AsStar Trek’s most famous Chief Engineers, Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) and Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) both loved their respective USS Enterprises, but La Forge got the chance to do something Scotty never did. OnStar Trek: The Original Series,Scotty earned a reputation as a"miracle worker"for his ability to keep the USS Enterprise up and running evenwhen the odds were stacked against him. Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the Enterprise’s crew relied on Scotty not only to repair the starship, but also to find creative solutions to any engineering-related problems that arose.
As theChief Engineer on the USS Enterpriseof Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart),Star Trek: The Next Generation’sLt. Commander Geordi La Forge took after Scotty. Geordi was a dedicated engineer, who would work tirelessly on any engineering problems until he found a solution. Like Scotty,Geordi had a particular fondness for his Enterprise,and he came to know the ship’s engines so well that he was able to make unique modifications to them. Both engineers dedicated much of their lives to tending to their respective ships, but Geordi got to rebuild and restore his beloved Enterprise-D, an opportunity Scotty never had.
Star Trek: Every Version Of The Starship Enterprise
The Federation flagship, the USS Enterprise, has a long, fabled history, and each version of the classic Star Trek spacecraft has its own unique look.
Geordi Rebuilding USS Enterprise-D Is Something Scotty Wishes He Could’ve Done
Geordi spent twenty years rebuilding the Enterprise-D after its crash-landing in Star Trek Generations.
The USS Enterprise-D made a spectacularreturn inStar Trek: Picardseason 3, as theStar Trek: The Next Generationcrew reunited on their iconic ship. When Admiral Picard reached out to his former Chief Engineer for help, Geordi was reluctant to get involved in Picard’s potentially dangerous scheme. After some persuasion from his daughters, however, Geordi agreed to help. Much to the surprise and delight of his former crew members,La Forge revealed that he had spent the last twenty years painstakingly rebuilding the Enterprise-Dfollowing its destructive crash landing inStar Trek Generations.
Geordi’s decision turned out to be incredible foresight on his part, as the Enterprise-D proved vital to Picard’s plan to save the galaxy from a Borg/Changeling attack.
Very few people would have taken the time out of their already busy schedules to spend years rebuilding a ship that had become largely obsolete. But if Scotty had been given the chance to rebuild the original USS Enterprise NCC-1701, he absolutely would have. Unfortunately,Captain Kirk’s Starship Enterprise was completely destroyedwhen Kirk was forced to set it to self-destruct to thwart the Klingons inStar Trek III: The Search for Spock. After its self-destruction, what remained of the Enterprise fell from orbit, descending through the atmosphere of the Genesis planet, which soon exploded, leaving no trace of Scotty’s beloved ship.
Why Geordi & Scotty Love Their Versions Of The USS Enterprise
The USS Enterprise has always been the pride of the Federation.
Throughout their careers on the USS Enterprise, both Scotty and Geordi poured their blood, sweat, and tears into their ships. They learned the various quirks and other qualities unique to their versions of the Enterprise, developing a sort of language only they understood. Among Federation starships, the Enterprise was the best of the best, andScotty and Geordi both took great pride in their work.Scotty in particular would even grow heated when someone insulted his Enterprise, which once led to a brawl with some Klingons inStar Trek: The Original Seriesseason 2, episode 15, “The Trouble With Tribbles.”
The Enterprise itself became a character who came to be loved by two ofStar Trek’sgreatest engineers.
WhenScotty paid a visit to the USS Enterprise-DinStar Trek: The Next Generationseason 6, episode 4, “Relics,” he was overwhelmed by the technology of the 24th century, but he came to appreciate the ship, calling the Enterprise-D"a credit to her name.“Scotty acknowledged that the Enterprise-D was in good hands with Geordias an engineer, which was high praise coming from someone who loved his ship as much as Scotty. On bothStar Trek: The Original SeriesandStar Trek: The Next Generation,the Enterprise itself became a character who came to be loved by two ofStar Trek’sgreatest engineers.
