Michael Chabon's detailed Freecloud backstory

Discussion in 'Star Trek: Picard' started by F. King Daniel, Jan 29, 2021.

  1. F. King Daniel

    F. King Daniel Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    A type 13 planet in it's final stage
    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.
     
  2. The Wormhole

    The Wormhole Fleet Admiral Admiral

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

    Ostermond Lieutenant Red Shirt

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    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.
     
  4. valkyrie013

    valkyrie013 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    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.
     
  5. fireproof78

    fireproof78 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    With that detail I'm hoping we go back.

    Otherwise, nicely done development.
     
  6. Mr. Laser Beam

    Mr. Laser Beam Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    What is the "Federation drawdown" of which that article speaks? :confused:
     
  7. fireproof78

    fireproof78 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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

    DEWLine Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    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...
     
  9. DEWLine

    DEWLine Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I guess we'll take the orbital mechanics of having at least four planets orbiting a binary system like Alpha Doradus to Trek Tech?
     
  10. Lakenheath 72

    Lakenheath 72 Commodore Commodore

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    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.
     
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  11. WarpFactorZ

    WarpFactorZ Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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

    Timo Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    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
     
  13. DEWLine

    DEWLine Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    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.
     
  14. Tim Thomason

    Tim Thomason Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    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.
     
  15. NCC-73515

    NCC-73515 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    how can you leave a show and still be writer and executive producer? XD
     
  16. fireproof78

    fireproof78 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    It's in his contract.
     
  17. Tuskin38

    Tuskin38 Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    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.
     
  18. DEWLine

    DEWLine Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    This, I remember, as you do, @Tuskin38 .
     
  19. nic3636

    nic3636 Captain Captain

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

    RAMA Admiral Admiral

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    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.
     
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