From: tjw@vms.cis.pitt.edu (TJ Wood)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Re: Cloaking devices (Spoilers) Rascals
Date: 7 Nov 92 18:03:46 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: University of Pittsburgh

In article <1992Nov7.055857.23693@netcom.com>, moe@netcom.com (Morris Bisted) writes:

> Spoilers for Rascals

> Now that the Enterprise has caught 2 Bird of Prey, hopefully the
> Federation will have the forethought to try and figure out how this
> technology works.

> But no!!  The Federation has only had knowledge and actual possession 
> of the cloaking device since Kirk stole it in TOS (Did IBM get the
> development contract or what?).  

Kirk also had possession of a Klingon ship in "The Voyage Home".  It was on
Federation soil (Vulcan) for quite some time.  I find it hard to believe
that nobody had a "peek" at the cloaking device.  Could you imagine a
Russian sub surfacing in Great Brittain and absolutely NO ONE checking it
out?  "Not Bloody Likely!".  And what about Scotty?  He'd have stripped
the ship down piece by piece just out of curiosity.  You think that HE
didn't have a gander at it?

Not to mention the "bad copy" of a cloaking device that they ALREADY have
captured from the "Ardra" episode.  Funny, but the "bad copy" was good
enough to fool Picard and Data.  Geordi seems to know quite a bit about
cloaking devices given the information he volunteered from the episode where
he and Ro Laren were "phased".  So one could conclude that the details of
a cloaking device aren't classified or secret.

So it makes me wonder how the Federation could NOT possibly know how to
construct one.  (OR AT LEAST DETECT ONE!)  The only reason I could see for
NOT using a cloaking device is that a cloaking device is not "ethical" or
"honorable".  And if you believe *that* would stop people in Government, I
have a bridge in Brooklyn that you might be interested in too! ;-)

They've had examples of Klingon and Romulan cloaking devices for 80 years
and they can't make a copy?  Sheesh!  I'll bet Scotty has one in his shuttle!
("It's the equvalent of a 20th Century Radar Jammer!" he once told me).

Think about all the episodes that have Hologram generators ("Who Watches the
Watchers?").  It's hard to believe that given technology that can "cloak"
observers in a hillside that the Federation can't cloak their ships.

It *IS* getting to be a pretty lame excuse.  Let's face it:  The Ferengi
have now seen the Klingon technology.  How long is it going to be before
we see cloaked Ferengi ships?  Even if those "Monkey Boys" can't figure out
how it works, they seem able to buy/borrow/cheat/steal their way into all
the technology they want.

NOT having a cloaking device is getting harder and harder to explain.

A really GOOD story could be constructed out of the first "official" use
of a cloaking device.  Either way (having one or not having one) the
Star Trek "universe" is becoming complicated.  How does the Federation
protect it's borders?  They can't tell if a Romulan ship is orbiting Earth?
I find this hard to believe.  The Romulans would have gone straight to
Vulcan in "Unification" had this been possible.  Why steal Vulcan ships/parts
if you are undetectable?

The contradictions are beginning to mount.

Terry "now employing a 500 line cloaked signature" Wood
-- 
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"Laugh while you can, Monkey Boy!"                        - Lord "John" Warfin
"There can be only one!"                                  - The Highlander
"There should have been only one. I want my money back!"  - Terry