Historical schematic of the Nomad probe (2002)
The Nomad MK-15c space probe was an interstellar information-gathering device created by Jackson Roykirk.
History
Nomad was launched from Earth in 2002 as the planet's first interstellar vessel to seek out new life. It was a prototype and the only one of its series built.
During its mission, Nomad was damaged by a meteorite and lost contact with Earth. It later encountered an alien probe called Tan Ru in deep space. The two units merged, resulting in a powerful new construct with faulty programming, which destroyed anything that was perceived as imperfect, a condition that apparently applied to any organic living being.
Travis Mayweather had a model of the Nomad probe in his quarters aboard Enterprise. (ENT: "Dead Stop")
Nomad was eventually discovered by the USS Enterprise in 2267, shortly after it wiped out four billion inhabitants of the Malurian system. Originally deeming the Enterprise to be as imperfect as the Malurians, it opened fire on the vessel, nearly destroying it. It halted its attack when Captain James Kirk hailed the probe and introduced himself; Nomad had mistaken Captain Kirk for Roykirk.
Coming aboard the Enterprise, Nomad found the crew to be imperfect and wiped out the memory of Lieutenant Uhura as well as killing Montgomery Scott. Fortunately for Scotty, Nomad was able to "repair" him on the orders of Kirk. Using the ship's star charts, Nomad was able to fix coordinates on Earth and planned to return. Kirk was concerned that if Nomad returned to Earth and found it to be populated with imperfect life forms, it would sterilize the planet. It eventually destroyed itself after discovering that it was imperfect after mistaking Captain Kirk for Roykirk, its creator. (TOS: "The Changeling")
Appendices
Background
Nomad
- Pieces of Nomad showed up again in the Romulan cloaking device in TOS: "The Enterprise Incident", Flint's M-4 robot in TOS: "Requiem for Methuselah". The prop for Nomad's head was placed atop Sargon's storage vessel in TOS: "Return to Tomorrow" in order to create the Romulan cloaking device.
- Among the in-jokes that appeared on the engineering cutaway of the USS Enterprise-D is an image of Nomad located where the ship's launch probes are supposed to be.
Apocrypha
Nomad in seaQuest DSV
- In the episode "Dream Weaver" of seaQuest DSV, there is an homage to the Nomad probe. When the "Stormer" alien falls to his death, he lands beside a monument marked as the "Nomad Probe", launched December 14, 2002, from Cape Canaveral. It was designed to seek out alien lifeforms.
- In the TNG episode "Eye of the Beholder", there is an homage to Seaquest. On one personnel file Deanna Troi studies one of the officer's assignments was to the USS Seaquest.
External link
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