Most Well Known Enterprise (Captain Kirk) OS Adventures

[Knight Templar]

I'm not asking which episodes are most well known among fans or popular. I'm wondering which events in the three years of the original series were probably the most well known to members of Starfleet in particular and the Federation general public at large.

Note, some of the most famous Trek adventures (from the standpoint of the fans watching the show) would probably be only mentioned in the Enterprise logs and never widely known. Adventures such as those in "City on the Edge of Forever", "Amok Time", "Mirror, Mirror" all virtually unknown outside the Enterprise crew.

My list is as follows with a few surprises and why each would be very publicly known.

1) Journey To Babel- murder and sabotage aboard the Enterprise while it is full of talkative diplomats. Culminating in a space battle with a wounded Capt. Kirk leading the Enterprise to victory.

2) Operation: Annihilate--the Enterprise crew saves the lives of 1,000,000 people on one of the most beautiful planets in the galaxy. One million civilians talk a lot.

3) Errand of Mercy- Enterprise destroys a Klingon ship in the opening of a war, Kirk and Spock manage to get the Organians to end the war, all while fleets of ships manuever in orbit.

Note, this is one of those that Captain Kirk would get a lot of credit for though he really had nothing to do with the Organians action. Because from outsiders perspective it would be taken as "Captain Kirk beamed down and ended the war".

4) Balance of Terror- Kirk and the Enterprise stop the first Romulan ship encountered in 100 years. Destroying the Romulans while losing only one person on the Enterprise. A line of destroyed Federation outposts and the reports of not one but two secret Romulan weapons would assure this one is very public.

5) The Ultimate Computer- Federation starship destroyed in one of the greatest "friendly fire" incidents of all time (which always get attention. One thousand personnel on the other three ships ensures that the story gets around. Not to mention a very famous scientist going crazy.

6) The Doomsday Machine- word gets around thanks to another lost starship and crew.......and a mile long alien artifact left over.

7) This Side of Paradise- A hundred or so civilian colonists, especially as they were not expected to live ensures that word gets around.

8) The Way To Eden- surprise- a stolen civilian space cruiser, its subsequent destruction, the son of an ambassador and a Neutral Zone violation combine to make this forgettable adventures a well known one.

9) The Trouble With Tribbles- the fact that it is one a civilian station and directly effects the well being of a colony world helps keep the story in the press.

10) Arena- another colony wiped out gets peoples attention although Kirks subsequent encounter with the Gorn might not be as well known.

anyone care to suggest others?

 

[BillJ]

Probably none. Much of Kirk's five-year mission would've been classified by Starfleet. Dude ran into a ton of weird shit.

 

[Knight Templar]

Probably none. Much of Kirk's five-year mission would've been classified by Starfleet. Dude ran into a ton of weird shit.

Some of it like "Amok Time" would never make it into even the official logs due to Vulcan privacy concerns. All that would probably be official would be some curious course changes by the Enterprise and T'Pau's request to Starfleet to excuse any reasonably delay by the Enterprise.

And how would a report to Starfleet about "Mirror, Mirror" or "City On the Edge of Forever" go?

 

[BillJ]

Some of it like "Amok Time" would never make it into even the official logs due to Vulcan privacy concerns. All that would probably be official would be some curious course changes by the Enterprise and T'Pau's request to Starfleet to excuse any reasonably delay by the Enterprise.

I don't think Starfleet would have too hard of a time figuring out what was up. Granted, I'm looking at this through the eyes of 21st century security...

* Course changes to Vulcan ordered by the first officer.
* Request for shore leave by the first officer.
* Medical examination of the first officer.
* Fuel consumption reports.
* Transport of first officer along with captain and chief medical officer to planet surface.
* Transport of captain back to ship in an unconscious state with chief medical officer.
* Use of neural paralyzer by CMO.

All those things would've most likely been logged by the ship's computer or the duty officer.

 

[Knight Templar]

Some of it like "Amok Time" would never make it into even the official logs due to Vulcan privacy concerns. All that would probably be official would be some curious course changes by the Enterprise and T'Pau's request to Starfleet to excuse any reasonably delay by the Enterprise.

I don't think Starfleet would have too hard of a time figuring out what was up. Granted, I'm looking at this through the eyes of 21st century security...

* Course changes to Vulcan ordered by the first officer.
* Request for shore leave by the first officer.
* Medical examination of the first officer.
* Fuel consumption reports.
* Transport of first officer along with captain and chief medical officer to planet surface.
* Transport of captain back to ship in an unconscious state with chief medical officer.
* Use of neural paralyzer by CMO.

All those things would've most likely been logged by the ship's computer or the duty officer.

If they were logged accurately.

During the Cold War, U.S. submarines routinely penetrated Soviet waters on spying missions. Afterwards, the submarine commanders deliberately altered the logs showing the submarines positions so that there was no "recorded" proof that they violated Soviet waters.

I would imagine that this is precisely what happened afterward in "The Enterprise Incident"

 

[BillJ]

But hiding a spy mission is much different than altering ship records because the XO needs to go home due to a raging boner.

 

[Knight Templar]

But hiding a spy mission is much different than altering ship records because the XO needs to go home due to a raging boner.

Given that the XO (considered the best in Starfleet and a bit of a Starfleet icon due to being a Vulcan serving on a human ship, AND a legend among Vulcans themselves according to T'Pring And the son of a famous ambassador), will die if he doesn't go to Vulcan then one could infer that it was as important as any spy mission.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Janeway on Kirk, RE: Leonardo Da Vinci: "James Kirk claimed to have met him.... although the evidence is less than conclusive." ("Concerning Flight")

Data blatantly refuted that anything resembling "a hole in space" had ever been enountered by a Starfleet vessel ("Where Silence Has Lease") despite Kirk and crew finding one in "The Immunity Syndrome"

A few of the novels mention memoirs written by both Kirk and Spock. I'd love to see which adventures they would and wouldn't have been allowed to mention (hint, hint, Pocket Books)

 

[MacLeod]

The exact detials of "Amok Time" might be classified. But what given what we know it is likely that the offical record goes something like

"Upon request of T'Pau of Vulcan, USS Enterprise diversion to Vulcan approved"

 

[BillJ]

But hiding a spy mission is much different than altering ship records because the XO needs to go home due to a raging boner.

Given that the XO (considered the best in Starfleet and a bit of a Starfleet icon due to being a Vulcan serving on a human ship, AND a legend among Vulcans themselves according to T'Pring And the son of a famous ambassador), will die if he doesn't go to Vulcan then one could infer that it was as important as any spy mission.

Falsification of records would cost him his command quicker than any Prime Directive violation.

This is from the episode...


Captain's log, stardate 3372.7. On course, on schedule, bound for Altair Six via Vulcan. First Officer Spock seems to be under stress. He has requested and been granted shore leave. Ship surgeon McCoy has him under medical surveillance.

 

[MacLeod]

To Falsify a record there first has to be a record. Sure the records might show 3 people beamed dwn. But it might not show what happened own there. After all a log could simply show "Upon beaming down to Vulcan we meet with T'Pau" which is wholly accurate.

In essence what eventually came was an offical request from the Vulcan government for the Enterprise to be at Vulcan. Kirk could potentially justify his descion to divert to Vulcan was on medical grounds.

 

[BillJ]

To Falsify a record there first has to be a record.

Well, there is a Captain's Log which I showed above.

 

[Knight Templar]

To Falsify a record there first has to be a record.

Well, there is a Captain's Log which I showed above.

The log would probably be altered after the fact after it became clear to Kirk that the Vulcans did not want lots of information about their sex lives floating around.

Or that he was nearly killed fighting his own XO in a ceremonial battle.

As said, it was AFTER spy missions during the Cold War that submariners altered their records to show they came nowhere near Soviet territorial waters.

For reference, check out the books "Blind Man's Bluff" and "Red November" which detail U.S. submarine spy missions during the 1950s-80s.

 

[Knight Templar]

By the way, someone mentioned Kirk and Spock writing memoirs.

Various publications have suggested Kirk wrote two books

"Risk Is Our Business" & "To Boldly Go..."

Robert April likewise wrote a well received book that covered his experiences in portions of the war with the Klingons and why it prompted him to step down from starship command.

"View from the Center Seat".

Of course none of these were as popular as Fleet Captain Christopher Pike's autobiography

"One for Yes. Two for No".

 

[BillJ]

To Falsify a record there first has to be a record.

Well, there is a Captain's Log which I showed above.

The log would probably be altered after the fact after it became clear to Kirk that the Vulcans did not want lots of information about their sex lives floating around.

Or that he was nearly killed fighting his own XO in a ceremonial battle.

As said, it was AFTER spy missions during the Cold War that submariners altered their records to show they came nowhere near Soviet territorial waters.

For reference, check out the books "Blind Man's Bluff" and "Red November" which detail U.S. submarine spy missions during the 1950s-80s.

This was not a mission vital to Federation security nor could it set off a war with an enemy if found out. Vulcan's being prudes is not a viable reason to alter records.

 

[BillJ]

A few of the novels mention memoirs written by both Kirk and Spock. I'd love to see which adventures they would and wouldn't have been allowed to mention (hint, hint, Pocket Books)

Kirk: Prime Directives: Being a Cowboy on the Final Frontier

 

[Knight Templar]

Well, there is a Captain's Log which I showed above.

The log would probably be altered after the fact after it became clear to Kirk that the Vulcans did not want lots of information about their sex lives floating around.

Or that he was nearly killed fighting his own XO in a ceremonial battle.

As said, it was AFTER spy missions during the Cold War that submariners altered their records to show they came nowhere near Soviet territorial waters.

For reference, check out the books "Blind Man's Bluff" and "Red November" which detail U.S. submarine spy missions during the 1950s-80s.

This was not a mission vital to Federation security nor could it set off a war with an enemy if found out. Vulcan's being prudes is not a viable reason to alter records.

Vulcans are founding members of the Federation. I would imagine that a request from their highest leader regarding one of their own legends would carry some weight.

 

[MacLeod]

Ok so who would record that the Captain beamed up in an unconsious state?
Who would report that a paralyser had been used?

If those aren't recorded in a log, then the log by definition is not falsified. You could say that it is a lie of omission but that is not the same thing as falsfiying a record.

 

[BillJ]

Ok so who would record that the Captain beamed up in an unconsious state?
Who would report that a paralyser had been used?

If those aren't recorded in a log, then the log by definition is not falsified. You could say that it is a lie of omission but that is not the same thing as falsfiying a record.

Transporters would have internal logs that would record everything that beams up and down and the state in which it is transported. Pharmaceuticals would be logged because they are controlled substances.

Security is a bitch now, I'd imagine it would be doubly so in the 23rd century.

 

[MacLeod]

^Maybe a 24th Century transporter, but I don't recall any specific mention that a 23rd Century transporter had that level of detailed record. Sure it records where a person was transported to.