Star Trek: The Next Generation

Work Title: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Medium: TV Episode
Episode Title: The Dauphin
Year: 1989
Writer(s): Scott Rubenstein
"Original" Writer: Yes Writer(s): Leonard Mlodinow
"Original" Writer: Yes Own work?: No
Summary:

The Enterprise is assigned to transport the dauphin, the future ruler of her world, from her planet of voluntary exile where she was tutored and trained by a governess. The governess is extremely protective and suspicious of potential threats to the safety of her charge, and won't permit the young person, in appearance a teen-age girl, to leave quarters. However, Wesley Crusher is smitten with the girl, whose name is Salia. Salia invites Wesley into the living quarters, then accompanies Wesley around the ship. By the time Salia flees back to her quarters, the Enterprise crew have learned that Anya, the governess, is an alassomorph ... a shape-shifter. Salia sneaks out while Anya is sleeping to visit Wesley, but when Anya seeks out Salia, Salia responds to Anya's monstrous form by transforming herself, to Wesley's shock. Anya is confined to the guest quarters by forcefield. When they arrive at Salia's homeworld, it is time for Anya and Salia to leave the ship, but at this point, Anya releases Salia into charge of Worf's department for the beamdown, while Worf escorts Anya to another transporter room to return Anya to her home on a nearby moon. Salia thinks it was in vain that she asked Wesley to come see her off, but he hurries to the transporter room, and learns that her natural form is awesomely beautiful though alien. from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dauphin_%28TNG_episode%29

Era/Year of Portrayal: distant_future
Distinctive characteristics of the world in portrayal:

takes place roughly in 2365. Warp drive allows transit between star systems. Matter transporters allow short-range teleportation and serve as the basic technology behind replicators. Matter replication and hologram technology serve as the basis for the Holodeck.

Technology

  • Name of portrayed presence-evoking technology: Holodeck
  • Description of the technology: The Holodeck is a stationary room wherein a combination of matter replication and holograms can virtually recreate any sort of environment, complete with interactive characters. Users of the Holodeck activate (or create) a program that they initiate either before they enter the room or after they are inside. The degree of sensory immersion is complete; for all intents and purposes, the users are actually in the environment run by the program. The only exception to this would be the safety mechanisms set into the Holodeck that prevent major injury (such as providing breatheable air and nonlethal combat situations); in previous episodes, it has been established that the Holodeck safeties can be reset or deactivated. The Holodeck is completely subject to its programming.
  • Nature of task or activity: In this episode, Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher takes diplomat Salia to the Holodeck and shows her several alien worlds, in particular one of the planets of our solar systen (complete with a view of what appears to be Saturn in the background) and the asteroid-like remains of Rousseau Five (complete with the resonance generated by neutrino clouds that sound like singing).
  • Performance of the Technology: The technology works flawlessly.
  • Description of creator(s): not mentioned
  • Major goal(s) of creator(s): The Holodeck appears to be for training/education and entertainment purposes.
  • Description of users of technology: Wesley is a teenage male, exceptionally intelligent, and the youngest acting crewmember on the USS Enterprise. His companion is Salia, a young diplomat (also appearing to be a teenager) who is being escorted to a planet she has been assigned to rule over; it is later revealed she is an alassomorph/shape-shifter.
  • Type(s) of presence experience in the portrayal: spatial_presence
  • Description of presence experience: Wesley shows Salia 2 locations: The 1st appears to be a planet in our solar system with Saturn close enough to be visible in the skyline. Wesley then oders the Holodeck to shift locales and we see the 2nd location of Rousseau Five. The rapid shift in locations causes Salia to stumble slightly because Rousseau Five is an asteroid field set in a neutrino cloud that "sings" when the harmonic resonance aligns. While neither teenager is in any danger of suffocation, the scenes are played out as if they are actually on the sites created by the Holodeck.
  • User awareness of technology during experience: Wesley and Salia both know they are on the Holodeck
  • Valence of experience: Wesley and Salia both remark how viewing these worlds was enjoyable.
  • Specific responses: Salia is awed by her experience, not of viewing a Holodeck recreation, but of simply being able to see other worlds.
Long-term consequences:

The story ends bittersweet. While Salia has enjoyed her experience of encountering a world outside of service to her people, she still follows her goal of returning to her homeworld and leading her people.

Other:

Coder name: Tom Polcari
Coder email: tpolcari@temple.edu
Coder affiliation: Temple University