Can one take a shower alone on the Enterprise?
- Thread starter xvicente
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Part of his contract mandated that a control for adding or removing clothing should always be within Kirk's reach.
Captain's privilege. Though it was installed by Captain Decker (under recommendation by Admiral Kirk).
Captain Archer had a shower stall on his ship. The Sonic showers on later starships seem to be private stalls like any shower in a house these days. Torres used one at the end of an episode (where we finally saw a sonic shower taking the dirt off someone).
Captain Archer had a shower stall on his ship. The Sonic showers on later starships seem to be private stalls like any shower in a house these days. Torres used one at the end of an episode (where we finally saw a sonic shower taking the dirt off someone).
We don't know what the heck Kirk is doing with those controls. "Materializing clothing" is inconsistent with everything we ever see elsewhere in Star Trek, so we might be better off forgetting all about that concept.
If those controls have nothing to do with the shower, as they logically should not, what can they be for? Well, Kirk could simply be shutting off the alarm for good - an action that might require several keypresses to verify Kirk's authority to do so. Or signaling Spock or the Security forces about the sort of action he wants taken, without "Ilia" overhearing him, now that he has observed that "Ilia" is trying to emerge from the shower.
OTOH, Kirk might be cutting power to the shower by using a generic switch at the door - similar to how all electricity to a hotel suite may depend on whether a keycard is inserted in a slot next to the door or not.
Timo Saloniemi
If those controls have nothing to do with the shower, as they logically should not, what can they be for? Well, Kirk could simply be shutting off the alarm for good - an action that might require several keypresses to verify Kirk's authority to do so. Or signaling Spock or the Security forces about the sort of action he wants taken, without "Ilia" overhearing him, now that he has observed that "Ilia" is trying to emerge from the shower.
OTOH, Kirk might be cutting power to the shower by using a generic switch at the door - similar to how all electricity to a hotel suite may depend on whether a keycard is inserted in a slot next to the door or not.
Timo Saloniemi
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It is possible there are dual controls, one next to the shower and one by the bed or wherever Kirk was. It would give the option to pre-program (or whatever the sonic equivalent of warming it up is) if you didn't feel like standing at the stall naked trying to figure out what you wanted from your shower menu.
Wasn't the shower already operating when Kirk entered the room? Maybe those controls were only for the clothing.
Toddler's idea still fits that, though: maybe you go and set the controls for whatever clothes you want when your shower is done, and as soon as you turn off the shower, it gives you whatever you previously programmed into it.
Toddler's idea still fits that, though: maybe you go and set the controls for whatever clothes you want when your shower is done, and as soon as you turn off the shower, it gives you whatever you previously programmed into it.
Most likely Kirk just connected to the sonic shower's/clothes replicator's controls from a universal interface. No doubt the user could trigger the same functions from inside the shower.
Inside the shower, the controls would be voice activated.
^ So the command to lower the temperature would be as follows: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" 
You can see the robe materialize on the probe through the translucent screen, so not at all likely.
Since I read the novelization and publicity materials first, I was expecting the robe to be "spray 'n' wear" clothing. What is not as easily explained is how high-heeled footwear can be beamed onto a barefooted person/probe.
Poor ol' Harlan Ellison missed the point of the sonic shower in his testy "Starlog" review wondering why V'ger beamed back Ilia's lookalike "in a happy coat and sandals". I think, IIRC, he (and other reviewers) also assumes that the probe is in Kirk's shower!
Since the Ilia-probe would (initially) have no concept of modesty of any kind, I doubt she would have put on the robe herself.
There is a studio still, very similar to one used on a lobby card, showing the Ilia Probe on the sickbay bed surrounded by Chapel, McCoy, Kirk and Decker, but the probe is barefooted. In the scene, as used onscreen, her shoes stay on.
Kirk was trying to get Ilia out by flushing the sonic toilet.
It's red alert! Kirk hits his 'materialize clothes' button and runs to the Bridge. He gets there and it is a false alarm. Kirk realises he forgot to change the setting from the previous evening and wonders how he will explain away the leather chaps and dog-chain.
V'Ger was thoughtful enough to send the probe to the Enterprise wearing makeup, unless the shower did that prior to Kirk opening the door.
A shower that applied your usual facial makeup would be a great time saver.
I wonder if it would also style your hair?
V'Ger probably was just copying Ilia's last known appearance. Unknown why it didn't also copy her uniform.
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