The Alternate Reality Thread- What If...?

[C_Miller]

Okay, so there's a thread going on in the DS9 forums which is a lot of fun. Essentially, one person puts a small difference in the timeline and the next poster responds to it by saying what would be the outcome for the rest of the series/franchise. Then after that they hit the reset button and create a new twist of fate.

I'll start with an easy one. What if Dr. Crusher never came back to the Enterprise after she became Chief of Starfleet Medicine?

 

[Cpt. Chris Pike]

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I'll start with an easy one. What if Dr. Crusher never came back to the Enterprise after she became Chief of Starfleet Medicine?

I would imagine Dr. Pulaski would have continued her role. Wesley may have taken a different path, perhaps remained with Starfleet.

Picard would have not gotten as close to her as he did, perhaps changing him as a person as well.

I do believe both doctors (Crusher & Pulaski) were of the same caliber/efficiency.

My turn:

What if Picard never returned from being assimilated by the borg?

 

[BillJ]

What if Picard never returned from being assimilated by the borg?

Riker would've eaten himself out of the fleet within a year thanks to the increase in pay!

 

[Anwar]

Riker would have been promoted to Captain, earned some brownie points for saving Earth, Shelby either stays on as XO or leaves for the task force and Data is promoted.

My turn:

What if Riker was promoted, and ended up captaining the lone starship assigned to protecting DS9 before the wormhole is found (an intended dead-end assignment). As in, a regular character on DS9 alongside Sisko?

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

Then Riker is on the Defiant in First Contact, and Sisko still doesn't get to go to the fight.

Also, DS9 is outgunned slightly less often in the early years of the show.

My Turn:

What if Tasha Yar hadn't died?

 

[Finn]

After being infected one of the conspiracy aliens, she was killed by Data while trying to put one in Beverly. Her dying words was "Data...It was....fun....Oh my!"

Reset: What if Picard let them execute Wesley in that episode.

 

[Pseudo]

After being infected one of the conspiracy aliens, she was killed by Data while trying to put one in Beverly. Her dying words was "Data...It was....fun....Oh my!"

Reset: What if Picard let them execute Wesley in that episode.

After returning from his vaction on Risa, Commander Riker introduces a highly addictive game to the rest of the crew. The Ship is soon taken over by the Katarian's who use the ship to spread the game throughout the Federation. Soon the entire Alpha Quadrant is playing The Game and everyone loses interest in exploring strange new worlds. The Federation doesn't take over DS9 and therefore no one discovers the wormhole so fortunately the alpha quadrant is spared from the Dominion War, unfortunately nothing stops the Borg from reappearing and there cybernetic technology is immune to The Game's effects.

The entire Alpha quadrant is assimilated within a year. Nice one Picard!

Due to never meeting Wesley Crusher, Lefler's one-hundred-and-third (and final) law was "The Game is good."

RESET: What if Q didn't throw the Enterprise in to Borg space?

 

[Anwar]

Without the Borg threat to remind the Feds of how truly dangerous it is out there, they never begin their new weapons programs and develop things like the Defiant, pulse phasers and Quantum torpedoes or expand the Fleet.

Thus, the Dominion easily conquers them 5 or so years later.

What if...Km'pec's poisoning had been discovered at a time where he could've been saved?

 

[Finn]

Tensions grew in the High Council, as Duras gathered support against him. He challenges Km'Pec and wins. The Empire slips into a civil war when Colonel Martok finds evidence that Duras is working with the Romulans. The Romulan Empire slips into a civil war when some senators are upset about giving aid to Duras without their knowledge. The Bajoran Resistance suddenly takes the opporunity to become much more violent. The Federation closes their borders.

RESET BUTTON!

What if the Romulan troops made it to Vulcan?

 

[Pseudo]

Tensions grew in the High Council, as Duras gathered support against him. He challenges Km'Pec and wins. The Empire slips into a civil war when Colonel Martok finds evidence that Duras is working with the Romulans. The Romulan Empire slips into a civil war when some senators are upset about giving aid to Duras without their knowledge. The Bajoran Resistance suddenly takes the opporunity to become much more violent. The Federation closes their borders.

RESET BUTTON!

What if the Romulan troops made it to Vulcan?

The Romulan invasion force initially does very well, easily overcoming the small garrison based on Vulcan. Although their relatively small numbers prevent them from holding the entire planet they do occupy the planetary command and control complex. The Federation responds immediately, setting up a defensive line around Vulcan which quickly evolves in to a Tachyon Detection Grid, preventing the Romulans from sending supplies and reinforcements to the troops.

Nearby Federation ships are diverted and attempt to evacuate as much of the planet's population as possible, while a small fleet of star ships bombards Romulan positions from orbit. At the same time the Federation dispatches troop ships to Vulcan, eventually amassing a force of 50,000 Maco's ready to land.

When the Maco's land the Romulans initially put up a spirited defence, but with no reinforcement or support and the overwhelming superiority of the Federation forces combined with the morale sapping effect of over a week of almost constant bombardment quickly take their toll and resistance crumbles.

RESET:
What if Dr. Crusher was unable to return Picard, Guinan, Ro, and Keiko to adulthood in Rascals?

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Picard took an LOA and went off with Professor Galen to discover the humanoid-template race. Ro demands to remain onboard the Enterprise to try and continue her career--refusing to let a little thing like being a child stop her. Guinan also remains onboard as a wise-cracking kid who keeps getting into mischief. Keiko and O'Brien return to Earth where they try and deal with the latest strain on their marriage.

RESET:
Data is determined to be the property of Starfleet and taken away by Commander Maddox...

 

[Finn]

Commander Maddox is driven nuts by Data's inquiry about his homosexual advances toward the Admiral at the starbase and sends him back to the Enterprise after he asked about whether Geordi would go for it.

RESET BUTTON

What if Chekov was with Scotty, and survived all those years in the transporter buffer along with Scotty?