An Orb experience was a vision experienced by an individual when exposed to one of the Bajoran Orbs. Individuals had varying experiences ranging from intense thoughts to fully developed realities.
Orb experiences can have a profound effect on the individual, particularly on Bajorans who believe they act as a direct communication with the Prophets. Experiences can also be quite physically taxing. (DS9 novel: Avatar, Book One)
List of orb experiences[]
Elias Vaughn (April 2376)[]
In April 2376 Elias Vaughn discovered the Orb of Memory aboard the Cardassian freighter Kamal. He and the away team he was part of experienced flashbacks caused by the exposure to the orb, however being the closest to the orb Vaughn's experience was the most intent, causing him to enter a period of self re-evaluation ultimately leading him to the take up the position of first officer on Deep Space 9. (DS9 novel: Avatar, Book One)
Kira Nerys (April 2376)[]
Shortly after Elias Vaughn's orb experience, and following a discussion between Kira Nerys and Vaughn, Kira decided to use the Orb of Memory to help clear her own confused thoughts regarding a prophetic dream she had experience. Kira's experience inspired her to take a runabout to B'hala where she discovered a previously unknown tomb which contained the bodies of ten thousand people, the guardians of the Ohalu Prophecies. (DS9 novel: Avatar, Book One)
Elias Vaughn (September 2376)[]
- See main article: Elias Vaughn's second orb experience.
In September 2376 Elias Vaughn experienced his second orb experience using the Orb of Unity. In this experience he, in the persona of Eli Underwood, entered the world of Benny Russell. He and Benny became good friends in the asylum for the clinically insane they were both residents of. The experience came to an end when they both left the asylum as Benjamin Sisko returned from his time with the Prophets to corporeal existence. (DS9 novel: Unity)
Parasite spawnmother (September 2376)[]
Also in September of 2376 a parasite spawnmother on Bajor was ready to unleash an army of parasites onto the planet. Kira Nerys located the spawnmother in the orb chamber of the monastery at Ashalla and, realising she couldn’t defeat her by conventional means, opened all eight of the orbs onto the spawnmother.
The Spawnmother's perceptions were filled with the light of the orbs and the visage of Benjamin Sisko who informed her she'd picked the wrong planet. She then found herself flung into a void in a realm outside of normal timespace. This void was also inhabitant by a group of Jem'Hadar who had been transported there by the Prophets to prevent the Dominion sending a large fleet to the Alpha Quadrant at a key point in the Dominion War. Upon sighting the spawnmother the Jem'Hadar unsheathed their kar'takin and attacked. Who, if anyone, won this engagement is unknown. (DS9 novel: Unity)
External link[]
- Orb experience article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.