No, the sterilization element came from Tan Ru. Nomad was just programmed to seek out new life forms.
NOMAD Refit
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No, the sterilization element came from Tan Ru. Nomad was just programmed to seek out new life forms.
Tan Ru was to gather soil samples and sterilize them for return to its home planet. Spock surmises it was for colonization (a topic dear to my heart). Sterilization of the soil sample would not affect the analysis of the soil for compatibility and cultivation; it would just kill the microbes and any other active contaminates to preserve the soil for long term storage. I was wondering where both probes came up with "imperfections". Maybe Tan Ru considered microbes and other contaminates as "imperfections" in the soil.
In the first draft of the script, the interstellar probe -- named Altair -- was built by Gordon Roykirk. Roykirk was a genius with a "god complex," so he gave Altair the ability to think, repair itself, and evolve.
One of Altair's original missions was to collect soil samples and take them back to Earth. These samples were to be first sterilized so that any alien bacteria present wouldn't present a health problem on Earth ("There was a lot of concern in those early days about about plagues from exo-biotic contamination.").
According to the first draft, Altair was launched from Earth in 2035 and then, fourteen months later, hit by a meteoroid and presumably destroyed. However, as discovered by the Enterprise crew, Altair had only been seriously damaged -- with much of that damage to it's memory coils -- and had managed to repair itself over the years... and evolve.
Note that in this initial draft, there was no "other,", i.e, Tan Ru.
One of Altair's original missions was to collect soil samples and take them back to Earth. These samples were to be first sterilized so that any alien bacteria present wouldn't present a health problem on Earth ("There was a lot of concern in those early days about about plagues from exo-biotic contamination.").
According to the first draft, Altair was launched from Earth in 2035 and then, fourteen months later, hit by a meteoroid and presumably destroyed. However, as discovered by the Enterprise crew, Altair had only been seriously damaged -- with much of that damage to it's memory coils -- and had managed to repair itself over the years... and evolve.
Note that in this initial draft, there was no "other,", i.e, Tan Ru.
..... how did the original earth probe get *soil* from planetary *surfaces* ........
OMG, that's a great thread idea.
Hmmm, Nomad, the Gorn, Dr. Helen Noel, the Horta, Ruk, and Alexander. Good times.
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No, Captain; that is an outstanding thread idea. Someone start it up or I will.
...Is this going to be a Red Wedding sort of an event?
As regards the Earth probe, the alien probe and the events, most of what we have is speculation by Spock. And once again, none of it seems reasonable.
We have three sources of information here: historical records, Nomad's own words, and Spock's conjecture. All are of course suspect, Nomad's claims perhaps the most, but all warrant some study.
Historical facts:
1) Kirk remembers there was an Earth probe named Nomad once, launched in the early 2000s. The diagram they bring up confirms this, indicating the 2002 launch.
2) Spock says it was reported destroyed. Not lost, say.
3) Spock says there were no more in the series, suggesting it indeed was a series. But a series of one, or several, before the termination?
4) Spock says the probe was "presumed" destroyed by a meteor collision.
5) The heroes agree that Jackson Roykirk dreamed of building an AI, and Spock says Nomad was one, a prototype. So, perhaps a series of one after all.
6) Kirk says its mission was peaceful.
7) McCoy says it was meant to seek new lifeforms and was the first interstellar probe to do so.
Nomad's claims:
1) It is on a non-hostile mission to probe biological infestations and destroy that which is not perfect, to wit, "unstable" infestations.
2) It has changed, with much "taken from the other", resulting in it being "perpetual" now.
3) It absorbs. To wit, Uhura. It repairs on command. To wit, Scotty. And it is perfect.
4) It encountered a sequence of events in which it performed its function, there was deep emptiness, "it" approached, and there was a collision, damage, blackness, and then confused stuff involving Tan Ru and sterilizing.
Now, Spock's speculation:
1) The Nomad that comes to visit is the old Earth probe.
2) Nomad was badly damaged but managed to repair itself.
3) Strike that - Nomad was damaged by meteor collision and wandered feeling lost, but met Tan Ru, and mutual repairing ensued.
4) The new programming is Tan Ru's.
5) Tan Ru was programmed to sterilize soil samples, as a prelude to colonization.
So... What the heck? Nothing Nomad says involves soil samples or colonization. Collision with meteors is mere presumption, and Nomad instead says the collision was with "it". There was no confused wandering mentioned at any point, before or after the collision.
The natural speculation here would be that Nomad was co-opted by Tan Ru in a collision that resulted in abilities self-repair could not satisfactorily account for. The mission of Tan Ru could have been hostile, now slightly mitigated by Nomad's original non-hostile one but still mostly involving hostility towards life that does not meet criteria. Indeed, the collision would probably have been a hostile act, as such things could never happen by accident, and while Nomad was to seek out new life, it would do so in a manner that did not jeopardize its existence in collisions.
A slightly different take on it is that the probe we see is Tan Ru, overwhelmed by the AI of Nomad when hostilities against the Earth probe went badly and an attempt at stealing information from the enemy resulted in minor corruption that amounts to an identity crisis. Nothing of the original Nomad is in evidence but the confused identity, including the Creator relationship.
Timo Saloniemi
As regards the Earth probe, the alien probe and the events, most of what we have is speculation by Spock. And once again, none of it seems reasonable.
We have three sources of information here: historical records, Nomad's own words, and Spock's conjecture. All are of course suspect, Nomad's claims perhaps the most, but all warrant some study.
Historical facts:
1) Kirk remembers there was an Earth probe named Nomad once, launched in the early 2000s. The diagram they bring up confirms this, indicating the 2002 launch.
2) Spock says it was reported destroyed. Not lost, say.
3) Spock says there were no more in the series, suggesting it indeed was a series. But a series of one, or several, before the termination?
4) Spock says the probe was "presumed" destroyed by a meteor collision.
5) The heroes agree that Jackson Roykirk dreamed of building an AI, and Spock says Nomad was one, a prototype. So, perhaps a series of one after all.
6) Kirk says its mission was peaceful.
7) McCoy says it was meant to seek new lifeforms and was the first interstellar probe to do so.
Nomad's claims:
1) It is on a non-hostile mission to probe biological infestations and destroy that which is not perfect, to wit, "unstable" infestations.
2) It has changed, with much "taken from the other", resulting in it being "perpetual" now.
3) It absorbs. To wit, Uhura. It repairs on command. To wit, Scotty. And it is perfect.
4) It encountered a sequence of events in which it performed its function, there was deep emptiness, "it" approached, and there was a collision, damage, blackness, and then confused stuff involving Tan Ru and sterilizing.
Now, Spock's speculation:
1) The Nomad that comes to visit is the old Earth probe.
2) Nomad was badly damaged but managed to repair itself.
3) Strike that - Nomad was damaged by meteor collision and wandered feeling lost, but met Tan Ru, and mutual repairing ensued.
4) The new programming is Tan Ru's.
5) Tan Ru was programmed to sterilize soil samples, as a prelude to colonization.
So... What the heck? Nothing Nomad says involves soil samples or colonization. Collision with meteors is mere presumption, and Nomad instead says the collision was with "it". There was no confused wandering mentioned at any point, before or after the collision.
The natural speculation here would be that Nomad was co-opted by Tan Ru in a collision that resulted in abilities self-repair could not satisfactorily account for. The mission of Tan Ru could have been hostile, now slightly mitigated by Nomad's original non-hostile one but still mostly involving hostility towards life that does not meet criteria. Indeed, the collision would probably have been a hostile act, as such things could never happen by accident, and while Nomad was to seek out new life, it would do so in a manner that did not jeopardize its existence in collisions.
A slightly different take on it is that the probe we see is Tan Ru, overwhelmed by the AI of Nomad when hostilities against the Earth probe went badly and an attempt at stealing information from the enemy resulted in minor corruption that amounts to an identity crisis. Nothing of the original Nomad is in evidence but the confused identity, including the Creator relationship.
Timo Saloniemi
Magic mushrooms, infected with Borg nanoprobes because Nomad was reprogrammed to wipe out doomsday machine windsocks that were designed to wipe out the Borg... retconning is cool.
Overall you write the most cogent posts on this here bbs. I always enjoy them.
Makes you wonder how Nomad became so powerful even with the repairs and merging with Tan-Ru? Even if the other had the ability to sterilize soil samples I doubt it would have had the power to attack akin to ninety photon torpedoes!!! 
So just how did the combining of their circuitry give it that energy? 
JB
So just how did the combining of their circuitry give it that energy? JB
I wonder if NOMAD is rebuilding itself?
Nope! not unless V'Ger stopped by before the events of TMP?
JB
JB
Non sequitur. Do you mean it fixed NOMAD on the way?
Does anyone remember who the photo was of when they looked up information on Jackson Roykirk?
JB
JB
Nope. Why is he wearing a Starfleet uniform in 2002?
Memory Alpha identifies him as director Marc Daniels.
Nomad was just a naughty little boy
He wasn't "naughty". He was just "misunderstood". I recommend therapy sessions with the ship's psychiatrist, Dr. Helen Noel.
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