That would depend upon how long the 'physically dependent' phase of the detox would last. If that would only be 2 days, then yes. If that would last for, say, about 2 months, then not. (We don't know anything about this alien drug and Ornaran physiology, after all.)
"Symbiosis" aged remarkably well
- Thread starter Charles Phipps
- Start date
That would depend upon how long the 'physically dependent' phase of the detox would last. If that would only be 2 days, then yes. If that would last for, say, about 2 months, then not. (We don't know anything about this alien drug and Ornaran physiology, after all.)
There's 2 possible outcomes imho. The Ornarans last transports fall apart, because they're too doped to keep them functional... shipments stop. Panic escalates that likely costs millions of lives. Whatever time it takes for the withdrawal to last, some vast majority survive its subsidence, whereupon they then learn they weren't fatally infected (Which is why Picard should've just told them anyway, to maybe save lives)
They realize the Brekkians have been enslaving them with addictive drugs, & while currently too decimated to act on that grudge, they could, once clear headed, be able to pull themselves together enough to retaliate... violently maybe
The Brekkians, who are way worse off long term, have their entire global economy collapse, unless they can find some other equivalent buyer for the bloated supply of their sole export, which is very unlikely, because there ultimately is no realistic substitute for an entire race of people who you are holding hostage with your product, short of another one just like them.
Once you lose your slaves, they're usually not getting replaced at that level. They could find some buyers for their narcotic, just like any other drug dealer, but it's never going to replace what they had, & it'll be ages before they can build a functioning society without what they've lost, or they might be utterly doomed to self-destruction.
OR... realizing what will come, the Brekkians find an alternate solution to move their shipments to the Ornarans somehow, who, thanks to Picard, don't know they can kick the addiction, & the status quo returns, with a possible third party opting to profit off the transportation, if the Brekkians can't manage it themselves... at least until the Ornarans are completely useless from drug addiction, & this nonsense implodes some other way
Ultimately the Ornarans will recover just fine, because they've been the go-getters this whole time, & are only falling apart because they're suffering from addiction, once they aren't, they will thrive. The Brekkians OTOH, have willfully diminished their futures for a life of luxury, & someday will pay the price
They realize the Brekkians have been enslaving them with addictive drugs, & while currently too decimated to act on that grudge, they could, once clear headed, be able to pull themselves together enough to retaliate... violently maybe
The Brekkians, who are way worse off long term, have their entire global economy collapse, unless they can find some other equivalent buyer for the bloated supply of their sole export, which is very unlikely, because there ultimately is no realistic substitute for an entire race of people who you are holding hostage with your product, short of another one just like them.
Once you lose your slaves, they're usually not getting replaced at that level. They could find some buyers for their narcotic, just like any other drug dealer, but it's never going to replace what they had, & it'll be ages before they can build a functioning society without what they've lost, or they might be utterly doomed to self-destruction.
OR... realizing what will come, the Brekkians find an alternate solution to move their shipments to the Ornarans somehow, who, thanks to Picard, don't know they can kick the addiction, & the status quo returns, with a possible third party opting to profit off the transportation, if the Brekkians can't manage it themselves... at least until the Ornarans are completely useless from drug addiction, & this nonsense implodes some other way
Ultimately the Ornarans will recover just fine, because they've been the go-getters this whole time, & are only falling apart because they're suffering from addiction, once they aren't, they will thrive. The Brekkians OTOH, have willfully diminished their futures for a life of luxury, & someday will pay the price
If the Brekkians had had a little more foresight, and taken into account that Picard would still try to find a wrench to throw in the works, they could have protected their own interests much better. They could, for example, have searched the Federation computers while on board. It's early TNG so it's not as if there would have been any restriction on information or security or other utility functions. They could have contacted the Ferengi as a fallback option and offered them 20% of the value of each cargo run - which would still have been a sweet deal for both the Ferengi and the Brekkians.
Or even trade with them directly for the ship components they need.
Or even trade with them directly for the ship components they need.
Last edited:
Dude, Yridians, Xepolites, Lissepians, Orions, Ferengi. There's any number of opportunists that would jump at making a profit off of that deal over there in the Delos system. I'd say even without using Starfleet info, there's a chance word gets out anyway
The most likely outcome is that the whole scenario finds a way to keep on keeping on.
The most likely outcome is that the whole scenario finds a way to keep on keeping on.
This is kinda cool: A thread about an episode deemed dire in 1988, now discussed in great length and to the extent that a whole mini-arc spanning 2~8 episodes could be written around the details the original was unable or unwilling to dig into due to any number of restrictions.
Whether that arc is cool or horrific (to the audience's reaction) is another tale...
Or the efficiency, depending on how you look at it.... because frankly, a lot of what other shows explore for a whole season, I'd have preferred they wrapped up in an episode or 2 lol. Leave something for the imagination, & maybe... just possibly, we'll still have something to chat about 30 years later
