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A Boslic Captain talks Quark into
purchasing the wreckage of a ship that crashed in the Gamma
Quadrant. Unfortunately, he ends up with much more than he
bargained for when he finds a newborn alien infant hidden
inside. Quark brings the baby to the Infirmary, where the
child's presence reminds Sisko of his teenaged son Jake's own
infancy — and Sisko's fatherly concern now that Jake is dating
Mardah, a 20-year-old Dabo girl. Bashir notices that the baby
has a phenomenal metabolic rate, and the child develops so
rapidly that he changes from an infant to what looks like an
eight-year-old boy in a few hours.
While the boy is no more than
two weeks old genetically, he is already able to speak. Bashir
soon determines that his advanced skills are artificially
implanted as the result of genetic engineering. The crew quickly
sees what kind of alien he is when the boy matures again — into
a violent, teenaged Jem'Hadar.
Sisko plans to send the teenager to Starfleet Command for study,
but Odo objects, knowing what it is like to live as a lab
specimen. Despite the danger the Jem'Hadar poses, Odo wants to
prove that he isn't just a programmed killing machine. He asks
Sisko to let the boy stay, thinking he can control the alien
since Jem'Hadar soldiers are bred to serve Odo's race of
shapeshifters. Because the child's race is dangerous to the
Federation, Sisko is reluctant, but he lets Odo work with the
boy. Later, Mardah joins Sisko and a nervous Jake for dinner.
But, despite his initial thoughts, Sisko finds Mardah to be very
nice — and learns some things about Jake in the process.
Meanwhile, Odo talks to the alien, who shows his obedience, then
expresses a desire to stay in Odo's quarters, which he allows.
Odo talks at length with the teenager, and learns that he wants
to know more about the Jem'Hadar. But the boy's only desire
seems to be for violence. Kira warns him that the child may be a
lost cause — if he was engineered to kill, Odo will not be able
to change him. Odo tries to show the teenager that there is more
to life than fighting, but a holosuite battle reveals that the
bloodlust remains. Later, Sisko has word that Starfleet has sent
a ship to pick up the young Jem'Hadar. But before Odo can leave
to tell the boy, he suddenly appears in the room, pulls a phaser
on Sisko, and announces that he refuses to go where they plan to
send him.
The teenager demands a Runabout so he and Odo can go home to the
Gamma Quadrant, then takes him through the corridors en route
for the vessel. Much to Odo's disappointment, the boy reveals
that he wants to be a Jem'Hadar. But when Sisko attempts to stop
him from leaving, Odo intercedes, insisting on returning the
teenager to his homeland. Knowing that the Jem'Hadar will either
kill someone or be killed rather than go with Starfleet, Sisko
agrees. Odo handles this final task and returns to the station,
sadder but wiser for his experience.
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