159:[1,#b]
     DEEP SPACE NINE: "Statistical... " - REV. 10/23/97 - ACT ONE    15.

14   CONTINUED:	(2)

					O'BRIEN 
			I hope they don't end up being too
			productive -- it'd make the rest 
			of us look bad.

	O'Brien's lighthearted comment actually strikes to the 
	heart of the matter, and Worf seizes on it --

					WORF
			It is no laughing matter. If 
			people like them are allowed to 
			compete freely, parents would feel 
			pressured to have their children 
			enhanced so that they could keep 
			up.

					ODO
				(seeing Worf's point) 
			That's precisely what prompted the 
			ban on DNA resequencing in the 
			first place.

	This is Starfleet's party line and Bashir knows it, but 
	it's a difficult subject for him. A moment, then he 
	tries to calmly explain how he sees it. Despite his 
	best efforts, Bashir can't keep the emotion from rising 
	in his voice --

					BASHIR 
			Giving them a chance to contribute 
			doesn't mean sanctioning what was 
			done to them. They didn't ask to 
			have their DNA tampered with -- 
			they were just children when it 
			happened. Why should they be 
			excluded when their parents are 
			the ones who broke the law?

	An awkward silence settles over the room as the others 
	realize Julian is taking the conversation personally. 
	Finally, Sisko cautiously tries to smooth things over.

					SISKO 
			You're right. It's not quite 
			fair. But even so it seemed a 
			good way to discourage genetic 
			tampering.

					O'BRIEN
			Besides, we're not talking about 
			excluding them, we're talking 
			about putting certain limits on 
			what they're allowed to do.

					BASHIR 
			Like joining Starfleet.