Why didnt they just beam up Reeds communicator?

Discussion in 'Star Trek: Enterprise' started by WraithDukat, Jan 28, 2013.

  1. Gaith

    Gaith Vice Admiral Admiral

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    This Polly ain't gonna end well...
     
  2. Melakon

    Melakon Admiral In Memoriam

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    What did T'Pol use for contraceptives?

    Vulcanized rubbers.
     
  3. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    The risk of somebody seeing the communicator disappear into thin air would be much greater than sending crewmembers in, undercover, who might be able to grab the communicator and get away without anyone noticing. The fact that it got more complicated doesn't change the fact that the risk that it would do so was less.
     
  4. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Another episode showing Our Heroes finding their feet in space and alien civilizations and looking like idiots.
     
  5. Skywalker

    Skywalker Admiral Admiral

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    Don't worry. It looks bad right now, all these puns flying around, but if we're patient we just Mayweather the storm. :ouch:
     
  6. Gaith

    Gaith Vice Admiral Admiral

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    But as ArcherNX01 has pointed out, so what if someone did? Anyone who claimed to have seen it vanish into thin air would just be accused of stealing or losing it. Look at what happened to Doc Silberman in T3 - he saw the T-1000 in action with his own eyes, and still managed to more or less convince himself he'd been delusional at the time.
     
  7. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    ^ What if there had been a crowd gathered round the communicator? Perhaps a group of scientists trying to take it apart and analyze it? Couldn't take that chance.
     
  8. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

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    Why?

    It disappears in a sparkle of light with no trace remaining. For all the crowd knows the mysterious artifact simply self-destructed.
     
  9. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    ^ You saw what that society was like. Very warlike and paranoid. What if the disappearance of the communicator provoked fears that the other side had developed a doomsday weapon, and thus both sides went to war and destroyed themselves?
     
  10. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

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    If they're that ignorant, they deserve whatever hell they bring down on themselves.
     
  11. Timo

    Timo Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Let's remember that Archer and the human heroes were not particularly interested in issues of "cultural contamination". T'Pol was the one sprouting lines of Vulcan propaganda about this.

    Essentially, Archer ordered a communicator recovery mission either to placate T'Pol or simply to get the piece of equipment back, but evidently paid no attention to the impact the lost communicator or the recce or recovery missions would have on the locals. They had been down there once, there'd be no harm in going down there again...

    Even after being captured, our heroes seriously consider identifying themselves as aliens from outer space. What holds them back is not concern about "exposure" or "contamination", but mere tactical consideration about whether a lie or the truth would work better in saving their bacons.

    Perhaps the communicator could have been beamed up after a few days of additional sensor work or something. Archer just didn't want to go to that trouble when the simpler option of going to get it by hand was so readily available.

    Timo Saloniemi