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Star Trek Plot Devices Explained	By : keithcompany Category: Star Trek > Star Trek Views: 1386 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, settings or props of the Star Trek universe. I make no profit from this fanfic.

Chapter List
- 1-1-4
- 2-5-8
- 3-9-12
- 4-13-16
- 5-17-20
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(9) Pacifist aliens fear the starship is the first of an invasion, attempt to distract the crew by placing them in a simulation of their own idea of a utopia.
Andorians indulge themselves in paradise.
Tellarites indulge themselves in paradise.
Vulcans keep suggesting improvements to utopia, tinkering with the parameters of the simulation, tweaking the settings in an endless search to improve on perfection that aggravates the shit out of their alien hosts… Which is the Vulcan idea of paradise, so it’s a wash.
Romulans are pretty sure they’re being manipulated, but, hey, it’s paradise, you know? Pass the ale.
Klingon paradise is a bit intense for the pacifist programmers who shut it down after just a taste of the never-ending mayhem of Sto-Vo-Kor, with the great enemies, undying heroes, quaffing, feasting, and good lord did you see what they did with the guy’s ears? They’d rather be invaded. Angry at losing the chance at paradise, the Klingons wipe out the aliens. Log it as, “Fireday. One more notch for the Genocide Belt. Glory to the Empire.”
Ferengi avarice knowing no bounds, Ferrengi paradise is a never-ending cycle of greed feeding on greater greed. Whatever the simulation provides, they demand double. Then double that. Then double THAT. Simulation is already facing overload when the CO challenges his department heads to a dabo tournament. The betting on the third round blows the computer's circuits like monopole popcorn, affecting every other unit on the network, wiping out most of civilization in that system. Surviving pacifists are forced to borrow heavily to purchase safe transport to their cousin's solar system, where they move into the system's basement 'for a while,' until they get 'back on their feet.'
Compared to their Mirror Universe counterparts:
Humans immediately decide paradise is too good to be true, as the CO points out in a speech about how the human search for utopia is never supposed to actually end, but rather spur continued improvements in defeating stupid obstacles like poverty, indolence, economic disequality, telemarketing, racism, elitism, sexism and that thing Texans did in the winter. They keep questioning paradise, in general, in specifics, and in any attempted relationship with the perfect love interest, one of whom finally explodes with ‘Why can’t you just be happy for being happy?’ The CO explains that the driving urge of the truly enlightened human is not happiness, sex, feasting, or large quantities of chocolate. It is the need to explain. The aliens shut down the simulation and poke out their own eardrums with icepicks.

(10) Compared to their Mirror Universe counterparts:
The Mirror Andorians are the Andorians’ intellectual equals, but moral inferiors.
The Mirror Tellarates are the Tellarites’ moral equals, but oh my god ugly.
The Mirror Romulans are Vulcans. They never split off.
The Mirror Vulcans are pretty much Romulans. And Vulcan (Romulan) Ale is legal anywhere in the Empire.
The Mirror Klingons are pretty much Klingons. They just have slightly different inventories of technology, what with never having had a treaty with the Romulans who never existed.
The Mirror Ferengi are pretty much like our Ferengi, but are light-years ahead in the application of extended warranties
The Mirror Humans are the intellectual superiors of humans, but their moral inferiority prevents them from taking advantage of that fact, what with the politics, infighting, assassinations, form-fitting and/or revealing uniforms that indicate the whole species has the sex drive of Viagra-pumped bunny rabbits with the discerning tastes of a rabid chinchilla, and the general availability of Vulcan Ale. There is no minimum drinking age, either, as no one ever died of alcohol-related health problems. I mean, unless you count ‘playing with your own agonizer while drunk’ an alcohol-related health problem…

(11) CO becomes aware of a secret faction within his government that plots to assassinate a high ranking official for the benefits of confusion and/or controlling the outcome of a political dispute.
Tellarite CO alerts the authorities. Hope they’re not compromised. Walks away.
Andorian CO destroys all evidence that he learned of the plot, walks away with an innocent look.
Vulcan CO contacts the faction leader, offers a critique of the plot, including full details on how it was discovered, logically proves that the faction is not prepared to come to power at this juncture. All parties walk away.
Ferengi CO creates an anonymous account on ‘BribeMeToCommandMe.FER’ and waits to see which faction is best prepared to persuade him to their side.
Romulan CO checks the big file cabinet in his stateroom, tracking the factions he belongs to and is allied with, thus deducing his participation in the plot already in progress. Reacts accordingly.
Klingon determines the bat’leth tournament champion supported by the faction leader. If the CO hates that champion, exposes the plot. If he supports the champion, joins the plot. If his feelings for the champion are neutral, he checks the standings. If the champion is ranked higher…
Human CO automatically assumes the proper authorities are unable/unwilling to foil the plot, either because none of them were competent enough to detect the plot, or they’re actively compromised.   This leaves the human and his trusted crew the justification to move about freely, unconcerned about tampering with evidence, spoiling an investigation, or obstructing justice. They also assume they are more competent at sub rosa plots than the actual plotters are. Sure enough, no matter how they blunder about, they do not come to the attention of the faction or bump into any intelligence operatives poised to spring their trap.

(12) The starship has been abducted by the captain's long time rival/nemesis. The rival/nemesis is holding the crew hostage, forcing the captain to use the starship in a criminal enterprise, or the crew gets it.
The Andorian CO turns on the ALL CALL circuit, recites the oath he took when he assumed command, the oath he took upon his commissioning, and the promise he made his Blood-father the day he left home for the Academy. Then he invites the crew to make peace with their ancestor-ghosts, the self-destruct is engaged and set for thirteen minutes. Tick-tock-tick-tock… Boom.
The Tellarite CO turns from the view screen to glare at the gag gift the crew presented on his last birthday. Fifteen space credits worth of Deltan Sex Crème. Four hundred crew, fifteen space credits collected. And he personally slipped the XO ten space credits to start the collecting! He sets the timer to thirty goddamned seconds and punches the self-destruct button. Then he punches ALL CALL and informs the crew they can have the rest of the day off. HA-HA-HBoom.
The Vulcan CO begins to deconstruct the scenario, “Starting with the fact that the threat is dependent on an emotional bond to my crew that exceeds my integrity, a bond there is no evidence for and is completely a fabrication in your mind.” He continues to weigh the pros and cons of cooperating vice resisting, aloud and in great detail, until Nemesis begins stabbing the self-destruct button like a Type A personality waiting for the elevator. B-b-b-BOOM.
The Romulan CO leans back in his command chair and smiles at the screen, calling his rival an unambitious piker. “You mean to tell me you’ve got control of TWO starships and you want to commit ONE crime?” The rival raises one eyebrow as she says, “I’m listening…”
The rival makes his presentation and awaits the CO’s response. Klingon CO and his XO make the usual comments, such as how hard it is to get any real work done in an election year, how deep this will put them into the annual revenge budget, and then unlock the computer so the stats on the crime can be uploaded. As usual.
The Ferengi CO cannot support the crime he’s directed to commit, he simply cannot. The Rival carefully lists the steps he’s taken to make his threat credible.   The CO transmits his bank balance to show that he already committed that crime earlier this week. So he’ll give Rival ten minutes to think up a second crime they can commit. “You DO have a backup, don’t you? Isn’t Rule 223 ‘Always start scheming revenge with a backup plan.’?”
The Human CO begins by telling the command crew the complete backstory of him and Nemesis (assuming that he knows the story. Sometimes they spring these nemeses on you from out of nowhere, like an illegitimate son you had by a woman you haven’t even thought of in twenty years.), and why it’s blossomed into this week's threat to all life on board. About the time the XO starts moving slowly towards the self-destruct button, he wraps that up and they decide if the morally superior choice in this situation is to become pirates, then, well, they’ll become the best goddamned pirates in the Alpha Quadrant! When the navigator points out that they’re actually situated in the Beta Quadrant at this time, the captain jokingly directs them to make him ‘walk the plank.’ The crew rushes to comply, despite Nav AND the CO telling them to stand down.
"Sunday. But no rest for the wicked. The new uniform standards have been published. Everything in the current wardrobe must go. On the plus side, the weapons officer looks good in a dress.   Wish he'd shave his legs, though..."
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Star Trek Plot Devices Explained