What if the Enterprise were thrown into the Delta Quadrant?

[somebuddyX]

It's funny thinking of Voyager now in context of something like The Martian or Apollo 13 and the reaction to the Feds hearing the ship's still intact should have been huge, but then if the E-D turned up in the DQ instead, man that would be massive.
If the E-D ended up in the DQ in 2364 with no character changes, then it's pretty much just TNG's original premise of being out in the universe alone on some deep space mission. I think that's an interesting AU in it's own right but I think it's missing the core Voyager conceit of the mixed crew. If it's 2364 and you don't want to bring in Maquis 7 years early then substituting a Romulan or Cardassian crew could be interesting. I think of the Cardies more as DS9 property though and I always liked the idea of the real Voyager encountering real Gul Evek in the DQ so I'd rather keep that element for that AU. Tebok, as played by Marc Alaimo, working as Picard's second in command or at least leader of a Romulan faction aboard the Enterprise could be pretty cool.
Do you bring in a Holo-Doc as replacement for a dead Dr Crusher or does it just go to Dr Selar? Could you have Data as an EMA or is that going too far? I usually like the 1:1 placement of people/ideas so things can roughly keep consistent rather than getting lost in analysis.
Instead of Stadi getting crispified, does a certain Acting-Ensign buy it? Jeez, mother and son killed in the opening minutes of this show. Wow. Maybe Ro was onboard and gets the Tom Paris arc?
If the E-D was lost on it's maiden voyager in 2364 then they might put a hold on a successor ship because of bad publicity. But if the D had been around for a bunch of years, might Starfleet unawares launch the E-E and so Picard gets a bit of a surprise when years later he finally makes contact.

 

[Orphalesion]

The Marquis were completely superfluous for the bulk of Voyager, so I think losing them would not be all that much of a problem. If we want another faction on the ship that, theoretically should have opinions on being stranded in the Delta Quadrant, but gets ignored anyway, we already have the civilians on board the Enterprise.

Personally I'd even skip the whole "a portion of the crew is killed during the jump to the Delta quadrant" it's not really necessary imho, especially without the Marquis element and really all it creates a wasted characters, I'd given Chuckles, Harry and Neelix to keep Stadi, for example. Though it could be used to move Geordi and Worf to their permanent stations sooner.

Though I do think that civilian characters might have been important, perhaps some sort of elected spokesperson for the civilian staff who sits in on meetings that concern the whole ship.

 

[FederationHistorian]

While the crew would approach exploration of the Delta Quadrant the same as they did in the Alpha Quadrant (albeit without the same access to Starfleet as before), I think the crew would be forced to look back on the original plan to wipe out the Borg after Species 8472 was dealt with. Although the Ent-D crew would be understanding as to the hostility Species 8472 shows towards the Borg, they would still be opposed to Species 8472 attacking a member of their crew.

Although its easy to understand why Picard would be open to it due to his personal experiences, its important to consider that in an alternate future displayed in “Parallels”, there was desperation shown by Riker, as it seemed like it was just Worf and him who had survived as the last people standing in a future where the Borg were everywhere. And they presumably were in the Alpha Quadrant, where they had the support of the Federation, and the Klingon and Romulan Empires were nearby too. Being in a quadrant with limited resource in Borg space would force a rethink through the crew in how they interact with the Borg since they would be without their comforts. And after the crew wiped out the Borg, they would at the very least consider salvaging as many parts from the destroyed cubes. Which would make them realize that they were behaving much like the Borg.

The only way Picard would not go through with it is if Q appeared and offered to either cut their distance from home down immensely, or send them home immediately. Or if Data was the voice of reason and humanity in the crew.

If the crew became polarized on the issue though, I could see them choosing to part ways. With half of the crew being on the saucer, and the other half on the stardrive section.

Troi would fill the role of the Doctor in Seven’s life if they brought her back. Seven would later receive guidance from Data and Picard. And would be less likely to butt heads with Geordi than she did with B’Elanna.

In terms of dealing with the New Collective, Picard would be open to recommending them for Federation membership, seeing as they were different from the Borg he knew.

Elsewhere in the Delta Quadrant...

Kazon – Picard would try to negotiate passage through the Delta Quadrant in exchange for water. And if Seska was a part of the crew and defected to the Kazon, Picard would let her go. He’s not like Sisko; he wouldn’t have a vendetta against her for abandoning the uniform.

Vidiians – having to create holographic lungs to save a member of the crew would force them to consider the limitations of holographic technology the Ent-D had. Which would then make them realize the importance of an EMH going forward.

Hirogen – would present a welcome challenge to Worf.

Krenim – Would end up doing the exact same thing Janeway did.

 

[somebuddyX]

E-D muscles in on Voyager intro.

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[Arpy]

Anything you can do I can do better! I can do anything better than you!
No you can’t!
Yes I can!
No you can’t!
Yes I can, yes I can, yes I caaaaaaaaan...!

 

[Thomas_Sullivan]

The only way Picard would not go through with it is if Q appeared and offered to either cut their distance from home down immensely, or send them home immediately. Or if Data was the voice of reason and humanity in the crew.

It seems natural that Data would be the voice of reason and humanity. He often is.

If the crew became polarized on the issue though, I could see them choosing to part ways. With half of the crew being on the saucer, and the other half on the stardrive section.

The saucer section cannot maintain warp drive indefinitely after separating from the star drive, and it cannot accelerate to warp speed without the star drive, so there is no way they would separate in this fashion. It would mean stranding the individuals aboard the saucer in the Delta Quadrant for the rest of their lives.

And would be less likely to butt heads with Geordi than she did with B’Elanna.

I don't know about this. Geordi doesn't have B'Elanna's temper, but he has never shown a great deal of patience with people interfering with engineering, which is the primary source of Torres and Seven's disagreements.

Kazon – Picard would try to negotiate passage through the Delta Quadrant in exchange for water.

He would try, of that I have no doubt, but a few notes on that.

1. That is exactly what Janeway attempted to do. I think any Starfleet officer worth their salt (as the expression goes) would.

2. The Kazon wouldn't settle for that, especially when they realized the Enterprise had the capability to create water, or that water was seemingly a limitless resource for them. They are an aggressive species that covets technology from others because they do not have the intelligence or the means to create it for themselves.

3. They can't negotiate safe passage through the Delta Quadrant just by making a deal with the Kazon. They don't own the entire Quadrant. They could negotiate safe passage through Kazon territory, but that is split up amongst sects, and no sect would cooperate with them if they were helping an opposing group, which would be all of them. At best, they could hope to negotiate peace with ONE group of Kazon, and their territory changes daily, so it still wouldn't guarantee safe passage.

And if Seska was a part of the crew and defected to the Kazon, Picard would let her go. He’s not like Sisko; he wouldn’t have a vendetta against her for abandoning the uniform.

This is true, but he still wouldn't let her go any more than Sisko would, just for different reasons. He would view her as his responsibility because she is a criminal from his sector of space, brought to that region aboard his ship while he was in command.

Vidiians – having to create holographic lungs to save a member of the crew would force them to consider the limitations of holographic technology the Ent-D had. Which would then make them realize the importance of an EMH going forward.

I question whether or not the medical staff even thinks of holographic lungs in order to save Neelix. It was the Doctor who came up with the idea to begin with, and I would argue that he thought of it almost entirely because he himself is a holographic projection. He has a different perspective on it.

EMH: I'm using the transporter matrix to get exact specifications for Neelix's lungs.
PARIS: I thought you just said we can't replicate his lungs.
EMH: We can't. But if I can reconfigure my emitter array I might be able to create a pair of holographic lungs for Mister Neelix.
PARIS: Holographic lungs?
EMH: If it's successful, we can precisely control his pulmonary functions to allow normal breathing.

Hirogen – would present a welcome challenge to Worf.

Krenim – Would end up doing the exact same thing Janeway did.

We agree on these two.

 

[suarezguy]

Something else I've been wondering about, though more with Voyager as it is, why didn't Wesley eventually help out or join the Maquis? How do you think Wesley would have interacted with Paris, Kim, Janeway if he had been part of Chakotay's crew?

 

[Orphalesion]

Something else I've been wondering about, though more with Voyager as it is, why didn't Wesley eventually help out or join the Maquis?

Why would he? What about his character or his actions during TNG indicate that he would be likely to join the Marquis?

 

[at Quark's]

If the ENT-D would take the place of Voyager, perhaps Voyager itself would take the place of the Equinox - as the smaller ship that got morally corrupted. Picard would have had a field day speeching about moral principles against Janeway.

 

[Oddish]

Janeway's definitely the sort of captain who could lose perspective, in extreme situations. We see it in Equinox (the torture scene), Year of Hell (when she refuses the doctor's orders), and probably other episodes I don't remember offhand.

I didn't include Tuvix because that was done in cold blood.

 

[Arpy]

Janeway and Ransom had a parallel thing going where by the end it was Janeway who was the fanatic and Ransom regaining perspective. It wouldn’t be too far off to make Tuvix murdering, timeline obliterating Janeway a tragic figure doing the unthinkable for her crew.

Picard would, per “The Wounded,” have no qualms with hunting down a rogue captain and crew.

I just had a wild thought. Remember how Robin Williams was a fan of the show and there was talk of him playing Berlinghoff Rasmussen in TNG’s “A Matter of Time”? What if he played Rikix — half Riker, half Neelix? Picture it... Once you do, you can’t unsee it!

Or, dare we imagine, somehow, someway...Datan (DAY-tan)...or...Guita (GUY-tuh), the merging of Data and former Delta Quadrant resident Guinan?

 

[Oddish]

Or, dare we imagine, somehow, someway...Datan (DAY-tan)...or...Guita (GUY-tuh), the merging of Data and former Delta Quadrant resident Guinan?

You'd have a sparkling, nonfunctional, and very dead fusion of flesh and silicon lying quivering on the floor.

That or a Borg.

 

[Arpy]

You'd have a sparkling, nonfunctional, and very dead fusion of flesh and silicon lying quivering on the floor.

That or a Borg.

Soong was a cyberneticist...maybe if everything teleported into place just right... Mostly I’m thinking about how interesting she’d be and tragic to kill her!

 

[suarezguy]

Why would he? What about his character or his actions during TNG indicate that he would be likely to join the Marquis?

That he backed Native Americans (behind-the-scenes outright meant to be Chakotay's people) being allowed to stay in their homes rather than relocated in "Journey's End".

 

[at Quark's]

Janeway and Ransom had a parallel thing going where by the end it was Janeway who was the fanatic and Ransom regaining perspective. It wouldn’t be too far off to make Tuvix murdering, timeline obliterating Janeway a tragic figure doing the unthinkable for her crew.

Ransom wasn't a fanatic, just a pragmatist that completely ditched his sense of morality. He could perhaps be compared to a cold-blooded professional criminal. Janeway to the fanatical chasing cop or 'fighter-for-a-cause'. The second kind of people may well turn out to be even more dangerous in a confrontation.

 

[Arpy]

Ransom wasn't a fanatic, just a pragmatist that completely ditched his sense of morality. He could perhaps be compared to a cold-blooded professional criminal. Janeway to the fanatical chasing cop or 'fighter-for-a-cause'. The second kind of people may well turn out to be even more dangerous in a confrontation.

I dunno. Potato, potahto. I don’t imagine Janeway shouting “Starfleet hu Akbar” and killing everyone crashing Voyager into the Equinox to get her target either. But Ransom threw out his oath and tortured and murdered to get his ship home, nowhere near Janeway. (At least not until the series finale.)

 

[at Quark's]

Janeway tortured Lessing for information. Psychological torture, but torture nonetheless. And had there been no alternative, I indeed imagine she was in a sufficiently worked up mental state to sacrifice Voyager to stop the Equinox crew if worst came to worst (but I'll agree that's a purely subjective assessment).

 

[somebuddyX]

I kind of like the idea of Janeway as rogue being hunted by Picard for breaking the prime directive but I wonder what set of circumstances would lead to that scenario and without it feeling like too far out for the character. I don't think you could give her a version of the dolphin drive storyline and start murdering lifeforms for fuel. Maybe it could be small scale in interfering in the affairs of some planet because a bunch of her crew were abducted. Some totalitarian craphole leaves her with half her crew and unwilling and unable to just leave she decides to try to take down the government to either get them back or get revenge. Picard stumbles upon this and as the only Starfleet ship in 70000 light years decides to stop her.

 

[Finn]

I'd bet we'd just get a lot of "Back when I was a young Captain on the Stargazer, we were once chased by ...." lines instead

Eh. He had opportunities to do it on TNG. I don’t see why he’d do it in the DQ when he didn’t in the AQ

 

[Brainsucker]

Wait a minutes, if my memory serve right, Enterprise has been thrown far, far away in season 1. Even farther than Delta Quadrant.