Saturday Crapshoot: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine  Richard Cobbett
at   Every week, Richard Cobbett rolls the dice to bring you an
obscure slice of gaming history, from lost gems to weapons grade
atrocities. In the third part of Star Trek Month, it's time for
a trip to the Federation's darkest corner - the hub of politics
and intrigue that is Deep Space Nine.  Deep Space Nine is almost
the anti-Star Trek. Where the others were fervently optimistic,
it was realistic. Its Captain lied and cheated and did back-room
deals to get the job done. Its crew included a former terrorist,
a genetic outlaw, a thief, and a lost member of the baddies with
a tendency to forget his loyalties. It showed that the
Federation had dirty-tricks divisions, that even Paradise isn't
perfect, and that there is no more horrible sight in the
universe than a greedy Ferengi in drag.  Most importantly, it
remains the only Star Trek series so far to really dig into the
implications of the seemingly utopian Federation. What happens
to those of us