Troublesome Turbolifts

[PicardSpeedo]

In the curious case of Geordi's wild ride on the turbolift in "Contagion," it seems that the laws of physics have also taken a detour to explore the final frontier. As LaForge attempts to reach the bridge, the turbolift takes leave of its senses and accelerates to Mach 1, plastering him to the walls, floor, and ceiling of the car as it hurtles through the Enterprise.

However, Geordi's involuntary stunts pose questions even Einstein might struggle to answer. If the bridge is located at the top of the saucer section, why would the turbolift require downward acceleration to reach it? Did the ship's architect secretly harbor a passion for roller coasters and decide to build a Turbolift Funhouse into the bowels of the Enterprise-D, as was done on the USS Discovery and Pike's Enterprise? Perhaps the ship's engineers decided that randomly switching the direction of gravity during a malfunction adds an extra element of surprise that helps distract the riders from the crisis at hand?

And, the mysteries don't end there. As the turbolift finally arrives at the bridge and its doors slide open, we witness another baffling feat: Geordi, despite the turbolift having been stationary for at least a couple of seconds, emerges from it laterally at a velocity that might have startled the laws of inertia themselves, flying halfway down the length of the bridge before landing next to the port equipment lockers.

Upon the turbolift stopping, wouldn't he have instead been thrown around one final, violent time before ending up sprawled out on the floor of the car?

Finally, there's the matter of Picard, Data, and Worf making the audacious decision to depart in the same turbolift shortly after Geordi's escapade. One can't help but imagine their concern as they step into the car, fully expecting to engage in a heart-pounding race to the transporter room. Do turbolifts, perhaps, have a status indicator that displays their malfunction probability per trip, and Picard's was low enough that he decided to risk a ride? Or is there some other rationale for this baffling decision?

What are the in-universe explanations for these curiosities and contradictions?

Are turbolifts the simply the most advanced physics-defying technology ever invented by Starfleet?

Or are there more sinister forces at play?

 

[F. King Daniel]

Perhaps it was more of an artificial gravity issue? And gforces from the ship's movement?

 

[drt]

Upon the turbolift stopping, wouldn't he have instead been thrown around one final, violent time before ending up sprawled out on the floor of the car?

Ooof, you're right, I think having Geordi just being sprawled out on the floor of the car would have been a better directorial choice, watching that clip on a loop makes it painfully obvious that Burton is just clumsily flinging himself out of the car.

 

[PicardSpeedo]

Ooof, you're right, I think having Geordi just being sprawled out on the floor of the car would have been a better directorial choice, watching that clip on a loop makes it painfully obvious that Burton is just clumsily flinging himself out of the car.

I totally agree!

 

[mithril]

Perhaps it was more of an artificial gravity issue? And gforces from the ship's movement?

Or the inertial dampeners in the car itself acted up and begane imparting inertia onto him.

As for them leaving in the same tubolift.. yeah its a little weird. But they didn't put any sort of non-turbolift access to the bridge. Perhaps they locked that particular car out of service and were hoping using a different car wouldn't have the issue?

 

[penguin44]

I always thought it was going loopy, up then down then left/right. Basically Konami code and then finally arriving at the bridge spinning and stopping as the doors opened and spit him out.

 

[Paul Weaver]

watching that clip on a loop makes it painfully obvious that Burton is just clumsily flinging himself out of the car.

Wouldn't it be a stunt double?

The tubolift obviously was pointing towards the observation deck exit and then spun

As for the downwards acceleration, it was malfunctioning. Could have hapilly from deck 36 -> deck 12, then down to deck 19, then up to deck 8, etc.

Complete opposite of this intense journey

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[publiusr]

In-universe...turbolift monitors conversations and slows.

Fix? Deep Fake Shatner's line and have the "line" of the turbolift slow..
or show the passing lines as "in service" opposed to each line being a deck.

 

[Tango]

Maybe they faked the deck number to confuse the Romulan Commander as to the internal layout of the ship?

 

[Henoch]

Wouldn't it be a stunt double?

The tubolift obvious was pointing towards the observation deck exit and

As for the downwards acceleration, it was malfunctioning. Could have hapilly from deck 36 -> deck 12, then down to deck 19, then up to deck 8, etc.

Complete opposite of this intense journey

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Another concept: Because of the lowered bridge into the central upper part of Deck 2, there is insufficient headroom for a turbolift station directly below the bridge and rear turbolift. To get to the guest quarters on the outer rim of Deck 2, the turbolift shaft passes through Deck 2, travels down to the turbolift central hub near the middle of the saucer, transit sideways to an up shaft that eventually exits onto the outer corridor on Deck 2. No wonder these quarters are little used anymore.

 

[Mytran]

Another concept: Because of the lowered bridge into the central upper part of Deck 2, there is insufficient headroom for a turbolift station directly below the bridge and rear turbolift. To get to the guest quarters on the outer rim of Deck 2, the turbolift shaft passes through Deck 2, travels down to the turbolift central hub near the middle of the saucer, transit sideways to an up shaft that eventually exits onto the outer corridor on Deck 2. No wonder these quarters are little used anymore.

Have you and I discussed this layout theory on another thread? Because that's the exact solution I'm using in my own deck plans!

 

[Henoch]

Have you and I discussed this layout theory on another thread? Because that's the exact solution I'm using in my own deck plans!

Could be...I steal most of my ideas.

Though I do have a hub, I don't use the deck 2 concept I gave above for a 947 foot ship. Actually, my deck plan for deck 2 has a path to a turbolift station directly behind the main shaft from the bridge. The turbolift car only descends the half deck then rotates +/-90 degrees and sides back to clear the main shaft.

In The Enterprise Incident, Spock is moving the turbolift car at a crawl to have a moment of privacy with the Romulan Commander. I imagine that Spock knows that there are two security guards waiting just down the corridor from the exit.

 

[blssdwlf]

Since the "The Enterprise Incident" is all about deception how do we know that the turbolift wasn't slowed down whenever the Romulan Commander was in one? Could you imagine every turbolift she was in moved at a randomly slow speed so she wouldn't know exactly where she was on the Enterprise so she couldn't make a mental map of the ship when she was returned?

 

[David cgc]

Wait, are we theorizing the little handle is a throttle, and if you only twist it a little bit the lift moves very, very s l o w l y ?

 

[Ithekro]

Well who won't want a slow turbolift ride with Joanne Linville at that time?

 

[blssdwlf]

Wait, are we theorizing the little handle is a throttle, and if you only twist it a little bit the lift moves very, very s l o w l y ?

Or random slow and fast movement to throw off where the internals are

 

[publiusr]

In The Enterprise Incident, Spock is moving the turbolift car at a crawl to have a moment of privacy with the Romulan Commander.

The handle is a throttle by the looks of things. Click home for standard speed.

The lights flashing not necessarily a deck each

 

[Mytran]

I love it when conversations roll around again
https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/tos-turbolift.310813/page-6#post-14090115

Curiously, Spock doesn't even seem to touch the turbolift handle! He enters the turbolift with his hands behind his back, turns around and orders "Deck 2" with the handles behind him untouched, in full view. This is not neccessaily a problem though, as one of the other passengers could have done it for him. Who, you say? Glad you asked

In all the scenes with the Romulan Commander on the Bridge there are 2 guards standing behind her. They remain present throughout the battle and shortly after:

"...If I may be taken to your brig, I will take my place as your prisoner."

After this point we see a H&S shot of Kirk, then Spock, then back to the Commander. The guards are gone!

The commander's reaction upon hearing that she will be escorted to some living quarters, not the brig.

Spock then escorts the Commander into the turbolift. It is my assertion that the 2 guards moved out of shot briefly, then followed them in. There's just enough time before the doors close and one of the guards could easily have grabbed a control handle (knowing that Spock rarely does that for himself)

In fact, it could be one of the guards whom the Commander is addressing when she turns away from Spock and says this line:

"You realise that very soon we will learn to penetrate the cloaking device?"

Finally they arrive and the doors open. There's just enough time for the 2 guards to disembark and wait in the corridor before Spock begins to move. Of course, the Commander stops him to have one final word.

And that's it! Simple

 

[Henoch]

Very discreet guards. Their presence is almost invisible.

 

[Mres_was_framed!]

Wouldn't it be a stunt double?

The tubolift obvious was pointing towards the observation deck exit and

As for the downwards acceleration, it was malfunctioning. Could have hapilly from deck 36 -> deck 12, then down to deck 19, then up to deck 8, etc.

Complete opposite of this intense journey

If the decks are numbered up from the bottom, it would take a long time to get to Deck 2 from the bridge.

I gave an explanation some time back about the possibly that either what fans usually call Deck 7 or Deck 8 could be a flight deck with the number Deck 1, then the decks above that given letters for names, which puts Engineering on B Deck, and Deck 2 could be several decks below the bridge.

Another concept: Because of the lowered bridge into the central upper part of Deck 2, there is insufficient headroom for a turbolift station directly below the bridge and rear turbolift. To get to the guest quarters on the outer rim of Deck 2, the turbolift shaft passes through Deck 2, travels down to the turbolift central hub near the middle of the saucer, transit sideways to an up shaft that eventually exits onto the outer corridor on Deck 2. No wonder these quarters are little used anymore.

If the bridge rotates to raise and lower itself between its "pilot" position and it "series" position it could be that part of the deck below the Bridge is not usable, the turbolift has to move around that area to make up for it.