Unresolved Trek trailer questions

[Franklin]

Mr. Orci told me that any changes to canon will have an explanation based in canon. I hope there is a good reason that the Enterprise is conveniently being constructed in Iowa where Kirk grows up. However, I am holding out hope that people around here are taking the scenes in the trailer out of context and that scene does in fact take place closer to San Francisco.

Here's the rub. The movie is supposed to open with heresy! In other words, something right off the bat is going to either be a blantant breach of canon, or something is going to happen to change time.

My guess is Kirk was born on the Kelvin on during Nero's attack on it. He, his brother, mother, and many others escape while his father takes command of the doomed Kelvin and fights for time. This wasn't supposed to happen.

Kirk's mom remarried and moved to Iowa. Either they are from there, or perhaps Kirk's stepfather is somehow involved in starship construction there. Or, since his father was in Starfleet, that could also explain why his father and mother called it their Earth home. Like military folks today who have homes in or around bases.

In other words, there's nothing convenient about the Enterprise being built where Kirk grows up. Either his family simply moved to where his stepfather's job was, or they lived there because Starfleet has a presence there.

At least that's my explanation.

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

Why would they build a starship in Iowa?

How do we know that the 'Kirk-on-motorcycle' scene takes place in Iowa?


...and all things being equal -- why NOT build a spacecraft in Iowa. If, in Abrams world, Starships can be built on the ground in San Francisco, then why not on the ground in Iowa?

 

[dougkeenan]

The cornrows in Iowa channel the hyperforce that Doctor Spock uses to levitate the Enterprise.

 

[JuanBolio]

Its possible that the ship Kirk sees being built is NOT the Enterprise, but another Constitution-class ship.

...and I think it very well could be San Francisco. Of course that opens up the question of what those massive, shadowy structures on the plains are.

 

[Dale]

On the subject of the motive force of the 'vette: I am under the impression that the weird noise is coming from the hover bike, not young James Tiberius Kirk's car. The timing of it seems to indicate it's the cop's bike. I expect the car has an internal combustion engine. Perhaps that is why it's being chased... I mean he was doing less than 80 so "speeding" seems unlikely. Perhaps it's simply illegal to operate an internal combustion engine.

 

[JoeZhang]

On the subject of the motive force of the 'vette: I am under the impression that the weird noise is coming from the hover bike, not young James Tiberius Kirk's car. The timing of it seems to indicate it's the cop's bike. I expect the car has an internal combustion engine. Perhaps that is why it's being chased... I mean he was doing less than 80 so "speeding" seems unlikely. Perhaps it's simply illegal to operate an internal combustion engine.

or the fact that he's 12 and more than likely doesn't have a licence?

 

[JuanBolio]

Or the fact that its likely not his car.

 

[Dale]

My guess is an antique car collected by a family member, comandeered by young Kirk in his burgeoning and prescient desire to be in control of a large, powerful vehicle.

 

[JuanBolio]

Could be his drunken uncle's, and is destroyed by Kirk in an act of spite or vengeance.

 

[Dale]

Hmmm... I tend to think the destruction is accidental... that Kirk simply runs out of road while fleeing the cop.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

My guess is an antique car collected by a family member, comandeered by young Kirk in his burgeoning and prescient desire to be in control of a large, powerful vehicle.

Spock sent one of Tom Paris' hobby cars through a wormhole and a robot replicated from the movie THX 1138 to chase him down all to steer him toward a certain path. It will all be revealed when you see the whole movie.

 

[btflash]

Got an extra one for the list:

- What are the huge structures in the distance while Kirk is riding through the midwest?

their vaporators! oops! wrong saga!

 

[Jimmy_C]

How do we know that is the Enterprise and not another Constitution-class starship being built.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

There is one part where it looks like some kind of rocks are falling together (right after Kirk is getting it on with Uhura(?)) which has me secretly hoping they managed to get the Galaxy Quest rock monster in there somehow.

How do we know that is the Enterprise and not another Constitution-class starship?

It would probably make more sense dramatically that it's the Enterprise, I really doubt that it would just be any old ship.

 

[JoeZhang]

How do we know that is the Enterprise and not another Constitution-class starship being built.

As someone else said - dramatically it doesn't make sense for it to be another ship.

 

[davejames]

Who's the guy with white hair standing over the cliff that Kirk is dangling from? Is that supposed to be old-Spock? Or just some other villain?

 

[SonicRanger]

In case you are worried that there might be no quarries in Iowa, here is one example:

http://www.uiowa.edu/~calvin/image/cpc180.jpg

 

[Plum]

Could be his drunken uncle's, and is destroyed by Kirk in an act of spite or vengeance.

I'd bet money you're right. And by money I mean quatloos.

 

[JuanBolio]

Hmmm... I tend to think the destruction is accidental... that Kirk simply runs out of road while fleeing the cop.

Not the impression I got. He seemed to be driving deliberately for the quarry, and had his bail-out precisely coordinated and timed.

Who's the guy with white hair standing over the cliff that Kirk is dangling from? Is that supposed to be old-Spock? Or just some other villain?

That seems to be part of the Romulan drilling rig in the sky above Vulcan. The guy standing over Kirk is a Romulan.

 

[section9]

Look folks, one of the guys posted the possibility that the director and writers are taking liberties about where the E was built.

There are some things that can be screwed around with that aren't important to ST history, but San Francisco is pretty central to Trek History.

Starships aren't built in Corn Country.