Found this quote by Kathryn Janeway in "One Small Step": If scientific knowledge was all we were after, then the Federation would have built a fleet of probes, not starships.
Suppose in the future, they do just that - build super-super-fast probe ships with tons of devices to gather readings and a transporter receiver. Starfleet is run in offices remotely by probe pilots and specialists who study and analyze the readings. If something merits a closer look or personal meeting, beam there and check it out. If danger comes, or you're finished up for now, just beam back. You can be home by dinnertime. Hardly any risk or adventure anymore.
Suppose one of the team leaders (aka captain) becomes frustrated by this. Their co-workers live simple, easy lives. There's no drive, no excitement, no adventure. Everything is routine. So this leader hatches a plan...
One morning, their entire team (aka crew) wake up to find they've been beamed to the probe ship, which has been modified and outfitted for their long-term use. All long-distance beaming links have been deactivated. They can communicate with Command, but can't be caught. The same thing which made that probe so valuable for hands-off study also makes it next to impossible to face consequences for their actions.
The crew naturally have mixed feelings about this. From feeling ripped away from their family and lives, to excited about the possibilities, maybe even eager to escape from something or someone.
Meanwhile, Command wants nothing more than to re-capture these people on principle, perhaps even trying to catch them by proxy. But as time goes by, some of their opinions change, too, about what they're doing.
What would you think of a story based on this? I actually had the idea before I saw the quote.
Suppose in the future, they do just that - build super-super-fast probe ships with tons of devices to gather readings and a transporter receiver. Starfleet is run in offices remotely by probe pilots and specialists who study and analyze the readings. If something merits a closer look or personal meeting, beam there and check it out. If danger comes, or you're finished up for now, just beam back. You can be home by dinnertime. Hardly any risk or adventure anymore.
Suppose one of the team leaders (aka captain) becomes frustrated by this. Their co-workers live simple, easy lives. There's no drive, no excitement, no adventure. Everything is routine. So this leader hatches a plan...
One morning, their entire team (aka crew) wake up to find they've been beamed to the probe ship, which has been modified and outfitted for their long-term use. All long-distance beaming links have been deactivated. They can communicate with Command, but can't be caught. The same thing which made that probe so valuable for hands-off study also makes it next to impossible to face consequences for their actions.
The crew naturally have mixed feelings about this. From feeling ripped away from their family and lives, to excited about the possibilities, maybe even eager to escape from something or someone.
Meanwhile, Command wants nothing more than to re-capture these people on principle, perhaps even trying to catch them by proxy. But as time goes by, some of their opinions change, too, about what they're doing.
What would you think of a story based on this? I actually had the idea before I saw the quote.
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