Unfortunately that doesn't fully explain the appearance of the SNW Enterprise-nil in Picard.
Unless EACH individual series takes place in slightly different universes. But I digress, on to 1x14!
I posed this as a possibility that some TOS episodes do indeed take place in an alternate universe of sorts... especially those where Warp drive on TOS Enterprise was equivalent to 1000 Ly's per day (and again in ST:V where it was increased to about 10 000 Ly's per day - whic would seem like a doable increase over TOS days for UFP and application of what was learned with USS Excelsior TW drive from ST:II).
-The gang puts the Protostar into sleep mode. Is this analogous to how they found her in the first place? Did they clean up a bit before turning the lights off? How does one store antimatter in sleep mode? And they wake her up again without pressing a button this time… And fly her away in moments. I’m guessing sleep mode is more like leaving your phone on the counter for a while here.
I would imagine the sleep mode is similar to how sleep mode works now. A phone today that goes into sleep mode doesn't technically shut off completely - it simply goes into standby... all it does is reduce power consumption to extremely low levels, but power consumption is still there - just at a negligible rate - and given the fact we are talking about M/AM reactions and insane levels of efficiency (which are standard for UFP), a ship could technically be placed into sleep mode and be left like that for a VERY long time.
- The Dauntless is in orbit basically the whole time, is actively looking for the Protostar, and finds nothing. Contrasting this with any number of times a crew is looking for a crashed shuttle or something, and can locate one due to its hull composition or whatever. Planets are big, I suppose.
Actually, if you have a look at the episode, the Dauntless arrived at the planet later than the Protostar.
I guess that the Dauntless crew had no reason to think the Protostar landed on the planet's surface and put into sleep mode.
I think what's usually done is that companion SF ships are searched for based on their unique signatures that are emitted while ships are fully powered (and we've seen UFP ships using low power modes to slip past sensors before - no reason to think something similar wouldn't happen here).
Sensor scans based on hull composition etc. tends to be implemented if a ship crash landed and there was a rescue operation. But given the fact the Dauntless crew are under the impression the Protostar was stolen, maybe they should have implemented this parameter into standard scans (or, because the ship was in low power mode and under the ice, it effectively 'blended' into the environment - just enough to mask its own signature).
- The map vaguely suggests they're in Beta Quadrant, close to the border with Delta. But maybe they’ve got the map upside down.
The map could be presented in a different manner on screen... because if we're talking about the Beta Quadrant near the DQ border, then the Protostar either jumped into UFP space, or they had to have come from a different entry point (because majority of that angle is Romulan space... so, the Protostar would have to take the way around to gain entry to UFP space).
- It's the Erstwhile, jeepers! And she has a warp 4 engine even after all this time? Does interstellar commerce work okay in the 2380s at that warp factor? I think that guy who “collected” Data that one time had a ship with a top speed of warp three, so maybe lots of people don’t even clear warp five, environmental considerations be damned.
Depends on what the people with those kind of ships do.
I would imagine that since money is not really needed inside UFP (its usually implemented by individuals who engage in shadier practices because they don't go through official channels to transport certain goods that are considered 'contraband').
They also might be using slower warp factors so as to not necessarily arouse suspicion... and their regular dealings do not always allow them to make use of UFP starbases that tend to have a full range of sensors that could detect potential 'contraband' and demand that some 'inspections' are made.
Even in TNG, Okona had a problem with his ship (which was old) and was able to get some quick repairs in from ENT-D crew at the time... but I suppose he usually steers clear of Starfleet (when he engages in shadier practices).
- Deuterium is still seen as a commodity of import, despite being literally the simplest possible isotope of the simplest possible element, and one relatively easy to find (or make, in Trek). The writers (notably in Voyager) glommed on early that deuterium is great fuel for fusion engines, and not how common it is to find or simple to extract from seawater. Remember “deuterium ore”?
Or it could be a commodity in that part of space where shadier practices ensue. When you pursue that kind of practice, your ability to use UFP starbases is limited as they might connect you to smuggling contraband, etc. so you can't get deuterium the standard way.
Plus, Okona isn't an engineer... so making Deuterium easily is not something he'd necessarily be able to do... though this kind of work would likely be done by automation. Its possible his ship is a very old style hulk that simply didn't get that technology... and getting it installed would have been 'expensive' from his point of view... and like I said, its possible he steers clear of UFP starbases intentionally due to his shady practices.
- Neither Federation ship uses quantum torpedoes despite being arguably much more advanced than the average starship. OTOH neither was really out to cause significant damage, not that we know how much more damage a QT would cause. In any case, the Protostar must be in training mode if it’s that simple to butt-dial some mass destruction without even aiming.
Like holo-Janeway mentioned in earlier episodes, its 'auto-targeting'... Jankom Pog does get to push the firing button.
Manual targeting is only used if auto-targeting was damaged/disabled.
As for lack of Quantum Torpedoes... yeah this bit is actually something of a missed opportunity. Its also possible that Photon Torpedoes continue to advance, so their capabilities would have been more than adequate for the job and would be still considered 'standard'.
Quantums might be present on both ships, but those aren't regularly used. There's also a question if quantums would have been installed on the Protostar (which is a science vessel).
However, for the ship to make it this easy to 'butt press' a photon torpedo to me says that the console in question was unlocked at the time because Pog was using it. He's not a fully trained SF officer, so maybe locking out weapons was not something he did at the time because he thought he might need them (plus he's a bit paranoid).
- D’deridex class warbirds are seen here in their latest chronological appearance, following the opening of LDS. Would the Romulans keep their shiny newer Valdores closer to the front with the Alpha quadrant? Or does this just happen to be a patrol of older ships? Or are these warbirds still being produced following the Dominion War, where they were the ONLY warship class seen?
Mark
D'deridex class warbirds seem to be there as a Romulan 'staple ship'.
Its possible the Romulans change ship designs less often than SF does... and the Valdore class ships might be placed into other sections of the RSE... say the inner core section mainly which would venture outwards as needed.
The D'deridex class Warbirds we saw in Prodigy are likely fully upgraded, so they'd be able to go toe to toe with any modern ship.
In this sense, I don't see why SF would discontinue use of Galaxy class ships because its fully modular/upgradeable so it can just evolve with the times.
I can see UFP building a given number of ships of a certain class... and given there are over 150 member worlds as part of UFP, each of those would have their own construction facilities similar to Utopia Planitia (at least) and in orbit of the main planet in that star system (like Earth has orbital facilities and shipyards too).
In this sense, SF could EASILY make 1500 Galaxy class ships in a month or so throughout the UFP (by simply assigning 10 drydocks per shipyard in each start system to make a Galaxy class)... and just not produce more unless its for replacing destroyed/lost ships... and would upgrade existing ones in service.
It never made sense to me that SF and UFP (given their sizes) would only produce 12 Galaxy class ships... given the technology and size of UFP, nothing of the kind makes sense.
Same would apply to RSE... they probably saw value in D'Deridex class warbirds and used them as a 'staple starship' for decades... they could also still be in use in PIC... but the Tal Shiar took precedence in that series and likes to operate from small/deadly ships.
We have to keep in mind that ships like the Galaxy class are designed to initially last 200 years (though this estimate is always pushed forward because the ships can also be upgraded with the times... and with replicators/transporters, you can actually 'refresh' the infrastructure and frame of the ship with modern materials anyway over time - so the exact same ship made is say the late 24th century would look somewhat different by the 26th century and would be sporting contemporary technology to boot - additionally, it would also be able remain in service for another 200-400 years with refreshed frame/infrastructure... and so on and on - the Romulans might be using the same idea.
Even in the 32nd century, we were given indications that various classess of ships from 930 years ago are still in use... they've just been heavily upgraded over time (internally and externally) to leave them in service and fit with the times.
In this sense, I wouldn't be surprised if SF 'retires' a ship class for 50-100 years and then brings it out fully upgraded and externally modified to fit with the times.
For a ship to survive for 1000 years in active service would probably end up a record in its own right (and if it started as a say constitution class back then, it would still be a Constitution class in the 32nd century... just heavily changed over time to reflect modern technology)... because it would have to survive wars, border skirmishes, encounters with hostile races, etc.
Possible? Yes... difficult? I'd say so given that SF frequently encounters dangerous anomalies and unknowns frequently... but its possible.
