Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (TV Series)

Far Beyond the Stars (1998)

Avery Brooks: Captain Benjamin 'Ben' Sisko, Benny Russell

Photos 

Quotes 

• Benny Russell : I am a Human being, dammit! You can deny me all you want but you cannot deny Ben Sisko. He exists. That future, that space station, all those people, they exist in here, in my mind.

• Benny Russell : Tell me, please - who am I?

  Preacher : Don't you know?

  Benny Russell : Tell me.

  Preacher : You are the dreamer. And the dream.

• Herbert Rossoff : [Douglas walks into the office]  Douglas - magazine?

  Douglas Pabst : There isn't any magazine. Not this month anyway. Mr Stone had the entire run pulped.

  Benny Russell : He can't do that.

  Douglas Pabst : Oh, he can. And he did. He believes quote - this issue did not live up to our usual high standards - unquote.

  Benny Russell : And what's that supposed to mean?

  Douglas Pabst : It means he didn't like it. Which means the public will simply have to get along without any Incredible Tales this month.

  Benny Russell : [Benny's starting to lose it]  What exactly is it that he did not like? The artwork? The layout? What high standards is he talking about?

  Kay Eaton : [gently]  Take it easy, Benny.

  Benny Russell : It's about my story, isn't it? That's what this is all about. He didn't want to publish my story. And we all know why - because my hero is a coloured man.

  Douglas Pabst : Hey! This magazine belongs to Mr Stone. If he doesn't want to publish this month we don't publish this month. End of story.

  Benny Russell : That doesn't make it right and you know it.

  Douglas Pabst : [Douglas is starting to lose it too]  Don't tell me what I know! Besides, it's not about what's right. It's about what is. And I'm afraid I've got some more bad news for you, Benny. Mr Stone has decided that your services are no longer required here.

  Herbert Rossoff : What?

  Benny Russell : You're firing me?

  Douglas Pabst : I have no choice, Benny. It's his decision.

  Benny Russell : Well, you can't fire me. I quit. To hell with you and to hell with Stone!

  [Benny takes his walking stick and sweeps everything off a desk] 

  Julius Eaton : Try to stay calm, Benny.

  Benny Russell : No, I'm tired of being calm. Calm never got me a damn thing.

  Douglas Pabst : I'm warning you, Benny. If you don't stop this I'm going to call the police.

  Benny Russell : [Benny loses what little restraint he has left]  You go ahead! Call them! Call anybody you want! They can't do anything to me! Not anymore! And nor can any of you?

  [Benny starts sobbing] 

  Benny Russell : I'm a human being, dammit. You can deny me all you want. But you cannot deny Ben Sisko. He exists. That future. That space station. All those people. They exist. In here. In my mind. I created it. And everyone of you know it. You read it. It's here. Do you care what I'm telling you? You can pulp a story but you cannot destroy an idea! Don't you understand? That's ancient knowledge. You cannot destroy an idea! That future! I created it! And its real! Don't you understand? It is real! I created it! And its real! It's real! Oh, God!

  [Benny finally collapses to the floor, a spent force] 

• [last lines] 

  Captain Sisko : I have begun to wonder. What if it wasn't a dream? What if this life we're leading - all of this, you and me, everything - what if all of this... is the illusion?

  Joseph Sisko : That's a scary thought.

  Captain Sisko : I know, I know... But maybe, just maybe, Benny isn't the dream. We are. Maybe we're nothing more than figments of his imagination. For all we know, at this very moment, somewhere, far beyond all those distant stars, Benny Russell... is dreaming of us.

• Douglas Pabst : Sorry, Benny, I wish things were different, but they're not.

  Benny Russell : Wishing never changed a damn thing.

• [Benny is told to stay home during a photo shoot because he is African-American] 

  Douglas Pabst : Come on, Benny, it's just a photo!

  Benny Russell : I'll try to remember that.

• [Captain Swofford, commander of the USS Cortez and close friend of Sisko's, has presumably been killed in battle] 

  Captain Sisko : I don't know how much more I can take. I don't know how many more friends I can lose. Every time I achieve a real victory, something like this happens, and everything seems to turn to ashes!

  Joseph Sisko : So what do you wanna do?

  Captain Sisko : Maybe it's time for me to step down. Let someone else make the tough calls.

  Joseph Sisko : I see. No one is indispensable, son, not even you. Whatever decision you make, I'll support. Of course, if Quentin Swofford was here, I bet he'd have a few things to say to you.

  Captain Sisko : But he's not here, and that's the whole point.

• Joseph Sisko : Question is, what're you going to do?

  Captain Sisko : The only thing I can do - stay here and finish the job I started. And if I failed...

  Joseph Sisko : [quoting from the bible]  "I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith."

• Cassie : Are we still on for tonight?

  Benny Russell : I'll pick you up. About 10.

  [leaves] 

  Willie Hawkins : Well, what're you doin' till 10?

  Cassie : Whatever it is, I won't be doin' it with you.

• Benny Russell : You can pulp a story, but you cannot destroy an idea!

• Benny Russell : What about my story?

  Douglas Pabst : Look, the way I see it, you can either burn it or stick it in a drawer for the next fifty years or however long it takes the human race to become colorblind.

• Douglas Pabst : This magazine belongs to Mr. Stone. If he doesn't want to publish this month, we don't publish this month. End of story!

  Benny Russell : That doesn't make it right, and you know it!

  Douglas Pabst : Don't tell me what I know! Besides, it's not about what's right, it's about what *is*.

• Willie Hawkins : [referring to Benny]  Would you please tell this fool to take his business someplace else?

  Cassie : Well, I thought about it. Trouble is, if he did leave, he'd take my heart with him.

  Willie Hawkins : Well, suit yourself. But if you ask me, it's a waste of a very pretty heart.

  Cassie : I don't think so.

  Benny Russell : Strike three - you're out.

• Captain Sisko : I guess we popped the champagne cork too soon, huh? Everyone thought the war was over when we retook the station and pushed the Dominion back into Cardassian space.

  Major Kira : I never believed that, and neither did you.

  Captain Sisko : A lot of good that did the 400 people on the Cortez.