says that his hallucination felt too real, but he dismisses it nevertheless.

Ruwon

In the wardroom, the Romulan Ruwon is protesting that the information on the Dominion is insufficient, particularly on military assets. His associate, Karina, asks to see the raw data and Kira agrees to this. Then they focus on Odo, who is a Changeling. Kira says yes, but he's not a Founder, a distinction that Ruwon fails to see. Sisko tells him that there is a difference whether or not the Romulans choose to believe it. Ruwon mentions the importance of the agreement between the two governments, and how little the Romulans have benefited from it. Sisko pledges to do all he can, but he must get clearance from Starfleet before any classified information is released. This satisfies Ruwon for the moment, and they leave.

On the upper level of the Promenade, Quark complains to O'Brien that the Klingons have just destroyed two of his holosuites. O'Brien pauses in mid-sentence when he recalls that he's seen this before. He looks across the way to where he was when he witnessed this conversation and sees the other O'Brien standing there, watching them. Quark sees him too and notes that O'Brien has bigger problems than his holosuites.

Later, in Sisko's office Lieutenant Jadzia Dax is reporting that she did detect a minor temporal disturbance in Quark's, and another later on the Promenade, and they matched O'Brien's timeline. It is apparent that O'Brien has shifted forward into the future and then returned. As Dax is explaining that it could have something to do with the dose of ionizing radiation O'Brien received, he shifts forward again, this time into a brawl in Quark's, mostly between Klingons and Romulans. He sees a Klingon punch his future self in the stomach and face, and the future O'Brien falls to the floor. Another Klingon moves toward the fallen O'Brien with a d'k tahg. The O'Brien from the past knocks the knife from the Klingon's hand and delivers several blows which throw the Klingon to the floor. Future O'Brien yells at Past O'Brien to look out. Past O'Brien ducks just as a chair is thrown at him, and then he is returned to Sisko's office where Dax is continuing to hypothesize. Once again O'Brien collapses.

In the Infirmary, Bashir has detected damage to O'Brien's cerebrospinal nerve cells, which he thinks might be caused by the timeshifting. Bashir explains that while he can repair the current damage, the effect is cumulative and that there may come a time, if the timeshifting continues, when he can no longer repair the damage, and O'Brien could conceivably die. Sisko says that Dax is doing everything she can to find the cause, which is of some relief to O'Brien. Kira interrupts to talk to Sisko about the Romulans. They want to interview everyone who was on the Defiant when it was captured by the Dominion earlier that year, among other things. Kira is exasperated with them but Sisko is more understanding. The Romulans are completely dependent on the Federation for information on this threat; no Romulan ships have ever been to the Gamma Quadrant. Kira agrees to be diplomatic during her interview with the Romulans.

Later, back in the wardroom, Kira yells at the Romulans that she resents the implication that she abandoned the Defiant prematurely when it was attacked by the Jem'Hadar. She explains that she was unconscious when Odo put her on the shuttle and took off towards the Founder's homeworld. The Romulans rather keenly suspect the Odo might be harboring feelings for Kira, which pushes Kira further over the edge. She storms out.

In Quark's, Bashir has just beaten O'Brien in the tenth game of darts in a row. Bashir insists that the fight isn't going to happen now because O'Brien has told everyone about it, and so security is now present and Quark has banned Klingons from the bar. Just then, two Klingons come down the stairs from the holosuites. O'Brien confronts Quark, who says that the Klingons are paying him triple. Naturally the Klingons walk up to a table of Romulans and begin a fight.

In the security office, Kira is telling Odo about Ruwon's theory about him, which both surprises Odo and makes him feel uncomfortable. They're interrupted by the call from Quark about the brawl. In the bar, O'Brien, anticipating the attack, is not felled by the Klingon as he was the first time the fight occurred. The O'Brien from the past relieves the other Klingon of his d'k tahg. Present O'Brien warns Past O'Brien about the chair and he returns to the past. Present O'Brien then shifts forward to a DS9 corridor in the habitat ring, where he sees future O'Brien working on a panel. He calls to himself. Just as the future O'Brien turns to look, he opens the panel and is shot by a high-energy laser emanating from inside. Past O'Brien approaches future O'Brien, now lying on the floor. He feels no pulse. O'Brien wakes up in the infirmary. Bashir tells him that he collapsed outside of Quark's an hour earlier. O'Brien tells Bashir that O'Brien will be dead in a matter of hours.

Investigating the panel, Odo finds nothing out of the ordinary. Whatever will happen in the future, it hasn't been set up yet. Therefore, whoever rigged the panel will do it in the next few hours. They will plant a surveillance device to monitor the panel. In Ops, Dax reports on what she's found: it is a temporal displacement cause by a nearby quantum singularity, which they can't find. The radioisotopes in the chief's body cause him to interact with the singularity by shifting forward and back. Bashir thinks he can further reduce the level of isotopes in O'Brien, but it will take time. Kira then informs Sisko that she's relocated the Romulans to section 47, level 2. Sisko observes that that is where O'Brien's panel is. Later, Odo tells Sisko that someone has beamed a surveillance device behind O'Brien's panel. He suspects the Klingons, though he has no proof yet.

In Quark's, Bashir and O'Brien are waiting out the time O'Brien has until his death in the other future. Quark asks O'Brien to watch the numbers on the dabo wheel the next time he shifts forward. As Bashir and O'Brien leave, O'Brien shifts forward to the Infirmary. There's a body under a sheet. O'Brien lifts the sheet and sees himself, dead. Future Bashir walks in, and is relieved to have the opportunity to speak with Past O'Brien. He explains that he hadn't realized that the radiation had damaged the basilar arteries in O'Brien's brain stem, and so O'Brien died. O'Brien is a bit upset at this. Future Bashir gives Past O'Brien instructions to give to past self, so he will have the information he needs to save O'Brien's life. O'Brien returns and collapses. Bashir brings him straight to the infirmary.

Meanwhile, Odo has traced the transporter beam to a replicator in disused quarters. Odo reports to Sisko that the surveillance device was planted by a Klingon covert strike force which reports directly to the Klingon High Council, and Gowron. There's doubt as to whether the device is meant to kill, but Odo will hold them for questioning, at least until the Romulans leave.

O'Brien wakes up in the infirmary and tells Bashir what future Bashir told him to say.

In his cell, the lead Klingon threatens Odo that his family will kill him. Odo says that it is more likely that the Klingon's superiors will kill them, for failing in their mission. Odo offers to let them go without informing Klingon intelligence – if they cooperate, maybe.

DS9 destroyed

O'Brien is back at Ops, feeling better. Bashir reports that most of the radioisotopes have been removed. Dax says that the quantum singularity is actually in orbit of Deep Space 9. Just then O'Brien shifts forward into a throng of people rushing onto a runabout, alarms blaring. Future O'Brien is at the runabout controls and declares that the emergency escape protocol is initiated. They go to full impulse as explosions erupt from the station. Future O'Brien notices Past O'Brien and tells him that he doesn't know what happened, but that Past O'Brien had better figure it out when he returns. DS9 is destroyed in one final explosion and the wormhole opens and then implodes in a burst of light. Past O'Brien returns to Ops in the past, but doesn't collapse. Sisko quizzes him, but O'Brien has few clues on what precisely is going to happen. Sisko orders complete system checks on everything. O'Brien suggests that they send him to the future again, but not as far, so that he can learn what's going to happen. Bashir suggest it may be dangerous, and suggests a way to get O'Brien to shift forward by less than the usual five hours.

"I hate temporal mechanics."

Later, in the infirmary, Bashir is explaining it to O'Brien. A device attached to O'Brien's arm will dose him with a precise amount of delta isotopes to send him three hours into the future, give or take half an hour. All O'Brien needs to do to return to the present is activate it again. But O'Brien shouldn't stay long – the isotopes will kill him well before that. O'Brien activates the device and shifts forward to his quarters. He wakes up Future O'Brien, who's not happy to see him. Past O'Brien explains about the destruction of DS9. Future O'Brien notes that Past O'Brien isn't looking too good. Past O'Brien says it is the radiation. They go together to Ops to see what they can find out. As they arrive, DS9 is attacked by a Romulan Warbird that has just decloaked. Future O'Brien tells Past O'Brien that he has his answer: the quantum singularity was a cloaked Warbird. The Warbird is what will destroy the station and it is also what's been causing the timeshifts. But past O'Brien is now too sick from radiation poisoning to return. He gives Bashir's device to future O'Brien who puts it on his arm and activates it, sending Future O'Brien into the past.

Future O'Brien arrives in the past and tells Sisko what the orbiting quantum singularity really is. He also explains to Bashir that he's the O'Brien from the future and that's why he's got no radiation poisoning.

As Ruwon is interviewing Quark in the wardroom, Sisko confronts him about Ruwon's plan to destroy DS9 and collapse the wormhole. Karina says that it is an interesting theory, but that's all it is. Sisko says that the quantum singularity orbiting DS9 isn't a theory, and he has fifty photon torpedoes locked onto it. The Romulans elect to leave.

In Quark's, over darts, O'Brien tells Bashir how weird it is to be living in the past, that it is like living the other O'Brien's life. Bashir says that he's the same O'Brien, just with a few extra memories. As O'Brien leaves, he whispers in Quark's lobe, "dabo." Quark doesn't understand what O'Brien means until a small crowd at the wheel yells, "Dabo!" The next thing he knows, he is frantically being chased out of the bar by Quark, who is trying to convince him to return.

[edit] Memorable quotes

"I hate temporal mechanics."

- O'Briens, past and future


"Well, you do have one problem...if all you can hallucinate about is Quark's maintenance problems, you do have a sadly deficient fantasy life."

- Bashir, to O'Brien


"Major, when you're with the Romulans, try to be diplomatic."
"I'm always diplomatic!" [screen cut] "That is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard and I resent the implication!"

- Sisko and Kira (the latter speaking to Sisko and to the Romulans, respectively)


"But don't worry – I plan to investigate the Klingons, the Bajorans, Quark, the visiting Terrelians..."
"You think Quark had something to do with this?"
"I always investigate Quark."

- Odo and Sisko


"I think you're lying, Quark."
"About which part?"
"All of it."
"Well, at least I am consistent."

- Romulans and Quark


"Why didn't you just say so?"
"Well sometimes I have to remind you just how good I am."

- Sisko and Odo, on Odo's investigatory process

[edit] Background Information

  • Freelancer Ethan H. Calk sold this story on his very first pitch session to Deep Space Nine. He pitched numerous other ideas before finally landing his second sale - contributing to the story for the episode "Children of Time". (TrekGirl's interview with Ethan H. Calk)
  • In the original story for this episode, Odo jumped forward in time to witness DS9 destroyed. (Writing for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine by Ethan H. Calk)
  • The script of this episode received an uncredited rewrite by Ronald D. Moore. (AOL chat, 1997)
  • This is the first and only time we see Deep Space 9 destroyed.
  • This is the episode in which Miles O'Brien introduces darts to Quark's, a game which will be seen throughout the rest of the series. The board itself was first seen in the previous episode, "Prophet Motive".
  • This episode features the first appearance of the D'deridex-class Romulan warbird on DS9.
  • O'Brien experiences six temporal jumps:
    1. he sees his future self;
    2. he sees the brawl in Quark's;
    3. he sees himself mortally wounded by a phaser shot;
    4. he sees himself die due to medical complications;
    5. he sees Deep Space Nine evacuated and subsequently destroyed, along with the wormhole;
    6. he is sent three and a half hours into the future to investigate the disaster, where he dies and is replaced by the other O'Brien.
  • Bashir's use of hyronalin as a treatment for radiation poisoning is a reference to the TOS episode "The Deadly Years".
  • This episode features numerous references to the battle between the Defiant and the Jem'Hadar in "The Search, Part I".
  • When Kira tells Odo that the Romulans suspect he may have feelings for her, he responds by saying "Ridiculous" in an incredulous manner. However, the audience already knows it to be true after he confessed to it in "Heart of Stone".
  • Although Ira Steven Behr doesn't dislike this episode, it isn't one of his favorites: "it was good but it seems like a show we could have done on TNG. I prefer our shows to be Deep Space Nine-specific. "Visionary" is kind of a tech mystery, and it's more TNG's kind of show". (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
  • Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko) does not appear in this episode.
  • Bashir uses a familiar-looking tool to adjust the armband that O'Brien uses to shift forward in time. It's a warp nacelle from a Romulan Warbird model. The tool is slightly modified; it's colored grey instead of green, and blinking lights are added on the inside.

[edit] Video and DVD releases

[edit] Sources

[edit] Links and references

[edit] Main Cast

[edit] Guest Stars

[edit] Co-Stars

[edit] Uncredited Co-Stars

[edit] Stunt doubles

[edit] References

Alpha Quadrant; artificial quantum singularity; asinolyathin; autopsy; basilar artery; basilar arterial scan; brain stem; cerebrospinal nerve cell; cloaking device; dabo table; darts; D'deridex-class; Davlos III; Defiant, USS; delta-series radioisotope; Dominion; emergency medkit; emergency power coupling; fortune teller; Gowron; habitat ring; high-energy laser; hyronalin; Federation-Dominion Cold War; Federation Embassy; Founders; Jem'Hadar; Klingons; Klingon Empire; Klingon freighter; Klingon High Council; Klingon Intelligence; Markalians; matter-energy conversion matrix; microcellular scan; neutron star; O'Brien, Keiko; personal log; phaser; portable transporter; Qo'noS; quantum singularity; rad; radiation poisoning; replicator; Romulans; Starfleet Intelligence; subspace bandwidth; surveillance device; temporal energy; temporal mechanics; Terrellians; tetrion; timeshift


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