"Explorers" is the twenty-second episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 3.
Benjamin Sisko builds and pilots a Bajoran lightship with Jake, while Bashir prepares for an encounter with a colleague who was first in their graduating class.
Summary
Commander Sisko returns to the station from Bajor and has brought back ancient drawings of Bajoran ships that were propelled by light pressure caught by solar sails, like sailing ships propelled by wind. Bajoran scholars believe that these ships could have reached other planets like Cardassia. Sisko plans to build one.
Chief O’Brien doesn’t think that such a ship could have made the journey to Cardassia, but Kira points out that the Cardassians say the same thing as well. Sisko starts to build the ship and in a few weeks it is ready. Jake initially doesn’t want to go, but after receiving a message from Earth he changes his mind.
Sisko and Jake sail the lightship.
Sisko and Jake launch the ship, and start their journey. Jake mentions that the message from Earth was from Pennington School in New Zealand who have offered him a writing fellowship. Their conversation is interrupted when a spritsail gives way and Sisko is forced to jettison it. They resume their conversation, and Jake comments that he plans to defer his admission to Pennington for a year. He is worried about leaving his father and would like him to start dating again.
The ship suddenly shakes and is propelled at warp speed, damaging it. Sisko thinks that they hit a tachyon eddy, and the tachyons hit the solar sails, propelling it to warp. They try to contact the station, but receive no reply. Sisko agrees to go on the date with the freighter captain and Jake still plans to defer the admission, but not as he is worried about his father, but to uses his experiences on the station to draw inspiration for his work.
Sisko sees several Cardassian ships approaching, and is contacted by Gul Dukat, who reveals that Sisko’s ship has entered the Cardassian star system. Sisko has proven that the ancient Bajorans did indeed reach Cardassia. Dukat is forced to reveal that an ancient crash site of a similar Bajoran ship was “recently” found. Sisko and Jake are welcomed with a light display.
Meanwhile on DS9, Quark's new dabo girl Leeta introduces herself to Bashir, who she has taken a liking too. Bashir, however, is too distracted, as he learns that the Lexington is to dock at the station. His classmate Elizabeth Lense, his school's valedictorian to his salutatorian, is the CMO of the Lexington. Lense however, doesn't recognise him, but admits she is jealous that she didn't take the DS9 assignment.
References
Characters
- Julian Bashir • Broik • Jadzia Dax • Skrain Dukat • Kira Nerys • Leeta • Elizabeth Lense • Morn • Miles O'Brien • Odo • Quark • Benjamin Sisko • Jake Sisko • Rita Tannenbaum
- Referenced only
- Leanne • Bruce Lucier • Nog • Keiko O'Brien • Jennifer Sisko • Joseph Sisko • Rebecca Sisko • Shelerib th'Zharath • Kasidy Yates
Locations
- Referenced only
- Bajor • Bajoran wormhole • Cardassia • Celestial Temple • Demilitarized Zone • San Francisco • New Orleans • New Zealand • Wellington
Starships
- Referenced only
- runabout
Races and cultures
- Bajoran • Cardassian • Changeling • Ferengi • Human • Lurian • Trill
States and organizations
- Referenced only
- Bajoran First Republic • Maquis • Pennington School • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Medical
Science and classification
- gravity network • ion storm • laser torch • PADD • photosynthesis • postganglionic nerve • preganglionic fiber • replicator • solar sail • tachyon eddy • t-cell • transporter
Other references
- 2367 • ancient contact • blueprint • dashiki • fairy tale • Fanalian toddy • hammock • New Year's Eve • sailing vessel • salutatorian • Scotch whisky • spritsail • star chart • Starfleet uniform • sublight • Swahili • synthale • three-dimensional chess • transporter credit • valedictorian
Appendices
Related media
- "Explorers" marks the first appearance of Chase Masterson as Leeta.
- From this episode onward, Sisko sports a goatee.
- Doctor Lense would go on to appear as a main character in the Star Trek: Corps of Engineers series, serving as the medical officer of the USS da Vinci.
- Akorem Laan would later use a Bajoran lightship in "Accession".
- The Star Trek: Terok Nor novel Day of the Vipers establishes that the Bajorans continued to use solar sails into the 24th century.
Background
Notable cast and crew
- Avery Brooks as Benjamin Sisko
- Nana Visitor as Kira Nerys
- Rene Auberjonois as Odo
- Alexander Siddig as Julian Bashir
- Terry Farrell as Jadzia Dax
- Armin Shimerman as Quark
- Marc Alaimo as Dukat
- Chase Masterson as Leeta
Images
Connections
Timeline
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous episode: The Die is Cast |
DS9 episode produced | Next episode: Family Business |
| Previous episode: The Die is Cast |
DS9 episode aired | Next episode: Family Business |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous Adventure: Faces |
Next Adventure: Jetrel | |
| Previous Adventure: The Die is Cast |
Deep Space Nine Adventures | Next Adventure: Family Business |
External links
- Explorers article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Explorers (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.