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Old 03-24-2021, 12:52 AM
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May 7th, 1990 "The Most Toys"


Fiver (by Kira)

Transcript
Memory Alpha


The Episode

VARRIA: Twenty six point eight kilos of tripolymer composites. Eleven point eight kilos of molybdenum-cobalt alloy. One point three kilos Bioplast sheeting.



The numbers indicate that she's reading a list of material in decreasing order of mass. Forty kilos is ninety pounds. I'm pretty sure Data is supposed to be heavier than a person. Still within the carrying capacity of a Klingon, but heavier than a person.



Incidentally, molybdenum-cobalt composites are toxic. And why isn't his structural frame made of duranium?



WESLEY: I can't believe he's gone.
LAFORGE: I always thought he'd outlive us, by centuries.
(Wesley uncovers a painting)
WESLEY: He'd been working on this for months. He never felt it was quite finished.
LAFORGE: You know what a critic Data was, especially about his own work.
(Geordi opens a drawer and takes out a book. Shakespeare, I think)
WESLEY: That was a gift from the Captain.
LAFORGE: And he should have it back.
(Cards and poker chips)
WESLEY: Those should go to Commander Riker.
LAFORGE: Data always fell for Riker's bluffs.
(A box with eight medals in it)
WESLEY: These are some of Starfleet's highest honours.
LAFORGE: Not bad for a walking pile of circuitry and memory cells.
(and the hologram of Tasha Yar)
LAFORGE: You know, I keep going over and over the accident in my mind, trying to figure out what went wrong. I can see Data in the shuttle, almost like I'm sitting there next to him going through the departure sequence. What the hell happened? Why didn't I see it coming? What am I missing?



Always a great scene. Although I do wonder why Data owns the poker set and not Riker.


PICARD: We must select an officer to replace Data at Ops. Recommendations?
RIKER: Worf would be my first choice, sir.
PICARD: Mine as well. Make it so.



What? While Worf is no doubt trained to man Ops in a pinch, he doesn't know enough to man it permanently. Data should have an assistant who can take the post until he's promoted or a new officer is transferred in. I know, I know, this provides for good characterization for Worf, but that doesn't negate the point.



(Picard opens the copy of Shakespeare that has been returned to him at Data's bookmark. It's Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 2)
PICARD: (reading) He was a man, taken for all in all. I shall not look upon his like again.



Great line.

FAJO: You are still wearing that uniform. Why?
DATA: I am a Starfleet officer.
FAJO: You are not in Starfleet any longer.



A debatable point. Starfleet considers him dead by now, but when Scotty returned nobody acts like he no longer has a rank.



DATA: I have been designed with a fundamental respect for life in all its forms and a strong inhibition against causing harm to living beings.
FAJO: What a marvellous contradiction. A military pacifist. Tell me, whose dreadful decision was it to enlist you in Starfleet to begin with?



Ugh. I also have a fundamental respect for life and would never commit murder, but I don't consider killing in war or self-defense to be impossibilities.



As for whether or not it's reasonable that Data hasn't killed yet...I suppose so. At this point, that is. Even if you don't count Borg drones as things that can be killed (a whole discussion by itself), it's likely that he killed Jem'Hadar during the Dominion War.


TROI: I know, but this isn't a Klingon ship and Data was your friend. And it's the second time you've replaced a crewmate who's died.
WORF: I honour Data's memory, as I did Lieutenant Yar's, by attempting to perform their duties as well as they did.
TROI: In true Klingon fashion.
WORF: I appreciate your concern.



Worf's position is valid and there's a lot to discuss here. My immediate question is whether or not Worf considers Data's death any more honorable than Tasha's.




FAJO: This is not a mannequin. This is Data. This is formerly Lieutenant Commander Data of the Federation Starfleet. The only sentient android in existence.



I'd prefer "Data, formerly of the Federation Starfleet", but whatever. Only sentient android in existence? Oh, boy, that's a loaded question. Ruk and company are all dead, that's okay. All the Flint-type androids are dead, ditto. The Ilia probe...probably dead. Mudd's jailers...probably not. In fact, I hope they eventually joined the Federation.


Wesley: There's some naked pictures of Tasha under the bed.
La Forge: What? How do you know that?
Wesley: Uh…I plead the fifth.



Actually in the Constitution of the Federation the protection against self-incrimination is the Seventh Guarantee.
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