martillo@ihuxt.UUCP (Yehoyaqim Martillo) (06/03/84)
Several people have expressed the opinion that Kirk et. al. will have
extreme difficulties ever getting ships or functioning in Star Fleet at
all.
Such an opinion ignores the sh*t Star Fleet is in. Star Fleet spent
trillions in credits for a Genesis project which was doomed to failure and
in fact which could have been shown doomed to failure by merely checking
the physics equations.
Further, Star Fleet apparently has a major leak because a Klingon spy was
able to seize important information about the Genesis project (apparently
a theft which had nothing to do with Khan's escapades).
Star Fleet has been acting extremely high-handedly with respect to Vulcan.
Star Fleet MP's illegally invaded the Vulcan embassy. Even historically
Star Fleet initially refused Kirk permission to divert to Vulcan for
Spock's pon far. This time they made it difficult for Kirk to help in the
katra or fal tor pan. We have seen in the pon far and babel episodes that
Vulcan has clout and Spock comes from one of the most important families.
Star Fleet Captains have shown major incompetence. Terrel lost the
Reliant to Khan and consequently almost placed an extremely dangerous
weapon in the hands of a crazed product of selective breeding. The
Grissom was whipped by a Klingon Bird of Prey which apparently is a spy
ship and not really a combat ship.
Star Fleet security is a mess. Besides leaks, Kirk was able to steal the
Enterprise, Scotty was able to sabotage the Excelsior, and Uhura messed up
Earth defense communications with ridiculous ease.
Apparently, after the WoK episode, Star Fleet was planning to use Kirk as
a scape goat. Now that Vulcan is involved that possibility seems remote.
Kirk has saved the life of an important member of Vulcan's aristocracy
(Spock). Kirk has turned over an intact Klingon Bird of Prey to Allied
Forces. Kirk prevented Klingons from acquiring information on a
potentially most dangerous weapon. He probably prevented a major
intergalactic war. You may point out the Organian treaty but it is fairly
obvious on which planet the Klingons would have tested the device. Even
Organians probably could not survive conversion to snarks and bojums.
Kirk saved the federation from Khan, who except for Terrel's incompetence
would still be rotting on Alpha Ceti IV. Also had the Genesis effect ever
been used to set up colonies, the ill consequences of the use would have
been incalculable. Accidently Kirk prevented several major disasters.
I submit that Star Fleet has a lot more problems than Kirk, and a lot a
Star Fleet rot is about to be cleared out.
--
Yehoyaqim Shemtob Martillo
(An Equal Opportunity Offender)jeff@oddjob.UChicago.UUCP (Jeff Bishop) (06/06/84)
<> > Kirk prevented Klingons from acquiring information on a >potentially most dangerous weapon. He probably prevented a major >intergalactic war. You may point out the Organian treaty but it is fairly >obvious on which planet the Klingons would have tested the device. Even >Organians probably could not survive conversion to snarks and bojums. The Organians are not corporeal beings. They took on human form so as to be able to interact with the Federation and the Klingons. I doubt the Geneses device would would effect them for that reason. In any case, they are obviously extremely powerful beings (they alone prevented an inter- galactic war) and would probably not allow themselves to be destroyed. Jeff Bishop || University of Chicago ...ihnp4!oddjob!jeff || Astrology & Astrophysics Center
lmaher@uokvax.UUCP (07/02/84)
#R:ihuxt:-55300:uokvax:5800017:000:976 uokvax!lmaher Jun 18 23:59:00 1984 A moot point, Jeff; although I would wager the Genesis device would destroy any Organians foolish enough to hang around when it goes off. If protomatter is too dangerous for even *Klingon* scientists to experiment with, it's heavy duty stuff. Regardless, if the Klingons thought they had a chance of destroying Organia and the Federation, they might be tempted into a disastrous war. Even if it ended with the Organians stripping the Klingons of space flight, the Federation wouldn't want to see it. I'm sure the Klingons don't rely on the Organians for their own defense; they might well suspect that the Federation would off the Organians and then destroy the Klingon Empire. When the survival of your entire race is at stake, any risk is a high risk. Nonetheless, I would kind of like to see Enterprise 2 fitted with Genesis Torpedoes. Or perhaps Revelation would be a better name? Carl (formerly uok!crigney) ..!ctvax!uokvax!lmaher ..!duke!uok!uokvax!lmaher