Zefram Cochrane

Characterizing it as you have, it makes me think that the LBF, if we can refer to it that way, should have a trademark affixed to it, as common as its use comes across!!!!

I think that would've have been rather difficult for him to pull off, as all the bridge staff knew about it and came unequivocally to believe it, even T'Pol, as would just about the entire crew, one would have to imagine, given what they directly experienced. How would he have gotten everyone to keep quiet about it? Taken a blood oath?

OK, I'll bite on the first two, but I don't know where you're getting any substantiation for Mitchell's case. I don't recall any canon citation that such happened. Why would he have done so? I might argue elsewhere, that he could have to have hidden his culpability in the incident, but I doubt that's what you mean. Mitchell was cited for dying in support of doing his duty, though I suppose the exact circumstances might have been obscured. But if for no other reason than making it known to Starfleet the dangers of encountering the Barrier, I can't imagine Kirk being so irresponsibly lax and capricious. Again, what woud be the purpose?

 

I was a bit hyperbolic there. As you said, Kirk fudged things when stating "Captain's log, Star date 1313.8. Add to official losses, Doctor Elizabeth Dehner. Be it noted she gave her life in performance of her duty. Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell, same notation. I want his service record to end that way. He didn't ask for what happened to him."

 

Interesting point! Perhaps, the native sentient beings of Alpha Centuri are Humans?

 

I have no issue reconciling the two versions of Cochrane. One has been brain washed by the Companion for over a century. But early on? This is a man who lived through a nuclear war. That has to be tough on the body and mind.

I think you'll find that most of the things Enterprise broke were fan assumptions about events in TOS. Fanon. About the only real break they made was the Romulan cloaking device in "Minefield", which they "fixed" later in the show.

 

I interpret it as Alpha Centauri is simply an Earth colony in Cochrane's era.

 

There's a native intelligent species who are humanoid to the point where it's hard to tell the difference? I like this. We certainly saw this on enough other planets.

Or there's a Human colony on a planet with a native intelligent species. Nothing says every world we send people to has to be "virgin."

 

Me too. I've now listened to two novels about our colonizing a planet at Alpha Centauri. Supposedly a planet the size of Earth with a temperature where it could have liquid water has just been discovered orbiting Proxima Centauri. Any colonizing will start there. Ask the Robinsons...

 

Those poor people.

 

God bless you please, Mr. Robinson. Alpha Centauri's worth more than you will know. Wo wo wo.

 

Do have a problem with AC being founding member of the federation (some versions) and being solely a colony of Earth, while other founder's colonies aren't founding members as well.

Spock did say (Balance of Terror) that Vulcan had colonies, so why the double standard? We saw in ST: Enterprise that Andor and Vulcan were fighting over a colony, so Andorian have colony efforts too.

Ac having a indigious species that helped form the federation makes more sense (to me). The presence of Humans doesn't automatically make them the only people there, or the "rulers" of the planet.

 

AC must have become independent. The US and the UK are both founding members of the UN.

 

Okay, using that as a metaphor. Yes both the UK and US joined the federation, but not Portugal and Macau, Belgium and the Congo.

Why was the only non-homeworld the Human one? It (imo) makes more sense that AC would also be a species homeworld, just like all the other federation founders.

 

I wish that Zefram Cochrane could miniaturize a warp drive engine that would fit under the hood of my Volkswagen.

 

In "Metamorphosis," Kirk refers to Cochrane as "Zefram Cochrane of Alpha Centauri." But that doesn't necessarily mean Cochrane is a native of a planet orbiting that star. Lawrence of Arabia wasn't born in Arabia, and Scott of the Antarctic . . . well, you get the idea.

 

Why not? Doesn't have to be a reason.

 

Exactly. Gordon of Khartoum wasn't born in Khartoum, Mountbatten of Burma wasn't born in Burma, etc. etc. The "Person of Place" construction usually means Person went to Place to do something noteworthy.

 

Well it kind of does. Five homeworlds with populations in the billions, and one (former?) colony with a population in the thousands, form a federation with each having equal power, an equal vote in affairs?

Unless you want to stipulate that the various members have different degrees of power within the organization, which might make sense.

Like NATO has many members but America is the powerhouse in the organization.

The European Union has many members, but the real power rest with a small number of countries.

 

Add John Carter of Mars to the list.

 

The problem with that is context. Those are all effectively titles of people. "Zefram Cochrane of Alpha Centauri" was said in a descriptive manner, identifying the character and his place of origin, which is how that usage is most often seen in Star Trek and other sci-fi works. Much like "S'pork of Vulcan" or "Figgly Miffins of Andoria."

 

I don't understand - how is this different from saying "Lawrence of Arabia"? That is, how would you say something like that in a "nondescriptive" manner? What would you do differently?

Amusingly, in Trek, nobody is identified with his place of origin - not Kahless, not Zora, not Li Quan. If anything, such things are extremely carefully avoided in Trek. We may well learn where somebody came from, eventually or in the introductory phrase already, but not through "X of Y". (Heck, "Sarek of Vulcan" only arises as an insult long after the character is established... And he's a Vulcan by reputation and profession, not just by birth.)

Timo Saloniemi