The Lily Sloane Effect

[XCV330]

I was thinking. If disregarding the book where Lily had her memory wiped, she might be one of the most pivotal characters in Trek. Cochrane knows a bit about the future, not nearly as much as Lily observed. She knows the future involves a lot of ray guns, enemies and a series of saucer shaped ships.

By the beginnings of Starfleet there are already a fleet of armed craft protecting Earth from.. what? Kzin? Nausiccans? And at least with the Franklin, they are already using saucer hulls. If Cochrane uses his knowledge to propel earth forward with this rapid expansion (and then heads out on his own, at last) that even has the Conestoga heading out less then a decade after Phoenix, Lily might be the one making sure Earth gets protection and plenty of ray guns.

It would be interesting to see some thowaway line as to what happened to her.

 

[dahj]

She obviously founded Section 31 and Luther Sloan is her descendant

 

[XCV330]

She obviously founded Section 31 and Luther Sloan is her descendant

Sec 31 IS as old as the pre-federation Starfleet charter. It's never said when Starfleet formed. She'd be around into the early 22nd century, maybe.

 

[PT109]

I've always felt that the failure to expand on Lily's story was a missed opportunity. Theoretically, she's the Buzz Aldrin of the Phoenix story -- and an important figure in human history. A namedrop here or there (a ship, an "institute," a friendship with Henry Archer, etc.) would've been pretty neat. Not too late DSC producers!

 

[XCV330]

I've always felt that the failure to expand on Lily's story was a missed opportunity. Theoretically, she's the Buzz Aldrin of the Phoenix story -- and an important figure in human history. A namedrop here or there (a ship, an "institute," a friendship with Henry Archer, etc.) would've been pretty neat. Not too late DSC producers!

I agree, very much.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Lily might be the one making sure Earth gets protection and plenty of ray guns.

I'd assume the Vulcans told humans to defend their ships, given they'll know how dangerous space can be and that there are a number of species that are/potentially hostile.

In one of my fanfics I included a Nebula-Class SCE ship called the Sloane in her honour, as I've always found her to be one of the most under appreciated characters.

 

[XCV330]

I'd assume the Vulcans told humans to defend their ships, given they'll know how dangerous space can be and that there are a number of species that are/potentially hostile.

In one of my fanfics I included a Nebula-Class SCE ship called the Sloane in her honour, as I've always found her to be one of the most under appreciated characters.

the ECS ships were certainly loaded for bear. Its sometimes hard to gauge how much the vulcans held humans back in Enterprise and how much they just didn't want to have to go out there and constantly save humans.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

So she's kind of first contact's hidden figure. History repeats itself, huh?

 

[WraithDukat]

So she's kind of first contact's hidden figure. History repeats itself, huh?

Micheal Who?? As in Collins.

 

[Crazy Eddie]

I was thinking. If disregarding the book where Lily had her memory wiped, she might be one of the most pivotal characters in Trek. Cochrane knows a bit about the future, not nearly as much as Lily observed. She knows the future involves a lot of ray guns, enemies and a series of saucer shaped ships.

By the beginnings of Starfleet there are already a fleet of armed craft protecting Earth from.. what? Kzin? Nausiccans? And at least with the Franklin, they are already using saucer hulls. If Cochrane uses his knowledge to propel earth forward with this rapid expansion (and then heads out on his own, at last) that even has the Conestoga heading out less then a decade after Phoenix, Lily might be the one making sure Earth gets protection and plenty of ray guns.

It would be interesting to see some thowaway line as to what happened to her.

I have been convinced for a long time that Lily Sloan is actually the inventor of the warp drive and Cochrane just took the credit. First Contact ALMOST seemed to be teasing this plot twist itself:

PICARD: What have you found out?
TROI: There's no sign of Cochrane anywhere in the complex.
PICARD: He has to be here. There was nothing more important to him than this ship. This flight. It was his dream.​

But Cochrane wasn't there guarding the ship... LILY was.

Nor was the ship particularly important to Cochrane:

LILY: It's the ECON.
COCHRANE: After all these years?
(more photon bolts)
LILY: We've got to get to the Phoenix!
(another photon bolt)
COCHRANE: To hell with the Phoenix.​

Even more: Cochrane talks to Riker about how he only developed the Phoenix so he could get rich. But on the Enterprise Lily says:

LILY: It took me six months to scrounge up enough titanium just to build a four-metre cockpit. ...How much did this thing cost?
PICARD: The economics of the future are somewhat different. ...You see, money doesn't exist in the twenty-fourth century.
LILY: No money! That means you don't get paid.
PICARD: The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives. ...We work to better ourselves ...and the rest of humanity. Actually we're rather like yourself and Doctor Cochrane.
LILY: <laughs>​

And if she hadn't run into the Borg at exactly that moment, the next words out of her mouth probably would have been
"Hehe... Doctor Cochrane... yeah, he's a drunken idiot, but he's useful sometimes. I couldn't have built the warp engine without him."

 

[Markonian]

The representatives of Alpha Centauri on the Federation Council and on early amalgated Starfleet include Sloane’s descendants.