Nyota Uhura
Da Memory Alpha.
- Per la controparte della nuova timeline, vedi Nyota Uhura (realtà alternativa).
- Per la controparte dell'universo dello specchio , vedi Nyota Uhura (specchio).
 | |
| Genere: | Femmina |
| Specie: | Umana |
| Stato: | Attiva (2293) |
| Nascita: | 2239 |
| Interprete(i): | Nichelle Nichols |
 | |
Nyota Uhura era l'ufficiale capo delle comunicazioni a bordo della nave stellare Enterprise sotto il comando di James T. Kirk per circa quaranta anni, dopo dei quali proseguì la sua carriera insegnando all'Accademia della Flotta Stellare.
Indice |
[modifica] Gioventù
Uhura, il cui nome significa "libertà", nacque sulla Terra nel 2239, ed era in grado di parlare correntemente la lingua Swahili. (TOS: "La bellezza è verità?", "Trappola umana", "La sfida", "Lo spettro di una pistola")
Nella sua gioventù, era solita correre nei 100 metri piani in un tempo da record. (TAS: "L'arma degli Slavers")
[modifica] Carriera nella Flotta Stellare
[modifica] La missione quinquennale
Nel 2266, Uhura iniziò la sua carriera nella Flotta Stellare come ufficiale alle comunicazioni a bordo della USS Enterprise con il grado di tenente. (TOS: "L'espediente della carbonite") Negli anni che seguirono la storica missione quinquennale di quel vascello, lei dimostrò di essere un tecnico esperto e venne presa in considerazione dal capitano Kirk per diventare un capace e affidabile ufficiale di plancia, reggendo la postazione del timone se si fosse reso necessario. (TOS: "La navicella invisibile")
In data stellare 1704.2, sotto l'influenza di una intossicazione, il tenente Hikaru Sulu, farneticante nella parte di un moschettiere, prese Uhura sotto la sua "protezione" prima che il primo ufficiale Spock lo rese inoffensivo con la presa vulcaniana. (TOS: "Al di là del tempo")
A seguito del blackout della comunicazioni provocato da Apollo, che disturbava tutte le frequenze di comunicazione fra l' Enterprise e la sua squadra di sbarco in data stellare 3468.1, Uhura affrontò il delicato compito di ricablare l'intero sistema delle comunicazioni nel tentativo di rimediare all'interferenza. Aiutata dalla perizia di Sulu, che deviò tutta la potenza ai circuiti di trasmissione, Uhura si collegò con successo tramite il circuito supplementare, una procedura che non eseguiva da diversi anni. Spock elogiò il suo operato pensando che "nessuno era meglio qualificato di lei" per gestire quelle modifiche risolutive. (TOS: "Dominati da Apollo")
In data stellare 4523.3, mentre era in licenza a bordo di Deep Space Station K-7, Uhura incontrò un commerciante, tale Cyrano Jones, che cercò di venderle dei rari oggetti galattici, fra i quali vi erano alcune piccole e simpatiche creature che Jones chiamava triboli. Sperando in maggiori profitti, Jones ne regalò uno ad Uhura, che successivamente, a causa del loro alto tasso riproduttivo, minacciarono di invadere l' Enterprise quando Uhura portò la creatura con sé a bordo. Fortunatamente, l'equipaggio riuscì a trovare un modo per "smaltire" i numerosi triboli che nel frattempo si erano moltiplicati esponenzialmente. (TOS: "Animaletti pericolosi")
In data stellare 4372.5, l' Enterprise fu assegnata al trasporto di Elena, Dohlman di Elas diretta al pianeta Troyius per il suo matrimonio pre-combinato. Uhura offrì a Elena i suoi alloggi per la sua permanenza durante il viaggio a bordo dell' Enterprise. (TOS: "Elena di Troia").
In data stellare 5483.7, l'equipaggio maschile dell' Enterprise venne inabilitato dal "canto della sirena" della popolazione femminile di Taurus II, costringendo Uhura ad assumere il comando della nave. Insieme all'infermiera Chapel guidò una squadra di sbarco nel salvataggio del capitano Kirk, del primo ufficiale Spock e del dottor McCoy. (TAS: "Il segnale di Lorelei")
Successivamente quello stesso anno, in data stellare 2291.2, l' Enterprise visitò nuovamente il pianeta dei divertimenti dove Uhura venne rapita dal computer del pianeta, che si era impossessato del pianeta dopo la morte di The Keeper. Uhura tentò di far ragionare il computer, dimostrando il suo opportunismo e convincendolo a cessare le sue azioni ostili contro l'equipaggio dell' Enterprise. (TAS: "C'era una volta su un pianeta")
Nel 2270, Uhura fu nuovamente investita dal comando della plancia, per un breve periodo, quando l' Enterprise perse il contatto con Kirk e Spock, metà della squadra di ricognizione della nave, mentre stavano esplorando la superficie di Delta Theta III. Per l'ordine di Kirk di evitare rischi non necessari, Uhura ordinò all'ingegnere Montgomery Scott e a Sulu, l'altra metà della squadra, di risalire a bordo, contrastando il loro tentativo di localizzare Spock e il capitano. (TAS: "Il comandante Bem")
In seguito quell'anno, Uhura, insieme al dottor McCoy ed al tenente Sulu, furono intrappolati nella sala olografica ricreativa della nave, quando il computer dell' Enterprise mostrò un comportamento aberrato dopo il passaggio attraverso una nube di energia. (TAS: "Il computer si diverte") In data stellare 5275.6, Uhura collassò sul ponte a causa degli effetti della piaga dell'aurora di Dramian. Fortunatamente, il dottor McCoy fu in grado di trovare una cura per salvare lei ed il resto dell'equipaggio colpito. (TAS: "L'aurora che uccide")
In data stellare 6770.3, dopo il passaggio in un universo di anti-materia, l'equipaggio dell' Enterprise subì gli effetti di un ringiovanimento accelerato e anche Uhura fu ridotta ad infante. Dopo che la nave ritornò nello spazio normale, l'equipaggio ritornò alla normalità utilizzando il teletrasporto. (TAS: "Universi paralleli")
[modifica] Assalti, ferite e affetti
Come molti dei suoi compagni dell'equipaggio dell' Enterprise, Uhura rimase esposta a diversi pericoli in numerose missioni. Tuttavia, la maggior parte di questi pericoli sono occorsi durante la missione quinquennale originale.
Dopo che Khan si impossessò dell' Enterprise in data stellare 3141.9 e riunì un buon numero di ufficiali nella sala riunioni, uno dei seguaci di Khan afferrò con forza Uhura per il braccio e la scaraventò su una sedia situata di fronte al terminale di un computer. Quando Uhura si rifiutò di eseguire gli ordini di Khan, il suo scagnozzo non esitò a darle uno schiaffo in faccia. (TOS: "Spazio profondo")
In data stellare 3211.8, Uhura fu vittima di un tentativo di violenza sessuale. Quando lei, Kirk e Chekov vennero rapiti e fatti prigionieri dai Protettori del pianeta Triskelion, Uhura si oppose fermamente contro gli approcci pretesi dallo schiavo Lars con una brocca d'acqua. (TOS: "La posta in gioco")
Forse la sua esperienza più traumatica durante il suo servizio a bordo dell' Enterprise accadde in data stellare 3541.9, quando Uhura subì la cancellazione della memoria dalla sonda spaziale Nomad, che fraintese le parole della canzone Beyond Antares da lei cantata, come un malfunzionamento biologico. Questo attacco costrinse il dottor McCoy ad usare tecniche mediche ed educative avanzate per recuperare i suoi ricordi. (TOS: "La sfida")
Nel 2270, Uhura contrasse la piaga dell'aurora di Dramia II, ma venne salvata quando il dottor McCoy riuscì a trovare una cura. (TAS: "L'aurora che uccide")
Translation in progress - Traduzione in corso
[modifica] Riconoscimenti durante la missione quinquennale
Uhura received a pair of noteworthy recognitions which occurred during the original five-year mission.
She was one of a few officers privileged to dine at a banquet arranged at the request of Lieutenant Marla McGivers for Khan on stardate 3141.9. When Khan later cut life support to the bridge, Kirk listed the names of bridge personnel to be recorded for commendations. Before Kirk ran out of air, he was able to include Uhura in that list. (TOS: "Space Seed")
When the Enterprise was temporarily placed under the control of the M-5 computer as part of an experiment by Doctor Richard Daystrom on stardate 4729.4, Uhura was one of twenty officers selected by the computer to operate the starship for the war games exercise. (TOS: "The Ultimate Computer")
[modifica] Later career
In the 2270s, Uhura was promoted to the rank of lieutenant commander aboard the Enterprise. She served aboard the refit Enterprise under the command of Captain Willard Decker, and later during the V'Ger crisis, under the command of Admiral Kirk. (Star Trek: Il film)
In 2284, Uhura was promoted to Commander, and assigned to Starfleet Command communications and to Starfleet Academy while the Enterprise was reassigned to cadet training. Part of her duty included giving lectures at the Academy. That same year, the Enterprise became involved with Project Genesis and Khan Noonien Singh's attempt to steal the Genesis Device. Eventually, Kirk was able to stop Khan, but not before the latter had wrought extensive damage upon the Enterprise, requiring Captain Spock to sacrifice his life to save the ship. (Star Trek II: L'ira di Khan)
In 2285, Uhura was assigned to the transporter room at Old City Station per her own request. During the planned rescue attempt of Spock from the Genesis Planet, Uhura played an instrumental role of illegally transporting Admiral Kirk and company to the Enterprise prior to its theft. (Star Trek III: Alla ricerca di Spock)
- In the scene featuring Uhura's posting at Old City Station, Uhura is seen wearing a black skirt with her uniform rather than the otherwise standard black slacks worn by other female personnel. This costume design was made at the request of Nichelle Nichols, and honored by costume designer Robert Fletcher especially for that one scene.
Kirk and his senior staff succeeded in saving Spock, and Uhura met up with her crewmates on Vulcan. Along with the rest of the crew she traveled back to the year 1986 aboard a Klingon Bird-of-Prey – which they named the HMS Bounty – to retrieve two humpback whales to save the planet Earth from an alien probe. While in 20th century San Francisco, Uhura and Pavel Chekov transported aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise to acquire high-energy photons from its reactor core. Upon their return to the 23rd century, she was among the crew charged with the theft of the Enterprise. However, all charges against them were dropped because they had saved the planet. She was reassigned to communications aboard the USS Enterprise-A. (Star Trek IV: Rotta verso la Terra)
In 2287, the Enterprise was dispatched to resolve a hostage situation on Nimbus III, the Planet of Galactic Peace. Under the influence of the rebel leader Sybok, Uhura and many other crewmembers cooperated to divert the Enterprise to the galactic core where Sybok convinced them they would find the mythical Sha Ka Ree. In an initial attack on the rebel-held Paradise City, Uhura played a vital part by performing an erotic, moonlit fandance on a sand dune to a look out party of rebels. Her dance seduced the entire party and they were captured by Kirk and his team in order to steal their horses which they used to enter Paradise City.
Up to the Camp Khitomer crisis of 2293, Uhura continued to serve as communications officer of the Enterprise-A. The Enterprise crew played a vital role in the success of the Khitomer Conference by exposing a conspiracy that sought to sabotage the peace process. By the end of the year, Uhura had left the Enterprise and taken a position at Starfleet Academy. (Star Trek VI: Rotta verso l'ignoto)
[modifica] Personal life
[modifica] Interests
Uhura was a Starfleet officer who was proud of her African heritage. In fact, she decorated her personal living quarters aboard the Enterprise with a zebra-skin bedspread, some African sculptures and masks, and wall panels containing African images. (TOS: "Elaan of Troyius", "The Tholian Web")
She was also well known among her fellow Enterprise colleagues for entertaining them with her singing talent, including her own renditions of songs, such as "Oh, On the Starship Enterprise". (TOS: "Charlie X")
- Listen to Uhura sing "Oh, On the Starship Enterprise"info file and "Oh, Charlie's Our New Darling".info file
- In the original screenplay of "Charlie X" Uhura was a talented mimic, who amused her colleagues with miming fellow officers. This was altered to suit Nichelle Nichols' singing abilities.
One of Uhura's favorite love songs to sing was the song "Beyond Antares". She chose the song in response to a request made by Kevin Riley, who was on duty alone in the engineering room, who wanted to be reassured that he was not the only living thing left in the universe. (TOS: "The Conscience of the King") She also sang it while on bridge duty the following year. Her performance lead to the incident that triggering Nomad's assault on her. (TOS: "The Changeling")
- Listen to Uhura sing "Beyond Antares".info file
She also hummed a tune while she relaxed planet side during the Enterprise' second visit to the Shore Leave Planet. (TAS: "Once Upon a Planet")
- Listen to Uhura hum her tune.info file
[modifica] Relationships
Throughout their years of serving together, Uhura developed a strong friendship with the other members of the Enterprise senior staff. In 2285, she helped Kirk without hesitation in his quest to find peace for Spock's katra. When the other crew members had recovered Spock's body from the Genesis Planet, Uhura had been waiting for them on Vulcan and witnessed the fal-tor-pan ritual being performed on Spock. (Star Trek III: Alla ricerca di Spock)
[modifica] James T. Kirk
Serving under Kirk for many years, Uhura developed a great respect for him, both as a starship captain and a person. On stardate 5784.2, under the influence of powerful telepaths, Uhura was forced to kiss him. (TOS: "Plato's Stepchildren")
- The kiss between Kirk and Uhura became famous, as it was the first kiss between an African-American and a Caucasian portraying fictional characters on American "episodic" television. The scene was seen as groundbreaking, even though the kiss was portrayed as having been forced by alien mind control.
[modifica] Spock
Near the beginning of her service aboard the Enterprise, Uhura attempted to reach the human side of Spock.
On stardate 1513.1, she tried to start a conversation with a sardonic Spock and asked him how Vulcan looked when its moon was full. When Spock mentioned to her that Vulcan has no moon, she expressed little surprise at his lack of romanticism. She was also amazed that Spock lacked any curiosity with regards to the identity of a dead officer on planet M-113. (TOS: "The Man Trap")
Soon afterward, when Charles Evans was aboard the Enterprise, Uhura and Spock entertained the crew together in the recreation room on stardate 1533.6. With Spock on the Vulcan harp, Uhura sang two versions of the improvised song "Oh, On the Starship Enterprise", one about Spock, the second about Evans (which caused Evans to make her temporarily lose her voice). (TOS: "Charlie X")
- In a deleted scene from "Elaan of Troyius", Uhura suggested to Captain Kirk that "music hath charms to soothe the savage beast", and thus they entered to find Spock playing the Vulcan lyre. Uhura was deeply impressed with Spock's musical abilities, and asked if he could teach her how to play the lyre. Spock approved, yet wondered whether a non-Vulcan could ever master the skill.
- In a 2008 interview, Nichelle Nichols said "I created a relationship between Uhura and Spock as being her mentor and the person she looked up to. Uhura was the only one who could play the Vulcan lyre and the only one who had the audacity to sing a song teasing Spock." [1]
[modifica] Montgomery Scott
In 2287, Uhura began to show some romantic interest in Montgomery Scott, but their relationship was never pursued. Under the influence of Sybok, however, Uhura became more persuasive. Scotty, nevertheless, politely declined the advance, mindful of her "condition". (Star Trek V: L'ultima frontiera)
Scotty helped Uhura and Chekov look up Klingon phrases in antique books in 2293, while trying to cross the border into Klingon space to rescue their jailed colleagues. (Star Trek VI: Rotta verso l'ignoto)
| Ufficiali alle comunicazioni delle navi stellari Enterprise | |
|---|---|
| Enterprise (NX-01): | Sato |
| USS Enterprise (NCC-1701): | Garrison • Uhura • Farrell • Palmer • Martine • M'Ress |
| USS Enterprise-A: | Uhura |
| USS Enterprise-D: | Pendleton |
| ISS Enterprise (NX-01): | Sato |
| ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701): | Uhura |
| USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) realtà alternativa: | Hawkins • Uhura |
[modifica] Appendices
[modifica] Appearances
- See also: Main character non-appearances
[modifica] Background
Uhura was played by Nichelle Nichols, who appeared in approximately sixty-five episodes. Nichols also provided the voice of Uhura (in addition to a few guest character voices) for The Animated Series, and appeared in all but three of its episodes.
Thirty years later, she would appear in the archived footage of "The Trouble with Tribbles" and "Mirror, Mirror" that was used in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Trials and Tribble-ations".
Uhura was slated to make a cameo in "Flashback", but was cut from the episode after demanding more lines for her role. (Star Trek: Communicator: "The Making of 'Flashback'") There were also rumors that she would appear on Star Trek: The Next Generation as either Guinan's mother or daughter, but this never came to pass. [2][3]
[modifica] Name and heritage
According to an anecdote told by Nichelle Nichols at Shore Leave 29, she and Gene Roddenberry decided on the name "Uhura" because, before Nichols' audition, she and several others involved in casting had been reading the 1962 novel Uhuru by American author Robert Ruark.
"Uhuru" is the Swahili word for "freedom." Spock, after making a Vulcan mind meld with Kollos, says that Uhura's name means "freedom" and recites a line of poetry about beauty from Lord Byron. In Star Trek VI, her name was spelled "Uhuru" in the credits.
The character's given name was never established in the series or the movies. By the early 1970s, it was suggested that her first name may have been "Penda", meaning "love". Later, the name "Nyota" ("star" in Swahili) became more commonly used, first by William Rotsler in his book Star Trek II Biographies.
Nichols has said that an author writing about the history of Star Trek had asked Gene Roddenberry what Uhura's first name was and was told that one was never decided. The author then recommended the name "Nyota." Roddenberry liked it, but said to ask Nichols before he allowed the name to be used. Nichols thought the name was perfect. (TOS Season 2 DVD commentary) Alternatively on the video "William Shatner's Star Trek Memories," Nichols also said that she and Gene Roddenberry came up with the name in initial discussions about the character just after her casting.
In the Star Trek RPG published by FASA in the 1980s, the full name given for Uhura was "Samara Uhura," although, like the rest of this game, its source material was stricken from canonical status after the debut of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Paramount Pictures revised canon policies. This possible name appears to not have been accepted outside the original source. Ironically, in the The RPG adaptation, there were several Decker-class starships named for the Enterprise crew, including the USS Samara Uhura.
Although never mentioned on screen, various guides, such as the Star Trek Concordance, the Star Trek Chronology and the official website mention M'Umbha as being the mother of Uhura. This may lead one to believe that the reference to M'Umbha was in the original script for "The Man Trap" or in the TOS writer's guide. According to the Concordance the line referencing M'Umbha in "The Man Trap" was spoken in the past tense, indicating that she was deceased by 2266.
Uhura's date and location of birth were also never established on screen. Her date of birth was instead derived from the Star Trek Chronology and the Star Trek Encyclopedia. In the meantime, the original Star Trek writer's guide and the Star Trek Concordance establish that she was born in the United States of Africa. Her familiarity with the Swahili language implies—but does not require—an East African origin or heritage. In the novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, she is described as having a "fine-boned Bantu face" (Page 49), and in the novelization of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home Pavel Chekov said Uhura was from the Bantu Nation. James Blish refers to Uhura as "a beautiful Bantu girl" in his adaptations of original Star Trek episodes.
The 1977 Writers'/Directors' Guide for Star Trek II – the aborted second series – Uhura was noted as having been born in the "African Confederacy". The full character description, written by Gene Roddenberry and Jon Povill, is as follows:
Rank of Lieutenant Commander, Communications Officer, played by attractive young actress Nichelle Nichols. Uhura was born in the African Confederacy. Quick and intelligent, she is a highly efficient officer. Her understanding of the ship's computer systems is second only to the Vulcan Science Officer, and expert in all ships systems relating to communications. Uhura is also a warm, highly female female off duty. She is a favorite in the Recreation Room during off duty hours, too, because she sings – old ballads as well as the newer space ballads – and she can do impersonations at the drop of a communicator.
[modifica] Legacy
Nichelle Nichols has stated on many occasions during the years, including on the video William Shatner's Star Trek Memories that during the first year of the series, she was tempted to leave the show as she felt her role lacked significance, but a conversation with Martin Luther King, Jr. changed her mind. King personally encouraged her to stay on the show, telling her that he was a big fan of the series and told her she "could not give up" as she was playing a vital role model for young black children and women across the country. After the first season, Uhura's role on the series was expanded beyond merely manning her console.
Former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison has cited Nichols' role of Uhura as her inspiration for wanting to become an astronaut.[4]
Whoopi Goldberg has also spoken of Nichols' influence. It was seeing Nichols play a prominent role on network television that allowed her to see that African American women could contribute more than just as domestic servants. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion) She is often fond of recalling that when she saw Uhura on-screen for the first time she ran out of the room telling everyone in her house, "I just saw a black woman on television; and she ain't no maid!" (Star Trek Monthly issue 56)
[modifica] Apocrypha
Uhura is depicted in the non-canonical novels The Art of the Impossible, Catalyst of Sorrows, and Vulcan's Soul, Book I: Exodus as later going on to achieve the rank of admiral and become the head of Starfleet Intelligence in the 24th century, serving into 2377.
[modifica] Sources
- Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens; Star Trek: Phase II - The Making of the Lost Series; Pocket Books, ISBN 0-671-56839-6 (softcover, 1997).
- Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens; Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Continuing Mission; Pocket Books, ISBN 0671025597 (softcover 1998).
