| abstract | - The status of the Ferengi in life determined the price set on a disk of their remains. In 2369, the purported vacuum desiccated remains of Grand Nagus Zek were selling for 20 bars of latinum per disk. Nava was originally hesitant to pay that price but purchased a disk anyway when Krax promised him it would be worth twice as much in a year. (DS9: "The Nagus") As Zek was later revealed to be alive, it is unclear what the source of the desiccated material was. In 2370, Odo facetiously offered to buy a piece of Quark's vacuum desiccated remains when he learned that Fallit Kot was bent on killing him. (DS9: "Melora") The remains of Plegg, which Quark attempted to sell in 2370 for three strips of latinum per disk, were not as highly valued. They were also discovered to be frauds since Plegg was still alive. (DS9: "The Alternate") In 2372 Quark, after being misdiagnosed with Dorek Syndrome, auctioned his own remains on the Exchange where Brunt purchased the entire collection for 500 bars of latinum. (DS9: "Body Parts") In order to ensure that the body of the deceased was in the best condition for desiccation, autopsies on Ferengi bodies were strictly prohibited. Doctor Beverly Crusher violated this rule, and the Prime Directive, in 2369 when she performed an autopsy on the body of Ferengi scientist Reyga. (TNG: "Suspicions" ) Beverly Crusher described Reyga's family's request as a desire to have his body returned without an autopsy for burial, not desiccation. However, it is possible that they were lying about their true intentions, perhaps fearing that Starfleet officers would not honor their wishes otherwise, or that Crusher assumed incorrectly that burial would be involved. It's also possible that not all Ferengi share the same customs concerning their dead. Grand Nagus Smeet and his First Clerk were also buried, though given the circumstances of their deaths, their remains may have been unsellable.
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