"Star Trek" 2009, Part II Trivia Quiz

Answer: In the water pipes in the engine room

Using transwarp transportation -- technology so cutting-edge that it hasn't technically been invented yet -- Kirk and Scotty beam aboard the Enterprise despite the fact that the ship is moving at warp speed. Although they appear right next to each other, Kirk is standing on the deck and Scotty has wound up inside the system of water pipes feeding the engines; the pipes are marked "inert reactant" and it's logical to suppose that the water serves as a coolant. Scotty is lucky that it's only water, but unlucky that this water is moved through the system at high speed, taking him through the pipes with it. Kirk manages to open a hatch in the pipes just in time to keep Scotty from ending up in a disturbingly violent mixing pool, in a nod to the oft-parodied fact that "Star Trek" characters often wind up in absurdly dangerous scenarios aboard ship. Perhaps, when he becomes Chief Engineer, Scotty will implement some basic safety protocols!

Answer: His homeworld has been destroyed, leaving him one of perhaps 10,000 Vulcans in existence.

Earlier in the movie, the Enterprise (along with several other Federation ships) had responded to a distress signal from Vulcan -- but too late to prevent the planet from being destroyed. Vulcan, with nearly all of its six billion people, collapsed into itself when an black-hole bomb was launched into the center of the planet by a revenge-mad Romulan miner from the future.

Spock, as he says in a voiceover soon after the catastrophe, is "now a member of an endangered species." He goes to great lengths to keep himself together, telling Uhura that all he needs from the crew is for them to "continue performing admirably," but it is unreasonable to expect even a half-Vulcan to view the destruction of his homeworld with detachment. Ambassador Spock, the version of Spock who comes from the same future as Nero, tells Kirk that his commanding officer is certainly "emotionally compromised."

Answer: Kirk accuses Spock of never having loved his mother.

Spock's mother, Amanda Grayson (Winona Ryder), is one of the billions who perish in the destruction of Vulcan, slipping away from her son's grasp just as the transporters energize. She is human; Spock's father, Sarek, is Vulcan; and the movie explores how Spock's relationship with his mother is a tender spot. In a scene of his early childhood, Spock starts a fight with "pure" Vulcan bullies who insult his mother; in a scene of his young adulthood, Spock turns down a prestigious appointment to the Vulcan Science Academy when his mixed heritage is referred to as a "disadvantage." So when Kirk criticizes Spock's lack of visible emotion in the wake of his mother's murder and suggests that he never really loved her at all, it is not surprising that this is what cracks Spock's facade. He attacks Kirk, punching and choking him, before regaining some level of control and relieving himself of duty.

Kirk, named Spock's first officer by Captain Christopher Pike just before the latter's departure from the ship, is now in command, and Spock is adrift.

Answer: San Francisco Bay

Captain Nero deploys his gigantic space drill in San Francisco Bay, just next to the Golden Gate Bridge and in full view of Starfleet Academy. He thus places "Star Trek" in the relatively select group of science-fiction movies that refrains from illustrating the Earth's peril by destroying the Pyramids, the White House, or the Eiffel Tower. Of course, San Francisco is a favorite "Earth in peril" site for the "Star Trek" franchise; longtime viewers will remember, for example, that the destructive alien probe paid particular attention to the bay in "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home."

Uhura quickly works out the Narada's destination, and the Enterprise sets out in pursuit. Nero's goal is to destroy every planet in the United Federation of Planets, one by one, and the best the Enterprise can hope for is to stop him at his second target.

Answer: Behind a moon of Saturn

Displaying skill and ingenuity far beyond what the character ever showed in the original series, Chekov realizes that Saturn's magnetic field will hide the ship from the Narada's sensors, while its rings will hide it visually. Since Nero isn't expecting the Enterprise to follow him, he won't be looking very closely for them anyway. Given how badly the Narada's futuristic weapons outclass the Enterprise's, their only reasonable chance to defeat the enemy is through surprise.

After a fraught conversation with his Vulcan father, Sarek (Ben Cross), Spock masters his emotions by accepting and using his anger rather than suppressing it. Placing himself under Kirk's command, he volunteers for the mission aboard the Narada, and makes a token (and unsuccessful) objection when Kirk decides to go too.

Answer: Uhura and Spock

When Kirk arrives at the transporter pad, we see Spock and Uhura already there, kissing. Spock is soothing her, calling her by her first name, Nyota, which Kirk had spent three years obsessively trying to learn. This touching moment is a surprise to Kirk, but not to the movie audience; earlier in the film, after the destruction of Vulcan, we caught her kissing and comforting Spock in a turbolift. This second reveal is made worthwhile by the stunned look on Kirk's face when he realizes that he is not, in fact, God's gift to all women.

Uhura and Spock never had a relationship in the original series, although she did indulge in some seriously flirtatious teasing in early episodes. I like to think that the Uhura of this universe is finally getting what the Uhura of the other universe wanted.

Nurse Christine Chapel, played by Majel Barrett (also known as the voice of the computer, in this film as well as in all "Star Trek" shows and movies that preceded it), was an original series character who did not make it to this movie. She adored Spock, but her feelings were not reciprocated.

Counselor Deanna Troi was a regular on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," which took place well after the original series. A half-Betazoid and an empath whose major contributions to the show were low-cut blouses and talk of feelings, she and Spock would have made an odd pairing.

Answer: Via a Vulcan mind-meld

There's no need for a Vulcan to try more complicated and time-consuming forms of persuasion; a mind meld is always the preferred way to get information, although it can be unpleasant when the target tries to resist. Vulcans usually perform the technique with one hand, fingers splayed on the target's cheek in the same shape as the famous "Live long and prosper" salute; in very tense situations they have been seen to use two hands.

This is the second mind meld seen in the movie; the first was used by the Spock from the future to show Kirk the events that led to the destruction of Vulcan. This one is much less intense, but it does require young Spock's complete attention; luckily, by this time, Kirk has his back.

Answer: Another ship from the future: Ambassador Spock's science vessel

The enemy ship, the Romulan mining vessel Narada, is vast -- so vast that, when Captain Nero and his crew captured Ambassador Spock's little science ship, they were able to keep that ship inside of their own after marooning him on an icy, isolated world. That little ship, distinguished by a rapidly rotating engine, is their source of "red matter" for their planet-destroying black hole bombs; Ambassador Spock had been traveling with a large supply, which he meant to use to contain a supernova explosion within an artificial black hole and save the planet Romulus. The resulting black hole did not save Romulus -- it was too late for that -- but it did launch Spock and the Romulans back in time.

Now, the much younger Spock from this timeline pilots his counterpart's ship out of the Narada, handily destroying the giant space drill and removing the threat to Earth. Kirk's mission also goes well; he saves Captain Pike and wounds Captain Nero, after an exciting fistfight that (for some reason) takes place atop a tiny platform at a great height.

Answer: Kirk offers to rescue Nero and any other Romulan survivors.

The Narada is certainly doomed: before being beamed back to the Enterprise, Spock had set the science ship on a collision course with it, resulting in the explosion of the red matter and the creation of an artificial black hole in the heart of the enemy ship. But there's still time to beam a few survivors aboard the Enterprise, and that's what Kirk is proposing when he offers to render aid. (In response to Spock's shock at the offer, Kirk notes that this may help the Federation's reputation with the Romulan Empire.)

Nero does not respond well to the offer of help. Practically spitting at the camera, he announces that he would rather watch the destruction of his homeworld thousands of times, or die "an agonizing death", than accept help from the Federation.

"You got it," says Kirk, as he and Spock turn away and doom the genocidaire to just that death.

Answer: You can be in two places at once.

Spock has a commission and a promising career in Starfleet, but he is also one of only about 10,000 Vulcans left -- and rebuilding civilization is going to take time and effort. A chance meeting with Ambassador Spock -- his counterpart from the future -- clarifies matters. "You can be in two places at once," the elder Spock points out, volunteering to help build a new Vulcan colony while the younger Spock pursues his dreams of space and his new friendship with Kirk. The conversation ends with the elder Spock giving the younger a Vulcan salute, saying, "As my customary farewell would seem oddly self-serving, I will simply say: good luck."

Thank you for joining me in this viewing of "Star Trek"! I hope you've enjoyed the movie and the quiz. Live long, and prosper!