*The Sisko is of Bajor.*
"The Sisko is of Earth as well! My father, my wife, my children-- those people are still important to me, even here. You can't tell me there's nothing I can do to help them!"
*The Sisko is of the Prophets. The Prophets must obey the Pact.*
"I don't give a damn about your Pact. I care about my family!"
*The Sisko is of Bajor. The Sisko's family are the Prophets.*
"Yes. But my family is also humans. I am of Earth as much as, or more than, I am of Bajor, and here. Why did you pick a human to conceive me if you expected me to be able to turn my back on humanity?"
*Humanity was needed. For Bajor.*
"Humanity is still needed for Bajor. Can't you see how the loss of humanity is destabilizing the quadrant? And the relations with the Dominion as well? What do you think will happen to Bajor if the Founders take advantage of the fall of the Federation as they're planning? You can see it! Look!"
*We have seen. We have always seen.*
*The Pact forbids interference.*
"They exist in linear time. We can do something."
*They do not.*
*They intersect linear time. As we do.*
*They understand intersection. They understand linear time. As we do not/did not/will not.*
"Wasn't the point of creating me so that you could understand intersection with linear time?"
*One of many goals.*
*We did not interfere. We are not interfering. We will not interfere. The Pact holds.*
"You're scared."
*They are changing.*
*They seek to avoid change and in so they have changed irrevocably.*
"You're afraid they'll attack."
*The Powers do not war on each other.*
"So what was up with you and the Pagh-wraiths?"
*The Pact does not forbid internal conflict.*
*They have not violated the Pact. We have not violated the Pact.*
*We will not violate the Pact.*
*They... may.*
*They... will.*
"Then what good does it do us to hold to that Pact if you know they're becoming something that will break it? We need to do something!"
*We avoid conflict. We do not break the Pact.*
"You think that if we try to interfere to help humanity they'll attack us."
*We are of Bajor. We protect Bajor.*
"They'll attack Bajor?"
*Many possibilities exist. Many linear futures extend from the point of their blockade.*
"They might attack Bajor, or us, or do something else obnoxious."
*Obnoxious. Yes.*
"Well, that seems to be a racial trait."
*It has always been so. It will always be so.*
"Sometimes I almost think you guys have a sense of humor... This is what you're missing. They've already broken the Pact. You had a plan for my youngest child. They've subverted the destiny you had prepared. They have interfered with you."
*The Prophets will keep the Pact.*
"Even though they're breaking it? Come on! I understand you don't want to go up against the Q directly-- if you wouldn't do it with the Pagh-wraiths I can certainly see why you wouldn't do it with the Q-- but I refuse to believe you're such cowards that you'll do nothing as they cause your plans to fall down around you. You worked with mortals against the Pagh-wraiths. I was your Emissary. Let me act. I am of Earth as much as Bajor, and I never signed any Pact."
*This has been done. It is being done. It will be done.*
*The Sisko is still linear. The Sisko will learn.*
"Benjamin?"
"Old man? How did you get here?"
"The Kai showed up on DS9 and demanded I look into one of the orbs. Is that really you, Benjamin? You're not dead?"
"No, not dead, old man. I'm sorry I wasn't able to get a message through to let you know that, before."
"You really upset Jake. He went looking for you, and got pretty much lost, and... not that it much matters any more, I guess."
"It matters. Jake isn't dead."
"No, I didn't think so, but the barrier around Earth--"
"I know. That's why I'm here. You need to contact Worf."
"Contact Worf. Okay. Right. Contact Worf about what? What can Worf do?"
"Worf needs to gather as many Klingon warriors as he can get to follow him, and proceed to the edge of the Romulan Neutral Zone, near Narendra III."
"Why? What do the Romulans have to do with this?"
"I'm just the messenger, old man. I'm not as good as detangling all the possibilities of time as they are. But that's what they say we need to do if humanity is to be saved."
"I don't understand what Klingon warriors or the Romulan Neutral Zone have to do with saving the humans..."
"I trust the Prophets. Do you trust me, Dax?"
"...yes."
"Then convince Worf. Do whatever you have to do to persuade him."
"All right, Benjamin. This all seems completely weird to me, but I'll do what I can."
"That's all I can ask."
"And that will do it?"
*It has been done. It will be done.*
*Many possibilities exist. Some possibilities have a greater existence than others.*
*The probabilities have shifted. Trill and Klingon will take action.*
*The Pact has not been broken.*
"I understand. I look forward to seeing how it will happen."
My people will be free.
Next: Getting your greatest dream fulfilled isn't all it's cracked up to be.