Do you think Jennifer was really dead?

[tafkats]

While rewatching "Emissary" for dub's "Superthread," I started thinking about how much more traumatic it would have been for Sisko if, instead of her already being dead when he arrived at their quarters, he'd been forced to abandon her in order to save Jake.

It's pretty clear that as far as Sisko knows, Jennifer was dead and he didn't have to make that decision. But what if the Bolian lieutenant lied in order to save him?

The lieutenant was the only one looking at tricorder readings. If Jennifer had been alive but so thoroughly trapped that there was no way to pull her out in time, might he have allowed Sisko to think she was dead, knowing that if he didn't, Sisko would have refused to leave, resulting in both of them dying and Jake being orphaned?

 

[2takesfrakes]

"The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to The Truth, whether it's scientific truth or historical truth or personal truth!"
-- Captain Jean-Luc Picard

 

[JirinPanthosa]

It wasn't 100% clear she was already dead, but it was clear there was no chance of saving her.

 

[tafkats]

If she were alive but unreachable and Sisko knew it, would he go to the escape pod? Or would he send Jake with the tactical officer and keep trying to free her until the ship was destroyed and they both died?

 

[T'Girl]

... would he send Jake with the tactical officer and keep trying to free her until the ship was destroyed and they both died?

This.

 

[Captrek]

If there was no chance to save her, and staying would only deprive her son of his only surviving parent, is there no chance he would listen to reason? He is a trained Starfleet Officer as well as a father.

I agree that it would have been more traumatic and dramatic.

 

[Orphalesion]

It might have broken Sisko. Leaving his wife to die, even if there was no way of saving her...it would have still gnawed at his conscience, the idea that, maybe if he had stayed, he might have saved her.
If she was still alive it was merciful of the Bolian Officer to lie about it.

 

[bbjeg]

IIRC, didn't the tricorder give us the 'she's dead' sound as opposed to the critically injured sound?

 

[dub]

It's an interesting idea. Or some situation where Jennifer slipped through his fingers. "If only I held on tighter" or "if only I found her sooner" sort of thing. Obviously that would be a different scenario entirely than the one we saw. Having said that, I did truly believe his grief, which was clearly overwhelming for him and didn't really need an additional angle. But I agree it would have been interesting.

 

[Kobayshi Maru]

"The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to The Truth, whether it's scientific truth or historical truth or personal truth!"
-- Captain Jean-Luc Picard

That doesn't apply when there's a good chance that someone will go berserk and do something stupid. In that case you have a duty to lie, be it momentarily, for the greater good.

 

[kkt]

I don't think a starfleet officer, used to telling the truth in all situations, could tell a convincing lie to a fellow officer. Not without more planning and rehearsal time than he would have had in that situation.

 

[Kobayshi Maru]

I don't think a starfleet officer, used to telling the truth in all situations, could tell a convincing lie to a fellow officer. Not without more planning and rehearsal time than he would have had in that situation.

They have to at least lie by omission when they're told to keep a secret, don't they? Or when they are under cover and have to lie all the time to everyone around!!!


Besides, even Tuvok once said that he only lied when ordered to do so. So that shows that it happens, even to Vulcan officers.

 

[USS Triumphant]

"The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to The Truth, whether it's scientific truth or historical truth or personal truth!"
-- Captain Jean-Luc Picard

Picard blows a lot of smoke about humans being beyond money, greed, or religion, too.

Either the Bolian was lying to save the most people or he was telling the truth - either way, the necessary thing for the most good happened at that point. If he were a real person, I would want that Bolian to know that.

 

[kkt]

I don't think a starfleet officer, used to telling the truth in all situations, could tell a convincing lie to a fellow officer. Not without more planning and rehearsal time than he would have had in that situation.

They have to at least lie by omission when they're told to keep a secret, don't they? Or when they are under cover and have to lie all the time to everyone around!!!


Besides, even Tuvok once said that he only lied when ordered to do so. So that shows that it happens, even to Vulcan officers.

I'm not saying starfleet officers never lie, that would be silly. Just that the truth is the first automatic response to a situation, and to lie would require thinking about, and a stressful situation like abandoning ship he'd be too rushed to think about it.

 

[Kobayshi Maru]

I don't think a starfleet officer, used to telling the truth in all situations, could tell a convincing lie to a fellow officer. Not without more planning and rehearsal time than he would have had in that situation.

They have to at least lie by omission when they're told to keep a secret, don't they? Or when they are under cover and have to lie all the time to everyone around!!!


Besides, even Tuvok once said that he only lied when ordered to do so. So that shows that it happens, even to Vulcan officers.

I'm not saying starfleet officers never lie, that would be silly. Just that the truth is the first automatic response to a situation, and to lie would require thinking about, and a stressful situation like abandoning ship he'd be too rushed to think about it.

Unless the guy was smart enough to realize that if he told Sisko that she was alive, he would never leave. That kind of stuff doesn't take more than a fraction of a second when you are under pressure.

 

[DonIago]

I'd like to think if Jennifer had been alive but there was no chance of saving her and Sisko had refused to leave that the Bolian would have knocked him out and dragged him to the escape pod.

 

[Kobayshi Maru]

I'd like to think if Jennifer had been alive but there was no chance of saving her and Sisko had refused to leave that the Bolian would have knocked him out and dragged him to the escape pod.

Or he could have anticipated that and thought that sometimes the end justifies the means. After all Tuvok's stupid candidness got them in serious trouble when he told that Caatati that Seven was a Borg. Talk about missing an opportunity of keeping his big yapper shut!!!

 

[kkt]

I'd like to think if Jennifer had been alive but there was no chance of saving her and Sisko had refused to leave that the Bolian would have knocked him out and dragged him to the escape pod.

Or just pointed out forcefully that having lost his mother he needed his father more than ever.

 

[DonIago]

There didn't really seem to be time for a discussion on the matter.

 

[Amaris]

There didn't really seem to be time for a discussion on the matter.

Nonsense. We could have held a short meeting in the briefing room, foregoing a reading of the minutes of course, and come to a decision with enough time remaining for a dramatic closeup and possibly a tympani roll and trumpet fanfare.