Prophet Motive

"Prophet Motive"
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode
Episode no.	Season 3 Episode 16
Directed by	Rene Auberjonois
Written by	Ira Steven Behr Robert Hewitt Wolfe
Story by	William N. Stape (uncredited source)
Featured music	Dennis McCarthy
Production code	462
Original air date	February 20, 1995 (1995-02-20)
Guest actors
Max Grodénchik - Rom Wallace Shawn - Zek Tiny Ron - Maihar'du Juliana Donald - Emi

"Prophet Motive" is the 62nd episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and is the sixteenth episode of the third season. In the episode, Grand Nagus Zek comes to the station to present Quark with a revised copy of the Rules of Acquisition, which is now a guide for generosity and benevolence.

Plot

Grand Nagus Zek arrives on the station and shows Quark and Rom a copy of his new project: he has rewritten the Rules of Acquisition. In the new and improved book, Zek encourages Ferengi everywhere to turn from greed and profit and concentrate on kindness and giving. In short, he wants to eliminate all of the selfishness that Ferengi hold dear.

Zek goes on to add that he has brought the Bajorans a gift: one of the orbs. The orbs are the most sacred objects of the Bajorans, and Quark cannot imagine where the Nagus could have gotten one. When Quark is exposed to the orb, he has a vision in which Zek states that the New Rules of Acquisition are a "gift" as well. When he sees that Zek visited the Wormhole before arriving at the station, he believes that the wormhole aliens changed Zek and gave him the ideas for the New Rules.

Quark takes Zek back to the Wormhole to ask the aliens what they did to the Nagus. The aliens reply that they were so disturbed by the sheer selfishness of the Nagus that they de-evolved him. When Quark promises never to expose the wormhole aliens to another Ferengi, they agree to restore Zek to his normal, greedy self.

The other plot involves Bashir being nominated for a medical award which he ends up not winning.

Notes

• The episode opens with Quark attempting to sell "self sealing stem bolts" (previously seen in the episode "Progress")
• First episode where Mahair'du speaks.
• The Orb that Grand Nagus Zek has is the Orb of Wisdom.

External links

• "Prophet Motive" at IMDb
• "Prophet Motive" at TV.com
• Prophet Motive at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• Prophet Motive at StarTrek.com