Star Trek Alternate History

[jmampilly]

What if Earth and the other three alien species, the Andorians, Tellarites, and Vuclans, never formed the Coalition of Planets that would eventually lead to the Federation? What if Trek history had gone as it did in Canon until the late 2150s, where, despite Earth having changed the status quo and put the formally rival Andorians, Vulcans and Tellarites at peace with one another, the four species had chosen not to take things one step further and form an alliance?

What do you guys think the Trek universe would look like, from the events taking place immediately after the Enterprise timeframe, up the Nemesis era?


My own thoughts...


Post Enterprise Era (2150s through 2260s)

Earth continues to advance technologically, and its colonies are continuing to grow. Starfleet builds new starships, with faster warp drives and better weapons systems. Colonists from Earth establish colonies all around local space. Although Earth is still far from being on par with the Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites, they are on track to become a significant local power.

The rampant corruption within Vulcan society is on the mend, and Vulcans, no longer threatened by the Andorians, begin to move in a more pacifistic direction. Vulcan technology continues to advance at a rapid rate, which serves as a sufficient deterrent to aggression from other species.

TOS Era (2260s)

Earth has established itself as a significant power in local space, having colonized dozens of systems. Earth has caught up with its neighboring species technologically, thanks to a mixture of intensive research programs as well as trade. However, having explored much of local space, and having come into contact with the Klingons, Starfleet is significantly more military oriented than in the canon universe. Klingon aggression has prompted humans, Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites to enter into a mutual defense pact to deter the Klingons.

What do you guys think the Trek universe would look like, from the events taking place immediately after the Enterprise timeframe, up the Nemesis era?

 

[T'Girl]

If the species who formed the Coalition of Planets never came together, or even became particularly close, I wonder if this alone would have prevented the Romulan War?

With a continuation of the pre-existing status quo, the Romulans would have been content to remain in the shadows. There would have been no growing political unity for them to fear and seek to disrupt.

The butterfly effect.

The Humans would have expanded outward from Earth, seeking out trade and colonies and discovery and adventure, a few nuggies from the Romulans and we would have simply avoided their space, venturing in every other direction.

There are interstellar threats other than the Romulans and Starfleet would have grown and adapted to handle them, but with out the events of the Romulan War, Starfleet would have remain a relatively small to medium sized military/exploration organization, suitable to the protection of Earth, Human trade routes, civilian shipping and colonies.

Earth would have been the Switzerland of the galaxy, friendly to most, but also very independent. Helpful perhaps in assisting others in their negotiations, but never taking sides.

 

[Nerys Myk]

It would look a lot like Season One TOS.

 

[Avro Arrow]

I don't know if you read the novels, jmampilly, but if so, you might want to check out A Less Perfect Union by William Leisner, which is found in Myriad Universes: Infinity's Prism. The set up is that Earth has remained independent, while the other founding Federation members formed a coalition on their own. It takes place in the TOS era, and IMHO was quite a good story.

 

[jmampilly]

I don't know if you read the novels, jmampilly, but if so, you might want to check out A Less Perfect Union by William Leisner, which is found in Myriad Universes: Infinity's Prism. The set up is that Earth has remained independent, while the other founding Federation members formed a coalition on their own. It takes place in the TOS era, and IMHO was quite a good story.

Thanks for the recommendation. I have read that novel, and although I enjoyed the story, I disliked the premise. A terrorist organization preventing the Federation, and fostering widespread xenophobia on Earth.

 

[jmampilly]

If the species who formed the Coalition of Planets never came together, or even became particularly close, I wonder if this alone would have prevented the Romulan War?

With a continuation of the pre-existing status quo, the Romulans would have been content to remain in the shadows. There would have been no growing political unity for them to fear and seek to disrupt.

The butterfly effect.

The Humans would have expanded outward from Earth, seeking out trade and colonies and discovery and adventure, a few nuggies from the Romulans and we would have simply avoided their space, venturing in every other direction.

There are interstellar threats other than the Romulans and Starfleet would have grown and adapted to handle them, but with out the events of the Romulan War, Starfleet would have remain a relatively small to medium sized military/exploration organization, suitable to the protection of Earth, Human trade routes, civilian shipping and colonies.

Earth would have been the Switzerland of the galaxy, friendly to most, but also very independent. Helpful perhaps in assisting others in their negotiations, but never taking sides.

What about the Klingons? Seeing as in TOS there was a cold war between the Klingons and Federation, what would happen when Earth came into prolonged contact with them? The two species' areas of control would eventually border one another. Without the various Federation species being allied to one another, what would stop the Klingons from attempting to expand and conquer the humans?

Personally I think that if the humans alone went up against the Klingons, they'd get blown to pieces.

 

[T'Girl]

Without the various Federation species being allied to one another, what would stop the Klingons from attempting to expand and conquer the humans?

With the exception of the events of Errand of Mercy, there apparently has never been a large military conflict with the Klingon.

And just because there is no federation, doesn't mean that the dozens/hundreds of species (and their militarys) that would have made up the federation simply disappeared.

 

[jmampilly]

Without the various Federation species being allied to one another, what would stop the Klingons from attempting to expand and conquer the humans?

With the exception of the events of Errand of Mercy, there apparently has never been a large military conflict with the Klingon.

And just because there is no federation, doesn't mean that the dozens/hundreds of species (and their militarys) that would have made up the federation simply disappeared.

But divided what chance would they stand?

 

[Nerys Myk]

Without the various Federation species being allied to one another, what would stop the Klingons from attempting to expand and conquer the humans?

With the exception of the events of Errand of Mercy, there apparently has never been a large military conflict with the Klingon.

And just because there is no federation, doesn't mean that the dozens/hundreds of species (and their militarys) that would have made up the federation simply disappeared.

But divided what chance would they stand?

I'm sure Earth and the others will find a way. Perhaps with out the UFP to spur them on, the Klingon Empire would not have expanded in the way it did.

 

[T'Girl]

But divided what chance would they stand?

By the end of the second world war, over four dozen sovereign nations had entered into a temporary alliance against the axis powers.

It wasn't necessary for them to form a on-going federation in order to protect themselves from a common enemy. After the war ended, that alliance no longer served a purpose.

But, as NPM pointed out, without the existence of the federation the Empire might not have considered this area of any importance. Isolated Klingon ships might have raided from time to time, but no general attempt at conquest.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

^Some of them did remain allied. They formed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A smaller group within that former the European Coal and Steel Community. They were formed, in part, to deal with the consequences of rearming West Germany (Wiederbewaffnung) and investing in the German economy to counter Soviet power grabs n the east.

 

[jmampilly]

Where do we see Earth? Would they always remain the annoying little brother that messes with the status quo? Or do they become a real power to be reckoned with, on par with the Vulcans and Andorians?

 

[Nerys Myk]

It's Earth, baby. The little planet that could. We go from training wheels to the Tour de France over night. We run this shit!

 

[Wadjda]

sorry.

 

[PicardSpeedo]

If Trek history had any realism to it, the Americans would have murdered the Vulcans during First Contact and raided their technology, as depicted intthat one really terrible Enterprise episode arc. Actual Trek history would then play out as we saw with the Mirror Universe.

 

[T'Girl]

sorry.

Not quite sure of the point you're trying to make there.

Care to expand?

 

[PicardSpeedo]

*frantic arm-flailing and Fox News-style screaming* "Look what Jesus did! Look what Jesus did!"

 

[T'Girl]

If Trek history had any realism to it, the Americans would have murdered the Vulcans during First Contact and raided their technology ...

Would depend heavily on what part of America the Vulcans landed in, given tha they landed in the western section< I think what we saw is what would actually happen, the people around the landing site would introduce themselves and invite the Vulcan to socialize at a nearby cantina. Some drink, good music, a little dancing, and lots and lots of talk.

It goes without saying that no one would notify the government.

The government probably just screw it up.

 

[PicardSpeedo]

If Trek history had any realism to it, the Americans would have murdered the Vulcans during First Contact and raided their technology ...

Would depend heavily on what part of America the Vulcans landed in, given tha they landed in the western section< I think what we saw is what would actually happen, the people around the landing site would introduce themselves and invite the Vulcan to socialize at a nearby cantina. Some drink, good music, a little dancing, and lots and lots of talk.

It goes without saying that no one would notify the government.

They'd probably just screw it up.

Well, if Earth got turned into a post-apocalyptic hellhole like we saw in First Contact, with the entire world engulfed in factional conflict, and some aliens landed in a shiny new spaceship full of advanced technology, the first thing on MY mind wouldn't be to get drunk with them and start kissing their butts. It's much more likely I'd be dissecting them AND their spacecraft to ensure MY faction's continued survival.

But Cochrane always did favor the bottle...

 

[T'Girl]

Well, if Earth got turned into a post-apocalyptic hellhole like we saw in First Contact ...

WW2 killed about 3 percent of the Human population, Star Trek's WW3 killed 6½ percent. It's doubtful that the entire Earth was turn into a "post-apocalyptic hellhole," more likely it was only isolated areas.

The argument can be made that America wasn't heavily effected by the war. Cochrane is building his warp prototype on a missile base, his silo is intact and non-radioactive. Cochrane prefers to travel by train, trains pass through population centers. We know that parts of San Fransisco from the twentith century are still standing in the future.

America may have basically sat out the war.

... with the entire world engulfed in factional conflict ...

By the middle of this century about 70% the Human population is going to be living in cities, given that "only" 600 million people died at a result of the war, the war most likely did not engulf the entire planet.

... and some aliens landed in a shiny new spaceship full of advanced technology, the first thing on MY mind wouldn't be to get drunk with them and start kissing their butts. It's much more likely I'd be dissecting them AND their spacecraft to ensure MY faction's continued survival.

Lucky for the Vulcans, they did land where they did then.