Is the Movie Adaption Out Yet

[Sci]

From Memory Alpha, Roberto Orci is reported to have said: "We moved the planet to suit our purposes. The familiarity of the name seemed more important as an Easter egg, than a new name with no importance."

I'd just take it as an homage to "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (where Spock also wanted someone marooned on a planet called Delta Vega) and leave it at that.

There was that Starfleet outpost on the planet...perhaps this was the lithium-cracking station from WNMHGB? There's nothing to indicate that planet doesn't have seasons, after all.

I wouldn't presume it's the same planet as in "Where No Man Has Gone Before." The Delta Vega in that episode was supposed to be near the edge of the galaxy, near the Galactic Barrier -- weeks and weeks and weeks away from the Federation core planets. The Delta Vega of this film was either in the same star system as Vulcan (if we accept Spock's seeing Vulcan destroyed as a literal representation of what happened) or so close that the Enterprise could reach it from Vulcan after being at warp for a short period of time (if we take Spock's seeing Vulcan's destruction as metaphorical). Either way, it's too close to be the same planet.

 

[Christopher]

I believe that the novel Spock's World establishes that Vulcan is a mostly-desert world as a result of damage it sustained from a solar flare; am I recalling correctly? Given that, is it not possible that Vulcan is not hot so much because of its placement near the Vulcan star as because of previous environmental damage and geological activity, and that therefore T'Khut's moon could be at least partially glaciated?

It doesn't work that way. Mars is a desert world, and it's freezing cold because it's too far from the Sun. If a planet is beyond its star's habitable zone, the only way to warm it up enough to be habitable is to add a lot more water vapor and other greenhouse gases. Vulcan has a thin atmosphere and little water, so the only way it can be habitable is by being reasonably close to its star. (Diane Duane's prehistoric Vulcan was still hot, it was just wet too, with a lush jungle climate.)

Besides, if there is a T'Kuht or whatever that's a companion planet of Vulcan, it couldn't have a moon that's large enough to be habitable itself. That's just not a gravitationally stable configuration. It couldn't happen.

I wouldn't presume it's the same planet as in "Where No Man Has Gone Before." The Delta Vega in that episode was supposed to be near the edge of the galaxy, near the Galactic Barrier -- weeks and weeks and weeks away from the Federation core planets. The Delta Vega of this film was either in the same star system as Vulcan (if we accept Spock's seeing Vulcan destroyed as a literal representation of what happened) or so close that the Enterprise could reach it from Vulcan after being at warp for a short period of time (if we take Spock's seeing Vulcan's destruction as metaphorical). Either way, it's too close to be the same planet.

No reason there couldn't be more than one planet called Delta Vega. It's not a legitimately formed name by any existing astronomical scheme (Vega is a star, not a constellation, and you don't use Bayer-type Greek-letter designations for planets anyway), so there's nothing to preclude the name from being used more than once.

 

[Sci]

I believe that the novel Spock's World establishes that Vulcan is a mostly-desert world as a result of damage it sustained from a solar flare; am I recalling correctly? Given that, is it not possible that Vulcan is not hot so much because of its placement near the Vulcan star as because of previous environmental damage and geological activity, and that therefore T'Khut's moon could be at least partially glaciated?

It doesn't work that way. Mars is a desert world, and it's freezing cold because it's too far from the Sun. If a planet is beyond its star's habitable zone, the only way to warm it up enough to be habitable is to add a lot more water vapor and other greenhouse gases. Vulcan has a thin atmosphere and little water, so the only way it can be habitable is by being reasonably close to its star. (Diane Duane's prehistoric Vulcan was still hot, it was just wet too, with a lush jungle climate.)

Besides, if there is a T'Kuht or whatever that's a companion planet of Vulcan, it couldn't have a moon that's large enough to be habitable itself. That's just not a gravitationally stable configuration. It couldn't happen.

I wouldn't presume it's the same planet as in "Where No Man Has Gone Before." The Delta Vega in that episode was supposed to be near the edge of the galaxy, near the Galactic Barrier -- weeks and weeks and weeks away from the Federation core planets. The Delta Vega of this film was either in the same star system as Vulcan (if we accept Spock's seeing Vulcan destroyed as a literal representation of what happened) or so close that the Enterprise could reach it from Vulcan after being at warp for a short period of time (if we take Spock's seeing Vulcan's destruction as metaphorical). Either way, it's too close to be the same planet.

No reason there couldn't be more than one planet called Delta Vega. It's not a legitimately formed name by any existing astronomical scheme (Vega is a star, not a constellation, and you don't use Bayer-type Greek-letter designations for planets anyway), so there's nothing to preclude the name from being used more than once.

Fair enough, then. Sounds like the most reasonable interpretation of that scene is that Delta Vega is in a neighboring star system and that Spock's seeing Vulcan was a visualization of his "hearing" the telepathic screams of all of their deaths.

 

[Christopher]

The nearest star system to 40 Eridani that's in the approximate direction of Earth is Epsilon Eridani, which is 6.43 light-years from 40 Eri and 10.5 ly from Earth (meaning the total distance the Enterprise would've had to cover by diverting there is only about half a light-year greater than the direct distance). So that's the most likely candidate for the system where "Delta Vega" was located. Unless there's some other really dim red dwarf that hasn't been discovered yet, which is actually possible; we're still discovering new ones within that distance range.

The one problem is that Eps Eri is less than a billion years old, not old enough to have naturally evolved life. Still, the same goes for a lot of systems known to be inhabited in Trek, so there could've been terraforming done by aliens in the distant past.

 

[T'Bonz]

From Memory Alpha, Roberto Orci is reported to have said: "We moved the planet to suit our purposes. The familiarity of the name seemed more important as an Easter egg, than a new name with no importance."

That's dumb, considering there were many "Easter eggs" in the movie. The loss of one, or better yet, two (the WOK brain-attacking worm-thingy) would not in any way have hurt the movie. I guess truth serum doesn't work in the future, one must resort to brain stem-latching-onto slugs.

We got many things. Usual sayings from various characters, the purring Tribble, etc. While it was nice, it was almost too much. I don't mean to be ungrateful, because I liked some of the references, but it got to the point where I was going, "OK, Wrath of Khan. OK, Star Trek III. Hey, Trouble with Tribbles..." etc etc.

 

[Gepard]

Fair enough, then. Sounds like the most reasonable interpretation of that scene is that Delta Vega is in a neighboring star system and that Spock's seeing Vulcan was a visualization of his "hearing" the telepathic screams of all of their deaths.

I didn't understand why the writers did it that way anyhow; Nero had Spock captive on board his ship, so my first thought was that it would have made more sense for Nero to keep Spock in chains on board the Narada so he could witness the destruction of Vulcan firsthand, then dump him on some planet in the middle of nowhere to stew. It wouldn't have required changing any plot points and would have been clearer about what happened.

 

[Therin of Andor]

that wormlike creature in a certain scene in the movie with The Romulans and Captain Pike is definitely based on those creatures Khan used on Captain Terrel and Chekov.

"Based on...", that much was always obvious. But it wasn't the same creature. And it went into Pike's mouth, not ear.

The creatures also resemble the TNG aliens from "Conspiracy", which did enter the mouth.

 

[FatherRob]

Over at Mtv in a new interview Roberto Orci and Kurtzman One of them definitely said that wormlike creature in a certain scene in the movie with The Romulans and Captain Pike is definitely based on those creatures Khan used on Captain Terrel and Chekov.

Groan! It's stuff like this that just makes me want to wretch. Since history has been changed, why not just make the darned things Ceti Eels and be done with it. Explanation: The Feds have cataloged the Ceti Alpha system in the alternative timeline... but no, we just need to create a Centaurian Slug that goes in by mouth instead of by ear, but does the same thing.

Again. Groan.

Rob+

 

[FatherRob]

The one problem is that Eps Eri is less than a billion years old, not old enough to have naturally evolved life. Still, the same goes for a lot of systems known to be inhabited in Trek, so there could've been terraforming done by aliens in the distant past.

Or God could have specially created said alien mega-lizards to play their part in the drama that was the predestined meeting between Kirk and Spock Prime. LOL!

Rob+

 

[Rosalind]

No reason there couldn't be more than one planet called Delta Vega. It's not a legitimately formed name by any existing astronomical scheme (Vega is a star, not a constellation, and you don't use Bayer-type Greek-letter designations for planets anyway), so there's nothing to preclude the name from being used more than once.

for example, Perth, Western Australia vs. Perth, Scotland.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

I got a copy early thanks to the largesse of my local bookstore owner. KRAD he (Foster) ain't and it is aimed toward a very wide audience. Buy it to have it on your bookshelf or to read this summer on the beach when you are needing a Trek fix that is fast and fun.

That's kind of you to say, but I've got a looooong way to go before I'm fit to black ADF's boots. He's been doing this, and doing this very well, since I was in proverbial short pants.....

He's definitely one of the best at what he does, without a doubt.

 

[Therin of Andor]

No reason there couldn't be more than one planet called Delta Vega. It's not a legitimately formed name by any existing astronomical scheme (Vega is a star, not a constellation, and you don't use Bayer-type Greek-letter designations for planets anyway), so there's nothing to preclude the name from being used more than once.

Maybe the Delta Vega Cracking Station (of TOS), near the edge o the galaxy, cracks dilithium for use on the planet Delta Vega, near Vulcan?

 

[Claudia]

But then again, that wasn't the only line that didn't quite work for me. Another was Spock's famous "I have been..." I knew it was coming, but then it was delivered as some sort of BTW that I thought, "Erm, that was it?". Perhaps Spock Prime should have said that as good-bye when he beamed Kirk and Scotty to the Enterprise, not as some casual introduction to a person who'd think Spock's nuts.

He just met his best friend who has been dead for sixteen years (and this after having previously thought Kirk was dead for sixty-eight years). He was obviously more concerned with taking the opportunity to show his best friend some affection for the first time in eighty-four years than he was with what people would think of him.

*lol* That "I have been..." line gets to me every time I watch ST II and ST III - and I must have watched both filmes dozens of times now. So I was anticipating another tear-jerking scene and was a bit disappointed when it didn't work for me that way.

TBH though, perhaps I was just overwhelmed by all the action and special effects-sequences that I wasn't really prepared for a slow scene. Apart from all the plotholes that is rather my biggest concern about the new movie - that action and SFX (almost) drowned out the characterization. I hope ST XII will remedy that a little.

 

[Christopher]

Maybe the Delta Vega Cracking Station (of TOS), near the edge o the galaxy, cracks dilithium for use on the planet Delta Vega, near Vulcan?

Why would they need to get their dilithium from a remote outpost a thousand light-years beyond Federation space? Heck, Movie Delta Vega has to be between Vulcan and Earth, so why can't it get its dilithium the same place Vulcan and Earth do?

 

[Reanok]

When it comes to Delta Vega and certain changes like what happens to Vulcan and Romulus. i don't really like what happened

Spoiler: Startrek spoilers

I didn't like the story plot destroying Romulous and Vulcan. or killing Spock's mother when trying to evacuate the Vulcan High Council. As a longtime fan of the Original series I don't for care these changes at all

I like some of the character storyarcs but not when it comes to some of the comments made in several interviews posted on mtv about some of the major changes in the timeline.Or some of the ideas for the new sequeal either that have been posted online. Like bringing back Khan or Soran Tolan who killed Kirk in Generations.

 

[Ronald Held]

Extremely unlikely that T'Khut's moon could be called Delta Vega. Where was T'Khut when Kirk was dropped of there or in the scenes of the sky?

 

[Daddy Todd]

I've been listening to the unabridged audiobook version on my morning walks the past few of days. Zachary Quinto does an excellent job with the reading. The book is OK -- I would've appreciated the inclusion of more of the deleted scenes and abandoned sequences the filmmakers have been talking about in recent days, but one can't have everything!

I'm about halfway through, and I've caught a couple of Alan Dean Foster Star Trek Easter Eggs -- he's slipped in namechecks for "In (Thy) Image" and "Crier in Emptiness." The latter being one of the Peter Pan Records kid stories Foster penned back in 1974. The former, of course, is the title of the treatment Foster wrote for the pilot episode of Star Trek Phase II back in 1977 -- the story that became Star Trek: The Motion Picture once the studio made up its mind they wanted a movie and not a new TV series.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Why would they need to get their dilithium from a remote outpost a thousand light-years beyond Federation space? Heck, Movie Delta Vega has to be between Vulcan and Earth, so why can't it get its dilithium the same place Vulcan and Earth do?

Why did anyone need to get their dilthium that far out?

 

[KRAD]

I'm about halfway through, and I've caught a couple of Alan Dean Foster Star Trek Easter Eggs -- he's slipped in namechecks for "In (Thy) Image" and "Crier in Emptiness." The latter being one of the Peter Pan Records kid stories Foster penned back in 1974.

Really? what's the "Crier in Emptiness" Easter Egg?

I ask only because a) I own "Crier" and treasure it as one of my prize possessions and b) I put in an Easter Egg from "Crier" of my own into A Singular Destiny -- which means, amusingly, that there are two Star Trek novels released this year that refer to that rather obscure old comic/record.....

 

[bullethead]

I didn't understand why the writers did it that way anyhow; Nero had Spock captive on board his ship, so my first thought was that it would have made more sense for Nero to keep Spock in chains on board the Narada so he could witness the destruction of Vulcan firsthand, then dump him on some planet in the middle of nowhere to stew. It wouldn't have required changing any plot points and would have been clearer about what happened.

Look at it from Nero's perspective:
-Spock knows how to read Romulan, so if he escapes, he can try to sabotage important stuff, like the computers or some of the guts of the ship
-The Narada is huge, affording Spock a lot of options to hide. Since Nero wants Spock alive, sealing off most of the ship's compartments, flooding them with some sort of knock out gas/decreasing the amount of oxygen, and replacing the air takes time
-Spock can get to the Jellyfish and escape or just blow it up and take out the Narada
-Dumping Spock off on a ice planet with some food and fuel costs him nothing but a little time and ensures that the destruction of Vulcan will go smoothly on the Narada's end