The USS Stargazer
- Thread starter Mr Pointy Ears
- Start date
There was a storyline of the second DC 'Star Trek' comic book series that detailed a nice version of what happened.
Carol Marcus was a fellow (sciences major) cadet at the Academy with Kirk who helped him reprogram the computer, by distracting someone as I recall. Carol also acted as Kirk's comm officer in the simulator.
The scenario played out pretty much as it did in TWOK, until Kirk tried to hail the Klingons. The reprogramming allowed Kirk hail the Klingons instead of having frequencies jammed. Kirk identified himself and demanded the Klingons allow them to complete their mission.
The Klingon captain came on screen and said 'You are Captain James T. Kirk? The Captain Kirk?"
I always thought that was probably what Kirk would have done.
The scenario played out pretty much as it did in TWOK, until Kirk tried to hail the Klingons. The reprogramming allowed Kirk hail the Klingons instead of having frequencies jammed. Kirk identified himself and demanded the Klingons allow them to complete their mission.
The Klingon captain came on screen and said 'You are Captain James T. Kirk? The Captain Kirk?"
I always thought that was probably what Kirk would have done.
Or then it was only in the bestselling novel that LaForge read in the Academy dorm...
As for the No-Win Scenario / Kobayashi Maru test, I hope the next movie will give some thought to the complexities of plausibly having such a test. For example, how is the secret of the test's true nature kept if the instructor readily tells it to the test subjects in the end? Are the details changed every time (Kobayashi Maru one day, a colony in distress next, a fellow starship captain gone mad after that, a space amoeba gobbling up allies the next week)? And who gets to take the test, and in what circumstances?
I wonder... Did Picard ever have to do anything of the sort?
Timo Saloniemi
Good points!
When you think about it, the Kobayashi Maru would almost have to change each time to achieve surprise among cadets, yet it seems to be referred to as the 'Kobayashi Maru.' Perhaps total surprise is not a concern, but they keep the situational details private? I would also think that cadets are told the purpose of the test aferward to help them grow from their results.
When you think about it, the Kobayashi Maru would almost have to change each time to achieve surprise among cadets, yet it seems to be referred to as the 'Kobayashi Maru.' Perhaps total surprise is not a concern, but they keep the situational details private? I would also think that cadets are told the purpose of the test aferward to help them grow from their results.
Only in ST2, though. And in some misguided literature.
In ST2, Saavik's test involves the Kobayashi Maru. We hear that Kirk's test involved "saving the ship", too, but it is not directly referred to as the Kobayashi Maru test, simply as the no-win scenario. Apart from Saavik and Kirk, we so far know of no other Starfleet officer who would have taken the no-win scenario test.
We do know Starfleet likes to do surprise psychological tests on people hoping to enroll in the Academy (the "fire rescue" test in "Coming of Age"), or on employees hoping to attain additional command qualifications (the "sacrifice an engineer" test in "Thine Own Self"), carefully camouflaging them as something else altogether... So the odds are that Picard et al. all faced such a test at one point or another, and didn't forewarn their juniors and spoil the fun. So perhaps the test subjects can be trusted not to spoil the type of test that Saavik and Kirk took, too.
Timo Saloniemi
According to Memory Alpha, he actually invented his own solution instead of picking one of three possible solutions and the test was subsequently modified to include his improvised solution, but point taken regardless. Referring it as 'the final test' does seem to imply it to be the Kobayashi Maru type test, yet here it apparently has (four) solutions, rendering no longer a no-win. I can't help but wonder if the first solution was Kirk's, added after he took it but not realized by Saavik at the time she took it.
Maybe the third was Picard's?
Maybe the third was Picard's?
I'd like to point out that there are probably several "final" tests involved.
First these folks have to graduate, which would involve the first "final" test. Then they may choose a career in starship command, which means they need additional training - and that's when they probably take the Kobayashi Maru style scenario (since Saavik is already a Lieutenant-ranked postgraduate when taking it).
The test that Rice took and Riker commented on would be yet another "final" one, probably out of dozens upon dozens: Riker specifically says it was "one of the final tests in advanced navigation"...
Timo Saloniemi
First these folks have to graduate, which would involve the first "final" test. Then they may choose a career in starship command, which means they need additional training - and that's when they probably take the Kobayashi Maru style scenario (since Saavik is already a Lieutenant-ranked postgraduate when taking it).
The test that Rice took and Riker commented on would be yet another "final" one, probably out of dozens upon dozens: Riker specifically says it was "one of the final tests in advanced navigation"...
Timo Saloniemi
