Thoughts on an upcoming episode
Feb. 13th, 2005 11:21 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
patgund(Note, massive ubergeeking ahead)
Leave it to Paramount to cancel "Enterprise" once it actually got *good*. In the meantime, I noticed on the "Save Enterprise" site, descriptions for an upcoming 2-part episode that looks quite fun - and got me to thinking.....
(MAJOR SPOILER WARNING AHEAD!)
The episode is "In a Mirror, Darkly". Yes, it's a Mirror Universe episode, (actually it's a "prequel" to both "Mirror Mirror" and "The Tholian Web"
Spoilers for Episode One
Spoilers for Episode Two
Basically the crew of the Mirror Enterprise (IX-01??) find the Constitution-class starship U.S.S. Defiant NCC-1764, the ship that disappeared in the interphase in "The Tholian Web". Assuming the can, they attempt to salvage the vessel
Since this would give the Terran Empire a 100 year technology boost, why is it that Kirk and crew didn't find themselves on something like the ISS Enterprise-E in Mirror Mirror. To explain this, let me use a real-life example - the TU-4 "Bull" bomber.
During WWII, the USSR wanted long-range bomber technology, but the US would not provide them with such under lend-lease. However, three B-29 bombers ended up in the USSR in 1944 when their crews had to make emergency landings. The crews were eventually sent back to the west, but the bombers stayed in the USSR, where Stalin used them as the basis for a crash programme to develop an exact duplicate.
It took several years though, because Soviet technology wasn't up to the same specifications as the US in metals, plastics, electronics, even tires. (at one point Soviet agents were buying surplus B-29 tires in the US). Never the less, they had flying copies in the air by 1947, three years later, and it became operational in 1949, 5 years later. (Boeing built the B-29 prototype in 1939, flew the first production model in 1942, and entered service in 1943.)
This was with a proven design mind you. The intrastructure had to catch up before they could build a duplicate.
With the Terran Empire, we're talking a 100 year advance. This would be like Curtiss or the Wrights getting their hands on a fully operational 747, complete with manuals. They *know* the design will work, but the infrastucture isn't ready to duplicate it yet. The Terran Empire has their hands on a Constitution-class starship, with manuals and full library computer. Enough data to explain how the warp system, duotronics, transporter, food processors, etc. all work. This gives them a boost on understanding how the technology works, but not how to *build* it themselves. Depending on how fast or slow technological development happens in the Terran Empire, it's possible it would need 75+ years to develop enough infrastructure to build their own Constitution-class duplicates.
That is, assuming that the mirror Enterprise crew doesn't accidently destroy the USS Reliant in the process.
Leave it to Paramount to cancel "Enterprise" once it actually got *good*. In the meantime, I noticed on the "Save Enterprise" site, descriptions for an upcoming 2-part episode that looks quite fun - and got me to thinking.....
(MAJOR SPOILER WARNING AHEAD!)
The episode is "In a Mirror, Darkly". Yes, it's a Mirror Universe episode, (actually it's a "prequel" to both "Mirror Mirror" and "The Tholian Web"
Spoilers for Episode One
Spoilers for Episode Two
Basically the crew of the Mirror Enterprise (IX-01??) find the Constitution-class starship U.S.S. Defiant NCC-1764, the ship that disappeared in the interphase in "The Tholian Web". Assuming the can, they attempt to salvage the vessel
Since this would give the Terran Empire a 100 year technology boost, why is it that Kirk and crew didn't find themselves on something like the ISS Enterprise-E in Mirror Mirror. To explain this, let me use a real-life example - the TU-4 "Bull" bomber.
During WWII, the USSR wanted long-range bomber technology, but the US would not provide them with such under lend-lease. However, three B-29 bombers ended up in the USSR in 1944 when their crews had to make emergency landings. The crews were eventually sent back to the west, but the bombers stayed in the USSR, where Stalin used them as the basis for a crash programme to develop an exact duplicate.
It took several years though, because Soviet technology wasn't up to the same specifications as the US in metals, plastics, electronics, even tires. (at one point Soviet agents were buying surplus B-29 tires in the US). Never the less, they had flying copies in the air by 1947, three years later, and it became operational in 1949, 5 years later. (Boeing built the B-29 prototype in 1939, flew the first production model in 1942, and entered service in 1943.)
This was with a proven design mind you. The intrastructure had to catch up before they could build a duplicate.
With the Terran Empire, we're talking a 100 year advance. This would be like Curtiss or the Wrights getting their hands on a fully operational 747, complete with manuals. They *know* the design will work, but the infrastucture isn't ready to duplicate it yet. The Terran Empire has their hands on a Constitution-class starship, with manuals and full library computer. Enough data to explain how the warp system, duotronics, transporter, food processors, etc. all work. This gives them a boost on understanding how the technology works, but not how to *build* it themselves. Depending on how fast or slow technological development happens in the Terran Empire, it's possible it would need 75+ years to develop enough infrastructure to build their own Constitution-class duplicates.
That is, assuming that the mirror Enterprise crew doesn't accidently destroy the USS Reliant in the process.
