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5 Signs You're Like (Kelvin) Scotty

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James Doohan's tenure as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott shall forever remain unrivaled, as no one could ever replace the beloved Canadian actor's charm. Facing the difficult challenge of reimagining the character, Simon Pegg expertly focused on blazing a unique path and injecting his own humor into the Kelvin Timeline's miracle worker. Over the course of three films, Pegg's respect for Doohan's role and dedication to his craft have gifted us with a fresh take on the iconic engineer. Let's see if you possess any traits that might match up with the personality Pegg bestowed upon Kelvin Scotty.


1. Have you experienced bad luck around water?

5 Signs You're Like (Kelvin) Scotty

Scotty just can't catch a break when it comes to aquatic adventures. Once Ambassador Spock provided the engineer with the equation for transwarp beaming developed by his prime reality counterpart in Star Trek (2009), the Scotsman and James T. Kirk employed the data to transport themselves onto the U.S.S. Enterprise. Kirk arrived safely in the engineering section, but Scotty took a detour through water-filled pipes that almost deposited him into an unfortunately sharp-looking turbine. Saved by Kirk, Scott had to endure damp clothes during his first moments on the prized starship.

Scotty went on to express his displeasure with now-Captain Kirk's decision to hide the Enterprise underwater during the crew's mission to Nibiru in Star Trek Into Darkness. Rather than ask how Kirk and Doctor McCoy felt following a perilous cliff jump, the engineer's first words to his captain voiced his concern pertaining to salt water corrosion. A giant fish that swam passed the vessel's bridge did little to assuage Scott's grumpy mood. Interestingly enough, Doohan's Scotty suffered his own sodden ordeal in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, when he briefly became trapped in a Klingon Bird-of-Prey's flooded hold after the ship plummeted into San Francisco Bay.


2. Do you have the soul of a poet?

5 Signs You're Like (Kelvin) Scotty

Many accomplished poets hailed from Scotland, so Scott's knack for verbal wizardry should come as no surprise. Even after Ambassador Spock assured the engineer that transwarp beaming could be accomplished, Scotty remained skeptical. "The notion of transwarp beaming is like... trying to hit a bullet with a smaller bullet, whilst wearing a blindfold, riding a horse," the Scotsman emphatically explained. Only Montgomery Scott could describe a seemingly impossible task in such exquisite detail.

A similar situation arose when Kirk and Khan intended to cross a debris field and shoot through a tiny airlock as a means to infiltrate the U.S.S. Vengeance. Already behind enemy lines, Scotty examined the opening's dimensions and assessed the chances for a survivable entry. "It's gonna be like... jumping out of a moving car, off a bridge, into your shot glass," the engineer concluded. Kirk and Khan managed to navigate through the hole, but their rough landing on the Vengeance's deck demonstrated the truth behind Scott's apprehension.


3. Are you protective of your work space?

5 Signs You're Like (Kelvin) Scotty

From the moment Scotty first expressed his interest in the Enterprise on Delta Vega, the engineer's admiration for the starship never wavered. "I like this ship! You know, it's exciting," was Mr. Scott's reaction during his initial visit to the futuristic bridge. Scotty developed a protectiveness over the vessel, as demonstrated by his concern for its exposure to salt water on Nibiru and his willingness to quit rather than risk its destruction by approving Admiral Marcus's mysterious torpedoes in Star Trek Into Darkness. After stowing away on the Vengeance, the engineer became dismayed when he learned about the Enterprise's low power levels due to the damage it sustained in his absence.

All good things must come to an end, and Krall's fleet brought the relationship between Scotty and the Enterprise to a tragic conclusion. However, despite significant damage and insurmountable odds, Scott did all he could to keep the starship alive during the Battle of Altamid. While ultimately unsuccessful, Scotty's effort demonstrated his tireless devotion to protecting the vessel that he had learned to call home.


4. Do you have a compassionate spirit?

5 Signs You're Like (Kelvin) Scotty

The Enterprise received Scott's unconditional devotion, but the engineer held more than enough compassion for others in his heart. As Scotty spoke to Kirk and Ambassador Spock about his attempt to beam Admiral Archer's beagle from one planet to another, he mentioned the remorse he felt over the fact that the canine had yet to reappear. During the battle between the Enterprise and the Vengeance, Scotty even offered his apologies to a private security officer before sending him flying through an airlock.

The friendship Scott fostered with Jaylah on Altamid epitomized the Starfleet officer's kind spirit. With no family or friends, Jaylah survived alone by relying upon her intelligence and fighting skills. Scotty recognized the solitude that the young woman experienced, convincing her that he and the other Enterprise crew members would never abandon her. The engineer even presented Jaylah with the option to join Starfleet and become an official member of their spacefaring family.


5. Have you always stuck by your best friend?

5 Signs You're Like (Kelvin) Scotty

First introduced to audiences on Delta Vega, Scott's pal Keenser has stuck with the engineer through thick and thin. Upon Nero's defeat, the Scotsman brought Keenser to join the Enterprise crew. When Scotty resigned his position as chief engineer due to a disagreement with Kirk over Admiral Marcus's torpedoes, Keenser followed his trusted friend and also left the ship.

Back aboard for the showdown at Altamid, Scott and Keenser became separated during Krall's attack. During the crew's reunion on the U.S.S. Franklin, the pair almost hugged out of pure joy when they saw each other. While the future remains to be seen, I imagine Keenser will be by Scotty's side in engineering on the U.S.S. Enterprise-A.

 

Jay Stobie is a freelance science fiction writer who contributes articles to the official Star Trek website and Star Trek Magazine. He can be found on Twitter at @CaptStobie and Instagram @JayStobie.

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