How did V'ger manage to get so close?

[DeepSpaceYorks]

Simple question really but one that has been puzzling me for a little while. Just how did V'ger manage to get so close without being detected? I mean, it's big no really, really big. Isn't it supposed to have the power of more than a 1000 starships and did I mention that it's big! I know it comes through Klingon space originally but it can't have been travelling at warp otherwise they wouldn't have been able to approach it and fire on it right? Same with the Enterprise. It's like the Eiffel tower sneaking up on you and saying boo.

 

[DonIago]

It must have been traveling at FTL speeds, or it would have taken V'ger years simply to get from Klingon space to Earth.

And the E never opens fire on V'ger. As for the Klingons, conventional wisdom is that photon torpedoes have "warp sustainers" built in, so theoretically they could have been engaging with V'ger at warp speed.

All this being said, the background visuals unfortunately don't support what I'm saying.

 

[DeepSpaceYorks]

It must have been traveling at FTL speeds, or it would have taken V'ger years simply to get from Klingon space to Earth.

All this being said, the background visuals unfortunately don't support what I'm saying.

Is it possible that the cloud enveloping V'ger is so vast that it somehow allows V'ger to be travelling at FTL inside? I think it's memory alpha that says it is travelling at warp 7.

 

[matthunter]

V'Ger had (supposedly) Borg tech, or even if you choose to ignore that backstory it was clearly on a par with that sort of civilisation, so perhaps it travelled via transwarp conduit for much of the journey, only dropping out in Klingon space because it spotted something it hadn't yet recorded?

 

[Dilandu]

Er, why they shouldn't be able to attack on warp speed?

The warp drive was described as basically the Alcubierre bubble drive. We didn't knew for sure what would happens if two bubbles contacted , but we could assume (because it's currently impossible to prove otherwise ) that they would combine with each other, and thus allow spaceships to communicate or battle each other with beam weaponry. As long as both sides aren't separated by the warped space-time near the edges of the bubble.

 

[tharpdevenport]

... so perhaps it travelled via transwarp conduit for much of the journey, only dropping out in Klingon space because it spotted something it hadn't yet recorded?

Comparatively primitive humanoid life forms in antiquated space craft with inferior weaponry?

 

[OpenMaw]

It's important to remember that in TOS and the TMP movies, warp worked differently then it did later on.

In TOS ships were shown doing all kinds of crazy things at warp. Pivoting, strafing, hard turns, banking. They did all kinds of things. The visual effects language of TMP actually does support the idea that V'ger, Klingons, and Enterprise are at warp during those exterior shots. (The Enterprise's warp engines only glow when she's at "Warp power" and during her approach to the cloud, they're glowing.)

 

[Pauln6]

I would assume that they matched speeds and Enterprise merged into V'Ger's warp bubble. There is no reason why a ship has to face forwards. They are warping space after all. The ship itself doesn't really have to move much although presumably you can use impulse engines while at warp, it just makes almost no relative difference to your speed at warp but it means you'll be travelling fast when you power down the warp field. In a warp field as big as the one V'Ger was creating, they could use conventional engines to move around inside it.

 

[Nightowl1701]

Even as huge as V'Ger was, space is still a mighty big place. As it is, Earth was luckily Epsilon Nine was in the way.

I would assume that they matched speeds and Enterprise merged into V'Ger's warp bubble. There is no reason why a ship has to face forwards. They are warping space after all. The ship itself doesn't really have to move much although presumably you can use impulse engines while at warp, it just makes almost no relative difference to your speed at warp but it means you'll be travelling fast when you power down the warp field. In a warp field as big as the one V'Ger was creating, they could use conventional engines to move around inside it.

I always figured first the Klingon ships then the Enterprise altered course slightly so it/they shot right past V'Ger, then U-turned and overtook it slowly from the rear at just slightly faster than the Warp 7 V'Ger was doing.

 

[Vger23]

V'Ger had (supposedly) Borg tech,

No

 

[Vger23]

Even as huge as V'Ger was, space is still a mighty big place. As it is, Earth was luckily Epsilon Nine was in the way.

Yes!

I always figured first the Klingon ships then the Enterprise altered course slightly so it/they shot right past V'Ger, then U-turned and overtook it slowly from the rear at just slightly faster than the Warp 7 V'Ger was doing.

This is exactly what is implied. The Enterprise approaches V'Ger from behind. When the ship first breaks through the surrounding power field, you are looking at the aft section of V'Ger.

 

[publiusr]

The Klingons came from head on and attacked. Enterprise was more respectful--and got fired at later on in the contact.

 

[Therin of Andor]

V'Ger had (supposedly) Borg tech, or even if you choose to ignore that backstory it was clearly on a par with that sort of civilisation, so perhaps it travelled via transwarp conduit for much of the journey, only dropping out in Klingon space because it spotted something it hadn't yet recorded?

What would be the point of going via transwarp when your mission is to "learn all that is learnable"?

 

[Richard Baker]

V'Ger had learned a LOT, but it was now returning to 'home'.