In the Hands of the Prophets (episode)

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"In the Hands of the Prophets"
DS9, Episode 1x20 Production number: 40511-420 First aired: 20 June 1993
←	19th of 173 produced in DS9	→
←	19th of 173 released in DS9	→
	{{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 173 released in DS9 Remastered
←	277th of 726 released in all	→
Written By Robert Hewitt Wolfe Directed By David Livingston
Unknown (2369)
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Orthodox Bajorans object to secular teachings about the wormhole in the station's school, causing tensions between fundamentalists and the Starfleet crew. (Season Finale)

Contents 1 Summary 2 Memorable Quotes 3 Background Information 3.1 Video and DVD releases 4 Links and References 4.1 Guest Stars 4.2 Special Guest Star 4.3 Co-Star 4.4 Uncredited Co-Stars 4.5 Uncredited stunt doubles 4.6 References 4.6.1 Other references 4.7 External links

[edit] Summary

Vedek Winn Adami, a Bajoran religious leader, visits Deep Space 9. She finds Keiko O'Brien's school, and denounces her for teaching about the Wormhole in a scientific way, instead of teaching the Bajoran religious view that the Wormhole is the Celestial Temple and the home of the Prophets. She called Keiko's teaching blasphemy, and drove a rift between the Bajorans on the station and Starfleet.

Ensign Aquino, an Engineer, fails to report for duty at the same time that an EJ-7 interlock is found to be missing from Chief O'Brien's toolbox. A blob of sludge is found in a power conduit on Level 12, Section 8, and analysis by Dr. Bashir reveals that it is the remains of both Ensign Aquino and the EJ-7 interlock. They had apparently been incinerated by a power surge while Aquino worked on the power conduit at 4 AM that morning.

Tension continues to mount between the Starfleet and Bajoran personnel about the station. Kira supports Vedek Winn's program for teaching Bajoran beliefs to the Bajoran children, and suggests creating two schools, one for Starfleet children and one for Bajorans. Sisko and Keiko reject the idea.

Bajoran merchants refuse to sell goods to Starfleet personnel, including Chief O'Brien. Keiko and Miles O'Brien meet Vedek Winn outside the school, where she has gathered a group of Bajoran parents and children. Vedek Winn attempts to negotiate: she will not object to Keiko teaching a non-spiritual viewpoint of the Wormhole, if Keiko simply does not teach about the Wormhole at all. Keiko replies that it is her job to open children's minds to knowledge, not to hide knowledge from them. Keiko asks if Vedek Winn will also object to teaching of evolution, and of the origin of the universe.

Vedek Winn leaves with the Bajoran contingent, and Keiko O'Brien teaches her remaining five students about Galileo, and how he was tried by the Inquisition for his belief that Earth revolved around the Sun. Jake Sisko makes the connection between the story of Galileo and current events on the station. He tells his father that the current controversy is stupid, and asks where the Bajorans get such ideas. Commander Sisko, however, points out that the Bajoran religion is quite reasonable in light of the Wormhole and the nature of the Prophets, counsels Jake to be tolerant of the beliefs of other cultures.

Sisko, attempting to heal the rift between Starfleet and the Bajorans on Deep Space Nine, seeks the support of another Bajoran Vedek: Vedek Bareil. Bareil, however, is not ready to announce his support of Sisko until elected as Kai.

Further analysis of Ensign Aquino's remains by Dr. Bashir reveals that Aquino was not killed by the discharge in the power conduit. Instead, Aquino had already been killed by phaser fire.

Odo goes to Quark for more information about the murder of Ensign Aquino, but this time Quark has no information for him. Odo complains to O'Brien that he is confused: "it is curious, he (the murderer) goes through a lot of trouble to defeat the security net, and then doesn't go through with his plans."

Just then, a bomb goes off in Keiko O'Brien's school. School was not in session, and no one was hurt. Sisko and several station personnel go to the school, where they are met and challenged by Vedek Winn. Impassioned speeches ensue.

O'Brien discovers a secret file lodged in Deep Space Nine's systems. With Dax's help, O'Brien decrypts the file (named "ANA"), and discovers that it contains the instructions to disable a series of force fields and create an escape route from the Promenade to one of the shuttles.

Vedek Bareil, having heard of the bombing of the school aboard Deep Space Nine, decides to go there and sue for peace with Vedek Winn.

O'Brien discovers that a security console in Odo's office has been tampered with. Suspicion falls on Neela, a Bajoran engineer that has been working closely with Miles O'Brien. Neela had repaired the security console several days earlier, and O'Brien realizes that she tampered with the security systems so that a weapon could be smuggled on to the Promenade.

O'Brien contacts Sisko, and informs Sisko of his suspicions. Sisko finds Neela drawing a phaser from her toolbox, and he charges through the crowd. He takes down Neela, and saves Vedek Bareil from the assassination attempt.

Odo drags Neela away, while Neela chants that "The Prophets spoke" and she "answered their call".

Although Kira knows that Vedek Winn was behind the assassination attempt, Sisko and Kira were unable to prove her involvement. However, Starfleet and the Bajorans, instead of being driven apart, come closer together as a result of the actions of Vedek Winn.

[edit] Memorable Quotes

"It is my philosophy that on this station there is room for all philosophies."

- Commander Sisko

"The Prophets teach us patience."
"It appears they also teach you politics."

- Bareil Antos and Commander Sisko

"What was he doing in a runabout at 4 in the morning?"
"Apparently, he was getting murdered."

- O'Brien and Odo

"Be careful who you share your jumja with."

- Keiko

"No, I don't teach Bajoran spiritual beliefs. That's your job. Mine is to open the children's minds to... history, to literature, to mathematics, to science."
"You are opening the children's minds-- to blasphemy. And I cannot permit it continue."

- Keiko and Vedek Winn

"Did you remember to re-initialize the isolinear co-processor?"
"I did it exactly like you showed me. Should I test it?"
"Eh, let me. You know us old folks, we like to feel useful."

- Miles O'Brien and Neela

"I'm not teaching any philosophy. What I'm trying to teach is pure science."
"Some might say pure science, taught without a spiritual context, is a philosophy, Mrs. O'Brien."

- Keiko and Kira

"I can't tell you how much I've looked forward to this moment."

- Vedek Winn (with her back turned), upon meeting Benjamin Sisko

"Not for sale, huh? How would you like a jumja stick up--"

- Miles O'Brien

"Seek the Prophets!"
"Seek them yourself."

- Jumja salesman and Odo

"You tell our sick Bajoran crewmen they'd better get well immediately, or they'll recover on their way to their next assignment."

- Benjamin Sisko

"You were looking for me? Don't tell me; there's a Bajoran convention on the station I didn't know about? Thanks Odo! I need to call in more Dabo girls."
"It's not a convention. They're from an orthodox spiritual order coming to support Vedek Winn's efforts to keep the Bajoran children out of school."
"Orthodox? In that case, I'll need twice as many Dabo girls. These spiritual types love those Dabo girls."

- Quark and Odo

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

- Benjamin Sisko, running for Neela

"It was all to get him here, wasn't it? The school, the protest, the bombing. You knew that would get him out of the monastery. You did it all to kill him-- to stop him from becoming kai."

- Kira, seeing the truth about Winn

[edit] Background Information

• This episode relates to the debate in American schools about the teaching of Evolution and Creationism in science classes. Specifically, the plot has parallels with the Scopes Trial.
• This episode marks the first appearances of Louise Fletcher as Winn Adami and Philip Anglim as Bareil Antos.
• As noted by Sisko, this episode takes place seven months after the events of "Emissary".
• When Miles O'Brien is trying to decode the ANA routine one of the sequences reads "GENE ROD", a reference to Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry. Another one of the sequences reads "NCC1 701," a reference to Star Trek's famous ship, the USS Enterprise.
• This is the first episode of Deep Space Nine to deal with the Bajoran religio-political system, something which would become increasingly more important as the series progressed. Writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe based this system on fifteenth and sixteenth century Catholicism, when the Pope was much more of a political figure than he is today, and different 'orders' all vied to have their candidate installed as Pope. (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) This system can perhaps be most clearly seen in action in the second season episode "The Collaborator".
• Referenced Ferengi Rules of Acquisition: #7 ("Keep your ears open")
• The computer graphic of the ANA program's sequential deactivating of forcefields was reused from "Dramatis Personae".
• In this episode, Vedek Winn claims to have spoken with the prophets, but in both "The Reckoning" and "'Til Death Do Us Part", she reveals that she had never spoken with them.
• In relation to the overriding theme of this episode, Robert Hewitt Wolfe has said, "I have a serious objection to people trying to impose their values on other people. And that's what this episode is about. No one has the right to force anyone to believe the things that they believe. That's one of the beautiful things about Gene Roddenberry's vision of IDIC (Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations), and that was one of the things that we really wanted to hammer home here. Sisko does everything not to impose his values on the Bajorans, but Vedek Winn is determined to impose her values on everyone." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)

[edit] Video and DVD releases

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 10, 10 January 1994.
• As part of the DS9 Season 1 DVD collection.

[edit] Links and References

[edit] Guest Stars

• Rosalind Chao as Keiko O'Brien
• Robin Christopher as Neela
• Philip Anglim as Bareil Antos

[edit] Special Guest Star

• Louise Fletcher as Winn Adami

[edit] Co-Star

• Michael Eugene Fairman as a Bajoran vendor

[edit] Uncredited Co-Stars

• Mark Allen Shepherd as Morn
• Robin Morselli as a Bajoran officer
• Mark Lentry as a command division officer
• Kevin Grevioux as a Security officer
• Randy James as Lieutenant Jones
• George Colucci as a male resident
• Buck McDancer as a Bajoran resident
• Brian Demonbreun as a Starfleet science officer
• Michael Zurich as a Bajoran security deputy

[edit] Uncredited stunt doubles

• Patricia Tallman as stunt double for Robin Christopher

[edit] References

Aquino; Bajoran; Bajoran religion; Bajoran transport; Bajoran wormhole; Blasphemy; Cardassian; Classroom; Emissary; Fusion reactor; Galilei, Galileo; gardener; Jumja stick; Inquisition; mathematics; Orb; Prophets; tetryon; Tritanium; verteron; vitamin C

[edit] Other references

Aldebaran; Alfa 177; Alpha Carinae; Alpha Centauri; Alpha Majoris; Altair VI; Andor; Ariannus; Arret; Babel; Benecia; Berengaria VII; Beta Aurigae; Beta Geminorum; Beta Lyrae; Beta Niobe; Beta Portolan; Bonaventure; Camus II; Canopus III; Capella; Daran V; Delta Vega; Deneb; Ekos; Eminiar; Fabrina; First Federation; Gamma Canaris N; Gamma Trianguli; Holberg 917G; Ingraham B; Janus VI; Kling; Kzin; Lactra VII; Makus III; Marcus XII; Marnak IV; Memory Alpha; Mudd; Omega IV; Omega Cygni; Organia; Orion; Pallas 14; Phylos; Pollux IV; Primary systems status report; Psi 2000; Pyris VII; Regulus; Remus; Rigel; Romulan Neutral Zone; Romulus; Sarpeid; Sirius; Sol; Talos; Tau Ceti; Theta III; Tholian Assembly; Vulcan; Zeon

[edit] External links

• In the Hands of the Prophets (episode) at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• In the Hands of the Prophets at Wikipedia

Previous episode: "Duet"

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Season 1

Next episode: "The Homecoming"