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From: okamoto@ucbvax.ARPA (Jeff Okamoto)
Newsgroups: net.startrek
Subject: Deflectors and ST 4
Message-ID: <3377@ucbvax.ARPA>
Date: Sun, 18-Nov-84 19:40:22 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbvax.3377
Posted: Sun Nov 18 19:40:22 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 20-Nov-84 02:35:33 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: University of California at Berkeley
Lines: 52

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In the TV series, the words "shields", and "deflectors" were used
interchangeably.  They referred to the one layer of protection that
the Enterprise had.

In ST-TMP, there were suddenly three layers of protection.  Sulu
remarked "The new force fields held" after surviving one hit from
V-Ger's green bolts.  Later Decker recommended, "I recommend a defensive
posture -- screens and shields."  I realize that the words "shields"
that Decker used could mean the same as Sulu's "Force fields".

In St-TWOK, it seemed that we were back (or still) at two layers.
When Kirk ordered yellow alert when first confronted by the Reliant,
Saavik said, "Energize defense fields."  Unfortunately for the
Enterprise, these were not enough to stop Khan's point-blank phaser
barrage.  Remarks about "shields" seemed to refer to the major
defense against attack.

In case anyone's interested, the extremely tentative title for ST 4
is "The Trial of Admiral Kirk."  Shades of "Court Martial?"  And are
they going to read off all of Kirk's numerous decorations?  Trivia
question:  Name all of Kirk's decorations.  Answer:  Impossible.
Lt. McGivers (?) cut off the computer in "Court Martial" so we'll never
know (unless they finally do it in ST 4).  

An interesting observation:  The color of the Enterprise's photon
torpedoes changes color between the two movies.  In ST-TMP they
are blue and the Klingon's are orange.  In ST-TWOK, not only are the
photon torpedoes red, but the phasers, which used to be blue (and even
before that they looked like the photon torpedoes), are now also orange!
What's next?  Chartreuse? :-)  Also notice that in the series, the
Klingon's disruptors looked like little missiles that supposedly
came from the front of the engine nacelles.  Now they come from
where one would expect them to, from the tube in front.
Anybody also notice that the color of the main sensor dish in front
of the secondary hull also changed color between the two movies?

One really wonders about the "ponn farr" scenes in ST-TSFS.  Did Spock
and Saavik actually consummate the mating?  Or did they just leave off
rubbing fingers together?  Who knows?

And what will become of the USS Excelsior?  With it's superwarp whose
drain can easily be stopped up, will it ever fly?


That's all for now.

Jeff Okamoto
okamoto%ucbvax@Berkeley.ARPA
ucbvax!okamoto
"Don't call ME Tiny!"