Convicted of espionage by the Argathia, O'Brien is punished by having memories of 20 years' imprisonment implanted in his brain. As a result, when he returns to DS9 he is convinced that two decades have passed, and he refuses to be persuaded otherwise. The painful false memories of his prison time not only threaten O'Brien's sanity, but also the safety of his fellow crew members. First broadcast April 15, 1996, "Hard Time" was scripted by Robert Hewitt Wolfe from a story by Daniel Keys Moran and Lynn Barker. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide