Last Contact

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

We've heard of first, and lately, second contact with an alien race.

But I want to know: why might a race warrant last contact? (Incidentally, if the folks in the fanfiction board are listening, this might be a good theme for a story contest).

My thoughts:

* At personal request
* Because they're just too dangerous
* About to be annihilated

 

[Oddish]

Xenophobia. As seen in "Clues".

 

[DonIago]

Because they're evolving into non-corporeal life.

 

[Sisko_is_my_captain]

Well, they *tried* to make first contact with the Talosians into last contact. Didn't take.

 

[NCC-73515]

The Malcorians (at least for a while)

 

[Orphalesion]

I don't think they have such a thing as "Last Contact".
Considering how, let's call it "optimistic" the UFP tends to be, they'd probably always call it a "temporary halt of communications" unless the other side actually stops existing.

 

[Oddish]

don't think they have such a thing as "Last Contact".
Considering how, let's call it "optimistic" the UFP tends to be, they'd probably always call it a "temporary halt of communications" unless the other side actually stops existing.

Probably true. There's a protocol in place for a species that doesn't wish to initiate relations:

DURKEN: "And if I should tell you to leave, and never return to my world."
PICARD: "We will leave and never return."

And they do, until things change on that world, and Durken or one of his successors invites the Federation back.

 

[DonIago]

I'm sort of curious as to -how- they could invite the Federation back. Did Picard leave behind a subspace communicator, or is the assumption that one of their ships would eventually contact the Federation?

 

[Oddish]

Picard freely admitted that the Federation monitors outgoing broadcasts from pre-warp civilizations. Which Malcor presumably remains; they're aware that the Federation will stay out of their system, but if they go out a-warping, they'll meet other beings.

 

[Orphalesion]

Plus, yeah, once they developed warp capable ships they can always run into the Federation again.

 

[Oddish]

The implicit agreement was "the Federation keeps its distance, while we don't develop warp technology until we've developed enough that we won't freak out when we meet aliens".

 

[Orphalesion]

The implicit agreement was "the Federation keeps its distance, while we don't develop warp technology until we've developed enough that we won't freak out when we meet aliens".

Would be kind of difficult to do if the aliens, say, warp into an inhabited Federation system, wouldn't it? Or per chance meet one of their ships.

 

[Oddish]

Which is why Durken pulled the plug on the warp program. He knew that if his people left their system and entered deep space, there would be encounters. And given the reception Riker got (with one... disturbing exception), the Malcorians weren't ready for that.

 

[Farscape One]

Regarding Riker and the alien nurse...

I wonder if he pulled an Ivanova from BABYLON 5 when she had to mate with an alien ambassador in "ACTS OF SACRIFICE". (One of the funniest scenes in the series.)

 

[publiusr]

Last contact would be “All Our Yesterday’s” wouldn’t it?

 

[JesterFace]

In order to know what the last contact might be you would need to be able to see into the future.

 

[publiusr]

Well, the supernova wiped the planet out after it’s last citizen used exactly that—so that was definitely “Last Contact.”

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Unless one of the backwards time travelers used their advanced knowledge from the future to stop the calamity or time travel forward again beyond the point of the annihilation. Or froze themselves in stasis somewheres else, to be awoken later with full knowledge of their planet's destruction.

 

[Orphalesion]

Which is why Durken pulled the plug on the warp program. He knew that if his people left their system and entered deep space, there would be encounters. And given the reception Riker got (with one... disturbing exception), the Malcorians weren't ready for that.

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But that's why I said "once they develop warp capable ships they can always run into the Federation again"
Meaning another attempt in the future (however close or distant) being successful

 

[Oddish]

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But that's why I said "once they develop warp capable ships they can always run into the Federation again"
Meaning another attempt in the future (however close or distant) being successful

Indeed. And Picard may have left the Malcorians the necessary information to contact them again. Government officials with sufficient security clearance will undoubtedly be made aware of the truth of the stories, kind of like our people and Area 51. When the Malcorians deem themselves ready to enter the greater universe, I doubt they'll have any difficulty contacting the Federation and resuming First Contact.