Michael Chabon's detailed Freecloud backstory

[F. King Daniel]

Clicky clicky click click.

This was fun to read, like something from an old in-universe Star Trek reference book. I especially like that Freecloud natives are called Freecs.

 

[The Wormhole]

"The occasional irritable swarm of Gorns" is my new favourite sentence.

 

[Ostermond]

Definitely agree on the fun-to-read part. Interesting that it's Alpha Doradus, too -- 169 ly away from home sweet home.
Assuming the colonists in 2180 traveled at Warp 5, it'd've taken them a year and four months. At Warp 7 -- implied to be possible(?) by the Federation's founding, it'd only take 'em half a year to get there. Neat.

 

[valkyrie013]

2180 is 20 years after the federation founding, so good chance of warp 6 or 7.

Sounds like a nice place to visit, but all we got was some shlcoky hologram billboards and a casino. .. Nice to "fill out" a world, but we never really visited it.

 

[fireproof78]

With that detail I'm hoping we go back.

Otherwise, nicely done development.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

What is the "Federation drawdown" of which that article speaks?

 

[fireproof78]

What is the "Federation drawdown" of which that article speaks?

Probably regarding what resources they were willing to use for the evacuation.

 

[DEWLine]

Yeah. All those ships that could no longer be used for the Romulan evacuations, and were no longer needed for Neutral Zone patrol because no more Romulan Star Empire to enforce the Neutral Zone from their side...

 

[DEWLine]

I guess we'll take the orbital mechanics of having at least four planets orbiting a binary system like Alpha Doradus to Trek Tech?

 

[Lakenheath 72]

Reading the piece, it feels that there is story potential in Stardust City.

The star chart map from "Maps and Legends" shows the Thread mentioned in this piece. It lies now between the Romulan Free State and the Klingon Empire.

 

[WarpFactorZ]

"The occasional irritable swarm of Gorns" is my new favourite sentence.

Great band! They're going to sweep the Grammy's this year.

 

[Timo]

The star chart map from "Maps and Legends" shows the Thread mentioned in this piece. It lies now between the Romulan Free State and the Klingon Empire.

It's not as if a new Northwest Passage opened up, though: one could always go around the tiny spot of space where the Klingons banged their foreheads against the RNZ. The Thread is probably more about business opportunities from sitting in the middle... Or from pillaging former Romulan settlements.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[DEWLine]

Freecloud seems to have been there at least a century before Picard's 2399 visit, though.
Given the galaxy's 3D nature, I expect there are other "threads", but Freecloud's is the one with the highest profile.

 

[Tim Thomason]

2180 is 20 years after the federation founding, so good chance of warp 6 or 7.

Sounds like a nice place to visit, but all we got was some shlcoky hologram billboards and a casino. .. Nice to "fill out" a world, but we never really visited it.

I would say this is a good sign that we're getting more Freecloud visits in the future, but Chabon left the show, so maybe not. Still, it's the home of Raffi's son and that plot thread, and the backstory as designed by Chabon also opens up possibilities for Freecloud in the Strange New Worlds era.

 

[NCC-73515]

but Chabon left the show

how can you leave a show and still be writer and executive producer? XD

 

[fireproof78]

how can you leave a show and still be writer and executive producer? XD

It's in his contract.

 

[Tuskin38]

but Chabon left the show,

All he did was stop being showrunner, he's still a writer and executive producer on Season 2.

Less duties so he can work on his other show, but he's still contributing to Picard.

 

[DEWLine]

This, I remember, as you do, @Tuskin38 .

 

[nic3636]

Goo read. I love stuff like this from the showrunners even if it's not in the show.

 

[RAMA]

Clicky clicky click click.

This was fun to read, like something from an old in-universe Star Trek reference book. I especially like that Freecloud natives are called Freecs.

I know Chabon had a hand in the first part of writing/producing season 2, but I'm going to really miss a lot of the touches he brought to season one when
he's gone for good...those little pithy asides and extra character details.