Question?

[kirkfan]

One would think that a ship empty of people would automatically send a coded distress signal to all the starfleet ships it can reach. To warn them, you know, that something is not quite right.

Unless the communication officer disables the system.

You can wire it in the computer so that it would be impossible to disable without disabling the whole ship, not to mention that starfleet regulations could include instructions about leaving this system on. The same way it is illegal to tamper with your odometer even though you technically own it along with the car.

 

[Captain Rob]

I bet that it would make for an interesting story if a starship mysteriously returns to a starbase with no crew aboard and it's hazard blinkies on.

 

[Melakon]

The original Twilight Zone did a story ("The Arrival") about an empty plane making a landing though it had disappeared years ago.

 

[WillsBabe]

I bet that it would make for an interesting story if a starship mysteriously returns to a starbase with no crew aboard and it's hazard blinkies on.

I would have loved TOS or TNG to start with the Enterprise rocking up at a Starbase completely empty as the start of an episode! What a great idea!

 

[Metryq]

I bet that it would make for an interesting story if a starship mysteriously returns to a starbase with no crew aboard and it's hazard blinkies on.

The USS Lassie pulls into starbase—

"What's that? You say Timmy fell down a well and can't get out? Lead us to him!"

 

[kirkfan]

The original Twilight Zone did a story ("The Arrival") about an empty plane making a landing though it had disappeared years ago.

I've read an interesting novel a couple of years ago titled "The Lion's Game" by Nelson DeMille, about a plane landing automatically with every one dead on board. I don't want to spoil anything in case one of you wanted to read it.