{"id":4893,"date":"2018-09-10T15:13:28","date_gmt":"2018-09-10T15:13:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/213-Prototype"},"modified":"2018-09-10T15:13:28","modified_gmt":"2018-09-10T15:13:28","slug":"213-prototype","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/relivethemajesty.com\/index.php\/2018\/09\/10\/213-prototype\/","title":{"rendered":"2.13 — \u201cPrototype\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n \n

2.13 — \u201cPrototype\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Plot:<\/strong> Voyager<\/em> finds an old-timey science fiction movie robot that looks like it could have come from an old Doctor Who<\/em> serial floating in space. B\u2019Elanna attempts to repair it. Discussions with the robot–Automated Unit 3947–reveal an opportunity for B\u2019Elanna to help create life, by allowing the robots to reproduce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Thoughts:<\/strong> The problem with helping something that looks like a old science fiction movie robot is that eventually it will start behaving like one. Is it just the aesthetic?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Actually, maybe because it\u2019s a conscious throwback to something old-fashioned, I feel like this episode has a real science fiction story, which I am grateful for. Unfortunately, it has a few problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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One of which is the misinterpretation of the Prime Directive, which faithful readers know is a pet peeve of mine. The Directive indeed prohibits interference in the development of cultures–until they become spacefaring. As this robot was rescued from space, this doesn\u2019t seem to be a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At this point, perhaps I should stop harping on this. When Star Trek doesn’t get something right since the 1960s, perhaps it would be better to say they’ve changed it. But there is little indication that the variances have been knowing and conscious, let alone well thought out. The Star Trek Encyclopedia<\/em> by Mike and Denise Okuda, says “The Prime Directive prohibits Starfleet personnel and spacecraft from interfering in the normal development of any society, and mandates that any Starfleet vessel or crew member is expendable to prevent violation of this rule.” It goes on to discreetly add “In most cases the Prime Directive applied to any civilization that had not yet developed the use of warp drive for interstellar travel.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Maybe there’s an argument here that the robots are spacefaring, but do not have the warp technology to support interstellar travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I think a more rigorous argument could have been presented on the pros and cons of applying the Prime Directive in this instance, but setting that aside, there are a host of prudential reasons for not making a race of new robots which don’t even get discussed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Number one: the mission of Voyager<\/em> is to go home at maximum warp. Why does everyone forget about this? Just B\u2019Elanna\u2019s promise to try to locate 3947\u2019s people and return him home must come with a large cost, in terms of delaying progress. To ignore this does no one any service. You can\u2019t do everything, so why not talk about what tradeoffs are worth making? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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B\u2019Elanna is the chief engineer. If she wants to take leave to work on a major side project that will consume significant energy resources, the Captain may have to say no. The choice of where to allocate resources is a choice about values. Let\u2019s not pretend you can always do everything (not when they don’t have enough energy to run replicators without rationing). They should not be afraid to have this discussion, which may involve the Captain issuing orders that not everyone likes (it’s a workplace, this seems inevitable).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Also, B\u2019Elanna knows nothing about these robots, or what they would do with new units if they existed. This becomes obvious as 3947 kidnaps her and tries to use her to support their war faction against other robots and reveals their murderous history. So B’Elanna’s hubris comes back to bite her, and she has to destroy what she created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The takeaway message is confusing. Is it that technology is bad? Because it strips us of our humanity? These may have been intelligible themes in the 1950s but do not resonate on a show like Voyager<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Still, I like a good science fiction monster movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Other details: B\u2019Elanna is imprisoned in the alien ship laboratory with no food, sleeping quarters, or bathroom. C\u2019mon, guys. These are important details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And Neelix is so annoying! I keep thinking how much of a better character he would be if everyone loved his cooking, and respected him for being creative and resourceful, instead of just making tired “the food is bad” jokes at his expense, which begs the question of why they ask him to cook for them, and why he doesn’t quit or learn to adapt to the crew’s preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3.5 out of 5 thermoses full of warp plasma.<\/p>\n\n\n

http:\/\/memory-alpha.wikia.com\/wiki\/Prototype_(episode)<\/a>