Events do not bode well, both on and off the station: between Odo's stark security report and word of missing starships, the station's command staff is depressed, most notably Captain Sisko. Jake Sisko decides to buy a 1951 Willie Mays rookie baseball card at Quark's upcoming auction and to present it to his baseball-loving father in an attempt to cheer him up.

As a Federation citizen, however, Jake does not have the funds to buy the card; he enlists Cadet Nog's help (and gold-pressed latinum) to acquire the antique. However, the oddball Dr. Elias Giger wins the lot that includes the card. Giger offers to give the card to Jake in exchange for a strange melange of equipment – material to help finish the "cellular regeneration and entertainment chamber", which the doctor believes will grant immortality. Privately, the boys decide the man is crazy but agree to his offer, and obtain the required materials by doing various odd jobs for Chief O'Brien, Doctor Bashir, Major Kira and Lieutenant Commander Worf. To keep Jake's surprise gift a secret, however, neither of them reveal the reason they want such diverse items.

Against this backdrop, Kai Winn comes to the station to consult with the Emissary of the Prophets on an upcoming meeting with the Dominion's Vorta representative, Weyoun. The Dominion is offering a nonaggression pact with Bajor. Winn is torn between her desire to avoid aligning Bajor with the Dominion and her belief that the Federation would not devote its full resources to defending Bajor in the likely event of war with the Dominion. Sisko recommends that Winn stall for time before committing herself to a decision. The Dominion contingent, meanwhile, has guest quarters above Giger's, and Weyoun and his accompanying Jem'Hadar soldiers are wary of the odd noises emanating from below them.

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Wikipedia