2nd Guessing Kirk

[ZapBrannigan]

What would you do differently if you were Kirk? And of course, if you were not bound by the need to live in exciting times?

One thing I'd do: I would divert the asteroid first, and visit Miramanee's planet for a casual look around second. The sooner you go to the asteroid, the easier it is to deal with.

Also, I'd want to make extensive use of robots. Real-world police use little robots to check out bomb threats and look for booby traps. The Enterprise should have those too, ideally. Beam a robot over to the Exeter or the Defiant to wheel around and look things over, and you could save a lot of trouble.

 

[Forbin]

Every time he gave a guest star freedom to wander around the ship, they tried to take it over. Keep a couple of security guys on the guests, for cryin' out loud!

 

[Nerys Myk]

I wouldn't date Janice Lester.

 

[Warped9]

I wouldn't date Janice Lester.

Of all things he could have done differently this is the winner.

 

[BillJ]

I wouldn't date Janice Lester.

I would. Everything worked out in the end.

 

[Greg Cox]

Ask for more details on how that challenge thing in "Amok Time" works.

"Wait? This is to the death? Never mind . . . ."

 

[T'Girl]

When a security guy is guarding the bridge, or guarding Khan's quarters, or guarding Gary Seven's cell, have him move about ten feet away from the door, and face the door.

 

[LadyT'Anna]

KIRK: "What? You want me to enter the Romulan Neutral Zone, board the Romulan flagship, impersonate a maniac and a Romulan guard, pretend to be dead, and escape the ship before anyone realizes the cloaking device is missing? That's a fairly tall order, isn't it, sir/ma'am?"

(Kirk sounds a bit like McCoy there. Hmm . . . )

 

[Franklin]

-- Maybe he was caught up in the moment, but I think I would've probably only gotten as far as, "We the people --," before I realized I made my point and I should stop.

-- Worked harder on my judo lessons.

-- Wore the green tunic all the time.

 

[BillJ]

-- Maybe he was caught up in the moment, but I think I would've probably only gotten as far as, "We the people --," before I realized I made my point and I should stop.

Stop? He teaches a weekend course on the U.S. Constitution on Omega IV now.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I wouldn't date Janice Lester.

I would. Everything worked out in the end.

Prefer not to date a bag full of crazy. (Also see Karidian, Lenore)
Speaking of Kodos...call the cops!!!!!!

 

[CorporalCaptain]

One thing I'd do: I would divert the asteroid first, and visit Miramanee's planet for a casual look around second. The sooner you go to the asteroid, the easier it is to deal with.

If they'd done it that way around, life on Miramanee's planet likely would have been destroyed. It was serendipitous that they did it they way they did.

 

[Warped9]

One thing I'd do: I would divert the asteroid first, and visit Miramanee's planet for a casual look around second. The sooner you go to the asteroid, the easier it is to deal with.

If they'd done it that way around, life on Miramanee's planet likely would have been destroyed. It was serendipitous that they did it they way they did.

I'm not following this logic. How does dealing with the asteroid first destroy the planet?

Also, by 24th century standards, wasn't diverting the asteroid a violation of the Prime Directive even though by 23rd century standards it was the right thing to do?

 

[CorporalCaptain]

One thing I'd do: I would divert the asteroid first, and visit Miramanee's planet for a casual look around second. The sooner you go to the asteroid, the easier it is to deal with.

If they'd done it that way around, life on Miramanee's planet likely would have been destroyed. It was serendipitous that they did it they way they did.

I'm not following this logic. How does dealing with the asteroid first destroy the planet?

Don't you remember? The ship was incapable of diverting it on its own. Spock crippled the ship trying, and they had to limp back to the planet arriving only hours ahead of the asteroid. They needed the Preserver's deflector to fend off the asteroid.

If Kirk hadn't fallen into the obelisk by happenstance, they wouldn't have known how to gain entry into it, as Spock's intensive research in the months on the way back yielded only a partial translation. You'd have to assume that Jim "Risk is our business" Kirk wouldn't have tried just as hard as Spock did to divert the asteroid using just the Enterprise, for the ship to be able to warp back to the planet in time to actually have a chance to figure out the obelisk.

 

[Push The Button]

Use the Botany Bay for target practice.

 

[erastus25]

One thing I'd do: I would divert the asteroid first, and visit Miramanee's planet for a casual look around second. The sooner you go to the asteroid, the easier it is to deal with.

If they'd done it that way around, life on Miramanee's planet likely would have been destroyed. It was serendipitous that they did it they way they did.

I'm not following this logic. How does dealing with the asteroid first destroy the planet?

Also, by 24th century standards, wasn't diverting the asteroid a violation of the Prime Directive even though by 23rd century standards it was the right thing to do?

The 24th Century PD is insane at times. This would be an example.

 

[Warped9]

If they'd done it that way around, life on Miramanee's planet likely would have been destroyed. It was serendipitous that they did it they way they did.

I'm not following this logic. How does dealing with the asteroid first destroy the planet?

Don't you remember? The ship was incapable of diverting it on its own. Spock crippled the ship trying, and they had to limp back to the planet arriving only hours ahead of the asteroid. They needed the Preserver's deflector to fend off the asteroid.

If Kirk hadn't fallen into the obelisk by happenstance, they wouldn't have known how to gain entry into it, as Spock's intensive research in the months on the way back yielded only a partial translation. You'd have to assume that Jim "Risk is our business" Kirk wouldn't have tried just as hard as Spock did to divert the asteroid using just the Enterprise, for the ship to be able to warp back to the planet in time to actually have a chance to figure out the obelisk.

I think the real problem was that they had waited too long because they had been searching for Kirk. If they had taken care of the asteroid first they would have had a greater safety margin because they wouldn't have had to deflect the asteroid off-course by much. But as Sulu reported when they did manage to deflect the asteroid the angle of deflection was insufficient at that point.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

I'm not following this logic. How does dealing with the asteroid first destroy the planet?

Don't you remember? The ship was incapable of diverting it on its own. Spock crippled the ship trying, and they had to limp back to the planet arriving only hours ahead of the asteroid. They needed the Preserver's deflector to fend off the asteroid.

If Kirk hadn't fallen into the obelisk by happenstance, they wouldn't have known how to gain entry into it, as Spock's intensive research in the months on the way back yielded only a partial translation. You'd have to assume that Jim "Risk is our business" Kirk wouldn't have tried just as hard as Spock did to divert the asteroid using just the Enterprise, for the ship to be able to warp back to the planet in time to actually have a chance to figure out the obelisk.

I think the real problem was that they had waited too long because they had been searching for Kirk. If they had taken care of the asteroid first they would have had a greater safety margin because they wouldn't have had to deflect the asteroid off-course by much. But as Sull reported when they did manage to deflect the asteroid the angle of deflection was insufficient at that point.

I don't remember much of that episode, but did photon torpedoing the asteroid into dust ever come up has an option?

 

[Warped9]

Don't you remember? The ship was incapable of diverting it on its own. Spock crippled the ship trying, and they had to limp back to the planet arriving only hours ahead of the asteroid. They needed the Preserver's deflector to fend off the asteroid.

If Kirk hadn't fallen into the obelisk by happenstance, they wouldn't have known how to gain entry into it, as Spock's intensive research in the months on the way back yielded only a partial translation. You'd have to assume that Jim "Risk is our business" Kirk wouldn't have tried just as hard as Spock did to divert the asteroid using just the Enterprise, for the ship to be able to warp back to the planet in time to actually have a chance to figure out the obelisk.

I think the real problem was that they had waited too long because they had been searching for Kirk. If they had taken care of the asteroid first they would have had a greater safety margin because they wouldn't have had to deflect the asteroid off-course by much. But as Sull reported when they did manage to deflect the asteroid the angle of deflection was insufficient at that point.

I don't remember much of that episode, but did photon torpedoing the asteroid into dust ever come up has an option?

Today, with enough warning, we already know how to deflect an asteroid. But we would face the same problem as the Enterprise in "The Paradise Syndrome" if we also waited too long. The silly thing is there existed TOS era tech aboard ship to do what they needed to do, but the writers either forgot or deliberately avoided mentioning it. Set off a series of photon torpedoes in succession to deflect the asteroid incrementally bit by bit. Indeed it would probably have been more effective than using phasers. The photon torpedoes idea would have been comparable to us using a series of nuclear warheads to do the exact same thing today.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I think the real problem was that they had waited too long because they had been searching for Kirk. If they had taken care of the asteroid first they would have had a greater safety margin because they wouldn't have had to deflect the asteroid off-course by much. But as Sulu reported when they did manage to deflect the asteroid the angle of deflection was insufficient at that point.

No. Dialog:

KIRK: And how much time did you say we have to investigate?
SPOCK: If we are to divert the asteroid which is on a collision course with this planet, we must warp out of orbit within thirty minutes. Every second we delay arriving at the deflection point compounds the problem, perhaps past solution.
KIRK: You did say thirty minutes?
SPOCK: Yes, sir.

[...]

MCCOY: The devil with an asteroid! It won't get here for two months, Spock!
SPOCK: If we arrive at the deflection point in time, it may not get here at all.

[...]

Captain's log, stardate 4843.6. First Officer Spock commanding. We've been en route to the asteroid for several hours. Our delay on the planet's surface has made it imperative that we proceed at maximum warp speed for a period which exceeds the recommended safety margin.

[Engineering]

SCOTT: I can't give you warp nine much longer, Mister Spock. These engines are beginning to show signs of stress.

[Bridge]

SPOCK: Stress or not, we cannot reduce speed. I do not intend to miss that

[Engineering]

SPOCK [OC]: Deflection point.
SCOTT: All right, but we're moving further into the danger range all the time.

[...]

[Bridge]

(The Enterprise has arrived at the asteroid.)
CHEKOV: Deflection point minus seven.

[Engineering]

SPOCK [OC]: Full power, Mister Scott.
SCOTT: The relays will reject the overload, Mister Spock!
SPOCK: Then bypass the relays and go to manual control.

[Bridge]

SCOTT [OC]: We'll burn out the engines!
SPOCK: I want full power, Mister Scott.

They had pre-calculated a deflection point that they arrived in time for. They had seven whatevers to spare. According to their original plan, they had thirty minutes to kill before warping out of orbit to get to the deflection point at non-emergency speed. If what you're saying were true, then they shouldn't have even allowed thirty minutes. But Spock said waiting thirty minutes wasn't a problem, so it really wasn't; his function in the narrative at that point is to explain things to us.

So, time wasn't the problem. They still had to use full power at the deflection point, which meant overloading the engines anyway.

The only wiggle room here is that maybe—for whatever reason—the engines were "tired" after having done warp nine to make it to the deflection point on time. However, the overload would have been the same, even if they hadn't pushed the engines. Just maybe the engines wouldn't have been as "tired." But even so, there's still no evidence that the ship could have deflected the asteroid under any circumstances. It was always going to be a borderline push.