10 Deleted Scenes That Explain Confusing Star Trek Moments
8. Star Trek (2009) - Kobayashi Maru Virus
The Mystery:
Just exactly how did Cadet Kirk reprogram the Kobayashi Maru simulation?
The Deleted Scene:
In Star Trek (2009) as it was released in theaters, Rachel Nichols' Orion Cadet Gaila is just a pretty girl Kirk has seduced to show what a bad boy he is. However the filmmakers intended this flirtation to connect to the subsequent Kobayashi Maru scene with deleted material showing that Kirk was actually using Gaila to reprogram the simulation.
During the make out sesh, Kirk tells Gaila he's written her a love letter which she has to open the next day precisely at 3 o'clock. Later, Gaila goes to her console in the Kobayashi Maru simulator control room and opens Kirk's note only to have the email trigger a computer virus that affects the simulation and allows Kirk to beat the so-called no-win scenario.
Not only does this explain exactly how Kirk cheated, it also explains why Gaila's in the background during the court martial scene, staring daggers at Kirk.
The storyline is continued in additional deleted footage in which Kirk apologizes to an Orion crew member aboard the Enterprise that he mistakenly believes is Gaila. Which is actually just kind of icky and definitely better it didn't make it into the film, even if the other Gaila scenes might've been useful.