10 No-Win Scenarios In Star Trek (And How They Were Resolved)

Scenario: Two crewmen have been fused together during a transporter accident, creating a new life form. There is a way to save them, but it means killing the man they have become.

Resolution: Captain Janeway has to make an emotional decision in this case. Tuvix carries the memories of both Tuvok and Neelix, which means he would be qualified to step into the role of Chief of Security, or head chef if needs be. Sending him back through the transporter will split him back into two people, ending his brief existence. The biggest issue is that he vehemently wants to live.

Janeway's oldest friend on Voyager is Tuvok, who in turn has a family at home in the Alpha Quadrant. Neelix, while still a new member of the crew, has Kes who cares for him deeply. Who then deserves the right to life?

One of Spock's most famous quotes comes into play: the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Janeway decides that Tuvok and Neelix must be returned, which means she sentences Tuvix to death. The Doctor refuses to participate in the procedure, so the responsibility falls on Janeway alone.

As she states in her recently released autobiography, the decision has haunted her from that day on.