Showing posts with label Deus ex machina. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Deus ex machina. Show all posts

Monday, April 16, 2012

Nomad

N is for Nomad but who or what is he? Nomad appears in an epic Star Trek classic episode of 'the changeling' voiced by Vic Perrin.

In 2002 this ancient space probe leaves earth on a peaceful mission, to seek out new lifeforms!...... On its interstellar journey Nomad encounters 'Tan Ru' another of its kind. Quite by accident a merging of computerized minds unites and becomes one. A new far superior device evolves from the joining with an entirely new mission. To seek out and destroy!

In a way this episode reminds me of V'ger from Star Trek The Motion Picture. Both machines are sentient however all is not what it seems. Neither Nomad or V'ger can comprehend human beings or our simple feelings! Despite Nomads vast knowledge imbedded into his data assimilation digital encoder, Earths 21th century space probe now believes humans are the enemy, imperfect in every way! We are to be exterminated! However, the machines mission of perfection soon proves to be its deadly weakness.

It mistakes Captain Kirk for his creator proving once and for all, Nomad too makes human-like errors!

CAPT. KIRK
I am the Kirk, the creator?
NOMAD
You are the creator.
CAPT. KIRK
You're wrong! Jackson Roykirk, your creator, is dead. You have mistaken me for him. You are in error. You did not discover your mistake. You have made two errors. You are flawed and imperfect and you have not corrected by sterilisation. You have made three errors.
NOMAD
Error. Error. Error. Examine.
KIRK
You are flawed and imperfect! Execute your prime function!
NOMAD
I shall analyse error. Analyse error,
KIRK
Now. Get those antigravs on it.
NOMAD
Examine error. Error.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Yesterday's Enterprise

Yesterdays Enterprise is Star Trek TNG 15th episode in season 3 which gives me goosebumps. A ship from the past emerges 22 years into the future from a mysterious swirling cloud. In the blink of an eye, the united Federation of planets turns into a warzone when this battered starship leaps into the Enterprise-D's timeline.

Vulcan's and Romulans are now the cruel masters of the universe and Worf is gone from the bridge of captain Picard's Flagship. Klingons are at war with the Federation which is on the brink of surrender! On closer scrutiny the USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D is a warship with Tasha Yar back at her old post as security chief. Just what exactly is going on? Data as usual explains. Apparently 'the cloud' is a temporal rift opening doorways in time allowing timetravelers to effect change in alternate universes.

At first glance all is not what it seems. Guinan's El Aurian intution senses whats wrong. The weird thing is the Enterprise-D isn't supposed to be a ship of WAR but of PEACE! She fills in the gaps for Picard who has a tough time buying her story, especially the bit about FAMLIES living on the Enterprise, LOL.


Billions of lives have been lost in a war that could have been avoided if one ship, the USS Enterprise-C had stayed where she really belonged.

Captain Garret's ship has to go back to 2344 and save Klingons in THE PAST because its the right thing to do. Its a suicide mission dooming the Enterprise-C to certain death but the Picard is desperate and Guinan is probably right.

One more Federation starship in the here and now hardly matters, but 22 years ago, a lone Federation starship rescuing Klingons at Narendra III would be considered 'a meaningful act of honor' by the Klingon Empire.

In the end Tasha Yar, Castillo and the Enterprise-C crew heroically race to their deaths giving Picard's alternate universe a fighting chance to survive but what would you do? Stay on Picard's ship or die heroically fighting Romulans?



Monday, August 01, 2011

Trek Thankyou to Fans

Heres a shot of the recreation-deck in Star Trek The Motion Picture which allows us to appreciate the entire crew of the starship Enterprise. Captain Kirk's been promoted to Admiral and hes the dude delivering the wonderful news about the bitter energy cloud on a direct collision heading with Earth. Scary stuff eh?

Their mission: survive V'gers great big bolts of fire and make friends with the thing. The Rec Deck falls silent. Its the moment of truth for Starfleet's bravest crew in the galaxy when the viewscreen flips on. They're the only crew available within range, of course... Way too late to back out now... still...everyones probably having second thoughts...

Why did I join Kirk's ship? Just look at those haunted faces staring at the Epsilon IX Station battling V'ger's wrath. Hey, we won't judge you for tucking tail and abandoning the Enterprise during Earth's hour of need, explains the Admiral pulling a blinder.


Image Owner/Creator: Paramount Pictures and/or CBS Studios.

So the USS Enterprise NCC 1701 crew swallow their fears despite seeing their Klingons buddies biting the dust. Why be afraid? V'Ger only intends to deactivate Earths 'carbon based units' unless they yield the creator, "The Kirk Unit." who built Voyager One. The strange, sentient, cloudlike creature/machine thing is a technologically enhanced ancient earth probe measuring two AU's across!

Sounds seriously meaningful doesn't it? So I looked it up. The V'ger cloud is 200 million miles across big but get this, V'ger is lonely and wants to experience some simple human feelings by joining with the creator. How sweet is that? I feel so emotional right now.

Amid the hundreds of Enterprise crew members staring up at the recreational deck viewer are about 150 fans and friends of the movie production. Their inclusion was the studios way of saying Thank You to the Fans for their valuable support of Star Trek over the years.




Live Long and Prosper Trekkers and Trekkies.

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