Beaming in "Relics"

[{ Emilia }]

Ok, so I realize this has probably been brought up before but I guess I fail at using the search function.

In the final scenes of the episode "Relics" Scotty and Geordi are on board of the Jenolan and they are blocking the gate/hatch of that Dyson sphere with the Jenolan's shields activated.

Next thing you see is Picard ordering them to be beamed out of the Jenolan. Hello? The shields are up. Am I missing something? I thought you can't transport through shields.

It's always bothered me and I'm usually not bothered by tech inconsistencies.

 

[KDoug]

Yeah, it's a bit of an oversight, but it's not too hard to justify. The Jenolan was a much older ship, so it may make sense that a more modern ship was able to get a transporter beam through its shields.

Also, the episode "The Wounded" brings up the idea that you can transport through any type of shield if you know the nitty-gritty details of its particular design. That example says that you must carefully time your transporter beam to match some kind of cycle that the shields go through. But again, the Jenolan used a much older shield design, which may have made the technique much easier.

 

[{ Emilia }]

Yeah, it's a bit of an oversight, but it's not too hard to justify. The Jenolan was a much older ship, so it may make sense that a more modern ship was able to get a transporter beam through its shields.

Possible I guess.

Also, the episode "The Wounded" brings up the idea that you can transport through any type of shield if you know the nitty-gritty details of its particular design. That example says that you must carefully time your transporter beam to match some kind of cycle that the shields go through.

I remembered that, too. But tbh the casual way the order was given in doesn't really make me believe that they were trying something as complicated as that. They probably would've needed Geordi for that, too.

 

[lurok]

I'd just put it down to another one of those trek episodes/films where they got so excited about over-arching concept ("wow...we have Scotty! On TNG") they forgot about the small and important details...

 

[Sean Aaron]

Wasn't it a "by the skin of their teeth moment" right as the ship was destroyed? I figured they beamed them just as the shields were collapsing before the ship was crushed.

 

[Rarewolf]

It has the wrong transporter patterns too. So it may have been an old ship even before its crash. I know its Registry was NCC 2010 or abouts, but NX-2000 may have been on the drawing board for a while.

 

[LeadHead]

I think the "Old starship, weaker and therefore transportable" shields is a good explanation. If that doesn't work for you, it's possible that Scotty had diverted most of the shield power to Port and Starboard sides, since they needed the power there, that's where the huge doors were pressing against. Lower power to the front shields might have made it very easy to beam through.

 

[KDoug]

Actually, here's another question: Are there any other examples where a ship needs to use its shields, but it isn't under attack? If so, do they ever mention the transporter?

It could be that the only reason why you can't beam through shields is because they don't want anyone to board the ship during an attack. If that's the case, they could have simply disabled the transporter-blocking aspect of the shields. I'm just not sure if you can support that hypothesis with what's been shown on screen over the years.

 

[Satyrquaze]

They probably would've needed Geordi for that, too.

Data could have done it from his Ops console with one hand tied behind his back.

 

[SchwEnt]

Maybe part of the problem is when beaming through shields, one of the parties doesn't *want* transporter activity going on, you know... shields up, red alert, no unauthorized beaming.

In "Relics" we got two super engineers working on the task, both ships presumably working together to establish a beam-out. Not too difficult, right?

Plus, the whole shield frequency thing.

If knowing a shield frequency can allow easy circumvention by weapons, I'd imagine knowing the shield frequency would also permit transporter signals to penetrate. If it works for rapid nadions, why not ACBs?

 

[BlackFire3]

there's also the possibility that the ship had multiple shield generators, one for each section. so the shields may have been up at the bow and stern but not the sides.

 

[LeadHead]

Actually, here's another question: Are there any other examples where a ship needs to use its shields, but it isn't under attack? If so, do they ever mention the transporter?

It could be that the only reason why you can't beam through shields is because they don't want anyone to board the ship during an attack. If that's the case, they could have simply disabled the transporter-blocking aspect of the shields. I'm just not sure if you can support that hypothesis with what's been shown on screen over the years.

Actually, I was just watching Booby Trap last night and they raise the shields once the radiation starts going at them. Riker and Data beam to the derelict ship, Picard talks to Worf about Lowering and raising the shields.

 

[{ Emilia }]

Although to be fair another possibility is that the writers just screwed up...

Just saying.

 

[KDoug]

Although to be fair another possibility is that the writers just screwed up...

Just saying.

No, don't you understand? They created it and IT'S REEEEEAAAAAL!!

 

[Robert D. Robot]

I haven't ever heard of this concept discussed on screen, but it would be interesting if the ship could adjust the nature of the shield generated to be affective against different dangers... one setting might be more effective against a physical object (small asteroids or a ship to ship collision), while another might be more effective against certain types of radiation, whether it be phaser fire or omicron radiation. The standard setting would guard against most everything, but maybe other settings would conserve energy and make more sense for different concerns. Maybe some of these alternate settings would allow for transport.

Maybe when they are randomly rotating the shield harmonics as a defense against a Borg attack, they are bouncing around through some of these options.

 

[Myasishchev]

Personally, the thing about "Relics" that always bothered me was the implication from that Barclay episode that people stay conscious inside the transporter beam.

 

[{ Emilia }]

Personally, the thing about "Relics" that always bothered me was the implication from that Barclay episode that people stay conscious inside the transporter beam.

Yikes, good point.

And it actually never occurred to me that the Barclay episode is complete bollocks since you can't really be conscious while your molecules are ripped apart.

 

[KDoug]

Personally, the thing about "Relics" that always bothered me was the implication from that Barclay episode that people stay conscious inside the transporter beam.

I agree that the idea is weird, but it's also not without precedent. Don't ST II: TWOK and ST IV: TVH show people talking or walking while beaming?

 

[Ro_Laren]

I'd just put it down to another one of those trek episodes/films where they got so excited about over-arching concept ("wow...we have Scotty! On TNG") they forgot about the small and important details...

One of the reasons they should not have brought him back! I was never a fan of Relics and found it incredibly annoying that they gave him a shuttlecraft at the end of the episode. Is Starfleet in the habit of giving away their ships? It kinda reminds me of the time when the Wright brothers came back to life and were given F-16's by the American government!

 

[Tom Riley]

Personally, the thing about "Relics" that always bothered me was the implication from that Barclay episode that people stay conscious inside the transporter beam.

I agree that the idea is weird, but it's also not without precedent. Don't ST II: TWOK and ST IV: TVH show people talking or walking while beaming?

And TMP, during the malfunction Commander Sonak and the other person both started screaming while still in mid transport. Conscious AND physically feeling things.