No. There was never any actual dialogue written. The closest I've ever seen is Leonard Nimoy recounting a memo going between the studio executives and Harve Bennett in which it was suggested that the subtitles for the opening scene of the film should be something like "Where are you?".
motive of probe's "attack"
- Thread starter Captrek
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Spock said the whales died out centuries in the past. The Humans on Earth in the twenty-third century were completely blameless.
"The sins of all the fathers / Are dumped on us the sons / The only choice we're given is / 'How many megatons?'"
Me, I think the answer seems obvious: whales are much better, nicer, and more forgiving people than human beings.
Whales are people too.
They find that remark insulting.
Simple answer?
The probe was sent by a bunch of hyper advanced Space Whales.
They assumed that Whales would eventually dominate our planet and sent the probe to talk to them.
The thing was too powerful though and smashed through Starfleet accidentally.
What's amazing? This is actually the explanation that is implied in the movie.
The probe was sent by a bunch of hyper advanced Space Whales.
They assumed that Whales would eventually dominate our planet and sent the probe to talk to them.
The thing was too powerful though and smashed through Starfleet accidentally.
What's amazing? This is actually the explanation that is implied in the movie.
I always wondered what the big cylindrical probe was all about, whether it was a giant tank for space whales.
I agree with Charles Phipps, except on the point of it being definitive that the space whales assumed that whales would dominate the Earth.
In fact it could be just the opposite. Perhaps the reason for the probe was to be certain that mankind had not wiped out the whales?
I agree with Charles Phipps, except on the point of it being definitive that the space whales assumed that whales would dominate the Earth.
In fact it could be just the opposite. Perhaps the reason for the probe was to be certain that mankind had not wiped out the whales?
You'd be angry too if you looked like a giant greased telephone pole with a soccer ball hanging out of your bum.
Quite possibly. In any case, the probe obviously wanted to speak with whales and was smashing everything waiting for a reply. I don't think it's necessarily true the aliens were attacking Earth for wiping out the Whales.
I think it's much more likely the probe is EXTREMELY autonomous and dumb with the orders of, "Wait here until they respond."
The Space Whales, or whoever sent the probe, probably didn't send much of a message anyway.
Space Whale Probe: Hey, how ya doing?
Regular Whales: We're fine. Thanks.
Space Whale Probe: Glad to hear it. We'll check back in a few centuries.
I agree.
However, another thought that did occur to me once is maybe they were being really insistent in order to assure that mankind coughed up some whales.
More like:
SWP: Hey, how ya doin?
G&G: Fuckin' AWFUL! First, these dumbass humans have been wiping us out for YEARS, then they captured us and put us in this prison called 'The Cetacean Institute' while Gracie was pregnant, then some even dumber ones showed up from the future and bought us 200 years into the future where there are NO other whales, and now expect two whales to somehow repopulate the future. Kindly WIPE THESE MOTHERS OUT.
SWP: Hey man, I didn't ask for your life story.
I thought it was explained well enough: The Probe was sent to find out what happened to the Whales on Earth (why they waited like 300 years is another question).
Problem is, the type of energy the Probe used to send its message out was so powerful that it disabled any 23rd Century-level technology that heard the Probe's message. This was totally unintentional.
Problem is, the type of energy the Probe used to send its message out was so powerful that it disabled any 23rd Century-level technology that heard the Probe's message. This was totally unintentional.
I don't really like the idea of the probe being stupid.
Failing to react to the presence of humans is stupid. Failing to notice the effects of the communications beam on the oceans is stupid. Ignoring humans after a chat with George and Gracie is double stupid with fries.
Any interpretation where the probe isn't failing to notice things and isn't doing unintentional stuff is superior to this. Not to mention perfectly acceptable, considering how ambiguous the nature of the probe is.
Timo Saloniemi
Failing to react to the presence of humans is stupid. Failing to notice the effects of the communications beam on the oceans is stupid. Ignoring humans after a chat with George and Gracie is double stupid with fries.
Any interpretation where the probe isn't failing to notice things and isn't doing unintentional stuff is superior to this. Not to mention perfectly acceptable, considering how ambiguous the nature of the probe is.
Timo Saloniemi
I always thought it was because the people who made the probe were probably aquatic dwelling, I.E. space whales, therefore they sent the probe out to explore aquatic environments, being nearsighted to the possibility of intelligent life developing on land. Similar to humans looking for air breathing land intelligence because that's the most familiar thing to them.
The harm it caused to Starfleet was just because it was looking in the oceans for life that communicated like whales, and not land based primates. I think it probably would have left once it determined there was nothing there, but it was probably programed to be thorough, and in the meantime it was throwing Starfleet into chaos.
The harm it caused to Starfleet was just because it was looking in the oceans for life that communicated like whales, and not land based primates. I think it probably would have left once it determined there was nothing there, but it was probably programed to be thorough, and in the meantime it was throwing Starfleet into chaos.
Doesn't wash - because these possible water-dwellers were also quite evidently capable of spaceflight, and should have noticed fellow intelligences doing spaceflight all around their own spacecraft. The realization that those folks were actually land-dwellers could come later. But the probe could not plausibly be so nearsighted that it would not see the Starfleet vessels!
Timo Saloniemi
I think the source of that incongruity comes from this dialog (source):
Or another way of looking at it: It makes sense for Spock to say this if the intention of the film is to be metaphorical about what mankind is doing to whales. On the other hand, as Timo says, it would be illogical for that probe to be unaware of what it's doing.
However, as was suggested upthread, perhaps the way to look at it is as a metaphor for mankind's behavior against whales, rather than anything that strictly speaking makes sense for the space whales(?) to be doing.
Or another way of looking at it: It makes sense for Spock to say this if the intention of the film is to be metaphorical about what mankind is doing to whales. On the other hand, as Timo says, it would be illogical for that probe to be unaware of what it's doing.
Well yes, in that regard you really have to assume it was on a very simplistic mission to explore planets for aquatic life, and wasn't programed to deal with spaceships. So either it was too complex a situation for the probe to learn to deal with, being equivalent to an overpowered version of our own space probes of today, or the creators were just idiots.
To be sure (to borrow a phrase), mankind's behavior against whales wasn't/isn't built on unawareness of doing harm - it was/is built on awareness that harm was/is being done, and belief that this was/is as it should be.
Spock would be doubly naïve if thinking that humans didn't realize they were doing harm or, thanks to their great power and intelligence, wouldn't have found logic in hostility... So the analogy doesn't carry all the way to character actions, even if the metaphor may still be there.
Timo Saloniemi
Spock would be doubly naïve if thinking that humans didn't realize they were doing harm or, thanks to their great power and intelligence, wouldn't have found logic in hostility... So the analogy doesn't carry all the way to character actions, even if the metaphor may still be there.
Timo Saloniemi
Oooh, that's a good one! The probe is of Progenitor origin, combing the universe on a journey of billions of years?
PROBE SMASH!
V'ger also failed to acknowledge the "carbon units infesting USS Enterprise" as sentient. "Not true life forms."
But V'Ger was stupid. Or immature and inhuman, at the very least.
Mere distinction between water dwellers and land dwellers would not allow the Whale Probe to decide that the starships it encounters are to be given the silent treatment for not being "true lifeforms". The Whale Probe or its makers would have to be much more exotic than mere sapient fish in order for the probe to behave as seen.
Timo Saloniemi
Mere distinction between water dwellers and land dwellers would not allow the Whale Probe to decide that the starships it encounters are to be given the silent treatment for not being "true lifeforms". The Whale Probe or its makers would have to be much more exotic than mere sapient fish in order for the probe to behave as seen.
Timo Saloniemi
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