"Prophet Motive" is an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It was the sixteenth episode of the show's third season and the 62nd overall. It first aired during the week of 20 February 1995. The episode was written by Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe and directed by Rene Auberjonois.
After the Grand Nagus rewrites the Rules of Acquisition, Quark and Rom attempt to find the reason for Zek's odd behaviour before Zek's changes upend Ferengi society.
Summary
Grand Nagus Zek returns to Deep Space 9 and forces Quark out of Quark’s quarters to work. Zek eventually reveals that he was revised the Ferengi Rules of Acqusition, but Quark is shocked that they are altruistic and that one states that “greed is dead”. Zek’s personality has changed too, and he even sets up a benevolent association and makes Rom his senior administrator.
Quark learns that Zek recently came into possession of an orb and plans to hand it over to the Bajorans free of charge. Quark thinks that the orb is the cause of Zek’s bizarre changes. Zek entered the wormhole to meet with the Prophets and find out what they know about the future, but the Prophets must have changed Zek somehow. To find out what, and to reverse the changes, Quark kidnaps Zek and takes him into the wormhole aboard Zek’s shuttle. Quark meets with the Prophets, who explain that they found Ferengi attitudes confusing and dangerous and so changed Zek to that of a more benevolent Ferengi from a time many years in their past. Quark is able to convince the Prophets to restore Zek, promising that they will not be bothered by any Ferengi again. Zek, restored, plans to make the Bajorans pay for the orb and has Quark and Rom destroy all copies of the revised Rules of Acquisition. Quark is impressed that Rom embezzled money from Zek.
Elsewhere on DS9, Dr. Bashir is nominated for the prestigious Carrington Award for medicine, but he doesn’t think that he has much of a chance. Some of the more popular nominations appear to lose their chance of winning, boosting Bashir’s hopes, but he ultimately loses.
References
Characters
- Julian Bashir • Broik • Jadzia Dax • Emi • Kira Nerys • Maihar'du • Morn • Miles O'Brien • Odo • Quark • Rom • Benjamin Sisko • Rita Tannenbaum • Zek • Bashir Prophet • Dax Prophet • Emi Prophet • Kira Prophet • Maihar'du Prophet • Rom Prophet • Sisko Prophet • "Medical Bigshot" of the Federation Medical Council
- Referenced only
- Curzon Dax • Ishka • Keldar • Nog • Keiko O'Brien • Ghee P'Trell • Henri Roget • Senva • April Wade
Locations
- Bajoran wormhole • Celestial Temple • Deep Space 9 • docking ring • habitat ring • infirmary • operations center • Promenade • Quark's • station commander's office • wardroom
- Referenced only
- Altair IV • Andoria • Bajor • Cardassia III • Ferenginar • Sacred Marketplace • Tower of Commerce • Nairobi • Vulcan
Starships and vehicles
Races and cultures
- Bajoran • Bolian • Changeling • Emi's species • Ferengi • Human • Hupyrian • Lurian • Prophets • Trill
- Referenced only
- Pakled
States and organizations
- Referenced only
- Central Hospital of Altair IV • Federation Medical Council • Starfleet Intelligence • University of Nairobi
Science and technology
- PADD • replicator • reverse-ratcheting routing planer • self-sealing stembolt • solar flare • starbase • stasis • subspace
Other references
- agriculture • Aldebaran whiskey • barley • Carrington Award • cargo bay • champagne • chirurgeon • darts • devolution • doctor • Ferengi Rules of Acquisition • Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance • healer • Hupyrian beetle snuff • Kohlanese barley • latinum • millipede juice • non-corporeal lifeform • oo-mox • orb • Orb of Wisdom • racquetball • Saurian brandy • tongo • tooth sharpener • Trixian bubble juice
Appendices
Related media
- The episode marks the second appearance of the Prophets after "Emissary".
- Footage from the DS9 episode: "The Search, Part I" and the DS9 episode: "Rules of Acquisition" is used to represent Quark's memories when he encounters the Prophets.
- The 34th Rule depicts the events leading up to the return of the Orb of Wisdom to the Bajorans.
- The Carrington Award has since been mentioned in other stories, with Chris Pike and Leonard McCoy among those who have received it.
- Information about this episode is presented consistently in the third and fourth volumes of the ST reference: The Star Trek Encyclopedia.
Background
Notable cast and crew
Quark
- 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
- Max Grodénchik as Rom
- Juliana Donald as Emi
Images
Connections
Timeline
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous episode: Destiny |
DS9 episode produced | Next episode: Visionary |
| Previous episode: Destiny |
DS9 episode aired | Next episode: Visionary |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous Adventure: Eye of the Needle |
Next Adventure: Ex Post Facto | |
External links
- "Prophet Motive" article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Prophet Motive (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.