Kobayashi Maru
Encyclopedia
The Kobayashi Maru is a test in the fictional universe of Star Trek. It is a Starfleet training exercise designed to test the character of cadets in the command track at Starfleet Academy
. The Kobayashi Maru test was first depicted in the opening scene of the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
and also appears in the 2009 film Star Trek. The test's name is occasionally used among Star Trek
fans or those familiar with the series to describe a no-win scenario
, or a solution that involves redefining the problem (Outside the box
).
Rescuing the civilian vessel Kobayashi Maru is the notional primary goal in a simulated battle with the Klingons. The disabled ship is located in the Klingon Neutral Zone, and any Starfleet ship entering the zone would be in violation of the Organian Peace Treaty
. The approaching cadet crew must decide whether or not to attempt rescue of the Kobayashi Maru crew – endangering their own ship and lives – or leave the Kobayashi Maru to certain destruction.
The training exercise in Star Trek II describes the Kobayashi Maru as a Class III neutronic fuel carrier-ship commanded by Kojiro Vance with 81 crew members and 300 passengers. Dead weight tonnage: 147,943 MT; cargo capacity: 97,000 MT; length: 237m; beam: 111m; height: 70m; max cruise speed: wf
3; max emergency speed: wf 6. The name is Japanese
: means "small grove" and is a common family name; is a common suffix
for Japanese ship names meaning "round" as in "to return."
, the simulation takes place on a replica of a starship bridge, with the test-taker as captain and other Starfleet members, officers or other cadets, in other key positions. In the scenario of the 2280s, the cadet receives a distress signal stating that the Kobayashi Maru has struck a "gravitic mine" in the Klingon Neutral Zone and is rapidly losing power, hull integrity and life support. There are no other vessels nearby. The cadet is faced with a decision:
If the cadet chooses to save the Kobayashi Maru, the scenario progresses quickly. The bridge officers notify the cadet that they are in violation of the treaty. As the starship enters the Neutral Zone, the communications officer loses contact with the crippled vessel. Klingon starships then appear on an intercept course. Attempts to contact them are met with radio silence; indeed, their only response is to open fire with devastating results. There is no way to win the resulting battle, especially since the computer is allowed to "cheat" to guarantee defeat; the simulation ends with the understanding that the cadet's ship has been lost with all hands. The objective of the test is not for the cadet to outfight the opponent but rather to test the cadet's reaction to a no-win situation.
is itself a Kobayashi Maru test, but this is not revealed until after the end of the sequence. As the test-taker, Lt. Saavik
is in command of the simulated U.S.S. Enterprise. Captain Spock
is in his familiar role as science officer and second-in-command with Dr. McCoy
standing by on the bridge, Uhura
as communications officer, Hikaru Sulu
as helm officer, and (as the viewers later learn) cadets filling other roles.
The test starts near the edge of the Klingon Neutral Zone, where the ship receives a distress signal from the Kobayashi Maru. The vessel has struck a gravitic mine within the Neutral Zone and its systems are failing, including life support. Saavik orders Sulu to plot an intercept course, taking note when he points out the inherent treaty violation in doing so.
Not long after the Enterprise attempts a rescue, contact with the damaged ship is lost and three Klingon battle cruisers appear on an intercept course. Outgunned and in violation of the treaty, Saavik orders a retreat, but the Klingon ships quickly overtake and cripple the Enterprise. Sulu "dies" when the helm explodes, and subsequent explosions "kill" Uhura, Doctor McCoy, and Spock. Montgomery Scott
reports that the Enterprise is dead in space, so Saavik orders the log buoy launched and that the crew abandon ship.
Admiral James Kirk, who had been monitoring the situation from an outside control room, halts the simulation. All the "deceased" officers begin to rise, and Spock (now revealed as the cadets' instructor) orders the trainees to the briefing room. Saavik protests being subjected to an unwinnable scenario, opining that it does not properly reflect her command abilities. Kirk explains that the test is meant to reveal how the subject deals with a no-win scenario, as how one deals with death is as important as how one deals with life. Later in the film, after repeated inquiries from Saavik, Kirk says that the exercise is a true "no-win scenario," because there is no correct resolution; it is a test of character.
took the test three times while at Starfleet Academy. Prior to his third attempt, Kirk surreptitiously reprogrammed the simulator so that it was possible to rescue the freighter. This fact finally comes out in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
, as Kirk, Saavik and others appear marooned, near death. Saavik's response is, "Then you never faced that situation...faced death." Kirk replies, "I don't believe in the no-win scenario." Despite having cheated, Kirk had been awarded a commendation for "original thinking."
As Spock
had not entered Starfleet Academy as a command-track cadet, he did not take the Kobayashi Maru test while there. In his death scene at the conclusion of The Wrath of Khan, he described his sacrifice as his solution to the no-win scenario.
Depictions of the Kobayashi Maru test are a fairly popular subject in Star Trek literature. Non-canonical examples of Kobayashi Maru tests have been described in many Star Trek novels. Much like how Kirk cheated to win, characters are frequently depicted as coming up with very innovative or surprising ways of handling the situation.
(1989) by Julia Ecklar
tells how each of these officers faced the problem:
the protagonist Piper, a recent academy graduate, manages to crash
the entire simulator by attempting to improvise an engineering solution to the problem through a very unorthodox series of computer commands and jury-rigging, essentially tricking the computer into fighting itself. Her instructors admit that her solution might theoretically have been successful.
's novel Sarek
, Peter Kirk
, James T. Kirk's nephew, uses his experiences throughout the novel to come up with another way to defeat the unwinnable scenario, this time against Romulan opponents. Upon entering the Romulan Neutral Zone, he provokes the Romulans, who are expected to destroy the Enterprise. Before the Romulans open fire, Peter challenges the Romulan commander to a ritual fight-to-the-death (using an obscure but still valid Romulan law predating their schism with the Vulcans), in which actual battle is prohibited until the contest is resolved. As Peter leaves the bridge to go to the simulation transporter room
, he instructs the crew to beam aboard the "survivors" and escape, leaving him to certain death.
The simulation ends with the supervising instructor ending the test in confusion. Upon learning of Peter's trick, he promises to change the scenario to prevent it from being re-used. Peter is credited, however, with coming up with an actual "winning" solution: saving the Kobayashi Maru and his own ship by sacrificing himself.
's novel Avenger
, Captain Christine McDonald of the USS Tobias tells Captain Kirk that in her time, the Kobayashi Maru scenario is no longer used to test character, but rather to evaluate the very "original thinking" for which Kirk had received a commendation. In the new version of the scenario, cadets are charged with coming up with ways to outsmart the simulation by reprogramming it to counter various moves made by the more advanced AI
of the computer.
novels, Peter David
suggests that future versions of the scenario would involve the Romulan
s.
In Stone and Anvil, Mackenzie Calhoun
realizes that it is impossible to rescue the Kobayashi Maru. He uses the unorthodox solution of destroying the Kobayashi Maru itself. He determines that a rescue attempt will be unsuccessful, would likely end in failure and would probably also result in his own ship being destroyed or captured. His reasoning is that it is more merciful to kill the civilians outright rather than let them be captured (and likely tortured) by the Romulans. Alternatively, he proposes the possibility that the entire scenario is a Romulan trap and the Kobayashi Maru is in league with the Romulans, so destruction of the Kobayashi Maru is a valid attack on an enemy.
anthologies series have also tackled the test. In "The Bottom Line" by Andrew Morby (Strange New Worlds III, 2000) and Shawn Michael Scott's "Best Tools Available" (Strange New Worlds VI, 2003), cadet Nog solves the scenario in two entirely different (and thoroughly Ferengi
) manners.
Kevin Lauderdale’s "A Test of Character" (Strange New Worlds VII, 2004) depicts a different version of Kirk's solution from Ecklar's, in which Kirk's tampering is "cheating without cheating", since he merely creates a level playing field where success is not necessarily guaranteed.
and Michael A. Martin
, the scenario occurs as an actual plot event instead of a training exercise. The Kobayashi Maru is a retrofitted Klingon
cargo vessel under Earth control and with a human crew. When the ship is struck by a gravitic mine, Captain Jonathan Archer
and the crew of the Enterprise
are sent to assist. Though forewarned that the Enterprise is entering a trap set by the Romulans, Archer attempts to rescue the crew and passengers of the Kobayashi Maru. At this point three Klingon
cruisers being controlled by remote Romulan
telepresence
systems drop out of warp and begin attacking the Enterprise. As the ship's systems begin to fail from Romulan attempts to capture Enterprise via the same telepresence systems, Archer is forced to withdraw, preventing the capture of Enterprise but leaving the Kobayashi Maru to be destroyed.
(Chris Pine) reprogramming the test so the Klingon ships' shields suddenly drop, allowing all five to be destroyed with ease so the safe rescue of the Kobayashi Maru can commence. This incident earns him the ire of Spock, who is an Academy instructor maintaining the simulation.
During a disciplinary hearing, Spock and Kirk meet for the first time and say many of the same lines that their characters originally used in The Wrath of Khan. Kirk argues that the test itself is a cheat, since the program is unwinnable, and thus cheating is the only solution. Spock counters that the point of the test is not to win, but to face fear and accept the possibility of death, like Kirk's father did. Due to an attack on Vulcan by the film's villain Nero, the hearing is put on hold and left unresolved.
In the novelization
of the film, the last chapter reveals that the information Kirk used to defeat the test was obtained during his trysts with an Orion girl, who talked in her sleep.
, one of the missions given to the player is the Kobayashi Maru scenario. The player — who controls the character of Cadet David Forrester — has a choice to make prior to the test. The player can have Forrester face the unaltered version of the test, or have Forrester reprogram the computer as Captain Kirk did, altering the scenario in one of three ways. He can reprogram the Klingon AI, making them fight dumber (they do not fire at all), reprogram the strength of the Klingon ships by making them easier to beat (in addition, their weapons cause no damage), or make the Klingon captains fear and respect him personally (Kirk's solution from the novel).
If the player cheats by altering the battle itself, he is treated to two larger waves of Klingon D7 cruisers after destroying the initial wave of three. After destroying those waves, the simulator computer crashes with a Guru Meditation
error, and in debriefing the commandant remarks that he would be impressed were it not for the impossibility of such a feat.
If the player cheats by instilling fear and respect into the Klingon captains, he is able to hail the Klingons during the scenario. The Klingon captain extolls Forrester's prowess, and agrees to help him rescue the freighter instead. This allows the scenario to complete successfully, and the commandant seems truly impressed in debriefing. No matter how the player cheats, if he chooses this option the cheating is detected by Academy staff, and Forrester is offered a chance to avoid punishment by helping the authorities with an ongoing criminal investigation.
If the player decides to face the unaltered version, the ship is swiftly destroyed by the first wave of D7 cruisers, or if they opt to not rescue the ship, they are forced to listen to the crew of the Kobayashi Maru die. It is possible to defeat the Klingons in the unaltered version; however before the player can rescue the crew of the Kobayashi Maru, the game bugs out and the player's ship blows up anyway even though there are no Klingons left.
In the PC game Star Trek: Starfleet Command III
, one of the campaign missions is titled "Klingon Maru". However, the player can rescue the ship and not fight a battle.
In another PC game, Star Trek: Bridge Commander, a very large mod was created for the game, tentatively titled Kobayashi Maru, which added many new starship classes to the already existing roster of ships within the game.
There was also a Kobayashi Alternative
computer game published by Simon & Schuster
in 1985. The game was a text adventure written by Diane Duane
depicting the "Kobayashi Alternative Command Performance Evaluation", a test being proposed to replace the Kobayashi Maru scenario, and was available for the Apple II
, Commodore 64
, MS-DOS
PC-compatible, and Macintosh
platforms. The first mission of the first-person shooter
, Star Trek: Voyager: Elite Force, developed by Raven Software
and published by Activision
in 2000, is considered Ensign Munro's (the player character's) Kobayashi Maru by Commander Tuvok
.
Starfleet Academy
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet Academy is where the future's recruits to Starfleet will be trained. It was created in the year 2161, when the United Federation of Planets was founded...
. The Kobayashi Maru test was first depicted in the opening scene of the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a 1982 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. The film is the second feature based on the Star Trek science fiction franchise. The plot features James T...
and also appears in the 2009 film Star Trek. The test's name is occasionally used among Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
fans or those familiar with the series to describe a no-win scenario
No-win situation
A no-win situation, also called a "lose-lose" situation, is one where a person has choices, but no choice leads to a net gain. For example, if an executioner offers the condemned the choice of dying by being hanged, shot, or poisoned, since all choices lead to death, the condemned is in a no-win...
, or a solution that involves redefining the problem (Outside the box
Outside The Box
Outside The Box is Vicki Genfan's first available release and features both instrumental and vocal songs. It gained wide recognition and was highly acclaimed by critics...
).
Rescuing the civilian vessel Kobayashi Maru is the notional primary goal in a simulated battle with the Klingons. The disabled ship is located in the Klingon Neutral Zone, and any Starfleet ship entering the zone would be in violation of the Organian Peace Treaty
Organian Peace Treaty
This is a list of treaties in the Star Trek fictional universe. These treaties are plot elements in multiple Star Trek series and films.- Treaty of Algeron :...
. The approaching cadet crew must decide whether or not to attempt rescue of the Kobayashi Maru crew – endangering their own ship and lives – or leave the Kobayashi Maru to certain destruction.
The training exercise in Star Trek II describes the Kobayashi Maru as a Class III neutronic fuel carrier-ship commanded by Kojiro Vance with 81 crew members and 300 passengers. Dead weight tonnage: 147,943 MT; cargo capacity: 97,000 MT; length: 237m; beam: 111m; height: 70m; max cruise speed: wf
Warp drive (Star Trek)
Warp drive is a faster-than-light propulsion system in the setting of many science fiction works, most notably Star Trek. A spacecraft equipped with a warp drive may travel at velocities greater than that of light by many orders of magnitude, while circumventing the relativistic problem of time...
3; max emergency speed: wf 6. The name is Japanese
Japanese name
in modern times usually consist of a family name , followed by a given name. "Middle names" are not generally used.Japanese names are usually written in kanji, which are characters of usually Chinese origin in Japanese pronunciation...
: means "small grove" and is a common family name; is a common suffix
Affix
An affix is a morpheme that is attached to a word stem to form a new word. Affixes may be derivational, like English -ness and pre-, or inflectional, like English plural -s and past tense -ed. They are bound morphemes by definition; prefixes and suffixes may be separable affixes...
for Japanese ship names meaning "round" as in "to return."
The simulation
In Star Trek II: The Wrath of KhanStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a 1982 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. The film is the second feature based on the Star Trek science fiction franchise. The plot features James T...
, the simulation takes place on a replica of a starship bridge, with the test-taker as captain and other Starfleet members, officers or other cadets, in other key positions. In the scenario of the 2280s, the cadet receives a distress signal stating that the Kobayashi Maru has struck a "gravitic mine" in the Klingon Neutral Zone and is rapidly losing power, hull integrity and life support. There are no other vessels nearby. The cadet is faced with a decision:
- Attempt to rescue the Kobayashi Maru's crew and passengers, which involves violating the Neutral Zone and potentially provoking the KlingonKlingonKlingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...
s into hostile action or an all-out war; or - Abandon the Kobayashi Maru, potentially preventing war but leaving the crew and passengers to die.
If the cadet chooses to save the Kobayashi Maru, the scenario progresses quickly. The bridge officers notify the cadet that they are in violation of the treaty. As the starship enters the Neutral Zone, the communications officer loses contact with the crippled vessel. Klingon starships then appear on an intercept course. Attempts to contact them are met with radio silence; indeed, their only response is to open fire with devastating results. There is no way to win the resulting battle, especially since the computer is allowed to "cheat" to guarantee defeat; the simulation ends with the understanding that the cadet's ship has been lost with all hands. The objective of the test is not for the cadet to outfight the opponent but rather to test the cadet's reaction to a no-win situation.
Saavik's test
The opening of Star Trek II: The Wrath of KhanStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a 1982 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. The film is the second feature based on the Star Trek science fiction franchise. The plot features James T...
is itself a Kobayashi Maru test, but this is not revealed until after the end of the sequence. As the test-taker, Lt. Saavik
Saavik
Lieutenant JG Saavik is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe. She first appeared in the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan played by Kirstie Alley. Robin Curtis took on the role after a salary dispute caused Alley to drop out of the sequel, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock...
is in command of the simulated U.S.S. Enterprise. Captain Spock
Spock
Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series, Spock also appears in the animated Star Trek series, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, seven of the Star Trek feature films, and numerous Star Trek...
is in his familiar role as science officer and second-in-command with Dr. McCoy
Leonard McCoy
Leonard "Bones" McCoy is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by DeForest Kelley in the original Star Trek series, McCoy also appears in the animated Star Trek series, seven Star Trek movies, the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and in numerous books,...
standing by on the bridge, Uhura
Uhura
Nyota Uhura is a character in Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, the first six Star Trek films, and the 2009 film Star Trek...
as communications officer, Hikaru Sulu
Hikaru Sulu
Hikaru Sulu is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by George Takei in the original Star Trek series, Sulu also appears in the animated Star Trek series, the first six Star Trek movies, one episode of Star Trek: Voyager, and in numerous books, comics, and video games...
as helm officer, and (as the viewers later learn) cadets filling other roles.
The test starts near the edge of the Klingon Neutral Zone, where the ship receives a distress signal from the Kobayashi Maru. The vessel has struck a gravitic mine within the Neutral Zone and its systems are failing, including life support. Saavik orders Sulu to plot an intercept course, taking note when he points out the inherent treaty violation in doing so.
Not long after the Enterprise attempts a rescue, contact with the damaged ship is lost and three Klingon battle cruisers appear on an intercept course. Outgunned and in violation of the treaty, Saavik orders a retreat, but the Klingon ships quickly overtake and cripple the Enterprise. Sulu "dies" when the helm explodes, and subsequent explosions "kill" Uhura, Doctor McCoy, and Spock. Montgomery Scott
Montgomery Scott
Montgomery "Scotty" Scott is a Scottish engineer in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by James Doohan in the original Star Trek series, Scotty also appears in the animated Star Trek series, seven Star Trek movies, the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Relics", and in numerous...
reports that the Enterprise is dead in space, so Saavik orders the log buoy launched and that the crew abandon ship.
Admiral James Kirk, who had been monitoring the situation from an outside control room, halts the simulation. All the "deceased" officers begin to rise, and Spock (now revealed as the cadets' instructor) orders the trainees to the briefing room. Saavik protests being subjected to an unwinnable scenario, opining that it does not properly reflect her command abilities. Kirk explains that the test is meant to reveal how the subject deals with a no-win scenario, as how one deals with death is as important as how one deals with life. Later in the film, after repeated inquiries from Saavik, Kirk says that the exercise is a true "no-win scenario," because there is no correct resolution; it is a test of character.
Other test-takers and their solutions
James T. KirkJames T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
took the test three times while at Starfleet Academy. Prior to his third attempt, Kirk surreptitiously reprogrammed the simulator so that it was possible to rescue the freighter. This fact finally comes out in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a 1982 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. The film is the second feature based on the Star Trek science fiction franchise. The plot features James T...
, as Kirk, Saavik and others appear marooned, near death. Saavik's response is, "Then you never faced that situation...faced death." Kirk replies, "I don't believe in the no-win scenario." Despite having cheated, Kirk had been awarded a commendation for "original thinking."
As Spock
Spock
Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series, Spock also appears in the animated Star Trek series, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, seven of the Star Trek feature films, and numerous Star Trek...
had not entered Starfleet Academy as a command-track cadet, he did not take the Kobayashi Maru test while there. In his death scene at the conclusion of The Wrath of Khan, he described his sacrifice as his solution to the no-win scenario.
Depictions of the Kobayashi Maru test are a fairly popular subject in Star Trek literature. Non-canonical examples of Kobayashi Maru tests have been described in many Star Trek novels. Much like how Kirk cheated to win, characters are frequently depicted as coming up with very innovative or surprising ways of handling the situation.
The Kobayashi Maru (Original Series novel)
The Kobayashi MaruThe Kobayashi Maru (novel)
The Kobayashi Maru is a science fiction novel by Julia Ecklar, based in the Star Trek universe.-Plot introduction:While stranded in a damaged shuttlecraft, Kirk, Sulu, Chekov, and Scotty recall their Starfleet Academy Command School experiences with the simulation scenario The Kobayashi...
(1989) by Julia Ecklar
Julia Ecklar
Julia Ecklar is a John W. Campbell Award–winning science fiction author and a singer and writer of filk music who recorded numerous albums in the Off Centaur label in the early 1980s, including Minus Ten and Counting, Horse-Tamer's Daughter, and Genesis...
tells how each of these officers faced the problem:
- ChekovPavel ChekovPavel Andreievich Chekov is a Russian Starfleet officer in the Star Trek fictional universe. Walter Koenig portrayed Chekov in the original Star Trek series and first seven Star Trek films; Anton Yelchin portrayed the character in the 2009 film Star Trek.-Origin:Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry...
evacuates his ship and then crashes it into the three Klingon cruisers, destroying all four ships in the process and (inadvertently) all of the evacuees as well. - Sulu realizes it is probably a trap and refuses to cross the Neutral Zone.
- Scott bypasses the Klingon shields with an unorthodox technical trick that could only work within the simulation's physics model, and not in reality. Although he is initially successful, the Enterprise is eventually overwhelmed by a continual stream of Klingon reinforcements. Scott was then reassigned from the command track to engineering, which was his intention all along.
- Kirk reprograms the simulated Klingons to be afraid of "The Captain Kirk," arguing that he expected to build a comparable reputation.
Dreadnought (1986)
In the novel Dreadnought by Diane CareyDiane Carey
Diane Carey is primarily a science fiction author best known for her work in the Star Trek franchise. She has been the lead-off writer for two Star Trek spin-off book series: Star Trek The Next Generation with Star Trek: Ghost Ship, and the novelization of the Star Trek: Enterprise pilot, Broken...
the protagonist Piper, a recent academy graduate, manages to crash
Crash (computing)
A crash in computing is a condition where a computer or a program, either an application or part of the operating system, ceases to function properly, often exiting after encountering errors. Often the offending program may appear to freeze or hang until a crash reporting service documents...
the entire simulator by attempting to improvise an engineering solution to the problem through a very unorthodox series of computer commands and jury-rigging, essentially tricking the computer into fighting itself. Her instructors admit that her solution might theoretically have been successful.
Sarek (1994)
In A.C. CrispinAnn C. Crispin
Ann Carol Crispin is an American science fiction writer, the author of twenty-three published novels. She has been writing since 1983...
's novel Sarek
Sarek (Star Trek novel)
Sarek is a novel by A. C. Crispin, set in the fictional Star Trek universe. It is set shortly after the motion picture Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country...
, Peter Kirk
Peter Kirk
Peter Kirk may refer to:* Peter Kirk , British-born American mill-owner, founder of the City of Kirkland, Washington, USA* Sir Peter Michael Kirk , British Conservative MP and government minister...
, James T. Kirk's nephew, uses his experiences throughout the novel to come up with another way to defeat the unwinnable scenario, this time against Romulan opponents. Upon entering the Romulan Neutral Zone, he provokes the Romulans, who are expected to destroy the Enterprise. Before the Romulans open fire, Peter challenges the Romulan commander to a ritual fight-to-the-death (using an obscure but still valid Romulan law predating their schism with the Vulcans), in which actual battle is prohibited until the contest is resolved. As Peter leaves the bridge to go to the simulation transporter room
Transporter (Star Trek)
A transporter is a fictional teleportation machine used in the Star Trek universe. Transporters convert a person or object into an energy pattern , then "beam" it to a target, where it is reconverted into matter...
, he instructs the crew to beam aboard the "survivors" and escape, leaving him to certain death.
The simulation ends with the supervising instructor ending the test in confusion. Upon learning of Peter's trick, he promises to change the scenario to prevent it from being re-used. Peter is credited, however, with coming up with an actual "winning" solution: saving the Kobayashi Maru and his own ship by sacrificing himself.
Avenger (1998)
In William ShatnerWilliam Shatner
William Alan Shatner is a Canadian actor, musician, recording artist, and author. He gained worldwide fame and became a cultural icon for his portrayal of James T...
's novel Avenger
Avenger (Star Trek)
Avenger is a Star Trek novel by William Shatner , depicting the events shortly after the feature film Star Trek:Generations and the previous "Shatnerverse" novel The Return...
, Captain Christine McDonald of the USS Tobias tells Captain Kirk that in her time, the Kobayashi Maru scenario is no longer used to test character, but rather to evaluate the very "original thinking" for which Kirk had received a commendation. In the new version of the scenario, cadets are charged with coming up with ways to outsmart the simulation by reprogramming it to counter various moves made by the more advanced AI
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
of the computer.
Stone and Anvil (2003)
In his Star Trek: New FrontierStar Trek: New Frontier
Star Trek: New Frontier is a Star Trek novel series created by John J. Ordover and Peter David and published by Pocket Books. The idea behind it was to create a Star Trek book series with its own continuity and not one that is purely a reaction to the television shows. Nearly every story of the...
novels, Peter David
Peter David
Peter Allen David , often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games...
suggests that future versions of the scenario would involve the Romulan
Romulan
The Romulans are a fictional alien race in the Star Trek universe. First appearing in the original Star Trek series in the 1966 episode "Balance of Terror", they have since made appearances in all the main later Star Trek series: The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager...
s.
In Stone and Anvil, Mackenzie Calhoun
Mackenzie Calhoun
Mackenzie Calhoun is a fictional character from the Star Trek universe. Created by Peter David, Calhoun is an extraterrestrial from the planet Xenex, and is captain of the Federation starship USS Excalibur....
realizes that it is impossible to rescue the Kobayashi Maru. He uses the unorthodox solution of destroying the Kobayashi Maru itself. He determines that a rescue attempt will be unsuccessful, would likely end in failure and would probably also result in his own ship being destroyed or captured. His reasoning is that it is more merciful to kill the civilians outright rather than let them be captured (and likely tortured) by the Romulans. Alternatively, he proposes the possibility that the entire scenario is a Romulan trap and the Kobayashi Maru is in league with the Romulans, so destruction of the Kobayashi Maru is a valid attack on an enemy.
Rock and a Hard Place (Peter David)
Quintin Stone was reputed to have beaten the Kobayashi Maru test, without cheating. His strategy was not described in the book, but the achievement was still considered to be particularly noteworthy, even amongst seasoned officers. The programmers of the simulation however, were said to have been in mourning for a week after the fact.Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Three short stories in the Strange New WorldsStar Trek: Strange New Worlds
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds was an annual collection of short stories set in the Star Trek universe, written by amateur writers chosen through an open submissions process. The first volume was published in 1998, with the tenth and final volume published in 2007...
anthologies series have also tackled the test. In "The Bottom Line" by Andrew Morby (Strange New Worlds III, 2000) and Shawn Michael Scott's "Best Tools Available" (Strange New Worlds VI, 2003), cadet Nog solves the scenario in two entirely different (and thoroughly Ferengi
Ferengi
The Ferengi are a fictitious extraterrestrial race from the Star Trek universe. They first appeared in "The Last Outpost", the fifth episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987, during which they made first contact with the United Federation of Planets in 2364 on the planet Delphi Ardu,...
) manners.
Kevin Lauderdale’s "A Test of Character" (Strange New Worlds VII, 2004) depicts a different version of Kirk's solution from Ecklar's, in which Kirk's tampering is "cheating without cheating", since he merely creates a level playing field where success is not necessarily guaranteed.
Kobayashi Maru ("Enterprise" novel)
In this novel by Andy MangelsAndy Mangels
Andy Mangels is an American science fiction author who has written novels, comics, and magazine articles, and produced DVD collections, mostly focusing on media in popular culture...
and Michael A. Martin
Michael A. Martin
Michael A. Martin is an American author.Most of Martin's works have been written in collaboration with partner Andy Mangels, who brought him aboard as a co-writer in 1997 for the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine comics at Marvel...
, the scenario occurs as an actual plot event instead of a training exercise. The Kobayashi Maru is a retrofitted Klingon
Klingon
Klingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...
cargo vessel under Earth control and with a human crew. When the ship is struck by a gravitic mine, Captain Jonathan Archer
Jonathan Archer
Jonathan Archer is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise. He is the protagonist of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise, where he is played by Scott Bakula...
and the crew of the Enterprise
Enterprise (NX-01)
The Enterprise is a fictional starship in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise. It is commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer.-History:...
are sent to assist. Though forewarned that the Enterprise is entering a trap set by the Romulans, Archer attempts to rescue the crew and passengers of the Kobayashi Maru. At this point three Klingon
Klingon
Klingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...
cruisers being controlled by remote Romulan
Romulan
The Romulans are a fictional alien race in the Star Trek universe. First appearing in the original Star Trek series in the 1966 episode "Balance of Terror", they have since made appearances in all the main later Star Trek series: The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager...
telepresence
Telepresence
Telepresence refers to a set of technologies which allow a person to feel as if they were present, to give the appearance of being present, or to have an effect, via telerobotics, at a place other than their true location....
systems drop out of warp and begin attacking the Enterprise. As the ship's systems begin to fail from Romulan attempts to capture Enterprise via the same telepresence systems, Archer is forced to withdraw, preventing the capture of Enterprise but leaving the Kobayashi Maru to be destroyed.
Star Trek (2009)
The 2009 J.J. Abrams film depicts cadet James T. KirkJames T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
(Chris Pine) reprogramming the test so the Klingon ships' shields suddenly drop, allowing all five to be destroyed with ease so the safe rescue of the Kobayashi Maru can commence. This incident earns him the ire of Spock, who is an Academy instructor maintaining the simulation.
During a disciplinary hearing, Spock and Kirk meet for the first time and say many of the same lines that their characters originally used in The Wrath of Khan. Kirk argues that the test itself is a cheat, since the program is unwinnable, and thus cheating is the only solution. Spock counters that the point of the test is not to win, but to face fear and accept the possibility of death, like Kirk's father did. Due to an attack on Vulcan by the film's villain Nero, the hearing is put on hold and left unresolved.
In the novelization
Star Trek (novel)
The novelization of the film Star Trek was written in 2009 by Alan Dean Foster, who had also written novelizations of Star Trek: The Animated Series....
of the film, the last chapter reveals that the information Kirk used to defeat the test was obtained during his trysts with an Orion girl, who talked in her sleep.
Star Trek video games
In the PC game Star Trek: Starfleet AcademyStar Trek: Starfleet Academy (video game)
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is a PC Star Trek simulation game that simulates the life of a typical Starfleet cadet. The object in the game is for the player to learn the basics of flying a starship so that the player can eventually become a captain of one's very own ship...
, one of the missions given to the player is the Kobayashi Maru scenario. The player — who controls the character of Cadet David Forrester — has a choice to make prior to the test. The player can have Forrester face the unaltered version of the test, or have Forrester reprogram the computer as Captain Kirk did, altering the scenario in one of three ways. He can reprogram the Klingon AI, making them fight dumber (they do not fire at all), reprogram the strength of the Klingon ships by making them easier to beat (in addition, their weapons cause no damage), or make the Klingon captains fear and respect him personally (Kirk's solution from the novel).
If the player cheats by altering the battle itself, he is treated to two larger waves of Klingon D7 cruisers after destroying the initial wave of three. After destroying those waves, the simulator computer crashes with a Guru Meditation
Guru Meditation
Guru Meditation is an error notice displayed by early versions of the Commodore Amiga computer when they crashed. It is analogous to the "Blue Screen Of Death" in Microsoft Windows operating systems.- Description :...
error, and in debriefing the commandant remarks that he would be impressed were it not for the impossibility of such a feat.
If the player cheats by instilling fear and respect into the Klingon captains, he is able to hail the Klingons during the scenario. The Klingon captain extolls Forrester's prowess, and agrees to help him rescue the freighter instead. This allows the scenario to complete successfully, and the commandant seems truly impressed in debriefing. No matter how the player cheats, if he chooses this option the cheating is detected by Academy staff, and Forrester is offered a chance to avoid punishment by helping the authorities with an ongoing criminal investigation.
If the player decides to face the unaltered version, the ship is swiftly destroyed by the first wave of D7 cruisers, or if they opt to not rescue the ship, they are forced to listen to the crew of the Kobayashi Maru die. It is possible to defeat the Klingons in the unaltered version; however before the player can rescue the crew of the Kobayashi Maru, the game bugs out and the player's ship blows up anyway even though there are no Klingons left.
In the PC game Star Trek: Starfleet Command III
Star Trek: Starfleet Command III
Star Trek: Starfleet Command III is a Star Trek computer game published in 2002. The game takes place in the Next Generation/Deep Space Nine/Voyager era.-Storyline:...
, one of the campaign missions is titled "Klingon Maru". However, the player can rescue the ship and not fight a battle.
In another PC game, Star Trek: Bridge Commander, a very large mod was created for the game, tentatively titled Kobayashi Maru, which added many new starship classes to the already existing roster of ships within the game.
There was also a Kobayashi Alternative
Star Trek: The Kobayashi Alternative
Star Trek: The Kobayashi Alternative was a Star Trek themed computer software game, designed for the Apple II Plus, Apple IIe, and Apple IIc. The game was also available for the Commodore 64, Macintosh and IBM PC. This text adventure was first published in 1985 by Simon & Schuster. The player...
computer game published by Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
in 1985. The game was a text adventure written by Diane Duane
Diane Duane
Diane Duane is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Her works include the Young Wizards young adult fantasy series and the Rihannsu Star Trek novels.-Biography :...
depicting the "Kobayashi Alternative Command Performance Evaluation", a test being proposed to replace the Kobayashi Maru scenario, and was available for the Apple II
Apple II
The Apple II is an 8-bit home computer, one of the first highly successful mass-produced microcomputer products, designed primarily by Steve Wozniak, manufactured by Apple Computer and introduced in 1977...
, Commodore 64
Commodore 64
The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
, MS-DOS
MS-DOS
MS-DOS is an operating system for x86-based personal computers. It was the most commonly used member of the DOS family of operating systems, and was the main operating system for IBM PC compatible personal computers during the 1980s to the mid 1990s, until it was gradually superseded by operating...
PC-compatible, and Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
platforms. The first mission of the first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
, Star Trek: Voyager: Elite Force, developed by Raven Software
Raven Software
Raven Software is an American video game developer. The company was founded in 1990 by brothers Brian and Steve Raffel. In 1997, Raven made an exclusive publishing deal with Activision and was subsequently acquired by them...
and published by Activision
Activision
Activision is an American publisher, majority owned by French conglomerate Vivendi SA. Its current CEO is Robert Kotick. It was founded on October 1, 1979 and was the world's first independent developer and distributor of video games for gaming consoles...
in 2000, is considered Ensign Munro's (the player character's) Kobayashi Maru by Commander Tuvok
Tuvok
Tuvok is one of the main characters on the television series Star Trek: Voyager. Tuvok is a Vulcan who serves as the ship's chief of security and its chief tactical officer. Tim Russ portrayed Tuvok throughout the show's run, from 1995 to 2001....
.
See also
- Egg of ColumbusEgg of ColumbusAn egg of Columbus or Columbus's egg refers to a brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple or easy after the fact. The expression refers to a popular story of how Christopher Columbus, having been told that discovering the Americas was no great accomplishment, challenged his critics to make an...
- Endless knotEndless knotThe endless knot or eternal knot is a symbolic knot and one of the Eight Auspicious Symbols. It is an important cultural marker in places significantly influenced by Tibetan Buddhism such as Tibet, Mongolia, Tuva, Kalmykia, and Buryatia...
- Gordian KnotGordian KnotThe Gordian Knot is a legend of Phrygian Gordium associated with Alexander the Great. It is often used as a metaphor for an intractable problem solved by a bold stroke :"Turn him to any cause of policy,...
- No-win situationNo-win situationA no-win situation, also called a "lose-lose" situation, is one where a person has choices, but no choice leads to a net gain. For example, if an executioner offers the condemned the choice of dying by being hanged, shot, or poisoned, since all choices lead to death, the condemned is in a no-win...
- Outside the boxOutside The BoxOutside The Box is Vicki Genfan's first available release and features both instrumental and vocal songs. It gained wide recognition and was highly acclaimed by critics...