You are the Captain... 03

[Trek Writers Room]

Every week, I will present a challenging situation that you, as a Starfleet captain, must deal with. If you like, keep track of your answers, and over time, your command style will be revealed. Here is this week's question:

An engineering accident has occurred, and the situation is grave. You must make an immediate decision. A dangerous systems failure will cause a plasma burn within 30 seconds, which will kill everyone on board. You cannot drop out of warp to stop it. There are only two people aboard your ship who can get to an emergency plasma vent, bypass it, and save the ship in the time you have left.

Both have volunteered, even though they realize the plasma vent will most certainly kill them before they can be beamed out of the vent shaft. It is up to you to decide who goes. Out of the two volunteers, one is your outgoing chief engineer, a dear friend who has served with you for many years and is set to retire. The other is her replacement, a male who was recently promoted to a rank qualifying him for Galaxy-class service. He is also the son of the Admiral you currently serve under.

Who do you send in to hack the system and open the vent?

 

[kkt]

The current chief engineer. It's the chief engineer's job, and her designated successor doesn't have the job yet. Added experience might make her more able to carry out the job rapidly even if there are complications. And if I must choose one to die, other things being equal, I would choose the older one who has fewer years left to live.

 

[FredH]

(You know, this is why Starfleet really ought to have telepresence robots i.e. remote-controlled synth bodies. They don’t, but they certainly have the tech for it.)

 

[NCC-73515]

Experience with the ship's systems matters here, so the current engineer has to do it.
Reminds me of Thine Own Self and Latent Image

 

[Nerys Myk]

(You know, this is why Starfleet really ought to have telepresence robots i.e. remote-controlled synth bodies. They don’t, but they certainly have the tech for it.)

Star Trek gonna Star Trek.

 

[kkt]

(You know, this is why Starfleet really ought to have telepresence robots i.e. remote-controlled synth bodies. They don’t, but they certainly have the tech for it.)

What, and take away the great drama of having to order someone to their death??

 

[BillJ]

Nothing to do with friendship, if they are both qualified, I'm sending the junior engineer. But, in all honesty, that shouldn't be the captain's call, it should be the call of the Chief Engineer. They are the head of that particular department.

 

[Oddish]

I order the one who's most likely to succeed. If the repairs require endurance, I pick the kid. If they require deftness, I pick the chief.

But, if the current chief is the person I take her for, she'll ignore my orders, charge in there, slug the kid, and make the repairs herself no matter what orders I give.

 

[Frontis]

The decisions of a captain shouldn't depend on personal issues or feelings, so I send the Chief Engineer.

 

[Shawnster]

(You know, this is why Starfleet really ought to have telepresence robots i.e. remote-controlled synth bodies. They don’t, but they certainly have the tech for it.)

Novelization of Star Trek II mentioned robots and how they froze up by the radiation that killed Spock.

 

[Nerys Myk]

The decisions of a captain shouldn't depend on personal issues or feelings, so I send the Chief Engineer.

I know this goes against Star Trek "logic", but there's probably someone on staff who's better trained and qualified for the mission than either the Chief or the replacement Chief. Not a fan of the "Jack of all trades" approach to scientists and engineers on Trek.

 

[CaptainCalvinCat]

Well, what can I say? Sorry, son of the admiral - see ya on the other side. Or propably, I'd say "Kumpel, find a way, how to do that thing, that needs to be done, without killing one of you. You have 10 Minutes. go!"

 

[Farscape One]

Every week, I will present a challenging situation that you, as a Starfleet captain, must deal with. If you like, keep track of your answers, and over time, your command style will be revealed. Here is this week's question:

An engineering accident has occurred, and the situation is grave. You must make an immediate decision. A dangerous systems failure will cause a plasma burn within 30 seconds, which will kill everyone on board. You cannot drop out of warp to stop it. There are only two people aboard your ship who can get to an emergency plasma vent, bypass it, and save the ship in the time you have left.

Both have volunteered, even though they realize the plasma vent will most certainly kill them before they can be beamed out of the vent shaft. It is up to you to decide who goes. Out of the two volunteers, one is your outgoing chief engineer, a dear friend who has served with you for many years and is set to retire. The other is her replacement, a male who was recently promoted to a rank qualifying him for Galaxy-class service. He is also the son of the Admiral you currently serve under.

Who do you send in to hack the system and open the vent?

Considering it's an engineering problem, I would defer to the Chief Engineer's decision. And if she decided she was best suited and volunteered, she would be the one to go.

Unfortunately, I can't let friendship get in the way of a command decision when the lives of the entire crew are at stake.


For an example on what I mean, DS9's "CALL TO ARMS"... after Sisko finds out Jake stayed on DS9 instead of leaving on the Defiant, O'Brien asks if they should go back for him. Sisko says, "I can't risk the entire crew for one man. Even if he is my son."

 

[The Wormhole]

I know this goes against Star Trek "logic", but there's probably someone on staff who's better trained and qualified for the mission than either the Chief or the replacement Chief. Not a fan of the "Jack of all trades" approach to scientists and engineers on Trek.

Now, now, this is Star Trek. Everyone knows the staff is just there to fill out the background.

 

[Will_Carter]

Knowing nothing else?

I'm sending the qualified engineer in. the admiral's son is unproven and while i do applaud his willingness to step up. I KNOW the chief engineering officer can do the job I do not know if the red shirt will be able to do the job.

If the situation allows I would order both to go for the sake of redundancy and on the idea 'maybe together they can prevent one or the other from dying' but if it is literally one or the other going then dying. I'm going with the one person who i know will getit done.

And I will be the one to go give the news to any relevant family/spouse/children and let them yell at me, because by that time it isn't anything I wouldn't have heard from the mirror.

 

[FederationHistorian]

The son of the admiral.

He knows the duties of being an officer and therefore knows that he will be put into situations where he will die. If admiral turns into badmiral because they lost their son, that’s not on me.

The Chief Engineer has done her bit for Starfleet. And she’s the outgoing chief engineer for a reason. Also, if the Chief Engineer is that good, then she can teach at the Academy and share her knowledge and create more skilled engineers for Starfleet.

And it’s also important for crew morale to know that it’s possible that they too could reach retirement like the Chief Engineer.

 

[Jedi Marso]

Chief Engineer gets the call, but the junior engineer is going too, as a backup. He won't enter the danger zone unless the Chief fails.

If there is a chance that by sending them in together they can get the job done faster and survive, I'll order that. But given the option in the OP, the Chief Engineer definitely goes.

 

[Nerys Myk]

The son of the admiral.

He knows the duties of being an officer and therefore knows that he will be put into situations where he will die. If admiral turns into badmiral because they lost their son, that’s not on me.

The Chief Engineer has done her bit for Starfleet. And she’s the outgoing chief engineer for a reason. Also, if the Chief Engineer is that good, then she can teach at the Academy and share her knowledge and create more skilled engineers for Starfleet.

And it’s also important for crew morale to know that it’s possible that they too could reach retirement like the Chief Engineer.

Those are horrible reasons to not chose the Chief.

 

[Turtletrekker]

(You know, this is why Starfleet really ought to have telepresence robots i.e. remote-controlled synth bodies. They don’t, but they certainly have the tech for it.)

Well, they could have if the stupid Exocomps hadn't gone and achieved sentience. How selfish.

That said, the Chief Engineer, who would probably object even if I thought about sending the admiral son. Then, after the ship has been saved and and the situation is secure, I take an extended leave and wonder if Starfleet is still the life for me.

 

[BillJ]

...I take an extended leave and wonder if Starfleet is still the life for me.

Why? If you've made it to captain, it isn't the first person you've had to watch die in the line of duty.