Auto destruct (Star Trek)
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In the fictional Star Trek universe, all Starfleet vessels are equipped with auto-destruct devices. These devices are placed in the vessel to ensure that neither the ship itself nor the technology contained within that ship would fall into the hands of enemy forces or be revealed to species protected by the Prime Directive. For Starfleet crews, it is considered an accepted fact of life that they may be called to make that sort of ultimate sacrifice.
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The Destruct Sequence
The way that the auto destruct sequence has been activated on starships has changed over time, as was the way the destruct sequence was carried out.
The Original Series and movies
The sequence on the original Constitution class vessel was begun by tying in the ship's main computer to the bridge. The Captain would then identify himself to the computer, and provide the first code - which was One-One-A. The First Officer would then identify himself to the computer, and provide the second part of the sequence - which was One-One-A-Two-B. Then the Chief Engineer would then give the third part of the sequence - which was One-B-Two-B-Three. The computer would then announce that the sequence had been completed and engaged. It would then request the final code from the Captain. The Captain would again identify himself, and give the final code, which was Zero-Zero-Zero-Destruct-Zero.
At that point, the computer would begin a thirty second countdown. The self destruct sequence could be cancelled at any time from thirty seconds down to five seconds. However, after the five second point had been reached, the destruct sequence could not be stopped. If it was to be cancelled, the Captain would identify himself to the computer. He would then give the abort auto-destruct command followed by the code - which was One-Two-Three-Continuity. He would then repeat the abort auto-destruct command. At this point the computer would cancel the sequence.
For the refit Constitution class starships that was seen in the first six movies, the self-destruct sequence was basically the same. However in this instance, the sequence was sixty seconds long, rather than 30 seconds. It would appear from Kirk's line in Star Trek The Motion Picture that Starfleet has a guideline for immediate self destruction in the form of General Order 2005. While the exact method of destruction is not described, it can be inferred from dialog that it is an instantaneous overload of the warp core triggered in engineering.
While not canon, the book Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise explains the auto-destruct sequence in greater detail. In the book, the Enterprise is described as having two destruct systems. If the final code given was Zero-Zero-Zero-Destruct-One, the warp core would overload, and the ship would be destroyed in a sun-like antimatter fireball. This fireball would also consume any nearby object. In the event the ship was near a planet or another object to be preserved, the secondary destruct system was used. It would be activated if the final code was Zero-Zero-Zero-Destruct-Zero. In the event this destruct system was used, the ship would eject the antimatter. It would then overload all the electrical systems, and then detonate powerful charges located throughout the hull. By the time the sequence had completed, the ship would be a lifeless hulk which would be worthless to enemy forces.
The Next Generation and movies
On the Galaxy class starship, the destruct sequence was started from main engineering. The Captain and First Officer would touch a panel on the master situation table. The computer would then recognize the two officers. The Captain would tell the computer to start the destruct sequence. The computer would ask the first officer if he agreed. If the First Officer gave his consent, the ship would begin a countdown. The time limit was flexible, the Captain had an option of specifying how long the ship should wait before destroying itself. But if no time limit was specified, the ship had a default of five minutes. The Captain could abort the auto-destruct sequence by telling the computer to do so. The computer would ask the First Officer if he agreed, if he did so the destruct sequence would be canceled.
It has not been clearly documented whether or not it was a requirement that the officers gather in Engineering. The wisdom of making them go to engineering would be debatable if access to that part of the ship had been blocked.
The Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual went into greater detail about the destruct sequences on Galaxy-class starships. On this type of vessel, the sequence could be aborted at any time before the sequence reached T -minus zero. Galaxy class ships also had two destruct devices. The first type involved the vessel's warp drive overloading, and the shut down of the anti-matter storage bottle containment fields. The vessel would vaporize due to explosive and thermal shock. It was estimated that such an explosion would be equivalent to 1,600 photon torpedoes. The second type was a backup if the first method failed, or if destruct was called for in the primary hull during separated flight operations. In this method, a number of charges located at key points throughout the ship were detonated. This had the equivalent of about 1,000 photon torpedoes. The system would check to see who was available on the ship, and would accept auto destruct commands down to the level of operations manager.
On Soverign class starships, such as the USS Enterprise-E, the sequence is closer to what was given on Constitution class starships. the Captain would order the computer to begin the destruct sequence. The next two highest ranking officers who were present would give their assent. At that point the Captain would give the final clearance. He could specify a time limit, and whether or not there were to be any further announcements regarding the auto-destruct.
Voyager
On board the USS Voyager, the auto destruct was activated solely by the Captain. When Captain Janeway commanded Voyager, she could activate the destruct device by telling the computer to activate the destruct device, followed by the clearance "Janeway Pi-4110." The captain could also indicate whether there would be further audio announcements, as well as time length.
It's questionable whether or not having that sort of authority centered on one person is a good idea or not. If the Captain became mentally unbalanced or subjected to outside influence, having her being able to activate the sequence on her own might well have led to disaster. Kate Mulgrew has expressed a belief that Captain Janeway was mentally unstable in the later seasons of the series. If Janeway was truly unstable, it would have been very dangerous to leave the authority to use the auto destruct solely in her hands.
Deep Space Nine
On the starship Defiant, the Captain and First Officer would touch a panel. The computer would then recognize the two officers. The Captain would tell the computer to start the destruct sequence. The computer would ask the first officer if he or she agreed. If the First Officer gave consent, the ship would begin a countdown. The time limit was flexible, the Captain had an option of specifying how long the ship should wait before destroying itself. The Captain could abort the auto-destruct sequence by telling the computer to do so. The computer would ask the First Officer for consent agreeed, if consent was then given the destruct sequence would be canceled.
Deep Space Nine also had a self destruct program. The station's main reactor would overload, and the energy produced during the overload would demolish the station. The self destruct program was activated by a rogue Cardassian program. While the crew was unable to stop the self destruct countdown, Captain Sisko was able to redirect the energy output into the station's shields.
History
During Captain Kirk's first five year mission on the Enterprise, the auto-destruct sequence was started to keep an official from Cheron from comandeering the ship ("Let That Be Your Last Battlefield.") He was able to convince the official that he would destroy the Enterprise rather than have the official commandeer the ship. Kirk deactivated the sequence. Later he found that the official had burned out the self-destruct systems, and he was forced to go to Cheron.
In the episode "The Doomsday Machine," the starship Constellation was destroyed inside an alien planet-killer to keep it from destroying Federation planets. With most of the computer systems being down and the auto-destruct sequence being unavailable, Engineer Scott rigged the impulse engines to overload. The engines overloaded after 30 seconds inside the planet killer. This caused the internal structure of the device to explode, however with the hull being made of neturonium, the hull itself remained intact.
In Star_Trek_The_Motion_Picture, as Enterprise is being pulled toward the central V'ger brain complex, Admiral Kirk asks Mr. Scott to be prepared to execute General Order 2005 on his command. A female subordinate of Scott's asks why the Captain ordered self-destruct, to which Scott replies "I would say lass, that he thinks...He hopes...That when we go up, we'll take the intruder with us." When asked if it will work, he replies with a smile, "When that much matter and anti-matter come together, ahh yes, we will indeed."
One of the most notable instances of the auto destruct sequence being used is when then Admiral James T. Kirk ordered the computer to destroy the USS Enterprise in order to keep the vessel, and the data contained within her computers, from falling into Klingon hands. After a 60 second countdown, a number of charges detonated. This destroyed the bridge and most of the primary hull. It also caused the Enterprise to fall out of orbit and burn up in the atmosphere of the Genesis Planet. One of the models built for the first Star Trek movie was actually blew up for this effects sequence. This partially destroyed model was later featured in the Next Generation episode The Best of Both World part II as one of the wrecked ships following the battle of Wolf 359.
During the voyages of the Enterprise-D there were two instances during her service that it was felt that the auto-destruct sequence needed to be activated. First, when the Binars stole the Enterprise, the destruct sequence was activated to keep the Binars from holding on to the ship if Captain Picard and Commander Riker were unable to secure the ship. Secondly, when a super being began experimenting on Enterprise crew, Picard and Riker activated the sequence to ensure that death came quickly, and keep the being from killing the crew himself. In both cases, the destruct sequence was aborted before time ran out.
When the Enterprise-E fought the Borg's temporal incursion to the mid 21st century, the destruct sequence was activated to keep the Borg from taking over the ship. Lt. Commander Data stopped the sequence because the time was not yet right for him to neutralize the Borg presence. A few minutes later he was in position to break open the coolant tank, which liquified and killed the Borg Queen.
During the time when the starship Voyager was making her way back to the Alpha Quadrant, there were several instances when the destruct sequence was activated. Once ("Dreadnought"), it was activated to stop a Cardassian weapon from destroying a planet. But when the weapon was destroyed, Captain Janeway was able to stop the sequence.
Another time ("Deadlock"), when Voyager diverged into two separate starships, the ships found themselves still linked together. When a Vidiian ship came upon them, they began attacking and killing the crew of one of the ships. Janeway activated the auto destruct, which completed and destroyed one of the Voyagers. This freed the second Voyager and allowed her to continue on her journey.
The Cardassians had also built an auto-destruct feature into Deep Space Nine. When a rogue computer program took over the station, it eventually activated the auto-destruct device. While the actual destruct sequence couldn't be stopped, Commander Sisko was able to drive the explosive reaction out into the shields, which saved the station.
The USS Defiant, which was attached to the station also had an auto-destruct system. It was activated once, in order to keep a Changeling infiltrator from attacking a civilization and starting a war. However Odo was able to stop the infiltrator, and the sequence was stopped.
It remains to be seen if the Enterprise NX-01 has an auto destruct device, as well as how the device would be activated.
External link
- Auto-destruct (http://www.memory-alpha.org/en/index.php/Auto-destruct) at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek WikiWiki