• cynar@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    31
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    1 year ago

    Further to the link. Tuvix is a character in star trek voyager. There is a transporter accident that ends up welding 2 other characters (Lieutenant Tuvok, Neelix) into 1 individual. The episode is spent trying to resolve this issue.

    By the end, Captain Janeway is given a solution. They can reverse the process and recover Tuvok and Neelix. Unfortunately this will destroy Tuvix. Tuvix, meanwhile has developed on his own. He doesn’t want to die and makes that clear. Janeway has the dilemma. She can do nothing, and let Tuvix live, or kill him to bring Tuvok and Neelix back.

    Basically, it’s the trolley problem. Do nothing, and 2 people die, or kill 1 yourself, to save them.

    • Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      18
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      What I don’t get is why they didn’t do some technofoolery with the transporters to make a copy of Tuvix and then just split that one. In a universe where there’s two William Rikers there’s gotta be a way to use transporters to clone.

      • Alien Nathan Edward@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        23
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        You kinda have to accept the bounds of the problem as stated in order for it to be worth thinking about. It undercuts the value of the experiment if you just say “I find a solution other than those presented which denied the central conflict entirely”.

      • Kahlenar@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        9
        ·
        1 year ago

        Then you’d have two Tuvixes that both don’t want to die. Actually I had an entire day of one philosophy class to discuss this, however it was very specific that “teletransportation” absolutely kills you and replicates you. My professor specifically said that having an understanding of star trek was necessary that day.

        • Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          Just keep one in the transporter buffer and repolarize the Heisenberg compensator to split it apart before materialization. It wouldn’t ever know it existed. Like unzipping a file in a temporary directory.

      • HairHeel@programming.dev
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        Terrible idea. Any time a transporter duplicates somebody, one of them turns evil. (See the DS9 episode where Tom Riker pretends to be Will Riker and hijacks the Defiant, or the reason Harry Kim, who was replaced by his own duplicate early on in the series, never got a promotion).

        So now you have to decide to kill Good Tuvix, or kill the other one, which will just give you Evil Tuvok and Evil Neelix.

      • CeruleanRuin@lemmings.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        1 year ago

        My personal headcanon is that they would have had they had the full resources of Starfleet at their disposal. The Riker incident was, as far as we know, non-reproducible, or someone somewhere would have found a way to weaponize it.

      • Stamets@startrek.websiteOP
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        Tuvok and Neelix were individuals but merged into one being, Tuvix. Tuvix had the knowledge and memories of both individuals but existed in one body. One mind. He knew everything the other two did but had his own opinions and reasonings and individuality. The Doctor onboard attempts to find a fix but is unable. He promises to find a solution.

        A couple of weeks pass and Tuvix has taken over the duties of both Tuvok and Neelix. He’s developing some friendships and relationships. He’s even more effective in certain situations than his counterpart would have been due to the unique perspective he has. He’s settled in. Then the Doctor informs Captain Janeway and Tuvix that he’s discovered a solution and a way to split Tuvix back into Tuvok and Neelix. Everyone is on board except Tuvix who announces he doesn’t want to die after gaining his own identity.

        Janeway is forced into a horrible position. She wants her friends back but also she wants to respect this lifeform and unique person. She hears from Tuvix and other crew members on what their opinion is. Tuvix obviously is against it. Heavily. Kes, Neelix’s girlfriend, desperately wants Neelix back. Tuvok also happens to be Janeways close advisor and close personal friend. After some time, Janeway comes out and asks Tuvix to come with her to sickbay. She is ordering that he undergo the procedure.

        Tuvix immediately rebels and starts pleading for his life from various crew members on the bridge. All ignore him and look away. He then attempts to run away but Security officers stop him. Janeway leads him to Sick Bay where he more or less shuts down and just silently judges everyone. The Doctor, aware of Tuvix refusal to undergo the procedure, also refuses to do the procedure. However the procedure is relatively simple to perform. Janeway does the procedure herself, asking the Doctor to step aside. Tuvix is sat down on a bed and Janeway stares him in the eyes. She then splits him back into Tuvok and Neelix. Janeway welcomes the men back and then leaves Sick Bay with a look of self doubt and horror on her face, deeply shaken.

        Here’s the scene. It’s a little edited (a couple moments cut and a weird sound effect added when Tuvix is killed) but you see the broadstrokes.

      • cygnus@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        1 year ago

        Undid the process and restored Neelix and Tuvok, thereby killing Tuvix.