Star Trek: The Next Generation

Work Title: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Medium: TV Episode
Episode Title: The Emissary
Year: 1989
Writer(s): Thomas H. Calder
"Original" Writer: Yes Writer(s): Richard Manning
"Original" Writer: Yes Writer(s): Hans Beimler
"Original" Writer: Yes Own work?: No
Summary:

(copied from http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/TNG/episode/68398.html) The U.S.S. Enterprise, obeying orders from the highest ranks of Starfleet Command, beams aboard a special emissary named K'Ehleyr, a half-human, half-Klingon female. The crew is pulled by Worf's coldness toward K'Ehleyr, who informs them that they must intercept the T'Ong, a Klingon vessel whose staff has been in cryogenic sleep for a century. She reveals that the Klingons began their voyage while the Federation was still at war with the Klingon Empire, and that if they awaken within striking range of key Federation outposts, the results could be devastating. Worf, shunning the emissary's friendly advances, reluctantly follows Picard's orders to meet with K'Ehleyr about the volatile situation with the T'Ong. However, their meeting quickly turns personal, revealing that the two were once linked romantically. After a bitter argument, K'Ehleyr storms out. To work out her frustrations, K'Ehleyr goes to the Holodeck where she does Worf's rigorous calisthenics program. Worf joins her for the exercise, which pits them in battle against deadly alien warriors. After completing the program, an aroused Worf grabs K'Ehleyr and they consummate their passion. At dawn, Worf asks her to take the Klingon oath of marriage which traditionally follows intimacy, but she refuses. Meanwhile, the Enterprise approaches the T'Ong, whose newly awakened crew members begin firing at the ship. To prevent a fatal face-off, Worf dresses in full Klingon Captain's regalia and presents himself to the T'Ong as the commander of the U.S.S. Enterprise and demands their surrender. He convinces the Klingon leaders that the war ended during the T'Ong's mission and that the Klingons are now peaceful members of the Federation. Following the T'Ong's surrender, K'Ehleyr prepares to take command of the Klingon vessel and is escorted to the transporter room by Worf. There, the two finally reconcile their differences and although K'Ehleyr bids him farewell, she leaves Worf with the hope that their paths will cross again.

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

All action (and people's lives, etc.) takes place aboard the spaceship.

Technology

  • Name of portrayed presence-evoking technology: The Holodeck
  • Description of the technology: A crew member (or guest, in this episode) programs the Holodeck using voice commands to specify parameters, or runs a program previously programmed by someone else. K'Ehleyr needs to let off steam after an argument with Worf. Counselor Troi recommends she exercise using the Holodeck. K'Ehleyr decides to use a calisthenics program Worf has previously entered into the Holodeck's computer. Worf joins her mid-program.
  • Nature of task or activity: Ostensibly, K'Ehleyr is exercising, but after Worf joins her on the Holodeck, it is implied that they end up consummating their relationship physically. Afterward, Worf attempts to take a Klingon oath that would bond them as partners for life, but K'Ehleyr refuses.
  • Performance of the Technology: It provides a calisthenic workout in "Klingon style" which involves being attacked by numerous scary-looking characters in an other-worldly jungle environment. It also ups the difficulty of the fights when Worf commands it to go to level 2. No malfunctioning is evident.
  • Description of creator(s): The creators of the Holodeck are not explicitly identified, though it is clear that Worf entered the specific program it runs in this episode.
  • Major goal(s) of creator(s): To provide leisure, relaxation, and in this episode, exercise, to Starfleet crew members on board the Enterprise.
  • Description of users of technology: K'Ehleyr is a young half-human, half-Klingon woman. Worf is a young Klingon man. The Klingons are a race of warriors, some of whom are Starfleet officers and live and work among humans.
  • Type(s) of presence experience in the portrayal: both
  • Description of presence experience: K'Ehleyr battles several attackers in the Holodeck program, and seems to get a decent physical workout doing so. After Worf joins her and raises the program's difficulty level, they both exert themselves significantly fighting off the attackers.
  • User awareness of technology during experience: Both fight as if they are battling real attackers, who fall to the ground when defeated. The only point at which the program "shows through" is when Worf slashes an attacker across the chest and he disintegrates digitally and disappears.
  • Valence of experience: Both seem to enjoy fighting the attackers, and clearly find the experience satisfying.
  • Specific responses: K'Ehleyr and Worf become sexually aroused by the experience of fighting side by side, and consummate their relationship there on the Holodeck. It is unclear whether or not they would have done the same thing outside of the "romantic" (for Klingons) setting of the Holodeck's otherworldly jungle.
Long-term consequences:

Worf becomes angry when K'Ehleyr refuses to take the oath with him. He seems to resent her treating their experience on the Holodeck as if it didn't mean anything. She later admits that it did, that she considered taking the oath with him, and their parting is bittersweet.

Other:

Coder name: Tina Peterson
Coder email: tina.peterson@temple.edu
Coder affiliation: Temple University