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VOY 3x26: Scorpion Part 1
Is there some kind of Starfleet form I can sign to opt out of transporter hacks you "just came up with"?
I always looked Galaxy Quest's take on this:
"But the pig-beast is inside out... and now it has exploded."
It was just like a clueless captain to say "energize" as if that's going to magically make it work. Like, I'm trying to invent a whole new field of engineering here, Kathryn. Maybe step off a bit if you want them back in one piece.
- Torres (later to Vorik over a mug of something replicated and syntheholic)
Instead of a DNR (do not resuscitate), create a DNTH (do not transporter hack)
Yeah, that's one of those tropes I hate pretty much everywhere, but (old) Star Trek is great enough to look past it.
They are skilled and professional. But how incompetently was the playbook written, if pretty much everyone can come up with something previously not derived spontaneously, if it's that easy?
IMO, it's essentially the duality of techno babbling. In the hands of good writers it can enhance an already well written story.
In bad writing, it's often used as a fluff drama element, sometimes even becoming deus ex machina.
I generally view them as developmental or unreliable methods. A 20% risk of killing everyone involved is horrifying for a normal away mission return. However, the same risk for pulling a team away from imminent death is a lot more tolerable.
This also explains how they can implement them so quickly, it's already buried in the codebase.