AllenGould wrote: ↑Sun Mar 07, 2021 10:25 am
SudenKapala wrote: ↑Sun Mar 07, 2021 6:50 am
They had industrial replicators to build shuttles and the Delta Flyer, so the casing and propulsion of photorps wasn't the
problem, IIRC.
But anti-matter supposedly isn't replicatable, so the warheads -- that's another story. (Again -- IIRC.)
Well, the shuttles *are* a bigger issue IMO - it seems a bit weird that a science vessel has fab facilities for entire ships. But then, it's not like Trek ever showed us how larger sets - I mean compartments were built.
The anti-matter seems like the easy part - it's the same stuff flying the ship. Just reverse the polarity by bouncing the graviton particle beam off the main deflector dish and then syphon the tank.
The anti-matter was established as being irreplacable. The
Delta Quadrant spatial scission episode (re?)confirmed that. Yes, it's the stuff that flies the ship -- supposedly, for the
whole of the series. Perhaps they pick it up in minute quantities along the way?
Oh, BTW, the TNG Tech Manual (or was it the Haynes Bird Of Prey manual? Both?) also has a sub-chapter on that. AM can be generated in very small quantities by an on-board generator. But takes a long time.