Kobayashi Maru Vol. 19

[Rekhan]

This week's scenario is brought to you by Jace.Terrik. Good luck!

You make first contact with a civilization called the Savii. The Savii have just reached the technology level necessary for the construction of warp-speed-capable vessels. They are an insectoid race connected through a hive mind, spreading information via a complex pheromone system.

Despite their relative technological sophistication, the Savii are slowly dying out due to a hereditary illness. The Savii have been unable to discover a cure, but it turns out that Starfleet Medical will be able to negate the sickness within a generation by performing minor genetic tweaks on a handful of Savii. The cure will spread through the pheromone network instantly, curing all and sundry.

The Savii, however, are a deeply religious people and they find these suggestions of genetic alterations invasive and highly offensive.

Starfleet defers to your judgment: Would you rather let the Savii die out gradually, respecting their religious rights, or do you insist on saving them from mass extinction?

[Suricata]

I'd respect thier religous rights, If any Savii come forward and request the genitic alterations they are more than welcome to them. Just because the race is generally deeply religous does not mean the entire race has the same opinions afterall, although the hive mind ofcourse means this may be unlikely. The best thing to do is to just put the offer out there to them, even if they do not accept it at first, they may change thier mind over time.

[Veglargh]

I would help them by detonating a big Raid torpedo in their atmosphere. That would solve the Fed's dilemma.

[Captain Butters]

aww they will come around eventally

in fact i bet ther are a hand full of athiest out there, but they will be oustrizied form soctity for there difrenet pharamones, so youll be damning a few that will actually save the rest, or as the population fall enugh they will eventallly just rise up and a counter religious movement will sweep through the hive, probly a war and who know what else but me well stay on hade wait till they are ready for us to save them

[Malchazowski]

there really is nothing you can do. since they havent applied for membership with the federation, you cannot impose your will upon theirs. you'd just have to keep on trying to convince them that they need this cure in order to survive. hopefully they will accept the alterations soon before too many are lost. if it really came down to it, with the authorization of starfleet, force the genetic alteration upon them after a certain percentage has died in order to keep them from extinction.

[Kado2]

I would make the choice to introduce the new genetic modifier through some form of everyday necessity to the species, be it food, water or some other form. This way they keep their precious religious beliefs, and actually find stronger faith by perhaps believing that their god has found favor in them for expanding outward among the stars and granted them a cure.

This newfound strength of faith could pose a problem in a few generations since insectoid species tend to reproduce quickly which would give them vast numbers and such religious fervor could lead to an interstellar jihad. However this situation too is easily handled through careful diplomatic relations with the species.

[Ketsuban]

If I were a member of Section 31, I'd engineer the required alteration into a retrovirus and introduce it into the Savii populace. Problem solved.

If I were a Starfleet cadet, I'd do nothing. I can't force them to survive if they don't want to, and I wouldn't even consider something as horrible and illegal as engineering the alteration into a retrovirus and introducing it to the populace.

[Spire]

Where's the "use pheramone system to make them my personal slaves" option? That's why we need a Klingon version, to let me use my cunning stratagies in an evil way.

If I was a Fed officer I would just give them the offer, I shouldn't force it upon them. If they want to all die out let them, no harm to me. But if a small group wants to accept the cure, then it's revolution time! Give the rebels the cure, protect them from the others best I can, maybe even help them form a colony and adopt that into the Federation. Heck, they should be able to return home after all of the others die off. So we all win. Those who want to live get to live, those who want to die can die, and I can help some rebels and blow stuff up! Win,win, win.

[DocJohnny]

I'd call on my Xenopology and Culture Officer to learn more about their religion. Then, we would take on a prophetic role and convince them that it was God's or "the gods'" will for them to be "tweaked." Even if we only "converted" a few members of the population to our virtual "cult," it would probably be enough to begin the beneficent infection.

Since the conversion of a "few" would be voluntary and no coercion of the leaders would be required, I believe this would accomplish the purpose without overtly violating the Prime Directive.

Doc Johnny aka Ensign Pulverized

[Mookie]

Short answer: Let them die.

Long answer: The prime directive strictly prohibits actions taken against a race that might interfere with that race's development, even if it means that development will cease. The rights and beliefs of that race are tantamount considerations when dealing with a different species.

My suggestion is to do anything possible within the laws and beliefs of the race, and otherwise, leave them alone. The Federation stands for honesty, honor, and the right for a race of people to live, or die, as they wish on their own world.