O'Brien mentions having studied to be a musician before joining Starfleet. He played the cello in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987).
In a scene cut from the aired episode, it was mentioned that there was an incident on Brinda V where half the population of a village disappeared and that it was later found that they had been abducted by Orions to work as slaves in their mining camps.
As Dax, Odo and Taya investigate the valley, Taya tells the story of a shape shifter that is challenged to transform into a loaf of bread, does so, and is eaten by his challenger. This bears a striking resemblance to the Puss in Boots fairy tale recorded by Frenchman Charles Perrault. In the tale, the booted cat tricks an ogre who can change his shape into changing into a mouse and eats him.