Re: a problem with episode 23 from the 1st season: a taste of armagedd
Actually, when first approaching the planet, Kirk orders "defensive shields" to be raised. When entering orbit, he queries Spock, who says that "screens" are down. This protective status then allows Kirk to beam down.
Now, it would be odd for screens to be dropped without Kirk's specific command if they are the same thing as the shields that were recently raised. It would be less odd if shields were a weak defense, and screens were a stronger defense that had not yet been raised because there was no reason for such escalation. Kirk would ask about the status from Spock because the recent Eminian scans might have warranted an automatic escalation (i.e. raising of screens), and Spock then reassures Kirk that the computer has not decided to raise the screens on its own.
Either way, it seems that screens down but apparently shields up is fine for Kirk beaming down. Later on, screens up seems to be fine for Fox beaming down. So we're faced with the idea of beam-outs being possible through all the types of ship defenses mentioned in the episode, regardless of whether there are two types of defenses or just one.
Yet the Eminian bombardment is the only thing in Starfleet history that has resulted in the hero ship having a diminished ability to fire phasers. Whether this is because the "screens" were less permeable than usually, or because the "screens" were sucking more energy than usually, is unclear - but what is clear is that the Eminians are a potent threat.
We still lack proof that starship shields or screens would keep things in.
Timo Saloniemi
Actually, when first approaching the planet, Kirk orders "defensive shields" to be raised. When entering orbit, he queries Spock, who says that "screens" are down. This protective status then allows Kirk to beam down.
Now, it would be odd for screens to be dropped without Kirk's specific command if they are the same thing as the shields that were recently raised. It would be less odd if shields were a weak defense, and screens were a stronger defense that had not yet been raised because there was no reason for such escalation. Kirk would ask about the status from Spock because the recent Eminian scans might have warranted an automatic escalation (i.e. raising of screens), and Spock then reassures Kirk that the computer has not decided to raise the screens on its own.
Either way, it seems that screens down but apparently shields up is fine for Kirk beaming down. Later on, screens up seems to be fine for Fox beaming down. So we're faced with the idea of beam-outs being possible through all the types of ship defenses mentioned in the episode, regardless of whether there are two types of defenses or just one.
Yet the Eminian bombardment is the only thing in Starfleet history that has resulted in the hero ship having a diminished ability to fire phasers. Whether this is because the "screens" were less permeable than usually, or because the "screens" were sucking more energy than usually, is unclear - but what is clear is that the Eminians are a potent threat.
We still lack proof that starship shields or screens would keep things in.
Timo Saloniemi
Assuming the shields are an energy field designed to repel, a "one-way" forcefield would be quite a trick. It's like an energy wall. You can't pass through a wall from one direction and not the other. You can either pass through (via a door or knocking it down) or not.
