Dramatis Personae

A damaged Klingon ship comes through the wormhole, and its last survivor dies after uttering one word: victory. The crew discover the Klingons had found the remains of the Saltah'na, an ancient civilisation destroyed by an internal power struggle, along with a set of energy spheres. The spheres hold telepathic records of that struggle, and they begin to take over the station's senior staff. Kira grows openly hostile and plots a mutiny, while Sisko becomes detached, absorbed in building an elaborate clock. Other officers choose sides, and the station edges towards violence. Only Odo is unaffected. He works out what is happening, develops a countermeasure with Dr Bashir, and manipulates the rival factions into gathering in a cargo bay. There the cure clears their minds, and Odo vents the telepathic matrix into space, ending its influence for good.