Did they just abandond research on more Genesis torpedos?

You never see a Genesis device used after Khan. By TNG era, "terraforming" is a group of deeply weird scientists zapping sand with laser beams.

That seems like pretty handy technology to just walk away from. So what happened?

• was there a treaty between species to stop building that sort of thing?
• did the science die with David Marcus?
• was the device just a one off, the particular 'protomatter' mix being an impossible thing to duplicate

Or does 31 blast mostly lifeless worlds all the time with the things outside of view?

 

Likely a combination of David taking the secret to the grave, the research being wiped at Regula 1 or if they did recreate the research and found out the protomatter was the only answer they might have ditched it, and treaties in the wake of the blow back from the use of the one torpedo.

 

All actual research materials regarding Project Genesis was wiped from every Federation database, transferred to old-fashioned hardcopy, and locked away in a big wooden box in a secret warehouse that allegedly also houses other very dangerous items, including the Ark of the Covenant.

 

I'd imagine as big controversy it drawed (having the ability to wipe out entire planets in favor of its new matrix), I'd imagine a treaty and ban was put in place to ensure its WMD potential was never realized. As a matter of fact, the thing could possibly wipe out a solar system if deonated close enout to a star. (any space body for that matter).

 

Kivas Fajo runs the place.

 

^ Maybe not canon, but definitely a great series of novels.

 

You'd think a planet destroying weapon is something that would be useful during the Dominion War. Hard to believe Section 31 wouldn't pursue it if the knowledge was still there. Carol must have destroyed all her and David's research.

 

I always assumed it was a combination of the rest of the scientific community going "Protomatter? Ew" and David taking certain details with him when he died. Apparently his mother didn't even know he used protomatter in the matrix...

 

I've seen the place. Warehouse 13.

I thought he looked familiar.

 

General Order 24 seems to imply that the answer to that question is yes.

 

In the case of a total war (as opposed to a border skirmish) likely yes they would. And if the example of the genesis cave shows that it can be used on a limited area, and not solely on a planetary scale, then it's use would be even more likely.

How many of your own military personnel and civilian population are you willing to have killed and injured, just so you can proudly say you didn't kill your enemies in large numbers?

 

I would have liked to have seen it actually work well, being used to fix Ceti Alpha V, or if there were a crossover between universes, to turn the Death Star into Alderan as it was the moment it was destroyed. A nice Dr. Who "everyone lives" moment to wrap things up.

 

Because destroying a planet and killing it's entire population in a single stroke is far more villainous than creating a virus that makes an entire race die a slow, painful and gruesome death.

 

But if your enemy is on multiple planets and mixed in with your troops, your civilians and even their allies, yes a virus that targets the enemy exclusively is the lesser of the two weapons.

Especially if you have a cure for the virus that can be provided just as soon as the enemy ceases hostilities and withdrawls.

 

Nanites are better than a bio virus. Bio-viruses are nasty little buggers with a mind of their own; they like to breed and jump species sometimes. Now a nanite, little guy is loyal, pedantic, and if you program that little darling the right way, he'll ignore your troops...well hell you wouldn't even need troops. Hang back in orbit, fire a salvo or two of unpowered, low radar profile, torps into the atmo, have them detonate in the upper atmo and sit back and have a beer.

 

Yep.

And the weapon would make Starfleet unstoppable.

 

*urge to write fanfic again rising* Must resist...must resist...