Stardate not given: Ben Sisko, Jake Sisko and O'Brien are trapped in the ore processing facility on Deep Space 9 when an old Cardassian security system meant to suppress a worker revolt kicks in. Gul Dukat appears on the station's monitors and announces the countermeasures. The Ops and the security office are sealed likewise, and the station is slated to be flooded with neurocine gas. Garak is the only one who can penetrate the forcefield around the Ops thanks to his still working security code. He gives Kira the advice to destroy the life support system to stop the gas. But the phaser blast sets off the countdown to the station's self destruction. The sadistically amused real Gul Dukat arrives to witness the desperate efforts to save the station. But when he attempts to beam out, a recording of his former superior appears on the screen and declares that Dukat is not allowed to leave his post. He now has to work with the Deep Space 9 crew. Dax manages to free Sisko, Jake and O'Brien from their prison by taking down all forcefields through a station-wide power surge. With not enough time left to stop the self-destruct, Sisko decides to let the shields absorb the explosion of the fusion reactor, and the station survives with some damage.

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