RABAL: Well I hope so, because once we persuade Starfleet to stop warp travel through the Corridor, we're going to have to convince our own people to give up warp drive completely.
LAFORGE: Hekaras Two is the only inhabited world in this region. Without warp drive, you'd be completely isolated from the rest of the Federation. Are you really willing to take that step?
And they can't evacuate the planet...because? It's stuff like this that makes the power conversion ratio stuff even more pointless and infuriating! It took time away from the actual plot and the actual issues!
PICARD: It's like pacing up and down on the same piece of carpet. Eventually you wear it out.
DATA: That analogy is essentially correct, sir.
So route traffic around the area like I suggested earlier!
SEROVA: That's your response? More research? More delays. I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything different.
Okay, what's your alternative? You want to completely cut off your planet from the rest of the galaxy based solely on your own opinion, without even consulting your own government? WHY are we supposed to like this woman?
DATA: Captain, the Hekaran ship's engines are beginning to overload. I believe Serova's attempting to create a warp core breach.
We've seen over and over again that there are easier ways to create a warp core breach. A phaser will do it.
For that matter, how is overloading the engines supposed to make the core explode? Surely there are built-in failsafes to stop the plasma flow to the engines!
DATA: I suggest we coast into the rift.
RIKER: Coast?
DATA: We can initiate a brief, high intensity warp pulse from our current position. We should be able to attain sufficient velocity to enter the rift, beam the crew off the Fleming and exit without using our warp engines.
Yeah, this is nonsense. The nacelles aren't rockets pushing out plasma, they're literally warping space. No warp, no push, period.
DATA: If we field saturate the nacelles, we should be able to sustain warp speed for approximately two minutes.
More nonsense. My answer would be to change the frequency of the plasma and the warp field enough to "tiptoe" through the rift. Yeah, it'll damage the engines, but at least they'd actually be turned on as opposed to this "coasting" nonsense.
RABAL: I don't think we can look at space travel the same way anymore. We're going to have to change.
LAFORGE: I've been in Starfleet for a long time. We depend on warp drive. I just don't know how easy it's going to be to change.
RABAL: It won't be easy at all.
A key problem with this entire premise is the notion that ANY warp travel ANYWHERE will open a rift, which is nonsense. The carpet was worn down in this area, it is not worn down everywhere.
Which makes the idea that Voyager's variable geometry nacelles negates this effect ridiculous. In the Delta Quadrant there are no "warp highways", there are no worn areas of carpet.
DATA: Captain, warp pulse calculations are complete. We will be firing the engines at maximum intensity for six point three seconds before disengaging.
You'll be firing WHAT at maximum intensity for 6.3 seconds? Are we talking about inflating the warp field like a balloon to many times its usual size and hoping that it doesn't deflate before we get out? Treknology doesn't work like that!
DATA: Hull stress is increasing. Eighty three percent of maximum tolerance and rising.
Increasing from what? The deflating warp field?
RIKER: Data, what if we forced an EPS discharge through the impulse reactor. Would that be enough to get us out of here?
What do the impulse engines have to do with warp travel?
DATA: I do not believe so, sir, and the resulting explosion would likely destroy the saucer section in the process.
You mean the entire ship, right Data?
LAFORGE: If can phase match our deflector shield to the EM variance of the distortion wave, when the next one hits we'll be pulled along with it.
What? First of all, I'm pretty sure the distortion wave is a consequence of subspace physics and has nothing to do with the EM spectrum. Second of all, sailing in space requires large surface area and small mass.
DATA: Captain, I suggest we take the ship to full impulse. If we can attain sufficient speed, it will lessen the shock when the wave hits.
I'm pretty sure the difference between 0c and 0.25c compared to 1c in these circumstances is pretty negligible.
Which raises an interesting question. No doubt 0.25c was chosen as full impulse as a balance between useful speed and minimizing time differentials in communications and scans, etc. But can you overclock the engines to get to 0.5c in emergency situations like this?
PICARD: Ah. We've received new directives from the Federation Council on this matter. Until we can find a way to counteract the warp field effect, the Council feels our best course is to slow the damage as much as possible. Therefore, areas of space found susceptible to warp fields will be restricted to essential travel only, and effective immediately all Federation vessels will be limited to a speed of warp five, except in cases of extreme emergency.
Complete nonsense. If you treat modern highways like they're just as susceptible to wearing damage as brick roads, nobody will be able to get anywhere.
PICARD: Very well. You know, Geordi, I spent the better part of my life exploring space. I've charted new worlds, I've met dozens of new species. And I believe that these were all valuable ends in themselves. Now it seems that all this while, I was helping to damage the thing that I hold most dear.
LAFORGE: It's won't turn out that way, Captain. We still have time to make it better.
The message would carry better if it wasn't so hamfisted and shortsighted.
The Fiver
Picard: Starfleet wants us to find the missing medical ship Fleming.
Data: It was last seen entering a region of space containing a dangerous tetryon field, and in which the Ferengi have recently been observed.
Riker: And Starfleet wonders why they've lost contact with this ship?
Is there a joke here?
La Forge: Sure. The biggest hole is in the top layer of the "O" zone -- can you see the main part for it anywhere?
Data: Yes, I believe this green piece is what we need.
Ugh. A key problem with the ozone layer analogy is that the contaminants in the ozone layer had a natural way to collect into one place that can get damaged more easily. That's not so in this episode, subspace was already weak here.
Riker: Besides, what do the Ferengi know about how mine warfare is waged?
Prak: Are you kidding? As an acquisitive society, we take the word "mine" very seriously!
Ha ha ha.
Rabal: Our research shows that warp drive is damaging the fabric of space near our planet. Its use in this region must be abandoned.
Serova: We've shown our data to the Federation Science Council, but they refuse to listen. They've even rejected our proposal to call this phenomenon "The Omega Effect."
Picard: Did they say why?
Serova: All they told us was that the name was already copyrighted.
Omega
Phenomenon. And I don't think "copyright" is the right word to use here.
Picard: Can their theory be verified?
Data: Not without more research. Perhaps they should conduct an experiment in which a warp-driven ship would travel back and forth across this area millions of times.
Serova: That's unacceptable! It would take much too long!
Rabal: And getting a research grant application approved would take even longer!
Now that's a joke. What a shock, I like academia jokes...
Rabal: I'm sure she wants to do something more dramatic -- like handcuff herself to the nearest area of subspace instability.
That's a gag that's sadly fallen out of style.
I still remember when Corey got his first kiss when handcuffed to a locker....
Transport Technician: (over the comm) Energizing.
Riker: Well? Is the first group aboard?
Technician: The instruments say yes, but for some reason they're all invisible.
How is this situation like "The Next Phase"?
Picard: In order to prevent further damage to subspace, the Federation Council has restricted all starships to a maximum of Warp Five from now on.
Riker: But at that rate we'll never get anywhere!
Picard: Actually, we should be grateful. The Vulcan High Command wanted to impose an even lower speed limit on us.
Riker: Boy, those guys never let up, do they?
Odd place for an Enterprise joke.
Memory Alpha
* First episode where Spot is unambiguously female, as a setup for "Genesis".
Nitpicker's Guide
* Phil talks a bit about the inconsistencies as to whether or not raising shields automatically triggers red alert (a reasonable shortcut, if you ask me).
* If the Enterprise is surrounding by a degrading warp field, how they can transport people from the stationary Fleming?