Body Parts (DS9 episode)
Encyclopedia
"Body Parts" is an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
, the 25th episode of the fourth season. It has an average fan rating of 4.1/5 on the official Star Trek website.
makes a trip to Ferenginar to get a physical, in order to get his life insurance
renewed. The physical reveals that he will die from a rare disease. In the usual Ferengi
manner, he auctions off his vacuum-desiccated remains on the Ferengi Futures Exchange, to raise money to pay off his debts.
After being on the market for a while, he gets a buyer at 500 bars of gold-pressed latinum, and sells them. A few hours later, he finds out that his medical exam was in error, and in fact he isn't going to die. He therefore cancels the arrangements he already made to pay his debts.
The next day the buyer of the vacuum-desiccated remains comes to his quarters on the station: it is his old adversary Brunt, from the Ferengi Commerce Authority. Brunt wants what he has already paid for: Quark's desiccated remains, no more, and no less. Quark explains that he isn't going to die, but Brunt already knows about the incorrect medical results. Brunt does not care: he still wants what he paid for. Quark thus faces the dilemma of either killing himself, or breaking a contract, thereby going against rule of acquisition No. 17 "a contract is a contract is a contract (but only between Ferengi)." Doing so would mean the end of Quark's business license and making him an outcast in Ferengi society.
In order to honour his contract, like a good Ferengi, he consults with Garak
, and hires Garak as an assassin to kill him. After looking at what Quark wants his death to be, Garak decides just to leave it a secret.
That night, Quark dreams about being in the Divine Treasury, and seeing Grand Nagus Gint, who tells him to break the contract, and that the rules of acquisition he made up were for marketing purposes; quoting them would sound bad if they were called "suggestions" of acquisition.
The next morning, he tells Brunt that he is breaking his contract. Announcing to everyone present, Brunt then revokes Quark's Ferengi business license, and liquidates Quark's business in its entirety, all Quark's personal assets, and all family assets.
Quark's close customers help him out by using his bar as a "storage facility" for all the items he needs to conduct business, and he is shortly back in business, with no contact with any Ferengi except his brother Rom
.
, Doctor Bashir
and Keiko O'Brien return to the station in a heavily damaged runabout. Fearing for his pregnant wife, Miles O'Brien
rushes to the Infirmary to find that, as a result of his wife's injuries, Miles's unborn son had been transplanted into Major Kira, as it was the only way to ensure his survival.
Kira has no problem with being a surrogate mother
, but Keiko and Miles are at first uncomfortable with the thought of another woman carrying their child. They eventually come to terms with it, and ask Major Kira to move in with them so they can be closer to the child.
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
, the 25th episode of the fourth season. It has an average fan rating of 4.1/5 on the official Star Trek website.
Main plot
QuarkQuark (Star Trek)
Quark is a fictional character in the American television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The character, which was played by Armin Shimerman, was depicted as a member of an extraterrestrial race known as the Ferengi, who are stereotypically ultra-capitalist and only motivated by...
makes a trip to Ferenginar to get a physical, in order to get his life insurance
Life insurance
Life insurance is a contract between an insurance policy holder and an insurer, where the insurer promises to pay a designated beneficiary a sum of money upon the death of the insured person. Depending on the contract, other events such as terminal illness or critical illness may also trigger...
renewed. The physical reveals that he will die from a rare disease. In the usual Ferengi
Ferengi
The Ferengi are a fictitious extraterrestrial race from the Star Trek universe. They first appeared in "The Last Outpost", the fifth episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987, during which they made first contact with the United Federation of Planets in 2364 on the planet Delphi Ardu,...
manner, he auctions off his vacuum-desiccated remains on the Ferengi Futures Exchange, to raise money to pay off his debts.
After being on the market for a while, he gets a buyer at 500 bars of gold-pressed latinum, and sells them. A few hours later, he finds out that his medical exam was in error, and in fact he isn't going to die. He therefore cancels the arrangements he already made to pay his debts.
The next day the buyer of the vacuum-desiccated remains comes to his quarters on the station: it is his old adversary Brunt, from the Ferengi Commerce Authority. Brunt wants what he has already paid for: Quark's desiccated remains, no more, and no less. Quark explains that he isn't going to die, but Brunt already knows about the incorrect medical results. Brunt does not care: he still wants what he paid for. Quark thus faces the dilemma of either killing himself, or breaking a contract, thereby going against rule of acquisition No. 17 "a contract is a contract is a contract (but only between Ferengi)." Doing so would mean the end of Quark's business license and making him an outcast in Ferengi society.
In order to honour his contract, like a good Ferengi, he consults with Garak
Elim Garak
Elim Garak is a fictional character from the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, in which he is portrayed by Andrew J. Robinson. In the series, Garak is an exiled spy from the Cardassian empire and a former member of a prestigious Cardassian intelligence group called the Obsidian Order...
, and hires Garak as an assassin to kill him. After looking at what Quark wants his death to be, Garak decides just to leave it a secret.
That night, Quark dreams about being in the Divine Treasury, and seeing Grand Nagus Gint, who tells him to break the contract, and that the rules of acquisition he made up were for marketing purposes; quoting them would sound bad if they were called "suggestions" of acquisition.
The next morning, he tells Brunt that he is breaking his contract. Announcing to everyone present, Brunt then revokes Quark's Ferengi business license, and liquidates Quark's business in its entirety, all Quark's personal assets, and all family assets.
Quark's close customers help him out by using his bar as a "storage facility" for all the items he needs to conduct business, and he is shortly back in business, with no contact with any Ferengi except his brother Rom
Rom (Star Trek)
Rom is a recurring character on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is played by Max Grodénchik.Rom is a Ferengi, the son of Keldar and Ishka. He is Quark's younger brother, and the father of Nog.-Overview:...
.
Sub-plot
While this is all going on, Major KiraKira Nerys
Kira Nerys , played by Nana Visitor, is a main character in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.-Backstory:Per Bajoran custom, her family name, Kira, precedes her given name, Nerys. She has two brothers , and her parents' names are Kira Taban and Kira Meru...
, Doctor Bashir
Julian Bashir
Lieutenant Julian Subatoi Bashir, M.D., played by Alexander Siddig, is a main character in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Bashir is the chief medical officer of space station Deep Space Nine and the USS Defiant.-Overview:...
and Keiko O'Brien return to the station in a heavily damaged runabout. Fearing for his pregnant wife, Miles O'Brien
Miles O'Brien (Star Trek)
Miles Edward O'Brien, played by Colm Meaney, is Chief of Operations in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Before DS9, he appeared as a recurring transporter chief in Star Trek: The Next Generation...
rushes to the Infirmary to find that, as a result of his wife's injuries, Miles's unborn son had been transplanted into Major Kira, as it was the only way to ensure his survival.
Kira has no problem with being a surrogate mother
Surrogacy
Surrogacy is an arrangement in which a woman carries and delivers a child for another couple or person. This woman may be the child's genetic mother , or she may carry the pregnancy to delivery after having an embryo, to which she has no genetic relationship whatsoever, transferred to her uterus...
, but Keiko and Miles are at first uncomfortable with the thought of another woman carrying their child. They eventually come to terms with it, and ask Major Kira to move in with them so they can be closer to the child.
Arc significance
- Quark's business license is revoked. He can no longer do business with other Ferengi in any way.
- A runabout accident injures Keiko. She recovers, but her baby must be transplanted into Kira, who will carry it to term.