Captain’s Log, Stardate 662107.0122

The Trouble with Tribbles, Trials and Tribble-ations

                The Trouble with Tribbles, featured in the original series of Star Trek, takes place on Deep Space Station K7. Captain Kirk comes after hearing a Priority 1 call and finds that Nilz Baris has called him over to protect a special blue grain. After assigning a minimum of security officers, Kirk returns to the ship. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Uhura comes across a merchant who gives her a Tribble. Then a Klingon ship arrives at the space station. Uhura’s pet Tribble quickly catches the attention of Dr. McCoy when their swift reproductive capabilities are discovered. With the population of Tribbles quickly increasing, it is discovered that Klingons detest Tribbles (and Tribbles detest Klingons).  In fact, while the Enterprise’s crew is enjoying shore leave, certain Klingons pick a fight with Scotty, Chekov, and another crew member. In the cargo bay, it is discovered that an infestation of Tribbles has consumed the grain and are sick and dying due to a poison.  Darvin, a Klingon disguised as Baris’s assistant, is found guilty of the poisoning in an attempt to sabotage the Federation’s colony on the planet below.  The Enterprise crew returns to the ship and beams the infesting Tribbles on board the Klingon vessel just before it went into warp.

                Trials and Tribble-ations, a Deep Space 9 episode, is the continuation of this story. Captain Sisko and the crew of the Defiant find themselves in the past, during the events of the episode, The Trouble with Tribbles. Darvin has come back in time to get revenge by killing Captain James Kirk.  In groups, the crew is sent to search for the Klingon, while observing the events of the previously described episode. Darvin reveals that he has placed a bomb in a Tribble, in the storage bay, lying in wait for Kirk. Sisko and Lieutenant Commander Dax  find the bomb and beam it into space, saving the timeline from disruption. Before leaving, Sisko introduces himself to Captain Kirk, fulfilling a dream to meet one of his heroes.

What do you think of Tribbles? Do you agree or disagree with the decision to “gift” the Tribbles to the Klingons? If you could meet one historical figure who has influenced you, who would it be and what would you say?

Captain’s Log, Stardate 140164.0121

Far Beyond the Stars

Captain Sisko experiences a vision induced by the Prophets in which he assumes the persona of a science fiction writer in the 1950s United States. During his tenure as “Benny,” Sisko experiences first-hand the racial oppression and conflict of the time as he attempts to publish a short story unknowingly inspired by his real life aboard Deep Space Nine. The story is considered unacceptable because it features a black man in a position of leadership, and Sisko must fight to see his dreams made reality.

The theme of racism is directly addressed by the episode, rather than “subtly” implied like in the Original Series. A relatively progressive time of writing likely allowed the subject matter to be depicted in such a manner, as the social climate would be more accommodating towards a critique of racial inequality. However, the issues to which it speaks are surprisingly pertinent to problems of both the time of writing and to modern issues. The conditions depicted in Far Beyond the Stars may have improved since then, but the issues of racial inequality in the media and under the law persist and make the episode relevant even today. 

Captain's Log, Stardate 214296.0120

Let that be your last battlefield

The Enterprise encounters a new species from the planet Cheron. There are two races on
the planet. One race is black on the right side and the other is black on the left side. Lokai, is
black on the left side and considered the inferior race. By his people he is considered a freedom
fighter and revolutionary. Lokai is considered to be a criminal and a murder by Bele, who is black
on the right side. Over a thousand years ago, Lokai’s people were freed, but conflict between the
two races continued because Bele’s people claimed to be superior. Bele wants to bring Lokai back
to Cheron so that he can be tried after being on the run for fifty-thousand years. When they
arrive at Cheron, Spock reveals that there are no living Cheronians left on the planet, because
they have all destroyed each other. Lokai and Bele are so enthralled in their hatred for each other,
that they oblivious to the fact that their society is destroyed.

This episode clearly deals with the problem of racism. Do you think that our society will
ever move beyond racism?

Captain’s Log, Stardate 156664.0116

The High Ground

            The planet Rutia IV, which is embroiled in a lengthy conflict with Ansatan separatists, is scheduled to receive medical supplies from the Federation. When an Ansatan bomb detonates in a plaza where Worf, Dr. Crusher, and Data are stationed, Crusher attempts to aid the victims but is captured by a separatist agent. The agent, Finn, informs Crusher that he needs her help in administering medical treatments to Ansatans who are dying after repeated use of experimental and unstable teleportation technology. In an effort to rescue the hostage, the crew of the Enterprise becomes involved in the Rutian investigation, and Finn decides to attack the Enterprise in hopes of drawing the Federation into the negotiations. Eventually, the Enterprise and the Rutians mount a joint rescue operation and rescue both Dr. Crusher and Captain Picard, who was captured during the attack on the Enterprise, killing Finn in the process. The episode ends with Riker suggesting that Finn’s successor, who was willing to surrender to Rutian forces, might be less confrontational in the future.

            The debatable ethics of the “terrorist” actions aside, one notable issue this episode was surprisingly prescient—the similarity of the Rutian government’s actions to those of the United States after the attack on the World Trade Center. The enhanced security was criticized by Riker as unnecessary, much like the criticism leveled at the TSA security measures which supposedly treat innocent citizens at terrorists. The argument for such measures is that the tradeoff of liberty for security is justified for the lives it saves, but a counterpoint exists that reacting in such an extreme way, that is, acting terrorized, gives the terrorists the victory they desire. Is this true, and what measures are justified to combat terrorism? 

Captain’s Log, Stardate 013014.0115

Similitude

                In this episode the starship Enterprise was on its way to find the Xindi weapon that destroyed part of North America’s east coast. While in warp they ran into some form of nebula that interfered with the ship’s engines and in an effort to prevent a disaster Chief Engineer Tucker, aka Trip, shuts off the warp drive but is severely injured and entered a coma. In an attempt to save him, Captain Archer approves Dr. Phlox’s plan to create a clone to use its tissue to fix Trip. He believes the procedure will not interfere with the clone’s lifespan, about 15 days, but later discovers that the procedure will be fatal. The clone, named Sim, refuses to partake in the procedure, and instead proposes that Dr. Phlox create a certain enzyme that will allow him to have a normal human lifespan. If Phlox creates the enzyme, too much time will have passed to save Trip, and the enzyme has a very small chance of succeeding. Eventually Trip tries to escape in a shuttle, but decides not to because partially because he would live out the rest of his life and die in the shuttle. He came to the decision to go through with the procedure, and dies.

                 This episode speaks to the ethical implications of cloning and the lives of clones. If you were in the same position as Captain Archer what decisions would you make regarding the creation of the clone, the enzyme, etc.?

Captain’s Log, Stardate: 322124.0115

Shore Leave

In this Star Trek original series episode the crew of the Enterprise has not had a break from duty in the past three months, and have encountered an uninhabited Earth like planet. Which they precede to transport down to the surface and inspect the surrounding area. While exploring the planet Dr. McCoy describes the planet as Earth like almost as if it was out of Alice in Wonder. After stating this Dr. McCoy sees a white rabbit the size of a human, which exclaims that he is late while looking at a pocket watch soon after he runs into the bushes a blond girl comes out into the open and asks Dr. McCoy if he has seen a large white rabbit. This convinces Captain Kirk to come down to the planet’s surface. While investigating the odd events with Dr. McCoy the two of them split up and Captain Kirk encounters Finnegan who bullied him while he was in Star Fleet academy. This then leads the crew to discover that the planet replicates whatever anyone is thinking about including dangerous creatures. At the end of the episode the caretaker of the planet speaks with the crewmembers on the planet’s surface, and tells them about the planet and the role it played in their society along with what it has the potential to do.

The question in the episode is should the caretaker let humans come to the planet because they can’t control their thoughts?

Captain's Log, Stardate 425713.0114

Turnabout Intruder

In this episode, the finale of the third season of the original series, Captain Kirk and others beam down to the surface of Camus II following g a distress call from a team of scientists on the planet. Upon arrival they discover that the entire team but two have died of radiation poisoning. Janice Lester, one of the survivors, attacks Kirk and swaps minds using an ancient machine. Janice proceeds to take over the Enterprise in Kirk’s body and attempts to murder the real Kirk. However, Spock and Bones have their doubts and soon discover the impostor. Spock, Bones and Scotty are accused of mutiny by the false Captain and they are imprisoned with the real Kirk. Eventually the mind swap wears off and in Janice’s last attempt to kill Kirk, They are returned to their original bodies.

This episode aired during the height of the feminist movement in the sixties and focused on the fight for gender equality, even in the future. It depicted a hysterical woman who pursued a plan to take over the Enterprise at all costs. Although the display of the female characters in the episode did not seem to be in favor of the feminist movement, it didn't specifically disempower women. It also showed the struggles of a woman working to gain power, even if with malicious intent.