"Babel" is the fourth season 1 episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. A virus strikes the space station and prevents the inhabitants from communicating coherently. While Doctor Bashir tries to find a cure for the disease, Major Kira searches for its creators.

Summary[]

Chief O'Brien is overworked and when he fixes a replicator a hidden device is activated. The faulty replicator systems have affected Quark's business, so he illegally gains access to a room on the station where the replicators have been fixed. O’Brien meanwhile is starting to feel unwell and starts talking gibberish. Dr. Bashir diagnoses O’Brien as having developed aphasia but can find no cause. When Dax is affected as well, Bashir discovers that a virus is responsible.

More patients start to seek medical assistance, including Jake, so Commander Sisko orders a lockdown and quarantine of the station, The virus seems to have started in the food that Quark replicated, which has since spread and turned airborne. Kira finds the hidden device and suspects Cardassian involvement, but Bashir identifies the virus as of a Bajoran design. A friend of hers points her to Dekon Elig so she starts finding out more. Several patients, including O’Brien, take a turn for the worst. Bashir himself starts to show symptoms,

Kira learns that Dekon Elig is dead, but finds his associate Surmak Ren. Taking a runabout, she kidnaps a reluctant Surmak who, now infected too, will have to help find a cure. On DS9, Boslic freighter Captain Jaheel tries to undock his ship without permission and his attempt to flee damages his ship. Sisko himself develops the virus and collapses. Quark responds to a call for help and transports Odo to the airlock, where Odo saves Jaheel and blows the docking clamps, pushing Jaheel’s ship away from the station before it explodes nearby.

Surmak is able to find a cure and the antidote is administered to the station residents. Quark asks for hazard pay, while Sisko finds that the replicators are still putting out coffee that tastes bad.

References[]

Characters[]

Asoth • Julian Bashir • Galis Blin • Graham Davis • Jadzia Dax • Jabara • Jaheel • Jones (Lieutenant) • Kira Nerys • Morn • Nalan Bal • Miles O'Brien • Odo • Quark • Benjamin Sisko • Jake Sisko • Surmak Ren

Referenced only

Dekon Elig • Nog • Keiko O'Brien • Rom

Locations[]

Deep Space 9 (Denorios Belt, B'hava'el star system, Bajor sector, Beta Ursae sector block, the galaxy's Alpha Quadrant

Station locales[]

DS9

infirmary • operations center • Promenade • Quark's • station commander's office

Referenced only

Argosian sector • Bajor • Glessene sector • Ilvia • Kran-Tobal prison • Largo V • Velos VII

Races and cultures[]

Bajoran • B'kaazi • Boslic • Changeling • Ferengi • Human • Lurian • Trill

Referenced only

Cardassian

States and organizations[]

Bajoran Militia • Starfleet • United Federation of Planets

Referenced only

Bajoran Resistance • Higa Metar • Kohn-Ma

Science and technology[]

airlock • antimatter flow converter • aphasia • biofilter • cargo drone • corophizine • delta radiation • DNA • hyperonic radiation • interlock servo • fire-suppression system • genetic engineering • replicator • sahsheer

Other references[]

coffee • dabo • Ferengi Rules of Acquisition • I'danian spice pudding • Kohlanese stew • Occupation of Bajor • quarantine • starduster

Appendices[]

Related media[]

• Quark’s Ferengi saying “Never ask when you can take” was later established as Rule #52 of the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition.
• This episode features the first appearance of the Boslic race.
• The events of this episode would later be mentioned in the novels The Siege and Fallen Heroes.

Background[]

Notable cast and crew[]

• Avery Brooks as Benjamin Sisko
• Nana Visitor as Kira Nerys
• Rene Auberjonois as Odo
• Terry Farrell as Jadzia Dax
• Alexander Siddig as Julian Bashir
• Armin Shimerman as Quark
• Majel Barrett as the Starfleet computer voice
• Judi M. Durand as the Cardassian computer voice

Images[]

Episode image.

Jabara.

Jaheel.

Connections[]

Timeline[]

External links[]

• Babel (episode) article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
• Babel (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.