Skip to main content

star trek - Is it known to whom Data was referring when he told the Borg Queen of his most recent intimate experience?


In Star Trek: First Contact, the Borg Queen comes on to Data and asks him when the last time he was intimate and he states how long it has been for him - is it known to whom he was referring? Based on the amount of time he states, it is possible or likely that he is referring to Tasha Yar?



Answer



UPDATE: After checking my star dates (and perhaps someone can verify this) it seems that it is not likely that Data is referring to Tasha Yar...


To start, here is the quote from IMDB (a full transcript can be found here):



BORG QUEEN: Are you familiar with physical forms of pleasure?



DATA: If you are referring to sexuality, I am... fully functional, programmed in... multiple techniques.


BORG QUEEN: How long since you've used them?


DATA: Eight years, seven months, sixteen days, four minutes, twenty-two...


BORG QUEEN: Far too long.



The episode "The Naked Now" is when Data and Tasha were, ahem, "intimate", and that episode occurred on/around star date 41209.2. This corresponds to March 17th, 2364.


The movie First Contact occurred on/around star date 50893.5. This corresponds to November 23rd, 2373.


Now, if I subtract 8 years, 7 months, and 16 days from the date of First Contact, I get a date of April 7th, 2365, which is not the same as the date when Data and Tasha had relations. This corresponds to a star date of about 42264.4, meaning that Data's last usage of his "multiple techniques" was somewhere between the episodes "Where Silence has Lease" (star date 42193.6) and "Elementary, Dear Data" (star date 42286.3).


Could Data have been "practicing" his techniques all by his lonesome? I would rather not speculate, but if we're looking for an in-universe explanation then the dates suggest it can't be Tasha Yar that he is referring to, unless he's into necrophilia. ;)


The most likely explanation is an out-of-universe one, suggested in a comment by Russell Borogove:




Most likely, the First Contact script writer, working in 1995, checked that The Naked Now aired in 1987, called that eight years, and added arbitrary month, day, etc.



So, it likely is Tasha that Data is referring to (since there is no evidence of any other intimate encounters), but the script writers just got their in-universe and out-of-universe dates mixed up.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

story identification - Animation: floating island, flying pests

At least 20 years ago I watched a short animated film which stuck in my mind. The whole thing was wordless, possibly European, and I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine it... It featured a flying island which was inhabited by some creatures who (in my memory) reminded me of the Moomins. The island was frequently bothered by large winged animals who swooped around, although I don't think they did any actual damage. At the end one of the moomin creatures suddenly gets a weird feeling, feels forced to climb to the top of the island and then plunges down a shaft right through the centre - only to emerge at the bottom as one of the flyers. Answer Skywhales from 1983. The story begins with a man warning the tribe of approaching skywhales. The drummers then warn everybody of the hunt as everyone get prepared to set "sail". Except one man is found in his home sleeping as the noise wake him up. He then gets ready and is about to take his weapon as he hesitates then decides ...

harry potter - Did Dolores Umbridge Have Any Association with Voldemort (or Death Eaters) before His Return?

I noticed that Dolores Umbridge was born during the first Wizarding War, so it's very likely she wasn't a Death Eater then (but she is pretty evil -- who knows?). After that Voldemort was not around in a way that could affect many people, and most wouldn't know he was planning to rise again. During that time, and up through Voldemort's return (in Goblet of Fire ), did Umbridge have any connection with the Death Eaters or with Voldemort? Was she doing what she did on her own, or was it because of an association with Voldemort or his allies? Answer Dolores Umbridge was definitely not a good person. However, as Sirius points out, "the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters". Remember that he also says that he doesn't believe Umbridge to be a Death Eater, but that she's evil enough (or something like that). I think there are two strong reasons to believe that: Umbridge was proud to do everything according to the law, except when she trie...

tolkiens legendarium - Did Gandalf wear his Ring of Power throughout the trilogy?

After Gandalf discovered that Sauron was back and sent Frodo on his quest to Rivendell, did he continue to wear Narya (one of the Three Rings)? It seems like a huge risk to continue to wear it after the Nazgûl (Ringwraiths) started to try and reclaim the One Ring; if they managed to get the ring to Sauron, couldn't he be corrupted by his power? Whatever powers Narya bestows upon him couldn't possibly be worth the huge risk, could it? Answer When Sauron forged the one ring and put it on his finger, the other ring bearers were immediately aware of him and his intentions and removed their own rings. There is no reason why they couldn't merely do so again. As soon as Sauron set the One Ring upon his finger they were aware of him; and they knew him, and preceived that he would be master of them, and of all they wrought. Then in anger and fear they took off their rings. "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age," Silmarillion