From the first adventure narrated around a fire to the very latest high tech video game, humans are storytelling creatures. The lasting power of fiction resonates within us all. Stories communicate information in a way that leaves an impact on the listener, as we see ourselves in the protagonist’s struggles and learn from their choices and mistakes. While oral and written stories required imagination and empathy from the audience for them to feel what the protagonist feels, video games gave us more autonomy, creating a system in which player and main character begin to merge. The natural and inevitable progression from the video games we have now would be a fully interactive virtual reality. Ever since the first moving picture, the next generation of inventors have been applying optical illusions and other technology to make it more immersive, more real. Fast forward to the 24th century, and the holodeck is a reality. Although it was introduced in the Enterprise’s first mission, it was not until now that the captain got to explore its interactive story capabilities.
Picard has a very important and stressful diplomatic introduction to make with the Jarada, a species whose language sounds like alphabet soup in a blender, so what better way to procrastinate than with a holo video game? In the simulation, the captain takes on the role of a hard-boiled detective trying to crack the case of a murdered girl. One energy surge induced holodeck glitch later, and Picard is stuck inside his game while the Jarada become more impatient to receive their complicated greeting. Worse still, the safety protocols of the new technology were also fried, meaning that the holo bullets now have lethal force.
These and other glaring issues with the holodeck demonstrate the many reasons why it shouldn’t be designed this way. Why would turning the safety off ever be an option? If it absolutely had to be a possibility, why is there not an automated warning every time the safety goes off so that players aren’t taken by surprise once someone is shot? This was the episode that set a precedent for what holodeck technology is capable of, so it could have established that this particular power surge, caused by the Jarada scanning the ship, broke the holodeck in a unique and unexpected way and caused it to become unsafe. However, it is later well established that one can turn the safety on and off at will, and this requires no special permission.
Other issues with the technology, and how readily it would be adopted, are more personal and cultural. In the Star Trek universe, holodecks seem to replace books and TV as the only source of storytelling entertainment, but in reality, this would not be the case. Instead, it may be the next step in video game development, a form of media with a completely different audience, and even then it would only appeal to a subset of gamers. Interactive videogames, as they are presented on the holodeck, introduce a myriad of barriers, which are often ignored in holodeck episodes. When games cross the line into being more interactive, some players may be shy or reluctant to participate fully. Real time participation requires stage acting skills and extroverted enthusiasm. The premise also ignores people with disabilities who may not be able to physically navigate the game. It’s hard to imagine books and TV disappearing completely when people still need a form of entertainment to which they can simply sit down and relax instead of having to run around and actively participate. Even old fashioned console video games eliminate most of these barriers. The holodeck as a game would only appeal to a subset of gamers who want their games to be more immersive and interactive, which would be a niche interest.
Even though Star Trek is light on paper books and mostly void of TV shows, it does later expand what the holodeck can do, and thereby demonstrates many of its most likely uses. Its use as pure entertainment or as a video game would be niche at best. Instead, holodecks would be best for physical sports, training exercises, simulations, 3D modeling of theoretical technology, and as a substitute for relationships. All of these things involve imagining new possibilities, exploring human interactions, and contemplating our limits. They are the foundation integral to the lasting endurance of stories. The holodeck not only expands the possibilities of how stories are presented, it also expands our relationship with them.
Hopeless Trekkie 