A Holodeck Question...

[Canuck69]

At the risk of making myself look stupid, I have a question about the holodeck for a fic I am writing.

If two crew members are using the same holodexk program together, can they be at different locations?

For example, if one of them is in a bar, can the other be in a house or office miles away and still be in the same holodeck running the same program?

 

[Chris3123]

Yes. The holodeck is indeed capable of creating such an illusion.

 

[Canuck69]

Thank you!!!

 

[Timo]

We have indeed seen programs where the players are widely separated, even though the holodeck itself is small. Say, "Identity Crisis", where the holodeck creates a large exterior scene around a building, and our heroes spread out in the bushes, not seeing each other any more.

If the holodeck weren't using clever illusions, one would expect the heroes to walk so far apart that they wouldn't fit inside the holodeck walls any more. But the 'deck apparently falsifies the perspective, and places a "treadmill" beneath the feet of the heroes, so they actually don't walk very far, and only see the illusion of being far from each other because the holodeck projects this illusion on an invisible wall between them.

There aren't too many such examples, though. It's not rare for the holodeck to project an illusion that is large in size - say, an entire city in "The Big Goodbye". But it's unusual for our hero players to be playing in different corners of that illusion. Usually, they stay close together even in those big illusions.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[T'Girl]

In one episode, Deanna was standing in a field watching Captain Picard riding a horse. At the begining of the scene they appeared to be hundreds of feet apart, when actual Deanna and Picard were never more that a dozen or so feet apart. The holodeck "split" itself and they were in different sections, Deanna was only seeing a image of Picard up until they approached each other, then the real Picard would have "walked through" his own image and the two of them would be in the same holodeck space. Also while Picard was riding the horse at a gallup, he wasn't actual moving.

 

[Jono]

Supposedly Miles and Julian were in the same holodeck in a Battle of Britain holo. Given they were the English and the principle fighters were single seaters (at least during the day) the holodeck would need to simulate the cockpits of two fighters that could be 10s of kilometres apart.

 

[Whoa Nellie]

At the risk of making myself look stupid, I have a question about the holodeck for a fic I am writing.

If two crew members are using the same holodexk program together, can they be at different locations?

For example, if one of them is in a bar, can the other be in a house or office miles away and still be in the same holodeck running the same program?

I don't see why not. I know I've done it in at least one fan fiction I've written. The second season episode "Elementary, Dear Data" has Professor Moriarty holding Dr. Pulaski hostage in one location while Data, Geordi, and later Picard had to search for her. So, go for it.

Warmest Wishes,
Whoa Nellie

 

[Canuck69]

^^^ That was the episode that made me wonder... I remember this being the only time people were seperated in the holodeck in TNG.

 

[Admiral Shran]

Sounds reasonable to me. "Take Me Out To The Holosuite" shows enough people using the holosuite to play a baseball game, which would require much more space than is available in one of Quark's holosuites. Either several clever and invisible optical illusions were being used by the holosuite, or they were using multiple, interconnected holodecks, like Voyager did in "Dark Frontier."

 

[Crewman47]

A similar question I had was how many people you could get in a Holodeck, large or small? I know about how Holodecks can divide the holodeck into smaller parts for each individule, but if you gave each person 2 square meters of space in a 100 square meter holodeck (10mx10m) for example, then shouldn't you be able to fit 50 people, making each area a seperate holo environment with the treadmill effect so each person is contained within the space all walking around the same environment, like that Voyager episode Fair Haven?

 

[barnaclelapse]

Yes. The holodeck is indeed capable of creating such an illusion.

2010, and we still lack holodeck technology.

Pah.

 

[Kpnuts]

The holodeck is probably the most ludicrous bit of technology in all of Trek IMO.

You're just supposed to accept that it works, without getting too caught up in how.

 

[Nardpuncher]

The holodeck is probably the most ludicrous bit of technology in all of Trek IMO.

You're just supposed to accept that it works, without getting too caught up in how.

It would have to take a far second place to the transporter.

 

[Kpnuts]

The holodeck is probably the most ludicrous bit of technology in all of Trek IMO.

You're just supposed to accept that it works, without getting too caught up in how.

It would have to take a far second place to the transporter.

I disagree.

Transporting matter from one place to the other is a question of physics, and one that can easily be accepted.

The holodeck is totally ridiculous in its execution, including the 'treadmill' effect. Puhlease. Obviously there isn't a better way of explaining how the holodeck works, as I said it's best not to think about it.

 

[barnaclelapse]

I guess there's always LSD. That's kind of like the holodeck.

 

[Nardpuncher]

The holodeck is probably the most ludicrous bit of technology in all of Trek IMO.

You're just supposed to accept that it works, without getting too caught up in how.

It would have to take a far second place to the transporter.

I disagree.

Transporting matter from one place to the other is a question of physics, and one that can easily be accepted.

The holodeck is totally ridiculous in its execution, including the 'treadmill' effect. Puhlease. Obviously there isn't a better way of explaining how the holodeck works, as I said it's best not to think about it.

I guess your Puhlease proves a good point. Maybe you're right.

 

[Canuck69]

I guess there's always LSD. That's kind of like the holodeck.

 

[scotpens]

I guess there's always LSD. That's kind of like the holodeck.

There are also virtual-reality games that plug directly into the brain, creating illusory experiences that are indistiguishable from reality, as in eXistenZ.

Oh, wait — we don't have that technology yet, either. But it's more plausible than the holodeck.

 

[Whoa Nellie]

The interesting discussion about the actual scientific plausibility of the holodeck aside, I believe Canuck69 was asking is there canonical basis for her story idea.

From one fanfiction author to another, the answer is yes. The second season episode "Elementary, Dear Data" gives you a clear canonical basis for having two or more people on a holodeck using the same program while seemingly located in two different places. Go for it!

Once you finish the story and post it, I'd appreciate it if you would PM me with the url. You've piqued my curiosity and I'd love to read it.

Warmest Wishes,
Whoa Nellie

 

[Treker]

My own question about holodecks is the question of "safetys"

If they have such a thing how did quark get the back of his head smashed in by Rom swinging the baseball bat?

Why turn them off just to practice baseball? Makes no sense to me.