Kobayashi Maru

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The Kobayashi Maru is a test in the fictional Star Trek universe. 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. This provided context for how the main character ensign (later admiral) James T. Kirk deals with the possibility of unwinnable situations in general and death in particular.

The civilian vessel Kobayashi Maru is the precipitating element in a simulated battle with the Klingons. The ship is disabled and the approaching cadet crew must decide whether or not to attempt rescue of the Maru crew - potentially endangering their own ship/lives - or leave the Kobayashi Maru to certain destruction. The difficult decision to assist "Maru" revolves around the issue of the disabled ship's location being in the Klingon Neutral Zone, as entering the zone would be in violation of the Organian Peace Treaty. (The test's name is occasionally used among Star Trek fans or those familiar with the series to describe a no-win scenario.)

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 crewmembers 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: Kobayashi (小林^?) means "small forest" and is a common family name; Maru (丸^?) is a common suffix for Japanese ship names.

Contents 1 The simulation 2 Notable test takers 2.1 Saavik's Test 2.2 Other test-takers and their solutions 2.2.1 The Kobayashi Maru (Original Series novel) 2.2.2 Dreadnought (1986) 2.2.3 Sarek (1994) 2.2.4 Avenger (1998) 2.2.5 Stone and Anvil (2003) 2.2.6 Rock and a Hard Place (Peter David) 2.2.7 Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 2.2.8 Kobayashi Maru ("Enterprise" novel) 2.2.9 Star Trek (2009) 3 Star Trek video games 4 References in other media 5 References 6 See also 7 External links

[edit] The simulation

In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, 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 Klingons 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 as 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 insurmountable odds.

By the time of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the Federation had reached an alliance with the Klingons, rendering the previous format of the scenario no longer suitable. Variations of the test are faced by Wesley Crusher (as he takes the entrance exams for Starfleet Academy) and Deanna Troi (as she takes the exams to become a bridge officer). In the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Learning Curve", Lieutenant Tuvok placed several former Maquis crewmembers in a similar scenario on the holodeck using a damaged Ferengi starship and Romulan warbird as the opponent in a tactical training scenario. Unlike the original scenario, however, Tuvok claims retreat is a viable option.

[edit] Notable test takers

[edit] Saavik's Test

The opening of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is itself a Kobayashi Maru test, but this is not revealed until after it ends. 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 U.S.S. 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 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, feeling 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's a test of character.^[1]

[edit] Other test-takers and their solutions

James T. Kirk takes the test three times while at Starfleet Academy. Prior to his third attempt, Kirk surreptitiously reprograms the simulator so that it is possible to rescue the freighter. This fact finally comes out, later in the movie, 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 was 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 would describe his sacrifice as his solution to the scenario.^[1]

Depictions of the Kobayashi Maru test are a fairly popular subject in Star Trek literature. Non-canonical examples of Kobayashi Maru tests have been shown 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.

[edit] The Kobayashi Maru (Original Series novel)

The Kobayashi Maru (1989) by Julia Ecklar tells how each of these officers faced the problem:

• Chekov 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.
• Scotty attempts to fight the Klingon ships, employing a series of unorthodox tactics, such as bypassing the Klingon shields using a works-on-paper-only calculation (the failure-to-work-in-practice demonstration experiment was published by Scotty before he joined Starfleet and this fore-knowledge of theory/practice results in his being judged unsuitable for command track and sent off to engineering, as he actually desired), and transporting various destructive items to them. At first, he is surprisingly effective, but the computer scenario ups the ante with the arrival of additional Klingon ships. Scotty responds in kind with even more unorthodox tactics that rapidly escalate in on-the-fly engineering derring-do and destructiveness. He eventually loses to a staggering fleet of fifteen ships, but claims that if there had been an actual engineering room in which he could have performed his instructions himself, they would have been destroyed as well. This example proves it clear that the simulation will never end, no matter what the student throws at the Klingon ships, as an ever-increasing number of Klingon vessels will arrive on the scene, guaranteeing that the testee will lose eventually.
• Kirk reprograms the simulated Klingons to be afraid of "The Captain Kirk", arguing that he expected to build a comparable reputation.

[edit] Dreadnought (1986)

In the novel Dreadnought by Diane Carey 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.

[edit] Sarek (1994)

In A.C. Crispin'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. Upon entering the 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.

[edit] Avenger (1998)

In William Shatner'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.

[edit] Stone and Anvil (2003)

In his Star Trek: New Frontier novels, Peter David suggests that future versions of the scenario would involve the Romulans.

In Stone and Anvil, Mackenzie Calhoun realizes that it is impossible to rescue the Kobayashi Maru, and takes 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 an alternate 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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Three short stories in the Strange New Worlds 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.

[edit] Kobayashi Maru ("Enterprise" novel)

In this novel by Andy Mangels and Michael A. Martin, 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 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 Maru to be destroyed.

This is believed to be how the Kobayashi Maru test was devised, as this was an actual occurrence in the book, and not a test.

[edit] Star Trek (2009)

The 2009 J.J. Abrams film depicts cadet James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) taking the test in an alternate reality version of the events. In this version, Kirk reprograms the test so the Klingon ships' shields suddenly drop, allowing all three to be destroyed with ease so the safe rescue of the Kobayashi Maru can commence. This incident earns him the ire of Spock, in that reality and at the time an Academy instructor maintaining the simulation.

During a hearing, Spock and Kirk say many of the same lines that their characters originally used in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and the hearing is interrupted before an outcome can be reached. Kirk argues that the test itself is a cheat, as the program is unwinnable, and thus cheating is the only solution. Spock counters that the point isn't to win, but to face fear and accept the possibility of death, like Kirk's father did. Additionally, in a parallel to Star Trek II, Kirk is seen eating an apple during his third attempt at the Kobayashi Maru test, just as Kirk (William Shatner) eats an apple while explaining to Saavik and others how he defeated the scenario.

[edit] Star Trek video games

In the PC game Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, 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.

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.

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.^[2] 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.

[edit] References in other media

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (March 2009)

A ship named the Kobayashi Maru appears in the manga Gundam F90, and proves to be just as ill-fated as its namesake, being destroyed in the prologue just before finishing up a tour of duty.

In the U.S. film version of Godzilla (1998), the Japanese freighter destroyed by the creature in the beginning is named the Kobayashi Maru.^[3]

In the film Dog Soldiers (2002), a soldier describes their situation as "the Kobayashi Maru test" when they find a bug in a radio. He assumes that their exercise was always a no-win scenario.^{[citation needed]}

The phrase is featured in the rock band Powerman 5000's lyrics in the song "Neckbone" from their Mega!! Kung Fu Radio album.

The Kobayashi Maru is mentioned in the Friends episode "The One Where Monica and Richard are Just Friends" when Chandler calls another no-win scenario a "Kiryat Moriah" and is corrected by Ross.

In Duke Nukem 3D Expansion Pack Caribbean, a boat named Kobayashi Maru is set as the start and end point of several game levels.^{[citation needed]}

In the CSI episode "Monster in the Box" (2007) the lab technician David Hodges admits he has a cat called "Mr. K" and subsequently calls him Kobayashi Maru.

In the Bridge Simulator used at the State University of New York Maritime College, simulations often include a container ship, which is flagged in Japan, and named the Kobeashi Maru.^{[citation needed]}

Business theory commentators have used the Kobayashi Maru as an example of the need to redefine the foundation upon which a business competes—changing the rules rather than playing within a rigged game—as an example of successful business strategy.^[4]

In the webcomic Erfworld (Bonus page: Parson's Klog 1), Parson suggests himself to be in an altered state of consciousness and theorizes that his gaming group may have provoked it as an "out-of-the-box Kobayashi Maru tactic" for getting rid of the no-win scenario. He also thinks about rewarding them for their "original thinking"^[5]

In the webcomic Home on the Strange in "Tanner's Party Prep, Part 3", Tom refers to Tanner as "A living Kobayashi Maru."^[6]

Randy Pausch, of Last Lecture fame, had the childhood dream of "being Captain Kirk". After being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (which proved fatal almost a year later) he received a signed autographed picture of Kirk saying "I don't believe in the no-win scenario. My Best, William Shatner"^[7]

In the webcomic Toon Fever, a pastor beside a ship named the Kobayashi Maru, being taken under by a kraken and surrounded by sharks, says "This is just like my church back home."^[8]

A tanker named the Kobayashi Maru appears in S.M. Stirling's book The Protector's War as a ship that the character John Hordle is involved in scuttling (Page 210).

In the animated TV series Mission Hill, in the episode "Kevin vs. the SAT", character Kevin French uses the example of James T. Kirk and his "solution" to the Kobayashi Maru as a rationale for why he and his friends should cheat on the SAT.

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• No-win situation
• Gordian Knot
• Endless knot
• Egg of Columbus
• outside the box

[edit] External links

• Kobayashi Maru scenario at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)

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