DS9 Stories/News: DS9 Stories/News: The Best of the Trek BBS DS9 Conversations (2): Deep Space Nine FAQ

Source: http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=28304

Deep Space Nine What We Left Behind, we will always have here.

Deep Space Nine FAQ

Q: What is the Deep Space Nine Relaunch?
A series of books that began in 2001 and continues the series beyond “What You Leave Behind”. The name refers to a relaunch of the DS9 novels.The following is a list of the main titles in chronological order:The Left Hand of Destiny, Books One & Two
The Lives of Dax
Avatar, Books Ones &Two
Section 31: Abyss
Gateways #4: Demons of Air and Darkness
Gateways #7: What Lay Beyond: “Horn and Ivory”
Mission Gamma #1: Twilight
Mission Gamma #2: This Gray Spirit

Mission Gamma #3: Cathedral
Mission Gamma #4: Lesser Evil
Rising Son (actually takes place from “Avatar” through “Lesser Evil”)
Unity
Worlds of Deep Space Nine, Books One, Two & Three (to be released in 2004/05)

Note that in publication order the series starts with “Avatar”. “The Left Hand of Destiny” was released after “Rising Son”; “The Lives of Dax” several years earlier as trade paperback and reprinted as massmarket paperback together with “Rising Son”.

For a more comprehensive timeline that also includes many secondary titles, see this thread:
http://www.trekbbs.com/threads/showf…=5&o=7&fpart=1

4.) Miscellaneous

Q: What’s up with O’Brien’s rank?
He is enlisted, or a non-commissioned officer. That means he has special technical training, but didn’t take the more extensive courses required for officers. His rank was specified as “Chief Petty Officer” in “Hippocratic Oath”.
Technically an ensign outranks him, but because of his experience and long service time junior officers usually follow his orders.
The confusion about his rank has two main sources. Firstly he was referred to as Lieutenant early in TNG when the writers didn’t know what to do with the character. But in “Family” he was firmly established as NCO. Secondly his rank insignia was a hollow black pip early, which can be mistaken. That’s why he got a new insignia with chevrons in DS9’s fourth season.

Q: Why does Thomas Riker become so angry at O’Brien in “Defiant”?
The following is conjecture, but it’s the most common answer you get when you ask the question.

O’Brien is a talkative person who likes to chat about old times with past acquaintances, as seen in Tribunal or with Worf in general for example. So Thomas Riker couldn’t allow himself to get caught in a discussion with O’Brien and risk the possibility of events coming up in conversation that he didn’t experience. Acting in such a brash manner and sending O’Brien off the bridge was an effective way to avoid that.

O’Brien wouldn’t question a superior officer in front of his XO. He clearly had a reaction to Riker’s strange behavior when he left the airlock, but he didn’t act on it. Riker hijacked the Defiant shortly after, so the diversion didn’t need to last for long. By the time O’Brien might have become suspicious, the plan was already implemented. O’Brien might have made the connection when the Defiant’s warpcore became critical. But given the choice between a matter/anti-matter explosion next to the docking ring and following an unproven suspicion, safeguarding the station should always have priority.

Q: What’s wrong with Sisko’s combadge in “Rapture”?
It seems that Avery Brook’s uniform was either tailored incorrectly or he used one from “First Contact” that didn’t fit him. The combadge is in the correct place on his breast, but the uniform’s grey shoulder area was too large for him.

Q: What are the names of the Orbs of the Prophets?
There are nine original Orbs, plus a previously unknown Orb of the Emissary.
Established on TV:
1. Orb of Prophecy and Change
2. Orb of Wisdom
3. Orb of Time
4. Orb of Contemplation
Established in the novels:
5. Orb of Memory
6. Orb of Destiny
7. Orb of Truth
8. Orb of Souls
9. Orb of Unity

Q: What are the songs James Darren sang on the show?
You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You: His Way
Come Fly With Me: His Way
I’ve Got You Under My Skin: His Way
Here’s To The Losers: Tears Of The Prophets
All The Way: Image In The Sand
I’ll Be Seeing You: It’s Only A Paper Moon
It’s Only A Paper Moon: It’s Only A Paper Moon
I’ve Got The World On A String: It’s Only A Paper Moon
The Alamo: Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang
The Best Is Yet To Come: Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang
The Way You Look Tonight: What You Leave Behind

After the show ended James Darren recorded a album called “This One’s From the Heart” that includes some of these songs, as well as a few others.

Q: What is the origin of Alexander Siddig’s name and why did he change his name midway through the series?

The origin of Sid’s name:
Siddig El Fadil is Sid’s western name. It’s the name on all the official documents, etc. El means “son of,” Fadil (pronounced Fah-dill). Fadil is actually Sid’s paternal grandfather. Siddig (pronounced Sih-Dig) is actually his paternal great grandfather. Sid’s parents didn’t actually choose the name for him… the elder women of the town Sid was born in (Omdurman) actually chose the name.

There are no “family” names per se in middle eastern culture. If Sid were to have a true family name, it would probably be Mahdi, Mahdi being the name of the famous Sudanese Holy man who fought the English during the Sudan campaigns in the 1800s (that’s Sid’s great great grandfather).

Siddig’s birth name is the following:
Siddig El Tahir El Fadil El Siddig El Abderahman El Mohammed Ahmed El Abdel Karim El Mahdi.

When Sid’s mother moved him to England, they chose El Fadil as his surname.

Why Sid changed his name:
The reason for this was two-fold:

1) Sid’s mother had always wanted to give him a part Arab, part European name. Since people were clearly having problems with Sid’s name, he decided to change his name.

2) At the time he was also fighting with Viacomm over merchandising rights and thought changing his name would be a great way to stick it to them, because all the merchandise would have to be changed. He actually considered changing it every season. Thank god for the cool heads who told him it was a bad idea (one of them being his girlfriend at the time, Nana Visitor).

Q: Which runabouts were destroyed when during the show?

Battle Lines: Yangtzee Kiang (replaced by Orinoco)
Armageddon Game: Ganges (replaced by Mekong)
The Die is Cast: Mekong (replaced by Rubicon)
Our Man Bashir: Orinoco (replaced by Yukon)
The Ship: unnamed
Nor the Battle to the Strong: unnamed
The Ascent: crashed but probably recovered, possibly Rio Grande
By Inferno’s Light: Yukon
Empok Nor: unnamed
Valiant: Shenandoah
Penumbra: Gander

Only the Rio Grande survived from beginning to end.
All runabouts are named after Earth rivers. The ship class is called Danube class.
The Gander was originally supposed to be the Ganges, but then someone remembered that this name was already used. So it was dubbed over with a similar name.

Q: What are the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition?
The Rules of Acquisition are a strict codex of behavior every Ferengi is bound to. Quoting all 285 rules here would be too much, so just follow this link:
http://ds9encyclopedia.0catch.com/rules.htm

Q: Why does DS9 have a 26 hour day?
The station is Bajoran property and uses a the local timekeeping system parallel to Federation stardates. Bajor rotates around its axis within 26 instead of 24 hours, so its days are longer.
That is the reason why characters think of 2 days in 52 hours or 3 days in 78 hours. Sometimes you might also catch a reference to suspiciously late dinner times (for Earth standards).

Q: Links to DS9 related websites:
DS9 Encyclopedia & Lexicon: http://ds9encyclopedia.0catch.com/
Jammer’s reviews: http://www.st-hypertext.com/
Avatar website (DS9 Relaunch): http://www.angelfire.com/trek/avatar/main.html
Music videos: http://www.lcarscom.net/vicslounge.htm

Official websites:
Alexander Siddig (SidCity): http://www.sidcity.net/
James Darren: http://www.jamesdarren.com/
Chase Masterson: http://www.chasemasterson.com/
Nana Visitor : http://www.nanavision.com/
Casey Biggs: http://www.caseybiggs.com/index.html
Robert Hewitt Wolfe: http://www.rhwolfe.com/
Mark Allen Shepherd: http://garrisonent.com/morn/
Jeffrey Combs: www.jeffreycombs.com

DS9 Stories/News: Deep Space Comics & Fan Art (2)

#6 is a comic book published by Marvel & released on 4//1997

#7 is a comic book published by Marvel & released on 5//1997

#12 – Telepathy War, Part 2: Command Decisions is a comic book published by Marvel & released on 12//1997

#13 – Telepathy War, Part 4: Day of Honor is a comic book published by Marvel & released on 1//1998

#14 – Nobody Knows the Tribbles I’ve Seen is a comic book published by Marvel & released on 2//1998

#15 – Requiem in Obsidian is a comic book published by Marvel & released on 3//1998

#0 – Limited Edition Preview is a comic book published by Malibu & released on None//1993

#1 – Stowaway, Part One is a comic book published by Malibu & released on 8//1993

#2 – Stowaway, Part Two is a comic book published by Malibu & released on 9//1993

#3 – Old Wounds is a comic book published by Malibu & released on 10//1993

#4 – Emancipation, Part One is a comic book published by Malibu & released on 11//1993

#5 – Emancipation, Part Two is a comic book published by Malibu & released on 12//1993

#6 – Field Trip is a comic book published by Malibu & released on 1//1994

Plot Summary

 A Deep Space Nine school class trip goes bad as the transport is damaged by enemy forces.

#7 – Working Vacation is a comic book published by Malibu & released on 2//1994

#8 – Requiem, Part One is a comic book published by Malibu & released on 3//1994

#9 – Requiem, Part Two is a comic book published by Malibu & released on 4//1994

#10 – Descendants is a comic book published by Malibu & released on 5//1994

#11 – A Short Fuse is a comic book published by Malibu & released on 6//1994

#12 – Baby on Board is a comic book published by Malibu & released on 7//1994

#13 – Lapse is a comic book published by Malibu & released on 8//1994

#14 – Dax’s Comet, Part One is a comic book published by Malibu & released on 9//1994

#15 – Dax’s Comet, Part Two is a comic book published by Malibu & released on 10//1994

#16 – Shanghaied is a comic book published by Malibu & released on 11//1994

DS9 Stories/News: Learning to Love Star Trek, Part 42: “Babel”

Source: http://scifiblock.com/features/blog/learning-to-love-star-trek-part-42-babel.htm

By Robert Ring, Tue, 10/26/2010 – 10:02

“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.

“Babel” marks the first Deep Space Nine episode that I don’t care for. Whereas the previous episodes have been character-oriented, this one goes back to a technique that I have seen too much in The Original Series and The Next Generation: presenting a problem with no goal other than trying to convince people the characters face a true threat, and then finding a way to pull those characters out safely in the end. There is some character development here, but the vast majority of the episode is concerned with its fake-out scare. Everyone on Deep Space Nine is at risk of dying from a disease. Will they make it out alive? It’s the fourth episode of the series, what do you think?

While running himself ragged trying to fix all of DS9’s many faulty contraptions, Miles O’Brien suddenly finds himself unable to form sentences. As Julian Bashir soon discovers, O’Brien accidentally triggered a hidden device that let loose a manmade aphasia-inducing virus. Before long, everyone is infected, the station is put on lockdown, Kira Nerys abducts the one man who might be able to find a cure, and Quark and Odo, showing immunity to the virus, are left to try to handle things on their own until everyone gets better — or, as the writers probably wanted us to think, if everyone gets better. Oooooh.

There’s really not a lot to say about this aspect of the episode, which is its bulk. The first half is spent trying to figure what’s happening, and the second half is spent trying to fix the problem. There’s no tension because we know everyone’s going to be okay. I find little artistic merit in this plot. I’m sure people will make the argument that this is a story about viral warfare and the consequences of using weapons that can affect innocents years after they were meant to be used, like a landmine story set in future space world. But if that is the case, the message is trite: Weapons that can harm innocents are bad. Or, equally as simplistic, viral warfare is bad. It doesn’t give us any new understanding of the issues at hand.

I do like the little bit of development given to Odo and Quark, however. They’re like enemies that like each other, or friends with an inexorable competitive streak. They’re both always trying to best the other, but they have an unwavering respect for each other at the same time. We see this first when Odo shows some amusement at the prospect of Quark having to shut down his bar but no less than a minute later stands up for the guy when a customer force feeds Quark some soup to prove how bad it tastes. In the end, Quark and Odo are the only people on DS9 capable of running its systems while everyone else has been infected by the virus, and they work together quite happily. Quark even shows genuine concern for Odo’s wellbeing. It’s nice to see two “enemies” that act more like overly competitive brothers than adversaries that simply hate each other under every circumstance.

This is a brief post, but that’s all there is to say about this episode. For the most part, it just isn’t effective. Even plots like this can occasionally work if you use them for something other than trying to manufacture tension, but the premise here is flat all around. The redeeming qualities are tangential and few.

DS9 Stories/News: That’s What He Said, Ira Steven Behr (2)

During his time as DS9 writer and executive producer, Ira Steven Behr had been in contact with fans via AOL postings. An archive of these postings has been hosted on a Geocities page, which is about to be closed before the end of the year.

Because of this, Memory Alpha is hosting these postings, which were originally provided as .txt files, as-is. Below is the introductory paragraph of the archive page, followed by links to the individual postings. Please note that the posting pages are protected, and should not be edited.

Star Trek: Continuum Chat With Ira Steven Behr – Sept. 30, 1997

…………..

STC: Ted Nichols asks, What is your most embarrassing moment, since you’ve been involved with DS9?

Ira Behr: I guess the most embarrassing moment which has now lasted about six years would have to be the ever-shrinking ratings. At least this used to bother me quite a bit. Actually, now I’ve become perversely attuned to it. I find that DS9 is a cult within a cult… or perhaps “cult” is a bad word in today’s environment… oh well, you know what I mean. Everyone wants to be loved by as many people as possible and it took me a long time to realize that DS9 was not going to be everyone’s taste.

I think TNG proved confusing to all of us. Star Trek suddenly became a mainstream entity where the original series was a fringe show, TNG was much more viewer friendly. It was a very safe, very clean show.

There was no real threat that its characters could not handle. It was, indeed, an easy show to embrace. DS9 has always been quirkier. It doesn’t necessarily make you feel that all is right with the world… it is not Connecticut

STC: Trey asks, I would like to say that I respect and appreciate how you have made DS9 a unique part of the Star Trek Universe. In fact, DS9 was what rekindled my interested in Star Trek. There are many out there, a few of whom I know personally that don’t like the direction that you, the producers have taken this show? Do these kind of opinions discourage you in any way, or do you take it in stride like I do? Thanks for the enjoyable past 5 years!

Ira Behr: I know in the past I’ve said things that have made it sound like I have a contentious relationship with the fans…

I don’t think that’s accurate but I do believe that trying to please the many diverse types of fans that make up the DS9 audience would be a futile task. There are fans that only like the action shows… there are fans that like the Bajoran shows… Fans that like the Klingons shows… Fans that only like the Lesbian Shows

Fans that only like the Lesbian Shows... & apparently Ira is one of them!

Fans that only like the shows that feature SPAM… There is no way we can please them all. Again this is not like TNG which basically did the same kind of show (i.e.. exploration, exploring strange, new whatevers) each week. So basically, we have to make the decision that we (meaning the writers/producers) are going to guide the show. It doesn’t mean that we don’t want to please the fans, or we don’t hear the fans…

But it does mean that we can’t let the fans unduly influence us because if we did, we run the risk of only doing Lesbian shows and then stations might cancel us

Oh, Ira and His Sense of Humor!!!

STC: WSHart asks, Do you ever get a chance or even care to watch the “competition” like B5 or X-Files or even Voyager — or Herc & Xena?

Ira Behr: The fact is I’d rather read a book or watch a laser disc than watch television. This sounds pretentious, I know but it’s the truth. But if I did watch a TV show, it definitely would not be any of those mentioned above. I spend my life thinking about DS9, science fiction, space opera, whatever you want to call it and watching Herc or Xena is not my idea of relaxing.

STC: Alan Cooper says, I’ve noticed, as you said, that all of the characters on DS9 have gone through massive changes character-wise. Bashir went from somewhat annoying glory hound to a great character and Rom went from being a nobody to being a major character. Were these transitions at all planned or did you feel your way along as you go?

Ira Behr: I don’t know if you can say they were planned… but I do think that from the very beginning of the series, the writers have been very interested in exploring the characters. So, I guess you could say that we do feel our way as we go along but at least we know we’re on a road we want to travel.

STC: Keinbert asks, Do you like Villains more than heroes?

Ira Behr: That’s a little simple. I think I like characters who surprise me and I think DS9 is full of those. The one thing I will say about the Villains of DS9, they’re much more verbal than the heroes which makes them a lot of  fun to write. They can spew words with great elan and I sure as hell don’t look like Paul Schaffer… get your eyes checked!

STC: Keinbert asks, How many episodes do you write a year?

Ira Behr: Usually I’ll co-write about eight a year and rewrite a bunch of others without taking credit. This year has been especially busy and I think I’ve written or rewritten six out of the first ten episodes. Of course, I would’ve written more if I didn’t have that Letterman gig.

STC: Chris Fisher asks, You have written many episodes, which are you’re favorite and will you be doing more?

Ira Behr: It’s a tough question… Among those that I have a special fondness for “The Nagus”, “Past Tense”, “Call to Arms” and “Duet”. “Duet” was a rewrite that I did with Peter Allan Fields… it still ranks up there as one of my favorite Star Trek moments.

STC: Alan Cooper asks, Are there any episodes in particular that you wish you could go back and refine further?

Ira Behr: Obviously my first response is: ALL OF THEM

On a TV schedule there’s always room for improvement but if I had to choose one, it would have to be “Let He Who Is Without Sin”, it was supposed to be a show that looked at 24th Century morals and sexuality. We pretty much failed on both counts.

STC: Trey asks, With the Dominion war going on and the crew being separated, does it make it difficult at times to give all the characters enough “Screen Time”?

Ira Behr: Doing the sex episode arc was VERY difficult. Keeping all the characters serviced was a tap dance that seemed to go on forever. But I think the end result is worthwhile. Ultimately it will be the fans that will let us know if it is or not.

STC: Tedd Nichols asks, What is your favorite Motto or Quote?

Ira Behr: It’s from the Beckett novel “The Unnameable”, I can’t go on. You must go on. I’ll go on.

STC: Scott S asks, What are the chances of Rom and Leeta having a child?

Ira Behr: As of two weeks ago, Max Grodenchick and Chase Masterson are still arguing. Whether or not Rom and Leeta have had sex yet. So I think a child is a bit premature. Personally, I’m leaning toward Max’s point of view. Rom may be an idiot but he’s not that big of an idiot

STC: Dax asks, All I have to say is the season premiere was amazing and I hope you have a big wedding planned for Worf and Dax

Ira Behr: Thank you. And indeed we do

STC: Kes asks, Have you ever, or would you ever consider doing a cameo appearance on the show?

Ira Behr: Actually, I play Morn.

Marc Shephard is just an actor I’ve hired to confuse the fans at conventions… but don’t tell anyone… it’s a secret…

STC: LarryN asks, Have you ever dallied with the idea of having Q or even Vash, back on the station? Or any other “old” guest roles?

Ira Behr: I don’t foresee Q being back on the show. To me, his relationship with Picard was gold and I don’t think we can top it. As for Vash, I’d like to see her back but so far inspiration has not struck.

STC: Starfleet7 asks, What is your new book about?

Ira Behr: “Legends of the Ferengi” is a compendium of stories, folklore, songs, articles, obituaries and outright lies that explain and define various Rules of Acquisitions.

Read this book and you may not increase your profit margin (or mine for that matter) but you will smile. And after all, what could be better than a smile!

TRUE, SO TRUE IRA

:-)

If you don’t believe me, ask Red Skelton… Oh, you can’t… He’s dead

So I guess you’ll just have to take my word for it

STC: Loctus asks, I just wanted to say that I started watching DS9 in its fourth season and I have been in love ever since. I think you guys are doing a wonderful job and especially you Ira. I personally think that DS9 is better than TNG. Let the insults fly but really you guys do a superb job and I wish you good luck on many more seasons of wonderful shows

Ira Behr: Your insight, wit and superior intellect are beacons that light the darkness that surround so much of our lives here at the end of 20th Century. I know I speak for all of us, not only on Star Trek but at Paramount, Melrose Avenue, Greater Los Angles, Southern California, the Western United States and the United States Postal Service when I say to you…

Good night and God Bless…

Oh no.. That was Red Skelton, not me. I though he was dead.

I must’ve been thinking about Burgess Meredith

STC: Alan Copper asks, Being completely honest, what re the chances of a fan’s script/story idea being used in DS9?

Ira Behr: At this point, DS9 is closed to outside submissions. At best, the show’s only going to go for another year and a half and the backlog is already huge. I know that’s not what you want to hear but I’m afraid that’s where we’re at.

STC: Berserker asks, Is there really an episode about Morn? And will he speak, or will it be some sort of dream thing where he doesn’t talk at all?

Ira Behr: There will be an episode about Morn in which much will be learned about our favorite barfly but you won’t be hearing it from him.

STC: 1hp aks, I love Moogie. Is he coming back this year?

Ira Behr: Moogie will be back this year. Andrea Martin was going to reprise the role but had to drop out at the last minute.

STC: Kinloks V asks, Ira, Thank you so much for spending your valuable time with us here on CONTINUUM! I look forward to this new season of DS9 (It kicks Voyager Butt, BTW!) and want to know if you find it a challenge to make your episodes accessible to a casual viewer who may not know the rich detail and background on the world you’ve created?

Ira Behr: You’ve touched on a problem that has given me pause for the last two years. DS9 can seem daunting to a new viewer. Unlike most TV shows, we do tend to build on what’s come before but I do believe, or at least want to believe, that the individual episodes are entertaining enough to pull a viewer in. Once we get them interested, there are many ways (Videos, Reruns… etc) for them to catch up.

STC: Gleknar asks, How tall are you?

Ira Behr:

I am a giant who doth bestride the world like a Colossus

REALLY? IRA???

STC: Bones1701 asks, Is it just me, or have you purposefully been getting old TOS guest starts on DS9? Like space hippie Adam for the general in Little Green Men?

Ira Behr: We tried to get Robert Walker Jr. This year but he’s not interested in renewing his acting career. I am trying to get Iggy Pop on the show. I know he wasn’t on the original series but I just want to give a plug to Iggy.

Ira & Iggy Pop

After all, Iggy truly does bestride the world like a Colossus. If he does do the show, He’ll be playing a Vorta.

And I, for one, would be very happy

STC: ItsAMystique asks, Ira, Do you intend to beat Jeri Ryan’s three hour plus CONTINUUM chat record? If so let me know so I can order in dinner. Thanks.

Ira Behr: Thank you and drive home safely. I guess this is as good a time to call it quits.

My kids are waiting for me to put them to bed. My wife is waiting to hear me complain about my day.

This has been a real pleasure.

The guys here at Star Trek CONTINUUM have been great. The questions have exceeded my expectations. We hope to give you the best season of DS9 yet. If we fail, it won’t be through lack of trying. So, keep watching… and read a goddam book once in a while (Even if it’s not one of mine)

And finally, yes this is really is me!

Goodbye Ira

STC: We’d like to thank Ira Steven Behr for joining us here tonight. We’re looking forward to the upcoming exciting season of Deep Space Nine!

Thank you all very much for participating in tonight’s special event!

Remember to watch the season premiere of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine this week. Check your local listings for day and time.