Deep space 9 economy?

[Urge]

Just startet on the first season of Deep Space 9. I like it so far, the acting and even the special effects are actually a bit better than Enterprise, even though it is so much older.

I am wondering about one thing though:

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If I was a dude with a spaceship in the star-trek universe, and I wanted to check in at Deep space 9:

Would I have to pay for the room, or would the shops in the promenade be the only thing that cost money/latinum?

Since starfleet is so non-profit minded, it seems a bit odd to me that they would want to take over a decaying station/shopping-mall (In the first episode the shops are all about to close, but starfleet saves the day) and run it as their own.

Unless people pay Sisko gold-pressed latinum to stay in the rooms (Latinum that he then hands over to starfleet) what does starfleet get out of it? They get to socialice with the bajorans, sure - but due to lack of firepower, it almost ends with catastrophy already in the first episode. Helping local businesses is of course nice and all - but they might just as well have turned it into a military fortress instead. That would in fact be more rational - if their main job is to protect Bajor from the Cardassians.

 

[Jono]

They didn't take over running DS9 for the mall space, they did it for strategic reasons: primarily to influence Bajor into joining the Federation. As Sisko later reminds Quark he doesn't charge Quark (or any other business you would assume) rent or utilities, with that you could assume that they don't charge anyone to stay on the station with the only limit being vacancies.

As for the shops, what does Starfleet get out of getting Quark to stay - which inspires other businesses not to leave/move in? They get a range of services that not only can entertain guest but give the station's crew and more permanent population things to do.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

DS9 is Bajoran territory that is simply administered by Starfleet, not Federation territory, so the Federation would have no right to interfere with economic activity that the Bajorans find desirable. I never saw any indications that the Bajorans did not want a monetary economy.

 

[Tomalak]

As Sisko later reminds Quark he doesn't charge Quark (or any other business you would assume) rent or utilities, with that you could assume that they don't charge anyone to stay on the station with the only limit being vacancies.

I thought that was a one-off deal for Quark to keep him on as "community leader"?

 

[ALF]

Something that's never been explained to my satisfaction in the Trek universe is why there aren't a myriad of "space slobs" out there with big asses that do nothing all the time, just hang out and take up space.

I'm the first in line to promote suspension of disbelief, but this is one grey area in pretty much all of Trek. It basically was up to the writer of any given episodes to choose if currency existed in a given episode.

For example: If money doesn't exist in the future, does everyone get their own shuttlecraft for free if they want one?

It always irritated me that Quark usually had a reset button where he would earn a great fortune and lose it at the end of the episode because it was funnier (although I guess once Morn spit up some secret latinum for Quark from his secret guts so maybe he scored a bit of scrilla).

 

[Jono]

As Sisko later reminds Quark he doesn't charge Quark (or any other business you would assume) rent or utilities, with that you could assume that they don't charge anyone to stay on the station with the only limit being vacancies.

I thought that was a one-off deal for Quark to keep him on as "community leader"?

It might have been. I can't remember if the special Quark rules also meant no charge just for Quark as well.

 

[Hound of UIster]

Something that's never been explained to my satisfaction in the Trek universe is why there aren't a myriad of "space slobs" out there with big asses that do nothing all the time, just hang out and take up space.

Presumably obesity has been cured to a degree.

 

[ALF]

^ But what about laziness?

 

[Kaziarl]

The way I always imagined it was Starfleet took care of strategic operations. Sector patrols, investigating and exploring the gamma quadrant, etc. Where as the station itself was financed by the Bajoran Provisional Government through interstellar trade, commerce, and things of that nature.

Sisko would sometimes influence these things, he was after all trying to help the Bajorans into the Federation at one point. But I don't think Starfleet was directly involved with it.

 

[Urge]

Hm-hm.

Star-trek policies are different from ours, that much is certain.

This involves weird economy as well, something that I imagine can be a problem for trek-writers.

Forexample:

The federation does not pay their workers, since they dont have currency.

Therefore they dont get gold-pressed latinum.

Therfore they cant shop in the stores at DS9.

But they do anyway, I have seen several episodes already where federation-people are hanging in Quarks bar, buying meals and drinks.

Also: Quark gets all his food from a replicator.

Does this replicator drain power from the station powerplant? And if so: Does Quark pay his part of the electricity-bill? A replicator used in a restaurant is used A LOT so if Quark drains the energy-grid for free, it will be to give him free money, so to speak. If he is in fact given free money/power by the station manager (Sisko and the federation) that could explain why the federation-people eat and drink at his place without paying gold-pressed latinum like the other guests.

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Im writing a trek story now, but Im kind of glad that it is from the kirkiverse, and not DS9, with its odd economy:-)

It might have a reasonable explanation though, I have only seen a few of the episodes.

 

[Urge]

For example: If money doesn't exist in the future, does everyone get their own shuttlecraft for free if they want one?QUOTE]

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If you want one from the federation, you will probably need to fullfill some sort of function in order to get one, scientific, exploratory, cargo-transport, or a hundred other things.

If not, it is probably possible to buy one with foreign currency. Sell your house to an alien that want to live on Earth, in exchange for the spacecraft he arrived in? - One possibility I could think of.

 

[Timo]

The federation does not pay their workers, since they dont have currency.

Never established. All we know is that the underage Jake Sisko didn't have any currency. His dad might have had plenty.

the federation-people eat and drink at his place without paying gold-pressed latinum like the other guests.

We never hear they wouldn't pay. They do pay for holosuite use, supposedly. They just don't give money any thought. Say, Dax may win a pile of cash in Tongo, but she then leaves it all on the table and walks away.

For all we know, they get as much Ferengi money as they want from Starfleet or some other branch of the UFP simply by filling a requisition form for "cultural exchange expenses". That money will be worthless for them otherwise, as nobody in the UFP will accept it or have any need for it. Except perhaps the kids, but giving money to kids in the 24th century might be considered similar to giving them cocaine today...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Satyrquaze]

Yeah, as far as I know the Bajorans run the station and their economy is still monetarily based... particually after the Cardassians strip-mined Bajor. I mean, the planet ain't going to fix itself for free...

 

[Damask]

Something that's never been explained to my satisfaction in the Trek universe is why there aren't a myriad of "space slobs" out there with big asses that do nothing all the time, just hang out and take up space.

Morn?

 

[Tomalak]

Say, Dax may win a pile of cash in Tongo, but she then leaves it all on the table and walks away.

Pretty sure that's not the case, surely she'd keep it to use next time? Doesn't Ezri remind Quark he owes her money in 'Afterimage'?

 

[ALF]

^ Exactly. It would be on her tab. Didn't Riker contact Quark (on TNG) and tell him he could keep all his credits from Riker's last DS9 visit if Quark coughed up some info?

Something that's never been explained to my satisfaction in the Trek universe is why there aren't a myriad of "space slobs" out there with big asses that do nothing all the time, just hang out and take up space.

Morn?

Haha.... yes! Actually... that is exactly what I was thinking. In reality, I think you'd see more Morns around than anyone else.

 

[Tomalak]

^ Exactly. It would be on her tab. Didn't Riker contact Quark (on TNG) and tell him he could keep all his credits from Riker's last DS9 visit if Quark coughed up some info?

Yeah, Firstborn I think...

 

[T'Girl]

I watched a high stakes poker game in Vegas a few years back, when the game was over the winner just got up and left, leaving his chips behind. The dealers boss a few minutes later walked over and carefully counted the chips and put them in a rack.

 

[Tomalak]

Maybe they were playing for cool points?