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Old 05-26-2020, 09:37 PM
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Nate the Great Nate the Great is offline
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Wow, I knew I was behind, but not two months! I guess the current crisis has really upset our schedules, huh?

March 26, 1990, "Allegiance"

Fiver (by Derek)
Transcript
Memory Alpha

The Episode

(One of the other bed occupants is also in a Starfleet engineering uniform. she is a green-tinged alien)

Mitena Haro is a Bolian. I don't expect everyone to know all Trek races on sight (I sure don't), but Bolians are common enough that I expect Chakoteya to know what they are.

HARO: Captain Picard. We studied your missions at the Academy Mitena Haro, first year cadet, Starfleet Academy.

We've seen other officers use rank+posting location as an introduction, but I'm confused as to why you'd need to specify Starfleet Academy here. If she was in a special program at one of the annexes I might be able to understand such clarification, but not here. For that matter, just "Cadet Mitena Haro" seems adequate. Don't mind my nitpicking, let's move on...

PICARD 2: There will be no further communication off this ship without my prior authorisation.

It occurs to me that it's not like there's only one "phone line" to and from the ship. The researchers on board would need to be in contact with Starfleet Medical, Starfleet Engineering, various other research outposts, etc. While it may be the captain's prerogative to declare radio silence, there would have to be some sort of justification for it that would be reflected in Starfleet orders, ship reports, etc. Eventually someone would notice that routine data streams from the Enterprise had ceased and ask Starfleet Command what's going on.

PICARD 2: I don't like keeping you in the dark, but for the next few days I may not be able to be as communicative as usual. It may make things difficult for you.

Wouldn't Riker wonder why? Lie and say that Starfleet Command has issued secret orders and all will be revealed in time!

PICARD: What's your best area of study?
HARO: Impulse propulsion systems. I'm very good with field coils.

Insert typical Nate Treknobabble speculation here.

PICARD: That I can't answer. The Bolians are maintaining an uneasy truce with the Moropa, are they not?
HARO: That's right. But this doesn't look like Moropa technology and, even assuming the Moropa wanted me, what would they want with either of you?

If this was the days of TOS I could understand Federation members having individual treaties with other planets (see "Journey to Babel"), but not the TNG era. The Federation would be much more monolithic.

THOLL: I've never even heard of the Moropa. My race has no enemies.
PICARD: None? In the last three hundred years of Mizarian history, your planet has been conquered six times!
THOLL: And we've survived by not resisting. Mizarians value peace above confrontation.

"My race has no enemies" seems like an inaccurate description of Mizarian interplanetary relations. There's another rant to be made here, but let's stick with "we don't attack other races" does not equal "other races would never have a reason to attack us."

PICARD 2: I was wondering, Mister La Forge. What's our engine efficiency status?
LAFORGE: Operating at ninety three percent, sir.
PICARD 2: That's very good, but I would like to increase the efficiency to ninety five percent.
LAFORGE: No problem, Captain, I'll get right on it.

This seems low for the flagship. The E-D warp core is the most advanced in Starfleet right now, has Geordi been skipping some proverbial oil changes?

ESOQQ: The Chalnoth have no use for laws or governments! We are strong. We obey no one.

Ugh. Thinking like this would prevent the invention of warp drive. Even Klingons know that cooperation is necessary for the greater good.

CRUSHER: Why did you come in? Your annual physical isn't due for another month.
PICARD 2: Well, usually you have to remind me, then badger me, and finally order me to report. For once I thought I'd save you the trouble.

Yeah, that's not suspicious at all, is it? I don't like it when imposters "pass" exams just to prove "I'm not crazy, honest!"

THOLL: Picard is it wise to attempt an escape?
PICARD: It's imperative.
THOLL: Why? Our captors haven't mistreated us.
HARO: We've been kidnapped, locked in a room. You don't think that's mistreatment?
THOLL: They haven't hurt us, have they?

Sheesh, talk about doormats. Is this guy an Organian in disguise?

PICARD 2: Would it be simpler if I were not your commanding officer?
CRUSHER: Simpler, perhaps, but that's not the only issue. I guess, right now, I'm comfortable with our relationship just the way it is.

There's a discussion to be had here. What other issues would Beverly have? Is she still "off the market" due to loyalty to Jack? He's been dead thirteen years. She'll have other boyfriends during the series. Does she blame Picard for Jack's death? We don't really see any indication of that, it was Wesley who went through that period. Is she indicating that she can see having a relationship with Picard, but not yet?

ESOQQ: Why should we believe you?
HARO: Captain Picard's put his life at stake for others many times. The primitive culture on Mintaka Three, the Wogneer creatures in the Ordek Nebula.

Nice namedrop for "Who Watches the Watchers." We don't hear about the Wogneer creatures anywhere else. A third example would've been nice, it's too bad that the Cardassians haven't been invented yet.

First officer's log, supplemental. Although we're still eighteen hours from the Lonka pulsar, the Captain has ordered us to slow to one half impulse. He has offered no explanation.

So the ship went from Warp Two to half impulse. That's only a factor of about 40, so eighteen hours turns into over three hundred days. Lowering to Warp One (almost 200 hours) would've been adequate. You'd think this imposter could sabotage the engines somehow to justify Warp One. Furthermore, why would Picard 2 ask about engine efficiency if he's not going to actually use them?

RIKER: What is our mission?
PICARD 2: I'm under no obligation to tell you that.
RIKER: If you don't, you force me to take command of this vessel.
PICARD 2: On what grounds?
RIKER: You are endangering this ship for no reason.
PICARD 2: No reason you're aware of.
RIKER: That's not good enough. Your behaviour has been erratic.

I'm not kidding, couldn't these aliens have fabricated a top-secret captains eyes-only transmission to justify this stuff?

DATA: Captain, number four shield has failed. Increasing power to number three shield to compensate.

And he's not recommending leaving the vicinity-why? I'd call a failed shield emitter enough reason to leave, wouldn't you?

PICARD: Why did you choose to study the concepts of authority and leadership?
ALIEN 4: Because our species has no such concepts.
ALIEN 1: As we are all identical, distinctions among ourselves are meaningless. Hence we have no leaders no followers.

I see no evidence of a hive mind, therefore there must be differences between them that would lead to "leaders" and "followers". This plot really would've fit better in TOS.

ALIEN 1: We were merely curious. We meant no harm.
ALIEN 4: We did not, after all, injure you in any way.
PICARD: Imprisonment is an injury, regardless of how you justify.

Exactly. Too few people think that the only possible injury or punishment is physical.

The Fiver

ata: I'm picking up a power fluctuation from the Captain's quarters.
Riker: Heh heh. Looks like that exploding replicator finally paid off. Worf, go get the body.

We've seen missing first lines, but a missing first letter? Weird.

Tholl: What are you doing?
Picard: I saw this in a movie once. We transmit a whole bunch of prime numbers, then send them a copy of Hitler introducing the 1936 Olympics, then --

Is this Hitler thing a reference to something?

"Picard": Would you like a nice, romantic dinner in my quarters?
Crusher: I have a feeling we'll be feeding the 'shippers more than ourselves.
"Picard": Might as well throw them a bone once a season or so.

Precisely.

"Picard": Should I just be all romantic and sweep you off your feet?
Crusher: Are you sure that would be P/C?
"Picard": Good point. Maybe you'd better leave.
P/Cers: That was it?

Wouldn't the shippers want the real Picard, not a fake one here?

Memory Alpha

* Second appearance of a Bolian. That's probably why "Haro" looks so bad (I also thought that female Bolians are also bald...)

Nitpicker's Guide

* The fake Picard was based on the results from his last physical eleven months ago, wouldn't the readings be different?
* The fake Haro says that imprisonment itself is mistreatment, but the other aliens are surprised at the idea. Contradiction much?
* The fake Picard orders a round of ales "on him." Since when do people pay for their drinks at Ten Forward? Putting aside "the Federation doesn't use money" issues, wouldn't these be synthales which are free from the replicator, not the real stuff that Guinan would have to charge for?
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mudshark: Nate's just being...Nate.
Zeke: It comes nateurally to him.

mudshark: I don't expect Nate to make sense, really -- it's just a bad idea.

Sa'ar Chasm on the 5M.net forum: Sit back, relax, and revel in the insanity.

Adam Savage: I reject your reality and substitute my own!

Hanlon's Razor: Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

Crow T. Robot: Oh, stop pretending there's a plot. Don't cheapen yourself further.
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