The Picard Paradox

[Ayko]

The ST Picard Paradox

We are all familiar with the „time paradox“ of physics that describes the apparent contradiction of travelling back in time to kill your parents prior to your conception so that you are never born to commit the act...

According to official reports, the planned Star Trek: Picard series takes place along a „timeline“ (whatever that is!) following the destruction of Romulus by a Supernova that leads to renegade Romulan, Nero, travelling a century into the past where he destroys Vulcan, an event that cannot be hidden and gives the Romulans a century warning to avoid or prevent the disaster.

Captain Pike to Nero (Star Trek „reboot“): „...Romulus hasn’t been destroyed. Its out there right now. You’re blaming the Federation for something that hasn’t happened.“

In other words, the timeline with Romulus being destroyed saves Romulus and destroys Vulcan so, any timeline following the detruction of Romulus does not exist. The Star Trek: Picard Paradox is born.

If the timeline that no longer exists is used, remember that, thanks to Janeway and her final encounter with the Borg, Starfleet now has starship shielding technology that is impenetrable and photonic and other weaponry that eliminates Borg vessels with a single shot. In other words, Starfleet and the Federation, especially without Romulans, is invincible. That would make little room for conflict even at the Species 8472 level. I look forward to the artistic quality of stories without all the silly space battles, ridiculous explosions, the always getting bigger (hand) weapons, and foolish fist fights.

Ayko

 

[F. King Daniel]

 

[Nyotarules]

There is no paradox, there is the TOS/TNG/DS9/VOY/DISC reality and the Kelvin reality. That was the stated intent of the Kelvinverse creators.

 

[Tosk]

Two words. Multiple timelines.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

FYI, not you, the OP

 

[eschaton]

The problem for some fans is that even though Kurtzman and Orci were 100% clear their intent was not to erase the original timelines through the creation of the Kelvin timeline, canon purists do not believe that declarations of authorial intent matter, only what is seen onscreen. And traditionally, how time travel has worked in Trek is that any changes to the past rewrite the entire timeline, rather than cause a new timeline to split off.

Of course, this is just how TL usually works (like in The City on the Edge of Forever, Yesterday's Enterprise, First Contact, Children of Time, the Temporal Cold War, etc). There are examples, like Parallels where we have shifted through alternate timelines without destruction of the original timeline. There's also examples of time travel as an apparent closed loop (most of DS9's use of time travel, Time's Arrow, apparently Star Trek IV, etc).

 

[Lord Garth]

Picard = Late Sequel to TNG, DS9, and VOY.

Forget the 2009 film if you have to, if it makes things easier.

Romulus is destroyed and whatever happened to Spock and Nero after that doesn't matter because we're not going to see it here. This is everything from Picard's perspective. And as far as he's concerned, they died. He doesn't know about any other timeline that branched off from the one he's in.

The Kelvin Timeline exists parallel to the Prime Timeline. It didn't replace it.

 

[DaveyNY]

Intertwining and confusing the details of two distinct and separate stories to create a nonexistent problem...

The mind is a terrible thing to waste.

 

[Ovation]

Picard = Late Sequel to TNG, DS9, and VOY.

You forgot prequel to DSC.

 

[Tom]

You forgot prequel to DSC.

..and ENT

 

[The Wormhole]

I would have thought the other dozen threads on this subject would have made the matter clear by now. Guess not.

 

[Jedman67]

It's the Slightly Obscured-Mirror Universe. Get it right, people!

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

It's the Slightly Obscured-Mirror Universe. Get it right, people!

Not the slightly skewed left-hand mirror universe???? Damn, I wish they'd pass out programs.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

canon purists do not believe that declarations of authorial intent matter

Who the fuck cares what "canon purists" believe?

 

[Longinus]

The problem for some fans is that even though Kurtzman and Orci were 100% clear their intent was not to erase the original timelines through the creation of the Kelvin timeline, canon purists do not believe that declarations of authorial intent matter, only what is seen onscreen. And traditionally, how time travel has worked in Trek is that any changes to the past rewrite the entire timeline, rather than cause a new timeline to split off.

Of course, this is just how TL usually works (like in The City on the Edge of Forever, Yesterday's Enterprise, First Contact, Children of Time, the Temporal Cold War, etc). There are examples, like Parallels where we have shifted through alternate timelines without destruction of the original timeline. There's also examples of time travel as an apparent closed loop (most of DS9's use of time travel, Time's Arrow, apparently Star Trek IV, etc).

Perhaps instead of travelling to the past of their own timeline, Spock and Nero accidentally travelled to the past of a parallel timeline (which, as you note, have been established to exist, Mirror Universe, Parallels.) This would explain why their actions do not effect the future of the Prime timeline, like is usually the case in Trek. And it having always been a parallel timeline would better explain how things are so different; Nero causing all that in such a short time really isn't a terribly plausible explanation.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Perhaps instead of travelling to the past of their own timeline, Spock and Nero accidentally travelled to the past of a parallel timeline (which, as you note, have been established to exist, Mirror Universe, Parallels.) This would explain why their actions do not effect the future of the Prime timeline, like is usually the case in Trek. And it having always been a parallel timeline would better explain how things are so different; Nero causing all that in such a short time really isn't a terribly plausible explanation.

Makes a hell of a lot more sense than Simon Pegg's weird theory that Nero's arrival somehow changed the past as well as the future.

That said, I still prefer that everything prior to 2233 was the same. I'd like to see, for example, Captain Robau appear on DSC (Faran Tahir says he'd gladly do it), possibly as the President of the Federation. Or maybe we can find out what happened to Balthazar Edison in the prime timeline.

 

[The Wormhole]

^^I was going to bring up the ending of season 2 of Disco, but then, I guess that doesn't prevent Robau from appearing in season 3 anyway so never mind.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ Robau could always appear in a Short Trek.

Or one of the DSC crew could mention him, play back one of his logs or speeches, that kind of thing.

(This is assuming that Discovery never makes it back to its original time frame, which - given "Calypso" - I find unlikely.)

 

[Longinus]

That said, I still prefer that everything prior to 2233 was the same. I'd like to see, for example, Captain Robau appear on DSC (Faran Tahir says he'd gladly do it), possibly as the President of the Federation. Or maybe we can find out what happened to Balthazar Edison in the prime timeline.

Well, these are closely related timelines regardless. Considering that all the familiar TOS people seemed to exist in Kelvin timeline, Robau and Edison would probably still exist in the Prime timeline even if Kelvin was a parallel one.

 

[F. King Daniel]

One could say the USS Edison from "Battle of the Binary Stars" was named for Balthazar rather than Thomas, if they wished.