Spoilers Strange New Worlds General Discussion Thread

[Mudd]

If I was inclined to fill in the blanks and since I am a Trek fan I most certainly am.
Delta Radiation interferes with the telepathic receptors in the brain and wreaks havoc with the areas that control communication. So victims of severe Delta radiation poisoning can not be reached through telepathy and physical forms of communication are limited.

Binary, my good chum. Binary.

 

[Yistaan]

Binary, my good chum. Binary.

I think if Starfleet told Pike that he'd have to spell out his words in binary, he'd just wheel himself out an airlock.

If I was inclined to fill in the blanks and since I am a Trek fan I most certainly am.
Delta Radiation interferes with the telepathic receptors in the brain and wreaks havoc with the areas that control communication. So victims of severe Delta radiation poisoning can not be reached through telepathy and physical forms of communication are limited.

It's implied the Talosians were able to mindread Pike just fine (otherwise his stay on Talos wouldn't be very convenient)

 

[cooleddie74]

I guess Talosian telepathy is more effective than Vulcan considering their species spent thousands of centuries refining it due to having to live beneath the surface of their world. Vulcan mind melds seem to be less effective since even what Tuvok accomplished in "Flashback(VOY)" seemed to take hours of preparation.

 

[DEWLine]

"Do you want me to run through hours of explanation of how the delta radiation messed up which specific parts of Captain Pike's nervous system? I can give you that explanation if you think it'll help...?"

 

[fireproof78]

I guess Talosian telepathy is more effective than Vulcan considering their species spent thousands of centuries refining it due to having to live beneath the surface of their world. Vulcan mind melds seem to be less effective since even what Tuvok accomplished in "Flashback(VOY)" seemed to take hours of preparation.

Part of Vulcan telepathy is the physical touch, though obviously not all of it. Perhaps the delta radiation made that more painful.

 

[UssGlenn]

Pike also saw what Control was able to do to Airiam. In addition to any other considerations we've discussed here.

Hmm, I suppose Pike would have been injured during the time when they were redesigning all the cyborg tech to prevent that sort of incident in the future.

Binary, my good chum. Binary.

Morse code is much more efficient, as shown in Futurama. But Pike might have not yet mastered it, or worse that sort of communication is so obscure that no one had thought of that option yet. "I'm a Doctor not a communication historian".

 

[Yistaan]

Morse code is much more efficient, as shown in Futurama. But Pike might have not yet mastered it, or worse that sort of communication is so obscure that no one had thought of that option yet. "I'm a Doctor not a communication historian".

Yes Pike could have realistically communicated in Morse code. Why didn't I realize that in all my years as a Trek fan?

Also I think Kirk and Spock knew it in Star Trek 5 the Final Frontier

 

[Noname Given]

It's even more bizarre how selective the delta radiation is in its damage. Pike is mentally fine except for being unable to say anything but yes or no. He can see and hear (maybe there were implants involved but keep in mind Geordi still needed a visor a century later).

It does come off like a contrived plot device.

It was a contrived plot device. At the time Paramount wanted to get some return on the 1 million plus dollars invested in the unsold pilot; but said pilot was so different (cast wise) from the actual series, there was no way to use it without a framing story that somehow involve the regular cast of the airing series.

The framing story was: Pike was so badly mangled in an accident that the only way he could live out his life in an acceptable/comfortable fashion was to go back to a race of telepaths considered so dangerous by the Federation, that all contact was banned; and anyone or any ship that broke that rule was subject to the death penalty.
^^^
If that's not absolutely contrived I don't know what it is.

Binary, my good chum. Binary.

Pike wouldn't need to use something as complex as binary code, Just beep things out in Morse code or some other simple 23rd century code they have to have in case of emergency where only non-computer tied in equipment is available.

 

[Tim Thomason]

Hmm, I suppose Pike would have been injured during the time when they were redesigning all the cyborg tech to prevent that sort of incident in the future.



Morse code is much more efficient, as shown in Futurama. But Pike might have not yet mastered it, or worse that sort of communication is so obscure that no one had thought of that option yet. "I'm a Doctor not a communication historian".

If he has simple aphasia, he can't communicate in any language. Morse Code, Linguacode, Ancient Hebrew, nothing. He can't even say "No". All he appeared to be able to do was give a Yes (one beep) or nothing at all.

His ability to communicate was likely damaged by the radiation, even if he maintained the ability to process and determine sensory input, he lacked the ability for sensory output, until someone found out he could give affirmations, and tied that into his chair.

This isn't Futurama. He wasn't tapping a foot pedal. "Yes" was the best he could mentally do.

 

[Mudd]

If he has simple aphasia, he can't communicate in any language. Morse Code, Linguacode, Ancient Hebrew, nothing. He can't even say "No". All he appeared to be able to do was give a Yes (one beep) or nothing at all.

Two beeps for "No."

You know that all the "explanations" are nonsense trying to cover a plot point that was ridiculous - as was most of the wrapper story.

 

[Yistaan]

Two beeps for "No."

You know that all the "explanations" are nonsense trying to cover a plot point that was ridiculous - as was most of the wrapper story.

Amazing how we all have to accept recasts now in Trek, but even with the in-universe 13 year timeshift back in the 1960s, they couldn't just grab an older actor who resembled Jeffrey Hunter but just had to disfigure the character to justify a recast.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

The only thing I have to say about this entire Pike fate discussion...

... and you can quote me on that!

 

[137th Gebirg]

He's not saying "No." He's saying "Yes! Yes!"

 

[cooleddie74]

"Chris...do you know what happened to a ship named Discovery?"

 

[Yistaan]

"Chris...do you know what happened to a ship named Discovery?"

We have ways of making you talk!

Pike: Beep.

 

[Nerys Myk]

"Chris...do you know what happened to a ship named Discovery?"

The Starfleet Inquisition rappels down from the rafters

 

[BillJ]

Ignoring TOS and Discovery? Well, this is definitely Strange and New!

I've been saying it is time to move on from TOS for a solid ten years now. Whether you call it an alternate universe or simply ignore its existence, the same thing. I would like to have the writers to have freedom to be creative, not constantly churn out greatest hits over and over again.

And Discovery? The less said about it, the better.

 

[cooleddie74]

The Starfleet Inquisition rappels down from the rafters

They should have done that early in Season 1.

 

[WarpFactorZ]

The Starfleet Inquisition rappels down from the rafters

Well, Pike certainly didn't get the Comfy Chair...

 

[BillJ]

Well, Pike certainly didn't get the Comfy Chair...

He gets to eat, sleep and shit in that chair, it is like his own mobile home!