Spoilers Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 3x09 - "Terrarium"

[Farscape One]

Actually, it was.

Think about it. "Doc" Smith could be forgiven for postulating iron as a source of the insanely huge amount of energy needed to bypass Special Relativity, because the pre-Lensman version of Triplanetary predated the "Chicago Pile-1" experiments in a squash court under the stands at Stagg Field (by nearly a decade), and even then, nobody knew enough about nuclear reactions to understand that iron cannot produce a net release of energy by fission or by fusion.

But "The Man Trap"? Common salt is an ionic compound, consisting of sodium cations and chloride anions. The sodium cation and the chloride anion are two of the most soluble ions known, and they have a strong affinity for each other. While a real-world life form that uses common salt is easy enough to find (there aren't many that don't), one that metabolizes salt, and takes it permanently out of the environment is preposterous. So is one that can quickly (and painfully) extract it from another life form. Likewise, a life form that can simultaneously present three different appearances (one radically different from the other two, and all three radically different from its natural appearance) to three different observers wouldn't fool sensors, while a true shapeshifter would only be able to present one appearance at a time.

Maybe the M113 creature was feeling...






salty at being the last of its kind.

 

[cooleddie74]

 

[Set Harth]

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Maybe the M113 creature was feeling...salty at being the last of its kind.

Except that according to LD, it(?) wasn't. I still remember Boimler's hysterical screams upon encountering one (can somebody remind me of which episode that was?), and Mariner's wild hypothesis that Boimler's new girlfriend was one.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

SearchTrek

A Star Trek Script search engine, search every word spoken in the Star Trek TV series and movies

searchtrek.org

"Veritas"

SearchTrek

A Star Trek Script search engine, search every word spoken in the Star Trek TV series and movies

searchtrek.org

"Cupid's Errant Arrow"

 

[Detached Nacelle]

Except that according to LD, it(?) wasn't. I still remember Boimler's hysterical screams upon encountering one (can somebody remind me of which episode that was?), and Mariner's wild hypothesis that Boimler's new girlfriend was one.

Wasn't in Ransom on the date with the salt vampire and iirc he thought they were extinct too

 

[Farscape One]

Except that according to LD, it(?) wasn't. I still remember Boimler's hysterical screams upon encountering one (can somebody remind me of which episode that was?), and Mariner's wild hypothesis that Boimler's new girlfriend was one.

It was a joke.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Nearly everything in LD was a joke. In LD, "Rule of Funny" trumps everything else. But that doesn't change the fact that everything in LD is canonical: it was shot, and it didn't end up on the cutting room floor.

 

[Candleicious Ghost]

Nearly everything in LD was a joke. In LD, "Rule of Funny" trumps everything else. But that doesn't change the fact that everything in LD is canonical: it was shot, and it didn't end up on the cutting room floor.

Including the permanent portal which I hope is mentioned in a future Trek show

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Including the permanent portal which I hope is mentioned in a future Trek show

Cue Dulmur and Lucsly.

 

[Farscape One]

Nearly everything in LD was a joke. In LD, "Rule of Funny" trumps everything else. But that doesn't change the fact that everything in LD is canonical: it was shot, and it didn't end up on the cutting room floor.

No, I meant my salty joke was a joke.

And besides... maybe the one seen in "THE MAN TRAP" thought it was the last of its kind without knowing there are others out there.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Yes, and I actually did get the "salty" joke. I should have given you a ROFL emoji before giving it a serious reply; please forgive the omission.

 

[Reanok]

I really liked all of the season 3 episodes I've watched so far .

 

[Nerys Myk]

I really liked all of the season 3 episodes I've watched so far .

There's one in every crowd.

 

[Mudd]

I really liked all of the season 3 episodes I've watched so far .

Me, too.

 

[kkt]

And yet how does Man Trap end?

With regrets all around.

 

[kkt]

I liked "Terrarium". Parts reminded me of "The Galileo Seven": Landing party stranded, the Enterprise must leave the area soon to deliver medicine to stop a plague, lighting an explosive in the atmosphere as a signal.

I liked the reference to the Constellation and Commodore Decker. Not every Star Trek show is as thoughtful.

Good to see a lot of Ortegas too.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Likewise, a life form that can simultaneously present three different appearances (one radically different from the other two, and all three radically different from its natural appearance) to three different observers wouldn't fool sensors, while a true shapeshifter would only be able to present one appearance at a time.

The salt vampire was not shape shifting.

It was playing with everyone's perceptions.

Perhaps by releasing a psycho chemical reactive gas from its pours, if not hypnotic tones, telepathic waves, or a suggestive lightshow somehow.

That's how a fierce collection of men gawking at the same "lady" at exactly the same time, saw completely different women without resignation.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Precisely my point: a salt vampire couldn't both present multiple appearances simultaneously and fool sensors. As I said, Triplanetary-level absurdity.

(In my fanfic short story, "Interview with Dr. Ambrose Crater, or The Salt Vampire Ate My Parents," I postulated that at least some of the non-sentient predatory life on M-113 has similar cravings and capabilities, and that it's a combination of shapeshifting and image-projection. It seemed the closest thing to a plausible explanation.)

Wasn't in [sic] Ransom on the date with the salt vampire and iirc he thought they were extinct too

Yes, it was Ransom. My mistake. You don't often hear Ransom screaming. Certainly not as often as Boimler. I also didn't remember that both LD episodes that referenced salt vampires were first-season (which is probably why I didn't remember it was Ransom).

 

[Guy Gardener]

Precisely my point: a salt vampire couldn't both present multiple appearances simultaneously and fool sensors. As I said, Triplanetary-level absurdity.

(In my fanfic short story, "Interview with Dr. Ambrose Crater, or The Salt Vampire Ate My Parents," I postulated that at least some of the non-sentient predatory life on M-113 has similar cravings and capabilities, and that it's a combination of shapeshifting and image-projection. It seemed the closest thing to a plausible explanation.)


Yes, it was Ransom. My mistake. You don't often hear Ransom screaming. Certainly not as often as Boimler. I also didn't remember that both LD episodes that referenced salt vampires were first-season (which is probably why I didn't remember it was Ransom).

It fooled the eyes looking at the sensors.

The tricorder said "Great balls of fire Bones, this lady is a monster!" But young McCoy ignored this pessimistic assessment because the alien drugs running through his coconut said "Be chill baby, don't worry about it, everything is hella cool."

I don't think the Vampire got to choose what people saw, its probably all automatic and reflexive, so that the species can muddle on, even if they lose everything else, and might as well be animals.