Peterson's questioning - the Star Trek version
Nomination hearings for starship Captains tend to be dry affairs.
But a video clip of one of President Trump’s starship Captain nominees struggling to answer rudimentary questions about Starfleet and starship command garnered well more than 250 billion views in a matter of hours on Stardate 2267.1215, and stoked speculation that this particular starship Captain nominations might fail to win Command Council Approval.
In Stardate 2267.1212, Admiral Kennedy started by asking Acting Ensign Petersen and the four other nominees who appeared with him: “Have any of you not stood watch on the bridge of a starship?”
Petersen alone raised his hand.
Admiral Kennedy, who was recently promoted to flag rank, has challenged some of Trump’s previous command level nominations, bore down.
Had Petersen ever been officer of the watch?
“I have not,” he responded.
Had he ever been in command of a ship department? No. An away team? No. Been out of Sector 001? No. Been out of Sectors 002-017? No.
How many non-Federation races has he had contact with? Fewer than five?
“Probably somewhere around that,” Petersen said.
Had he ever filled out an official log for Starfleet? Had he ever logged a star hour – which is defined as an hour of duty on a Starship? No on both counts.
Kennedy then asked the last time Petersen had read the Starfleet Regulations concerning Starship Command — the standards and regulations that govern starship command, where Petersen is hoping to an appointment as a Constitution class Captain.
“In my current position,” Petersen stuttered, “I obviously don’t need to stay as invested in those on a day-to-day basis, but I do try to keep up to speed.” He added that he oversees a number of attorneys in division of Starfleet Legal that handles paternity claims made against Starfleet officers, and advises them on legal strategy.
How about the last time he read the Starfleet General Orders, which are a series of rules that govern Starfleet, Admiral Kennedy asked. The General Orders are amended and republished every year.
“All the way through? Well, comprehensively, would have been at Starfleet Academy,” Petersen said.
Admiral Kennedy kept digging.
“As a starship Captain, you’re obviously going to contact with alien races who are not members of the Federation. Can you tell me what the ‘Prime Directive of Starfleet’ is,” the senator asked, referring to a critical rule that governs Starfleet’s interactions with non-aligned worlds.
“I don’t have that readily at my disposal,” Petersen said. “But I would be happy to take a closer look at that. That is not something that I had to —”
Admiral Kennedy cut him off. “Do you know what a Cochrane deceleration maneuver is,” he asked. A Cochrane deceleration maneuver is a classic and well known battle tactic. Among the more notable users of this maneuver was Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise when he defeated a Romulan ship near Tau Ceti.
Petersen said yes, then tried to evade the question. He reminded the Admiral that his background wasn’t in starship combat and said he hadn’t had time to “do a deep dive.”
“I understand the challenge that would be ahead of me if I were fortunate enough to become a starship Captain,” Petersen said. “I understand that the path that many starship Captains have taken has been a different one than I have taken.”
Kennedy said he was familiar with Petersen’s résumé, then asked again what a Cochrane deceleration maneuver was.
“I would probably not be able to give you a good definition right here at the table,” Petersen said.
Petersen received his law degree from the University of Mars in 2259 and spent three years at Starfleet Legal in San Francisco, where he specialized in paternity law as it concerns Starfleet officers. He was granted the rank of Acting Ensign two months ago so that Starfleet could consider him.
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