April 29th, 1991, "The Drumhead"
Fiver (by Marc)
The Episode
Captain's Log, Stardate 44769.2. For some weeks we have had a Klingon exobiologist on board as part of a scientific exchange programme.
It's a shame that they didn't mention the officer exchange program from "A Matter of Honor" and "Sins of the Father." Memory Alpha claims that J'Dan's posting was part of the program, but the name wasn't used in dialogue.
I will refrain from making Klingon scientist jokes, I've made enough of them in the past.
RIKER: What were you doing accessing the propulsion system files on Stardate 44758?
It took four days to investigate this?
RIKER: Yes, you did, from computer twelve B nine, deck thirty six. The computer logged in your identification from your communicator.
Wait, what? A commbadge counts as a contactless ID in proximity to other equipment? That just raises further questions!
TROI: J'Dan, we have confirmed reports that schematic drawings of our dilithium chamber fell into Romulan hands one week later.
Why would it take a week to reach the Romulans? If all they want is schematics of the dilithium chamber wouldn't they have gotten them when the Enterprise was being built? Or back in "Family" when the ship was undergoing a major refit?
And then there's the question of why they'd want schematics of the dilithium chamber if they don't use traditional warp cores. I doubt dilithium tech can be translated to artificial singularity drives.
J'DAN: No. I was not involved. You accuse me because I am Klingon.
The Klingon Empire and the Federation are allies right now, right? I think it's more plausible that they accuse him because he's not a Starfleet officer. It wouldn't matter if he was Klingon, Tholian, Breen, whatever.
J'DAN: On the Klingon Home World your name is not mentioned. It is as though you never existed. A terrible burden for a warrior to bear, to become nothing, to be without honour, without the chance for glory. I have friends, powerful friends, on the homeworld. I could talk to them. They might help to restore your name, if you could just take me to a shuttlecraft.
The name Kronos (or rather Qo'noS, although these days the typo Q'onoS is used more) won't be mentioned until Star Trek VI. In the TOS days unofficial documents used "Kling" or "Klingon", although Phase II intended to use "Ultar" and pre-Star Trek VI reference materials used Klingonii AKA Epsilon Sagittari V or Kazh or Klinzhai.
Cue series bible rants. The major galactic powers should've been established way earlier in TOS.
Incidentally, I'm pretty sure the House of Duras is still powerful enough to quash any attempt to restore the House of Mogh.
J'DAN: It could be done without any one knowing about it.
What? Even without the House of Duras interfering, I'm pretty sure that Klingon houses gaining or losing honor is news that everyone would notice.
Captain's log, supplemental. Retired Admiral Norah Satie, whose investigation exposed the alien conspiracy against Starfleet Command three years ago, is arriving to assist in our inquiry.
Alien conspiracy three years ago? If they're talking about the events of "Conspiracy", I'm pretty sure nobody outside the Enterprise and Picard's cohort had anything to do with it.
(a picture on the monitor of the warp core, labelled sensor log playback 44765.3 03.00.59.941. Part of the core goes bang)
44765.3 is October 7th, 2367, around 8 AM. If 03.00.59.941 is supposed to be an extremely precise time near 3:01 AM, that's wrong. If times are going to be given in addition to stardates, the stardate shouldn't have decimal points.
And if they think that J'Dan sabotaged the core on 44758, why would he set the "fuse" to take two and a half days?
You know, it's times like that that I wish that stardates had never been invented in the first place.
DATA: Slow motion study of the explosion suggests that the articulation frame collapsed.
SATIE: The schematics that were stolen from the Enterprise, I believe some involved the articulation frame of the dilithium chamber.
I'm still confused as to why the same guy would be sent to do espionage AND sabotage. That seems like two separate missions.
PICARD: There are disturbing overtones in the idea of a Klingon providing information to the Romulans. Are you aware of any other Klingon-Romulan connection that Starfleet Command might have encountered recently?
Ugh. If this is supposed to be a hint of the Klingon Civil War that's coming at the end of the season, it could've been done better.
PICARD: This ship has encountered several incidents which might suggest a potential alliance between those two powers.
Seriously, why not namedrop Duras?
WORF: (hands over a hypospray) This is J'Dan's. A hypospray he uses to treat his Ba'ltmasor Syndrome. But this has been fitted with an optical reader specially modified to read data from Starfleet isolinear chips. He can extract digital information from a computer, encode it in the form of amino acid sequences, and transfer those sequences into a fluid in the syringe. Then he injects someone, perhaps even without their knowledge.
SATIE: Or perhaps with their knowledge.
WORF: The information would be carried in their bloodstream in the form of inert proteins.
This is a headache waiting to happen. How would the receiver find these coded amino acid sequences? This bit of technobabble could've used another draft.
WORF: I have tracked the movements of every person who has left the Enterprise since you have been here. I traced one Tarkanian diplomat as far as the Cruces system where he disappeared and has not been seen since.
We never see a Tarkanian, but Voyager will namedrop a few things from their planet.
J'DAN: The blood of all Klingons has become water. Since the Federation alliance we have turned into a nation of mewling babies. Romulans are strong. They are worthy allies. They do not turn Klingons into weaklings like you.
I refer you to the Byrne comics to show the background of the TOS-era Klingon-Romulan alliance. Even then the Romulans showed that they didn't see the Klingon as allies, but as henchmen.
SATIE: You knew my father?
PICARD: Only from his writings. His judgments were required reading at the Academy.
It's shocking how much "required reading" there was at the Academy. I get the worry willies thinking about how much a cadet would have to read. Cultural and historical backgrounds of hundreds of planets are just the start.
SABIN: Yes, I can see that. I don't mind telling you I'm surprised. Frankly, when I first heard about your father.
WORF: My father?
SABIN: Yes. There are some who believe he betrayed your people to the Romulans.
WORF: What he did or did not do is no one's concern but my own.
Picard made it clear that holding the son responsible for the father's crimes is a Klingon thing, not a Federation one. Furthermore Sabin must've read Worf's profile that says that he was SIX when Mogh died and the Rozhenkos adopted him. How could Worf have absorbed political leanings of that sort at that age?
PICARD: Tell me, how long have you held your appointment onboard this vessel?
TARSES: Since Stardate 43587.
Back around "Deja Q". He's been here about fourteen months.
Can I just state for the record that I find it dubious that people can memorize all these stardates in the future? Is there some sort of memory therapy that they undergo at the Academy?
SATIE: If Counsellor Troi suggested to you that someone on the ship were dangerous, would you not act on that? Observe him? Curb his activity?
PICARD: Yes, I admit I probably would. And perhaps I should re-evaluate that behaviour.
A problem with this premise is that "keeping a secret" and "dangerous" are not synonymous and only a crazy person would think so.
SATIE: Oh, nonsense. Let's keep our priorities straight. The important thing is to uncover the conspiracy on this ship and to prevent further damage. Now, if Tarses is a possible saboteur, you cannot allow him access to sensitive areas of the ship, and I strongly suggest continuous surveillance.
PICARD: If we had clear evidence.
SATIE: We will have clear evidence. Sabin and Lieutenant Worf are continuing to investigate. But if you don't act until then, it may be too late.
Yeah, no. Investigating someone just because they COULD commit a crime is a slippery slope that the Romulans and Cardassians already fell down. And I gotta ask, too late for what? The warp core is still off limits, I don't think things are as urgent as Satie is claiming.
PICARD: No. I won't treat a man as a criminal unless there is cause to do so.
SATIE: And while you're being so generous, you give a saboteur a chance to strike again. Last time it was just a hatch cover. What if next time it's more serious? What if lives are lost? Can you afford not to act?
Ugh. This is the point that I would've kicked her off the ship. I despise fictional characters who insist on undue speed based on things that aren't worth the risk. You already have all of the suspects in custody, is she suggesting a third unknown saboteur?
DATA: Those fractures suggest nothing more than simple neutron fatigue. I would speculate that when the engine was last inspected at McKinley station, the hatch casing was replaced with one which had an undetectable defect. I believe, sir, that the conclusion to our investigation must be that the explosion was not intentional.
I wonder why the entire core wasn't replaced after the Borg invasion. Geordi jerry-rigged half the ship to channel the warp core through the deflector, there's probably unexpected stress aging all over the place!