Gamemechanics of the Enterprise D

[Christopher]

EP 23: We'll always have Paris

 

Picard is doing some fencing in real life. Suddenly there is a short loop. Quickly confiremd to have happened anywhere on the ship and even in the computer. And then there is a distress signal - from a vanished Temporal Scientist.

It also quickly becomes clear there is a personal issue. Apparently he did chicken out of a date once. And the women ended up with the Doctor.

Unfortunately Mannheim is out of order, propably being to close to his experiment. And hte rest of the team died days ago. Leaving only Mannheim and his Wife.

 

There is another time distortion midway through. And they notice Data does not seem particualry disoriented by it.

 

After about 12 hours of trying to figure stuff out from Orbit, they decide to go into the laboratory. Despite a possibly active security System. Unfortunately, beaming is disrupted, by the security System. In a unusual way, described as "a bouncing effect". They barely get them back.

Mannheim wakes up however. And does give the codes and information on how to shut down the experiment controlled. Unfortunately it only works during a distortion. and requires precision timing. And also Mannheim is not 100% sure he gave all the codes/security measures, because 1/2 of his mind is in another dimension.

 

In the end only data goes down. Thanks to proper coordinates, the beam-in works. But he is attacked by some automated phaser banks. They stand little chance against him. And neither does the time distortion.

With the Distortion fixed, Mannheim makes a recovery and wants to continue his work. The Enterprise goes back on course.

Transporter disruption:

The only mechanical thing worth noting is the Transport Inhibitor. Unfortuantely, it does not seem to be typical Jamming that could be overcome.
Personally I always pictured the Transporter System build as a Multpower. With each slots having different amounts of base range and megascaling. CE -10m Teleport movement would stop hte 5m and 10m Megascaled transport. But not the 20m one with much less megascaling applied. That way with decreasing distance, the transporter is able to punch through more Interference. Wich does alling with the "bring us closer" thing they keep saying.

[Christopher]

EP 24: Conspiracy

 

While en route to a minor science mission/shore leave, the enterprise receives a "Code 47" message.
This kind of mesage is for captains eyes only. It is not the be discussed with crew unless "deemed nessesary". And no computer records are being made. It also needs voice identifcation and aknowledgement of the rules to even take. It is a old friend that insists on a face-to-face meeting "now". And is not willing to discusse the issue via subspace. Apparently some of the safest communicaiton ways of Starfleet is not save enough for him. When the captain gives the orders to change course, he makes it explicit that no logging should take place. And a comm blackout is in effect.

 

The planet of meeting is "Dytallix B". Apparently a tidally locked planet and abandoned Federation Mining outpost. They find 3 other starships in orbit. All not responding to hails. And 3 lifesigns on the planet. Picard beams down alone to meet with the 3 ship captains.

All 3 captains are armed and two point phasers at him. And they start asking "memory check" questions. They cleary discuss that there is a conspiracy. However the duplications have a weakness - lack of memory about the past. They need "to bluff their way trough talks of old times".

 

Picard does talk about the mater with Deana. However he explicitly wants to keep the crew from it to "not implicate anyone". Data is orderd to look at the last 6 months of Starfleet Orders. Then they find the Horatio - a ship they just met with over Dytallix - totally destoryed. Picard informs Riker of the Conspiracy.

Data notices that he started talking to himself. And then confirms the suspicions. It looks like someone is clandestine preparing for a Invasion of the Federation. They decide to "go to Star Fleet HQ and figure out what is going on". Picard escalated the knowledge to the whole bridge crew.

 

After arriving on earth and some delay, they are contacted by Admiral Quinn and Remmick again. As well as Admirals Savar (a Vulcan) and Aaron. Picard and Riker are invited to a dinner. But Quinn wants to return to the ship instead. They supect he is "still on our side and wants to meet in private". But it is then revealed that he too has been replaced and actually brings a parasite onboard. And then he quickly blows his cover by not knowing what happened in "Comming of Age". Picard puts Riker and Beverly onto figuring out waht they can from Quinn, while he beams down alone. But he quickly overpowers Riker.

 

 

The Parasite is never given a name. But later in Star Trek online they are refered to as "Bluegills". It's properties are:

- it is a form of posession or maybe a Transform

- they do not have access to the hosts memories. It has to fake interactions with old friends and aquantances by using personal logs and the like. Accordingly they are bungling up unlogged details

- the physical body is massively improoved. The elderly admiral quinn easily took out riker and geordi, throwing the later one through a closed door. Even Worf is meerely enough of a distraction to allow beverly to attack him

- Defenses and/or STUN seem relevantly increased. It took several 3 hits to take out to stun the fake admiral Quinn. However the attack did seem to stagger him at least. No resistance to "phasers on kill" however - one shoot is deadly

- one way to find it is by looking for the blue gill (hence the STO name), wich it requries for breathing. It does seem to appear on medical scans. But as they got quick access to admiralty/captains, getting all the doctors infected as well as trivial

- Dr Crusher did not think it could be removed without killing the host. However killing the mother created did kill all the parasites, letting all remaining hosts make a full recovery

- after the death of a host, the parasite leaves the body. It is unclear if it can free latch on to anyone else

- it is possible that each parasite can only bond to a few specific person

- in Retrospect, they do have a lot of similarities with the Goa'uld. Conspiracy was aired 1988. While the stargate movie came out 1994 and the series 1997.

 

STO Bluegill. The STO variant is markedly different in a number of ways:

- damage resistance was drastically improoved. So much phasers and disruptors set to kill had little to no effect. However when one of the hosts attacked a certain ship, they found a particular weakness. Later the weapons were modified to exploit it.

- it also resisted scanning attempts. I would asume internal sensor and tricorder procedure included to to scan for those buggers.

- them eating maggots in the original was aknowledge with them needing a "high protein diet", propably to run the body on that level

- they can be extract from unjoined Trills. And joined Trill are completely immue to being taken over

[Christopher]

EP 25: The Neutral Zone

 

The Enterprise is just waiting for Picard to return from a "Emergency Conference". They do spot a spot some old derilict capsule. And when they realise they have enough time, data indulges a bit of a curiosity. They find a lot of cryopods inside. They quickly have to take the 3 sruvivors aboard as teh Captain gota mission: Investigate the disapereance of several outposts an starbases near the neutral zone.

 

The asumptions it is Romulans. Meanwhile Picard is confronted with what Data did. And that Beverly had to unfreeze them. The conjecture is that they are humans and the result of cryonics experiments. They all required only "minor treatment" in the 24th century. Beverly and Riker are tasked dealing with them and "keep them out of my way" by Picard.

 

By all appereances the outpost have been "scooped up" by some strong force. They were not destroyed by "conventional attack". They do detect a distrubance, possibly a ship disengagign it#s cloak. Against the counsel of Riker and Worf, Picard does not go beyond yellow alert/does not ready the weapons. They fully cloak again, having determined intent. And then they properly decloak.

 

It becomes clear that they suffered the same fate - outposts destroyed in a similar maner. They do agree to cooperate. If it is convenient. They also mentioned "we were distracted with other maters for a while. But now we are back." Picard remarks "I think our lifes just go a lot more intersting". They are clear that without Picards measured response, a war would have been likely.

 

 

 

Noticeables:

- it was never mentioned why the sensors failed to detect "humans in cryopods". Or how the STL sattelite got that far out in the first place

- Worf did walk into a door, expecting it to open. And not finding any buttons nearby, he asumed it was "sealed". Data just used the handle

- Romulans were noted to have had "barely any contact in 50 years".

- Riker and Picard would have prefered to keep the people aboard and/or frozen. They did not want any complication during that mission

- oddly a time traveler from 370 years ago did like a replicated Martini, while Scotty instantly noticed the Synthohol.

Continuity break? Intentional override/old menu loaded to help aclimatisation? There were undder observation by Senior officers, after all.

- this episode did showcase how 24th century humans view 20th and 21th century ones. "it is a wonder how our species managed to survive that long".

- a total of 9 colonies, science stations and outposts were out of contact. Presumably all destroyed

- com panels are not in any way secured

- retreiving personal details however did require a voice identificaiton

- Picard was about as happy about those civilians as he was about "a Ship full of Children" in EP 1. The rest of the crew was not too happy either. And even data wanted to them stay far away from interstellar Diplomacy

- according to memory alpha, the lost outposts were the first encoutner with the Borg. They were not yet named then and it was intended for Romulans and Federation to defeat them together. A quick recovery from having the Ferengi as main antagonists.

 

[Christopher]

EP 2x01: The Child

 

This is almsot the Star Trek TNG we remember. Geordi is Chief Engineer. Riker has his beard. Guinan (Whoopy Goldberg) and Ten-Forward were introduced.

The only aberation is the Pulasky repalces Beverly Crusher until Season 3.

 

A "unclassified plasma plague" has broken out on a colony. The enterprise is tasked with transporting samples to a medical starbase, properly equiped to actually produce a antidote. However these are highly volatile, needing to be kept in special isolation chambers to not deteriorate. And another one around that to keep the ship save from them.

Meanwhile some alien energy being floats through the ship and impregnates Deana with a quickly growing child. To quote Janeway: "We are Starfleet. Wierd is part of the job!"

 

They are discussing what to do about the baby in the brefing room. With opinions ranging from "abort first, disect later" to "this is a new (partially alien) form of life, we should study it". Until Deana just closes the discussion by saying: "I will have this baby".

Wesley was not part of that discussion and confused when he saw a pregnant troi at first.

Data took over the rule of "Father in the Maternity ward".

Worf was there, but not yet helping to give birth.

 

On the transport mission, everything looks fine. Until they go to warp, and then one of the samples starts growing quickly. There is only about 30 minutes until it will literally outgrow and burst it's personal isolation chamber. They discuss evacuation into the Saucer Section.

They quickly determine "eichner radiation" as the culptript, but there was no source on board before the transfer.  Ian determines it is himself, and quickly starts a self-destruct sequence.

 

As a minor side story, they had Wesly wrestle with joining his mother on earth or staying aboard the enterprise.

 

The energy being/child/Ian:

- it did not appear on normal sensor. Data only noticed it passing the hull at first because he was at a science station (presumably watching for general disturbances)

- it's scaling was off. It seemed the same size comapred to outside of the enterprise and the inside of enterprise corridors

- it was visible easily to the naked eye. It had a low sound, only hearable while rushing into cover or hovering over someone. I asume normal obviousness/hiding rules for slow/half/full move and stealth apply

- it actively hid, looking from someone uncoscious and female

- it had desolidification, but it seemed to prefer passing through specific areas: some specific palce in the corridor ceiling, indoor walls

- it floating over someone disturbed his sleep

- it going...into Deana woke her. I asume it went through the normal channel with the many sensitve nerves. It might have even given her a Orgasm.

- the child was pretty much a clone of deana. Propably no other genetic material to use. Except he was a boy, for an unexplained reason

- the whole pregnancy took maybe 48 hours

- it was the captains orders to have armed guards stand ready during delivery

- during the birth process, data has questions. Mostly regarding if she had telepathic contact with the baby

- the birth was painless, traumaless and did not leave any medical signs of birth

- once born, it grew to 4 years in 1 day. In about 14 hours more, it grew to 8 years. He grew so quickly, even the Kindergaten teacher remarekd "I think he grew between you you dropping him off here and taking him back" the moment he stood up

- the child was able to know the issue onboard the ship without him or even Deana being told there was a issue

- the self destruct took less time then Polaski getting to Deanas quarters from the Medical bay

- Ian never got to fully explain why he was there. It was asumed "the answer was there, but he lacked the mental capacity to articulate it"

- Deana did gave a partial answer after he had died and gone on, identifiying him as "A life force entity" that "want to get to know you by going through the process of living".

- I had remmebered the interaction between Ian/the samples differently. With Ian emitting some "growth stimulating energy" wich affected deana during birth. And then the samples later during movement. However it was a interaction of him emitting "Eichner Radiation" and a specific sample

 

Minor details:

- they put in shifts for the bridge crew.

- Geordi had to design the Containment Units (both layers) from scratch. One of the rare cases of crafting being used in Star Trek

- the minor units had "total environmental control": Gravity, Temperature (97 Kelvin), atmosphere, light and a "stasis field" - all just to keep the specimens from growing.
- The massive amount of replication (512 small units + 1 large) required Geordi to transfer power from the warp engines to replicators, effectively disabling warp for a while. This indicates that there is a "normal usage" amount for replicators. I would guess soem form of capacitors or another is used.

- the enterprises medical facilties were not suited for the Medical task,  resulting in it becomming a mere high-warp cargo transport.

- it at first seemed Pulansky was doing faux pa by being in 10-forward rather then reporting to the captain or being in sickbay. But she was actually talking with the awaiting mother

- Picard would have rejected this mission due to the danger to the ship, had it not been for the amount of lifes at risk right now

- the doctor in charge took 14+ hours to inspect the containment chamber before allowing the transfer. He wanted to make sure there would be "0 growth"

- Dr. Polasky showed here "Android/tech Bigotry" already here

- about 20% of all Specimens show clear signs of genetic engineering. Apparently a "eager beaver" had done experiements on the samples, as part of developing a cure. The propblematic sample was one of those.

- Data needed to authorize the transport of the samples. Presumably to get around the biofilters screening them out. Or them being identified as "to dangerous to normally transport"

- they never even considerd just scrapping the dangerous sample by dematerializing and never re-materializing it

- the virus could survive in space and even the Dr that oversaw the transport was unsure if they would ever find a cure/vaccine

[Christopher]

EP 2x02: Where silence has lease

 

At the start, Riker is participating in a trainings exercise with Worf on the Holodeck. Life combat exercise. After defeating the adversaries, it seems Worf is in a bit of a blood haze and almost attacks Riker. He later admits that this was a "tame" programm. The real ones are "too personal to share".

 

The mission is described at "exploring hte Morgana Sector, where no manned Federation ship was before". During this exploration they notice a "hole in space". They fire two probes at it, but both just disapear. They decide to go closer but keep their distance, but it just swallows the ship

 

The void/Nagilum:
- there was no kind of mater or energy the sensors could detect
- Worf remembered a old klingon legend about a "hole in space that devoured vessels". It could have well been a description of Nagilum - or just a random space ghostship story.

- Originally Deana could not sense any intelligence. Later she revised it to "possibly something so vast/different, it eluded me"*

- it could move around seemingly without any drive system. Possibly teleport or an innertialess drive. Or even just being a projected field of some kind

- no signal of any kind could pass out of, into the void or through the void. This included the major communication Systems a Galaxy class starship had.

- being swallowed briefly disrupted internal communications. It was back to normal the next scene*

- even without markers to look at, the ship has "innertial guidance" to notice changes in position*

- magnification and moving inside the void did not seem to change the "view" from inside it*

- they dropped a beacon and moved away from it. Only to have it approach from the front again. That implies a looped space effect*

- the first illusion created was a romulan warbird and it's weapons impacts. It caused both kinetic effects and shield loss*

- the second illusion was of the USS Yamato, Syster Ship of the Enterprise. On sensors it read "fully functional, but nobody aboard". However a tricorder scan revealed that the materials were wrong. And then the inside started making no sense either*

- when Riker and Worf tried to beam to the Yamato bridge, their transport got deflected. They got re-united when they heard to other scream in the distance (either high quality Audio or Mental Illusion). Later the transport lock was lost and communications disrupted

- it turned off anything but emergency power on the enterprise for a while. After main power was turned back on, there was a window where stars were visible. But it was not giving a "Starfix" and a lock on the away team at the same time. It then started showing stars, only to hide them the moment they tried to go for them

- When they stoped reacting, it finally showed a face (that the sensor did not pick up). It then remarked over the "different construction" of Data and Pulansky (totally ignoring Deana and Worf on the bridge).

- It then casually killed a redshirt (Haskell) and professed interest in death. And the experients would take "no more then 1/3 of your crew, maybe half". He was likened to a human doing experiments on labrats.

- they did not have the shields up while Haskell died. It is possibly those could have stopped Nagilus. They also activated the self destruct, and Nagilum did nothing to just disable it

- indeed it tried to fool Picard with Illusions of Data and Deana (wich he messed up in details), rather then just turning it off. However it could not prevent the computer from reporting the proper position for Data. When that fails, it seemling just let's the go.

*Due to the disruption of the communication and the general power of the entity, any readout has to be suspect. It is possible it feigned half those powers via shipscale telekinesis, manipulated sensor readouts and basic audio/visual illusions. The inside of the Yamato was not beyond what the Holodeck could create. And the telepathic feedback might have also been faked.

Indeed I highly doubt Nagilums power. Ship scale Telekinesis and Illusions are impressive, but not totally outclassing the Federation. A energy output and technological advantage similar to the borg should have been enough to fake half the stuff. The selfdestruct might have even hurt Nagilum if he had not retreated.

Drivesystem:

They approached the hole under impulse power first and later with thrusters only. I pictue the engine systems to be realized as some form of Multipower:

Thrusters is a normal movement power. It's speed might actually be extremely slow for space
Impulse (or at least full Impulse) is NCM movement.
Deana did not get a emotional reading from this being.
Warp in turn is some form of Megascaled movement
 

I asume the faster drive System also have some kind of turn rate. Moving slower should make it easier to turn on a dime and run away at warp. You do not need to decelerate from high NCM/Megascale multipliers or have less limitations on turns. In case of a engine outage, there is less room for momentum to carry you where you do not want to be.

 

While in the void without any sight outside, they limited themself to Warp 2. I asume there is a pretty high danger to run into something if you do not see where you are going. Once they had a opening with visible stars, they tried to go for it at Warp 6.

[Christopher]

EP 2x03: Elemtary, dear Data

 

Massey had doubted if Moriarty was actualyl a AGI. Or just a computer virus/software bug/holodeck character getting a bit to much leeway to affect the ship.

 

Setup: The enterprise is to rendevous with the USS Victory, a ship La Forge serverd on as a Ensign. But they are 3 days early at the space coordinates so there is "nothing left to do but wait". Geordi decides to play Dr. Watson with Dr. Sherlock - Data - Holmes.

 

However once in there two things become apparent:

- data is the absolute Sherlock Holmes Trivia king

- he unfortunately skips to revealing all the mysteries the moment it is possible. Wich does ruin Geordies enjoyment

 

They have a talk with Pulanski, who dares him to "solve a new Mystery". She particulary points out that while Data does have deductive reasoning on par with Mr. Holmes, he lacks the understanding of the human psyche(soul) to actually solve one he has not read. So all 3 resolve to have the computer create a new Mystery in "the style of Arthru Doyle" and see him solve it.

Unfortunately the best the computer could do was "put pieces of 2 stories together". Data easily solves that and Pulansky re-itterates that true deductive reasoning is beyond data. Wich Geordi sees as a challenge and results in teh Fatefull order: "In the Holmsian Style, create mystery that confounds Data" "Specify Paramters" "Creat a Villain capable of defating Data". This causes a power spike Worfs tactical console registers for a moment.

 

Instantly the Moriarty Hologramm notices the change in himself. He quickly orders the arch to appear. And then the computer to identify itself. The computer recognizes the Moriarty Hologramm has a normal user at least. Now it is noticeable that he acted that way while he was not being observed by anyone but the viewer and one fellow holodeck programms. But he vows to "get more information". And promtly abducts Dr. Pulansky. Geordi asume she is "just trolling him" to put him on a wild goose chase. But Data notices clear signs that proper Holodeck Characters were involed in this.

 

During the Chase they loose them and then Sherlok is called to another murder. Data wants to go as it "does not relate to Pulansky". Geordi tries his luck at solving the mystery, only to be corrected completely by Data.

Geodi notices something: As the Murder did not relate to the Abduction, does that mean the Computer is running two Storylines in paralell?

 

Data noticed a "obvious trail" laid by Holmes Arch Nemesis, Dr. Moriarty. And he knows "he wants us to find him."

Moriartsy admits he abducted Pulansky. And that he sees through the whole "Disguised as Holodeck Characters" thing. And demonstrates taht he can call for the "Arch". Something Goerdi noted "is not right". And then Moriarty draws a Picture of the Enterprise. Data tries to shutdown the programm, but "override protocolls are engaged". He asume the Moriarty Hologramm is in control of the Computer and escalates it to the captain.

 

It turns out that Goerdi accidentally activated the override protocolls when gave the order for a "foe able to defeat data". He also asumes safeties are off as well. After all "defeat Mr. Data" does require deadly force.

Worf proposes a Security action, but Data advises agaisnt it.

Geordi is incapable to devices a Hologramm killer that would not also "strip the flesh of Dr. Pulasky".

Then Deana senses a Intelligence on Holodeck 2. Then teh ship rocks as navigational control is temporarily rerouted to Holodeck 2. Picard resolves to go down there with Data and Worf in costume.

 

When Picard enters the holodeck, Moriarty already stared altering the Holoprogramm. he is also fully aware of being a Holodeck character, but argues to be recognized as a living being like Data. In the end he disables the override Protocoll and is stored into memory in the hopes that some day they can bridge the Holodeck/Transporter gap. He will stay there until Season 6.

 

Moriarty:
- he seemed able to notice the arch even before the order was given

- the computer recognized him as a user

- he and his programm were protected from shutdown via a override command. I asume that since the order came from Geordi La Forge - Chief engineer - it accidentally used his Engineering credentials to create the programm. And apparently he can create programms that are immune to closure via the Task Manager.*

- Data asumed he had "consciousness", a property data also had

- it was asumed he had access to the ships library computer. He knew of Picard, the ship and all, but still had 6 centuries worth of learning to do before he could fully take over the ship. It is unclear if the access was Mental or via the Archway interface. But in any way he learned scarily quick.

- he was quickly mastering the computer.

- he had every bit of deductive reasoning Data had. Possibly even the OP level only a Character from a book has. Pulasky trying to lie to him did not work at all. It had the opposite effects, if anything

- Picard resolved to go in there properly dressed as to "not give him more information".

- the trick of trying to get him to walk out of the Holodeck (from the Big Goodbye) did not work on him. He was too aware he did not knew enough to risk that. And later he fully understood that he

- they tried to defeat him with a logic trap, by having Data "admit defeat". Thus fullfilling the "defeat data" directive. But that did not work. He had already outgrown the original parameters and was now making his own goals in live.

 

*This is possible in Windows. The Admin is only the account with the 2nd highest privileges. The System is one higher. But the Admin is capable of ordering the start of a system level process. A process he himself can not shut down (short of cutting power to the computer).

 

Was Moriarty a AGI as we understand him today?

I think yes. He might have only started out as a "Holodeck created villain", but something about the combination of coincidences allowed him to grow to a full AGI.

And he was one without properly defined Terminal Goals. So he picked is only Intermediate goal of "Surviving". His original directive of "Defeat data" was irrelevant for him.

Apparently he was aware that Picard could have killed him at any time, by simply cutting the power. And would have to do so, to save the ship if he posed a real danger to it. He was a AGI, but one with a proper failsave based on being a Holographic AGI.

He also was not inherently evil, despite being intended to be a villain. He wanted to see the wonders of space in the 24th century as much as Picard wanted to.

 

 

Trivia:

- Geordi had a model of the Original Victory, the sailing ship. In engineering. It was intended as a gift to the Victories commander. But still he stored and possibly built it in main engineering. And when he left he told his assistant "no one is to touch it". When asked where he and Data went, Data answered with the Holmes Universe adress. That seems some rather lax discipline there. It was damaged during some shaking.

- Data was speecific who would play wich role in both cases.

- according to Geordi getting the Holodeck time and Wardrobe actually required a lot of setup

- Dr. Pulanksy mentioend she was never on a "Holodeck of this quality". Another clear sign that this was a new leap in technology the Enterprise was equipped with

- Holodeck Characters in general seem to react to the arch and other Holodeck infrastructure as if they were under a "another persons Problem field". Only the Holocharcter that explicitly interacted with Moriarty was even able to see him summoning it.

- beaming Pulansky out was never even considered. I guess after he temporarily rerotued command functions from the Bridge, they realized he could propably control the Transporter if they made him aware of it.

- neither was just cutting the power to the Holodeck considered. Maybe they feared he would hurt Pulasky if he tried anything like cutting the power. But Moriarty also said that his "live was propably always in the hand of Picard", refering to him not just cutting the power I guess.

- apparently the main computer and the Holodeck are distinct Systems. Just because the Holodeck has the RAM to run a Programm, does not mean the Main Computer has the storage to persist it. Particulary not in a standby/hibernate mode image format.