Trill hypothetical

[doctorfoto]

Here's a hypothetical situation I've been mulling over lately. I have my own ideas of course, but I thought it'd make a good thread:

Let’s say through an unfortunate turn of events, Jadzia Dax and Lenara Kahn are walking along the Promenade together and are brutally attacked.

Dax (the symbiont) is killed as is Lenara (the host).

Jadzia can only live for a few hours without the symbiont. Could implanting the Kahn symbiont into Jadzia save her from death? If so... Who is Jadzia Kahn?

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Following from Invasive Procedures, I think the answer is no. The host adapts quickly to the specific host biologically and, more importantly, neurologically. If the new host could survive a new implantation, it would probably go mad.

 

[borgboy]

It doesn't seem like it would work, but it's an interesting idea. I expect that a miracle treatment could be found to allow a Trill host to survive the death of a symbiote and accept a new symbiote. It's sci fi, so it can happen if the writers want it to.

 

[Tosk]

When have they ever stated that a host cannot accept a new symbiont?

I recall them (Bashir?) saying that 90-odd hours after joining, neither can survive without the other but obviously a symbiont can be re-joined...why can't a host?

Surely Jadzia Kahn wouldn't much different from the next theoretical Kahn host? The host doesn't tend to retain the memories carried within the symbiont. Or do they? Verad lost all his new memories when Dax was taken from him, and also Dax seemingly keeps memories from Jadzia, (eg: Curzon loving her) so...

 

[Bad Thoughts]

^I'm sure that if Jadzia could have survived with a new host, Tandro would have insisted on that option.

 

[Ithekro]

Dax would be gone, but the host, a starfleet officer, would likely remain as such. Jadzia was a science officer and likely was before she got Dax. So she'd gain a new set of memories, and experiances, but her training would remain (though some of the past few years would be iffy at best, so Starfleet might need to retrain her with some of Jadzia Dax's accomplishments so that Jadzia Kahn can preform her duties to the station).

 

[Tosk]

^I'm sure that if Jadzia could have survived with a new host, Tandro would have insisted on that option.

Tandro was in no position to make a new symbiont available for Jadzia...and I saw nothing about him that suggested he cared. He was willing to punish Jadzia for acts she was not present for just to punish Dax.

Dax would be gone, but the host, a starfleet officer, would likely remain as such. Jadzia was a science officer and likely was before she got Dax.

Memory Alpha also says that she attended Starfleet Academy prior to joining. And she was quite accomplished pre-joining, as per the episode Dax:

Jadzia: "I hold Premier Distinctions in exobiology, zoology, astrophysics, and exoarchaeology."
Sisko: "How many of those degrees did you earn before being joined with the symbiont Dax?"
Jadzia: "All of them."

 

[JirinPanthosa]

It's never stated that a host can't accept a new symbiont. It's probably one of those things the symbiont commission doesn't talk about due to the implications. Just as they want to keep it a secret that half the population can accept a symbiont, they don't want you to know you can pile on thousands of years of memories and knowledge by cycling symbionts.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

^I'm sure that if Jadzia could have survived with a new host, Tandro would have insisted on that option.

Tandro was in no position to make a new symbiont available for Jadzia...and I saw nothing about him that suggested he cared. He was willing to punish Jadzia for acts she was not present for just to punish Dax.

What Tandro could and could not do is not quite so relevant. The possibility of implanting a new host in the Jadzia host would have been presented as an argument by Tandro for Jadzia Dax's fitness for standing trial for Curzon Dax's crimes. Extradite, try, convict, and then wait for the Symbiosis Commission either to provide a new symbiot (accept the execution of the symbiot) or accept the execution of Jadzia Dax.

 

[Tosk]

The possibility of implanting a new host in the Jadzia host would have been presented as an argument by Tandro for Jadzia Dax's fitness for standing trial for Curzon Dax's crimes. Extradite, try, convict, and then wait for the Symbiosis Commission either to provide a new symbiot (accept the execution of the symbiot) or accept the execution of Jadzia Dax.

You're assuming a lot based on something that was never stated. Considering Jadzia never had to stand trial, we don't know how the Klaestron's would have handled the situation.

 

[Leviathan]

...the better question is who'd win in a fight? A Trill symbiont or a Goa'uld symbiote?

 

[Last Redshirt]

When have they ever stated that a host cannot accept a new symbiont?

I recall them (Bashir?) saying that 90-odd hours after joining, neither can survive without the other but obviously a symbiont can be re-joined...why can't a host?

Surely Jadzia Kahn wouldn't much different from the next theoretical Kahn host? The host doesn't tend to retain the memories carried within the symbiont. Or do they? Verad lost all his new memories when Dax was taken from him, and also Dax seemingly keeps memories from Jadzia, (eg: Curzon loving her) so...

I think Verad lost his memories because the symbiont didn't have time to fully integrate into him. The memories of Dax went into him, but came out when the symbiont was put back into Jadzia.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

...the better question is who'd win in a fight? A Trill symbiont or a Goa'uld symbiote?

Goa'uld, easy. They have teeth and proven maneuverability, and are not dependent on surgery to take a host.

Not to mention that a goa'uld symbiote imbues long life and super strength and could probably heal Dominion disruptor blasts.