The panel on the right begins to slide LEFT, moving into a position just behind the left-side panel. (Granted, the right-side panel would have to move �back� a tad before sliding over to the left.)

At the same time, the left-side door panel is also moving to the left, so both doors would simultaneously move into the left-side wall and out of sight, ultimately stopping in a �back to back� position.

In this scenario, the right-side door panel will be moving to the left at a greater rate of speed than the door panel on the left.

See? Simple!

Prakesh: I noticed the TOS com panels on Amargosa!!

------------------
"The sons of the Prophet were valiant and bold,
And quite unacustomed to fear.
But, of all, the most reckless, or so I am told,
Was Abdulah Boul Boul Ameer."
Aban's Illustration www.alanfore.com

True, we have never seen a door operate this way in the Trek universe. But likewise, we have no evidence that doors �flex� or dematerialize inside bulkheads.

The set design is obviously a screw-up. Whether they did it deliberately (to see who would notice) or by pure accident, who knows? I look at it from the standpoint that we are now left to figure out how this door would actually work in the existing set. (Yeah, I know, I need a life!)

Not to sound conceded, but I believe that my solution is the best compromise. It works within the existing set design and it is as close to a �standard� sliding Trek door as one can get. Besides, I have seen one or two doors designed this way on a few Trek blueprints. (Thus, I can�t really take credit for coming up with this idea on my own.)

Regarding the turbolift doors: These doors likely function the same way that TMP cargo pod doors operate, as Mark Nguyen has previously pointed out. The turbo car would have to be in its �station,� and then the doors would slide out (straight, mind you) into the ship�s bulkhead. Though this may not be a very �practical� design, it would not necessarily be complicated to engineer.

Dan