Secrets of the "Deep Space Nine" Characters Quiz

Answer: Julian was genetically enhanced

Just before Julian's seventh birthday, the Bashir family went to Adigeon Prime, where genetic surgeries were performed. He was given treatments, known as "accelerated critical neural pathway formation," that resequenced his DNA. Over two months, his genetic structure was manipulated to accelerate the growth of neuronal networks in his cerebral cortex, and a new Julian Bashir was created.

The focus of his enhancements were to increase his mental abilities, which increased his IQ five points a day for over two weeks. Other treatments led to improvements in his hand-eye coordination, reflexes, vision, stamina, height, and weight.

Genetic augmentation of this kind was illegal in the Federation since the Eugenics Wars, so the Bashirs kept Julian's enhancements secret. In the end, everything but his name had been altered, Julian said.

The Bashirs returned to Earth and moved to a different city, where Julian was enrolled in a new school using falsified records. Instead of being the slowest learner in his class as he had been before, Bashir was the star pupil. ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Doctor Bashir, I Presume", "Statistical Probabilities")

Answer: Meru became a comfort woman and consort to Gul Dukat

Kira Meru had been chosen by the collaborator Basso to be a comfort woman to the Cardassian soldiers on Terok Nor. Gul Dukat singled out Meru to be his lover. In return, he made sure her family was cared for and received special treatment.

Colonel Kira Nerys had traveled back in time using the Orb of Time to find out about her mother when she learned that she hadn't died. When she found out she was instead Gul Dukat's lover (and seemed to enjoy it), she set about to alter time and kill both Meru and Dukat by planting a bomb in Dukat's quarters. But then Kira found a recording that her father had sent Meru, thanking her for her sacrifice that ended up saving their family's lives. Kira Nerys had a change of heart, realizing that her mother was not a willing participant in her relationship with Dukat. She rushed in and saved Meru and Dukat just as the bomb exploded. The Orb of Time then brought the colonel back to her present, where she had to come to terms with her conflicted feelings about her mother.

("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night")

Answer: He hid the fact that Garak set a bomb in a Romulan senator's ship

The Federation was on the losing end of the Federation-Dominion War. The Romulans agreed to a non-aggression pact with the Dominion. Captain Sisko believed that if he could get a Romulan senator, Vreenak, to become suspicious of the Dominion, the senator would convince the rest of the Romulan senate to join the Federation's war effort.

Sisko teams with Garak to create a fake holographic recording of Weyoun and Cardassians plotting to invade Romulus. They present this to Vreenak. But Vreenak first inspects the recording and concludes that it is a fake.

Vreenak leaves DS9 on his shuttle. But before he gets home, his shuttle explodes. Sisko knows immediately that Garak planted the bomb. Garak admits this, and he convinces Sisko, grudgingly, that as illegal and immoral as murdering Vreenak was, that the Romulans will inspect the wreckage, find a recording of Dominion treachery (with any discrepancies attributed to the explosion), and will join the Federation in their war effort. Days later, the Romulans do indeed go to war with the Dominion.

Sisko records all the details of his plan -- the faking of the Dominion meeting, and Garak's deadly deeds -- in his personal log. Then, after recording it, he instructs the computer to delete the log entry.

("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "In the Pale Moonlight")

Answer: Jake was tutoring Nog, as Nog was illiterate

Jake became friends with Nog, Quark's nephew. They started to get into trouble, playing pranks on people in the Promenade of DS9. Commander Sisko didn't like the influence Nog was having on his son. He also notes that Jake is returning to quarters at night rather late. One particular evening, the elder Sisko traced where Jake was. He was in a cargo bay. Sisko went down to confront Jake. But then he saw Jake and Nog together and overheard his son teaching Nog to read. Sisko watches them for a bit, then leaves quietly.

("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "The Nagus")

Answer: Nog didn't want to end up like his father

Nog had petitioned Commander Sisko to recommend him for entry into Starfleet Academy. He needed a command-level recommendation because Ferenginar was not a Federation world. He even offered the traditional bribe. Sisko was dubious, but he decided to test Nog on his willingness to do mundane tasks usually given to lower-deck personnel. He performed them admirably.

Nonetheless, Sisko retained his suspicions as to Nog's motives. He meets with Nog and tells him that he is just not Starfleet material. Nog objects, pointing out his work ethic, but Sisko says he can't afford to risk his reputation on Nog's whim. After more objections, Sisko demands a straight answer, to which Nog cries out, "I don't want to end up like my father!"

Rom is a brilliant engineer, but has no "lobes" for business. Nog recognized that he his similarly bad at business. But he had other traits that would do well in Starfleet. With this explanation, Sisko recommends Nog for the Academy.

("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Heart of Stone")

Answer: Curzon Dax was with the victim's wife when the information was sent to the enemy

Ardelon Tandro was a general of the Klaestron military. During their civil war 30 years prior, he began to sympathize with the rebels. He sent them information on his movements and framed others in the military, all in hopes of ending hostilities. Despite covertly helping the rebels, he was killed. One of those implicated was Curzon Dax, a family friend.

However, at the time Tandro sent the information, Dax was with Tandro's wife Enina, illicitly. Dax was reluctant to provide this alibi because it would ruin Enina's reputation. But Enina didn't want to see Dax prosecuted for a crime he didn't commit.

("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Dax")

Answer: He was actually a Changeling trying to weaken the Federation in preparation for an invasion

When Odo was stripped of his changling powers by the Great Link, he got a telepathic impression that the Changelings were hiding information from him. Specifically, they had infiltrated the Klingons and replaced Gowron with a Changeling.

Sisko, O'Brien, Odo, and Worf go undercover disguised as Klingons to plant devices that would out the Changeling posing as Gowron at the Order of the Bat'leth ceremony. Their plan fails, and they are placed in a holding cell. General Martok visits them and admits to suspecting Gowron. He allows Worf to challenge Gowron to a duel to the death. But something Martok says raises suspicions with Odo. He then realized that Martok was the Changeling, not Gowron. Odo begins fighting with Martok/Changeling as Worf and Gowron are fighting. Odo's fight spills into view of the other fight, where the gathered Klingons see that Martok is a Changeling. Sisko shoots his disruptor at Martok/Changeling, soon followed by all the other Klingons gathered, killing the Changeling.

After its death, Gowron realized that the Founders had tricked Odo into thinking he was a Changeling. He orders a cease-fire, which leads to an end of the Federation-Klingon war.

("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Apocalypse Rising")

Answer: Ishka was making profit

Females in Ferengi society were prohibited from acquiring profit. Ishka had attempted to help her husband, Keldar, in financial matters before his death. But he rejected her help because she was female. After Keldar's death, she began running secret business transactions and earning profit. She was discovered by the Ferengi Commerce Authority (FCA). Her eldest son, Quark, was forced to travel to Ferenginar to handle the situation. Quark discovered that she'd earned more than he expected, and it would be impossible for him to make restitution to the FCA for her.

Quark convinced her to make full restitution to the FCA, allowing Quark to keep his business licence. However, she had only given the FCA one-third of her fortune. ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Prophet Motive")

Ishka was played by two actresses: Andrea Martin and Cecily Adams. Martin only played her in her first appearance ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Prophet Motive"). She declined returning, as the prosthetics used to make her into an elderly Ferengi female were very uncomfortable. Cecily Adams portrayed her in four subsequent appearances. Adams was the daughter of comic actor Don Adams of "Get Smart" fame.

Answer: He ignored evidence that would've cleared Bajorans who were executed

Through what at the time was an unknown influence, Sisko, Dax, Odo, and Garak are found in a returning runabout in a comatose state. But for these four, they are experiencing events on Terok Nor (previous name of Deep Space 9) as it was years before when the Cardassian occupation was in effect. They are also perceived to be Bajorans, specifically former residents of Rakantha Province on Bajor.

The three men are eventually accused of orchestrating an assassination attempt on Gul Dukat, despite the fact that they are indeed innocent, just like the real Bajorans were years ago. Odo appeals to the security chief, a Cardassian named Thrax, but he says it's out of his hands. As they're being brought to their execution, they are suddenly transported to the upper promenade, dressed in their normal clothing, where they can see the three innocent Bajorans executed.

Odo eventually lets the others in on his secret: Thrax was not the security chief when these events originally happened; he was. He didn't do a proper investigation that would've cleared the Bajorans, but just let the circumstantial evidence stand and allowed the Bajorans to be executed. ("Star Trek" episode "Things Past")

Answer: Miles never drank coffee in the afternoon

Dr. Bashir and Chief O'Brien were helping The T'Lani and Kelleruns destroy their biological weapons -- called Harvesters -- after their war ended. The factions wanted there to be no knowledge of the Harvesters, so they planned to kill all the scientists after they'd figured out how to destroy the Harvesters. Bashir and O'Brien managed to kill their attackers and escape.

The governments, as part of their cover-up of the murders, presented a fake video that shows O'Brien opening a computer file that initiated a radiation trap that evaporated all the scientists. Keiko O'Brien, upon seeing it, noted that it showed Miles drinking coffee in the afternoon. She said he never does that, because it keeps him up at night. With this sliver of doubt, the DS9 staff start an investigation, and find further clues that their comrades left the lab before they were supposedly killed. Bashir and O'Brien are eventually rescued from where they'd fled to.

Back on DS9, Keiko tells Miles how her suspicions led to them being found. That's when Miles corrects her and tells her he does indeed drink coffee in the afternoon.

("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Armageddon Game")