13. It’s Just a Sim

Venkatrangan distracts Zhou by pretending to be a communicator

2007-07-17

Transcript

13.1 Venkatrangan addresses Root

Venkatrangan: Crewman, if you have anything to say, say it.
Root: Aye, sir. Sir, I think our temperature sensors are lying to us. Recommend emergency shutdown of the core.

13.2 Zhou is nonplussed

Zhou: Leave ourselves drifting in space with no power?! Are you serious?
Root: Better to spend a few days rebooting the warp engines than being blown up, sir.

13.3 Venkatrangan distracts Zhou by pretending to be a communicator

Zhou: Hamlet, override the coolant pumps for the warp core, see if we can——
Intercom: Bridge to Engineering. Where’s our warp drive gone?
Zhou: What?
Hamlet: Override?

13.4 Venkatrangan and Root

Zhou: Zhou here, ma’am. We’re looking in to it, but——
Venkatrangan: Sorry to interrupt, Lieutenant, but the core just blew—and we are all now officially dead.
betOrelek: Thank God it was just a sim.

Notes

13.1

This continues from the previous strip, where the core temperature reported to be OK but lots of other systems are suddenly failing.

The consoles used in the monitor room have semi-circular arrangements of programmable buttons and a large screen behind. They are supposed to resemble the bridge stations of the Enterprise, apart from being about half as wide.
13.3

Hamlet is the horny red guy. The other red guy in strip #6 ‘Nets’ is called Mustardseed (and has only two horns). Carnelians, like Wombles, choose human names from a big book; in their case it is the Riverside Shakespeare. Hamlet’s wings are hidden underneath his coveralls.

With apologies to Gene Roddenberry and the many professionals and amateurs who have created the Star Trek universe over the years.

This silly webcomic is not endorsed, sponsored or affiliated with CBS Studios Inc., Paramount Pictures Corp or the STAR TREK franchise. STAR TREK and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc.