The Princess Energy

 

[Sanctuary District Street]

(A manhole cover lifts, and Dax climbs out. She is followed by a dim.)

[Processing Centre]

SISKO: 

Try opening that menu.

BASHIR: 

It just brings me back to the same screen. 

There doesn't seem to be any way 

of getting past the lockout and logging onto the Net.

SISKO: 

There has to be.

BASHIR: 

How can you be certain?

SISKO: 

Because according to History, 

the residents were able to get onto the Net 

and tell their side of the story. 

Millions of people watched.

BASHIR: 

Well no one here's been able to get past the lockout.

SISKO: 

Maybe it was Bell. 

And if HE did it, WE have to also.

BC: 

Listen up, everybody. 

A couple of dims just brought us a little present.

(Dax is brought in, minus comm. badge)

BC: 

I don't know about you fellas, 

but I'm in love.

BASHIR: 

Jadzia.

BC: 

You know her?

DAX: 

Julian.

BC: 

Can you believe it? 

It's The Story of My Life -- 

All The Good Ones are taken.

BASHIR: 

You remember my friend Gabe?

SISKO: 

Gabriel Bell. 

It's good to see you again.

DAX: 

Good to see you.

BC: 

Allow me to introduce myself :

Biddle Coleridge.

[ He has The Heart of a Poet. ]

VIN: 

Biddle?

Coleridge: 

Hey.

VIN: 

I didn't say a word.

DAX: 

I've been looking all over for you.

WEBB: 

Excuse me. 

You obviously don't live here, 

so how did you get in?

DAX: 

I managed to recode my ID card 

so that I could get past 

the Sanitation Department checkpoint.

Coleridge:

(very impressed) 

You crawled IN through The Sewers? 

You must really like these guys.

BASHIR: 

You should sit down. You must be exhausted.

Coleridge: 

It's too bad. 

I really think me and her 

could've had something special.

[Processing Centre - Lee's cubicle]

DAX: 

So what you're saying is that 

even if I could get you out, you wouldn't leave.

SISKO: 

Those hostages have to be protected whatever the cost.

BASHIR: 

You said that one of the men who brought you here took your comm. badge.

DAX: 

That's right. 

And it's set to emit a subspace distress signal.

SISKO: 

Julian, I want you to help Dax find 

the men who took her comm. badge 

and then I want you both 

to get away from this place.

DAX: 

But if the Defiant locks on to my distress signal 

and we're not together...

SISKO: 

As soon as the hostages are in police custody, 

I'll try to make it back to the beam-in site. 

If for some reason I can't make it, 

you'll have to leave without me.

BASHIR: 

Sir, obviously Jadzia has got to leave -- 

If something were to happen to her, 

it wouldn't take a doctor long 

to figure out she wasn't human. 

But you're still going to need help 

to keep those hostages alive, 

and if it's all the same to you, I'll stay.

SISKO: 

All right. See if you can get 

her comm. badge back. 

I'll keep trying to log onto the Net.

BASHIR: 

The Police cut off our access.

DAX: 

That's one problem 

I might be able to help you with.

[Sanctuary District Street]

BASHIR: 

Do you really think you can 

convince your friend 

to put us on the Net?

DAX: 

It'll take some persuading 

but I think he'll do what's right. 

This is it. The men who took 

my comm. badge brought me here 

before they took me to the Processing Centre.

[Sanctuary District Building]

BASHIR: 

Hello? Hello?

GRADY [OC]: 

There's nobody here.

BASHIR: 

We just want to talk.

GRADY:

(waves his hand in front of his face) 

Woosh! I'm invisible (!)

DAX: 

If you say so.

GRADY: 

You can see me?

BASHIR: 

....Just barely.

GRADY: 

That's okay. 

As long as THEY can't see me.

DAX: 

Who?

GRADY: 

The aliens. They'll suck your brains out 

right through your ears.

DAX: 

I know. You see, 

I'm an alien.

GRADY: 

...I thought so. 

But You're A Good Alien.

DAX: 

Right. I'm here to protect 

The Earth from its enemies. 

But I need that piece of jewellry 

you're holding to do it.

GRADY: 

....I understand. 

Here, You take it. 

Good Luck.

DAX: 

Thank you. Shh. 

Don't tell anyone.

GRADY: 

I won't. I won't.