I caught an old episode of Star Trek Voyager today Season 2 episode 21 “Deadlock” to be precise. I had a very powerful wait what moment. Harry Kim behind his console in the heat of battle announces we have 300 Vidiian intruders onboard. My head went askew as I recalled Voyager as a ship was meant to be quite small less than half the size of Galaxy class.
Being generous lets say Voyager has 100 crew members give or take. Those organ stealing hoodlums the Vidiian beam in roughly three times the crew compliment of the ship. Then I start thinking 100ish people onboard and it’s already at capacity. Fair to say there is strength in numbers but I cannot help but image jefferies tube and corridors filled to brim with enemy intruders ready for a fight like a rat king fathered by the three stooges.
But while all of this happening I’m not paying attention to the story or the show at all I’m on my computer looking up Voyager technical specs on Memory Alpha shout out @memoryalpha. That just comes down too a bit of lazy writing to be perfectly honest. That a throw away line meant to convey the peril of the situation was so shattering of the story logic. I stopped watching the show entirely, I didn’t care how much the crew was in danger or that Neelix thinks he’s an amazing cook and never shut up about it. I started imagining a full 2 litre bottle of soda suddenly having 6 additional litres forced into the bottle. Even with the air bubble bit it’s just not going to end very well.
I think a bunch could have beamed into the one cargo bay Janeway kept empty just incase they found another “coffee nebula” but that’s easily 70 Vidiians shoulder to shoulder waiting for a Starfleet crewmen to wander in so they can swarm. I’m not a tactical expert but having your invaders stacked up like cord wood doesn’t seem that aggressive or even productive.
Just goes to show whether it be the 24th century or the 1990’s sticking to story logic is very important even if it’s their own so your audience isn’t left with a wait what!??