The ultimate computer

[Timo]

It makes perfect sense that the independent exploration, survey and frontier policing vessels would have as much fighting power as those of the main fleet

...But since this force would be hopelessly spread out, the individual vessels would probably require much more fighting power than the corresponding "main fleet" vessels in order to have the same effect.

It could be that Starfleet feels the frontier threats are best countered by sending fast vessels that can assess the threat and alert the heavies of its approach. We never saw Kirk defend the Federation core worlds, after all; his only known attempt at defending Federation assets against a direct external threat was "Doomsday Machine", and there his preferred approach was to attempt to call for help. The rest of the time, he was skirmishing.

In the context of "Ultimate Computer", testing M-5 on a cruiser should be less objectionable from the OP's point of view if cruisers are second-rate vessels. Also, a second-rate frontier vessel would offer a wider range of missions to be tested, beyond "bash Klingon capital ships" and "bombard Klingon planets"; equipping the primary combatants for wider missions would be detracting from their combat powers, and equipping the primary surveyors for combat would have a corresponding effect, but a ship that can afford a little detracting (i.e. is far from optimal anyway) would be an ideal testbed.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[J.T.B.]

...But since this force would be hopelessly spread out, the individual vessels would probably require much more fighting power than the corresponding "main fleet" vessels in order to have the same effect.

It could be that Starfleet feels the frontier threats are best countered by sending fast vessels that can assess the threat and alert the heavies of its approach. We never saw Kirk defend the Federation core worlds, after all; his only known attempt at defending Federation assets against a direct external threat was "Doomsday Machine", and there his preferred approach was to attempt to call for help. The rest of the time, he was skirmishing.

Sure, the object would be giving the ships the best chance of surviving, not necessarily defeating every threat.

In the context of "Ultimate Computer", testing M-5 on a cruiser should be less objectionable from the OP's point of view if cruisers are second-rate vessels. Also, a second-rate frontier vessel would offer a wider range of missions to be tested, beyond "bash Klingon capital ships" and "bombard Klingon planets"; equipping the primary combatants for wider missions would be detracting from their combat powers, and equipping the primary surveyors for combat would have a corresponding effect, but a ship that can afford a little detracting (i.e. is far from optimal anyway) would be an ideal testbed.

My point is it doesn't make much difference from a storytelling perspective whether Enterprise is the toughest ship going or not, there can always be a superior threat somewhere out there. It would not go against common sense to use first-rate vessels on exploration missions. That's where it differs from the sailing frigate comparison.

Justin

 

[Timo]

Agreed. We'd have to subject the sailing ship stories to the currently fashionable Grahame-Smith updating (Master and Commander and Maelstrom, Horatio Hornblower and the Haddock of Hell) to create the proper frontier threats...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Wingsley]

I always assumed that Wesley's "dunsel" remark was part of a calculated plan on behalf of Starfleet (something he discussed in advance with the task force captains and his superiors) to see if they could get a rise out of the M-5 unit.

If the Federation was going to the extreme measure of holding war games to see how this technology would behave, they must've known that they had to put M-5 through a kind of psychological test. Consider the whole context of what Wesley said:

taken from the scene in "The Ultimate Computer" immediately after the first war games exercise:

UHURA: Captain, message now coming in from Commodore Wesley.
KIRK: Put it on visual.
WESLEY [on viewscreen]: USS Enterprise from starships Lexington and Excalibur. Both ships report simulated hits in sufficient quantity and location to justify awarding the surprise engagement to Enterprise.
KIRK: Secure from general quarters.
WESLEY [on viewscreen]: Our compliments to the M-5 unit, and regards to Captain Dunsel. Wesley out.

...with thanks from Chakoteya.net's TOS episode transcripts

It is obvious that Wesley's on-air remarks are meant to be heard by the M-5. This would be a logical move on Starfleet's part. They know that multitronics are essentially a human mind impressed onto a supercomputer's circuits. Sounds like Wesley was stroking the computer's ego to see what it would do.

Wesley was actually talking to the M-5 itself. The remark dismissing Kirk as a dunsel was obviously meant to do the same.

 

[A beaker full of death]

^ Seems like a huge stretch to me.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ But if the Commodore wasn't intending for the M-5 to hear what he said, why would he even say "Our compliments to the M-5 unit"? The phrase would be meaningless to anyone else. If he had meant it for anyone other than the M-5 itself, he would have said something like "Our compliments to Dr. Daystrom". Commodore Wesley must have assumed that the M-5 would appreciate it. Surely he knew that M-5 would be monitoring all communications anyway...

Same goes for the Dunsel remark.

 

[Timo]

It certainly makes sense that Starfleet would test other things besides the mechanistic performance of M-5 in this exercise. Kirk's mental state during the test would definitely be of interest to Starfleet - although one'd think there should have been an Elizabeth Dehner type character on Kirk's bridge, rather than a series of provocatory subspace messages from aboard a different starship altogether...

Then again, perhaps Starfleet didn't want Kirk to realize he was under observation? Perhaps McCoy had secret orders from on high.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[BillJ]

I think M-5 snapped simply because it heard everyone doubting its abilities and being against it running the ship. It had Daystrom's memory engrams and probably had his insecurities.

 

[Wingsley]

...and when Wesley made that comment, that simply brought the Daystrom/M-5 issues to the surface.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I wonder who'd play Daystrom in the Abramsverse.

Avery Brooks? ("The M-5 is the future! I created it! And it's REEEEEEEAL!")

Chris Judge?

 

[Enterprise is Great]

Carl Lumbly?

 

[Gotham Central]

I'm still not entirely sure what the point of the M-5 was anyway.

Why exactly would Starfleet be interested in putting a computer in control of a ship with people aboard? Why not simply send out robot probes? In fact we already know that star fleet makes use of robot ships since that is precisely what the M-5 first destroys.

All of the other functions displayed by the M-5 were functions that the Enterprise's duotronic unit was already capable of doing (remember...Spock had the computer running the ship in the Mennagerie).

So what exactly did the M-5 really add to the current mix?

 

[Timo]

Why exactly would Starfleet be interested in putting a computer in control of a ship with people aboard?

It probably wasn't. As far as we can tell, the twenty remained aboard the Enterprise solely to deal with problems encountered during the test - a skeleton crew that could steer the ship home if everything else failed (although Kirk had his doubts on that, too). They would be replaced by automation ultimately, just like McCoy feared.

M-5 could defeat crewed starships in battle; that would be a welcome edge. And if similar or slightly lesser superbrains could be installed aboard the robot freighters, they would probably also finally stand a chance of evading or escaping a combat encounter, rather than just sheepishly dying...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[The Grim Ghost]

The problem with M-5 is that even if it had passed it's test without going insane it's missions would have been limited.

Mapping systems? Fighting Klingons? Sure thing.

But what is M-5 going to do if it encounters more esoteric threats like Apollo or a Lincoln floating in space? Uselessly fire weapons at them? Too many Starfleet missions require negotiation and having people on the ground.

Insert M-5 into the rest of TOS after it appeared and you'll see how ineffectual it would have been.

A working M-5 would have made a fine combat ship, but that is a small fraction of what is expected of a Federation vessel.

 

[Timo]

...But freeing Kirk and his ship from combat duty would have made him all that much more effective in furthering the UFP cause.

And never mind if Kirk kept the ship and the mission but had the option of pressing a big red button whenever faced with combat. You know, the one labeled "automatic victory".

Timo Saloniemi

 

[The Grim Ghost]

...But freeing Kirk and his ship from combat duty would have made him all that much more effective in furthering the UFP cause.

And never mind if Kirk kept the ship and the mission but had the option of pressing a big red button whenever faced with combat. You know, the one labeled "automatic victory".

Timo Saloniemi

But in how many TOS episodes would it have given him an automatic victory? Only in situations where he was facing maybe 1 to 4 ships that were roughly equal to the Enterprise. That's something sure.. but a really small percentage of missions would benefit from this.

 

[Timo]

Starfleet would never have to worry about Klingons or Romulans again, which would probably account for roughly 100% of the relevant combat missions.

It's not as if Kirk ever won - or even chose to fight - a battle against an opponent stronger than those Klingon or Romulan battle cruiser triplets. But when facing such super-opponents, Kirk needed his human cleverness chiefly in order to save his own life and that of his crew. A ship flown by a computer would not have to worry about such things, and episodes such as "Doomsday Machine" or "Immunity Syndrome" would actually have high odds of ending in swift UFP victory.

I can't see any downside to equipping a starship with a working M-5. Although no doubt Starfleet would build ships optimized for compatibility with M-5 (or M-7, or M-12) once an old-fashioned starship had demonstrated the concept. And some of those ships might carry crews, while others might not. That's more options than Starfleet has "now".

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Knight Templar]

How would a competent M-5 have done against The Doomsday Machine?

It probably would've dropped back and sent warnings to Starfleet then reengaged. Using superior manueverability to avoid the machines antiproton beam while snipping at it with phasers and photon torpedoes until the phasers were exhausted and it ran out of torpedoes.

What the M-5 would probably not have done would've been to come up with the idea of feeding the machine a nuclear explosive.

 

[BillJ]

Starfleet would never have to worry about Klingons or Romulans again, which would probably account for roughly 100% of the relevant combat missions.

Why? The Klingons and Romulans would obviously know of such experiments and may even have agents involved. Remember, Spock said military secrets are the most fleeting of all.

M5 may give Starfleet a short term advantage but others would quickly catch up.

 

[Timo]

That would be true of all military development. But a very clear edge for a decade or two (Klingons were portrayed as barbarians and Romulans as unimaginative copycats, after all) would certainly be worth the hassle.

Quite plausibly, the Evil Empires would simply fold when their already distressing qualitative and thus quantitative inferiority (two of their best appear to be no match for one Starfleet vessel, and a 3:1 ratio is utilized instead) turned into a debilitating one.

Timo Saloniemi