Enterprise Vulcans/Humans different reactions to First Contact

[USS Triumphant]

Does anyone else think that the Vulcans might have wanted humanity to keep their heads down, stay close to Earth, and keep a low profile because they knew what Cochrane and Sloan had told them about the Borg, and they wanted to build up until they felt prepared to deal with the threat?

I think that's why the Vulcan military was in charge of Vulcan, and I think that some of Earth's higher-ups were aware, too, and that's why they went along with it for so long. But there must have been at least a couple of members of the Admiralty that thought, "Well, really, it sounds like as long we have a ship called Enterprise out there to be the one that deals with this when the time comes, we're okay", and that's why they named the NX-01 "Enterprise" and sent her out.

 

[jespah]

However, in Regeneration, Archer didn't know about the Borg, Forrest didn't tell him; T'Pol didn't know, Soval didn't tell her, etc. Even with some sort of major secrecy issue (you don't mention that, but let's reverse engineer that in as an in-universe explanation), once the research team was gone, and the Borg vessel located, if anybody knew anything, it was time to speak up.

 

[USS Triumphant]

However, in Regeneration, Archer didn't know about the Borg, Forrest didn't tell him; T'Pol didn't know, Soval didn't tell her, etc. Even with some sort of major secrecy issue (you don't mention that, but let's reverse engineer that in as an in-universe explanation), once the research team was gone, and the Borg vessel located, if anybody knew anything, it was time to speak up.

True, but maybe T'Pol, Archer, and Soval didn't know, and I'm suspecting that if my idea is correct, Forrest would have been one of the admirals that pushed the name Enterprise - so he was probably sworn to secrecy. Perhaps he didn't tell Archer when the Borg vessel was located because they didn't know what it was right away. And maybe someone *would* have told the crew if the series had lasted long enough and something with the Borg happened again. From the episode, it seems like if Forrest thought having a ship named Enterprise in service would protect Earth from the Borg, he was right!

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Cochrane never saw the Borg nor Borg technology. Everything he knew he learned through second hand sources, and it seemed as if Riker et al withheld as much information as possible. I suspect that he would not have been willing to share what little information he had, particularly with a race he was only beginning to trust.

 

[USS Triumphant]

Cochrane never saw the Borg nor Borg technology. Everything he knew he learned through second hand sources, and it seemed as if Riker et al withheld as much information as possible. I suspect that he would not have been willing to share what little information he had, particularly with a race he was only beginning to trust.

Maybe. On the other hand, he didn't seem like the wisest guy in the world, Sloan saw a LOT, and members of the Enterprise-E crew were roaming around the area helping to get the Phoenix ready and babbling to temporal natives about where statues of Cochrane would stand in the future and who knows what else. Neither Sloan nor Cochrane would feel particularly bound to preserve the timeline since the future Picard and crew came from is only a hypothetical possible future from their perspective. So... maybe. Maybe not. Could be written either way, really.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

^True, Cochrane didn't yet become the moral guiding force that would be revered in the future. He might have been naive about the consequences of changing the timeline. However, his naivite could run the other way: he might not have considered the Borg to be a threat. Certainly, Picard would have made it seem as if the threat had passed (how sloppy that the Enterprise did not clean up the debris), and I could see Cochrane (and Lily) consumed with plaudits and new opportunities as both scientists and cultural figures. When he did share the info, according to the episode, he seemed hesitant.

 

[vulcan redshirt]

I don't consider it sloppy that the EE did not attempt to clean up the Borg wreckage at all. They would have known where it crashed (in the Arctic) and on the basis that hardly anyone went to that area, the risk of it being found 'too soon' was considered minimal.

However, the 'biggie' for leaving the wreckage, was that they didn't want the Vulcans discovering the EE, or any other warp signature in the system - and sticking around to locate and beam up wreckage, would have increased the chance of being detected and messing up first contact totally.

there was probably a long cruise at impulse to get the far side of the sun (or Jupiter) before hitting the warp engines.

 

[USS Triumphant]

I don't consider it sloppy that the EE did not attempt to clean up the Borg wreckage at all. They would have known where it crashed (in the Arctic) and on the basis that hardly anyone went to that area, the risk of it being found 'too soon' was considered minimal.

However, the 'biggie' for leaving the wreckage, was that they didn't want the Vulcans discovering the EE, or any other warp signature in the system - and sticking around to locate and beam up wreckage, would have increased the chance of being detected and messing up first contact totally.

there was probably a long cruise at impulse to get the far side of the sun (or Jupiter) before hitting the warp engines.

No, no cruise - remember, the temporal portal back to the future was closing, and it was nearby. But that *also* provides another reason they didn't stick around.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I don't consider it sloppy that the EE did not attempt to clean up the Borg wreckage at all. They would have known where it crashed (in the Arctic) and on the basis that hardly anyone went to that area, the risk of it being found 'too soon' was considered minimal.

However, the 'biggie' for leaving the wreckage, was that they didn't want the Vulcans discovering the EE, or any other warp signature in the system - and sticking around to locate and beam up wreckage, would have increased the chance of being detected and messing up first contact totally.

there was probably a long cruise at impulse to get the far side of the sun (or Jupiter) before hitting the warp engines.

No, no cruise - remember, the temporal portal back to the future was closing, and it was nearby. But that *also* provides another reason they didn't stick around.

Ugh. I think I need to grin and bear this one. I still feel that wishing to make sure that their past was secure, they would be thorough with their scans, risking missing any departure window.

 

[USS Triumphant]

No, no cruise - remember, the temporal portal back to the future was closing, and it was nearby. But that *also* provides another reason they didn't stick around.

Ugh. I think I need to grin and bear this one.

Yeah, I think I know what you mean. After all, the Ent-E should *easily* be able to manage to use the Slingshot Effect if the Klingon ship in IV could do it. They didn't need the portal.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I think it's safe to say the TNG writers pretend the slingshot effect doesn't exist. Most likely all knowledge of it was classified by Starfleet and nobody in the TNG era has any idea it can be done.

 

[urbandefault]

I haven't seen FC in a while, but didn't they destroy the deflector to keep the Borg from using it? Don't you have to have a deflector to go to warp?

That's why they had to rely on the portal, right?

 

[Bad Thoughts]

I think it's safe to say the TNG writers pretend the slingshot effect doesn't exist. Most likely all knowledge of it was classified by Starfleet and nobody in the TNG era has any idea it can be done.

To be fair, STIV suggested that time travel was unreliable (they couldn't pinpoint their initial arrival) and they could only get back to the time of departure in the 23rd century by using their initial voyage as a reference. I believe that was a fancy way of saying that they could backtrack.

(Of course, this opens up a whole can of worms that would be better discussed elsewhere.)