Saturday, June 20, 2009

Star Trek DS9 5x10 Rapture




From the Secret Sun where this episode was featured too:
"In "Rapture," Sisko encounters an Bajoran artifact that erases the last vestiges of skepticism left in his psyche. He gets a double dose of the alien gnosis, and as in Transformers and X-Files it not only leads to the revelation of alien identity but to the brink of brain damage as well. The revelation Sisko receives comes in the form of a lost city (that hoary favorite of occult fiction) that shows that the Prophets helped shape Bajoran civilization, just as the Godship in "Biogenesis" did for our own. AAT is everywhere in the Star Trek Universe, with our Federation friends sometimes playing the part of the Anunaki.

The funny thing is that when Sisko gets zapped it's clear that he's on an artificially-induced trip, and we see him alternating between a blissed-out state and a tumultous, psychic one. The impetus for this episode probably came from 2001: A Space Odyssey, which seems to have inspired McKenna's alien dreaming theories as well, with the Mushroom in place of the Monolith. But I'm fairly certain at this point in time that something else inspired Kubrick's vision, other than the somewhat dull Arthur C. Clarke story it's allegedly based on. Maybe not the same thing that inspired Jack Kirby's- we're talking something more in the Cary Grant sphere." Christopher Knowles
B'hala (Ba'al? Really? ;p), Bajoran Atlantis

Sisko, pointing to the Obelisk: "See that? It's a Bantaca spire. Ancient Bajoran cities were built around them. They were all about eleven meters tall... made of hundreds of stones, carved and fitted together so tightly that they didn't need mortar.
Kira: It's said they mark the city's place in the cosmos.
Sisko gets a shock to the system in the holodeck where he was analyzing "the puzzle of the Obelisk" which supposedly leads to the location of the ancient city.
Bashir: There are no signs of any permanent neural damage, though I am reading some odd synaptic potentials. Let me ask you something -- does my uniform look a little brighter to you?
Sisko: Yes... everything does. (Sisko looks around the room.)
Sisko: Colors seem more intense... and shapes are more... focused. (For a second I thought they were gonna throw Auras in there ;p, btw, if you ever meditated well, you notice an increase in visual acuity as well)

Sisko looks at his own hand as if held never seen it before.

Bashir: That's called post-neural shock syndrome. Your neural pathways were overloaded by the plasma burst. All external stimuli are going to seem more pronounced. (a warning) It'll take a while for things to settle down. I'm putting you on restricted duty for the next three days. If you experience any other side effects, headaches, nausea, dizziness... let me know immediately.

Sisko is relishing his senses -- looking intently at a bright green liquid in a vial.
Bashir: (with a smile) In the meantime, enjoy the show.

Meditating in deep trance while staring at the penis, obelisk, Bantaca spire

Sisko later explains to his son: I remember the first time I held you in my hands. You were just a few minutes old... and when I looked down at your face, it was almost as if I could see your whole life stretched out in front of you -- the joys it would bring... and the bruises. It was all there, hidden in your scrunched up, little face. (Sisko holds his hands out as if he were holding a baby.)
The baby I'm holding in my hands now... is the universe itself. And I need time to study its face.
Kira waking up Sisko from this trance, he's just been to "Atlantis".

SISKO: I was there.
KIRA: Sir?
Sisko: B'hala. It was the eve of the Peldor Festival. I could hear them ringing the temple chimes.
KIRA: You were dreaming.
SISKO: No, I was there. I could smell the burning bateret leaves, taste the incense on the wind. (Sisko gets up and begins pacing.)
SISKO: I was standing in front of the Obelisk. And as I looked up, for a moment, I understood it all. B'hala... the Orbs... the occupation... the discovery of the wormhole... the coming war with the Dominion.
KIRA: You could see the future as well as the past?
SISKO: And for one moment, I could see the pattern that held it all together.
And later finds the lost city
With his girlfriend Kasidy, who by the way spent six months in a jail for smuggling like nothing ever happened... Also, gotta have some light shining...
Sisko, surrounded by the Bajorans, accepting their thanks and good wishes in a way we've never seen before. He's not embarrassed or uncomfortable with their reverence -- he simply takes it in with serene humility.
AD HOC: "Emissary," "Thank you," "Bless you." (As Sisko moves through the crowd, his attention is suddenly drawn to an older Bajoran couple, who are standing to one side. Sisko steps over to them. The crowd falls silent as he speaks to them.)
SISKO: There's no need to worry. (The couple react -- some burden is weighing on both their minds.)
SISKO: The katterpod harvest will be much better this year. (We can see the burden lifting from their shoulders -- they believe him. Sisko turns to someone else in the crowd, smiles, and touches him on the shoulders.)
SISKO: You don't belong here. Go home. (The Bajoran nods as if this answers a question that's been much on his mind. He exits. As Bashir and Whatley approach Sisko, Sisko is suddenly hit by a blinding headache that sends him staggering.)
BASHIR: Captain! (Sisko struggles to a nearby bench as the admiral and Bashir rush over.)
WHATLEY: What's wrong? (Sisko struggles to clear his head.)
SISKO: I'm fine. (He looks up at Whatley -- a "realization" coming to him.)
SISKO: Admiral? (He stares intently at Whatley.)
WHATLEY: What is it, Ben?
SISKO: Your son... you can stop worrying about him. He forgives you...

WHATLEY: How the hell did he know that Kevin and I weren't getting along?

Bashir tries to come up with an answer, but all he can come up with is...
BASHIR: He's the Emissary.
Sisko is getting vision addicted and wants to understand everything
risking his health for it with this Bajoran box which holds the Orb of Prophecy
WINN: The Orb of Prophecy is quite powerful -- it taxes even the healthy. Are you sure you want to go through with this?
As he opens the tabernacle and his face is flooded with LIGHT. We can see the force of revelation as it engulfs him and fills him with rapture.
SISKO: The locusts... they'll destroy Bajor... unless it stands alone.

Sisko stumbles in and warns Bajor cannot join the Federation, it's too soon and it would mean their end as he's seen the future. Of course it's too soon for Iraq the join the United Nations ;)
Sisko is out and his son decides the doc must perform surgery to save his life

Sisko: No, no, you took them away. I almost had it. Almost understood it all. (His hand rises to his temple.) Now it's gone.

The Bajorans don't join, Sisko recovers, the Federation can't fire him cause the Bajorans would never join then. And Sisko goes back to his son and girlfriend. Back to normal.

2 comments:

The Secret Sun said...

Rock and Roll, Ringo!!! I'll be linking to this in the next alien dreaming installment. Well done, Captain.

Dedroidify said...

Heh cool, thanks Admiral! ;p

More DS9 bits on the way this week, starting tomorrow