A time travel based federation...?

[Johnny]

I always figured that if the federation got to the point where they were able to travel through time as easily as the Relativity crew did, it would somewhat kill trek as it is now. I mean, how would you tell continual stories about time travel each week for that many episodes...? Unless the writing was EPIC!

But, what if the Relativity was one of a small group of ships specifically dedicated to dealing with time line alterations, that reported to a 'Starfleet Department of Temporal Anomilies' or some such thing, and that the rest of the fleet would be acting within the normal space/time continuum, and either wouldn't know or wouldn't be involved in their activities?

I don't mean it to sound like some for of Temporal Section 31, but a bonified department of Starfleet Command. If it were me, I definitly wouldn't grant every ship the ability to travel through time at a whim!

 

[Guy Gardener]

Every ship for the last 150 years has had the ability to travel through time since Kirk figured out the slingshot maneuver. It's common knowledge. Probably not the math but the idea is. Can't stop ideas.

 

[JNG]

Once you get to the point where you can change stuff in the timeline and you and your pals that do this are (necessarily) sitting in a realm unaffected by the timeline changes watching the universe go by, I think you're essentially on the fast track to being the Q Continuum. I also think there's not a lot of good TV hiding in there.

In the Trek future, I very much doubt that it is well-known, even among starship captains or possibly even flag officers, that a semi-reliable method to travel through time has been practiced within the Federation. I would have to think they would apply the most stringent security procedures available to limit access to such information, short of purposefully removing all record of the calculations (something that was likely proposed, but for some reason I imagine they weren't quite able to bring themselves to implement it).

If the general public in Trek asks Starfleet authorities questions about time travel, I hope they are dismissed in the same way that the U.S. Air Force dismisses crackpot questions about free energy and antigravity (well, perhaps with a slightly more gentle air, considering the amazing things that are possible in the Trek future).

 

[jamestyler]

If the general public in Trek asks Starfleet authorities questions about time travel, I hope they are dismissed in the same way that the U.S. Air Force dismisses crackpot questions about free energy and antigravity (well, perhaps with a slightly more gentle air, considering the amazing things that are possible in the Trek future).

You'd have to assume that to be true otherwise the Relativity would be stopping vigilantes all the time.

The problem with Relativity and things like the Temporal Cold War in ENT is that such ideas opens up a massive can of worms. Say if you're protecting a time line up to a certain point, how do you do damage control so effectively, eventually you'll end up screwing up the time line yourselves and end up in a constant cycle of reperation.

And if factions come from the future, you'd need to have a good knowledge of that future which could then effect your present timeline...

Thats just a (vey) unrefined problem off the top of my head... time travel always leads to massive plot holes or an escape from logical thought.

 

[Johnny]

I also think there's not a lot of good TV hiding in there.

I think thats true, but could it be done for a full series, let alone seven of them? I just worry that if it ever came to pass, it would just be an amalgamation of all the trek time travel episodes, and I'd find that rather boring.

I guess it's only saving grace could be that it'd be a modern trek that could explore the history without being a prequel!

The problem with Relativity and things like the Temporal Cold War in ENT is that such ideas opens up a massive can of worms. Say if you're protecting a time line up to a certain point, how do you do damage control so effectively, eventually you'll end up screwing up the time line yourselves and end up in a constant cycle of reperation.

I think your right. (can I agree with both of you??) If there were any episodes to come of this, then they'd have to be water tight, because there's always the possibility that they can get back to the ship and go back before any problems they caused happened, and stop themselves messing things up! er...does make sense..?

And I'm sure if all else failed, trek could tell a story about cans of worms!

 

[jamestyler]

I think your right. (can I agree with both of you??) If there were any episodes to come of this, then they'd have to be water tight, because there's always the possibility that they can get back to the ship and go back before any problems they caused happened, and stop themselves messing things up! er...does make sense..?

Oddly it's how I first imagined the TCW started. One group going back in time to change something, then another giving them the middle finger and going back further... rinse and repeat.

Time travel plots tend to write themselves into a hole... though I quite like DS9's Trials and Tribblations and BTTF 2 for revisiting the past without interfering in previous events. There was a TV show based on that idea but it was dreadful.

And I'm sure if all else failed, trek could tell a story about cans of worms!

General Martok's missing gagh. I could see it

 

[Nebusj]

Every ship for the last 150 years has had the ability to travel through time since Kirk figured out the slingshot maneuver. It's common knowledge. Probably not the math but the idea is. Can't stop ideas.

Well, the thing about time travel is you kinda can stop ideas.

 

[spoonunseptium]

Blah. The implications of a time-travel based show are astoundingly nerve-wracking.

I don't even want to think about it.

 

[kimc]

Blah. The implications of a time-travel based show are astoundingly nerve-wracking.

I don't even want to think about it.

It gives me a headache.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

Blah. The implications of a time-travel based show are astoundingly nerve-wracking.

I don't even want to think about it.

It gives me a headache.

It makes me laugh.

 

[Damask]

In the Trek future, I very much doubt that it is well-known, even among starship captains or possibly even flag officers, that a semi-reliable method to travel through time has been practiced within the Federation. I would have to think they would apply the most stringent security procedures available to limit access to such information, short of purposefully removing all record of the calculations (something that was likely proposed, but for some reason I imagine they weren't quite able to bring themselves to implement it).

I suspect you are right on this. However would the Federation want the Bajoran "Orb of Time" put somewhere else (provided Bajor joined the Federation). It seems much easier to use that then to slingshot round the sun.

 

[Johnny]

But of course they're always put in a situation whereby they HAVE TO use the most dangerous way to travel back in time...once Ensign Clumbsy accidentally flushes the Orb of Time down the trash tube!

I think the essense of a time travel episode would have to be that the crew 'have no choice' when making decisions. Where they get forced into situation by circumstances, and then only have one way out.

 

[JNG]

In the Trek future, I very much doubt that it is well-known, even among starship captains or possibly even flag officers, that a semi-reliable method to travel through time has been practiced within the Federation. I would have to think they would apply the most stringent security procedures available to limit access to such information, short of purposefully removing all record of the calculations (something that was likely proposed, but for some reason I imagine they weren't quite able to bring themselves to implement it).

I suspect you are right on this. However would the Federation want the Bajoran "Orb of Time" put somewhere else (provided Bajor joined the Federation). It seems much easier to use that then to slingshot round the sun.

I assume that all the Orbs are kept under pretty heavy guard when we don't need them as a way to start a slightly silly story This would be true both for their status as religious artifacts and as scientifically significant and unique objects.

I was never entirely certain to what extent the effects of the Orb took place in the mind, but "Trials and Tribble-ations" certainly makes it seem so convincing that everyone treated it as a real, physical time travel.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I like the idea of Civilizations from different eras, millions of years ni the future, 300 yearsint he past petitioning to join this cross time Federation

 

[Jeri]

Blah. The implications of a time-travel based show are astoundingly nerve-wracking.

I don't even want to think about it.

It gives me a headache.

Gives me a touch of the psychosis , but don't tell the Temporal Integrity Commission.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Blah. The implications of a time-travel based show are astoundingly nerve-wracking.

I don't even want to think about it.

It gives me a headache.

Gives me a touch of the psychosis , but don't tell the Temporal Integrity Commission.

When it comes to Tic vs toc, I'm more concerned about the Ferengi temporal Opotunity Comission.

 

[Jeri]

In the larger scheme of things; but not from Braxton's psychotic viewpoint. Ferengi would have cared less what he did with the Relativity; they might have succeeded in stealing it is all. But they wouldn't put Braxton in an institution; they wouldn't care about that.

 

[Guy Gardener]

They would have put him in jail for making things personal, when it's their duty to seek profit.

 

[Jeri]

^ ^ They'd only do that to Ferengis.