Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Rules of Accusation by Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdman
A good and dear friend, Eric Cone sent me an instant message telling me that he had just read this book and that he found it hilarious and said that I should give it a look. Science FIction has a tendency to get a bit heavy, and just having read a book with a very grim scenario, I was ready for something on the lighter side.
Quark’s Bar is reopened on the newly rebuilt Deep Space Nine, and as always, the Ferengi bartender is contemplating new schemes to drum up business. Now the bar is not only a place of entertainment and gaming, but it has also become the Ferengi Embassy to Bajor, and quark is the Ambassador, duly appointed by his brother Rom, who was appointed to be the Grand Nagus, the current ruler of the Ferengi people. As far as Quark is concerned, the ambassador cannot function properly until there is a dedication ceremony. Quark sends out invitations to all of the most influential business leaders in the Ferengi Alliance, but the response to his RSVP’s is not what he had hoped. Quark visits with several of the station’s personnel about ideas to boost interest in his party including the station’s commander, Ro Laren. He asks Commander Ro if perhaps he could offer a door prize that would allow contraband to be transported through Federation space on a one time basis. When that fails, he visits with Chief O’Brien who tells Quark about a display of old, first edition classic books that he attended. At first, Quark thinks that no one would care about looking at old books, but perhaps, if he can arrange it, if he put the original Rules of Acquisition, penned by the first Grand Nagus on display, this might be just the hook he needs to get the other Ferengi entrepreneurs in the door.
After making arrangements with his brother, Rom agrees to bring the sacred document to the station for all to see after being locked in a vault for a long time. Quark’s scheme is successful and, on the day of the big event, all of the most influential Ferengi business leaders arrive ready and willing to part with their latinum to get a glimpse of the scroll that is the very foundation of Ferengi commerce and their way of life.
When Quark unveils the scroll, it is soon discovered that it is a fake and is the beginning of a search for the real scroll that takes the reader through many twists that leads our characters on a merry chase that includes an ironic ending to the story that actually started many years before the actual story took place.
Poor Quark, it seems that no matter what he tries to do things always seem to go wrong, but he always seems to manage to land on his feet thanks to the help of others. In this case, his former arch nemesis, Odo is a great deal of help in discovering where the real scroll isn’t, but it is a long time but absent friend who really gets to the bottom of the matter and makes everything right again. Quark doesn’t make a lot of profit on this venture, but all ends well, as it usually does in situations involving the Ferengi.
The authors do a great job in capturing the spirit of a Deep Space Nine story. The characters are all just as they should be, that is as they would be had this been an episode of the television series. The voice is just right and they all behave just as one would expect. The story itself is a lighthearted romp with no one really being in danger, with the exception of their reputations, which are shaky at the best of times where the Ferengi are concerned.
I would recommend this story for any Deep Space Nine fan who is looking for something on the lighter side.
Well, there it is…
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