The Enterprise That Wasn't

[Phoenix219]

Its possible the writers didn't remember Cochrane was of that sector of the Galaxy or wasn't necessary for their tale, but gosh, what a missed opportunity to have the same plot but was in Alpha Centauri instead of our solar system in the movie FC.

I would have very much liked to see what the local sector around Earth and human's first starting to explore around space in a pre warp civilization. Alpha Centauri would have been a long but reasonable destination with that type of tech, and to see the types of ships and technology in play that allowed Alpha Centauri to exist as a colony or settlement of Earth (and the place warp drive and first contact was made) would have been an extremely unique vision.

 

[Lord Garth]

I go with the idea that Zephram Cochrane relocated to Alpha Centauri. It's five light-years away from the Solar System. Without warp, it would take much longer to get there. Technically not impossible, but very improbable. If they're setting up the colony for Alpha Centauri, then Zephram Cochrane's talents would be put to other use there besides developing warp drive. Like building up the colony, working on the infrastructure, or making things ecologically sound. WWIII or no WWIII, Earth would have a built-in infrastructure that Alpha Centauri wouldn't. They'd have the means to develop warp drive that Alpha Centauri wouldn't. At least not at first.

So it makes more sense to me that if warp drive were invented, it would be so Earth could reach Alpha Centauri easily first, instead of the other way around. The vast majority of the human population would already live on Earth, not vice versa. They're the ones who have to be able reach the other planet first. So Zephram Cochrane would have to have originally been from Earth.

Zephram Cochrane's physical appearance in First Contact is just something you have to ignore. There's no way he's in his 30s. But I suspend my disbelief for the sake of the film.

 

[Phoenix219]

I go with the idea that Zephram Cochrane relocated to Alpha Centauri. It's five light-years away from the Solar System. Without wrap, it would take much longer to get there. Technically not impossible, but very improbable. If they're setting up the colony for Alpha Centuri, then Zephram Cochrane's talents would be put to other use there besides developing warp drive. Like building up the colony, working on the infrastructure, or making things ecologically sound. WWIII or no WWIII, Earth would have a built-in infrastructure that Alpha Centauri wouldn't. They'd have the means to develop warp drive that Alpha Centauri wouldn't. At least not at first.

So it makes more sense to me that if warp drive were invented, it would be so Earth could reach Alpha Centauri easily first, instead of the other way around. The vast majority of the human population would already live on Earth, no vice versa. They're the ones who have to be able reach the other planet first. So Zephram Cochrane would have to have originally been from Earth.

Just keep in mind that the original thought in TOS was that warp was a relatively new thing and most of these probes and colonies were being checked up on for the first time in a hundred years. Older tech included sleeper ships and the idea was that before warp, everything was verrry spread apart and space was very dangerous. ZC changed all of that and opened up the universe for exploration just 150 years before TOS. Shrug.

 

[Lord Garth]

Just keep in mind that the original thought in TOS was that warp was a relatively new thing and most of these probes and colonies were being checked up on for the first time in a hundred years. Older tech included sleeper ships and the idea was that before warp, everything was verrry spread apart and space was very dangerous. ZC changed all of that and opened up the universe for exploration just 150 years before TOS. Shrug.

From the perspective of 2266, I don't really see how "150 years ago" is that different from "200 years ago". Even if a ship has warp, it doesn't mean it's on the same scale as the Enterprise. Warp 1 is pretty damn slow.

 

[fireproof78]

And that's fine if someone thinks that. But please tell us why you think that. Let's have a conversation here. I can't really respond to someone's ideas if they refuse to tell me what they are.

Ohh... you want the deluxe version of the explanation. That costs extra.

 

[uniderth]

Yeah, I switched my planetary citizenship to Alpha Centauri just last week!

 

[Arpy]

Look at all the bits of 20th-22nd Century Star Trek history before ENT debuted in ‘01. FC in ‘98. It’s a vast sparse collection of lines, scenes, and screenshots throughout thirty years of canon (and fanon) until that point. It’s very different from everything that’s been since — look at the ringship on page one of this thread, and some of the Trek ships in the first collage. Look at replies of Trek histories “that never were” from people in this thread and what inspired them.

I get it. This is new to some of us. And it’s interesting. But I’m not the one to ask for more right now. It’s beyond me atm.

And I don’t care about tying it into canon. It’s an apologist’s or neurotic’s endeavor, and to whatever extent that it’s possible, it‘s secondary to appreciating and building on this to its fullest.

I think the tech in this thread is a far stronger and more interesting bridge between us and the Star Trek future of TOS and TNG. I’m truly delighted by some of the posts in this thread thread. Has anyone seen the SyFy series The Expanse? I’d throw that and Alien in with Babylon 5 as additional influences for the period.

It’s kind of interesting to consider what the 21st/22nd century would have looked like if we’d gotten a ringship series. (BTW, Captain Jackson Archer (for those who remember) and he’s gay — after Janeway, that was the next logical step.) But, like, would it have been fun to look at sci-fi from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s and infuse it with esthetics that would suggest it’s almost a period peice? From a future that never was? Or would we want to make today day one, and reimagine the ringship projecting from our art/science, for greater verisimilitude?

 

[Henoch]

"150 years ago"

Rounding is common in Trek, so, he could have disappeared 130 to 170 years ago (Jeez, I'm starting to sound like @MAGolding). 170 years ago is just about right...

 

[JonnyQuest037]

I go with the idea that Zephram Cochrane relocated to Alpha Centauri.

Agreed. One of Zephram Cochrane's first bits of dialogue in "Metamorphosis" is "You speak English. Earth people?" That pretty much confirms he's human, in my mind.

Plus at the end of the episode, he says:

"There's plenty of water here. The climate's good for growing things. I might try to plant a fig tree. A man's entitled to that, isn't he? It isn't gratitude, Captain. Now that I see her, touch her, I know that I love her. We'll have a lot of years together. They'll be happy ones."

The "fig tree" line is likely a Bible reference (Gene Coon seemed to be fond of putting these into his scripts), which also points to Cochrane being from Earth.

And, as I've said here before, Lawrence of Arabia was born in Wales.

Ohh... you want the deluxe version of the explanation. That costs extra.

Like I said, just a sentence or two would've been fine by me.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Rounding is common in Trek, so, he could have disappeared 130 to 170 years ago (Jeez, I'm starting to sound like @MAGolding).

Not until you add three decimal places.

 

[Lord Garth]

Rounding is common in Trek, so, he could have disappeared 130 to 170 years ago (Jeez, I'm starting to sound like @MAGolding). 170 years ago is just about right...

Well... if we're isolating TOS from everything else, then fair enough. If not, then whichever way things move also effects FC and ENT. All Star Trek from 1993 on is based off the Okuda Chronology, so it locked a lot stuff in for better or worse.

 

[Henoch]

Not until you add three decimal places.

I actually thought about doing that, but I chickened out.

 

[Orphalesion]

.) But, like, would it have been fun to look at sci-fi from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s and infuse it with esthetics that would suggest it’s almost a period peice? From a future that never was? Or would we want to make today day one, and reimagine the ringship projecting from our art/science, for greater verisimilitude?

I'm quite a fan of the "used/utilitarian future" look, so if you mean that by Alien and Expanse influences then I agree that I would have liked that a lot better than ENT.
As for a faux 70s/80s "period piece" aesthetic...well I would definitely prefer that to the current trend in a lot of Science Fiction that seems to dress characters in contemporary clothing.
Truth be told I would have also been alright with a slow, gradual introduction of aliens into the setting. Like, the first contact with the Vulcans could have made for an interesting First Season Finale.
As far as ships go...I'm not very mechanically minded and don't often consider the shape or workings of the Star Ships themselves, so...eh, yeah the ring one looks good to me, but I don't mind the one shown in ENT either.

(And of course, please no Klingons or Temporal War nonsense. But that's beyond the topic of this thread)

 

[JonnyQuest037]

I actually thought about do that, but I chickened out.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Well... if we're isolating TOS from everything else, then fair enough. If not, then whichever way things move also effects FC and ENT. All Star Trek from 1993 on is based off the Okuda Chronology, so it locked a lot stuff in for better or worse.

Yeah, true. That's why it bugs me that the Okuda Chronology (which I think overall is a brilliant piece of work, BTW) and the subsequent shows arbitrarily moved several important TOS dates around to better fit with TNG and the subsequent shows. Was it really THAT important to take TNG's statement that McCoy was 137 years old as gospel, especially when they readily discounted Data's "class of '78" remark from the exact same episode? Was it really THAT important to ENT to have Zephram Cochrane disappear in 2119 instead of 2117? IMO, no, but they did it anyway.

But trying to fight against these assumptions is a losing battle, if for no other reason than there's 25 years worth of filmed Trek that backs up the Okuda dates at this point.

 

[fireproof78]

But trying to fight against these assumptions is a losing battle, if for no other reason than there's 25 years worth of filmed Trek that backs up the Okuda dates at this point.

That's why I say reboot.

 

[Orphalesion]

That's why I say reboot.

What kind of reboot?

Because if you mean just returning to the TOS crew *for a third time* then...No. Please no.
Especially if it ignores everything from the other shows.

Unless it's properly updated for modern times, includes a truckload of additional female and alien main characters (and I'm not talking about swooning yeomen in miniskirts) and includes elements (such as species and concepts) from the other shows.

 

[fireproof78]

Because if you mean just returning to the TOS crew *for a third time* then...No. Please no.

Other than a return to the base roots of optimistic future of humanity and action/adventure platform no.

Unless it's properly updated for modern times,

Yes.

includes a truckload of additional female and alien main characters

Yes.

includes elements (such as species and concepts) from the other shows.

Yes.

 

[Arpy]

You know, I wonder if there were other species they were working on back then that didn’t get any play or enough play later on.

 

[dswynne1]

Sisko was considered 'of Bajor' but he was not born or even raised there. There is nothing to stop Cochrane from moving his planetary citizenship from Earth to Alpha Centauri in his later years. People do it all the time in real life.

So...Dr. Cochrane hung out with the Na'vi and the Robinsons???