Bloodlines: Did I miss something?

[tim0122]

At the end of Bloodlines, Picard accuses his old nemesis Ferengi of changing the genetic code of a young man who was the child of Picard's old flame, and thus making it look like the young man was Picard's child. My question is when did the Ferengi change the guy's genetic code?! Did I miss when this was explained? I don't think I did, and I can't see when the Ferengi would've done this before the story started without the dude being aware of it and mentioning it.

 

[Christopher]

My question is when did the Ferengi change the guy's genetic code?!

Earlier, Jason said that he started having seizures a few months before, and Crusher determined that the seizures were caused by a genetic disorder, which was then discovered to be the result of Bok resequencing his DNA. Thus, it follows that the resequencing was done a few months before.

I can't see when the Ferengi would've done this before the story started without the dude being aware of it and mentioning it.

He could have infected Jason with a retrovirus that altered his DNA without his knowing it. Or perhaps he knocked Jason out to perform the procedure in a way that Jason was unaware of afterward, writing it off as the result of being drunk or something.

 

[AntonyF]

And I think the fact he'd done it months in advance as the story implied was very in keeping with his general thirst for vengeance that had consumed him for years. He could play the long game.

How he found out that Picard not only had a particular dalliance but one that resulted in a child at the time of such a dalliance... well don't think too hard about that.

It would have been braver I think to actually have him as his son, no tricks at the end. Then ship him off the to Rozhenkos.

 

[DonIago]

Heh.

"Jack, meet your much older brother, Jason..."

 

[Hellbird]

They say Kirk is a womaniser, but I somehow doubt Jack is the only fruit of Jonny's loins out there.

I'm telling you, the man left a trail of broken hearts across the Galaxy.

 

[AntonyF]

They say Kirk is a womaniser, but I somehow doubt Jack is the only fruit of Jonny's loins out there.

I'm telling you, the man left a trail of broken hearts across the Galaxy.

I don't understand how in the 24th century they wouldn't have more advanced birth control.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I don't understand how in the 24th century they wouldn't have more advanced birth control.

So various plots can happen.

 

[Christopher]

I don't understand how in the 24th century they wouldn't have more advanced birth control.

They canonically do. Ben Sisko and Kasidy Yates only had an accidental pregnancy because they both let their contraceptive injections slip due to the distractions of the war. So it was simply bad writing for Picard to posit that a doctor, of all people, would have an unplanned pregnancy.

 

[Nerys Myk]

bad writing for Picard

Shocking!

 

[AntonyF]

They canonically do. Ben Sisko and Kasidy Yates only had an accidental pregnancy because they both let their contraceptive injections slip due to the distractions of the war. So it was simply bad writing for Picard to posit that a doctor, of all people, would have an unplanned pregnancy.

I had that in mind as I wrote it, that there's no excuse. And quite frankly the Ben and Kasidy excuse was quite lame. Does it really require people to go and get an injection and be in a place where both of you can not do it and not have the doctor telling you and you fuck and forget all that?

I mean... I'm gay so I'm not into this world but I feel we have better easier methods now.

If going down a few floors to go get whatever it is you need is an obstacle to doing it, then the system has failed. With every system friction needs to be removed. It should surely be a something that pops up into your quarters and that's that. Or even something that is just fitted into you and that's that. Or quite frankly your doctor orders you to do it as you're in wartime and having babies is not helpful in a war.

 

[Christopher]

And quite frankly the Ben and Kasidy excuse was quite lame. Does it really require people to go and get an injection and be in a place where both of you can not do it and not have the doctor telling you and you fuck and forget all that?

Huh? According to the dialogue, the injections are monthly. Sisko forgot his the previous month due to everything that was going on, even though Bashir did remind him.

Although it is a bit odd that the dialogue implied that "one of us" forgetting was enough. I'd think they would've both had to forget. Granted, though, no contraceptive is 100% effective (though a vasectomy is pretty close), so if only one of them had gotten their shot, the probability of it failing would be greater than if both of them had.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

no contraceptive is 100% effective

Well, there's always "Eat an apple." (I.e., neither "before" nor "after," but instead of.)

(And yes, I know it's an old joke. It was an old joke when I was a kid.)

 

[Hellbird]

I don't understand how in the 24th century they wouldn't have more advanced birth control.

Q did it for a laugh.

 

[Tosk]

Although it is a bit odd that the dialogue implied that "one of us" forgetting was enough.

That's assuming they both actually get an injection. It might be that Sisko is the only one getting the injection. I'm thinking of the way that "One of us forgot..." can sometimes be used sarcastically when it's obvious who is at fault.

 

[AntonyF]

That's assuming they both actually get an injection. It might be that Sisko is the only one getting the injection. I'm thinking of the way that "One of us forgot..." can sometimes be used sarcastically when it's obvious who is at fault.

I always took it at they both did. Now you say that, I wonder ...

Then both taking it would be best then they both need to consent for it to change. A bit like putting a key in a lock either side of a door.

 

[Tosk]

Then both taking it would be best then they both need to consent for it to change.

But we know that's not the case because Kasidy says "One of us forgot..." and Ben starts to explain why he forgot and Kasidy says he doesn't have to apologize. It seems unlikely that she'd say "One of us" even sarcastically if they both had to take it for it to work.

The reason I assume it's a Ben-only thing is because a contraception that doesn't work if your partner isn't also taking it seems kind of stupid. But maybe a case could be made for how a two-person system has no potential side-effects for either party or something?

 

[Christopher]

The reason I assume it's a Ben-only thing is because a contraception that doesn't work if your partner isn't also taking it seems kind of stupid. But maybe a case could be made for how a two-person system has no potential side-effects for either party or something?

As I said, since no contraceptive is 100% reliable, the odds are better if both partners use contraception -- the same way that the risk of COVID transmission is much lower if both interacting people are wearing masks than if just one of them is. If Ben missed a shot but Kasidy's still worked, the chance of accidental pregnancy would still be low, but not as low as if they were both current on their shots.

It's also just a matter of fairness for both partners in a relationship to take equal responsibility for contraception. Although, of course, the most reliable method for male contraception is a vasectomy, a simple procedure that can be easily reversed if and when a couple decides to start a family. For that matter, given all the radiation in space that could potentially cause mutations and birth defects, the smartest thing for spacefarers to do would be to have their gametes frozen in advance and sterilize themselves, then conceive in vitro when they chose to.

Anyway, I may have misinterpreted when I said the shots were once a month, since we already have contraceptive injections that last 3 months. All they actually said was that Ben missed his shot "last month." So maybe it was an annual thing and the renewal date was the previous month.

 

[korblborp]

maybe it's like the gum in mission impossible

 

[Set Harth]

As I said, since no contraceptive is 100% reliable, the odds are better if both partners use contraception -- the same way that the risk of COVID transmission is much lower if both interacting people are wearing masks than if just one of them is.

Masks are physically incapable of keeping out viruses and make no significant difference to the spread of influenza-like illness.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Masks are physically incapable of keeping out viruses and make no significant difference to the spread of influenza-like illness.

The Mayo Clinic disagrees