<< As usual, the most unreliable piece of technology on the ship is the Warp
Core Ejection system. I think if I were them, that I would be installing a hand crank on that thing and have a pry bar handy. >> >From what I remember, the most unreliable piece of technology on the Enterprise was the holodeck. This fell into the category of error I labeled "CBS" - "Cute But Stupid." Something that could never possibly happen in real life but was included for dramatic effect. Sort of like Data's inability to use contractions. In any real navy, the first time a holodeck malfunctioned, they might just write it off as a one-time glitch. The second time it malfunctioned, they'd report it to Starfleet Engineering, which would send out a memo to all starships: "The USS Enterprise has reported the following problem with its holodeck" along with suggested corrections. The third time it malfunctioned, Starfleet Engineering would send out an urgent memo ordering all starships to immediately take all their holodecks offline until a fix could be come up with. But in the Star Trek universe, the holodeck is permitted (indeed, encouraged) to go on fucking up story after story so as to provide copious plot points for otherwise barren writers. Tom Beck (get the point that I don't like holodeck stories too much? <g>) "I always knew I'd see the first man on the Moon. I didn't realize I'd also see the last." - Jerry Pournelle
