Move Along Home

In Sisko’s quarters, Benjamin is in his dress uniform and pacing nervously. Jake enters and starts talking about women… but Jake says Nog taught him. Sisko tells his son that a Vulcan ship made contact with the Wadi three weeks ago.

First Contact, you see, is like a first date with a girl. Thankfully, he’s interrupted by Kira’s comm call that the Wadi have docked. Meeting them at the airlock is Doctor Bashir, Dax, Kira and Sisko… the first thing they ask for is the games. “Take us to Quarks” they proclaim. Oh, boy…

After playing games for hours on end, the senior staff retire to their quarters. Seeing no end in sight, one of the Ferengi throws a game but the Wadi catch on and are not impressed. After squeezing Quark (always fun to watch him squirm!) They introduce a new game, Chulah.

Sisko, Dax, Bashir and Kira wake up inside a maze – where some doors won’t open and corridors go on forever. Sisko meets the Wadi leader, who only says “Move Along Home.”

In the security office, Jake mentions to Odo that his Dad is missing – the computer telling him that he’s not on the station. We also learn that Chief O’Brien and his wife are still on Earth, so school is closed.

Odo confirms that the senior officers are missing… he marches to Ops where Lieutenant Primmin is being his usual smug self, but kicks into gear when he realises that the officers aren’t just late.

In Quarks, the game begins as Quark rolls some dice-looking objects. In the game, the four officers enter a room with a girl dancing along the floor singing a rhyme. After sussing it out, Dax determines that you have to follow the girl and sing the rhyme in order to pass through a forcefield. They progress to the “third chap.”

Back in Quarks Odo confronts Quark about the missing officers, and they assume that the four missing officers are actually the four player pieces on the Chulah board. With no alternative, Quark places another bet – taking the safer path.

In the game, Kira, Sisko, Dax and Bashir (KSDB) enter a room where everybody is laughing, drinking and ignoring them. Kira gets ansy… but smoke fills the room causing them to cough and splutter. Taking a punt, Bashir grabs a drink and takes a sip… turns out it’s the antidote. They progress to the fourth chap.

Back in Ops, Odo and Primmin determine a possible location for KSDB on the Wadi ship, but when Odo beams over to investigate he is transported to Quarks. The Wadi don’t say anything about the intrusion, but continue the game – not allowing Quark to finish.

In the game, KSDB are confronted by a bunch of hovering lights… who hone in on the good Doctor. After high magnetic field variations, Bashir disappears.On the board, his piece is moved off the board.

Quark, now concerned for his pieces, sees that the shortcut that’s been offered since the second chap could get the three remaining officers home in just one more move. However, the roll of the dice lands on a move that forces Quark to choose one to sacrifice to save two.

After a few tense moments, Quark can’t decide… he falls to his knees and begs forgiveness over the cheating. But the Wadi don’t accept it, they program the game to select one at random. In the game, KSD hear Bashir’s voice, through a door and past some caves.

Walking towards his voice, Dax’s leg gets stuck in a rock as Bashir disappears as several earthquakes rock the cave. They enter Chap Six, and Sisko and Kira grab Dax and continue walking. They come to a precipice, where they have to jump across to the other side. Sisko refuses to leave Jadzia behind so they take the long way round.

Banding together after some more earthquakes, the trio slowly make their way around the edge. Only to have one more major shake and fall into the cavern below.

They all appear back in Quarks, Bashir too. To the laughter of the Wadi saying “it’s just a game.” Sisko isn’t impressed by the Wadi’s display, but Odo interrupts and says that Quark was to blame. Sisko, unimpressed by the Ferengi’s antics, allows the Wadi party to leave.