I really loved the idea of Archer being there to see the launch of Enterprise NCC-1701. It's a nice homagé to Bones in TNG "Farpoint". Enterprise really ought to have ended on that note, even if it meant Scott Bakula would have had to spend 5 hours in make-up to play a 146 year old. The possibility occurs to me that the "Prized Beagle" incident occurred as far back as 2245, just after Montgomery Scott graduated from the academy. Archer lives long enough to banish the Federation's finest transporter specialist to some random world in the starcharts... and then *ahem* accidentally mislabels it Delta Vega! Makes me happy to imagine all those unlikely coincidences happening at once anyhow...
You mean Alternate Archer's last memory is of Vulcan imploding? Ouch. Also: Mike Sussman respoded to one of my threads!
If Kirk had to die on some misbegotten planet in the middle of nowhere, then, no, Archer does not get to remain young while the universe moves on!
Oh, no cover needed. I think you're crazy, but I'll excuse it. Just to be clear, though, I have nothing against Archer. I wasn't too fond of him during the first two seasons of Enterprise, but I did warm to him a lot during seasons three and four. But Kirk was my first captain. As for the poll, I went with Admiral. I could see Archer as an Ambassador, particularly if it was to Andor or Vulcan, but I don't think he'd have the patience to make it in politics enough to tolerate being Federation President.
Ah hell, I'd probably vote for him, too, since I'm one of the few who actually seem to like him as Captain, then regret it for the next 4 years.
Kirk got to remain young while the universe moved on for 80 years, and then died on some misbegotten planet in the middle of nowhere. 24th century human life expectancy is less than 132. Picard is 66 in Generations and comments "recently I've become aware that there are fewer days ahead than there are behind."
Of the five series Captains in Star trek, Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway and Archer, Archer possessed the least training for his position, had the least career preparation prior to assuming his command. It showed.