Monday, October 05, 2020

STAR TREK TNG - BOOBY TRAP (PART TWO)

 Hi Trekkers Spacerguy reporting. We visited Star Trek TNG "Booby Trap" P1 in 2018 so heres the scientific aspect with respect to the aceton assimilators and the slingshot for P2, You can thank Armchair Squid who stopped by last week reminding us this really is Geordi La Forges episode.



OH YES, IVE BEEN MEANING TO  THANK ARMCHAIR SQUID FOR THE SUNSHINE AWARD 

THANKS PAL

On stardate 43205.6 the flagship USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D investigates a rather harmless asteroid belt near Iralius IX with relics emerging from a wartorn age. 



So when a Promellian battleship Cleponji appears on the Enterprise-D viewscreen, Captain Picard is excited. Well, well, well. Such a fantastic find... The alien relic itself represented "1000 years" of history which takes the starship Enterprise-D crew quite by surprise. A true floating alien museum with high tech, high spec technology for its time is one thing. So from Picards perspective so much was right about it.... until the USS Enterprise-D couldn't move... Then panic sets in...


The Menthars Aceton Assimilators. Thousands of these deadly devices mined the asteroid field. One managed to snare the Enterprise-D and drain significant energy from the ships systems. The idea was to steal enough energy generating fatal radiation to kill the crew. Thats when Geordi La Forge and Leah Brahms got to work on the holodeck.



"Odds are its even money."


Geordi best guess from the holodeck gives Picard two options.. Kickstarting the Enterprise-D and shut everything off except two thrusters or turn the entire ship over to the computer. Let artificial intelligence fly the Enterprise clear of the deadly booby trap. (Only trouble was the ship might not coast far enough out of the "booby trap" so like with an A.I. in charge then eveyone's goose would be really cooked in 26 minutes which is more or less what Commander Data warbled on about while Picard flew the ship.



"Thank you Mr Data"

Which left this life and death decision down to Picard. The burdens of command. So he decided to fly the Enterprise-D with only one propeller so to speak. It was a gamble but no less risky than the "slingshot effect" in Star Trek IV. If it works great if not game over. However it did work and with Picard in control at the conn he used asteroid's gravitational pull as a slingshot to free the Enterprise-D from the Menthars Booby trap. 


1. What do you think of Captain Picard's slingshot manoeuvre?


2. Whos Starship would you prefer to be on when crises hits. Captain Kirk or Captain Picard or Captain Archer or Captain Sisco or Captain Janeway's or Worfs?


3. Lets say the Enterprise-D is travelling at warp lightspeed towards a G-type star or sun instead of an Iralius asteroid.  What would happen?



A. Timetravel

B. Nothing

C. Fatal exposure in 26 minutes 



Sorry the post was so long today, 

LIVE LONG AND PROSPER MY TREKKER FRIENDS

14 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

Congratulations on your Sunshine Award.

SpacerGuy said...

Thanks EC Armchair Squid nominated me who was chosen by the creators The happiness box project - so high fives trekkers 😀

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I'd want to be on Picard's ship every time.

ApacheDug said...

Congrats on your award, Spacer! This was a great episode, I may have to pull out my dvds today :) As for what ship I'd want to be on... I'd have to pick Cap'n Janeway and Voyager--they're a scrappy pair! :)

SpacerGuy said...

Yes the Galaxy class starship is known for its warp speed capabilities Alex - size, speed and luxury and with Picard's crew - Yes!!!!

Liz A. said...

Of course the human pilot is the right choice. . .

SpacerGuy said...

The science-fictional aspect of Booby trap heralds a fascinating course of events steeped in mystery ApacheDug, with potentially devastating consequences.

SpacerGuy said...

Hell yeah, Liz. If you're gonna be stranded somewhere only to die from fatal exposure in 26 minutes, who do you want to blame? A real live human Picard who at least gave it his best shot or some computer which will repeat Starfleet rhetoric and tell you the ship was doomed because it was built and run by illogical humans.

The Armchair Squid said...

Aw, my pleasure, sir.

The slingshot move is awesome! As I've said, I'm coming to realize they're all good Picard stories. Whether he's the lead or support in a particular story, Stewart (the actor) always brings exactly what's needed. I also always appreciate how even in a story that is mostly about someone else, the writers often find a quick, memorable, badass moment for the Captain.

Obviously, I'd pick Picard everytime.

As for your last question, I pick C. Even J-L's not that good.

James Pailly said...

Every time I see this episode, I always chuckle a little about Picard's slingshot maneuver. That's a real thing. NASA space probes do it all the time. It's funny to me that nobody (not even Data) knew what Picard was doing.

SpacerGuy said...

No worries Squid its a classic manoeuvre tried and tested a few times by Starfleet. The comparisons between Star Trek IV and Booby Trap are so cool because both utilize the USS Enterprise in different timelines. The classic travels faster than lightspeed and the other Picards uses thrusters and impulse, simply shuts power systems off and gravity from space objects does the rest to slingshot the ships past the point of no return. Its great. So to answer the Quiz question: 3 with the Enterprise-D at Warp towards a sun = Timetravel - thats what Captain Kirk did in ST4 (If by chance Enterprise-D stalls within proximity of star at warp everyones fried - so no timetravel just fried brown bread) thanks for doing the quiz and it is a good one I think.

SpacerGuy said...

Yeah Data was a puzzled about the asteroid slingshot which was clever. I never realised NASA were employing this technique in reality but it doesn't surprise me writers would use such a scientifically germane topic in Star Trek James. This is a cool discovery, well done!

Commander Zaius said...

Picard's slingshot maneuver was an excellent idea. Especially when you take into consideration that by the 24th century with impulse engines and warp drive such a method just wouldn't be taught anymore.

Nothing against the other captains but I like Archer and Sisco most of all. Archer because his methods and ideas set the standard for Starfleet. And Sisco because he was in a very difficult position that tested the principles of Starfleet.

As for the last question, I have no idea.

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I got you added to my roll.

SpacerGuy said...

No worries beach Bum, I've got you added. Starfleet Captains are skilled in combat and defensive manoeuvres should an inevitable conflict with an opponent arise. It just so happened in Booby Trap it did nearly paralysing the Enterprise-D and her crew.

Featured Post

CAPTAIN PICARD TV SERIES

So analysis  has begun with Star Trek Picard's trailer... after a 17 year TNG hiatus some of trek's icons have returned. Here we ca...