[ENT][TECH] Overview of 3.10-"Similitude"
Phillip Thorne
PROD#: ENT062
TRAN#: 3.10
RATING: PG-L
AIRDATE: wed-19-nov-2003-20:00
EPDATE: [not stated; a span of two weeks]
OFFICIAL: startrek.com/startrek/view/series/ENT/episode/3203.html
FROM: Phillip Thorne, tho...@underbase.org
POST-TO: rec.arts.sf.tv, rec.arts.startrek.current, .reviews, .tech
REVIEW#: 51.0
FORMAT#: 5.0
URL: underbase.org/dept/trek/ent310_similitude.txt
I. INTRODUCTION
This document focuses on the technical aspects of a current
episode; it is intended to support discussion, and to later
serve as a reference; it accordingly contains PLOT SPOILERS, so
CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Whenever possible, it indicates who
did/claimed/knew what, because characters can lie or be
mistaken. Spellings of technobabble and alien nouns are
obtained from TV closed-captioning ("CC") -- which is
imperfect: it may not match spoken dialogue, or the website, or
be consistent within or between eps. In the Synopsis, I may
condense or reorder scenes. If you have corrections or
clarifications, please contact me, and I'll (eventually) make
corrections.
Abbreviations commonly used: -(m/f/?) name belongs to
mel/fem/unclear, (os) on [viewer] screen, (vo) voiceover, -(?)
quote is uncertain, -(sp?) spelling is unclear; VDB Vulcan
database, VHC Vulcan High Command, XDB Xindi database; series:
TOS TAS TNG DS9 VGR ENT. Although CC uses "Launch Bay," "Sick
Bay," and "shuttle pod," I often condense those terms to single
words.
"Star Trek" and all related indicia are copyrights of Paramount
Pictures, while this overview is (c)2003 Phillip Thorne. Feel
free to use this document as a reference, but please give
credit where due.
** If you live in the Philadelphia Area or Delaware Valley, don't **
** forget PHILCON, the area's premier SF convention. Run by real **
** fans, not Those Other People. SF, fantasy; books, TV, films, **
** anime; art show, science, kids and costume programming. **
** Runs December 12th-14th. See www.philcon.org for details. **
II. TERMINOLOGY
TECHNICAL:
polaric field, nucleonic particles, ferric ions, dia-magnetic field.
TECHNICAL/ENTERPRISE:
system taps, antimatter stream, injectors, [warp] field fluctuation,
plasma, intakes, primary injectors, EV team, plasma rifle, medical
tricorder, phase-cannons, bio-bed, A-3 injector port.
TECHNICAL/SHUTTLEPOD:
fusion overburn, grapples, overburn ratio, kilodyne, temperature
warning light.
BIOLOGICAL & MEDICAL:
neuro-pressure, Lyssarian Desert Larva, epidermal layer, viral
suppressant, mimetic symbiont, simbiot(CC)[sic], Orsic fern.
CULTURAL:
_War of the Worlds_, "A Night at the Opera".
LOCATIONS, POLITIES and ORGANIZATIONS:
Lyssarian Prime Conclave, Velandran Circle.
NAME-DROPPING:
Zefram Cochrane, Bedford [the dog], Mr.Tucker, Mrs.Tucker, Lizzie
Tucker, Ens.Massaro(f).
III. ANALYSIS
1. What we get... One of Trek's "comment on a current/pending
bioethical controversy" eps. Bio-details for Tucker. Another of
Phlox's medical menagerie.
2. What we don't get... A date.
3. The shirtless files... In T'Pol's quarters, Tucker is shirtless.
T'Pol wears both red and blue versions of her midriff-baring PJs.
(Three pairs of PJs, plus four different jumpsuits (red, violet, blue,
white)? Quite the fashionista, isn't she?)
4. Arcs... Vulcan neuro-pressure. The T'Pol-Tucker relationship.
5. All the attendees at the funeral wore their duty coveralls.
Although Starfleet in TOS and TNG has dress uniforms, apparently in
this era it doesn't; that, or they weren't packed for this mission.
6. The way that Trip manipulates the "neural nodes" in T'Pol's feet
smacks of "refloxology," the latest version of a century-old quack
medical practice; it's predicated on the notion that the human body is
divided into vertical zones, such that manipulating specific points on
the feet can affect regions elsewhere. (A similar notion of
"meridians" underlies oriental acupressure.) OTOH, perhaps Vulcans
are wired differently than humans. (See: Martin Gardner's _Did Adam
and Eve Have Navels?_)
7. Again with the "intakes" that feed directly into the engine, and
that are vulnerable to FOD (foreign object damage).
8. Although common in SF, clones should not retain the memories of
their forebears (and to his credit, Phlox is surprised that it
happens). Author Frank Herbert coined the term "ghola" for such
creatures; extropians use "xox" (as in "Xerox"). See also: Lamarckian
genetics, acquired traits, "Doctor Who":"The Invisible Enemy, _The
Last Legends of Earth_.
8. There are at least two ventral phase-cannons, mounted on the
"shoulders" of the saucer, aft of midline but forward of the
launchbays. The flat upper surface of the photonic torpedo launcher
is equipped with a row of red lights (magnetic accelerators?) that
flash in sequence as the torpedo is fired. It fires from the outboard
tube (each Armory, port and starboard, has two).
9. If they'd waited a few centuries, the NX-01 crew could've
re-enacted the "Doctor Who" story "Underworld" (which features a
starship that accreted nebular particles until it became a planet).
10. Like TNG-"Ethics", this ep is a parable of medical ethics. Like
TNG-"Up the Long Ladder" (cloning society), -"Second Chances" (Riker
duplicate), VGR-"Tuvix", and the James Blish novella "Spock Must
Die!", it addresses the question of identity posed by clones and by
suddenly unexpected crew members.
IV. NITS
1. If the existence of mimetic symbionts is a closely-guarded secret,
how do both Phlox and T'Pol know of them? Or did Phlox merely open
the relevant confidential files to T'Pol and Sim-Trip?
2. If the cloud is only 11,000 km (0.037 light-second) wide, then at
warp 5.0 (assuming w^3 = 125 c) they'd've traversed it in 0.00029
seconds -- hardly time to ingest many particles. And what were the
navigational deflectors doing?
3. The writers don't understand magnetism. The terms diamagnetic,
paramagnetic and ferromagnetic refer to the response of a material to
an external magnetic field. All materials are diamagnetic, but that's
a weak effect, one that can be swamped by paramagnetic (due to
unpaired electrons) and especially ferromagnetic (long-range
alignment) qualities.
http://www.ndt-ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/MagParticle/Physics/MagneticMatls.htm
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/solids/magpr.html
4. The writers don't understand rocket science. Presumably the cloud
has no significant gravitational field; if so, *any* sustained thrust,
no matter how low, could impart acceleration to the ship; there should
be no "stickiness" to break free of. If warp is out, then impulse,
thrusters, or non-overburned shuttlepods should've been sufficient.
5. The shuttlepods' thrust is measured in "kilodynes," and velocity in
"kilometers per hour," another example of ENT mixing its metric
systems (per hull pressure in 114-"Sleeping Dogs"). There are two
sets of metric units used in science and engineering: MKS and CGS,
which have length-mass-time base units of meter-kilogram-second and
centimeter-gram-second, respectively. (SI, the Système international
d'unités, is based on MKS.) In MKS, the unit of force is is the
newton (1 kg*m*s^-2); in CGS, the dyne (1 g*cm*s^-2). On Earth, an
apple weighs about one newton; a dyne is 1/100,000 of a newton. A
thrust of "1000 kilodynes" is therefore only 10 newtons, a
ridiculously miniscule figure given that shuttlepods are capable of
SSTO (single stage to orbit) flight. Where's Rick Sternbach when the
writers need him?
http://www.iec.ch/zone/si/si_entry.htm
6. If Sim-Trip worn nondescript grey coveralls for most of his life,
why did they garb him a uniform for the funeral?
7. The crew always refers to "the Armory," but given the external hull
features, shouldn't there be *two*, designated port and starboard?
V. THIRD-PARTY COMMENTS
1. When T'Pol kissed Sim-Trip, was she genuinely returning his
feelings, or merely ameliorating his last moments of life? (William
December Star)
2. "I submit that this is the missing level of tension that would have
legitimized the events of “Tuvix.”" (Kevin Johnston)
VI. EPISODE SYNOPSIS
TEASER:
Archer presides over a funeral in the Armory... and inside the photorp
casing is Trip.
ACT 1:
Two weeks earlier: In T'Pol's quarters, Trip massages her feet, while
explaining his plan to "re-route the system taps" to "compress the
antimatter stream before it reaches the injectors," thereby
eliminating "field fluctuations" at warp 5.0 and permitting a smooth
cruise -- or so his "simulations" indicate. He comments that she'd
made "neuro-pressure" sound harder than it is; she replies that they
haven't yet reached the more challenging postures.
They begin the test, which will need warp 4.9 to heat the "plasma"
sufficiently for compression. Tucker monitors the plasma flow on a
monitor in Engineering. It works -- then the ship begins to shake,
and the stream-graphic devolves to turbulence. Something is "flooding
the intakes," causing a "primary injector failure," which could
trigger a "system-wide overload." Flames erupt on the bridge.
Shutdown doesn't work, so he clambers atop the warp core. An
explosion throws him across the chamber.
ENT drops from warp inside a salmon-colored nebula, which T'Pol IDs as
"some kind of polaric field," composition unknown, 11,000 km wide.
Later, she determines that "nucleonic particles" flooded the intakes,
causing the injector flares. The extensive damage could take "weeks"
to repair.
Meanwhile, Tucker lies comatose in Sickbay: his head wrapped in a
dressing, sensor pads on his forehead, a tube under his nose. Phlox
shows Archer his "Lyssarian Desert Larva;" its "epidermal layer"
secretes a "viral suppressant" he uses as a salve for cuts and
bruises. It can also, when injected with DNA, transform into a clone
of the donor, replicating its lifecycle within 15 days. A
closely-guarded secret, the Lyssarians call them "mimetic symbionts."
Phlox proposes to harvest neural tissue to repair Trip; the symbiont
should survive the procedure, and live out the remainder of its
lifespan.
T'Pol reports to Archer in his Ready Room, carrying a slab of debris
retrieved by an "EV team." It took multiple hits from a "plasma
rifle" to dislodge; it consists of "highly charged particles," mostly
ferric ions, but some unidentified; and it's highly magnetic.
(Archers mug jumps across the desk.) Per Tucker's situation, she
cites the ruling by the "Lyssarian Prime Conclave" banning the use of
"simbiots"(CC). Archer angrily replies that he's not subject to their
rules; true, he wouldn't normally accept the creation of a sentient
being for this purpose, but "Earth needs Enterprise, and Enterprise
needs Trip."
Phlox injects the larva with Trip's DNA. Two days later, Archer comes
to examine the fetus floating in a tank.
ACT 2:
An infant squirms in an incubator box. Phlox remarks that it's a
perfect duplicate, down to the birthmark on its right side. The
crew's been offering suggestions for a name: Steven, Enrique, Dennis.
Denobulans require very little sleep. His "Orsic fern."
Reading _War of the Worlds_ with Phlox and Sato, Sim-Trip-4 remembers
having read it before. Later, Phlox comments to Archer that some
species rely exclusively on genetic memory; that humans also have the
capability could be an important discovery. "Medical tricorder."
Archer takes the responsibility to explain Sim's origins to him.
Archer brings Sim-Trip to his quarters to feed Porthos. Sim (complete
with southern accent) remarks that he used to have a dog: "Bedford."
In the empty launchbay, he remote-pilots Archer's model spaceship
[from 101-"Broken Bow"], and remarks that his father wants him to be
an engineer; his mother, an architect. Archer takes him to Sickbay,
and shows him Trip; tells him he was born four days earlier. Once put
a garden snake in Lizzie's dollhose.
Incapacitated for seven days. Sim is assigned to Engineering. He
brings T'Pol a PADD re: the "waveguides for the primary port bypass."
Tonight's movie: the "Marx Brothers" classic, "A Night at the Opera."
Re: Ens.Massaro(f).
T'Pol reports to Archer: warp drive should be functional in two weeks.
Unfortunately (he replies), Reed has discovered that the accumulating
particles are producing a "dia-magnetic field" with a "dampening"
effect; one that, in four days, will disable every system on the ship.
ACT 3:
In the Mess, Sim discovers key lime pie. He voices a plan to Reed:
redirect the "phase-cannons" to shoot the hull, clearing the crust
from the launchbay doors, so that shuttles can emerge to tow the ship.
Reed opines that they have insufficient thrust to escape in time.
Tucker arrives at T'Pol's quarters. She's reviewed his plan to induce
a "fusion overburn;" it's never been attempted with a shuttlepod
engine, but she believes it could work. He confesses his feelings for
her ("This isn't some adolescent crush; not like two days ago,") but
doesn't know if they're *his* or Trip's.
Archer refuses to let Sim pilot one of the shuttles; Reed and
Mayweather will do it. Trip has "thousands of hours" of flying time.
They manage to burn off the coating from the launchbay doors, and
deploy both shuttles, which fire grapples to ENT's leading edge
(either side of the deflector). They start the "overburn ratio" at
0.175, and thrust at "1000 kilodynes," building to 2000, 2500.
Mayweather gets a "temperature warning light;" they're 500° overtemp.
Finally, T'Pol reads 0.62 kilometers per hour motion; then Mayweather
reports 12 kph. At their final speed, they'll emerge in 6.1 hours.
[They're only 72 km from the edge?]
In Sickbay, Phlox regretfully tells Archer that Sim won't survive the
neural transplant; human "simbiots"(CC) apparently aren't as resilient
as Lyssarian ones.
ACT 4:
Sim cites the "Velandran Circle," a group of Lyssarian scientists who
claimed to have created an "enzyme" that stopped the rapid aging of
simbiots; he suggests *he* could replace Trip. Phlox concedes that
he's heard of the Circle, but their results were unsubstantiated;
also, it would take a day to synthesize the enzyme, by which time
Sim's neural tissue would no longer be compatible with Trip's.
"Bio-bed."
Sim visits Engineering, and T'Pol directs him to replace the "A-3
injector port." He sneaks over to a terminal. Later, on the Bridge,
Reed finds the launchbay controls locked out. Archer goes there, and
finds Sim sitting in a pod's hatch. "I was all ready to do it," he
admits ruefully -- but where would he go? And he didn't feel like
spending his last days in a shuttlepod "with no toilet facilities,
peeing in a bottle." The only thing worse would be doing so with
Malcolm [116-"Shuttlepod One"].
In Trip's quarters, with Porthos. Sim is paged; Phlox is ready for
the operation. T'Pol is at the door; she kisses him. "I couldn't
think of a better going-away present," he remarks. In Sickbay, he
walks over to Trip and tells him, "You owe me one." He lies down on
the central biobed, and DISSOLVE TO...
....the funeral. Trip stands by Sim's casket. Reed and Mayweather fit
the lid, and it's loaded into the launcher. It fires off into space
(from the port outboard tube).
VII. VFX SHOTS
ENT at impulse.
ENT dorsal.
ENT goes to warp.
ENT drops from warp in salmon-colored nebula.
Particles drift toward and adhere to ENT.
ENT.
ENT (3 days since birth).
ENT (7 days since failure).
Ventral cannons shoot forward launchbay doors.
Again. They open.
Shuttlepods launch.
Pods fire grapples to ENT's leading edge.
Pods.
Viewscreen.
Pods.
ENT begins to move.
Dorsal view.
ENT out of nebula.
ENT sloughs its coating.
ENT at impulse.
Torpedo-coffin fires.
VIII. PRODUCTION
REGULAR CAST:
Scott Bakula as Cpt. Jonathan Archer
Connor Trinneer as LtCdr. Charles "Trip" Tucker III
Jolene Blalock as Sub-Commander T'Pol
Dominic Keating as Lt. Malcolm Reed
Anthony Montgomery as Ens. Travis Mayweather [actual lines!]
Linda Park as Ens. Hoshi Sato
John Billingsley as Dr. Phlox
Porthos [twice]
GUEST CAST:
Shane Sweet as Sim-Trip (Age 17)
Adam Taylor Gordon as Sim-Trip (Age 8)
Maximillian Kesmodel as Sim-Trip (Age 4)
CREATIVE STAFF:
Directed by LeVar Burton ["Geordi LaForge"]
Written by Manny Coto
NEXT WEEK:
In 3.11/063-"Carpenter Street", Daniels-of-the-future sends Archer and
T'Pol to Detroit, 2004, to stop a Xindi bio-weapon attack. See:
http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/ENT/episode/3256.html.
Advisory for US/PA/Philadelphia viewers of UPN-57: this episode will
air at 21:30 (90 minutes late), due to a Flyers hockey game.
/- Phillip Thorne ----------- The Non-Sequitur Express --------------------\
| org underbase ta thorne www.underbase.org It's the boundary |
| net comcast ta pethorne site, newsletter, blog conditions that |
\------------------------------------------------------- get you ----------/
--
Moderated by Stijn Derudder
Article submissions: trek-r...@wanadoo.be
Moderator contact: trek-revie...@wanadoo.be
ANIM8Rfsk
smacks of "refloxology," the latest version of a century-old quack
medical practice; >>
are wired differently than humans. >>
Except isn't she doing it back?
<< 8. Although common in SF, clones should not retain the memories of
their forebears (and to his credit, Phlox is surprised that it
happens). >>
No, he wasn't. He was surprised it happened in HUMANS, but clones retaining
memory from a drop of blood is what he expected to happen.
<< IV. NITS
1. If the existence of mimetic symbionts is a closely-guarded secret,
how do both Phlox and T'Pol know of them? Or did Phlox merely open
the relevant confidential files to T'Pol and Sim-Trip? >>
And who told Sim Trip about the enzyme?
<< 6. If Sim-Trip worn nondescript grey coveralls for most of his life,
why did they garb him a uniform for the funeral? >>
So you'd think it was real Trip in the teaser. Like that surprised anybody.
___________
If You Get a Telemarketing Call:
· Tell the telemarketer you are on the Do Not Call List.
· Note the company and date of call.
· File a complaint by phone (888-CALL-FCC), or by e-mail (fcc...@fcc.gov).