Sigma Iotia II contamination - Was it intentional?

[TOS Purist]

The other day I was going through my copy of the "Star Trek Chronology." In the book's entry for the Horizon's cultural contamination of Sigma Iotia II (seen in "A Piece of the Action"), it says that the crew of the Horizon "accidentally" left behind the book "Chicago Mobs of the Twenties."

I wasn't so sure about that, because in the episode Kirk asks Bela Oxmyx if the Horizon crew left anything else besides just that single book. Bela responds by telling Kirk that they also left behind books on electronics, etc - apparently more material on the 1920's besides just that single book. Knowing that, it doesn't sound like the Iotian contamination was done by accident - it sounds like the crew of the Horizon were aware of the Iotian's "highly imitative" nature and left behind the books (plural) as a big practical joke.

At least that's my theory! How about yours?

 

[Timo]

I can easily see one of two things happening....

In the first theory, the Horizon crew (or at least one philantrophe amongs them) decided to help out a primitive society in need by deliberately leaving behind a "How To Achieve Industrial Age And Get Interstellar Friends" library and telling the locals to exploit it to the fullest. The library just happened to contain a few items that had an adverse or unintended effect, amongst these Chicago Mobs of the Twenties - either by sheer accident (bound to happen when you offload a ton of books) or then because it was thought a bit of lighter reading would be a good idea.

The other theory is that "a few books" were left behind completely by accident. If one book was, then why not several? One of the crew could have beamed down his bookshelf for the duration of their stay on the planet (quite probably several months, much of it spent intermingling with the population), and then forgotten it there.

However, I personally find it unlikely that the Iotians really were in need of primers on electronics and the like. I mean, they're too good at playing the innocent routine. When they play 20s Gangsters, they cease to be people - they pay no attention at all to spacemen openly beaming down on their streets, for example. And when they do play, they adapt all too perfectly and quickly. I find it more probable that the Iotians were and are a technologically advanced culture that just plays make-believe all the time. And that they were playing "early stages of industrialism" when the Horizon came, but switched to playing "Chicago Mobs of the 20s" when they left - or quite possibly only when the Enterprise arrived!

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Hober Mallow]

I think the Chronology is wrong. It must have been intentional, leaving behind books they thought the people there could use, before the prime directive existed. I don't think they acciddentally left behind books on electronics, cars, guns, and the like. They just didn't count on the consequences of leaving behind this info.

 

[Green Shirt]

Maybe they should have left behind some Dr. Suess books, so the population would have spent the rest of their existence babbling like idiots.

 

[TOS Purist]

^ Haha, nice one! It's interesting hearing everyone's opinion on the matter.

 

[Shatnertage]

So what books would you leave behind if you were playing a practical joke?

And you could also view the episode on a whole meta level, where it's really a commentary on fandom, who are also highly imitative and latch onto seemingly trivial elements. Except that when the episode was made, Trek fandom as I'm thinking of it didn't yet exist. Or did it?

 

[plynch]

Why physical paper books? How long ago did the ship visit? I don't recall.

 

[TOS Purist]

How long ago did the ship visit? I don't recall.

The Horizon visited Sigma Iotia II at least a hundred years before the Enterprise ever got there, so it would make sense that they would leave paper books.

So what books would you leave behind if you were playing a practical joke?

If I wanted to play a global-scale practical joke on the galaxy, I would leave behind the same types of books the Horizon apparently did - a book on a culture for them to copy, and technical books to give them the means to copy that culture.

 

[buckeyenation]

Just imagine if they had left any self help book written or endorsed by Oprah Winfrey...Kirk would have had no choice but the completely obliterate the planet surface.

 

[Jeri]

Why physical paper books? How long ago did the ship visit? I don't recall.

Paper books would stand someone in good stead if they didn't have technology -- or if, say, a solar flare knocked out the technology or something like that. (Beverly had a keepsake book from Wesley's dad among her things.)

 

[TOS Purist]

(Beverly had a keepsake book from Wesley's dad among her things.)

In TOS, Captain Kirk had a whole shelf full of physical books in his cabin (clearly featured in "Conscience of the King") - same with Dr. McCoy (as seen in "The Man Trap"). Also, in "Balance of Terror," the crew refers to a physical book on comet classifications which is sitting on the table in the briefing room. Again in "Conscience of the King" Kirk examines the voice-identification readout results on two physical pieces of paper - he also writes down Kodo's speech on a scrap of paper. TOS Star Trek certainly did not feature a "paperless" society.

 

[scotpens]

^ And in “Court Martial,” attorney Samuel T. Cogley had shelves full of books in his study. He preferred them to computerized texts. But then, Cogley was supposed to be something of an eccentric.

Just imagine if they had left any self help book written or endorsed by Oprah Winfrey...Kirk would have had no choice but the completely obliterate the planet surface.

 

[Timo]

The Horizon visited Sigma Iotia II at least a hundred years before the Enterprise ever got there, so it would make sense that they would leave paper books.

Actually, I'd argue that the Horizon being a primitive ship would make paper books less likely, not more. An old ship would have less carrying capacity, so paper books wouldn't be as likely to be permitted aboard (the possible exception being vital technical manuals, and even then perhaps just those manuals that would be needed for repairing the virtual manuals!). And an old ship would have more primitive manufacturing capabilities, so one couldn't as easily print the books into paper form.

But "less likely" doesn't mean "unlikely". There's no pressing reason the Horizon couldn't have been carrying paper books, or pets, or the Second Mate's favorite suit of armor from the 15th century. And hey, we know that books on Chicago gangsters were virtually standard for early Earthling starfaring vessels, or at least those named Horizon - the freighter of the Mayweather family had another such book on a shelf, named Chicago Gangs...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[plynch]

I have an old disco book with styles and moves I would leave.

 

[Green Shirt]

I have an old disco book with styles and moves I would leave.

That's the way, uh huh uh huh, I like it, uh huh uh huh.

 

[T'Girl]

Wonder what kirk and company would have found if the Horizon had left behind "Beowulf."

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Pity we never got to see David Gerrold's TNG sequel to this episode. Imagine an entire planet whose society is based on TOS era Starfleet.

 

[TOS Purist]

Imagine an entire planet whose society is based on TOS era Starfleet.

I would give my left nut to live on a planet like that.

 

[plynch]

I have an old disco book with styles and moves I would leave.

That's the way, uh huh uh huh, I like it, uh huh uh huh.

Re. your sig: On my Star Trek lunchbox the tunic has some green to it. Viva la revolucion.

 

[Green Shirt]

Re. your sig: On my Star Trek lunchbox the tunic has some green to it. Viva la revolucion.

Well, got to give them credit for trying to get it right.