So in the early days of DS9's development, there was talk of a planet-based station, then a 'Tower of Babel' type of space station, before they ultimately settled on the spinning bicycle wheel we got.
So I decided to put some of the pieces of the earlier options together and devised the following pilot concept:
I'm thinking the likes of Ben Sisko, Kira, Dax, Bashir, O'Brien and Odo would all pretty much be the same, Quark I'm thinking might be a merchant who used to be very active with the black market during the Occupation and smuggling things in and out of Bajor (for a price) but with the discovery of the new station he decides to go "legit" and opens the bar he's always wanted, whilst Jake I was thinking to switch to Jaelyn, Sisko's teenage daughter (which would see an interesting new dynamic on her friendship with Nog). I was also considering a few new characters in the mix as well (either main or recurring) including a young Bajoran male who'd be a comm officer and technician, someone who the Occupation had beaten down and broken so a very different take on it than the fiery and fierce Major, a Starfleet tactical expert (whether a weapons officer or starfighter pilot or some other such role I'm undecided) just to make a little more of the unpredictable and 'lawless' nature of the region, and the third new addition to be a civilian archaeologist drawn in to uncover the mysteries of the unknown alien outpost. Either the tactician or archaeologist would be female and one would be a Bolian with the other being human.
The mysterious origin of the station would allow for plenty of bottle episodes as they discover more about the place where they now live, though it would become very clear that the station and wormhole are connected in some unusual ways, which raises the question of if the Prophets built it or if not them the who?
Anyways, that's just some random thoughts of mine. Make of them what you will
So I decided to put some of the pieces of the earlier options together and devised the following pilot concept:
After losing his wife at Wolf 359 then spending a few years at Utopia Planitia, Commander Sisko is assigned to take command of the Starfleet Operations Office on Bajor, in order to help the planet recover and rebuild following the Cardassian Occupation, as well as assess its suitability for Federation membership. Based out of a former Cardassian facility, their presence is met with a degree of distrust.
However, within days of arriving he has a meeting with Kai Opaka, who determines he is the Emissary, the one who will open the Celestial Temple gates and meet the Prophets. To do this she gives him an ancient artefact and tells him it will lead him to the means of opening the gates and bringing about the salvage and restoration of Bajor.
Once the artefact is deciphered, it points out a location within the Denorios Asteroid Belt. Taking a small team in a runabout they end up discovering an ancient space station hidden within a crust of ice. Going aboard, they discover one of the last Orbs and once they do, the entire base becomes active.
A Starfleet courier still in orbit transports a large contingent of SO Office personnel from the planet to the newly unearthed station. In the meantime, Sisko unwittingly triggers the Orb to open the wormhole. The sudden surge of unusual power attracts the attention of a nearby Cardassian patrol, which alters course to investigate.
Sisko, Opaka’s words still ringing in his ears, decides to take the runabout into the wormhole, where he makes contact with the Prophets, which causes the wormhole to seemingly collapse in on itself. Shortly after, the Cardassians arrive and want to seize the alien station for themselves.
As Sisko tries to learn about the Prophets and teach them about corporeal life, the station must face off against the Cardassians, first trying to bluff their way out of the situation, but when words fail, they have to try to mount some sort of defence against them. Sisko manages to convince the Prophets of his good intentions and emerges from the wormhole once more. The sight takes some of the wind out of the Cardassians sails, but with the Enterprise and another pair of ships entering the system, they tuck tail and withdraw.
Starfleet and Bajor agree to a new partnership operating the alien outpost, naming it Deep Space 9.
However, within days of arriving he has a meeting with Kai Opaka, who determines he is the Emissary, the one who will open the Celestial Temple gates and meet the Prophets. To do this she gives him an ancient artefact and tells him it will lead him to the means of opening the gates and bringing about the salvage and restoration of Bajor.
Once the artefact is deciphered, it points out a location within the Denorios Asteroid Belt. Taking a small team in a runabout they end up discovering an ancient space station hidden within a crust of ice. Going aboard, they discover one of the last Orbs and once they do, the entire base becomes active.
A Starfleet courier still in orbit transports a large contingent of SO Office personnel from the planet to the newly unearthed station. In the meantime, Sisko unwittingly triggers the Orb to open the wormhole. The sudden surge of unusual power attracts the attention of a nearby Cardassian patrol, which alters course to investigate.
Sisko, Opaka’s words still ringing in his ears, decides to take the runabout into the wormhole, where he makes contact with the Prophets, which causes the wormhole to seemingly collapse in on itself. Shortly after, the Cardassians arrive and want to seize the alien station for themselves.
As Sisko tries to learn about the Prophets and teach them about corporeal life, the station must face off against the Cardassians, first trying to bluff their way out of the situation, but when words fail, they have to try to mount some sort of defence against them. Sisko manages to convince the Prophets of his good intentions and emerges from the wormhole once more. The sight takes some of the wind out of the Cardassians sails, but with the Enterprise and another pair of ships entering the system, they tuck tail and withdraw.
Starfleet and Bajor agree to a new partnership operating the alien outpost, naming it Deep Space 9.
I'm thinking the likes of Ben Sisko, Kira, Dax, Bashir, O'Brien and Odo would all pretty much be the same, Quark I'm thinking might be a merchant who used to be very active with the black market during the Occupation and smuggling things in and out of Bajor (for a price) but with the discovery of the new station he decides to go "legit" and opens the bar he's always wanted, whilst Jake I was thinking to switch to Jaelyn, Sisko's teenage daughter (which would see an interesting new dynamic on her friendship with Nog). I was also considering a few new characters in the mix as well (either main or recurring) including a young Bajoran male who'd be a comm officer and technician, someone who the Occupation had beaten down and broken so a very different take on it than the fiery and fierce Major, a Starfleet tactical expert (whether a weapons officer or starfighter pilot or some other such role I'm undecided) just to make a little more of the unpredictable and 'lawless' nature of the region, and the third new addition to be a civilian archaeologist drawn in to uncover the mysteries of the unknown alien outpost. Either the tactician or archaeologist would be female and one would be a Bolian with the other being human.
The mysterious origin of the station would allow for plenty of bottle episodes as they discover more about the place where they now live, though it would become very clear that the station and wormhole are connected in some unusual ways, which raises the question of if the Prophets built it or if not them the who?
Anyways, that's just some random thoughts of mine. Make of them what you will
).
