Court Martial RM has some of the best images of the series!

[Rat Boy]

Ensign Okuda: "Hey, wasn't that Ben Finney running by?"

 

[aridas sofia]

Actually, now I am sure it's a porthole:

http://www.mjtsc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/new/images/image75.jpg

In that shot, it looks more like a protruding reddish cylindrical shape, probably identical to the circular reddish feature in the bottom right corner of that photo. If you look at the top of the shape, it's flat, like a hockey-puck shape seen a bit from the side. Although I will admit that there's no hint of such protrusion in the overhead angle you posted.

But if it is just like that forward feature, then I guess it isn't a switch, just a slightly protruding light fixture.

I'm pretty sure that "circular reddish feature in the bottom right corner" is also a porthole, but we'll never know until one of us gets there to make sure. I'm scheduled for a meeting at the National Museum of the American Indian on Thursday, so I'll try to go next door to take a peek, with camera.

In the meantime, here is something to chew on:

http://cloudster.com/Sets&Vehicles/STEnterprise/ent60.jpg

 

[Christopher]

Hmm, now I'm wondering what the heck the "1837" means.

 

[aridas sofia]

I think they are meant to be visually evocative of the load line markers near the waterline of a ship -- but vertical instead of horizontal. As far as any real-world significance, MGagen discovered that the numbers, if multiplied by .25 (1/48 scale) reveals an overall length of (IIRC) 540 feet -- the original conjectured length of the ship. He used this as evidence that the model had originally been intended to be 1/48 scale and reflective of a 540 foot long ship.

 

[RAMA]

I know these were released before, but these are really high quality images of the artwork for the 2nd season set of TOS-R!

 

[Timo]

That's a given. It's explicitly stated in the bridge log tapes in the episode: "We'll need somebody in the pod for readings." Spock then orders Finney to "Report to pod for readings on ion slates" (or so says the closed captioning -- some people in this thread have said "plates," suggesting something analogous to photographic plates for X-ray instruments, say), and Finney later reports "Ion readings in progress." The ion pod was quite clearly depicted as a scientific instrument.

Sure. But an instrument dedicated to protecting the ship? Or an instrument dedicated to abstract science, at the risk of harming the ship?

The writer probably rather intended the latter, but the story in context suggests the former instead.

I imagine the pod might be something that extends a telescoping antenna/probe out into the storm, kind of like a lightning rod. The pod and its extended probe are insulated from the body of the ship proper, but an intense enough charge can jump the gap, so the pod must be jettisoned if the storm's energies grow too intense (since it might not be possible to discharge the pod safely past that point).

Indeed. But it is equally possible to read the dialogue as indicating that the pod is going to be launched, that the readings on the ion slates are launch preparations, and that Red Alert or Force Seven storm intensity is the right time to launch the pod as planned, so that it can either a) start playing a role in saving the ship from the storm, or more probably b) initiate the planned-for experiments so that Kirk can finally fly out of the damned storm and leave the instrument to its fate.

I guess that depends on how big the storm is and how feasible it would be to fly around it. Although I assume that an ion storm is typically a coronal mass ejection from a star (I've even seen the term used that way by scientists at least once), it's possible that some ion storms are larger, similar phenomena, maybe interstellar plasma clouds energized by distant gamma-ray bursts. I'm fairly sure there are episodes referring to ion storms that are too big to steer around.

In fact, ENT "Catwalk" suggests that (at least some) ion storms move at high warp speeds, making it impossible to evade them even at warp 5'ish. That would jibe with the idea of such a storm (or "magnetic storm") sweeping the old Valiant across significant interstellar distances, even though it removes the ion storm from the category of known natural phenomena. Annoyingly, it also contradicts Kirk's assertion in "Obsession" that natural phenomena of that sort should not be capable of warp...

But Kirk never even makes an attempt to flee. There is no indication he is in a hurry to get to a specific destination, either, so turning tail would certainly make sense in view of the witnessed hazards.

Who says he had a master plan? I've always seen it as an extemporaneous decision. His hatred for Kirk had been festering, and when he happened to get the ion pod assignment during an intense storm, it suddenly occurred to him that if the pod were to be jettisoned, he could jump out just before and hide in Engineering, and people would think he'd died.

Not really plausible, as the plan would require extensive tampering of computer records (something the Records Officer could easily do, but also something the supposedly deceased, former Records Officer could not), not to mention preparing a hideout where he could survive for weeks. I agree that the inspiration must have come to Finney in a flash, so that decades of mulling over impractical schemes would come to an end and a practicable plan would emerge for the very first time. But it can't have been completely ad hoc, given the need for preparation.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Christopher]

Sure. But an instrument dedicated to protecting the ship? Or an instrument dedicated to abstract science, at the risk of harming the ship?

The writer probably rather intended the latter, but the story in context suggests the former instead.

I don't follow you. How does it suggest that? The only thing the episode suggests is that jettisoning the pod is necessary to protect the ship. If anything, that seems to make it a liability to the ship's safety, not a means of ensuring it.

Unless you mean that the "readings" being taken were readings of the storm's strength, shape, etc. to allow the helm to plot the safest course through it, kind of like weather radar. I suppose that's possible.

Indeed. But it is equally possible to read the dialogue as indicating that the pod is going to be launched, that the readings on the ion slates are launch preparations, and that Red Alert or Force Seven storm intensity is the right time to launch the pod as planned, so that it can either a) start playing a role in saving the ship from the storm, or more probably b) initiate the planned-for experiments so that Kirk can finally fly out of the damned storm and leave the instrument to its fate.

Sorry, but it isn't feasible to read the dialogue that way. At no point was the word "launch" used. Every single time, the word used was "jettison." Those verbs are not interchangeable. To jettison something means to discard it, to throw it away, to abandon it as a burden. It means to get rid of something because the detriment of keeping it aboard obviates its normal benefit or function. If something were supposed to be ejected from the ship as part of its normal function, the word "jettison" would not be used for that.

In fact, ENT "Catwalk" suggests that (at least some) ion storms move at high warp speeds, making it impossible to evade them even at warp 5'ish. That would jibe with the idea of such a storm (or "magnetic storm") sweeping the old Valiant across significant interstellar distances, even though it removes the ion storm from the category of known natural phenomena. Annoyingly, it also contradicts Kirk's assertion in "Obsession" that natural phenomena of that sort should not be capable of warp...

I kind of try to ignore that aspect of "Catwalk"...

But Kirk never even makes an attempt to flee. There is no indication he is in a hurry to get to a specific destination, either, so turning tail would certainly make sense in view of the witnessed hazards.

Okay, it does seem that SOP on encountering an ion storm is "take readings" rather than "take evasive action." It's possible, therefore, that they had a specific standing order to study ion storms. It's equally possible, though, that most ion storms are survivable unless they happen to get too intense, and this one did. Either way, it's consistent with the pod being a sensory device rather than some kind of protective device.

Who says he had a master plan? I've always seen it as an extemporaneous decision. His hatred for Kirk had been festering, and when he happened to get the ion pod assignment during an intense storm, it suddenly occurred to him that if the pod were to be jettisoned, he could jump out just before and hide in Engineering, and people would think he'd died.

Not really plausible, as the plan would require extensive tampering of computer records (something the Records Officer could easily do, but also something the supposedly deceased, former Records Officer could not), not to mention preparing a hideout where he could survive for weeks.

Why couldn't the former records officer do it? All he'd need to do would be to get to a computer terminal, enter his passwords (which wouldn't be changed in the event of his assumed death), and run an image-editing program. If the folks in Trek Art can whip up Photoshop fakes of various actors in Starfleet uniforms in 20 minutes, why would a computer expert like Finney have trouble doing such tampering extemporaneously?

Preparing a hideout might be an issue, but remember, the searchers didn't know they were looking for somebody who was in hiding. He could've been moving around the maze of the engineering hull, snatching things from a food slot here and a parts synthesizer there and a storage locker over there, gradually assembling a survival kit in the hours or days following the storm.

 

[cooleddie74]

"HEY!

I can see my home star system from here!"

 

[cooleddie74]

OFFICERS:"You should try bringing your lover and making out under the rings up there. That's how I lost my virginity last week, you know!"

 

[Mysterion]

I think they are meant to be visually evocative of the load line markers near the waterline of a ship -- but vertical instead of horizontal. As far as any real-world significance, MGagen discovered that the numbers, if multiplied by .25 (1/48 scale) reveals an overall length of (IIRC) 540 feet -- the original conjectured length of the ship. He used this as evidence that the model had originally been intended to be 1/48 scale and reflective of a 540 foot long ship.

Frame numbers perhaps? Noticed something similar during a long ride in the back-end of a C-5 once. Stenciled along the interior walls of the cargo bay of the plance were frame numbers. Basically these indicated the distance from the front end of the aircraft. My understanding is that the loadmasters use these to aid placement of cargo to ensure that the aircraft dstays balanced and won't plummet fromt he air at an inconvenient time.

My guess is that the markings on the Enterprise would be aimed at yard workers, engineers and the like who would need to find the right place to access the ship's hull for component replacement, structural work, etc. (i.e. "The GDN network is toasted from frame 1086 all the way back to frame 1837. We'll need the big gamma welder for this job...").

And, if these markings were on the original TOS filming model of the Enterprise, I can see Matt Jeffries including them for that sort of reason given his aviation/engineering background.

 

[aridas sofia]

Actually, now I am sure it's a porthole:

http://www.mjtsc.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/new/images/image75.jpg

In that shot, it looks more like a protruding reddish cylindrical shape, probably identical to the circular reddish feature in the bottom right corner of that photo. If you look at the top of the shape, it's flat, like a hockey-puck shape seen a bit from the side. Although I will admit that there's no hint of such protrusion in the overhead angle you posted.

But if it is just like that forward feature, then I guess it isn't a switch, just a slightly protruding light fixture.

I'm pretty sure that "circular reddish feature in the bottom right corner" is also a porthole, but we'll never know until one of us gets there to make sure. I'm scheduled for a meeting at the National Museum of the American Indian on Thursday, so I'll try to go next door to take a peek, with camera.

I forgot my camera, but used my phone to take a couple of photos. The lighting on the model is deliberately poor to avoid damage, and unfortunately that made it less conducive to decent cell phone images. In any event, I'll post what I got as soon as I'm home.

Since my eyes are better than the cell camera at discerning detail in low light, I can say with certainty that the object in question, next to the purported ion pod, was indeed and definitely a porthole. And the "circular reddish feature in the bottom right corner"? Also a porthole.