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In the Gamma Quadrant, Dax and Odo
detect an unusual particle field on the surface of an unexplored
planet. Transporting to the source, they find an alien village
and some kind of reactor emitting the particle field. They are
then taken prisoner by Colyus, Protector of an Yaderan colony
which settled in a valley there. He explains that Dax and Odo's
arrival coincides with the mysterious disappearances of 22
people. Odo and Dax are sympathetic to Colyus's plight and offer
their help in solving the mystery. They meet Rurigan, an elderly
man whose daughter is the most recent victim, and Odo questions
Rurigan's young granddaughter, Taya, the last person to see her
mother before she vanished.
The next day, Odo tries to
establish a rapport with the shy Taya, and she opens up to him
and talks about her life and her mother. Odo is surprised when
she explains that the Yaderans never leave their valley, and
reveals Rurigan thinks her mother will never return, but Odo
vows to bring back the missing woman.
Odo learns from Rurigan that he is one of the founding members
of the village, the oldest one remaining, and that he is dying.
He also assures Odo that searching away from the valley for the
missing people would be futile. Still, Odo is determined to
investigate, and goes with Dax and Taya to the edge of the
valley. As Dax and Odo pass some bushes, the Yaderan sensing
device Dax is carrying disappears. Then Taya reaches past the
bushes, but her arm disappears up to the elbow, then
rematerializes as she pulls it back closer to her face.
After some investigation, Dax and Odo share their surprising
findings with Colyus. The entire village, including all the
people, is an elaborate holographic projection, created by the
village reactor that generates the particle field. The reactor
is breaking down, causing people to disappear. After the
villagers see this for themselves, Colyus convinces them that —
real or not — if they are to survive, Dax and Odo must be
allowed to shut down the reactor and repair it before it
experiences a complete failure. Dax proceeds, and the village
vanishes, leaving Dax and Odo standing — with a very real
Rurigan.
Rurigan explains that when the Dominion took over Yadera Prime
and destroyed his life, he came to this planet and used a holo-generator
to recreate the world he had lost. Realizing his illusion may be
forever gone, Rurigan reluctantly asks to be taken back to his
homeworld. But Dax and Odo have a different view of the
situation. They show Rurigan that, if the Yaderans are real
enough for him to develop feelings, they are real enough to
deserve a chance at survival. Dax and Rurigan repair the
reactor, and the entire society reappears, including his missing
daughter and the rest of the people who vanished.
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