Who Should Be the Next Captain of the Enterprise?

Does someone whose one true ambition is to be Human really count?

I'm starting to think we need another of those "list all the non-human captains" threads.

 

For that matter, Data is the "offspring" of two humans, Noonien and Julianna Soong. So maybe he should be defined as legally human regardless of his construction. Or maybe a better term would be posthuman.

 

Having either Sisko or a new character in command of the Big-E would get me interested in reading stories in that era again.

 

Well, if we're going by character popularity, Data is probably the only character who isn't Picard that'd still get good draw.

 

Okay, just hear me out... try this on for size:

Captain T'Ryssa Chen.





On second thought, even I don't think that's a good idea...

 

Good point. Although personally I'm hoping Data 2.0 never returns to/joins (?) Starfleet.

 

They gave Calhoun a ship! Chen isn't too far removed

 

Were I a Federation judge, I wouldn't classify him as legally Human; I don't think Federation law should have any such status as "legally this species" or "legally that species." It makes more sense, I think, for Data to be legally considered a United Earth citizen (as Omicron Theta was a U.E. colony) and a Federation citizen, and to be considered their legal son.

 

Maybe Worf, but I'd rather see La Forge.

But I agree, I don't think we'll see a successor for captain of the Enterprise-E. She'll be lost with all hands or decommissioned when Picard retires.

Now, the -F? That's an interesting question...

 

Good point. "Legally" was a poor choice of words. Still, it never occurred to me before to think of Data as essentially a posthuman intelligence, but it fits. The term is often used in SF and futurism to refer to AIs that are downloaded or simulated human minds or that were created by humans as our successors/replacements (as distinct from transhumans, which I think of as referring to genetically or cybernetically augmented humans, though the terms are often used in overlapping ways). Data was designed in his creator's physical image, and Soong's purpose was presumably to make an android that replicated humanity as perfectly as possible (judging from how deep Data's desire to be human is). And he was originally conceived as having the memories of the Omicron Theta colonists within him, though that was later retconned to just their journals and personal files.

 

From a historical footnote perspective I'd like Data, but I don't think data as captain would make for a good read given how immensely talented he is
From an entertainment perspective Calhoun would be the best
From a sales perspective Picard'll be riding that chair forever

And the only Decker I'd support as captain is Matt Decker of deadmen fame

 

Picard or nothing would be my first choice. If I had a gun to my head I would say Riker as an Admiral with the E as his flagship. Maybe give Vale the Titan.

 

To be clear, I wasn't talking about the E-E specifically. To me, the Enterprise is the Enterprise. The letters represent different incarnations of the same ship. The name and history of the Enterprise are indistinguishable from the vessel itself.

--Sran

 

I vote against Worf. The Enterprise is the flagship of the Federation and really should not be given as a first command. Remember that Picard already had a long career when he took command. Only reason to have him is the popularity of the character and history with the ship.

More believable choices with established command histories and reasonably high marquee value: Sisko & Riker.

 

If it is Riker, that could be an aspect of the AGT future coming to pass (even if it is a different Enterprise).

 

Kira Nerys.

 

Yeah, but...wasn't the Enterprise Kirk's first command (whatever timeline you're in)?

 

There's no evidence of that. In "Where No Man Has Gone Before," Dehner said that Kirk requested Mitchell on his first command, rather than "on this ship," implying that he'd had a previous command. And his bio in The Making of Star Trek said his first command had been a destroyer-equivalent vessel.

 

I've never got the impression from that line that she was talking about anything other than the Enterprise. Kirk's chronology on StarTrek.com says he was promoted to captain and received command of the Enterprise in the same year, so it would have had to be a pretty short command if it wasn't the Enterprise.

 

If it was a destroyer he probably could have captained it as a commander.