Reconciling STO with Trek Lit

[RonG]

Usually, I try to refrain from going into discussions of Trek Canon, continuity etc.
Though ideally I'm all for an all-encompassing Trek continuity, I realize that there are
incompatibilities between various sources and even internally within some sources (novels, comics, etc).
With that frame of mind, I was of course quite "accepting" of the different 24th century continuities
as depicted in the novels and STO.
However, an idea just dawned on me, as to a potential reconciliation between the different versions of events:

What if STO is a game not only in the real world, but also in the Trek universe

As the events of ST09 are AFAIK canon (I'm referring to the 24th century events circa 2387), what if STO and its continuity (Path to 2409) are a simulated study done by Starfleet to consider whether events could have transpired in a different way, as to save Romulus…

Naturally, Starfleet analysts would choose a "point of divergence" for their simulations,
and what better point than the Borg Invasion of 2381, and the events leading up to it
(basically the TNG-R)?

With that in mind, the events post-2387 are speculations and statistical possibilities done by Starfleet, in order to determine its future course of action.

That's basically it – I just wanted to share the idea with the board.

Comments?

 

[Deranged Nasat]

In theory it's a great idea.

The only problem, I think, is not everything prior to 2381 is in fact the same. I haven't looked over the material too closely, but I think Cardassia's post war recovery, Bajor's path to Federation membership, Ro Laren's post-war life, Odo and Laas' gooey adventures, and so on, are very different anyway. So sadly I don't think the idea works.

 

[RonG]

well, if we change the "point of divergence" as the start of the simulated analysis from 2380+ to earlier, say to the end of the Dominion War (also a pivotal event), the idea still works and now encompasses all the points you raised

 

[Deranged Nasat]

well, if we change the "point of divergence" as the start of the simulated analysis from 2380+ to earlier, say to the end of the Dominion War (also a pivotal event), the idea still works and now encompasses all the points you raised

Fair enough.

I suppose that might even make more sense as a point of divergence. The Borg invasion was out of everyone's control. The Borg and Caeliar made all the decisions of any real note, and all the nations of known space were too small and powerless to really have much of an impact on their destiny (a few individuals aside). But the aftermath of the Dominion War; well, everyone had a choice and the power to do things differently there. I see your point- maybe in the aftermath of Romulus' destruction people in the Federation might sadly think "if only we had all acted differently. How might it have unfolded if..."

I still think the idea is difficult to justify in practice- there's still so much outside of the UFP's control. Voyager will still blow up the transwarp hub without UFP input, I assume (the crew are home, aren't they; "Endgame" happened?), so the Collective will still switch to "everyone must die" mode. I don't see how they could justify leaving a Borg invasion out of their simulations if those simulations are intended to be serious.

I love the idea, but I don't think it works. Still, you did point out this is only a casual idea and that we all accept there is no need at all to actually reconcile the two, so I suppose it doesn't matter too much either way.

 

[RonG]

While it's a casual idea, this conversation is exactly what I had in mind when I posted the OP

As for the Borg Invasion, while it was out of the UFP's control per se, perhaps the analysis takes into account that had things been different, the Borg would have been defeated temporarily, as they had been in the past - perhaps through the actions of Janeway, Seven, and the Borg experts on Voyager. Thus, the "final" Invasion of 2381 would not have happened as (and when) it did

I can see the chain of events since the end of the Dominion War, including the Borg Invasion and the formation of the Typhon Pact, all the way to the detruction of Romulus, creating doubt in the minds of the UFP government and Starfleet Command, forming the desire/need for an analysis of this sort.

 

[F. King Daniel]

According to Bad Robot ('s propaganda machine, YMMV), every time travel creates an alternate universe. STO is packed with time-travel missions. Problem solved?

The jist from a cut Spock Prime line in STXI: The universe keeps trying to "fix" the diverging timeline as best it can (hence the whole crew united in STXI, Romulus Prime dies so Vulcan Alternate dies to keep the balance, lots of unlikely flukes) and thus lots of similar stuff happens in lots of alternate timelines. This kinda kills self-determination - probably the reason it was cut. It's still a very cool concept, IMO.

 

[captcalhoun]

alternate timeline. now replacing 'the force' as your stock answer to continuity problems...

 

[RonG]

using "alternate timeline" as an answer is no answer at all..

I was trying to see if an "in-continuity" solution could be found that reconciles both versions without resorting to that "solution"

 

[F. King Daniel]

And what would an in-universe game be? A game in cyber-space, using the holographic technology of the 25th century would be as close to an "alternate reality game" as you're ever gonna get.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Given that the STO book specifically separates itself, even within the story, from the regular Treklitverse, trying to reconcile them is probably somewhat missing the point...

Great nostalgia value, though- it reminds me of the similar panicking in fandom when the BBC took the Dr Who book line back from Virgin, and Lawrence Miles set out to separate the two realities. Using pretty much the same gag, too.

 

[RonG]

as I said in my OP, I was thinking more along the lines of a speculative political/military/sociological analysis, done by Starfleet and using simulated events.

Perhaps it IS the 24th / 25th Century version of a MMORPG

 

[F. King Daniel]

Except, now I think about it, I'm sure the Guardian is one of the best-kept secrets in the universe. Unless they're using it for denyability reasons - "What, that time portal from the online game? You think it's real? What you smoking, Klingons?"

 

[Deranged Nasat]

Except, now I think about it, I'm sure the Guardian is one of the best-kept secrets in the universe. Unless they're using it for denyability reasons - "What, that time portal from the online game? You think it's real? What you smoking, Klingons?"

. Such a tactic would work wonderfully.

 

[Christopher]

^Hey, it worked for that other big spacetime donut, the Stargate.

 

[RonG]

Except, now I think about it, I'm sure the Guardian is one of the best-kept secrets in the universe. Unless they're using it for denyability reasons - "What, that time portal from the online game? You think it's real? What you smoking, Klingons?"

Unless this is all done by Starfleet Intelligence for an *internal* analysis

 

[Cybersnark]

Maybe both. Remember Tuvok's holonovel about the Maquis mutiny that never happened?

Maybe it started out as an SI project, then got leaked and went viral.

So: Starfleet starts this extrapolation model after. . . what? The Dominion War? Voyager's return? Did any continuity-breaking events happen between the two?

It runs forward (accumulating only minor divergences) until it hits "virtual-2409" --which corresponds to about February 2381 in realtime. After the Borg Invasion, SI decides this was a waste of time (having diverged too much from reality) and shelves the simulation.

Then, some Starfleet cadet with too much spare time manages to find the program and resurrects it as a holonovel adventure. SI is surprised, but decides that there's nothing "sensitive" about it anymore and just lets it run free.

 

[Paris]

^I like this too.

 

[nx1701g]

I have to admit all the STO/Novel threads are reminding me of the following quote from TNG:

Picard:
Who is to say that this history is any less proper than the other?

Why can't they both exist?

 

[RonG]

I have to admit all the STO/Novel threads are reminding me of the following quote from TNG:

Picard:
Who is to say that this history is any less proper than the other?

Why can't they both exist?

Of course they can, and they do.
But I think this is a fun and interesting intellectual exercise

 

[ProtoAvatar]

I have to admit all the STO/Novel threads are reminding me of the following quote from TNG:

Picard:
Who is to say that this history is any less proper than the other?

Why can't they both exist?

When speaking about fictional universes, of course, both (and many more) can exist.

When talking about the real world (which was the intention behind Picard's speech) - a history is 'less proper' than others because there is ONLY ONE objective, true history. This makes any other history (universe) fake - propaganda, a distorsion of the facts.