What if they STILL weren't home? 25 years in the Delta Quadrant

[Guy Gardener]

In the opening scene there's talk of a messy Ferengi scandal.

[2404 - San Francisco - Admiral Janeway's Apartment - night]
(Voyager swoops over San Francisco and over the Golden Gate Bridge amid a big firework display and in front of a large crowd.)
NEWSREADER [OC]: These should be familiar images to everyone who remembers the USS Voyager's triumphant return to Earth after twenty three years in the Delta Quadrant. Voyager captivated the hearts and minds of people throughout the Federation, so it seems fitting that on this, the tenth anniversary of their return, we take a moment to recall the sacrifices made by the crew. Corruption charges were brought today against a
JANEWAY: Computer, end display.
(Janeway is silver-haired now. She gazes out of her window.)

The only reason that that news article is there is that Janeway is involved, and she is going to jail.

She's going into the past to avoid life imprisonment, for doing something stupid.

Financial crimes in a society with out money?

2 years in the New Zealand Penal Colony, at best.

She's rending 26 years of timespace to avoid the weather in Auckland.

What a prick.

 

[WarpTenLizard]

Icheb and Naomi wed, and due to Naomi's Ktarian biology, we end up with a scenario similar to that in "Before and After." Their daughter Sabrina grows up very fast, and marries someone much older. Hopefully not Harry though, that's just be too weird.

 

[at Quark's]

^the idea of Harry marrying Linnis (Kes'daughter) already grossed me out a bit, even when I could still "stomach" Kes and Tom ending up together.

 

[Oddish]

^the idea of Harry marrying Linnis (Kes'daughter) already grossed me out a bit, even when I could still "stomach" Kes and Tom ending up together.

I think it was intended to give us perspective on how short lived species and long lived ones interact, romantically. Kind of like Sarek and Amanda and Perrin, only humanity was the shorter lived species. That's probably why the writers had Linnis and Andrew apparently have Ocampan lifespans, to play the incongruity to its conclusion.

I will say that it was nice to see Harry score for once (and rank up).

 

[at Quark's]

^Yes, I understand that rationally, but it still grosses me out on some level. I'm not really sure why it does, as on the other hand I have no such problem with Kes and Neelix, or Kes and Tom. Perhaps it's because we are only told how young Kes is, but she's still there from the beginning of the show. For Linnis, we experience how young she is (in a certain sense), because she is born "within" the future, with the other characters involved still very much the same (Paris, Kim).

Also, it causes me to ask the question how long an Ocampa/Human hybrid would live. An Ocampan lifespan? Somewhere between an Ocampan and a human lifespan?

 

[Oddish]

I understand the sentiment. It does seem a little odd, because as humans, we're used to romance with people who live about as long as we do.

Personally, I think that Linnis might have gotten a few extra years, and Andrew a few more. But that is a pure guess.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

At some point it's revealed that in a locked cabinet in Janeway's quarters, there is a literal magic reset button.

A locked cabinet in the cloaked nursery where the Borg Baby grew up.

 

[Oddish]

I thought Janeway had the Arachnia costume and a throne of Vidiian skulls next to the reset button, and Harry Kim had the Borg baby nursery.

 

[Tenacity]

Financial crimes in a society with out money?

They do not have money ... except when they do.

 

[Oddish]

It's like Bruce Lee's "fighting without fighting". The Federation has money without having money.

 

[Voth commando1]

Originally it was supposed to take 75 years. And they consistently looked for short cuts via wormholes or technology,

Assuming it isn’t the original Endgame timeline; Seven becomes fairly well adjusted, Tom and B’lanna have at least one kid, Icheb and Naomi become officers, Harry is probably promoted.

Either due to an opening, or enough field experience Janeway promotes him to Lieutenant. Just so he can order the Junior Staff around

They’d probably have entered the BQ, and might have to traverse through Romulan space or otherwise difficult territory.

 

[Oddish]

After 25y, Voyager has likely evolved into the beginnings of a generational vessel. Figure it would take them a decade, maybe 15y to get there. So, there are a bunch of preteen children running about the ship. Neelix, his skills honed by helping raise Naomi and Miral, serves as schoolteacher.

The Equinox's crew, with 20 years past since they were rescued, have long been integrated into the group.

 

[Voth commando1]

Given human lifespans in the 24th century, I expect you’d only see two generations by 25 years.

75 years is closer to three generations, given we have humans that make well over 150.

The chain of command would likely remain mostly the same though, barring any major deaths. Though give the ship fifty years, and I could see Janeway and Chakotay handing it off to a second generation(or much older Tom, Harry, and B’lanna).

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Icheb and Naomi does seem like a likely pairing just due to being mutually adolescent with no other options.

In the 24th century being in 60s is like being in 40s or 50s now so nobody has aged out of their jobs, but they've probably established schools and Starfleet training for all the kids, you know there had to be more than just Naomi and Tom/B'elana's kids.

And Ensign Kim reports to Lt Miral Paris.

 

[Oddish]

The chain of command would likely remain mostly the same though, barring any major deaths. Though give the ship fifty years, and I could see Janeway and Chakotay handing it off to a second generation(or much older Tom, Harry, and B’lanna).

I more see Tuvok becoming captain after Janeway and Chakotay retire. He certainly proved capable of the job in "Resolutions".

 

[F. King Daniel]

Captain Tuvok would be fun to watch. He showed a bit more of a ruthless side in "Prime Factors" stealing the spatial trajector, and I'd be curious how he'd be as a captain determined to get his crew home by any means.

 

[at Quark's]

I more see Tuvok becoming captain after Janeway and Chakotay retire. He certainly proved capable of the job in "Resolutions".

He would certainly be capable. His toughest challenge probably would be to deal with the reactions from his predominantly human crew when he makes strictly rational decisions that are perceived as 'cold'.

 

[Oddish]

His initial decision not to contact the Vidiians did not come from his cold Vulcan mind... it was Janeway's orders.

I think on some level, he always intended to go back. Hence his decision not to wear a captain's red shirt (and four pips). He was just looking for the right excuse.

 

[Voth commando1]

Tuvok was facing neurological health problems due to his advanced age, while that may have not occurred if voyager had gone the “long way”, I expect he would have likely declined command on that basis. Though if it had become known-maybe they could have found ways to slow the disease. But no treatment was very effective in Endgame IIRC.

Seven would assuming she didn’t die-probably get fully integrated into the command structure, and Janeway would probably trust her in that regard once she’d been with voyager a decade or so. I don’t see her becoming captain. I don’t think she’d have wanted the job. She’d likely take on other roles.

I could see Vorik get promoted to B’lanna‘s job.

As for Kim, I don’t see why he wouldn’t get promoted, the only reason he didn’t on voyager was because the positions were pretty much set. It Janeway and Chakotay retired he’d move up quite a few ranks.

I think after fifty years-Naomi, Icheb, and Miral Paris would be leading the ship, Janeway and Chakotay would both be in their eighties to nineties, and Tuvok even if his mind hadn’t degenerated would probably also have withdrawn(though he’d likely still do training and what not-unless his health was declining).

By sixty years, most of the mainline crew would have passed on their jobs to the second generation, they’d still with 24th century technology be relatively healthy, but it wouldn’t be best practice to have a ship run by sixty to ninety year olds.

Assuming the trip took seventy five years, by the time voyager got to earth, you’d have the beginnings of the third generation taking the reigns.

 

[Oddish]

Harry's been promoted or close to in five alternate timelines, all of them when he wasn't under Janeway's command. Three of those times, he's reached command rank.

I think you have it about right, Voth.