Star Trek I: Specter of the Past

Star Trek: Specter of the Past is a 2009 fan-produced CGI film, exploring through its characters the definitions of "hero" and "villain," as well as the lengths one may go to in order to defend their own moral standards. The film is being produced by Brandon M. Bridges, better known to fans as "tnpir4002," with support from users at Scifi-Meshes.com and other Star Trek fan sites. It was originally slated for release in Fall 2009, but script rewrites pushed that date back to Fall 2010. The principal action takes place aboard the USS F. Scott Fitzgerald NCC-85107-A, a refitted starship, and features special guest appearances by space station Deep Space 9, the Enterprise-E, Counselor Deanna Troi and Lieutenant Commander Data. Since portions of it began appearing on YouTube, the movie has gained a significant fan following, with eager viewers searching for it by name on both YouTube and Google. The film has been repeatedly cited for its writing quality, as well as the depth of its characters and the generally high production values.

2370
"In times of doubtful morality, it is usual to say: 'Is there any harm in doing this?' This question may sometimes best be answered by asking ourselves another: 'Is there any harm in letting it alone?' " -Charles Caleb Colton

In space, the starship, USS Daystrom pursues a  runabout, runabout, firing phasers at the smaller vessel. Despite repeated adjustments by the starship's tactical officer, none of the shots manages to strike the runabout, which does not return fire and appears to be executing only minimal evasive maneuvers.

On the starship's bridge, the captain expresses frustration at his tactical officer's inability to score even a glancing hit on the fleeing runabout. Moments later, the runabout pilot hails the ship, revealing himself to be Dr. Braiyon Elias Garr, a leading Federation scientist. Garr attempts to warn the ship off, proudly proclaiming that his runabout is the very equal of the Daystrom, and warning the captain that consequences will ensue if he maintains pursuit.

The captain of the ship then asks his science officer, Commander Gaius Reyf, if he can figure out how Garr is deflecting their weapons so perfectly. Visibly in shock following Garr's transmission, Reyf at first does not respond, simply staring at the main viewscreen as though in shock. Just as the captain is about to relieve Reyf of duty, the helm officer reports the runabout's new heading: the Utopia Planitia shipyards. Panicked, the captain orders an emergency transmission to the yard superintendent, fearing the worst and knowing the warning will come too late to do any good.

But instead of opening fire on the spacedocks or the half-finished starships within, the runabout simply weaves through them--at one point strafing the new USS at extreme close range--before slingshotting around Mars. Realizing the doctor's plan hadn't been to cause damage at all but simply to outmaneuver and outdistance, his vessel, the captain orders auxiliary power routed to the engines, and the Daystrom races around the spacedocks.

Just as the Daystrom is closing on the runabout again, the smaller ship alters course and dives into the asteroid field. Too large to maneuver safely inside the close confines of the asteroid field, the Daystrom is forced to break off pursuit. Reyf monitors the runabout's progress with the long-range sensors, which shortly indicate that the runabout has suffered an impact from a piece of rocky debris and, leaking warp plasma, is spiraling down towards its doom on the surface of one of the asteroids. The crew watch helplessly on the main viewscreen as, in the far distance, the runabout strikes the surface of the asteroid and explodes.

Five Years Later...

2375
In deep space, the Mellis II Deep Space Research Station drifts alone. Inside, its chief administrator, Dr. Edward Chellik, is about to retire for the night, when suddenly the lights in his office go dark. Attempts to contact station security prove useless as he discovers the communication system has also been disabled. Before he can ponder further action, the sound of footsteps echoes from the other side of his closed door. In sudden fear, Chellik slowly gets to his feet. The doors to his office slide open, and from the shadows appears none other than Dr. Braiyon Garr himself. Chellik is at first doubtful that it could be Garr, but the doctor steps close to his desk and physically slaps the elder man in the face. Suddenly fearing for his life, Chellik stands all but frozen in terror as Garr informs him that he needs to "borrow a few things."

''Captain's personal log, stardate 52437.2. At the Academy, we're taught that the most difficult mission a captain will face is the first. Having just returned from my first mission, I can safely say, they were right. Our expedition was a success; and to celebrate our homecoming, we've stopped at station Deep Space Nine for some shore leave, and some much-needed downtime.''

With the starship USS F. Scott Fitzgerald freshly returned from its maiden voyage, Captain Gaius Reyf and the ship's doctor, Elizabeth Falwell, discuss a literary holonovel they have just completed. Reyf expresses wonder at the role of the monster, with Falwell insisting the character was a classic evildoer in the purest sense. Reyf concedes that Falwell’s argument holds merit, and before departing the ship for Bajor, she chides him on losing yet another literary debate with her.

Later, Reyf has his feet up and is deeply immersed in an old novel, when an urgent subspace message arrives from the Mellis II space station. A visibly shaken Edward Chellik tells Reyf of a yearlong string of mysterious break-ins that had taken place across the quadrant: fourteen supposedly secure facilities, all burglarized with no trace of the culprit. Visibly bracing himself, Chellik shows Reyf the visual log of Garr's visit, and a shocked Reyf watches evidence that the man he thought dead for five years is not only still alive, but has apparently turned renegade. Chellik warns Reyf that with the equipment Garr has stolen, the rogue scientist could wreak untold havoc on the space-time continuum, and that despite the personal sensitivities of the mission, Reyf must find him and stop him, no matter the cost. Reyf agrees, and the Fitzgerald leaves to begin the hunt.

While en route to the Beta Reticuli system, Reyf briefs his senior staff in the observation lounge about their mission. He explains that Garr was once a top Federation scientist, who for reasons unknown suddenly stole a shuttlecraft from a Starfleet installation on Earth, downloaded classified starship blueprints from Earth Station McKinley, and then apparently died while trying to escape through the asteroid belt of Sector 001. In reality, as Starfleet would later learn, Garr had in fact faked his death before disappearing into seclusion. The only clues they have to his activities during that time are the fact that Garr had apparently downloaded information on a regular basis from the Starfleet Intelligence mainframe, as well as some odd tetryon readings coming from a distant and deserted system. More questions than answers remain as the starship reaches its destination.

Achieving standard orbit, Reyf orders the planet scanned for the energy signature provided by Chellik. It takes only a few moments for the sensors to locate the source: an underground structure buried deep beneath the planet's surface. Although the sensors show no life signs in the area, for safety reasons Reyf's away team consists of only himself, his chief engineer, Lt. Cmdr. Merv Ronston, and his chief of security, Lt. Kendra Erickson. They transport to the planet, materializing inside a subterranean cave system surrounding the structure. They begin to explore the caverns, finally finding a metal doorway set into the rock face, leading into the hidden lab. Using only his tricorder, Ronston is able to override the locking mechanism and the door opens, leading the away team into a dark and seemingly powerless facility.

Aboard the Fitzgerald, sensors continue to monitor the away team's progress. Although the transporter lock remains solid, Commander Prentice remains troubled by the presence of a strange energy displacement near the away team's position, a displacement the sensors can neither identify nor precisely lock on to. He contacts Reyf to advise the captain of the situation. Moments later, Ensign Hargrove, replacing Erickson at tactical, notices something odd: tactical sensors keep picking something up behind one of the planet's nearby moons, while navigational sensors insist there's nothing there. Unable to take the Fitzgerald to investigate for fear of losing contact with the away team, Prentice takes Chief of Operations Maxwell Garrett in a shuttlecraft to investigate.

In the shuttle, Garrett confesses his feelings of uncertainty about Captain Reyf's judgment, and Prentice consoles him by admitting he shares those feelings but is also confident in Reyf's abilities. Garrett is still uncertain, but before the discussion can progress further, the shuttle enters sensor range of the mysterious object. Prentice orders a full sensor sweep, and the object is revealed to be a near-perfect duplicate of the starship USS Voyager Sensor scans reveal that the ship possesses some strange modifications, ranging from a vastly upgraded weapons array to some exotic-looking hull armor, as well as a warp drive whose power source is much greater than would normally be found on a Federation starship. Unnerved both by its similarities to and differences from the real thing, Prentice orders a complete analysis in an attempt to determine where the mysterious ship came from.

Meanwhile, in the hidden lab, Reyf receives a sudden summons to Lt. Erickson's position. He arrives, and finds her in a side lab, standing over what looks to be a partially completed female android, one arm lacking any artificial skin over the exposed machine elements. Ronston arrives moments later, and fascinated by the sight, immediately begins an analysis. Reyf, meanwhile, steps over for a closer look, murmuring that he thinks he recognized the android from somewhere. As soon as Erickson's light hits the android's face, her eyes suddenly open. Reyf recoils at first, but then watches in wonder as she sits up, bending her fingers and examining the bare metal of her unfinished arm. But despite Reyf's attempts to communicate, the only response he gets from her is silence, though she does reach out to take his hand. Ronston, enthralled by a neural network far beyond anything currently known to Federation science, requests permission to transport her to the ship for further study. Erickson protests until Reyf asks her to see to the security arrangements.

Just then, Erickson spots a silhouetted figure outside the room and sounds the alarm, but the warning comes too late to prevent the figure from beaming out. Reyf calls for beam-up as well, and moments later the Fitzgerald breaks orbit as sensors detect a ship emerging from behind the moon. All attempts to communicate with the mysterious vessel fail, but Erickson is able to read its transponder: ISS Voyager, NCC-74656. Reyf immediately recognizes it for what it is: Dr. Garr's vessel, constructed from the plans the doctor had stolen five years prior, and realizes that this may be his one and only chance to stop the mad doctor from doing whatever it is he's doing. He calls for the duplicate ship's surrender, but his hails go unanswered, until he threatens to take "drastic action." The Voyager duplicate responds, a single taunting phrase: "Drastic action; now why didn't I think of that?"

Seconds later, the Fitzgerald receives a set of coordinates, which Parks identifies as the same coordinates Prentice went to investigate. Ronston scans the location, and discovers that the shuttlecraft is damaged and adrift, powerless and leaking air, atmosphere barely maintained by emergency forcefields. Garr then gives Reyf a choice: pursue the ISS Voyager and hope he can stop it from escaping, or rescue his two officers. He then reminds Reyf that his time is limited and, further, that the longer he waits the longer it'll take to return to the planet. Knowing he has no choice, Reyf orders the ship to come hard about. He then asks Garr what's happened to him; Garr simply responds, "Time, Gaius; I'll be seeing you," and cuts the connection.

Act Two
A short time later, the ship's Mark-III Emergency Medical Holographic program delivers the medical reports on the two officers from the shuttle; Commander Prentice suffered only minor injuries and is fit for duty, but Garrett failed to brace for impact before the shuttle was rammed, and suffered severe neural trauma and spinal damage as well. Though he will make a full recovery, he will be unable to perform his duties for some time.

Privately, Prentice admits to Reyf that with no medical staff, and now no chief of operations, carrying forward with the mission would not be wise, further commenting that they may be facing a challenge that is beyond what their experience has prepared them for. Reluctantly, Reyf agrees, and at Prentice's urging, agrees to ask for help.

A short time later, the USS arrives on site, and two of its officers transport aboard the Fitzgerald: Counselor Deanna Troi and Lieutenant Commander Data. Reyf welcomes them on board and wastes no time in giving them their assignments: Data, to assume Garrett's position as chief of operations; and Troi, to help Reyf determine what prompted Garr's transformation from the man Reyf once knew into the supervillain he's become. After he leaves them, the two Enterprise officers comment on how different Reyf seems to be from Captain Jean-Luc Picard.

The Enterprise departs, and in Main Engineering, Merv Ronston begins his investigation of the female android discovered beneath the surface of Beta Reticuli IV. Initial scans reveal an elaborate internal structure, but attempts to access her memory fail because of the strange design of her neural net. Further complicating things is the fact that for some reason, she can't seem to speak. Lieutenant Erickson notes that her parts and power cell are all approximately the same age, before pointing out that one of her arms lacks artificial skin, concluding that perhaps both problems share a common cause--that Garr stopped building her for some reason before she was finished. Intrigued, Ronston proposes that the answer might lie in making a more detailed analysis of her neural net, to look for any missing parts, and that the sensitive biometric equipment in sickbay would be ideal for the job.

As he and Erickson depart to take the android to sickbay, Reyf summons Ensign Hargrove to his ready room. She tells him about how she was able to detect Garr's ship hidden behind the Reticulean moon earlier, and he commends her for vigilance and persistence, before asking her to continue serving on the bridge for the duration of the mission. Clearly surprised, she accepts, before returning to her station. Reyf hangs back for a moment, clearly feeling some unexpected emotions, before returning to the bridge. Ensign Kal informs him that there's been no word from the survey team dispatched by Starfleet, and that they are now 28 hours overdue. Reyf decides against contacting Starfleet for the time being, and is about to depart when the EMH reports in from sickbay.

Activating Monitor Input 47, the Emergency Medical Holographic Channel, Reyf listens as the holographic doctor describes the results of further analysis of the DNA sample Garr left at Mellis II. While the genetic pattern is an exact match for Braiyon Garr, the Mellis II sample shows some unusual damage that resembles a case of severe radiation poisoning. A visibly concerned Reyf asks if anything can be done, to which the doctor replies that without more information about the cause of the condition, formulating a remedy will be impossible. Thanking her for the report, Reyf deactivates the EMH before leaving the bridge.

Later, Reyf visits the visiting Counselor Troi about the earlier visit from Ensign Hargrove. At first they talk about his uncertainty about placing his crew of young officers in harm's way, before the conversation turns to Reyf's certainty based on the first encounter that Garr is completely insane. He reveals with some difficulty that when he saw Garr on the viewscreen, the other's eyes seemed alive with rage and hatred, but that those emotions seem out of place for him. As he turns to leave, Troi points out that if what he saw doesn't make sense, he should be prepared for the possibility that it might in fact be something else entirely. At Reyf's question, she explains that since Garr's disappearance, Reyf moved on with his life and achieved everything he'd wanted: friends, a command of his own, a fulfilling life, something Garr had long since sacrificed, and therefore he would likely feel envy for his old friend. Faced with a possibility he hadn't considered, Reyf leaves.

A short time later, Reyf is in his ready room, lost in thought, when Commander Prentice visits to deliver an update on the shuttle: due to damage suffered in the collision, the detailed scans they took of Garr's ship are gone. He then recommends that their next step should be to investigate the laboratory complex on the planet. Reyf agrees, and Prentice turns to leave, but stops when he notices his captain's troubled emotional state. At his insistence, Reyf finally admits the truth: prior to his disappearance, he and Garr were close friends for many years, owing to the fact of Garr's intervention in Reyf's life following the death of his father at the Battle of Wolf 359. He credits Garr for insisting they both join Starfleet, and for every accomplishment he's made since then. He reiterates that he's committed to putting a stop to Garr's intentions, whatever they are, but that deep down he also wants to help his old friend. In sudden understanding of his captain's actions until now, Prentice leaves to begin his investigation of the planet below.

Shortly after Prentice leaves, Reyf visits Commander Data's quarters to request an update on his investigation. Data reports that of the 87 billion potential configurations for the 14 components in Garr's possession, he's gone through about 500,000 and has yet to discover a working configuration. He cites a lack of understanding concerning its ultimate function as the primary stumbling block, and Reyf encourages him to continue. They then begin to discuss the sheer impossibility of some of the things they've seen: Garr's construction of a complete starship and underground base, in secret, with no help and in only five years; his designs for an android much more advanced than even Data himself; and the contradiction of his perfect secrecy for five years, along with his almost showboating air now. Data postulates that perhaps his seemingly impossible technological achievements may be explained by his access to the Starfleet Intelligence database, and Reyf is about to ask for more when Prentice contacts him from the surface, to report that he's found something.

In the lab down on the planet, Prentice and Ensign Kal report their findings. A thorough examination of the complex's main computer uncovered some backup files that Garr missed when he wiped the core, and from those bits they were able to reconstruct some of his research data. One of the last experiments that Garr conducted before abandoning the facility created an intense surge of tetryon energy, causing a gravitational disturbance in the bowels of the facility. Ensign Kal concludes that this indicates the presence of a quantum singularity, but that because tetryon energy was used as the catalyst, the mysterious phenomenon would've been extremely unstable--worthless for any practical use. Reyf becomes frustrated with the fact that every answer they find seems to lead to still more questions, but is interrupted by a call from the Fitzgerald--reporting an incoming distress signal from the starship USS Fairgrieve.

Act Three
The Fitzgerald approaches the hulk of the Fairgrieve, in close proximity to the Beta Reticulean star. Security scans of the system show no other ships nearby, only a severely destabilized area of space-time, whose distortions seem centered on the Fairgrieve itself. Reyf orders the ship scanned for life signs, of which there are none. Data reports that the hull of the Fairgrieve shows signs being exposed to a tetryon energy field of extreme intensity, and that its hull shows signs of molecular misalignment that he can't yet explain. Angered by the loss of the 47 crewmembers aboard the Fairgrieve, Reyf orders Data to investigate further, before all but storming off the bridge.

Later, the EMH briefs the senior staff on her findings from the bodies of the Fairgrieve crew: powerful bursts of tetryon radiation were what ultimately killed them, and the result looks strikingly similar to the damaged DNA that she analyzed from Dr. Garr earlier. Reyf, who had been silent up until then, thanks her and then cuts the transmission from sickbay. He then discloses that he believes he's beginning to sense a pattern to Garr's actions, and Erickson correctly guesses that he's hinting at a scientific methodology. Data then reports his findings, that at least part of Garr's objective is to break through the subspace barrier to extract some kind of energy, suggesting that he may have already attempted to do so in the Beta Reticuli system, resulting in the unstable phenomenon that the Fairgrieve encountered. Ronston takes over and likens it to a dam being punctured, then having the hole filled; the leak is there, and the surrounding structure begins to weaken, which is what's causing the space-time disruptions and extreme levels of radiation in the region. At Reyf's suggestion that the safest course might to be simply take the Fairgrieve in tow and leave the area, Ronston tells that doing so would be extremely unwise, as the only thing keeping the dam from breaking is the Fairgrieve itself.

A comm call interrupts the meeting, and the crew adjourns to the bridge to speak with Admiral Thornton. She tells them of an attack on the Deep Space 12 space station, in which the ISS Voyager appeared out of nowhere and attacked with some sort of heavy Borg weaponry, gave the station's occupants two minutes to evacuate, and threatened to kill anything left behind. Reyf realizes he did this so that they wouldn't have time to destroy or remove anything from the station. Then, when the last ship was out of transporter range, the ISS Voyager docked with the station, remained there for four and a half minutes, then backed to a safe distance before obliterating the station. They both come to the same conclusion, that he stole something but destroyed the station to keep anyone from finding out what. Thornton then remarks that, like the other parts of Garr's scheme, this one makes no sense, as the station was a simple mineral refinery and that nothing there should be extraordinary enough to draw Garr's interest. She sends Reyf the station's inventory to see if they can figure out what he might've wanted. When she ends the transmission, Reyf orders the sensor records downloaded from the Fairgrieve before leaving the bridge.

Commander Prentice watches him go, then turns to Lieutenant Erickson and asks to speak with her in private. In Reyf's ready room, they argue for a moment before Prentice admits he wants her advice. She's surprised to hear the admission from him, and even more so when he admits he wants advice on the captain. Prentice shares with her what Reyf revealed to him about his past association with Garr, describing Reyf's ongoing emotional reaction as more than he can handle. Erickson sharply reminds him that as first officer he should worry less about Reyf's feelings and more about the safety of the crew, reminding him that if Reyf can't deal with his emotions on his own, then he'll need help. Prentice acknowledges her advice, and she thanks him for approaching her and returns to the bridge. Prentice then contacts Counselor Troi.

A few minutes later, Prentice returns to the bridge, where Data reports that he's established a computer link with the Fairgrieve, and that most of the records they need seem to be intact. He begins the download, but moments later strange emissions begin to come from the Fairgrieve. Erickson reports that the hulk seems to be losing mass, and Data deduces that somehow the interlink signal has destabilized the fragile subspace membrane around the Fairgrieve, and that the starship is being pulled into subspace as a result. Ensign Kal then notices that the process is beginning to destabilize the warp core of the Fairgrieve, and that long before it disappears into subspace the core will breach. Prentice looks at Erickson for an analysis, and she tells him only that when the ship explodes, "the dam breaks." In sudden terror, Prentice orders the Fitzgerald to put some distance between itself and the Fairgrieve. Moments later, the ship is struck by an energy wave, and loses main power, disabling main propulsion in the process. Data is barely able to restore power in time for the Fitzgerald to escape. In its wake, the Fairgrieve explodes, tearing open the subspace rupture, which promptly pulls in the entire Beta Reticuli system before detonating into a massive, solar system-sized subspace tear.

From light-years away, Dr. Braiyon Garr watches from the Astrometrics lab of the ISS Voyager as the system disappears. His expression is unreadable as he steps out of the room.

Back on the Fitzgerald, Captain Reyf gets a check-up in sickbay after taking a fall in a turbolift when the ship lost power. Though the EMH certifies him fit for duty following a mild concussion and fractured ankle, she expresses concern over the fact that he hasn't slept in almost a day. Over her objections, Reyf leaves to meet Commander Prentice and Commander Data in engineering.

In a corridor, Reyf walks towards a turbolift but stops when several times he hears whispers--but each time the corridor is empty. He reaches the turbolift and steps inside, ordering it to take him to deck thirty-six. Suddenly, he looks over to see Braiyon Garr standing next to him. He immediately reaches for his combadge to call security, but Garr stops him by informing him that he isn't actually there--he's actually the product of Reyf's "overworked, sleep-deprived imagination." Reyf turns away from him, refusing to talk to a hallucination, but Garr refuses to let it go at that, reasoning that if Reyf's subconscious mind summoned him, there must be a reason. He presses Reyf, insisting that the other's guilt is beginning to get the better of him after the destruction of the Beta Reticuli star system. Reyf refuses to admit to it, prompting Garr to speculate that he knows exactly where Reyf's guilt is coming from, hinting at a decision Reyf made years before as the source. Reyf steadfastly defends his decision, but Garr asks him to consider how different his life would've been if he'd chosen the other path. Reyf quietly asks him if choosing the other path could've averted the entire chain of events he's now witnessing, but Garr only smiles, and tells him that the possibility of the answer to that question being "yes" frightens him, because if it is, then Reyf did have a chance to prevent everything, but missed it, and that makes Reyf feel responsible. Reyf then reminds Garr that because of the choice he did make, he's now in a position to do something about the situation, but Garr insists that Reyf has doubts he can't silence. He then wonders if the root might be even deeper, if the nasence of Reyf's problem lies in his knowledge that he did make the wrong choice, but he doesn't understand how the choice could be wrong? Just then, the turbolift arrives at deck 36, and Reyf all but runs into the corridor. Garr shouts after him that he must learn to control his doubts, for if he doesn't they will be his undoing.

Later, in Engineering, Reyf listens to a report from Data identifying the reason for Garr's attack on the Alcawell Mineral Refinery: he was seeking a device called a neutrino dampener, provided to the station to defend it against periodic ion storm activity in the vicinity. Commander Prentice speculates that the device would be exactly what Garr would need to stabilize an unstable quantum singularity, which Data confirms. He then goes on to speculate that the kind of energy Garr seems to be trying to retrieve wouldn't have any palpable effects on the space-time continuum as he knows it; Ronston then offers his own speculation about what that could mean. Reyf rejects the theory as too difficult even for Garr to pull off, providing one of his own: that Garr is trying to create a subspace "sterile zone" around the ISS Voyager, where the first energy form will be combined with an as-yet unknown catalyst, to produce some kind of reaction. Prentice becomes frustrated as he realizes that this means, with two variables and an unknown endgame, they're no closer to determining Garr's intentions and therefore no closer to stopping him. Reyf disagrees, suggesting that now all that's missing is to determine Garr's motive. Ronston questions that conclusion and Reyf's optimism, as they seem to have exhausted all of their leads. Prentice tells him to keep working on the female android, but Ronston reminds him that he's tried everything he knows and can't figure her out; Data offers to help, which Ronston accepts. Before they leave, Reyf suggests another possibility they've been overlooking: to examine the scene of the crime itself. As his officers look on, Reyf orders the Fitzgerald to set a course for home.

Memorable Quotes
''"I'm a doctor, not a drama critic." ''
 * - Dr. Elizabeth Falwell

''"How'd you do that?"  "Magic." ''


 * - Reyf and Ronston, after Ronston is able to open the door to Garr's hidden lab using nothing more than his tricorder

''"Lieutenant?"  "This place still gives me the creeps, even with the lights on. I feel like we're being watched."  "Under other circumstances I might call you paranoid, lieutenant. But this time I feel it too." ''


 * - Prentice and Erickson, while investigating Garr's hidden lab

''"I should never have had that damned holocommunicator installed."  "What makes you say that?"  "Because you're only half as intimidating on the viewscreen." ''
 * - Reyf and Admiral Thornton

''"This is a sickbay, not a flop house!" ''
 * - Mark III Emergency Medical Hologram

''"We shall have to make do with the EMH until this is over."  "I can hear you, you know!" ''
 * - Reyf and the Mark-III EMH

"The design of her neural structure seemed atypical because it does not match any known technological'' template."  "Turns out we were barking up the wrong tree. Data decided to run a comparative analysis against any known neural structures, not just the technological ones."  "What made you think of that alternative?"  "Through deduction, sir. The available facts did not provide sufficient information for us to arrive at a solution. It therefore seemed that an alternative method of investigation was prudent. In the words of Sherlock Holmes—"  " 'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains must be the truth, no matter how improbable.' Yes, I have heard that expression."  "Admit it, Data, you had a hunch, and you turned out to be right."  "It was the only logical alternative. I—" (looks around) "I had a hunch."''


 * - Data, Ronston, and Reyf, discussing their investigation of the female android's strange brain

"Human memory doesn’t always work like stored computer files. When you look at this, a stimulus in your brain connects the stimulus with the word tricorder. Repeat it enough, and a neural connection forms to retain that stimulus in your frontal lobe. But when I ask you to describe the tricorder, and the stimulus is no longer present, your brain collects everything it knows about tricorders. You may think of the color of the casing, or the lights on the screen, or the sound it makes. For me, the same stimulus might make me think of the weight of the unit, or the feel of the casing the last time I used it."


 * - Cmdr. Ronston, discussing how human memory works

"This is Dr. Braiyon Garr, commanding the Federation starship ISS Voyager''. Now’s not a good time, Gaius, I’m gonna have to ask you to come back."  "Stand down and prepare for transport, doctor. I’m taking you into custody."  "Oh, please spare me the tired cliché of making the impassioned appeal for the bad guy to surrender and give up his evil ways. You and I both know it’s not going to happen." ''


 * - Garr and Reyf, as Reyf calls for Garr's surrender at the black hole

''"In every work of early human fiction that I’ve ever read, there was a person—a villain—with some unthinkable plan to conquer the known world, or to cause mass destruction if certain demands weren’t met. In nearly every case, the villain was either given what they wanted, or they were stopped before they could carry out their plans."  "Fairy tales. Poor storytelling at best."  "Maybe. Maybe not. You see, in nearly every story I’ve read, the villain always saw themselves as some kind of…misunderstood, and suffering individual, wronged by society and determined to make it right by whatever means are necessary."  "You’re not seriously comparing Dr. Garr to one of these…storybook ne’er-do-wells of yours."  "Why not? Even the most…unbelievable works of fiction, are still based in reality at some level. Ultimately every work of sophisticated prose is just a story about people, and with only a few exceptions, people always act from here."  "Sir, I’m well aware that you’re versed in classic writing. And I grant that some antagonists are more than simple villains out to destroy the universe. But I see no evidence that Dr. Garr fits that description; and with him running around hatching evil, super-villain plans, we can’t afford to take that chance. We have no reason to believe he’s doing any of the soul-searching that you’re apparently giving him credit for."  "Even the most misguided literary figures still believed they were doing what had to be done. And no villain could ever refuse the possibility of gaining understanding by mainstream society."  "And what happens when you encounter an unexpected plot twist?"  "I suppose I’ll have to do what any good protagonist would do. I’ll improvise." ''
 * - Reyf and Prentice, discussing Dr. Garr as Reyf prepares to beam to Voyager

"Don’t you…dare talk to me about ethics! This is not about morals, or principles, or any other Starfleet platitude. There comes a point in every man’s life, when to do what’s right, he must surrender his beliefs. I’ve been there. And I know what I have to do."


 * - Dr. Braiyon Garr

''"I suppose now you’re going to tell me all about your sinister scheme."  (with amusement) "Reveal my plan? What do you think this is, a cheap cartoon?"  "Something like that." ''
 * - Reyf and Dr. Garr

''"You are mad, Braiyon. Mad!"  "No, actually I’m quite happy. In less than an hour, I’ll be where I want to be, and my life will be back on track. That’d brighten anyone’s day. Now if you’ll excuse me, this really isn’t the time for us to be spouting lines from bad 20th century holonovels at one another." ''
 * - Reyf and Dr. Garr

(bitterly) "The only award that self-serving madman deserves after everything he’s done is for perfect attendance at the New Zealand Penal Colony."


 * - Cmdr Brad Prentice

''"Good and evil have reconciled. And now the villain has seen the error of his ways, and the hero has returned to his people, victorious once again."  "Commander?"  "A discussion the captain and I were having before he went over there. He likened Dr. Garr to a villain in a story, and we were arguing over whether he was a villain of complexity."  "You didn’t think he was?"  "I still don’t. He’s intelligent, sure…but complex?"  "The best villains are the mysterious ones. There’s something to be said for an antagonist you can’t predict."  "I could never get into a story like that. There’s always some unexpected, last-minute plot twist, that gives the villain one last shot at his evil plan."  "Commander, I am detecting a low-frequency nadion radiation surge."  "Speaking of plot twists." ''
 * - Prentice, Troi, and Data, following Garr's surrender

''"In the literary style of most pre-23rd century authors, each work followed a predictable pattern, whereby an individual became incensed with mainstream culture, rejected it, and left to pursue their own desires. This would require a counterpart—the antagonist—to emerge and confront them. Typically, the protagonist is also defined as a character undergoing a dramatic change, both of his own character traits and external circumstances. In many plotlines evolving from order to chaos, a reversal of fortune can bring about the downfall of the protagonist, usually an exceptional individual, as a result of a tragic flaw in his personality. Do you believe the events we witnessed have played out according to this definition?"  "It certainly seems that way, doesn’t it." ''


 * - Data and Reyf, discussing the events they've witnessed

"You’re asking if it was proper for me to give the order to destroy Voyager.'' Whether the ends justify the means."  "Yes, sir."  "I’ve gone over that question a thousand times in my mind. Data, part of being human is learning when you have to make a personal sacrifice for the greater good. In fact I believe very strongly in the defense of history, but…that doesn’t make what I did any easier. Braiyon may have been an old friend, but what he was trying to do violated every Federation law that I swore to uphold. I’ve looked the other way before, I’ve even come close to breaking the Prime Directive now and again, but…"  "These circumstances are unique."  "Yes, they are. The simplest answer, Mr. Data, is that the ends don’t always justify the means. Dr. Garr’s downfall began with a single compromise that he made many years ago, to back away from what he believed in for someone else’s benefit. After that, each compromise he made got a little easier, and a little easier, until finally he’d gone too far to go back to where he started. Today I had a chance to make that first compromise myself. And today I refused."  "Thus defending the things you believe in."  "Indeed. You know, Data…for all our advancements, all our achievements…all our protestations of having become an enlightened race…humans are no more immune to our own feelings than we were a thousand years ago." ''
 * - Reyf and Data, discussing Dr. Garr following the disappearance of the ISS Voyager

''(final words)  "Full circle."''
 * - Dr. Braiyon Garr

USS F. Scott Fitzgerald NCC-85107-A

 * Captain Gaius Reyf. The primary protagonist of the movie. Commanding officer, and classmate to Dr. Braiyon Garr at Starfleet Academy. After graduating, Reyf served aboard a number of Starfleet vessels before assuming captaincy, and with it, command of the Fitzgerald. His first assignment with that rank and position was a six-month survey mission in the Gamma Quadrant. Reyf is classy and cultured, with a passion for literature and music.
 * Commander Brad Prentice. First officer. Prentice is a skilled and able first officer, but at times can be impatient and quick to judge.
 * Dr. Elizabeth Falwell. Chief medical officer of the USS Fitzgerald. She shares Reyf's interest in classic literature.
 * Lieutenant Commander Merv Ronston. Chief engineer. Ronston is extremely skilled at technical problem solving, and strives to uphold the reputation of Starfleet engineers as "miracle workers."
 * Lieutenant Kendra Erickson. Chief of security and tactical officer. Tough but fair, Erickson is extremely no-nonsense and takes her position extremely seriously. Privately she keeps to herself and rarely socializes with the rest of the crew.
 * Lieutenant Maxwell Garrett. Chief of Operations.
 * Lieutenant Howard Parks. Navigator.
 * Ensign Jennifer Hargrove. Replacement tactical officer, who joined the ship at Deep Space Nine following its return from the Gamma Quadrant.
 * Ensign Lesley Kal. Junior science officer. Kal assisted with the survey of Garr's lab.
 * Ensign Renee Mitchell. Assistant engineer, with a specialty in plasma reactions.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E

 * Lieutenant Commander Data.
 * Counselor Deanna Troi.

Starfleet Command

 * Admiral Miranda Thornton. Chief of Operations for Starfleet Intelligence.
 * Dr. Edward Chellik. Chief administrator of the Mellis II Deep Space Research Facility.

Other

 * Dr. Braiyon Garr. The primary antagonist of the movie. Garr was once a leading Starfleet research scientist, who following his graduation from Starfleet Academy went on to head the Research & Development division of Starfleet Intelligence. Garr was last seen alive on January 7, 2370, when after stealing the classified design plans to six of Starfleet's most advanced starships, his shuttle was damaged and destroyed while attempting to navigate the asteroid field of Sector 001.

Background Information

 * Specter of the Past first began production in August 2006. The original storyline was for a 42-minute television episode; it was later expanded to full movie length to accommodate a more elaborate plot and deeper characters. The only plot elements that remain from the original draft are the ISS Voyager and the time travel element.


 * The starship ‘’Fitzgerald’’ was originally named for a schoolmate of the executive producer, Ryan Fitzgerald. The name was later changed to “F. Scott Fitzgerald” to reflect the strong literary undertones present in the movie.


 * The storyline continued to evolve all through the production process. Fans at the site Scifi-Meshes.com were largely responsible for many of the improvements that were made from the original script.

Scene 1: "Prologue"

 * The starship chase scene in the opening sequence is based on a similar prologue sequence seen in "The Caretaker," the pilot episode of the TV series Star Trek: Voyager. In that episode, scrolling text also precedes a space battle. In fact, the music track ("Prologue," by Jay Chattaway, is from that precise sequence)
 * The type of starship seen in the prologue sequence is a fan design known as the Dawnstar-class, obtained from StarTrekAustralia and meant to represent an intermediate step between the canon Ambassador-class and Galaxy-class designs. The bridge of this vessel, the USS Daystrom, is a recreation of the Enterprise-B bridge from Star Trek: Generations, and can be seen with a standard Ambassador-class Master Systems Display.
 * The LCARS displays on the Daystrom bridge are reminiscent of those seen in Star Trek VI, although the uniforms are clearly those from the early seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. In the scenes set in the "present day," the LCARs display format and uniforms would change to reflect the late-2370s style seen in "Star Trek: First Contact" and afterwards. This was done intentionally so as to clearly establish the two different eras in which the film takes place.
 * The "blinkies" under the Daystrom viewscreen are not seen in the prologue sequence.
 * Due to a scripting error, Dr. Garr's vessel is incorrectly referenced in dialogue as a "shuttlecraft," as opposed to a "runabout." The interior for the unnamed runabout, though built to reflect one of several configurations that appeared on the series Deep Space Nine, bears colors and even an LCARs from the feature film Star Trek: Insurrection.
 * The bridge ambient and control panel sound effects of the USS Daystrom are from the Enterprise-B, from sound effects provided on the commercial soundtrack of Star Trek: Generations.
 * Looking closely over Garr's shoulder in the prologue reveals the presence of what looks like an advanced mainframe computer, on whose display screens the audience can see the schematics for Voyager. The mainframe prop is a re-use of a console originally seen as part of the laboratory of Dr. Ira Graves in "The Schizoid Man" (TNG).
 * Look carefully inside the turbolift doors on the Daystrom bridge as they close. The man inside wears a gold engineering uniform and a set of gold-rimmed glasses, something which is said to be unique to Dr. Garr himself. This figure will appear several more times throughout the film, which will be explained in the film's final scene.
 * Though it is never made clear in dialogue, the Sovereign-class starship in the prologue sequence is in fact the Enterprise-E.

Scene 2: "Title Sequence"

 * The title sequence underwent several different iterations before the final version was produced: the original was essentially a replica of the opening from Star Trek Voyager (more on that below); the second was an attempt to create a "the movie" version of the opening from the same series. The final version is unique to this movie, and uses a mixture of the title themes from Star Trek I: The Motion Picture, and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier as its score.


 * The shuttlecraft seen in the title sequence is a cameo by the Shuttlecraft Galileo, from Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.


 * The "crowd shot" of Utopia Planitia that ends the title sequence is based on a similar shot that started the episode "Relativity," from the fifth season of Star Trek Voyager. Though not all are clearly visible on screen, the shot includes cameo appearances by: Star Trek VII Drydock, McKinley assembly yard, Alexandria station, Akira class, Prometheus class, Excelsior class, Ambassador class, Galaxy class, Khitomer class, Type-6/Class-2/Cochrane-class shuttle. Many of the meshes for these starships were obtained at Star Trek Australia, others at Foundation3D.com; some of the space stations were obtained from Scifi3D.

Scene 3: "Five Years Later"

 * The music track that begins the first scene after the prologue is "Are You Alive?", from the commercial soundtrack release for the 2004 Battlestar Galactica miniseries.


 * The Mellis II space station is portrayed by a replica of the Caretaker's Array, a model built specially for the occasion by executive producer Brandon Bridges.


 * The "present day" portion of the movie that begins with this scene takes place in the year 2375, approximately the same time as tensions were heating up between the Federation and the Klingons over their role in defending against the Dominion. Because this film takes place in its own continuity, the Dominion War will receive very few mentions over the course of the movie.


 * Among the furnishings in the office of Dr. Edward Chellik is a gold replica of the USS Enterprise NCC-1701, from the 2009 film "Star Trek XI." This was done as something of an in-joke, as that film takes place in an alternate reality; in the "prime" universe JJ Abrams' redesign of the Enterprise is portrayed as a concept no one took seriously, and so it wound up a little more than a toy on someone's shelf.


 * The lit orange graphic on the back wall of Chellik's office is "Alien Star Map," by Jose Ralat and obtained from Okudagrams.com.


 * The ominous music track that begins when Chellik's lights go out is "Time is Running Out," from the commercial soundtrack release of Star Trek Generations.


 * The sounds of Garr's approaching footsteps from outside Chellik's door are amplified sounds of footsteps from the far end of a parking garage, obtained from SoundDogs.com.


 * Originally, there was to have been a corridor visible outside Chellik's door, which would have shown Garr's shadow moving across a far bulkhead; this corridor was removed when the filmmaker decided pure darkness would be more frightening.


 * In an early version of the scene in Chellik's office, the power was to have remained on, with only Garr's intimidating silence working to frighten Chellik. In-universe, the power failure was written into the scene both as a means to explain how Garr has been able to remain in concealment for so long, as well as to increase the fear factor of the encounter. The "real world" explanation is that showing Garr emerging from the shadows acts as a very powerful metaphor, showing that the mad scientist is no longer in hiding.


 * The sound that accompanies the red flash of Garr's eyes is a single "throb" of the Voyager warp core.


 * The music track that begins when the scene changes is the first half of "Enterprise Departs/A New Home.”

Scene 5: "A 24th Century Fairy Tale"

 * The USS F. Scott Fitzgerald is played by a combination of elements from a variety of sources. The base Galaxy-class model is from Foundation3D.com, and was created by Prologic9. The non-standard equipment visible on the hull--the pylon for the third nacelle, the large phaser canon on the ventral saucer, the disruptors on either side of the bridge, the fins on the nacelle pylons, the twin-tube torpedo launcher on top of the main shuttlebay--were all custom-made by Brandon Bridges.


 * The corridors of the Fitzgerald were constructed using scans of the actual Paramount set blueprints. The lighting and colors are all strongly reminiscent of the set's appearance from Star Trek Generations.


 * A small amount of creative license was taken with this corridor set, placing animated LCARs graphics in places they were not seen in the movie, namely: on the holodeck control pad and on the monitor box next to the turbolift door in the alcove between the "back doors" to Main Engineering and the junior officers' quarters.


 * The exchange between Reyf and Falwell was originally much longer. In the early versions of the script, the conversation was a much more in-depth examination of the story of Frankenstein, including plot points from the book. The conversation was trimmed both for time and to focus less on the particulars of the story, and more on the ethical dilemma it presented. Much as references to "Moby Dick" mirrored the actual storyline in "The Wrath of Khan" and again in "First Contact," these references to "Frankenstein" mirror the actual storyline in this movie.


 * The original version of Reyf and Falwell's exchange after they leave the holodeck featured what was to have been the first of several "corridor walk" scenes. When the dialogue was rewritten, the scene had to be completely redone, and the decision was made to use static shots only to speed production.


 * The dialogue in the first part of this scene is very lighthearted, and was written to establish that a flirtatious relationship exists between Falwell and Reyf, similar to that seen between Picard and Dr. Crusher in the latter seasons of Star Trek TNG.


 * When the shot changes from the perspective against the holodeck doors to the wide shot of the corridor set, just before Reyf and Falwell come around the corner, note the second appearance of the man with gold-rimmed glasses, this time wearing the blue uniform of a science officer. The graphic on the companel he's working with was provided by Okudagrams.com. Note that the same graphic appears on a second companel behind Reyf as he and Falwell stand at the intersection.

Scene 6B: "Call from Mellis II"

 * In something of a small blooper, when we see the exterior of the Fitzgerald at the start of the scene, the Bussard collectors are unlit.


 * The piece of music heard in Reyf's quarters immediately thereafter is "Four Seasons," by Vivaldi.


 * When Chellik contacts the Fitzgerald to speak with Reyf, he describes Garr's visit as "an incident." This is a reference to the opening of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, in which a Klingon official describes the explosion of Praxis as "an incident."


 * Chellik's description of the "peculiar breaches of security" had a line of dialogue cut that many fans considered a favorite, specifically his statement that pursuing the perpetrator was "like chasing a ghost."


 * When Chellik sends Reyf the list of the stolen components, the filmmaker was very careful not to delve into the technical aspects too much at this early stage. In typical Star Trek form, the dialogue acknowledges the technical side focuses more on the actual threats resulting from the thefts, as well as the apparent personal stake in it for Reyf.


 * By deliberately calling attention to the surreality of having fourteen security breaches across the Federation, Reyf is pointing out what many fans were thinking to themselves: that either security at the facilities in question was lax (highly unlikely), or else that the culprit is no ordinary thief.


 * Note that when Chellik replays the visual log from his office, the angle is, curiously, identical to that which was seen by the home audience. This is because the footage is, in fact, simply a re-use of stock footage from the actual scene. This same technique was used numerous times throughout the franchise, most famously in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, when stock footage from the previous movie was used as footage from the flight recorder on the Enterprise. The same technique was again used in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, when footage from the previous movie was portrayed as visual log recordings from the Enterprise in the moments before it self-destructed.


 * The music track that accompanies the playing of the visual log is an excerpt from "Fully Functional," from the commercial soundtrack release of Star Trek: First Contact.


 * The graphic identifying the visual log playback as such is closely based on a similar graphic seen in "Contagion," from the second season of Star Trek TNG.


 * Fans have often questioned the existence of the visual log Chellik plays for Reyf. Suspiciously familiar camera angles aside, many have paused to wonder how, if the power was cut to Chellik's office and the surrounding section, the visual sensor that captured the image would still be operational. The only explanation from the filmmaker has been to state that perhaps the visual sensor was connected to a power source (perhaps the same emergency generators that seem to be powering the lights) that is separate from the main power grid.


 * June 3 is the actual date of birth of the film's executive producer, Brandon Bridges. He was 23 years old at the time the scene was originally written, the same age as Garr was at the time of his presumed death.


 * At the end of the scene, Reyf stands up and steps into the back room of his quarters. In the earlier wide shot, we clearly saw that there was an alcove with a mirror in it, which canon has established means this is the bedroom. Yet, in Reyf's quarters, this room is clearly used as a storage area. We can only assume that the design of the Fitzgerald is such that this was meant as a "guest room," which Reyf is simply using for storage, and that the other open room we saw (through the door on the same wall as the replicator) is Reyf's actual sleeping area.


 * The photo Reyf picks up to look at is of him and a young Braiyon Garr, clearly at Starfleet Academy years earlier. In the photo, both are shown wearing uniforms similar to those first introduced in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. In dialogue, however, Garr is said to have been born in 2347 (making him 23 at the time of his presumed death); and if we assume that people would only attend Starfleet Academy following graduation from high school (a logical assumption given dialogue and other evidence from Star Trek TNG), that would place the approximate time frame of Garr and Reyf's attendance of the academy at 2364 to 2369, years that we witnessed in Star Trek TNG, and thanks to that, we know that the cadets had by then adopted TNG-style uniforms. This makes the uniforms worn by Reyf and Garr a costuming error. (No "in universe" explanation has been offered for this; the "real world" explanation is that the photo was made long before the dates were finalized, and the error was never corrected).


 * Further, in dialogue it was clearly stated that "after graduating from the Academy...[Garr] for six years performed his duties with distinction." Yet, for this to be possible, Garr would have had to attend the Academy much earlier than is assumed to be the norm--in fact, he would've had to graduate from the Academy in 2364, at the age of 17 (meaning an enrollment at age 13). Moreover, for them to appear together, Reyf would almost certainly have had to follow the same path through life, as neither he nor Garr are shown with any form of rank on their jackets. While it's theoretically possible for both to have enrolled at age 13--and indeed, such an assumption would be all but required for Reyf to have attained the rank of commander by the age of 23, his age in the prologue which is set in 2370-- it would mean that both would have been prime examples of child prodigies. Doubly so in Garr's case, since according to Reyf's explanation the mad doctor has an endless string of "advanced degrees" in a variety of complicated subjects. Even so, this timeline stretches the willing suspension of disbelief and has even been noted by fans.


 * While the previous two examples are explainable with varying degrees of plausibility, a key component of the Reyf-Garr backstory is not. Reyf later says in dialogue that following the Battle of Wolf 359 (the aftermath of which was seen in "Best of Both Worlds" but which was not seen until the opening of "Emissary"), Garr (identified at the same time as someone Reyf had known for fifteen years at the time of Garr's assumed death) among other things ushered him into Starfleet Academy. The issue lies with the fact that Wolf 359 occurred in 2367, only three years before the date of the prologue sequence. If Garr convinced Reyf to apply to the Academy after Wolf 359 (which dialogue states is exactly the case), then neither Reyf nor Garr could have graduated any earlier than 2371, one year after the prologue, making it all but impossible for Reyf to hold the rank of captain just four years later. This is a definite timing blooper. For all the facts of the timeline to agree with one another, it would have to proceed more like this:


 * 2347: Garr & Reyf are born
 * 2367: The Borg attack and decimate the Starfleet armada at Wolf 359. Reyf's father is killed in the attack.
 * 2368: Garr and Reyf apply to Starfleet Academy
 * 2371: Garr obtains position at Starfleet Intelligence
 * 2370: Garr graduates two years early and goes on to obtain advanced degrees in multiple subjects.
 * 2372: Reyf graduates Starfleet Academy
 * 2377: Garr suddenly steals a prototype shuttlecraft/runabout, attempting to escape the Sol system but killed in the process
 * 2382: Garr "returns from the dead"


 * One possible reason this timeline was not observed is because it would preclude the appearance of Lieutenant Commander Data, as the events of Star Trek Nemesis take place in 2379, three years before the "modern day" portion of the movie would be set; in that film, Data sacrifices himself to stop Shinzon's thelaron weapon. Data's appearance in this movie was written as a direct response to the events of that film, a tacit fan acknowledgment of the character's popularity among fans.


 * The music track that accompanies Reyf's remembrance is "The Planet View/Contemplation," from the expanded score of Star Trek: Insurrection.

Scene 7: "Departure"

 * Reyf's speech on the bridge harkens back to several "pep talks" given by various captains over the years, specifically: Kirk's from Star Trek II, Picard's from "Yesterday's Enterprise" and "All Good Things...", Sisko's in "The Adversary," and Janeway's in "The Caretaker."


 * During the launch sequence, the music track that plays is "Enterprise First Flight," from the pilot episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, "Broken Bow." Originally, the scene was much shorter (beginning with the line "seal the airlock, release docking clamps" and completely lacking the dialogue pertaining to readying the ship for launch), and was backed by the title theme from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. When the scene was expanded to include Reyf's speech and more procedural dialogue pertaining to launch preparation, the music track was changed to accommodate the longer scene.


 * Pay careful attention to the bridge set during Reyf's speech, specifically the reflections in the console displays. You'll see what appears to be something blue. This is a blooper on the part of the modeler, who forgot to remove the "default" image of Beta Reticuli IV from the main viewscreen; consequently, it is reflected in all the consoles that face the font of the bridge, and can even be seen on the viewscreen itself in shots of Reyf against the ready room alcove.


 * Note that when Reyf orders departure stations, the ship assumes condition blue. This was originally not part of the script, however it was eventually added in after the filmmaker recalled its use on multiple occasions throughout the Star Trek franchise: in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock as the Enterprise prepared for docking; in "Brothers" (TNG) to indicate an environmental failure; in "The 37s" and several times after as the USS Voyager landed on a planetary surface (and again in the same episode when it lifted off); in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine when the USS Defiant engaged its cloaking device; and in "Message in a Bottle" (VOY) aboard the USS Prometheus to indicate multi-vector assault mode in operation. Most often, condition blue was invoked during noncombat situations to signify exceptional situations which might pose hazards to the crew (the exception being multi-vector assault mode, exclusively a combat maneuver).


 * The particulars of this became a subject of lengthy discussion among fans at Scifi-Meshes.com. At first, the filmmaker intended to do as had been done in "Brothers" (TNG), which was the only time the Enterprise-D was shown at condition blue (that time indicating an environmental failure): in that instance, the bright lighting darkened and blue alert bars flashed on the sides of the set, as well as in the four alcoves around the bridge, while the tall alert bars remained at their condition-green status. When the proof of concept for the scene was posted, fans correctly pointed out that the alert bars aboard the USS Voyager had turned blue and flashed in synch with the rest of the alert lights, and one user pointed out that the only reason why the TNG bars didn't was because at the time, light tubes could not be located that would provide a satisfactory shade of blue for the alert bars, and so they were simply left alone. For both of those reasons, the filmmaker opted to use the alert bars as condition blue indicators as well.


 * In something of a sound effects blooper, the VOY intercom sound can be heard when Reyf contacts Ronston in Engineering to ask about the warp drive. At all other times in the movie, the TNG intercom sound is used instead.


 * The EPS power falloff that Garrett reports has been noted by fans as an anomaly, since technical mishaps aboard Federation starships are practically unheard of (as Ronald D. Moore once observed, nine times out of ten, if something is broken on a Starfleet vessel, chances are something else is going on). This however was a deliberate move on the part of the writers, who were laying the groundwork for later scenes involving the fact of the first-of-its-class ship still being new and largely untested. This follows in the footsteps of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, in which the newly refitted USS Enterprise NCC-1701 suffered severe engine difficulties after leaving spacedock.

Scene 8: "Crew Briefing"

 * This scene is mostly procedural in nature, introducing the crew of the Fitzgerald--as well as the audience--to their foe.


 * According to Reyf, Garr holds advanced degrees in numerous fields of study: quantum physics, cybernetics, string theory, holography, just to name a few.


 * The design of the observation lounge set is a custom design, intended to show an intermediate progression between the TV series design we saw on TNG, and the modified lounge seen in "Star Trek Nemesis." The basic architecture of the room is identical to the TV series, but the back wall is strongly reminiscent of the large computer terminal seen in "Star Trek Nemesis." The decorations on the walls by the entrance doors resembles similar decor seen in "Parallels," from the seventh season of TNG. The doors are orange and have labels, as seen in "These are the Voyages...", the series finale of "Star Trek: Enterprise." Note that the windows are in their original, nearly-vertical position, after being tilted several degrees when the set was redesigned for "First Contact."


 * This scene went through several different iterations before it took its final form. Originally it was far longer, with a more in-depth analysis of the details of the events in the prologue sequence. Almost three minutes of dialogue was cut from the revised script, resulting in the scene as presented in its final form.


 * Sharp-eyed fans have criticized the LCARs biography that Reyf accesses here. A primary criticism is the fact that Garr is shown wearing a STFC-style uniform, despite the fact that the last time he was seen he was wearing a VOY-style uniform. This is further confused by the fact that he is shown posing on what looks like the bridge of a refit Constitution-class starship. The reason for this is that the image was made long before the timelines for the movie were finalized (and in fact, was created from an old script draft that omitted Garr's five-year disappearance). No "in universe" explanation is given, and it may be assumed that this is simply a blooper than went unnoticed as such until identified by fans.


 * In this scene, as in the prologue, Garr's vessel from the prologue is incorrectly referred to as a "shuttlecraft" rather than a "runabout."


 * The dialogue makes note of the fact that the crew are unaware of how Garr managed to fake his death, a question which will not be answered. When asked about it later, Garr simply responds, "Does it matter?"


 * The conversation that takes place between Reyf and Erickson alone was a last-minute addition, written well after the rest of the scene had been produced. The filmmaker felt that this extra exchange would provide a valuable opportunity to deepen the characters of Reyf and Erickson, and Prentice as well, by discussing his perceptions of Erickson. Specifically, the intent was to show Reyf handling the situation with the delicacy that might be expected of a good captain (remaining attentive to the needs of his officers, while simultaneously being clearly caught up in his own emotional turmoil). It was also important to define Erickson's sharp personality (the script defines her as "a female Worf") as a means to set up the dynamic between her and Prentice (who the script defines as "Riker five years before joining the Enterprise-D"). The intent with the two of them is to show a similar dynamic to the one which existed between Commander Shelby and Commander Riker, and all the tension that implies (this is why Prentice visibly stops in the doorway before leaving the room when he sees Erickson stopping to talk to Reyf).

Scene 9: "Beta Reticuli IV"

 * This scene is another that's largely procedural, moving the story forward by sheer force of will than anything else.


 * The appearance of Beta Reticuli IV went through several iterations before the filmmaker decided on the current "blue Mars" look. The color blue was specifically chosen because of the script's description of "a barren, icy planet," and so the decision was made to cast the planet's surface as a combination of rock and ice. It was important to avoid the color white because of its previous use as the surface of the planet Hoth in one of the Star Wars films. Among the alternatives considered was a desert planet with a red-orange surface, but that was deemed as too similar to Ceti Alpha V from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.


 * Left unspecified is exactly where the planet lies. In fact, before this scene was made, the decision was made to place the planet in "a tiny sliver of Federation space wedged in between the Klingon and Romulan Neutral Zones." It was eventually decided not to state that much in dialogue, for fear that doing so would require appearances by one or the other race, thus complicating an already elaborate storyline. It has been stated that Klingon ship models and even a bridge set were obtained in the event that they were needed.


 * In dialogue, Erickson identifies that the planet's upper atmosphere abounds with plasma storms. The choice of phenomenon was very deliberate: original drafts of the script simply stated that "some form of natural phenomenon that would be intrinsically disruptive to the normal functions of the transporter and communications systems." One early choice was to have the planet covered by ion storms, but that was deemed impractical because of the phenomenon's previous appearance in "Mirror, Mirror" (TOS) and its effects being too well known. The choice was made to change the phenomenon to plasma storms, as it would render the surface of the planet completely uninhabitable, thus precluding the possibility that any scenes would have to be shot there; thanks to the Badlands, the effects of plasma storms were already very well known, and could therefore be used to good effect as a plot device. At any rate, it was necessary to establish why Garr might have come to this particular planet, and since dialogue did not specify its remote location (only that the system was deserted), some form of naturally occurring phenomenon had to be used; it may be assumed that Garr was counting on the storm activity to shield any energy emissions from whatever experiments he was running. A chief fear was that if we used ion storms, we'd have to complicate the dialogue by saying something like "Have you compensated for the distorting effects that ion storms can have on the transporter?" or something like that, to address folks who were thinking back to "Mirror, Mirror." This was supposed to be a short scene from the get-go: we arrive on scene, scan the planet, realize there's danger, and then beam down anyway.


 * Some fans have noted that it would be highly improper for Reyf to beam down to the planet after Erickson explicitly stated that there are plasma storms in the atmosphere, and Garrett followed up by saying that those storms would be disruptive to transporter beams. Others have remarked on Prentice's silence when Reyf decides to transport down, though Prentice is visibly displeased as Reyf leaves the bridge. A cut scene later would have established that Reyf has Prentice's full support, and that captains can, when they deem it necessary and appropriate, choose to lead investigative away teams personally.

Scene 10: "The Caves"

 * The ambient sound heard during this scene is a re-use of the sound of the Technodrome, from the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon series. This sound will come to represent Garr's lab in the coming scenes.


 * The surface of Beta Reticuli IV, though heavily shrouded by mist and clouds, is presented as a plain with a series of canyons and crevasses, but essentially it looks similar to Earth's Antarctic region. The first attempt by the modelers to generate a suitably alien atmosphere resulted in a landscape that was highly angular, with razor-sharp formations scattered throughout faceted ice mountains that resembled gemstones. It was deemed too abstract, and so the visual was retooled with a less alien vista in mind.


 * Fans have hailed the "follow" technique of introducing the caves as unique and eye-catching. The sequence--sweeping establishing shot of the planet's surface, then a closer shot zooming into one of the crevasses, then a shot of the camera "flowing" down towards the underground island where the away team eventually materializes--was inspired by similar techniques in use in traditionally animated media, in which shots of exotic locations introduce the overall environment first, before getting progressively closer to the point of interest. Similar shots were used in the original "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" cartoon series to introduce the various locales in which the Technodrome was stranded, making it the second allusion to the classis series in the movie.


 * The transporter effect from which the away team materializes is based closely on that seen in "Star Trek: Voyager," but updated somewhat to appear "movie quality." Note that the color scheme is similar to that which was used in Star Trek TNG, a light blue-purple.


 * This scene contains a small blooper. When the away team first materializes, Ronston pulls out his tricorder. We hear the "ratcheting" sound of the tricorder being flipped open, but note that when Ronston picks it up it is actually already open. This is a flaw of the actual tricorder prop, which was not built to open and close; the shot was originally framed to cover this, but it had to be changed to accommodate the slightly wider shot necessary to accommodate the three crewmembers.

Scene 11: "Transporter Lock"

 * This short scene serves two purposes: one, to establish increasing jeopardy for the away team, and second, to serve as a "time passes" moment. In Star Trek, even short cutaways typically represent the passage of time in the "primary" location.


 * Originally, this scene was much longer, with Prentice speaking with an admiral from Starfleet Intelligence. (see more in the "Deleted Scenes" section)

Scene 12: "The Caves Pt.2/Garr's Lab"

 * For the introduction of this scene, the sound of the Technodrome was reduced in tempo by three percent, to give it a slightly "otherworldly" feeling.


 * The design of the metallic door that serves as the entrance to Garr's lab went through a lengthy design process before the final design was chosen. In its final form, the door itself bears a strong resemblance to concept art for the door to the Alkali Dam control center from the film X-Men 2, right down to the lit strips at the base (though in the concept art they were orange rather than blue).


 * The use of nonstandard metal in the construction of the door foreshadows similar design oddities in the hull of the ISS Voyager later on.


 * The fact of Ronston's ability to get the door to open using only his tricorder is an important plot element for a number of reasons:
 * 1) It establishes Ronston's abilities as an engineer, a necessary step because of planned developments later in the movie. (This is why
 * 2) It allowed the scene to remain simple, because this way no dialogue or action involving finding and disabling the locking mechanism would have to be written (or shot).
 * 3) It kept attention on the odd manufacture of the door, hinting that Garr didn't obtain all of his (what appear to be considerable) resources from the Federation.


 * The sound mix for this movie is very rich for a CGI film. The lab door is one example of a very rich sound mix: a metallic hissing sound, the sound of a 20th-century elevator door opening, the sound of the conference room doors from Stargate Atlantis, and the sound of a Stargate SG-1 chevron locking into place make up the mix of the door opening. The same mix, plus the sound of the Stargate SG-1 iris closing, make up the mix of the door closing.


 * The set for Garr's lab is actually a redress of a CGI replica of Genomex, from the TV series "Mutant X" (2001-2003). For its appearance as Garr's lab, the stasis pods were removed and the floor replaced with shiny black marble, and a rock wall placed behind one set of observation windows. The set is uniquely suited for use as a much larger facility; with proper camera work and lighting, the side rooms can be made to appear as completely separate areas, which is precisely what is done with this set in this and later scenes.


 * Originally, the portion of the scene that dealt with the away team's entry into the lab was much longer, and continued past where it presently ends. The resultant scene was almost ten minutes long, and featured a montage of the three officers searching the various parts of the facility. When the script was rewritten to include the shuttle mission, the scenes in the lab were significantly trimmed. Of the original scene, less than two minutes was usable for the final version.


 * Notice that the ambient sound of the Technodrome is the only sound heard inside Garr's lab; absent is any sort of "power hum" that can typically be heard in even ground-based facilities in Star Trek. This is because for this scene, the lab is on minimal emergency power. In-universe, this is easily explainable as Garr trying to conceal the facility from the sensors of the Fitzgerald in orbit. The "real world" explanation is that with fewer lights on, the sets were far faster to render, and besides that, the darkness makes the lab seem that much eerier.


 * When Prentice contacts Reyf to warn him about the energy displacement in the facility, the voice is heavily distorted. The sound clip of Prentice's distorted comm call, and the clean dialogue heard in the remainder of the scene, were recorded almost a year apart.


 * The concept that an energy displacement right represent an attempt to conceal life signs has its origins in "The 37s," the first aired episode of the second season of Star Trek: Voyager.


 * Sharp-eyed fans should pay attention to the wide shots of the entryway to Garr's lab, particularly the wide shot just before Ronston declares that there are no life signs within five hundred meters. Look to right hand side of the frame (to Ronston's left), and in the room behind the glass you'll notice what appears to be a female with dark brown hair and white clothing, lying on what seems to be a VOY-style biobed. The room behind that glass is actually where the away team will find a female android later, though it's implied by careful camera shots to be a separate part of the facility. The design of the android will be different as well when she is actually found. The "in universe" explanation is that the android we see from the main room is one of several proof-of-concept models constructed by Garr prior to assembling the final android, and that several rooms exist within the facility that appear visually similar, meaning that the "final" android that Erickson finds is in another room altogether. Practical film making commonly uses this technique to save production costs; in CGI, the same technique can be an immense time-saver, as it does not require the construction and lighting of new sets.

Scene 13: "Strange Readings"

 * In the first draft of the storyline, this scene and the one to follow did not exist; instead, the ISS Voyager was to have simply appeared from behind the moon, and flown past too quickly for the Fitzgerald to catch. This scene was originally added as a second "transporter lock" scene, but that idea was quickly scrapped as it was deemed redundant. Instead, it was decided that sensors would detect something off coming from behind one of the planet's moons (the script clearly says that Beta Reticuli IV has three moons); that version of the scene worked far better, but in the original form that was all there was--the shuttle mission wasn't added until it was decided that given the circumstances, even a novice Starfleet crew would want to investigate.


 * Ensign Hargrove was written with the episodes "Lower Decks" and "Descent" (both from TNG) in mind. The former dealt with starship life from the junior officers' perspective; the latter featured a skeleton crew of inexperienced junior officers manning the Enterprise-D while the rest searched Lore's planet for Data. Ensign Tate was the primary inspiration, the junior science officer who overcame her hesitation to put forth the strategy that ultimately defeated the Borg. Hargrove was meant to embody the same traits of uncertainty and hesitation to advise her superiors of a hunch, as evidenced by her nerves when Prentice confronts her.


 * Notice that when the moon is seen on the main viewscreen, it bears a strong resemblance to Earth's moon. The resemblance is not accidental.


 * Garrett reports that the moon has a dense core of a substance known as "exoboron," a material which is disruptive to sensors and other starship equipment. The substance in question is yet another reference to the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon series; in one episode, a mineral of the same name was used by the series' arch-villains to power an enlarging ray.


 * Fans have been skeptical of the fact that Prentice would leave the ship with Reyf already gone: but Parks remains on the bridge, and even if he's the last senior officer, given the circumstances, the largest dangers are likely to be on the planet and behind the moon, requiring the attention of the most experienced officers. ''The "real world" explanation is that this is a classic "divide and conquer" setup.'‘

Scene 14A: "Shuttle Mission/Garrett's Emotions"

 * When the shuttle leaves the ship, note that there is no red light shining on the closed door to the main shuttlebay, which there should be thanks to the presence of the third warp nacelle just aft of that location. This was because, to speed render times, the entire drive section was removed from the scene as it was not visible from this perspective. As a result, the time needed to render the shot was reduced by almost one third.


 * Like scenes in a turbolift, scenes in shuttles are often used to isolate characters away from the rest of the cast so that they can have discussions that would ordinarily be inappropriate. In addition to furthering the adventure component of the story, this shuttle mission also serves that purpose: to allow Garrett and Prentice to frankly exchange thoughts regarding Reyf's odd behavior. Originally, in the conversation with Chellik, we learned exactly why is prompting Reyf's involvement in this situation despite his relative inexperience and that of his crew, making this scene somewhat redundant; fan reaction, however, pointed out that fact, along with the fact that leaving that information out of the comm exchange with Chellik would allow Reyf's odd behavior to remain an object of curiosity, with new information emerging gradually, thus producing a better storyline. With those revisions made, this scene becomes an important milestone, as we learn that Prentice himself harbors the same doubts.


 * The exterior of the shuttle is that of the shuttlecraft seen in Star Trek: Insurrection, but the cockpit interior is a redress of the runabout cockpit seen in the prologue, this time with more familiar colors and LCARs displays. Interestingly, this cockpit design would have been more suited to the runabout seen in the prologue sequence, while that vessel's gold-colored cockpit would have been more appropriate for this type of shuttle, as the gold-colored cockpit accompanied this shuttle design in the movie. No explanation is given in the movie, nor has there been a "real world" explanation offered.


 * It is worth noting, however, that the design of the shuttle exterior--in particular the design of the forward windows--differs from the cockpit interior. Specifically, the shuttlecraft features a large forward window with two smaller side windows, while the cockpit interior has two tall vertical windows and no side viewports at all (two computer panels are present in their place). Like the discrepancy above, neither an in-universe or "real world" explanation have been offered.


 * This scene presented some unique challenges that the director had been able to avoid up until now. Because of the manner in which the movie is being produced, only a small number of stock figures were available. As such, many crewmembers strongly resemble one another, aside from small differences of eye and hair color (and different uniforms, obviously). The characters of Prentice and Garrett are a prime example of this "twin" effect; up until now, the director had been able to conceal that fact by never showing two characters with a strong physical resemblance in the same shot. The closest example until now was in the "Transporter Lock" scene, when the camera cuts from nearly identical shots of Prentice to Garrett, and back again. With a scene in the cockpit of the shuttlecraft, two-shots involving both actors were simply unavoidable. This is a principal reason why Garrett is effectively written out at the end of this scene.

Scene 14B: "V'Ger Flyover"

 * The notion of a starship hiding behind a moon originates in the VOY episode "In the Flesh," in which Kathryn Janeway concealed her ship behind a moon to avoid detection by Species 8472.


 * The dialogue immediately before the reveal of the ISS Voyager ("Doesn't that look an awful lot like...?"/"Yeah, it does") is a nod to the Stargate SG-1 franchise; in the finale of that series' ninth season, a similar exchange took place regarding the formation of a so-called "Supergate." Garrett and Prentice express similar disbelief here about what they are seeing.


 * The sequence to follow--which the script describes as "like finding the Titanic in space"--became the centerpiece of this scene. It was decided to add this partially as a means to introduce the ISS Voyager in a powerful, meaningful way, before it actually joins the story as an active player, so that the audience could see clearly that this is not Janeway's ship, but that it's a completely separate entity all its own. (For more on the differences, see the section on the ISS Voyager below) Its second purpose was to fill the traditional role of what Roland Emerich would describe as the "classic sci-fi magic sequence," introducing the viewers to the element that would bring them adventure and mystery.


 * The music track that accompanies the sequence is a synth remix of the Star Trek: Voyager title theme, arranged and composed by Joel Goldsmith and released as part of a special single, along with two other mixes--a special extended mix of the TV version of the theme, as well as a pop remix composed almost entirely of guitar tracks.


 * The shot from this montage inside the mess hall of the ISS Voyager has been hailed by fans as a favorite, thanks to what they term the "eerie" atmosphere it creates. In fact, the producers were very deliberate about this particular shot, right down to the choice to show the coffee mug on the table. Some fans have seized upon this detail as evidence that Garr was aboard the ship very recently, while others speculate that the lack of steam coming from the mug indicates the ship had been deserted for some time. There has been no firm answer from the filmmaker, only comments that "part of why we fear it is because we don't understand the significance; but since it's aboard this nightmare ship hidden in darkness, you can't help but feel that it definitely means something."


 * It's interesting to note that behind the ISS Voyager are some softly glowing blue clouds, which we assume are composed of nebular gas of some kind. These clouds are not visible from any other perspective, and we may assume that this is because of the sunlight present in the other shots. With the ISS Voyager in concealment behind the moon, the sunlight is blotted out, and it may be explainable that without the glare of the sun, those gas clouds are visible with the naked eye.


 * During the flyover sequence, we see a variety of motion graphics on the monitors in the cockpit. These and all other motion graphics are courtesy of Adge's LCARs Database.


 * The two officers scan the ISS Voyager very extensively, information that under normal circumstances could easily prompt a "two meter exhaust port" situation, whereby the protagonists know everything there is to know regarding the enemy's base or starship. It's important for them to have some intelligence, but knowing everything is not conducive to good storytelling in a mystery movie; for that reason, it was decided that they would conduct a thorough examination of the ship, but that this information would be rendered useless afterwards.


 * Among the enhancements Garrett discovers on the duplicate starship is the presence of some odd neutronium hull armor, which he says looks like "some kind of quantum armor," which he elaborates could likely withstand the heat of a stellar core. This is a direct allusion to the Star Wars: Jedi Academy Trilogy, which included a vessel called the Sun Crusher. That vessel featured quantum armor that was capable not just of withstanding the heat of a sun, but the force of a supernova as well.


 * The red alert sound of the shuttlecraft is the sound of the Defiant red alert from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Scene 15: "A Strange Discovery"

 * The shot of the Beta Reticuli surface that begins this scene is the film's first re-use of stock footage from a previous scene.


 * The interface on the computer console that Reyf is operating is a cameo by the Star Trek Online interface. This style of interface will be seen repeatedly throughout the film on computers within Garr's laboratory, implying a more sophisticated operating system (presumably designed by Garr himself) than Starfleet's traditional LCARs system.  The standard LCARs interface remains in use aboard the ISS Voyager.


 * Note that Reyf jumps when Erickson contacts him. In reality, the volume of her comm call was increased by 50% to make it that much more startling for the audience.


 * Note that in Reyf's closeup against the entry wall of the laboratory, what appears to be a female humanoid on a Federation biobed can be seen over his left shoulder, albeit out of focus.


 * When Reyf contacts Commander Ronston to have him rendezvous at Erickson's position, the darkened room he's in is the Dimensional Portal Room, a location recycled from the classic "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" cartoon series. The room will be seen again, lit, in later scenes.


 * Though it's passed off as another part of the complex, the room in which Reyf meets Erickson is in fact the same part of the elaborate set in which we saw the white-garbed female humanoid earlier. This was done to save time and effort at constructing a new set for the side lab.  It can be recognized by its curved wall and, near the end of the scene, by the camera angle, which looks out into the main room that the away team entered earlier.


 * The female android they discover is played by Victoria 3, a figure provided by DAZ'3D Productions. The hair prop is Additional Hairstyles (with the ponytail option) by Neftis, the cybernetic arm the V3 Robo Arm also by DAZ'3D.  The clothes are part of a package known as Girl Next Door (GND2) by Blackhearted, which includes facial and body morphs as well.


 * Lighting the scene proved a unique challenge, as with the ambient light so low, the only practical illumination would be provided by the scope of Erickson's phaser rifle. This created some difficulties with how certain shots were staged, as "correct" blocking would have resulted in figures that were almost totally invisible.  Another issue arose from the fact that as security chief, Erickson would logically be keeping watch over the area, and that logically her weapon's sight would be in motion as well.


 * The piece of music heard when the android opens her eyes is a brief excerpt from "39.1 Degrees Celsius," from the soundtrack of Star Trek: First Contact.


 * The piece of music heard as the female android reaches over to touch Reyf's hand is an excerpt from "Escape Pods / The Lions' Den" from the soundtrack of Star Trek: First Contact.


 * Notice that the wall next to the biobed has a computer terminal similar to the one from the Voyager science lab.


 * The piece of music that starts when Erickson protests Reyf's decision to bring the android aboard is the threatrical version of "Retreat," from the soundtrack of Star Trek: First Contact.


 * Note that the transporter beams that appear around Garr and the away team are of two different colors: Garr's, and by extension that of the ISS Voyager, is a silver-blue reminiscent of the transporter used by the USS Voyager in Star Trek: Voyager, while the one for the away team is the same blue-purple seen earlier for the transporter of the Fitzgerald.

Scene 16: "The Starship Chase"

 * The exterior shot of the Fitzgerald that begins this scene is a re-use of a similar shot of the Enterprise-D from the TNG episode "Unification."


 * When Reyf steps off the turbolift onto the bridge, the ship is at yellow alert. Originally, it was to be red alert instead, however because of the specifics of the Fitzgerald red alert status and the intensely dramatic atmosphere it creates, it was saved for a scene later in the movie.


 * Reyf's question about Prentice's whereabouts are very much appropriate given the circumstances, however it also serves to clearly establish that the first officer did not return to the ship. Originally, in place of the shot of the Fitzgerald, was a sequence of shots inside the shuttlecraft as the ISS Voyager came to life, and flew directly toward the shuttle.  This would have demonstrated clearly to the audience that the collision was anything but accidental, as Garr later claims.  That was dropped in favor the present sequence to preserve the surprise of the status of the shuttlecraft.


 * Lt. Parks identifies the speed of the departing ship as "point five lightspeed." This is an homage to both Star Trek: The Motion Picture and the Star Wars series of movies; in the first Star Trek film, Sulu identified half impulse as "warp point five," while "lightspeed" is the primary means of hyperluminous propulsion in the Star Wars universe.


 * Originally, at the moment Lt. Erickson identifies the ship by its transponder code, the script called for "a round of gasps to echo through the bridge." Though early tests for this scene did include audible gasps, they were quickly removed after being deemed "too cheesy."


 * Note that when Reyf hails the ship, rather than using its full name, he instead addresses it simply as "ISS starship," a subtle refusal on his part to acknowledge the ship's origins or legitamicy.


 * When Ensign Hargrove turns to face Reyf to report that there has been no response to hails, notice that her hand is at her ear. This is a nod to Star Trek: The Original Series, in which Commander Uhura would frequently make the same gesture when listening to her earpiece.


 * The sound of the ISS Voyager flying past the camera in the exterior chase shot is a re-use of the sound of the unnamed Akira-class starship flying past the camera in Star Trek: First Contact at the conclusion of the Battle of Sector 001, following the explosion of the Borg cube.


 * When Garr does respond to Reyf's hail, the voice track is heavily remixed, to make it sound dry and otherworldly, with echo added to make it sound eerie and inhuman.


 * When Erickson receives the coordinates from the ISS Voyager, the music track switches to an excerpt from "The Dish," also from Star Trek: First Contact.


 * The angle on Garr when he appears on the viewscreen had to be chosen very carefully. In addition to showing a closeup of Garr himself, the producer also wanted to tease the bridge set of the ISS Voyager.  The angle that wound up getting used affords the best of both worlds:  placing Garr at the starboard science station on his bridge provides a plausible explanation for the closeup shot of his face (thanks to the wall monitor at the station in question), while also affording a good wide angle of the bridge set itself.


 * The framing of the closeup of Garr on the viewscreen of the Fitzgerald meant that the only parts of him that would be visible would be his upper torso, meaning they and they alone would have to convey his mood and intentions. For that reason, special attention was paid into making his motions as detailed and as complete as possible; as a result, his motions here are far more intricate than for most other scenes in the movie.


 * The situation with which Garr presents Reyf has its origins in the DS9 episode "Blaze of Glory," in which fugitive Michael Eddington disables a Cardassian civilian transport, which immediately begins to plunge into the atmosphere of a nearby planet. Eddington then taunts Captain Benjamin Sisko with the knowledge that if he pursues his vendetta with Eddington, a ship full of helpless Cardassians will be incinerated by the atmosphere.  Sisko turns back to rescue the Cardassians, but in the process Eddington manages to escape.  Given the awesome power of the ISS Voyager, the purpose of this action on Garr's part is to establish his ruthlessness and his willingness to seize opportunities wherever they may lie, as well as his ability to perfectly predict how Reyf will respond to a given situation.


 * When Reyf makes his decision to turn back, the music track changes to an excerpt from "Assimilation," from Star Trek: First Contact.

Scene 16C: "Our Best Hope"

 * The music heard during the exterior shot that begins this scene is the first eight notes of the track "Detaching / Separation," from the soundtrack of Star Trek TNG: Encounter at Farpoint, played at half speed to convey a somber feeling.


 * This short scene was added more or less on the spot, with the guest appearance of Admiral Christina Thornton introducing Reyf's immediate superior. Thornton's character is based on the depiction of Admiral Alynna Nechayev in several Star Trek Expanded Universe novels, most notably William Shatner's Mirror Universe trilogy (which, coincidentally, began with a novel named Specter).  The scene was built around Reyf's line, "I should never have had that damned holocommunicator installed."  That line and his next ("Because you're only half as intimidating on the viewscreen") were both meant to be played for laughs, despite Reyf's seeming deadpan delivery, in a rare instance of deadpan snarking in the movie.


 * The use of the holocommunicator is only the third chronological use of the technology since its first appearance in the DS9 episode "Blaze of Glory." It was later used again in "Dr. Bashir, I Presume?" (DS9).  A similar technology would be used in the feature film Star Trek Nemesis.


 * This scene takes the place of another scene that was to have originally taken place after the brief "transporter lock" scene earlier, but before Reyf and his away team discovers the lab. In that scene, Admiral Thornton was to have called while Reyf was off the ship, and then berated Commander Prentice for his allowing Reyf to transport to the surface, into what was arguably a dangerous environment.  The purpose of that scene would have been to deliver a copy of the Starfleet Intelligence technical research database to the Fitzgerald; the scene was dropped due to fan reaction.  Lines cut from this scene would have established that the "unnecessary risk" Thornton refers to is Reyf's decision to personally lead an away team, armed escort or not.


 * The sound heard as the holocommunicator shuts down is a re-use of the sound of the holoship decloaking from Star Trek: Insurrection.

Scene 17: "Medical Rapport"

 * The name of this scene is a play on the phrase "medical report," a subtle indicator of the rapport (or lack of it) between the EMH and the rest of the crew.


 * The exterior shot that begins this scene is a recreation of the opening shot of the TNG episode "Aquiel," originally shot using the 4-foot model of the Enterprise-D.


 * This scene offers the first glimpse of the sickbay set of the Fitzgerald. The basic set is identical to its TNG counterpart, with colors and lighting inspired by the feature film Star Trek Generations, and with some props (in particular the biobeds) more appropriate for the Star Trek: Voyager sickbay.


 * The dialogue in this scene was by necessity procedural in nature, but left unclear is exactly what happened to the detailed sensor logs of the ISS Voyager, as at the time this scene was written that plot point had yet to be resolved. Prentice's description of the ISS Voyager as something "designed to do just one thing--intimidate" is a deliberate plot point, reinforcing the notion first introduced in Scene 3 ("Five Years Later / Mellis II") that Garr has a flair for theatrics and purposely tries to frighten his adversaries.


 * The female-personality Mark-III EMH is a bit of creative license, inspired by the appearance in several Star Trek Expanded Universe novels of a "female personality EMH." No explanation is given for why she would embody the personality of the Mark-I EMH played by Robert Picardo, though it is explicitly acknowledged by Reyf that the hologram indeed does just that.  It's implied by his tone when he says it that it was a mistake on the part of Starfleet Medical.


 * Note that when the EMH is examining Garrett on the biobed, the "medical instrument" in her hand is in fact a Jedi lightsaber.


 * Several of the EMH's lines--most notably the bit about "I have been programmed with over two million possible treatments, from over two thousand medical references, and the experiences of fifty-two individual medical officers"--are direct homages to lines spoken by Picardo as the Mark-I EMH. In the quoted line, the statistics have been updated from the original statistics, which were first heard in the VOY episode "Parallax."


 * Note that Reyf and Prentice are at first casually dismissive to the EMH as an artificial life form, a subtle nod to the treatment originally received by the Mark-I EMH on Voyager. Over the course of the movie, Reyf and his officers will gradually come to see her as another member of the crew rather than a simple piece of technology.


 * Garrett's removal from the action technically constitutes a 24th century version of "redshirting," a reference to the practice in Star Trek TOS for the security officers on away teams (who in those days wore red) to be the first to meet their ends at the hands of the monster of the week. in the 24th century, security officers wear gold, as does the engineering and operations division that Garrett would be part of.

Scene 18: "Distinguished Guests"

 * The music track that begins this scene is the end of "Total Logic," from the score of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Its use has been hailed by fans as a particularly thrilling moment in the movie, likewise the shot of the Enterprise-E and the Fitzgerald in orbit together.  The shot is, in turn, based on a similar shot of the Enterprise-A and the Excelsior in orbit of Khitomer together near the end of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.


 * None of the interiors from the Enterprise-E are shown in this scene, in large part to avoid having to redress any of the Fitzgerald sets or create new Sovereign-class sets, but also because the use of the Enterprise in this scene is similar to the many "guest ships" that appeared on TNG through the years, and it was thought that showing the interior of the Enterprise would take the focus off Reyf and his ship and crew.


 * Reyf's bubbling over with enthusiasm at the arrival of the two Enterprise officers is meant to be a bit of hero worship coming to the fore, playing up the "young officer" aspect of Reyf's character who is thrilled to have two of Starfleet's finest join his crew. Data and Troi being on the Fitzgerald had always been part of the story, but in the earliest drafts they were simply on the ship with no explanation.  From those humble beginnings we got first a cameo appearance by the Enterprise at the end of the movie, then in progressively more elaborate iterations, a sort of "hero handoff" to get them to the Fitzgerald.  Eventually, when it was decided that Maxwell Garrett had to be taken out of action because of his similarity in appearance to first officer Bradley Prentice, the answer came in the form of "redshirting" Garrett, providing a justification first for Reyf asking for help, then for asking for two Enterprise officers specifically.


 * Like many others before it, the true purpose of having a scene in a turbolift (as opposed to walking down a corridor or something equally public) is to isolate the characters from the rest of the crew, allowing them to share thoughts more candidly than they otherwise would. In this case, Reyf's admission--albeit to officers who aren't technically members of his crew--that he feels unprepared for the task ahead of him is something he wouldn't ordinarily share in public, but which is necessary for the audience to hear him say nonetheless.


 * The music track that picks up when Data begins describing his time aboard the Enterprise-D is an excerpt from "Future Restored / Victory Over the Borg," from the soundtrack of Star Trek: First Contact. The light-hearted track--and Troi's markedly amused reaction to the accompanying exchange between Data and Reyf--is a nod to some of the behaviors that led to Data becoming such a beloved character on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Scene 19: "Enterprise Departs / A Closer Look"

 * The exterior shot that begins this scene is a recreation of the shot of the USS Hood breaking orbit, first seen in the TNG pilot episode Encounter at Farpoint. The shot is yet another nod to the fact that the Enterprise-E is being treated as a "guest ship" in this movie and not as the main attraction; the shot is also a visual reminder that the original designer of the Sovereign-class starships intended for them to be "the new Excelsior," thus the similarities between their designs.


 * The music track accompanying the shot of the Enterprise departing is the end of "Bak'u Village," the title track from the soundtrack of Star Trek: Insurrection. The music that follows, when the shot cuts to Main Engineering, is "The Planet View," from the same film's score.


 * As with most of the other recreated TNG sets seen in the movie, the Main Engineering set employs colors and lighting from the TNG feature film Star Trek Generations. Most prominent is the dark brown trim on the "pool table."


 * Note that the frequency of the pulses of the Fitzgerald warp core are much faster than those of the warp core on the Enterprise-D. This is a subtle reminder that the Fitzgerald is larger, newer, and more powerful than the Enterprise-D had been, and was on par with if not superior to the Sovereign-class USS Enterprise-E.


 * This scene contains several small bloopers, not the least of which is the monitor display that Ronston and Erickson are examining. The android they are studying is clearly female, with one normal arm and one with its cybernetic components still exposed.  Yet, a close look at the monitor shows them to be studying a readout of a male patient with two perfectly normal arms.


 * The difference between how Ronston and Erickson perceive the android isn't accidental; the intent with their interplay during this scene is to establish both their individual personalities as well as to remind the audience that perception determines interpretation. As Erickson states, Ronston simply sees the android as a technological puzzle to be solved, while Erickson sees it as a potential security threat, innocent face notwithstanding.


 * Ronston's analysis of the android's neural net as "beyond anything Starfleet has developed" is something of a misnomer, since he's obviously referring to Data, one of only a handful of androids of his type (and of himself, Lore, and B-4, the only one in Starfleet).


 * Fans have questioned Data's absence from this scene, as his expertise in all things cybernetic would seem to make him an ideal choice to help study the android. For exactly that reason, he was deliberately omitted from this scene--any discoveries that were made would be accredited to him, while essentially having Ronston (the chief engineer of the Fitzgerald) as more of a background character.  The chief difficulty of having canon characters such as Data working among a crew that, to the audience, is unfamiliar, is that if the canon characters get used too much, the new crew doesn't get a chance to show their own competence; conversely, if the new crew does all the work, the canon characters become superfluous.  The answer is implied by Data's assignment, which is to begin analyzing a list of items "appropriated" by Dr. Garr, to try and find a pattern, and from there to figure out what Garr is trying to build.  As he states later in the movie, with 87 billion potential combinations to go through, it seems reasonable to assume he wouldn't have time for anything else; and in the meantime, Ronston and Erickson make their own leaps of logic, thus making them seem competent in their own right.


 * The verbal interplay between Ronston and Erickson is meant to come across as equal parts serious engineering discussion and more suggestive overtones, hinting at a romantic interest on Ronston's part, which is ultimately confirmed at the end of the scene when a visibly nervous Ronston asks her to dinner.


 * The dark-haired ensign who turns to look at Erickson when she says "we have plans" is the second appearance of Ensign Renee Mitchell, who we first met during the launch sequence; in that scene, she was standing next to Lt. Erickson on the bridge, and the two exchanged a glance during Reyf's speech.


 * The music track that begins to play as Ronston stutters is part of the first track from the soundtrack of "These Are The Voyages...", the finale of Star Trek: Enterprise.

Development

 * Dr. Braiyon Garr was initially named Dr. Brandon Bridges, a name shared by the film's executive producer. The production team insisted the name be changed, as the existing one didn't seem to fit with the other exotic-sounding 24th century names. The word "Braiyon" is a mispronunciation of the word "brain."


 * Both Dr. Garr and Captain Reyf are voiced by Brandon Bridges, with the latter being reduced in pitch by 15% to differentiate it from Garr's.


 * In an early version of the script, the Fitzgerald was a New Orleans-class starship and would have used the public-domain bridge interior from the Olympus-class, created by Sean Roberson. The ship was changed to the modified Galaxy-class--dubbed the Galaxy X-class and Entente-class in some fan communities--when it was decided that the ISS Voyager would be a super-advanced design custom-built by Braiyon Garr to be superior to anything in Starfleet, and also because of a desire on the part of the producer to show the interiors from Star Trek: The Next Generation in recreated CGI form.


 * Gaius Reyf was to originally have been seen speaking to Captain Picard via viewscreen at some point, however in a reversal of typical shooting and writing styles from TNG--whereby the interiors and crews of "guest ships" were not seen--no visuals of the Enterprise-E other than her exterior are seen, and no crew besides Data and Troi are shown.


 * Originally, Dr. Garr was supposed to have been depicted wearing a TNG-era uniform in the prologue and a VOY-era uniform for the rest of his scenes, thus implying he was "one step behind" the real Starfleet, however because no broadcast-quality TNG uniform textures could be located in time for the production, this was changed to bring Dr. Garr into line with Starfleet.


 * Shooting the film's three pedeconference scenes proved a cinematographic challenge, since the corridor designs for the Galaxy class and the Intrepid class were not meant to be shot in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio.


 * The dedication plaque on the bridge of the ISS Voyager includes the ship's motto: "Screw Flanders!"


 * At one point Reyf makes a reference to the fact that he hopes the entire affair is simply "a bad dream." This is an off-handed reference to the many episodes from various series--many of which involved time travel--where audiences witness tragic events play out, only to be reversed by later intervention so that the events of the episode never took place. The most prominent example of this is the Star Trek Voyager episode "Year of Hell."


 * The original Enterprise-B and Enterprise-D bridge sets did not feature lighting that changed when the ships went to red alert, however in this film both sets are seen darkening when red alert is initiated. This was also done in the corridors of the Fitzgerald, and it is implied that such adjustable lighting was made a standard feature on Federation starships after the launch of the USS Voyager. Shipwide lighting changes based on alert status were also seen aboard the Enterprise-E in the feature films Star Trek: First Contact, Insurrection, and Nemesis.


 * In keeping with the film's strong literary overtones, the USS Fitzgerald is named for noted author F. Scott Fitzgerald.


 * Several names of people and starships in the story can be traced to a common theme: Merv Ronston (chief engineer) was named after Merv Griffin, most famous for creating Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.  The Nebula-class starship Goodson, seen during the Wolf 359 flashback, is named for Mark Goodson, known for creating such famous gameshows as Family Feud, Match Game, and most famously, The Price is Right.

Production

 * For all of his lines following the prologue, Dr. Garr's vocal track was remixed to add a slight reverb and increase the bass level. This was done to make him seem slightly otherworldly and enhance the impression that he's dangerous.


 * For all of his scenes except for the epilogue, Dr. Braiyon Garr is seen wearing a Maquis rank insignia on his collar. In the epilogue, he is seen wearing captain's insignia.


 * This film is rife with literary analysis, paralleling Star Trek II and Star Trek: First Contact in that both had strong literary undertones. Unlike those films, which referenced Moby Dick, Specter of the Past uses the story of Frankenstein as the basis for its ethical dilemma and resolution.


 * At several points, the characters come close to breaking the fourth wall as they discuss their position in the progression of the story. The best example is Prentice's conversation with Troi on the bridge following Garr's surrender and transport to the Fitzgerald.


 * The movie was originally supposed to be completed in fall 2009, however script revisions pushed the release date back to some time on 2010.


 * The first trailer for the movie was released on January 10, 2010.


 * Unlike previous Star Trek outings, this movie relies both on scored music as well as 21st century pop songs for effect. The latter are used almost exclusively in connection with Dr. Garr aboard the ISS Voyager; the songs used include "Pretend We're Dead" by L7 and "Cosmic Castaway" by Electrasy.

Instances of the number 47

 * In the single most subtle instance of the number 47 in any Star Trek production to date, Reyf's speech during the launch sequence (from the moment he begins to speak to the end of his order of "Departure stations") is exactly 47 seconds in length.
 * During launch, the Fitzgerald is said to be experiencing a point 4-7 percent power falloff in its starboard EPS taps.
 * While chasing the ISS Voyager through the Beta Reticuli system, the heading is stated to be 121 mark 47.
 * The EMH reports that Garr's most recent medical examination took place on stardate 47142.6. Interestingly, this stardate also includes the number 42, an allusion to the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" books and movies; in that continuity, the number 42 is said to be the answer to life, the universe, and everything.
 * The crew compliment of the USS Fairgrieve is said to be 47.

Camera Shots from Film & TV

 * Many shots based on those from the various TV series and movies appear in this film. The following listing is in order of appearance.


 * The first shot in 2375, showing the Fitzgerald docked at Deep Space Nine is a faithful recreation of the first shot of "Emissary" following the title sequence.


 * During the launch sequence, the third shot (the extreme wide shot) is a near-perfect recreation of an exterior shot of Deep Space Nine and surrounding space that was commonly seen in the show's fourth season and later. Sharp-eyed fans have noted that even the USS Defiant can be seen docked in its usual position. The final shot, during which the Fitzgerald accelerates to warp speed, is a recreation of the end of the very first shot from the DS9 title sequence, substituting the Fitzgerald for the runabout.


 * The shot that immediately follows, just before the "Crew Briefing" scene, is a shot closely based on a common shot of the Enterprise at warp speed. The specific color balance for this shot comes from its appearance in the episode "Brothers," from the fourth season of Star Trek TNG.


 * When the Fitzgerald arrives at Beta Reticuli IV, the two shots are both from the TV series. The first, the rapid flyby shot, is based on a shot that first appeared during the show's second season--using the new four-foot shooting model created by Greg Jein--which was commonly used to depict the Enterprise-D flying by at warp speed. The second is based on a shot that employed the two-foot shooting model, and was seen in such early episodes as "Pen Pals" to show the Enterprise-D in orbit or leaving orbit of a planet.


 * The shot of the Fitzgerald in orbit of Beta Reticuli IV that bridges Scenes 12 and 13 (after Reyf urges his team to be careful) is a replica of a common shot from the TV series. The shot in question, originally produced using the 6-foot shooting model, was also frequently seen with no planet for instances when the Enterprise was holding position in space by itself.


 * A shot that many fans consider a favorite, that which was first seen in "Encounter at Farpoint" as the 1701-D comes to a stop in front of the "Q Grid," can be seen in its entirety when the Fitzgerald reaches Sector 585 and moves at impulse speed towards its rendezvous with the ISS Voyager.


 * The frequently-seen shot of the USS Hood breaking orbit, first seen in "Encounter at Farpoint," makes an appearance here, with the Enterprise-E replacing the Hood. Interestingly enough, when scaled against the Fitzgerald, the size difference makes the Enterprise look approximately the same size as the Hood had first appeared.


 * Many others also appear, with the camera angles on traditional 4:3 shots widened to accommodate the 2.35:1 aspect ratio of the film.

ISS Voyager NCC-74656

 * How Dr. Garr was able to build this ship by himself, and make it the superior of any other ship in Starfleet, is never explained in dialogue. Viewers are meant to conclude that Garr is every bit the powerful intellect that Reyf fears him to be.
 * The exterior hull of this ship is darker than the USS Voyager, with the implication being that the ship is covered by hull armor. In addition, a number of extra equipment can be seen on the ship's hull, including recreations of the ablative generators from "Endgame." The purpose of most of this equipment is never stated in dialogue, but is meant to clearly distinguish this vessel from its Federation counterpart, and reinforce the idea that the ship would be a formidable foe and very difficult to defeat in battle.
 * This ship is a prime example of a modeling technique known as "kitbashing," whereby various small bits are attached to a large filming model for effect. The executive producer felt this was necessary because in order to make Voyager a suitable flagship for Dr. Garr: "It had to look mean, and that meant adding as much technology onto the hull as I could. Were those weapons? sensors? bubble gum dispensers? You as the audience aren't supposed to know, and that's supposed to scare you."
 * According to the executive producer, the Intrepid class was chosen because it was "just big enough and yet just small enough" for one person to handle and maintain alone, and also because it looked "really functional and militaristic; of all the modern-day Federation starship designs, the Intrepid always seemed to work the best because you could believe it was sleek and fast and mean when it had to be."
 * All of the interiors of the ISS Voyager are exact replicas of their TV counterparts, with some slight adjustments to the lighting for taste. The exception to this is Main Engineering, whose warp core prop looked very similar to that of the Defiant and the Enterprise-E. Of Main Engineering, the designer comments: "Voyager is small and she's fast, and she's meant to be powerful. There's a moment during a montage when Garr and Reyf walk into the room, and you look up expecting to see the warp core from Star Trek: Voyager there. Instead you see this bigger one that looks like something off the Enterprise-E, and you realize this really is a mean little monster." This is meant to reassure viewers that Reyf made the correct decision in not openly engaging the ISS Voyager in a firefight and that it is indeed more powerful than the Fitzgerald; from a production standpoint this helped avoid any drawn-out battle sequences, thus saving the production time and expenses.

USS Fitzgerald NCC-85107-A

 * The shooting model for the USS Fitzgerald was built to very closely match the appearance of the Enterprise-D as it was seen in the alternate future in "All Good Things...", including the third warp nacelle and the "air conditioner" torpedo launcher behind the bridge. The ship's maximum speed is never mentioned in dialogue, however at one point while pursuing Voyager in the final scene, Data reports Voyager to be traveling at warp 9.988, and Reyf orders his own ship to match velocity.


 * This design was chosen in part because it had to look equally powerful to the ISS Voyager, without straying too far from established Starfleet designs. The executive producer felt this design was appropriate because "while both the Galaxy and the Sovereign were both wonderful designs in themselves, neither one felt appropriate for this adventure. The Galaxy by itself had the size I was looking for but it just didn't look good from some angles because it's so overbalanced, with the large saucer and the smaller battle section. The third nacelle on the future variant always seemed to even it out, and of course you knew that one had teeth. So the choice for which ship the good guys ride around in pretty much made itself."


 * Both principal starships in this film -- the Fitzgerald and the I.S.S. Voyager -- are based closely on canon designs, and both are meant to look super advanced. In order for the Fitzgerald to look comparable to Voyager in any way, it too couldn't simply be a "basic" starship. The challenge lay in selecting a design that would still fit with what we've come to expect from Starfleet, and the anti-time future Enterprise-D seemed like the best solution.
 * Several other starship types have appearances in this film, mostly in the spacedock wide shot in the prologue and also in the Wolf 359 flashback sequence. Among the ships visible in those scene: a Sovereign-class starship, several Excelsior-class ships, a Constellation-class ship, and in the far background a New Orleans-class starship.

Music
Much of the score for the film comes from previous Star Trek productions. Several famous cues can be heard throughout the film:


 * The end of "Total Logic" (from Star Trek: The Motion Picture) to announce the arrival of the Enterprise-E and its distinguished guests. The piece originally served much the same purpose in The Motion Picture, announcing the arrival of Admiral James T. Kirk to Starfleet Headquarters.


 * Much of the music used to represent Reyf's feelings of unease is recycled from Star Trek: First Contact, whose eerie Borg motif represented Reyf's discomfiture well.


 * Dr. Garr's presence is typically represented by the flanger themes associated with the V'Ger probe in the first film.


 * During the chase scene following Reyf's away team's quick return to the Fitzgerald after spotting the silhouette of Dr. Garr beaming away, an edited version of the theatrical cut of "Retreat" (from Star Trek: First Contact) can be heard, intercut with excerpts from "The Dish." Another portion of "Retreat" can be heard as Reyf and his team enters the hidden lab for the first time. "Retreat" was originally heard in First Contact as Picard and his officers first enter the assimilated sections of the Enterprise-E.


 * "Returning to Vulcan" (from Star Trek III: The Search for Spock) accompanies the Fitzgerald as it first achieves orbit of Beta Reticuli IV.


 * Dennis McCarthy's title theme for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine accompanies the departure of the Fitzgerald from the station.


 * In addition to historical Star Trek score, several sourced pieces make appearances as well:
 * - When Reyf is seen reading in his quarters, "Four Seasons" by Vivaldi can be heard playing in the background. The piece heard here was originally supposed to be the Blue Danube Waltz, however it was scrapped because it was seen as "too familiar" by producers.
 * - The ambient noise for Dr. Garr's lab is a re-use of a piece from the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon series; in its original use, it was the ambient theme for scenes set in the Technodrome.
 * - During the "extraction procedure" scene showing Voyager at the black hole, the pop song "Cosmic Castaway" (originally from the Titan A.E. soundtrack) can be heard. This was originally supposed to be an excerpt from the L7 song "Pretend We're Dead," however the tone of that song was too light to be used to effect.

Deleted Scenes

 * Scene 3 - "The Post Mortem": Following the prologue sequence, we originally were to spend a few more minutes with the crew of the Daystrom, in a short scene that would show Reyf grieving over the loss of his onetime friend. When the storyline was changed with an eye towards preserving the mystery of exactly how the two men know one another, that scene was removed in favor of the "cold open" that actually starts the movie.


 * Scene 6A - "For the Young": After Reyf and Falwell have their discussion outside the holodeck, First Officer Bradley Prentice was to visit Reyf's quarters, and they were to have a brief discussion about Reyf's loss of the literary debate we saw, and his refusal to visit Deep Space Nine in favor of preparing for the next one by reading a new novel. The same conversation would have established that Dr. Falwell was off the shp for a week to attend a medical conference on Bajor. When this scene was deleted, this information was moved to the crew briefing scene that immediately follows the departure sequence; Falwell's character does not reappear until near the end of the movie via communication frequency, and in person in the final scenes.


 * Scene 11B - "Prentice's Emotions": After Reyf and the away team transport down to the planet and begin their investigation, we return to the Fitzgerald for a brief scene that establishes the worsening storm activity above the transport site. Between Prentice's line about having a "bad feeling about this" and the return to the perspective of the away team, an entire scene was deleted that showed a conversation with an admiral from Starfleet Intelligence. The scene was written in response to fan criticism that a first officer would never allow a captain to transport into a dangerous environment such as the surface of Beta Reticuli IV, where transporter functions would be touchy at best. The admiral was to have been looking for Captain Reyf, and was to have reacted with annoyance over the captain being off the ship. In the same conversation, the admiral would have provided a copy of some Starfleet Intelligence files relevant to the current mission of the Fitzgerald. This scene was cut because it felt too "procedural," presenting information but not necessarily adding anything to the story.


 * The scene in Dr. Garr's lab was originally much longer. After the lab powers up and Prentice admits his feelings of unease to Erickson, an ensign walks up to them to make a report that her team had found the facility's main computer several levels below but was having problems accessing it due to some exotic encryption schemes. That portion was cut for time. In its final form, the scene ends with Prentice's line "Hopefully there's something useful here. If not, we're right back at square one."


 * A deleted conversation between Reyf, Data, and Ronston would have established that Dr. Garr obtained the technology for engrammatic scans from Dr. Ira Graves, a reference to the TNG episode The Schizoid Man.


 * An entire sequence of scenes aboard the ISS Voyager was deleted for time. The original version of Reyf's visit to Garr's ship was much, much longer, and delved much deeper into Garr's psyche and motivations, with their travels through the ship symbolically representing various aspects of the doctor's personality. When the script was rewritten to shift the focus away from Garr in favor of scenes with Reyf aboard the Fitzgerald, many of the scenes aboard Voyager became redundant. Remnants of those scenes still appear as cutaways set to music throughout the film.


 * A planned C-story following Dr. Garr aboard the ISS Voyager while Reyf and company conducted their investigation was dropped before production. The storyline as written would have begun with Dr. Garr at an asteroid-based facility--implied to be his secret shipbuilding complex--asleep in bed and experiencing a nightmare in which Reyf and Vensen taunt him over having broken, much as Gul Dukat suffered visions of Weyoun in Waltz. Following this scene, the action would have intercut between the Fitzgerald and Voyager, showing Dr. Garr going about his preparations while growing increasingly erratic and even experiencing waking hallucinations. In its final form, Garr's nightmare is the only scene left intact from that sequence; the remainder were scrapped because producers felt that they not only removed some of the mystique from Garr's character, but made him seem less dangerous and simply delusional, and therefore less threatening.


 * Near the end of the film, following the apparent destruction of the ISS Voyager, a distraught Reyf retreats into the turbolift and mourns privately. There is an immediate dissolve to an exterior shot of the Fitzgerald, after which we join Reyf in his quarters. Originally, there was a montage sequence as Reyf reminisced on his fifteen-year friendship with Garr; we would have seen them at Starfleet Academy, serving aboard the USS Landry, then going their separate ways as Garr accepted a position on an Excelsior-class ship while Reyf went to a ship closely resembling the USS Stargazer, and finally seeing the pursuit in the prologue sequence from Reyf's perspective. That sequence was dropped for time and would have featured "A Good Lighter" as its score, a piece of music borrowed from Bear McCreary's soundtrack from the new Battlestar Galactica.

Sets & Props

 * Many familiar sets and props from the Star Trek canon appear in the film, faithfully recreated from the official Paramount floor plans wherever possible.

Costumes

 * All of the Starfleet uniforms worn by the cast were designed by Warrior, and obtained at 3DGladiators.com.


 * The communicator badgers, rank pips, tricorders, sickbay biobeds, VOY-style desk terminals, and many other props seen in the movie are courtesy of DTEMachine.com, without whom this movie would not have been possible.


 * The First Contact-style phaser rifle was obtained at the Google 3D Warehouse, and can be downloaded in SketchUp format.

Bloopers

 * This section to be completed following completion of the movie.