Skip to main content

star trek - How old was Porthos when Scotty killed him?



In Star Trek 2009, we meet Montgomery Scott in exile on Delta Vega. Scotty says his exile happened because he caused Admiral Jonathan Archer's dog Porthos to disappear during a test of an early prototype of Scotty's transwarp transporter.


We all remember Porthos as the beagle that Archer cared for in Star Trek Enterprise. Dogs today tend not to live more than 15 or 20 years. This implies that Star Trek 2009 was set only a few years after Archer saved Earth from the Xindi in Star Trek Enterprise. Unless future medicine causes dogs to live 50 years.


Can someone connect the timeline elements together, so that we can see how old Porthos was when Scotty killed him?



Answer



Is the dog Porthos?


I include this section because I didn't initially believe it could be the same dog, but research proved me wrong.


Robert Orci, one of the writers of Star Trek (2009), answered this question in a 2009 Q&A on TrekMovie.com1:



QUESTION: Forget with it was Admiral Jon Archer (as it obviously was!): is the beagle mentioned Porthos? Has veterinary science advanced so much? (Please say yes!)


Orci: YES!




So shut me up.


How old would Porthos be?


We don't know exactly when Archer first got Porthos, although we know he's had him from a puppy. "Broken Bow", the first episode of Enterprise, is established as taking place in 2151:



Archer: Enterprise starlog, Captain Jonathan Archer. April 16, 2151.


Star Trek Enterprise Season 1 Episode 1: "Broken Bow"



So Porthos has been around at least since April 2151.


Meanwhile, in Star Trek (2009), Spock gives the stardate after taking command of the Enterprise:




[T]he Enterprise BLASTS AWAY -- in the distance, THE ENTIRE PLANET OF VULCAN SWALLOWS INTO ITSELF -- A TERRIFYING, UNIMAGINABLE IMPLOSION -- UNTIL NOTHING IS THERE BUT DARKNESS. Over this, we HEAR:


SPOCK (V.O.): Acting Captain's log. Stardate 2256.42: I have assumed command of the Enterprise


Star Trek (2009) - 2007 draft



According to Izkata's answer to this question, that stardate corresponds to February 11, 2256.


Later dialogue from Scotty indicated that he made Porthos disappear six months prior:



Starfleet Officer (cont'd): Six months I've been living on nothing but Starfleet Protein Nibs and the promise of a real food delivery!


[...]



Scotty: I told my instructor I could not only beam a bird from one planet to an adjacent planet in the same system -- which is no big deal anyway -- but if I were so inclined I could actually do it with a lifeform! So I tested it on Admiral Archer's prize beagle. Which... was a mistake


Star Trek (2009) - 2007 draft



Six months before the above date puts us around August 2255.


So Porthos was at least 104 years old.



1 The questions are asked and answered in the comments under the blog post. I've tried to permalink to Orci's reply, but may not have succeeded


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

futurama - How much time is lost in 'Time Keeps on Slippin''

In time Keeps on Slippin' , Farnsworth creates a basketball team which he matures by abusing Chronitons. This leads to time skipping forward by random, but ever increasing amounts. How much time was skipped in this way? Answer Unfortunately, I don't think a good estimate can be made for this, for two reasons: Many of the time skips move forward by an indeterminate amount of time. At one point, the Professor mentions localized regions of space skipping forward much more than others. We then see two young boys on the street below complaining about having to pay social security, only to suddenly become senior citizens and start complaining about wanting their money. Thus, each individual could have experienced a different amount of time skippage.
Post a Comment
Read more

aliens - Interstellar Zoo story

I vaguely remember this story from my childhood: it was about an interstellar zoo that came to Earth with lots of bizarre and unusual species, and humans would file through and gape at all the crazy looking creatures from other planets. The twist came at the end when the perspective shifted to the other side of the bars and we discovered that the "creatures" were traveling through space on a kind of safari. They thought they were the visitors and we were the animals. Neither side knew that the other side thought they were the zoo creatures. Answer Got it. Zoo, by Edward D. Hoch. Published in 1958. Link to Publication History Link to PDF
Post a Comment
Read more

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
Post a Comment
Read more