this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2023
10 points (85.7% liked)

Daystrom Institute

675 readers
12 users here now

Welcome to Daystrom Institute!

Serious, in-depth discussion about Star Trek from both in-universe and real world perspectives.

Read more about how to comment at Daystrom.

Rules

1. Explain your reasoning

All threads and comments submitted to the Daystrom Institute must contain an explanation of the reasoning put forth.

2. No whinging, jokes, memes, and other shallow content.

This entire community has a “serious tag” on it. Shitposts are encouraged in Risa.

3. Be diplomatic.

Participate in a courteous, objective, and open-minded fashion. Be nice to other posters and the people who make Star Trek. Disagree respectfully and don’t gatekeep.

4. Assume good faith.

Assume good faith. Give other posters the benefit of the doubt, but report them if you genuinely believe they are trolling. Don’t whine about “politics.”

5. Tag spoilers.

Historically Daystrom has not had a spoiler policy, so you may encounter untagged spoilers here. Ultimately, avoiding online discussion until you are caught up is the only certain way to avoid spoilers.

6. Stay on-topic.

Threads must discuss Star Trek. Comments must discuss the topic raised in the original post.

Episode Guides

The /r/DaystromInstitute wiki held a number of popular Star Trek watch guides. We have rehosted them here:

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Considering that M'Benga is demoted, it's likely he did something that is consider attrocious, but not to drum out of Starfleet entirely.

Considering the Cliffhanger, what if M'Benga developed some kind of permannent genetic engineering that changed Gorn from reproducing with Paralystic Eggs being pregnant with their own paralystic eggs?

The reasoning I say is this: with Paralystic Eggs, they are consider direct threat to well being of the various Species within Federation due to nature. However, in Kelvinverse Gorn can get pregnant; and by the time Lower Decks come about Gorn is "friendly enough" for them to do business within Federation, something may have changed - voluntary or not voluntary. I will say not voluntary.

The technology exist: Klingon's smooth forehead is a combination of genetic manipulation with virus, leading to the spread of the geneitic engineering beyong those in the experiment.

Now, if M'Benga did it, it actually put Starfleet in a dilemma:

  • On one hand, M'Benga commited permanent genetic engineering without authorization, as well as cultural/genetic genocide. Grave crime in Federation
  • On the other hand, it's Gorn, who attacked Federation space and colonies.

Thus, the demotion - if it's just the first part, he will be dishonorably discharged. But since under the table he effectively saved Federation, they decided to just demote him if he choose to stay on Enterprise, or assign to some random outpost. He chooses the former.

top 6 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 year ago

@Jestersage With demotion you mean that McCoy becomes CMO? Maybe MBenga got sick of the paper work. He stresses that he is "just a doctor now" a few times.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

What makes you think that M'Benga will be demoted? There wasn't anything hinted like that at all

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (2 children)

He stepped down from CMO by 2265, and served under McCoy as "general physician"

[–] Sertou 16 points 1 year ago

That doesn’t mean he has to be demoted. He could take a leave of absence from Star Fleet to deal with his PTSD, during which time Mark Piper becomes the Enterprise’s CMO. Later Piper is replaced by McCoy. When M’Benga gets his mind right, he returns, but by this time Kirk’s in command and likes his command staff as they are, but offers M’Benga a post as general physician.

But if you insist on the demotion idea, he’s already done plenty to warrant it.

Keeping his daughter in the sickbay transporter buffer was a dubious practice, made suspect by him keeping it secret from command. His actions in Under the Cloak of War could get him a court martial, if they came to light.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

There’s no canon basis to support this, just head canon inference. While this could be the direction SNW is going with this, being posted elsewhere and then returning for a brief period doesn’t imply any demotion.

M’Benga was working, likely shadowing, with McCoy in TOS for just an episode or two before he acted as CMO when McCoy was away. The fact that McCoy had to confirm/remind Kirk that M’Benga had trained on Vulcan strongly suggests he wasn’t posted longterm to the Enterprise. More, M’Benga was supposed to be on his way to head up a medical station, which suggests he was moving towards a position of responsibility.

Asking a former CMO to work alongside for a short period and then act when he’s between postings, especially one with specialized expertise needed for the crew’s complement, is fairly routine.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Don't the Gorn reproduce by external egg laying by the TNG era, at least according to Beta Canon. We know they take on human wedding traditions at some point.