DS9 Stories/News: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Crossroads of Time (Genesis/Mega Drive) (2)

Right, awesome, can I go there now? Fantastic!

ONE TRIP ALL THE WAY DOWN BACK TO THE DOOR LATER.

Finally I’m allowed inside the docking pylon to find out who’s going around beating up my technicians. Doesn’t look like this guy will be needing this gun any more, so I’ll hold onto it for now.

The SNES version looks pretty similar, though it seems to have been entirely redrawn. The lead designer actually apologised for this version saying it’s “a very poor port”, but to be honest it seems more or less the same so far to me.

This lift’s broken, but Sisko can climb up ledges like he’s the Prince of Persia, so getting to the top wasn’t a struggle. I wouldn’t want see what happens if he falls though.

Hang on, what’s this? This guy’s acting very suspiciously. I think I’m going to have to go over and have a word.

Son of a biiiiiiiiiitch…

EVENTUALLY.

Okay, I had to climb back up a few times, but eventually I was able to subdue the perp and confiscate his timed explosive. With seconds left on the clock I flush it down the convenient ‘emergency ejection tube’ on the wall next to me.

The bad news is, all those other green dots showing up on my radar are bombs too, and the timer’s running.

Hah, I was ready for you this time.

These guys are a pain in the ass, but easy to take down if I’ve got my phaser equipped and I’m paying attention. The trouble is that half the time I’m not paying attention, I’m looking at my radar trying to find the next bomb.

Awesome. I can finally relax for a minute and listen to this semi-decent password screen music. Sadly SNES players don’t get any password music.

And I’m back in the game. This time those sneaky enemies have hidden the grenades, so I have to switch to my tricorder to sweep the area and make them appear as orange diamonds. Actually screw that, I think I’ll be fine just going off the green dots on the radar.

The trouble is that whenever I pick up a bomb I get mere seconds to flush it, and the ejection tubes don’t have any radar dots

Using the computer terminals brings up a map of the level, and holy shit it is big. A giant maze of lift shafts and dead ends, and this isn’t even all of it. The map scrolls.

Those purple things are the ejection tubes I’ll have to run to each time I find a bomb. There’s no way I’m going to remember where they are though.

DS9 Stories/News: Learning to Love Star Trek, Part 47: “Dax”

Source: http://scifiblock.com/features/blog/learning-to-love-star-trek-part-47-dax.htm

By Robert Ring, Tue, 11/30/2010 – 08:08

“Learning to Love Star Trek” is a weekly blog series by Sci-Fi Block Editor in Chief Robert Ring, begun January 1, 2010. In this series of blog posts, Robert is endeavoring to determine whether he can make a Star Trek fan out of himself through an exposure to a combination of episodes from Star Trek the Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation (Update: TNG has now been replaced with Deep Space Nine). Click here to read his introduction to the experiment.

Okay, we’re back to the good with “Dax.” This isn’t a great episode, but it’s pretty interesting, and it’s a lot better than the three that come before it. “Dax” focuses on the two halves of Jadzia Dax — Jadzia the human and Dax the symbiont living inside of her. While it feels more like a disguised explanation of who/what Jadzia, Dax, and Jadzia Dax are than a story-based episode, “Dax” is engaging enough to satisfy.

“Dax” starts off with a group of Klaesrons attempting to abduct Dax. The Deep Space Nine crew pulls them back in via tractor beam just in time, though, and we learn that they are not actually kidnapping her. They are taking her into their custody to be tried and executed for the murder of a war hero. It’s not Jadzia who did it, though; it’s the symbiont’s former host, Curzon. Sisko, who was close friends with Curzon Dax, naturally does not want to let her go. So, they have an informal trial on DS9. At the center of the trial is the attempt to determine who Jadzia Dax is. Is she purely Jadzia, playing host to a passive life form? Obviously not. Is she Dax, exercising complete control over the host, Jadzia? Maybe. Or is she a combination of the two, a new entity comprised of the minds of both individual organisms. Ding ding ding!

All the episode has going for it, really, is this search for the true identity of Jadzia Dax. If she’s Dax, the logic goes, she needs to go with the Klaesrons and be punished for her crimes. If she’s not only Dax, or if she’s a new combination of both minds, either half or all of her is innocent of the crime and thus doesn’t deserve to be punished. There’s a lot of back-and-forth between Sisko, who is essentially defending Jadzia, and Klaesron, who wants to arrest her. It is for the most part fun hearing them argue about who/what Jadzia is/isn’t, based on her current personality and the memories and traits she retains from the symbiont’s former hosts. It is this sort of questioning that ultimately leads us to ask what makes anyone who they are, not just symbiotic amalgams. In the end, we discover that when a symbiont bonds with a new host, even though it retains all its older memories, it becomes a new entity, melding its mind with the host for the duration of their life together.

I’m just sayin’, I’m really glad human heads didn’t evolve this way.

What may be even more interesting than the identity questioning here is Sisko’s overall response to the matter. He basically makes it clear that he wants to keep Jadzia from being arrested no matter what. Even if past legal cases of the same nature offer the precedent that current host/symbiont entities should be held responsible for a symbiont’s past actions, Sisko says that he has to figure out a way for her to be deemed innocent. Does Sisko’s loyalty to his friends outweigh his obligation to uphold justice? I don’t know yet, but the question hadn’t crossed my mind until this episode.

I’m disappointed in the way the episode ends, however. After all the debating, testifying, and expert opinion, we find out that Curzon Dax was never responsible for the crime in the first place. This was Deep Space Nine’s chance to allow its characters to come to a possibly controversial decision regarding the nature of symbiont/host identity, but they squeezed their way out of it. The worst part is that I’m not even sure why. The conclusion that everyone except the Klaestrons was definitely leaning toward would have meant that Jadzia Dax shouldn’t be held responsible for the events, so whatever the consequences, they would have been minor. By allowing Curzon Dax to have been innocent, though, the episode avoids carrying any moral consequence at all. Just to be safe next time, the Federation should probably come up with some laws regarding these things. I wonder why they hadn’t already.

So, an upswing in quality, but not an enormous upswing. “Dax” primarily works as a way to tell everyone just what and who Jadzia Dax is. It has some aesthetic merits, but it’s mainly exposition. I can deal with that. It’s nothing I’d probably care to go back and watch again, though.

DS9 Stories/News: Deep Space Comics & Fan Art (6)

While the Federation Alliance launches its final assault against the Dominion, Kira, Garak and Damar launch their own attack against Dominion Headquarters. Meanwhile, Winn and Dukat travel to the Fire Caves to release the Pah-wraith and the crew of Deep Space 9 prepare for great changes to their lives once the war ends.

Seven years ago, Benjamin Sisko took command of an alien space station newly christened Deep Space Nine. There he met Kira Nerys, Odo, Miles O’Brien, Quark, Worf, Julian Bashir, and many others who would touch his life deeply. He also found a new and troubling destiny as the long-awaited Emissary to the mysterious wormhole entities known as the Prophets.

Now, after years of triumph and tragedy, and a cataclysmic war that rocked the entire Alpha Quadrant, Captain Sisko and his valiant crew face their final challenge. No one is safe, nothing is certain, and not even the Prophets can predict the ultimate fate of Deep Space Nine!

Benjamin Sisko and his new crew take control of a former Cardassian space station and make a discovery that will change the galaxy.

Sisko and the crew take a new starship into the Gamma Quadrant to contact the Founders of the Dominion.

When a large Klingon fleet arrives at Deep Space 9 and refuse to clarify their intentions, Sisko enlists the help of Worf.

A novelization of the end of “Call to Arms“, all of “A Time to Stand” and “Rocks and Shoals” and most of Sons and Daughters.

A novelization of the end of “Sons and Daughters” and subsequent episodes “Behind the Lines“, “Favor the Bold” and Sacrifice of Angels.

Benjamin Sisko experiences another life where he is Benny Russell, a talented science fiction writer struggling against the racism of the 1950s.

Without warning, Benjamin Sisko is living another life. No longer a Starfleet captain, commander of space station Deep Space 9, he is Benny Russell, a struggling science fiction writer living in 1950s Harlem. Benny has a dream, of a place called Deep Space Nine and a man named Ben Sisko, and a story he has to tell. But is the Earth of that era ready for a black science fiction hero?

Tales of the Dominion War

For two seasons, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine chronicled the intense struggle of the Federation, fighting alongside the Klingons and the Romulans against the overwhelming forces of the Dominion in some of the most exciting hours of television ever produced.

Now, for the first time, see how the Dominion War affected the entirety of the Star Trek universe. From the heart of the Federation to the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. From the front lines of Klingon space to the darkest recesses of the Romulan Empire. From the heroic members of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers to the former crew of the USS Stargazer. From the edge of the New Frontier to the corridors of station Deep Space 9.

DS9 Stories/News: Deep Space Comics & Fan Art (5)

#1 is a comic book published by Wildstorm & released on 8//2000

Plot Summary

This comic picks up right after the last episode of the television series.  Nog is promoted to to Security Officer and finds the station has been sabotage and Miles O’Brien is responsible.  O’Brien is quickly arrested.  Meanwhile Quark has gone mad and stared giving all his money away in unsecured loans.  When he regains himself he quickly gets some money back from someone he loaned the money too.  The only problem is the person was murdered to get it.  This revolves around a Romulan Mos Senay who has built a lab on the station with the backing of Starfleet and he knows what is going on but Kira Nerys the station Commander won’t listen.

Miles O’Brien is in custody for sabotage and taken from Earth back to Deep Space Nine before he is even able to unpack.  Julian Bashir is determined to prove him innocent witch gets him in trouble with Tiris Jast and draws the interest of Mos Senay.  Meanwhile Quark falls into the plot deep than he ever wanted but knows no more than any of the officers.

Deep Space Nine has been turned upside down by an alien that can shape-shift and even recreate an evil Deep Space Nine space station.

The crew of Deep Space Nine have to rescue Quark from an evil version of their own space station.

#1 – Crossfire is a comic book published by Wildstorm & released on 7//2001

Plot Summary

Trill Officer on Enterprise

Things don’t look good for the Trill homeworld as a rebellion has devastated their society.  A small group of terrorists are attacking joined trills and there full intention seems to be killing everyone of them.  Odan a great ambassador and friend to many of the U.S.S. Enterprise E Crew has been attacked and Lenara Kahna renowned scientist and an old lover and wife of Dax is kidnapped and possibly murdered.Unknown about Khan’s situation Ezri Dax jumps into action to save her in a ransom demand.  What Ezri also doesn’t know is she is a target and the leader behind all this trouble is her old enemy.

Star Trek Timeframe

This comic takes place after the last episode of Deep Space Nine (DS9) and the Next Generation film Star Trek: Insurrection but before the Next Generation film Star Trek: Nemesis.  This is determined because Benjamin Sisko is no longer on the DS9 station and Data, William Riker, and Deanna Troi are still apart of the Enterprise crew.

Kareel Odan

The crossover between The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine continues. The search for the missing Ezri Dax gets some unexpected assistance from the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise E. But that aid may be too little too late, since Ezri’s kidnapping proves to be only one part of a worldwide conspiracy of genocide against all joined Trill.Meanwhile, Beverly Crusher, unaware of the plot, brings the Odan symbiont to the Caves of Mak’ala, which should be a healing place but, in fact, is a place where the Trill terrorists have set a bomb that could lead to the death of all Trill.  This issue ends in a perfect cliff hanger

#2 – No Quarter is a comic book published by Wildstorm & released on 8//2001

 Verad on Trill

The exciting crossover between Star Trek: The Next Generation® and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine® continues!  The truth about Verad Kalon‘s plot against joined Trill is revealed, and Ezri Dax turns out to be one of Verad’s first targets.  With a highly communicable airborne virus racing across the Trill world, Verad has infected himself and is spreading the disease all over the planet.  Then kills himself to keep the cure a secret.  Ezri is down for the count and the crew of U.S.S. Enterprise D has to come up with a solution before the Trill population is decimated?

#3 – All Fall Down is a comic book published by Wildstorm & released on 9//2001

#4 – United We Stand is a comic book published by Wildstorm & released on 10//2001

Geordi tries to save a Trill

The crossover between Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine concludes. Moving uninfected Trill into quarantine is a big, dangerous job.  Especially when it turns out that the quarantine locations just might be the most dangerous spots on the planet! That is because of the kamikaze ships crashing down on the planet targeting joined Trill.  Beverly Crusher comes up with a unique, and risky way to discover a cure for the retrovirus by joining with the symbiont Odan who is also a past lover.  This is done in order to save Ezri Dax and the rest of her people.

#1 – is a comic book published by IDW Publishing & released on 12//2009

One of the greatest and by far the most popular warrior in the Klingon Empire, Martok is a great warrior who rallies the vote of the people. He allowed Worf and Jadzia to join the house of Martok. Just before the end of the Dominion War, he became chancellor of the Klingon Council.

Quark runs a bar on Deep Space Nine. He is always looking for ways to make a profit.

Quark by Nightwing