Save Niburu!

[Search4]

We all now what happened in Star Trek Into Darkness. Lots of praise and lots of (naturally) complaints. Can you use the Enterprise's technologoy and capabilities to save Niburu a different way? Or is it a violation of the Prime Directive to begin with? Or is there no other way?

Some givens, from the movie (and feel free to disagree):
. There is a planet Niburu and it's not going to collide with Earth
. Enterprise uncovers the problem, is alone without other Federation resources
. The volcano will really erupt and "the planet dies", in the near future, but not quite predictably
. We have a cold fusion device (hate the name, but that's the name for now). You don't have to use it.
. There are natives in the cold fusion "kill zone".
. Transporters are useless near the volcano due to the "magnetic fields"
. A shuttle flying into the ash cloud is in a dangerous situation and may not be able to return to orbit. We actually saw this.

So - would you save Niburu? How would you save it? What would you do if you were in command of Enterprise?

 

[WarpFactorZ]

We all now what happened in Star Trek Into Darkness. Lots of praise and lots of (naturally) complaints. Can you use the Enterprise's technologoy and capabilities to save Niburu a different way? Or is it a violation of the Prime Directive to begin with? Or is there no other way?

Some givens, from the movie (and feel free to disagree):
. There is a planet Niburu and it's not going to collide with Earth
. Enterprise uncovers the problem, is alone without other Federation resources
. The volcano will really erupt and "the planet dies", in the near future, but not quite predictably
. We have a cold fusion device (hate the name, but that's the name for now). You don't have to use it.
. There are natives in the cold fusion "kill zone".
. Transporters are useless near the volcano due to the "magnetic fields"
. A shuttle flying into the ash cloud is in a dangerous situation and may not be able to return to orbit. We actually saw this.

So - would you save Niburu? How would you save it? What would you do if you were in command of Enterprise?

Wasn't there an episode of TNG where they used the ship's phasers to alter tectonic activity on some planet? Granted, that was with the knowledge of the affected population.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ It would be hard to fire phasers at anything on a planetary surface and not have at least some natives notice it. The risk would be far too great.

 

[Franklin]

I'll play. But they MUST be doing this while Jimmy Buffett's "Volcano" plays in the background on the shuttle.

1. Take a shuttle in at night at a height safely above the volcano. It would likely be 30,000 feet at least. With no lights, it will be invisible to the naked eye at that height.
2. Attach the cold fusion device to a drone that is launched from the shuttle and piloted into the volcano.
3. Once the drone has the device in place in the volcano, detonate the device.

Nobody sees nothin'.

As far as getting the natives out of the kill zone goes, that's problematic. It's hard to believe the distraction Kirk created in STID actually caused EVERY native in the kill zone to run out of it. That's every man, woman, child, and the elderly and disabled or blind. I'm afraid some collateral damage may be necessary to save perhaps another billion people on the planet.

The only real thing I can think of that might make the most natives flee the area would be some sort of simulation of an eruption created by the Enterprise before doing Steps 2 and 3. A light and sound show of some kind. Flares, sonic devices, that sort of thing. Minimizing casualties is the most realistic thing one can hope for.

Or, the best way to save everyone would be to momentarily stun everyone in the area with a phaser blast (like in "A Piece of the Action") and then erect a force field around them for the time they are in danger. When they come to, they will only think they were all overcome the volcano activity.

Of course, there is the Draconian solution for not being detected. Do it so there are no witnesses. You save millions of lives, and no one is around afterwards to talk.

 

[Mad Mike]

If the purpose of the Prime Directive is allow a culture to develop naturally, then I would be saving each and every endangered culture that I came across. Of course I would try to use the most covert means possible, but I can't buy into the "let them die" philosophy that was popularized on TNG.

 

[BillJ]

^ It would be hard to fire phasers at anything on a planetary surface and not have at least some natives notice it. The risk would be far too great.

Why? At their stage of evolution, it would likely have little to no impact.

 

[Search4]

I am a fan of the drone idea. Although i'd note Spock had to open the device up, pick up a Tricorder-like remote control, and perhaps calibrate it.

 

[Set Harth]

Of course I would try to use the most covert means possible, but I can't buy into the "let them die" philosophy that was popularized on TNG.

Reminds me of:

Kirk: "Don't believe them. Don't trust them."
Spock: "They're dying."
Kirk: "Let them die."

 

[Captrek]

Bring the Niburu the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When they believe, God will protect their planet. If I'm disciplined for violating the Prime Directive, I'll call it a violation of my First Amendment rights and demand the impeachment of the President.

 

[BillJ]

Bring the Niburu the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When they believe, God will protect their planet. If I'm disciplined for violating the Prime Directive, I'll call it a violation of my First Amendment rights and demand the impeachment of the President.

I'm pretty sure the First Amendment doesn't cover military officers while they're on missions.

 

[Melakon]

You join Starfleet, forget about any individual personal rights you had. Starfleet has your ass now.

 

[martok2112]

^ It would be hard to fire phasers at anything on a planetary surface and not have at least some natives notice it. The risk would be far too great.

The phasers could probably be retuned so that they don't fall into the visible spectrum when they fire (since lasers, by their nature, are not exactly visible as long as there are no particulate effects in the air....smoke, fog, dustup, rain, etc.) but they could become visible via the same particulate effects I just listed for lasers. The dustup from a phaser boring its way into the ground would likely make the beam somewhat visible....as would water vapor if the phasers were fired into the sea to get to the tectonics.