When the Enterprise encounters the Bird of Prey, why does Kirk order a Red Alert? Since there's nobody else on the ship, there's no reason for it.
Unless a Red Alert enables the ship's weapons to be fired, sort of like a safety lock on a gun?
Probably just a habit. Like when Picard says "on screen" at the end of Nemesis even though the view screen has been destroyed.
"Oh no...they sent the wrong Spock!"
Picard saying "on screen" in a ship without a screen looked and sounded just dumb.
I don't think so. I think it was just an automatic response and he quickly corrected himself. I had no problem with it, especially when you consider all of the other problems I had with Nemesis.
"Oh no...they sent the wrong Spock!"
as you say, habit... And it emphasized how extensive and unusual the damage was.
I always figured ordering red alert automatically activated certain defensive systems -- charged phasers, prepared torpedoes, closed watertight doors...
What always bothered me was that in TWOK, a Yelow Alert "Energized Defense Fields" yet, for some reason, that did not include raising shields.
I'm tired.
I hope it won't be much longer.
It bothered me more that Spock chastised Saavik for quoting the regulation. That's not Spock.
"Oh no...they sent the wrong Spock!"
Maybe he was trying to protect his student from the wrath of Kirk.
but I agree. In TOS, I think Spock himself would have reminded Kirk. in this case, he would have defended his student by saying "I concur."
I'm tired.
I hope it won't be much longer.
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I don't think so. I think it was just an automatic response and he quickly corrected himself. I had no problem with it, especially when you consider all of the other problems I had with Nemesis.
Based upon the Enterprise episode Singularity, by going to red alert the ship's defences automatically activates without numerous start up routines and therefore making the ship combat effective at the push of a button.
shareAnother thing to consider is that, as much as Roddenberry hated this: Starfleet is the military, and the crew need to hear 'Red Alert' in order to take certain defensive actions.
Some actions may take place without an order (i.e. note how Kirk, in TMP, when told V'ger is scanning the ship, quickly orders 'Do NOT return scan!' to counter the crewperson's automatic impulse to reply with a scan without being prompted by an officer). But when it comes to ship's defenses, some things need a more hands-on approach than "Hey there might be a threat here....eh, the crew will know when to 'energize defense field', etc."
I'm going with habit as well. At the climax of ST:2, even though Kirk has a VERY good idea of where his beat friend is, he still says, "Saavik, take the conn" on his way out.
share"When the Enterprise encounters the Bird of Prey, why does Kirk order a Red Alert? Since there's nobody else on the ship, there's no reason for it.
Unless a Red Alert enables the ship's weapons to be fired, sort of like a safety lock on a gun?"
LOL exactly the same two points I have wondered while watching the movie.
A safety is a good theory. Habit is another one. And in combat, habit is crucial so time isn't wasted making decisions.
My additional theory is that the operations of the ship are being video recorded, and even though he wasn't quite a ship's commander in good standing at that point, the video recorder shows Kirk followed procedure.
It could have to do with the way Scotty set up the automation system, as well; that to arm/load the torpedoes using the automation controls, the ship has to go to red alert. It's kind of like when your anti-virus software runs; for it to work, you're computer has to be turned on in normal mode.
Here's to the health of Cardinal Puff.
That makes sense. as we saw in TWOK, a yellow alert tells the crew to "energize defense shields" or some such. Scotty might have automated the ship to do so when a yellow alert was called and, as I noted above, a red alert might bring additional defenses online.
"After years of fighting with reality, I am pleased to say that I have finally won out over it."
Mor ethe case that combat readiness would be Action Stations/red Alert/1SQ.
Standard naval procedure.