Question: SE02ep09: Metamorphosis
- Thread starter Captain Tracy
- Start date
Hedford's complaints make it pretty clear there was nobody there to give her the shots when they were needed, so McCoy clearly arrives later than she does. Possibly in response to her cries for help, but perhaps not, as no such cries are mentioned. Whether the situation is simple medevac or not is for us to decide: Kirk not only promises medical help, but also the returning of the Commissioner to her job, supposedy at Gamma Canaris III, and might have arrived to bolster UFP diplomatic efforts in the first place, the medevac scenario only arising later on.
If Kirk is there to bring more brass and braid to play, then arriving in a humble shuttle makes fairly little sense, though. Barging in with fearsome firepower would go better with sending in a starship skipper, while assigning another civilian would better match the humble shuttle.
The shuttle crew selection in "The Galileo Seven" no doubt is but an excuse to put Spock's command skills to a test - hence the presence of the ship's CMO who specializes in space psychology. And perhaps the CEO is there for evaluation purposes, too, and to take over if Spock totally drops the ball?
Timo Saloniemi
If Kirk is there to bring more brass and braid to play, then arriving in a humble shuttle makes fairly little sense, though. Barging in with fearsome firepower would go better with sending in a starship skipper, while assigning another civilian would better match the humble shuttle.
The shuttle crew selection in "The Galileo Seven" no doubt is but an excuse to put Spock's command skills to a test - hence the presence of the ship's CMO who specializes in space psychology. And perhaps the CEO is there for evaluation purposes, too, and to take over if Spock totally drops the ball?
Timo Saloniemi
Inoculations as Hedford stated were supposed to be done prior to her arriving at Epsilon Canaris 3 so sending McCoy after the fact where he couldn't do anything to help her does not make sense, IMHO. I'd believe it more if all four were already on the mission when she caught the disease and had to return to the Enterprise to get treated.
MCCOY: Now really, Commissioner, you can't blame the Starfleet.
NANCY: I should've received the proper inoculations ahead of time.
MCCOY: Sakuro's disease is extremely rare. The chances of anyone contracting it are literally billions to one.
NANCY: I was sent to Epsilon Canaris Three to prevent a war, Doctor. Thanks to the inefficiency of the medical branch of the Starfleet, I've been forced to leave before my job was done.
KIRK: Commissioner, I can assure you that once we reach the Enterprise, with its medical facilities, we'll have you back to your job in time for you to prevent that war.
I do like @Captain Tracy 's observation about Ferris in "The Galileo Seven". It is the only difference in crew/cargo makeup compared to other similar situations where the Enterprise would have normally flown up close to investigate. Ferris' presence on the Enterprise likely prevented Kirk from just flying the ship up to the quasar so the shuttle was the next best thing.
We know from "The Immunity Syndrome" that probes by themselves can't provide enough data and a manned shuttle has to be sent so this could be consistent with a shuttle being used assuming probes had already been launched. In oddly the same vein, the most capable flew the shuttle in "The Immunity Syndrome" and apparently the same in "The Galileo Seven" (along with a few guest rides).
No, McCoy can treat her if she starts to show symptoms en route to the ship. You don't not send along a doctor when you go to pick up someone who's sick, if there's a choice and you have a doctor to spare.
@blssdwlf - Thanks 
. The more I thought about the idea about a regulation which protects Federation Bureaucrats - being Non-Star Fleet and Non-Field-Personel - when they are in the field, absolutely prohibiting a Star Fleet Captain from knowingly exposing one of their Commissioners - and/or the mission that starship has been tapped to service - to any known hazardous situation, which could reasonably be foreseen to compromise the Federation representative and/or jeopardize their mission.
This becomes a very powerful writers' story-telling tool, wherein characters like: Ferris, Hedford, Niles Barris, Fox, et al, can be dropped into a story for the specific, yet hidden purpose, of closing down holes in the story - such as we are discussing - rather, than using them as an excuse to send the Captain off in some random direction in space.
Think about this, suppose the regulation I suggest existed, then, in addition to closing down the story-hole, we also could then have dialog between the characters which is more substantive and legitimate than Ferris mimicing a broken alarm clock which harasses Kirk.
Instead, the heated and oppositional dialog between Ferris and the Captain could then be about the bound Captain's frustration regarding the increased danger some of these well-intentioned "Federation Regulations" inadvertently create for Star Fleet Personnel; to which, Ferris' speeches would be defending those same regulations to Kirk - and, the Captain, having to face the brutal and painful reality that from the perspective of the higher authority, which is the UFP, these starships, all Starfleet personnel, and his shipmates and friends, are in the end, simply expendable tools with which the greater UFP fulfills it's own agenda.
So we would gain that more meaningful oppositional dialog, while the Captain has to face the harsh facts of his job, and all the while he cannot move his starship in to investigate, is forced to risk his ship-mates and friends in a shuttlecraft to fulfill his standing orders to investigate, and cannot move his starship in to search for his missing comrades; but instead, is forced to risk even more crew lives in a second shuttlecraft to search, all because the writer stuck a very powerful 'writer's pawn' in play - which shuts down the Captain's option in overcoming obstacles and increasing the conflict between two characters in opposition - being the goal of the writing.
"...In oddly the same vein, the most capable flew the shuttle in "The Immunity Syndrome" and apparently the same in "The Galileo Seven"...".
Yes, indeed; and. we will still need to find or create a supported justification for all that braid on-board the Galileo 7 for the trip into Murasaki-312.... a very tough nut to crack.
. The more I thought about the idea about a regulation which protects Federation Bureaucrats - being Non-Star Fleet and Non-Field-Personel - when they are in the field, absolutely prohibiting a Star Fleet Captain from knowingly exposing one of their Commissioners - and/or the mission that starship has been tapped to service - to any known hazardous situation, which could reasonably be foreseen to compromise the Federation representative and/or jeopardize their mission.This becomes a very powerful writers' story-telling tool, wherein characters like: Ferris, Hedford, Niles Barris, Fox, et al, can be dropped into a story for the specific, yet hidden purpose, of closing down holes in the story - such as we are discussing - rather, than using them as an excuse to send the Captain off in some random direction in space.
Think about this, suppose the regulation I suggest existed, then, in addition to closing down the story-hole, we also could then have dialog between the characters which is more substantive and legitimate than Ferris mimicing a broken alarm clock which harasses Kirk.
Instead, the heated and oppositional dialog between Ferris and the Captain could then be about the bound Captain's frustration regarding the increased danger some of these well-intentioned "Federation Regulations" inadvertently create for Star Fleet Personnel; to which, Ferris' speeches would be defending those same regulations to Kirk - and, the Captain, having to face the brutal and painful reality that from the perspective of the higher authority, which is the UFP, these starships, all Starfleet personnel, and his shipmates and friends, are in the end, simply expendable tools with which the greater UFP fulfills it's own agenda.
So we would gain that more meaningful oppositional dialog, while the Captain has to face the harsh facts of his job, and all the while he cannot move his starship in to investigate, is forced to risk his ship-mates and friends in a shuttlecraft to fulfill his standing orders to investigate, and cannot move his starship in to search for his missing comrades; but instead, is forced to risk even more crew lives in a second shuttlecraft to search, all because the writer stuck a very powerful 'writer's pawn' in play - which shuts down the Captain's option in overcoming obstacles and increasing the conflict between two characters in opposition - being the goal of the writing.
"...In oddly the same vein, the most capable flew the shuttle in "The Immunity Syndrome" and apparently the same in "The Galileo Seven"...".
Yes, indeed; and. we will still need to find or create a supported justification for all that braid on-board the Galileo 7 for the trip into Murasaki-312.... a very tough nut to crack.
There doesn't appear to be anything McCoy can do other than give a sedative or pain-reducing injection. The dialogue strongly implies that the only treatment for the disease is the Enterprise's medical facilities and it is fatal very soon.
If Dr McCoy was sent from the Enterprise they would've included equipment or drugs to treat the disease in the shuttle. But if McCoy was already there with Kirk and Spock and Hedford as part of a delegation then it would cover why McCoy is unable to treat Hedford at anytime on the way back to the Enterprise, IMHO.
MCCOY: Jim, we've got to get Miss Hedford to the Enterprise. Her condition.
...
KIRK: I can't quite place him, but. What about Miss Hedford?
MCCOY: No temperature yet, but we've got to get under way soon, Jim. I guarantee you, it will develop. What are we going to do?
...
MCCOY: Temperature, Captain. First sign.
KIRK: Yes, I know. It means we're running out of time.
...
MCCOY: All right. Try to relax. Jim, it's started, the fever. It's over a hundred, and it's climbing.
KIRK: How long do we have?
MCCOY: A matter of hours, that's all.
...
KIRK: I can't quite place him, but. What about Miss Hedford?
MCCOY: No temperature yet, but we've got to get under way soon, Jim. I guarantee you, it will develop. What are we going to do?
...
MCCOY: Temperature, Captain. First sign.
KIRK: Yes, I know. It means we're running out of time.
...
MCCOY: All right. Try to relax. Jim, it's started, the fever. It's over a hundred, and it's climbing.
KIRK: How long do we have?
MCCOY: A matter of hours, that's all.
It's called palliative care. You don't not take a doctor.
@blssdwlf - I was toying with the justification of what if there existed as Standard Operating Proceedure, which assigns the most senior engineer - Scott - to be on shuttlecraft missions where the crew consists of one, or more, senior officers onboard; with the intended purpose to "increase the insurance" of the safety of other senior officers on the mission.
How would it have looked if Spock and McCoy - both senior department heads - died on Taurus II because the engineer assigned to the shuttlecraft party to affect repairs as a mechanic was of Ensign grade?
If such an S.O.P. existed, that would honestly put Scott onboard the Galileo 7.
This would also allow Lt. Kelowitz to command the Columbus with a junior-grade search crew, without violating the proposed S.O.P. theory.
If we can accept that postulated S.O.P. assigns the rank requirement for the post of engineer on a shuttlecraft crew, then we can also justify McCoy under the same logic of that prescribed S.O.P. hierarchy of rank requirements, if it also states in parallel the the most senior medical officer be present on crew where one or more senior officers are present.
So, by that, the moment Spock is assigned to the shuttlecraft, the S.O.P. dictates BOTH McCoy and Scott go with him.
Unfortunately, this idea potentially runs into a problem in Metamorphosis, as Scott - while written into the original story treatment, as I have come to understand - was NOT part of that shuttlecrew on-screen; HOWEVER, at the time, Scott was commanding the Enterprise in lieu of the Captain's absence - either forced to hover outside the 'no fly zone' during the peace-talks and await the shuttlecraft rendexvous, or, off "on an unstated mission, doing something else, elsewhere". - but, either way, we have to face the harsh fact that there is not even an Ensign grade engineer onboard to support the S.O.P. idea as-shown in Metamorphosis.
Tough, tough, nut to crack!
How would it have looked if Spock and McCoy - both senior department heads - died on Taurus II because the engineer assigned to the shuttlecraft party to affect repairs as a mechanic was of Ensign grade?
If such an S.O.P. existed, that would honestly put Scott onboard the Galileo 7.
This would also allow Lt. Kelowitz to command the Columbus with a junior-grade search crew, without violating the proposed S.O.P. theory.
If we can accept that postulated S.O.P. assigns the rank requirement for the post of engineer on a shuttlecraft crew, then we can also justify McCoy under the same logic of that prescribed S.O.P. hierarchy of rank requirements, if it also states in parallel the the most senior medical officer be present on crew where one or more senior officers are present.
So, by that, the moment Spock is assigned to the shuttlecraft, the S.O.P. dictates BOTH McCoy and Scott go with him.
Unfortunately, this idea potentially runs into a problem in Metamorphosis, as Scott - while written into the original story treatment, as I have come to understand - was NOT part of that shuttlecrew on-screen; HOWEVER, at the time, Scott was commanding the Enterprise in lieu of the Captain's absence - either forced to hover outside the 'no fly zone' during the peace-talks and await the shuttlecraft rendexvous, or, off "on an unstated mission, doing something else, elsewhere". - but, either way, we have to face the harsh fact that there is not even an Ensign grade engineer onboard to support the S.O.P. idea as-shown in Metamorphosis.
Tough, tough, nut to crack!
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And if McCoy was sent to help Hedford you don't not take medicine, equipment and additional medical personnel.
Probably not as bad if Spock, McCoy and Scotty all die because they are assigned on the same shuttle?
I still think the crew didn't know all the risks and were caught off guard. They probably thought taking the shuttle will get them some great scientific readings and help with their performance reviews and they'd fly back to the Enterprise when done.
Ferris' presence probably saved the Enterprise as it could of been the ship that got close and was pulled down into the planet so you know, the glass half-full and all
I'm not going to argue with that. That was lame. They could have had a mini-sickbay on board to start her cure and just have it get shorted out when the Companion captures the shuttle.
@blssdwlf - I hear you loud-and-clear; however, such a disastrous outcome in terms of the potential cost of key personnel at one time should serve dramatically to point to the level of political importance of the mission... at least, in the eyes of The Federation.
Because this episode begins en medias res, there is much we do not know about what the situation and circumstances were, before we - the viewers - join the story; however, this also gives us quite a bit of flexibility in terms of backstory to tighten up the story holes which appear because we don't have the whole story - provided we don't violate any of the hard facts as presented to us on-screen.
Therefore:
We could start with The Big 3 accompanying and attending their passenger, Assistant Commissioner Hedford from the Enterprise to the peace-talks on Epsilon Canaris III via shuttlecraft, functioning solely in their capacity as Diplomatic Representatives of Star Fleet from the starship in the sector at that time - having the Enterprise take them up to border of the proposed 'No Fly Zone', launch the shuttlecraft, the 4 passengers now enroute to Epsilon Canaris III, they are planet-side during the peace talks, until the point where Hedford's contracting of Sukaro's Disease while on EC III due to faulty inoculation by Star Fleet is discovered.
We can now get all 4 of them back into the shuttlecraft on EC III, honestly, with the Enterprise 4 hours away - outside the 'No Fly Zone' - ready and able to meet them at the rendezvous point, honestly, and, with McCoy without any medical gear more sophisticated on his person than his basic Medi-Kit and Medical Tricorder - which is as it should be, if he is not there expecting to deal with a medical emergency, but more as a diplomatic show-piece of Star Fleet - who now has a sudden and unexpected and rare medical-crisis on his hands, and, as fast as possible, he must now get his surprise patient back to the superior medical facilities on-board the Enterprise, via shuttlecraft, as her symptoms begin to manifest...
Which is the point where we - as viewers - join the story.
This backstory puts everyone in their correct place, with limited aid to deal with either the surprise medical-crisis, and, the surprise hi-jacking which is about to unfold.
It also quite handily kills the bad Fairly Tale of: "Well, once upon a time, the 3 most important officers on a starship - Kirk, Spock, and McCoy - got in a shuttlecraft to go on a medical-rescue pick-up mission, while the Enterprise goes off somewhere, for some reason, for some purpose, which we never know, but anyway, after they pick-up the cranky sick lady, the doctor doesn't have his specific medical equipment for this sick patient, and then, the shuttlecraft they are in gets hi-jacked..."; which, without the backstory we've extrapolated and concocted from what we can support in theory, is what is essentially shown on-screen.
Yes, I totally agree with you about the presence of Ferris probably being the reason the Enterprise itself was not lost
to the hazards of Murasaki 312; even without the stated 'Thou Shall Not Knowingly Endanger Fed Reps nor their Mission' regulation we cooked-up to justify things.
Now... what about all that gold-braid on those pesky shuttlecrafts; any further comments or feedback to the s.o.p. rank assignment theory/problem I "flung" back in post #28?
Because this episode begins en medias res, there is much we do not know about what the situation and circumstances were, before we - the viewers - join the story; however, this also gives us quite a bit of flexibility in terms of backstory to tighten up the story holes which appear because we don't have the whole story - provided we don't violate any of the hard facts as presented to us on-screen.
Therefore:
We could start with The Big 3 accompanying and attending their passenger, Assistant Commissioner Hedford from the Enterprise to the peace-talks on Epsilon Canaris III via shuttlecraft, functioning solely in their capacity as Diplomatic Representatives of Star Fleet from the starship in the sector at that time - having the Enterprise take them up to border of the proposed 'No Fly Zone', launch the shuttlecraft, the 4 passengers now enroute to Epsilon Canaris III, they are planet-side during the peace talks, until the point where Hedford's contracting of Sukaro's Disease while on EC III due to faulty inoculation by Star Fleet is discovered.
We can now get all 4 of them back into the shuttlecraft on EC III, honestly, with the Enterprise 4 hours away - outside the 'No Fly Zone' - ready and able to meet them at the rendezvous point, honestly, and, with McCoy without any medical gear more sophisticated on his person than his basic Medi-Kit and Medical Tricorder - which is as it should be, if he is not there expecting to deal with a medical emergency, but more as a diplomatic show-piece of Star Fleet - who now has a sudden and unexpected and rare medical-crisis on his hands, and, as fast as possible, he must now get his surprise patient back to the superior medical facilities on-board the Enterprise, via shuttlecraft, as her symptoms begin to manifest...
Which is the point where we - as viewers - join the story.
This backstory puts everyone in their correct place, with limited aid to deal with either the surprise medical-crisis, and, the surprise hi-jacking which is about to unfold.
It also quite handily kills the bad Fairly Tale of: "Well, once upon a time, the 3 most important officers on a starship - Kirk, Spock, and McCoy - got in a shuttlecraft to go on a medical-rescue pick-up mission, while the Enterprise goes off somewhere, for some reason, for some purpose, which we never know, but anyway, after they pick-up the cranky sick lady, the doctor doesn't have his specific medical equipment for this sick patient, and then, the shuttlecraft they are in gets hi-jacked..."; which, without the backstory we've extrapolated and concocted from what we can support in theory, is what is essentially shown on-screen.
Yes, I totally agree with you about the presence of Ferris probably being the reason the Enterprise itself was not lost
to the hazards of Murasaki 312; even without the stated 'Thou Shall Not Knowingly Endanger Fed Reps nor their Mission' regulation we cooked-up to justify things.Now... what about all that gold-braid on those pesky shuttlecrafts; any further comments or feedback to the s.o.p. rank assignment theory/problem I "flung" back in post #28?
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After a few iterations, your pre-teaser setup above seems to have solidifed into the most sensible one we can imagine. No shuttle medevac sortie, but a high-rank delegation facing an unexpected crisis. But there's always room for variations...
We need to give these peace talks some time to reach a stage where Hedford would express frustration at not being able to continue, rather than frustration that she never even got started. Even if it was the ship that actually delivered her to the location, she would have insisted on / was by regulation assigned a high-ranking entourage which thus had to draw from the resources of the ship; said entourage would then want to be provided with a shuttle since they'd be stuck on that planet for a long time, and the ship would have better things to do.
(For extra realism and consistency with a few other adventures, we can give the Commissioner a slightly more extensive staff, not even limited by shuttle carrying capacity in the above case. This would then remain planetside to keep the seats warm at the negotiating tables. Perhaps some of Kirk's team stayed behind as well. But escorting the suddenly ill Commisioner to the ship would call for both McCoy the specialist and Kirk the man in charge, and Spock could tag along just because.)
No, we don't need to postulate a no-fly zone for the ship; Scotty is merely rushing in, returning from whatever he was doing during the time expected to have been available while the talks dragged on. And the rendezvous spot is where hard computing has the two mobile assets meet if approaching each other at best possible speed. Scotty could have flown all the way to Gamma Canaris III (and may well have done so to deposit the team originally), but this time it makes better sense to shorten the time by also utilizing the shuttle's propulsive capabilities.
I don't really appreciate the idea of throwing good braid after bad: if the shuttle has Kirk, he absolutely doesn't need his top officers for protection. On the contrary, those top officers must refrain from coming aboard, for protection. Losing the whole bunch at once, for no good reason, would simply be bad policy.
There may be special occasions calling for the moving of top officers from A to B, and Starfleet might not always be so paranoid as to insist on three shuttles for three officers of LCDR or higher rank. But assigning high-rankers as mere aides for high-rankers makes no sense.
Timo Saloniemi
We need to give these peace talks some time to reach a stage where Hedford would express frustration at not being able to continue, rather than frustration that she never even got started. Even if it was the ship that actually delivered her to the location, she would have insisted on / was by regulation assigned a high-ranking entourage which thus had to draw from the resources of the ship; said entourage would then want to be provided with a shuttle since they'd be stuck on that planet for a long time, and the ship would have better things to do.
(For extra realism and consistency with a few other adventures, we can give the Commissioner a slightly more extensive staff, not even limited by shuttle carrying capacity in the above case. This would then remain planetside to keep the seats warm at the negotiating tables. Perhaps some of Kirk's team stayed behind as well. But escorting the suddenly ill Commisioner to the ship would call for both McCoy the specialist and Kirk the man in charge, and Spock could tag along just because.)
No, we don't need to postulate a no-fly zone for the ship; Scotty is merely rushing in, returning from whatever he was doing during the time expected to have been available while the talks dragged on. And the rendezvous spot is where hard computing has the two mobile assets meet if approaching each other at best possible speed. Scotty could have flown all the way to Gamma Canaris III (and may well have done so to deposit the team originally), but this time it makes better sense to shorten the time by also utilizing the shuttle's propulsive capabilities.
I don't really appreciate the idea of throwing good braid after bad: if the shuttle has Kirk, he absolutely doesn't need his top officers for protection. On the contrary, those top officers must refrain from coming aboard, for protection. Losing the whole bunch at once, for no good reason, would simply be bad policy.
There may be special occasions calling for the moving of top officers from A to B, and Starfleet might not always be so paranoid as to insist on three shuttles for three officers of LCDR or higher rank. But assigning high-rankers as mere aides for high-rankers makes no sense.
Timo Saloniemi
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@Timo - NANCY: I was sent to Epsilon Canaris III to prevent a war, Doctor. Thanks to the inefficiency of the medical branch of the Starfleet, I've been forced to leave before my job was done. - See Episode
and;
Fact reiterated and interpolated into the Backstory Proposed: "... they are planet-side during the peace talks, until the point where Hedford's contracting of Sukaro's Disease while on EC III due to faulty inoculation by Star Fleet is discovered." - See Post #31
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Which is what I mean: the talks need enough time so that this statement will ring true. So the Commissioner and the three heroes can't have arrived too recently.
Which then favors the scenario where the ship went away on other business, rather than hovering beyond a no-fly zone. I mean, there's no hovering: Scotty, too, rushes towards the rendezvous rather than already being there.
Our other excuse for thinking about no-fly zones, the use of a shuttle in the first place, can then be ignored: the heroes could have arrived via starship, but were provided with a shuttle because the ship then went away, while the heroes spent not insignificant time planetside. Or at least were planning to.
Timo Saloniemi
Which then favors the scenario where the ship went away on other business, rather than hovering beyond a no-fly zone. I mean, there's no hovering: Scotty, too, rushes towards the rendezvous rather than already being there.
Our other excuse for thinking about no-fly zones, the use of a shuttle in the first place, can then be ignored: the heroes could have arrived via starship, but were provided with a shuttle because the ship then went away, while the heroes spent not insignificant time planetside. Or at least were planning to.
Timo Saloniemi
@Timo - In the episode, Hedford's character delivers her statement while venomously biting McCoy's head off for having been forced to leave the peace talks before her job is done. - See Episode
It worked for me; I have no comment.
Umm, and in order to make sense, it would have to be accompanied with the offscreen fact that the talks had already been in good progress, is all I'm saying.
We don't have to hear that fact. We just need to read it from the statement. The rest of the speculation then nicely follows.
Timo Saloniemi
We don't have to hear that fact. We just need to read it from the statement. The rest of the speculation then nicely follows.
Timo Saloniemi
Some great ideas here.
I always just figured that was part of what shuttlecraft did. With a lot of space to patrol, they were sent out on mini-missions here and there. We know they are fast enough to make a decent rendezvous with the mother ship instead of having to be picked up ("The Menagerie" as well as this episode).
What was always harder to understand was the top-heavy personnel load on the shuttle flight. Surely there are experienced greenshirt lieutenants on Enterprise who could handle this transport duty, but they embark CO and XO both? I suppose it's possible that they were required at some kind of high-level briefing or meeting, but Starfleet seems to be able to handle that thing pretty well with secure communications. If it was protocol related, the CO should be enough, sending the second-in-command doesn't get you extra points.
Back in the sailing navy days when ship's boats were dispatched on independent missions (sometimes quite long distances), they were usually under a midshipman.
I always just figured that was part of what shuttlecraft did. With a lot of space to patrol, they were sent out on mini-missions here and there. We know they are fast enough to make a decent rendezvous with the mother ship instead of having to be picked up ("The Menagerie" as well as this episode).
What was always harder to understand was the top-heavy personnel load on the shuttle flight. Surely there are experienced greenshirt lieutenants on Enterprise who could handle this transport duty, but they embark CO and XO both? I suppose it's possible that they were required at some kind of high-level briefing or meeting, but Starfleet seems to be able to handle that thing pretty well with secure communications. If it was protocol related, the CO should be enough, sending the second-in-command doesn't get you extra points.
Back in the sailing navy days when ship's boats were dispatched on independent missions (sometimes quite long distances), they were usually under a midshipman.
Yeah, I was assuming that Kirk went for protocol reasons, and McCoy for medical reasons. Indeed, Chekov would have sufficed as copilot, instead of Spock. But the roll call is dictated by who's in the main cast, obv.
I wouldn't quote "The Menagerie" for any shuttle-related data.
1) It's an illusion, like basically everything that happens in the episode. It may just barely exist, and just possibly may have been launched with Kirk alone aboard, but that's about it.
2) Even within the illusion, the rules say Spock wants to get caught, so he's probably dragging his feet - whereas Kirk doesn't have to worry about reaching the ship, since Spock will pick him up anyway when he arranges for himself to get killed.
For all we know, even in a real scenario, a starship would leave SB11 at warp two, which the shuttle could just barely reach at full throttle - and would leave the shuttle in her wake once clearing the shallows.
True solo shuttle sorties are basically limited to "The Galileo Seven"; elsewhere, the ship is there to make a pickup and very little is required of shuttle propulsion. Or then a bigger craft than the TOS shuttle is involved, such as in all of TAS and all of DIS. It's those latter craft that are actually tasked with traveling all the way between stars A and B, a feat never featured in TOS or even TNG!
Yes, in "The Galileo Seven", the shuttle is lost in an environment involving stars A through D, with uncertainty about where it ended up. But that's thanks to the anomaly of the week, rather than the built-in capabilities of the little craft. And yes, we find a shuttle of this sort in interstellar space in "Let That Be", too, but there is no star B to be reached, and the pilot lives forever anyway (and may take millennia between meals or toilet visits for all we know).
It's perfectly fine to think of the shuttle in "Metamorphosis" as being capable of warp but incapable of interstellar travel, then. And we witness a pickup scenario, so there's no reason to doubt a dropoff scenario to match that one if our interpretation calls for one.
Timo Saloniemi
1) It's an illusion, like basically everything that happens in the episode. It may just barely exist, and just possibly may have been launched with Kirk alone aboard, but that's about it.
2) Even within the illusion, the rules say Spock wants to get caught, so he's probably dragging his feet - whereas Kirk doesn't have to worry about reaching the ship, since Spock will pick him up anyway when he arranges for himself to get killed.
For all we know, even in a real scenario, a starship would leave SB11 at warp two, which the shuttle could just barely reach at full throttle - and would leave the shuttle in her wake once clearing the shallows.
True solo shuttle sorties are basically limited to "The Galileo Seven"; elsewhere, the ship is there to make a pickup and very little is required of shuttle propulsion. Or then a bigger craft than the TOS shuttle is involved, such as in all of TAS and all of DIS. It's those latter craft that are actually tasked with traveling all the way between stars A and B, a feat never featured in TOS or even TNG!
Yes, in "The Galileo Seven", the shuttle is lost in an environment involving stars A through D, with uncertainty about where it ended up. But that's thanks to the anomaly of the week, rather than the built-in capabilities of the little craft. And yes, we find a shuttle of this sort in interstellar space in "Let That Be", too, but there is no star B to be reached, and the pilot lives forever anyway (and may take millennia between meals or toilet visits for all we know).
It's perfectly fine to think of the shuttle in "Metamorphosis" as being capable of warp but incapable of interstellar travel, then. And we witness a pickup scenario, so there's no reason to doubt a dropoff scenario to match that one if our interpretation calls for one.
Timo Saloniemi
Assuming Spock is not the illusion, then he tells Pike (and us) that it is a 6 day trip at maximum warp. So the Enterprise isn't going slow to let the shuttle catch up.
SPOCK: Captain Pike, may I remain for a moment? (flash, the others leave) You know why I've come, Captain. It's only six days away at maximum warp and I have it well-planned. (flash, flash)
In fact, Spock is checking to see if Kirk turns back... which he does not.
COMPUTER: Library computer.
SPOCK: Lock on to sensors. Measure object now following the Enterprise.
COMPUTER: Computed. Object is a Class F shuttlecraft. Duranium metal shell, ion engine power
SPOCK: Stop. How long before shuttlecraft's fuel supply forces return to starbase?
COMPUTER: Computed. Shuttlecraft is already past point of safe return.
SPOCK: Lock on to sensors. Measure object now following the Enterprise.
COMPUTER: Computed. Object is a Class F shuttlecraft. Duranium metal shell, ion engine power
SPOCK: Stop. How long before shuttlecraft's fuel supply forces return to starbase?
COMPUTER: Computed. Shuttlecraft is already past point of safe return.
And to that, Spock anticipated that might happen. Once Spock had to let Kirk onboard that is when they switched to a diversion to prevent Kirk from regaining control of the ship before reaching Talos IV...
KEEPER [on screen]: What you now seem to hear, Captain Kirk, are my thought transmissions. The Commodore was never aboard your vessel. His presence there and in the shuttlecraft was an illusion. Mister Spock had related to us your strength of will. It was thought the fiction of a court-martial would divert you from too soon regaining control of your vessel. Captain Pike is welcome to spend the rest of his life with us, unfettered by his physical body. The decision is yours and his.
Shuttles in TOS appear to be only limited by fuel and life support which would limit their range. Could they make an interstellar journey? Maybe trips between nearby star systems while traveling at a fuel economical speed
But it seems that they ran out of fuel a day into the chase at maximum warp. The court-martial seems to last the remaining 4 or 5 days of the trip.Similar threads
