When someone responds:
“Riker to Worf…”
2.5 seconds
“Go ahead.”
When no one responds:
“Riker to Worf…”
0.5 seconds
“Worf, respond!”
0.2 seconds
Riker nods to a security officer who bolts for the turbolift
this post was submitted on 07 Mar 2026
155 points (98.7% liked)
TenForward: Where Every Vulcan Knows Your Name
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I always wondered how communicators worked, because everyone always answers too fast.
When Riker says "Riker to Worf" who is he talking to? To the computer so it can stablish the connection? If the computer then repeats the "Riker to Worf" to Worf then should be some more delay before the answer. But there's no delay, that implies that Riker is broadcasting his request and only Worf answers. Does that mean that they use comms sparingly? Or everyone is constantly hearing these calls ship wide?
It's possible the comms system has preferential ties to the command crew. Maybe crewmen can just set favorites so the system is always half-ready to connect. Like an ensign will always have a passive comm line to their CO and various members of their shift etc. We never see a random crewman get a communication from outside of their inner circle or vastly outside of the chain of command in those moments.
So it could make theoretical sense that there is a smaller always on list of 'fast-dial' contacts. Or that comms on all badges for on duty officers are always listening but muted unless the full connecting phrase is states.
That's not to say the whole ship is listening to everyone else, but if you combine the two concepts it makes sense. You're essentially on one big voice with all relevant members of your team and the ship's computer acts like an Alexa or Google device and just unmutes the two relevant parties when the command is given.
I think “in universe” it is tied to the same system used by the universal translator, that supposedly read brain wave patterns to enable real time communication (it would impossible otherwise to translate sentences using a different word order until the entire sentence is complete).
"Wait, who is manning security now?!"
And, "Are you really the closest security officer to his quarters?"
The 18-year-old blue shirt that was on the Science II station.
The timing of the replacement is always interesting, especially when it's Data. I swear the replacement is already in motion when they discuss Data leaving his post.
Your response reminds me, though. Who is the science Ensign in Best of Both Worlds? She's in both episodes, and only those two, I think. She's not on the list of characters on Memory Alpha, as far as I can tell. Long blonde hair. At one point she checks on Riker after he is knocked to the floor. She's in the background of this picture, for example.
This is a guess, but maybe she was one of those walk-on part contest winners. And maybe she didn’t want her name publicized.
The science II station is better off without his meddling. Federation ships have to be the most frustrated AIs in the galaxy. They built them super smart, able to program living beings out of micro force-fields in their holodecks and yet these guys insist on keeping around a dozen touch screen buttons to push, chips to re-arrange and try to manually do calculations...
As it fucking SHOULD BE!
Peak Federation starship efficiency, one blind engineer and an infinite supply of holographic Datas.
This is Starfleet at 99.9% power.
"Captain, we've been left on read."
"Arm quantum torpedoes."
Standard procedure.
That’s a totally understandable and appropriate response.
I mean, how dare they?
Doorbell ring to quarters...
Wait 0.5 seconds...
Doorbell ring to quarters
Can't have one bloody moment to myself.
Better, the time the door keeps ringing and no one is there.
“COME!”
That's standard Hollywood time, because anything closer to real life would be boring.
Absolutely. It's just one of those ongoing tropes even more frequently used than the "only ship in the sector" nonsense.
The fact that every ship from every species in the galaxy can even recognize a hail is a miracle.
I can’t even get my friends to use the same messaging app.
I've always thought about that. There must be some quirk of how subspace comms work that makes it obvious when someone is aiming a message at you.
The real thing that gets me is how do view screens work? That would seem to require a shared format to encode/decode.
How about the universal translator just working with never been seen species? Or how communicators are simply magic? https://youtu.be/ChaZ2RWvBWI
Right, but it takes longer than the usual delay to speak the words "the aliens want to talk. Ok, put them on."
*ring* --instantly hang up
They didn't answer 😓
Maybe they’re just waiting for an ACK not a full response. Something automated maybe.