The Toys Belong to Me

In my opinion, there really shouldn't have been an actual Xorn - he had to be fake, that was the cruel point of him - and it should have been the genuine Magneto, frayed to the bare, stupid nerve and schizoid-conflicted as he was in Planet X, not just some impostor. 

THE PULSE: 

Before you ever even penned one issue of X-Men, it seemed as if people were jumping up and down calling for an "off wif 'is 'ead" sort of Alice in Wonderland thing. 

Have a lot of people changed their tunes and given you some different feedback once the issues got going?

CHUCK AUSTEN: 

Yes and no. 

More have than haven't. 

Writing other things has helped. 

People see that I have a broader voice as a writer, and might actually find something I do that they like, or realize the way I handle X-Men isn't my one and only voice. 

And a lot of people have realized, 

"Hey. It's the X-Men. 

If I wanted High Art, 

I could read actual literature. 

Let it be what it is." 

And they've gone away, or let up on me. 

But there are still a few polemics out there.

[ Yeah, they hate you, and What You Wrote, FOR MONEY -- that happens. ]

THE PULSE: 

I guess one of the biggest questions anyone will have after reading issue 157, the first part of Day of the Atom, is which Xorn is this? 

The one Scott Summers found in New X-Men Annual 2001 ... or something different?

AUSTEN: 

Time will tell 

[smiles].

[ No, it won’t.]

THE PULSE: 

What made you want to utilize Xorn and how do you regard this character?

AUSTEN: 

Marvel liked him and wanted him back. 

I liked him, 

and came up with a way that works. 

It was being discussed way back when Grant first began. 

His plan to make Xorn Magneto, contrary to what I hear some people are saying, was set in motion since before I came on. 

They told me I couldn't use Magneto for exactly that reason. 

But the editors always liked "Xorn" and were hoping Grant would decide to keep him a separate character. 

He didn't, and so Marvel asked me 

to find a way to bring him back. 

That's work-for-hire.

THE PULSE: 

So many people are skeptical about the X-Men Reload. 

How do you feel being a part of this event?

AUSTEN: 

I liked the idea, initially, 

and felt proud to be included. 

They were talking about re-launching all the series with new number ones, and they expected to have me on one, Grant [Morrison] on another, and Chris [Claremont] on the third. 

Then things changed, obviously, Grant left, and they got Joss [Whedon], although they kept that a secret for a very long time, even from the other writers. 

I think Joss is brilliant, I'm a big fan of his movie scripts, 

so I'm sure he'll do great things.

Reload evolved into less of an event than I expected, at least for me. 

I think it's been very successful for Marvel. 

I wound up losing some characters I really wanted to keep, 

including Xavier, who I loved, 

and I had serious mixed feelings about undoing so much of Grant's stuff so quickly, 

what with Xorn in my first issue, 

and Magneto in Excalibur's first issue.

But at the same time, these are Marvel's characters. Work-for-hire. 

Marvel saw value in Magneto not being a mass-murderer of New Yorkers, and in keeping Xorn and other characters and ideas Grant had created during his run, so they made that choice. 

Grant was such a fountain of creativity that they wanted to keep a lot of what he originated. 

It'll happen when I leave, too. 

They'll undo a lot of what I did, or the next writer will, depending on what the company considers valuable at the time. 

As I said, it's work-for-hire, and you have to accept that aspect of it, or go nuts. 

They're not my characters. 

They're not Grant's. 

The Toys belong to Others.”

Sisko plays baseball with Vulcan team

[Captain's office]

(There is a starship docked at a lower pylon.)

KIRA [OC]: 

Kira to Sisko.

SISKO: 

Go ahead, Colonel.

KIRA [OC]: 

Captain Solok of the Starship T'Kumbra is here to see you.

SISKO: 

Send him in.

(A Vulcan enters)

SISKO: 

Welcome to Deep Space Nine, Captain.

SOLOK: 

Your welcome is acknowledged.

SISKO: 

Have a seat. It's been a long time.

SOLOK: 

Ten years, two months, five days.

SISKO: 

You mean you don't know it to the minute?

SOLOK: 

Of course I do. But humans are often irked by such precision. 

Especially the more emotional humans. 

Our repair list. 

I understand you were recently honoured with the Christopher Pike Medal for Valour. Congratulations.

SISKO: 

Thank you. And congratulations to you. 

I heard you received your Medal last month.

SOLOK: 

My second, actually. 

The T'Kumbra has been in combat for over six months. 

Spending time behind the lines will be a welcome change.

SISKO: 

This isn't exactly a safe harbour. 

We have seen our share of action.

SOLOK: 

Of course you have.

SISKO: 

We can upgrade your inertial dampers by the end of the day, 

but to begin to overhaul your warp core would take at least a week.

SOLOK: 

That is most inefficient.

SISKO: 

War's an inefficient business.

SOLOK: 

A somewhat unprofessional attitude. 

However, I have come to expect a lack of professionalism 

and efficiency on starbases run by human officers.

SISKO: 

You're welcome to take your ship to a Vulcan station. 

I think there's one about fifty light years away. 

If you're planning to stay here with us behind the lines, 

my Chief of Operations will see to your requests.

SOLOK: 

Very well. There is another matter not listed on the formal report. 

I need use of a holosuite. 

The T'Kumbra holodecks are currently under repair.

SISKO: 

To arrange holosuite time you have to go through Quark. 

He owns the only ones on the station.

SOLOK: 

Then I will speak to Quark. 

I have created a special programme for my senior staff 

and they are quite eager to resume using it.

SISKO: 

Really?

SOLOK: 

Yes. In fact, you may find the programme of some interest. 

It is based on an Earth Game.

SISKO: 

And what game would that be?

[Ops]

(Solok walks through, almost smirking. Sisko is right behind him.)

SISKO: Colonel, assemble the senior staff in the wardroom. Now.

[Wardroom]

SISKO: 

As you probably know, the Starship T'Kumbra is docked at our station. 

What you may not know is that their Captain considers his crew, 

an all-Vulcan crew by the way, 

to be the finest in the fleet. 

I happen to think the people sitting at this table comprise the finest crew in the quadrant.

EZRI: 

You're not going to get much of an argument from this group.

SISKO: 

I didn't think so. 

Which is why when their Captain challenged us to a contest of Courage, Teamwork and Sacrifice, I accepted on your behalf.

WORF: 

We Will Destroy Them.

SISKO: 

I was hoping for that reaction.

BASHIR: 

So, when is this clash of the titans?

SISKO: 

Two weeks, in holosuite five.

KIRA: 

What's the contest?

SISKO: 

Baseball.

[Sisko's quarters]

(Sisko is getting a back rub.)

KASIDY: 

Oh, that's quite a knot.

Your back is like a minefield of bruised muscles.

SISKO: 

Yeah, you tell me something I don't know.

KASIDY: 

Okay. You're lifting your foot at the plate.

SISKO: 

What?

KASIDY: 

Okay, take a swing.

(Sisko gets up and does as he's told.)

KASIDY: 

Stop! Right there. 

Look. You're lifting your foot in the backswing. 

It's been messing up your whole rhythm. Not that bad. 

I know that look. It's the 

'I'd really like to smash something but she'll think I'm crazy' look. Well, don't let me stop you. They're your quarters. 

Smash away if it'll make you feel better.

SISKO: 

The only way I'll feel better is to beat Solok tomorrow.

KASIDY:
So, do I get to hear the Solok story now? 

And before you say no you'd better consider the fact that if you don't tell me, you won't have a third baseman.

SISKO: 

We were in the same class at the Academy. 

One weekend I was with some friends at a bar off campus, the Launching Pad. 

And Solok came in with some Vulcan cadets. 

He said they were doing research on illogical human bonding rituals. 

We didn't take kindly to that.

KASIDY: 

And you'd had a few drinks

SISKO: 

One or two. We got into a debate. 

Solok said that Vulcans were naturally superior to humans 

and other emotionally handicapped species. 

Of course I took the opposite position. 

So there I am, drunk and debating logic versus emotion with a smug and very sober Vulcan. 

Well, to make a long story short, I decided the best way to prove that humans were every bit the equal of Vulcans 

was to challenge him to a wrestling match.

KASIDY: 

Wrestling?

SISKO: 

All I wanted to do was to wipe that arrogant look off his face, 

so in the heat of the moment I challenged him.

KASIDY: 

And?

SISKO: 

I ended up in the Infirmary with a separated shoulder, 

two cracked ribs and a very bruised ego.

KASIDY: 

Oh, Ben, I don't mean to laugh, but what did you expect? 

A Vulcan has three times the strength of a human.

SISKO: 

And they're faster too. 

But you're right. I got what I deserved. 

And if it had ended right there, it would have been fine. 

But it didn't. 

Solok took every opportunity to remind me of the match. 

He used to point me out whenever I walked across the campus. 

In fact he wrote FIVE psychology papers about our match -- 

I became the living embodiment of why Vulcans were inherently superior to humans.

KASIDY: 

You don't mean he was gloating? A Vulcan?

SISKO: 

That's exactly what I mean. 

He may have hidden it beneath that Vulcan calm, 

but he loved every minute of it. 

And you'd think that once we graduated it would have stopped, but it didn't. 

Over the years, Solok wrote over a dozen papers on Vulcan human comparative profiles and in the beginning of every paper is an analysis of that damned wrestling match!

KASIDY: 

And now he comes to Your Station and announces that he's put together a baseball team.

SISKO: 

HE doesn't care about baseball -- 

ALL he wants to do is rub my nose in it one more time. 

But now he is using MY Game, MY Game, to DO it!

KASIDY: 

You should tell that to the Niners. 

They don't understand why you're so caught up in this.

SISKO: 

Oh, no. I'd rather they think I'm just caught up in some baseball game 

than pursuing an adolescent rivalry.

KASIDY: 

Just tell them The Truth -- They'll understand. 

They need to know how personal this is to you.

SISKO: 

Oh, no. No. I mean it. 

And you can't tell them either. I want you to promise me.

KASIDY: 

All right, I promise.

[Wardroom]

KASIDY: 

He made me promise not to tell you, 

so you have to keep this under your hats.

EZRI: 

Curzon and Jadzia always wondered why Benjamin hated Solok but he'd never talk about it.

KASIDY: 

Well, he's embarrassed -- 

He's calling it an adolescent rivalry, but Solok's the one that's kept this thing going.

O'BRIEN: 

And now he's trying to beat The Captain at His Own Game.

WORF: 

It is a dishonourable motive.

NOG: 

I'm beginning to hate him myself.

QUARK: 

So, what are we going to do about it?

KIRA: 

I'll tell you what we do. 

We go out there tomorrow and we put that Vulcan in his place. 

We win it for the Captain.

BASHIR: 

And for all our emotionally handicapped races.

O'BRIEN: 

Now there's something worth fighting for. Right?

(O'Brien puts his hand on the table. Kasidy puts hers on top, then Ezri and the rest.)

KASIDY: 

Niners.

ALL: 

Niners!

[Ballpark]

(The UFP anthem finishes, and the twentieth century crowd plus Rom applauds.)

O'BRIEN: Okay, Niners, let's go, let's go, come on. Show these guys.

SISKO: Let's dispense with the crowd. My team has never played in front of people before.

SOLOK: If you wish. Computer, eliminate the spectators.

ODO: Play ball!

(And looks around as it all goes quiet behind him. Rom is now alone.)

ODO: 

Batter up!

(The Logicians bat first.)

SISKO: 

All right, Niners, let's hear some chatter.

KASIDY: 

Hey, batter, batter, batter, batter.

LEETA: 

Hey, batter, batter, batter, batter.

WORF: 

Death to The Opposition.

KASIDY: 

Strike him out.

(It's out of the park.)

SISKO: 

Lucky swing. All right.

NOG: Hey, don't worry, you'll get the next one. Okay? Okay?

JAKE: Okay.

NOG: 

All right. 

(The scoreboard moves up to Logicians 4, Niners 0. Note - Kasidy has number 47 on her back, Kira is number 9. In the dugout.)

SISKO: 

All right. You're making mental errors out there. 

Stupid mistakes! You have to start thinking about what you're doing. 

Colonel, you have to charge the ball, don't wait for it to come to you. 

Ezri, you're playing too deep. 

(to Jake) 

They rattled you.

JAKE: 

Yeah. 

They're pretty good.

SISKO: 

What are you talking about, 

"They're pretty good"!? 

You'd better stop admiring them 

and start striking them out!

ODO: 

Batter up.

SISKO: 

Let's play ball.

(Bashir misses.)

ODO: Strike three.

(Kira misses.)

ODO: Strike three.

(Worf misses.)

ODO: Strike three.

SISKO: 

Let's go.

(In the fourth, the scoreboard reads - Logicians 4 1 1 1 - 7 runs, 9 hits, 0 errors. Niners 0 0 0 0 - 0 runs, 2 hits, 3 errors.)

(Sisko catches and throws to Kira who gets her foot on the plate before the runner gets there and knocks her over.)

ODO: 

Out!

KIRA: 

(to the runner) 

You want to try that again?

SISKO: 

Hey, hey, hey. Colonel, stay cool! 

Don't do anything to get yourself thrown out.

KIRA: 

I wouldn't dream of it, Captain. 

You're out, by the way.

SISKO: 

Play ball.

(Back in the dugout.)

NOG: 

Was that slide at second legal?

KASIDY: 

Afraid so.

BASHIR: 

Doesn't seem very sporting.

JAKE: 

These guys are playing to win. 

Sporting doesn't enter into it.

(Kira gets a hit and makes it to second base.)

ODO: 

Safe!

(The team are delighted.)

SISKO: 

It's about time!

(Worf comes up to bat.)

ODO: Strike one.

SISKO: 

If you're not there, let it go, all right? 

Don't reach for it.

ODO: Ball one.

SISKO: Hey, now. Good eye, Worf, good eye.

ODO: Ball two.

SISKO: Remember what we talked about. Keep your eye on the ball.

(Kira is starting to steal.)

ODO: Foul ball. Strike two.

SISKO: 

Big stick. 

Good eye, Worf. Good eye.

ODO: 

Ball three.

WORF: 

Time.

ODO: 

Time.

(Worf checks the scoreboard. The Logicians didn't get any runs in the 5th.)

ODO: 

Let's go, batter.

WORF: 

Do not rush me.

ODO: 

Strike three!

WORF: 

What? What are you talking about? 

That ball was at least half a metre! 

How could you call it a strike! 

Reverse the call! Reverse the call!

SISKO: 

That was low and outside.

WORF: 

That was clearly outside.

SISKO: 

What the hell were you looking about? 

You can't tell me that ball was over the plate. 

What were you doing, regenerating?

ODO: 

Caught the outside corner.

WORF: 

The outside corner?

SISKO: 

Outside corner, my foot. That was a ball and you know it. We have two men on! Two men on! Two men on!

ODO: 

Gentlemen, you are trying my patience.

SISKO: 

No way, no way. 

You stole the run from us. 

You stole it just as if you'd reached up 

and tore it off the scoreboard!

(Sisko prods Odo.)

ODO: 

You. You're OUTTA HERE!

SISKO: 

What?

ODO: 

"No player shall at any time make contact with the umpire in any manner;

The prescribed penalty for the violation is immediate ejection from The Game. "

Rule number 4.06 subsection a, paragraph four. 

Look it up, but do it in the stands --

You're GONE....!!

(In the dugout.)

SISKO: 

(walking past.) 

It was a ball. It was no strike. 

I know it was a ball.

BASHIR: 

Chief?

O'BRIEN: 

What?

BASHIR: I think that means you're in charge now.

O'BRIEN: You're right. What are you standing around for? You never seen a man thrown out of a game? Come on, get your gloves and get on that field. Let's go! Come on. Quark, wake up, you're in right. Julian, you're on second, Leeta, you're in left. Come on, let's go, let's go! We got a game to play. Come on, move it.

ODO: Play ball. Ball one.

(Sisko joins Rom in the stands, but a few rows away.)

ODO: Strike one.

LEETA: Grab it, Ezri.

(Ezri gets the ball just before it clears the fence, doing a somersault.)

SISKO: All right!

EZRI: Yeah.

BASHIR: Now that is a Fancy Dan!

ROM: All right!

(Ninth innings. Niners trail 0-10.)

ODO: Batter up.

(The Vulcan batter runs, as does the one on first.)

KASIDY: Home, Worf! Bring it home!

(Nog catches the ball as the Vulcan runs past him. We see that the Vulcan's foot does not actually touch home plate. Odo says nothing.)

NOG: What's wrong?

O'BRIEN: He didn't touch home, Nog.

NOG: Is that true? What do I do?

WORF: Find him and kill him!

O'BRIEN: Just tag him out! Jake, cover home!

(At the Vulcan dugout.)

NOG: Which one?

SISKO: Tag 'em all!

(Nog does, Odo shaking his head each time.)

JAKE: Come on, Nog. Hurry up!

ROM: No. Tag the next one.

(The last Vulcan runs out of the dugout.)

NOG: Jake!

(Nog throws, Jake catches and tags.)

ODO: You're out!

O'BRIEN: Yay! Nog, well done.

NOG: Great catch.

SISKO: He's out. Did you see that? That's what I love about this game. You never know what's going to happen next. Every situation is different.

ROM: It looks like a lot of fun.

SISKO: Rom, come here. Let's go.

ROM: Where're we going?

(9th innings, Logicians 10 runs, 14 hits, 0 errors. Niners 0 runs, 6 hits, 4 errors).

(Nog slides into third?)

ODO: Safe.

(Jake goes up to bat.)

SISKO: Chief? Chief, Chief, call time out.

O'BRIEN: Why?

SISKO: You're making a substitution.

O'BRIEN: What?

(Enter Rom in uniform.)

O'BRIEN: Time!

ODO: Time!

O'BRIEN: 

You're up, Rom.

QUARK: 

Oh, you've got to be kidding. 

We've got a man on third. 

We could score.

O'BRIEN: 

Sit down, Quark. Go ahead, Rom.

LEETA: 

You can do it.

NOG: 

All right, Dad. Come on, you can do it.

KASIDY: Okay, let's play ball.

SISKO: 

Computer.

ALL: 

Come on, Rom.

ANNOUNCER: 

Your attention, please. 

Now pinch hitting for Jake Sisko, number thirteen Rom.

(The crowd is back and they are roaring)

NOG: Come on, Dad you can do it. (sotto) I hope.

ODO: 

Strike one.

NOG: 

Come on, Dad.

LEETA: 

You can do it. Come on, Rom.

ODO: 

Strike two!

LEETA: 

It's okay, Rom. 

O'BRIEN: 

Julian. What was that thing called, 

you know, when you just tap the ball down the baseline?

BASHIR: 

A bunt?

O'BRIEN: 

That's it, a bunt. We've to give him the sign. Rom!

(O'Brien and Bashir tap their arms and then their caps.)

ROM: 

What? What?

(The ball bounces off Rom's bat. Nog runs.) 

ALL: 

Go!

(Nog gets to the plate before the ball.)

ODO: 

Safe!

EZRI: 

Rom, you did it!

(Logicians 10, Niners 1. Everyone runs out to congratulate Rom.)

SOLOK: 

Umpire, this is completely improper. 

The Game is not over.

(Odo turns away, and Solok puts his hand on his shoulder. Pops.)

ODO: 

You're GONE..!!

[Quark's]

SISKO: 

Hey, Jake that was a hell of a game! 

A hell of a game!

JAKE: 

I gave up ten runs.

SISKO: 

They're Vulcans. 

If they were humans you'd have held them to just two or three.

JAKE: 

When you put it that way.

SISKO: 

Yes. Now, pardon me. 

I owe you an apology.

ROM: 

No. Unless you really want to.

SISKO: 

I'm sorry.

ROM: 

Apology accepted.

SISKO: 

If you have some time one day, 

maybe you can teach me how to bunt.

ROM: 

Sure. 

(to Leeta) 

What's a bunt?

NOG: 

(to a Vulcan) 

That's my dad.

SOLOK: 

I fail to see why you are celebrating. 

The Ferengi's bunt was an accident. 

And you still lost the game.

SISKO: 

You are absolutely right. And I couldn't be happier. 

Quark, a round of drinks for the house on my tab.

QUARK: 

I'm way ahead of you, Captain.

SOLOK: 

You are attempting to manufacture a triumph 

where none exists.

KASIDY: 

I'd say he succeeded.

BASHIR: 

To manufactured triumphs.

SISKO: 

Manufactured triumph. Hear, hear!

NINERS: 

Hear, hear!

SOLOK: 

This is a typical human reaction, 

based on emotionalism and illogic.

SISKO: 

Did I hear irritation in that voice?

SOLOK: 

Certainly not.

BASHIR: 

That sounded positively defensive to me.

O'BRIEN: 

With a hint of anger.

QUARK:

 And just a touch of jealousy.

KASIDY: 

And a lot of bitterness.

EZRI: 

Are you always this emotional?

SOLOK: 

I refuse to engage in this human game of taunting.

EZRI: 

Human? Did I forget to wear my spots today?

QUARK: 

All that intelligence and he still doesn't know what a human looks like.

KIRA: 

Captain. Here's something else for your desk.

(She throws him a baseball signed by the team.)

SISKO: 

Well, will you look at that. Would you like to sign it?

(Solok leaves.)

SISKO: 

No.

(Sisko throws the ball up, which becomes DS9 as we fade out.)