just a thought I had about Star Trek

I've been thinking about the Star Trek universe for some time, and I've come to a conclusion: the "main" universe isn't actually our own!

No matter how people try to fit the Eugenics Wars into our history, it always ends up seeming out of place. The Earth that joined the Federation is in fact in an alternate universe that diverged from ours a few decades ago. This would explain away some of the other outdated "predictions".

So, is our Earth left out entirely then? Not necessarily. There is another universe that is also introduced in the original series. Later dubbed the "mirror universe," this place has a humanity which has NOT overcome its problems or learned to live peacefully with its neighbors. Since we know nothing about this univere's Earth, there is no reason not to believe that this is not our "real" future.

Could it be? Could our world become the homeworld of the Terran Empire, with the Federation existing in the other universe?

Am I making any sense?
 

NapoleonXIV

Banned
Hmmm...well in one Major Kira is a pious sort of half nun. In the other, the Intendant. ("I'm not bad, I'm just costumed that way.")

One mans dystopia....

However, I think the whole thing is the Suliban, what with time traveling almost as much as regular they've got the whole Universe screwed up.

Mark my words, the Xindi crisis will be averted by having it never have happened, a Suliban trick, and it will be hinted that other things like it are/have been happening all along.
 
well, there's nothing in the official ST series to show just how the Mirror universe got started. However, one of the books about it ("Mirror Mirror", which is excellent) notes that the divergence happened a long time ago; even the Iliad is different, showing that Achilles kills Priam as he is begging for the body of Hector so he can bury it. Granted, it's not official....
 
I've often felt that the "mirror" universe in Star Trek could more likely actually be our own. Not hard to see things headed that way if the world situation didn't improve...

Interestingly, do the Nazi salutes of the mirror-Enterprise crew indicate a world history where Hitler maybe won WW2?
 
David Howery said:
even the Iliad is different, showing that Achilles kills Priam as he is begging for the body of Hector so he can bury it.

It wasn't necessarily different when it was first written; the Empire could well have had it re-written to better serve its purposes.
 
---No matter how people try to fit the Eugenics Wars into our history, it always ends up seeming out of place. The Earth that joined the Federation is in fact in an alternate universe that diverged from ours a few decades ago. This would explain away some of the other outdated "predictions".--



Fyi there was a reference to the Eugenics Wars being fought in North Africa in the most recent episode of Enterprise. I agree what you say about the Earth in the Star Trek TL. I think that the likely POD was around WW2 as the Star Trek universe Earth seems to have more advanced technology than ours- ie orbital missile platforms in the 1960's and deep space sleeper ships in the 1990's. Perhaps the war ran a year or 2 longer allowing for further technological development. Apparently eugenics itself wasnt thoroughly discredited by the Nazis with scientists as you had the cabal of scientists who created Khan and the other eugenic supermen in the first place-which is another sign that the Star Trek Earth was more technologically advanced.
 
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---Could it be? Could our world become the homeworld of the Terran Empire, with the Federation existing in the other universe----


Most of the written fiction and speculation I have seen about the mirror universe has the main POD with Khan and the eugenic supermen winning the Eugenics Wars and Earth is then transfomed into a brutal dictatorship. The mirror universe could have also arisen from the events depicted in City on the Edge of Forever-ie McCoy goes back in time prevents Edith Keeler from dying leading to the Nazis winning WW2.
 
Michael E Johnson said:
---Could it be? Could our world become the homeworld of the Terran Empire, with the Federation existing in the other universe----


Most of the written fiction and speculation I have seen about the mirror universe has the main POD with Khan and the eugenic supermen winning the Eugenics Wars and Earth is then transfomed into a brutal dictatorship. The mirror universe could have also arisen from the events depicted in City on the Edge of Forever-ie McCoy goes back in time prevents Edith Keeler from dying leading to the Nazis winning WW2.



I remembered a Mirror timeline that I found that combined both of these elements-the link is down but luckily I have the text.-MEJ


Message 3075 of 3484 | Previous | Next [ Up Thread ] Message Index Msg #

From: "mikejohn74" <klein_37@h...>
Date: Mon Jan 28, 2002 11:55 pm
Subject: THE IMPERIUM


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I FOUND THIS INTERESTING ALTERNATE STAR TREK AT TIMELINE

http://www.startrekzone.com/imperium.history.html




1774 General George Washington is captured by the British Army. He is
found guilty of treason and is executed. This severely demoralizes
the independence movement and the American colonial freedom fighters.

1775 After several crushing defeats, the American colonial militia
surrenders to General Hastings of the British Army. Within months,
the outlaw patriots are captured, found guilty of treason and
sedition, then summarily executed.

1776 With the American Independence movement at an end, British
troops garrisoned throughout the colonies are moved to the western
and southern borders to expand and secure British holdings.

1778 King George commissions the formation of the British American
States and creates a series of duchies and earldoms to govern them.
Loyal British subjects are knighted and given governorship of these
new duchies and earldoms. The American Parliament is formed,
supported by an American House of Commons. Benedict Arnold, a colonel
of British Intelligence and instrumental in Washington's capture, is
appointed as the first American Prime Minister.

1779 British troops move northward and sweep through former British
territories being held by the French, adding to the British American
States. In addition, southern territories held by Spain begin to
grumble about forays into their territories.

1786 - 1798 British troops, backed by indentured servants and African
slaves, push British American boundaries westward to the Mississippi
and build a series of forts to protect the border. The southern end
and delta region are held by the Spanish.

1806 A British fleet lays siege to New Orleans. Cut off on the land
side by three regiments of British regulars, New Orleans falls in
three months. Moving northeast, the fleet and supporting regiments
secures Spanish forts and stations garrisons along the way.

1818 - 1842 British and Spanish warships continuously disrupt each
other's trade routes, increasing tensions. Due to wars each are
engaged in on the European continent, neither can effectively end the
threats to their fleets.

1861 - 1865 British American troops march on territories held by the
Spanish American Confederacy. In the war that ensues, over 200,000
lives are lost. In the end, the British American States win, and
Spain cedes not only the territories of the Spanish Confederacy, but
of the lands west of the Mississippi they laid claim to.

1865.04 American Prime Minister Lincoln is shot while at a play by a
Spanish Confederacy spy. Two hundred Spanish citizens are executed in
retaliation.

1882 Fort Alamo is besieged by the Mexican Army. The British American
States declares war on Mexico. Great Britain refuses to support and
aid in the war. This angers many of the American nobles, as well as
members of the American Parliament. They vow to remember this failure
by the mother country to help it's main colony.

1882 - 1888 Battle by bloody battle, the British American army slowly
pushes the Mexican Army back. By 1888, British American forces have
secured territories extending all the way to the Pacific.

1889 In a major push into Mexico, general Sam Houston captures Mexico
City and executes Santa Ana. The Mexican government sues for peace.

1914 - 1917 The German Republic invades several lesser European
nations bordering them. England, France, and Spain ally together and
go to war against Germany in protest. The British Empire demands the
support of British American troops, but are turned down by the
American Parliament. By 1917, after humiliating and defeating Allied
European troops, the German Republic has conquered much of Eastern
Europe, and forced alliances with Italy and nations of Northern
Africa.

1918 Great Britain declares the American Parliament in rebellion and
sends warships to secure British American ports. A vastly newer and
superior American navy turns their aging warships away. The American
Parliament declares indepence from the British Empire.

1939 The Nazi Party, led by Adolf Hitler, seizes control of the
German Republic. The Nazi Government begins a massive buildup of
troops, tanks, and aircraft. The new German Nazi Army grows to one
million troops.

1939.06 Edith Keeler founds the World Peace organization. Believing
that fighting the Germans would be too costly, she convinces the
British American States to end any and all aid to Europe.

1940 The German Nazi government declares war on all of Europe. Their
allies, the Asian Alliance, led by Japan's Emperor, lays siege to
nations within the Asian and Indian theatres.

1941.1207 Asian Alliance forces attack San Diego, bringing the
British American States into World War II.

1942 The German Nazi military successfully tests and launches a V-2
rocket. One month later, they begin full-scale production. Soon
after, they use a V-2 to deliver an atomic bomb strike on St.
Petersburg, Russia.

1943 The Asian Alliance uses a new submarine design that launches
German made atomic torpedoes, thus decimating Euro-American Fleets in
the Pacific.

1945 The European Nations, Russian Provinces, African Nations, and
South American Nations surrender to the combined German Nazi and
Asian Alliance forces. Victorious, they create the United Nazi
Nations. British America and the Mexican Republic refuses to join and
continue their fight.

1949 The UNN Grand Chancellor Adolf Hitler demands the surrender of
British America and the Mexican Republic, threatening atomic
bombardment. Continuing their refusal, he launches a strike against
Mexico City. The American Parliament capitulates and becomes another
Nazi puppet government.

1959 NASA, the Nazi Allied Space Administration, lands the first man
on the moon.

1964 The Space Station Fueher goes online with plans to begin moon
colonization.

1970 A crack team of Nazi Special Forces storm various South American
labs and discover long term experimentation in eugenics. Unsure as to
if and how many "super-humans" were created, the Nazi party goes on
alert.

1992 Khan Noonien Sing rises to power and seizes several third world
countries in attempt to overthrow Nazi control of the world.

1993 The Eugenics Wars begin when Khan invades mainland China.

1996 The Eugenics Wars end, having caused the deaths of over 60
million people. Though the Nazi Party is severely weakened, Khan and
his followers are brought to trial. They eventually escape and flee
Earth in a prototype DY-100 Sleeper.

1998 In the chaotic aftermath of the Eugenics Wars, the Nazi party
falls. High ranking party officials and military officers are exiled
to deep space. The Unified American party, the most powerful of
political groups led by General Richard Wolffe and controls the
former British American States, creates the nucleus of the Terran
Empire. The Terran Empire rises up and fills the void left by the
fallen UNN.

2001 Recognizing that the best way to motivate people to pull
together was to turn their focus outward, the Terran Empire decrees
that the Imperial Space Initiative be passed. Exploitation of the
solar system begins to help rebuild human civilization.

2008 Imperial Intelligence discover a secret bunker containing rocket
designs that were being researched by the former NASA. The new
design, the Orion Pulse Engine, revolutionizes space travel.

2012 A Wanderer Class unmanned probe, using the Orion design,
circumnavigates the solar system in four months.

2018 A series of Wanderer II Class Interstellar probes are launched
in disparate directions. They feature an upgraded Orion Pulse Engine.

2031 The first reconnaissance data returns from one of the Wanderer
II probes sent to Alpha Centauri. The data shows evidence of an
advanced civilization developing there. Plans begin to send a fleet
to investigate.

2045 Emperor Richard Wolffe dies of natural causes. His eldest son,
Prince Edward, assumes the reigns of power.

2059 Imperial Scientist Zephrame Cochrane goes into hiding with his
assistant, Lilly Sloane. It is believed that they have developed a
propulsion unit that can surpass the speed of light.

2063 Imperial Intelligence is contacted by an individual identifying
himself as Commander William Riker. He assists Imperial Intelligence
in locating Cochrane and Sloane. As an act of gratitude, the Emperor
allows Riker and his team to take over production and launch of the
Pheonix, a prototype "warp" rocket.

During the test launch, contact is made with an advanced space-faring
race, the Vulcans. Despite the advantage to the Vulcans, an Imperial
Marine Commando team successfully captures the Vulcan reconnaissance
team and their scout vessel. Ship's records showed that they were on
a deep space patrol and not expected to return for a year. They
altered course to investigate warp emanations from our solar system
and determine the threat value of our race. Imperial Engineers begin
immediate development of a new warp vessel incorporating
modifications based on the Vulcan design.

2064 The first six vessels of the Conqueror Class, a warp drive
starship, completes production. They are armed with high-powered
monochromatic, high-intensity lasers powered by the ships fusion
sublight impulse engine.

2065 A fleet of twelve Conqueror Class vessels, led by Prince
William, Emperor Edward's younger brother, launches for Alpha
Centauri. The journey takes two months. The Centauran government
resists their overtures for Alliance, and the fleet begins a siege
that lasts only three weeks before the Centauran Government concedes
defeat.

2066 A Vulcan cruiser enters Earth's orbit, demanding to know why the
Terran Empire is holding Vulcan citizen's prisoner. Several Conqueror
Class vessels take up position around the warship. Tensions mount and
the Vulcan cruiser is fired upon when it tries to escape. Disabled,
the ship is boarded, crew captured. Flight data decrypted shows the
coordinates for the Vulcan Homeworld.

2068 A fleet of twelve Stellar Class Warships are sent to Vulcan,
commanded by Fleet Admiral William Wolffe. The Stellar Class features
launch tubes that fire thermo-nuclear hydrofusion torpedoes.

2070 The Imperial Fleet arrives at Vulcan, much to the Vulcan's
surprise. Vulcan warships gather to expel the threat, but cooler
heads start to see the power that can be wrought with an alliance.
Commodore Riker, Commanding the Dark Knights Wing, negotiates the
Alliance Accords.

While on an exploratory mission, the ITSS Bonaparte discovers Axanar
and it's intelligent, but non-space faring, humanoid race. Led by 1LT
Colin Fortine, the Axanarians are quickly subjugated and become part
of the Terran Empire.

2071 Rear Admiral Riker disappears while on a tour of a newly
discovered area of space. All searches in the area are fruitless,
with no signs of other vessels in the area.

2072 Earth's first Atlas Class multi-functional, space rated
construction dock becomes operational, serving as a sublight
maneuverable repair facility for starships.

2073 First contact with the Tellarites. Under the command of Rear
Admiral Patrick Byrne, a fleet of Imperial Defense Force vessels
encounter a Tellarite vessel while on patrol in the Sol System. After
a brief and incisive attack, the Tellarite vessel is disabled. The
Tellarite commander is interrogated and quickly divulges the
Tellarite Homeworld coordinates.

2074 The combined fleet of Terran Empire and Vulcan Protectorate
warships, under the command of Admiral Sean Collins, enters the
Tellar home system. After a two week siege, the Tellarites surrender
and all of the Tellarite controlled space is annexed by the Terran
Empire.

2076 First contact with the Andoran Star Empire. An Andoran warship
fires on an Imperial Scout. The Terran Empire declares war and masses
a fleet. Each battle comes to a draw, neither side a clear victor.
The Vulcans mediate negotiations between the two foes and logic wins
out showing each the advantage of becoming allies.

2082 A series of meetings take place on Earth, attended by the
diplomats from Earth, Vulcan, and Andor. Talks of a formal unified
alliance fails to gain popularity due to disagreements as to how the
new alliance would be governed, and by whom.

2084 Emperor Edward Wolffe dies of natural causes. Fleet Admiral Sean
Collins, Commander-in-Chief of the Terran Imperial Fleet, is named
Emperor.

2085 During a war games exercise involving Terran, Vulcan, and
Andoran warships, and Andoran warship is crippled when two Terran
warships collide with it. The incident calls for an immediate and in-
depth review. It is found that there needs to be a more centralized
command and training structure between the three governments.

2087 The Terran Emperor, the Vulcan Praetor, and the Andoran Prefect
gather with the high ranking members of their governments and
military to sign the accords forming the Imperial Federation. Each
government's ruler will equally rule on a council of nine regents,
three from each government. Every three years, the mantel of Prime
Regent will be held by one of the three rulers.

In addition, a unified military command is created. Imperial
Starfleet Command will consist of officers and warships from all
three governments. Each will maintain defense fleets within their
home territories, but Imperial Starfleet warships and their
commanders will have overriding authority.

To ensure a high standard of training and competence, the Grand
Imperial Fleet Academy is organized and built on Earth to train all
Imperial Starfleet Officers.

Through a great amount of debate and political maneuvering, the
Terran's own Emperor Sean Collins accepts the mantel as the first
Prime Regent of the Imperial Federation.

2089 During a tour of the Imperial Federation, the ISS Alliance is
attacked by vessels of unknown configuration. The High Prefect of
Andor and the Praetor of Vulcan are killed in the attack. Emperor
Collins declares martial law until the attackers can be brought to
justice.

Protests are raised by the Vulcan and Andoran regents, but are
quickly quieted when squadrons of Zeus Class Dreadnaughts take up
orbit around Vulcan, Andor, and other key colonies and installations.
The Zeus Class are the newest warship design out of a secret Jovian
construction dock. Some 60 had been built from 2083 and 2088. They
feature a three nacelle design, new high intensity phased laser
turrets, and new bio-thermic torpedoes. Elite Terran Imperial Fleet
Officers staffs all of the warships.

There are a number of minor rebellions which are quashed by either
the dreadnaughts or the crack shock troops carried aboard.

Meanwhile, a search begins for the vessels that attacked the ISS
Alliance.

2090 - 2092 Emperor Collins reveals to the Imperial Federation that
Imperial Intelligence has discovered that the Council of Regents had
conspired with a previously unknown race called the Orions to
assassinate the Prime Regent and other High Regents.

With this, he disbands the Council of Regents and declares himself
the sole sovereign and Emperor of the Imperial Federation. He creates
the Grand Imperial Council and appoints a number of Vulcan and
Andoran nobles to serve on the Cabinet of Ministers. He then
commissions duchies, earldoms, and baronies throughout the Imperial
Federation, appointing loyal Terran, Vulcan, and Andoran nobles to
these stations.

It is soon evident that this new form of governing is better and
further strengthens the Imperial Federation. Though there are
rumblings by the Andorians of their loss of power, smarter players
begin to work within the new structure to build powerful imperial
houses to get the upper hand on their competitors.

Vulcan and Andoran officers, trained by the Grand Imperial Fleet
Academy, begin to serve on Imperial Starfleet Warships.

2092 The ISS Hercules fails to make its destination at Penal Colony
Alpha. It is later discovered that ships of unknown configuration
destroy it, but not before it's captain releases it's buoy-recorder.

2093 An Imperial scout vessel recovers the buoy-recorder of the ISS
Hercules. Imperial Intelligence begins interrogations of Tellarite
and Orion traders. They discover that races similar to the Vulcans,
called the Romulans, are responsible. The Romulans are a group of
Vulcans that escaped from Vulcan refusing Surak's teachings. It was
believed that the group had perished, but apparently had flourished
and exist peacefully with another yet unknown race - the Klingons.

2094 Imperial Starfleet's Rising Sun Class cruiser becomes
operational. They feature the more powerful phasers and new quasi-
nuclear photon-neutron torpedoes.

2101 Contact is made with the Romulans. The Vulcans push for a large
scale military action, but Imperial Intelligence convinces Emperor
Collins to wait for more information.

2103 Emperor Sean Collins dies from radiation exposure. The accident
happened while touring a new starbase when the reactor destabilized
and exploded. Admiral Alan Wolffe, son of former Emperor Edward
Wolffe, succeeds him.

2105 Imperial Intelligence presents information regarding Romulan
strengths and weaknesses. A year long operation within Romulan space
using captured Romulan trade vessels gleaned much as to the
boundaries, culture, and military strengths of the Romulan Star
League. In addition, information was discovered about their trade
allies, the Klingons.

2106 Emperor Alan Wolffe grants the Vulcans petition to attack the
Romulans. Spearheaded by Imperial warships equipped with a prototype
cloaking device, based on Intelligence findings, they are supported
by large number of Vulcan Defense vessels.

2108 The ISS Minotaur, a Perseus Class Cruiser commanded by Vice
Admiral Charles Young, leads a fleet of Perseus and Zeus Class
warships, supported by Vulcan Bird of prey and Praetor class defense
vessels and surprises a Romulan base repairing and refitting some
fifty Romulan vessels. Because there were only skeleton crews aboard,
most all of the ships are destroyed before firing a shot in defense.
Eight Vulcan vessels are destroyed while delivering a deadly barrage
of fire to the starbase causing it to explode. This delivers a
crushing blow to the Romulan Star League.

2109 Admiral Charles Young takes a second expeditionary force into
Romulan space, with it's target the Romulan homeworld. The fleet lays
waste to Romulan defenses as they forge their way through.

In the weeks to follow, the Imperial Federation captures increasing
amounts of Romulan held territory and colonies. On the eve of 2110,
the massed fleet commanded by Admiral Young enters the Romulus system
and destroys the remainder of their defense fleet. The fleet barrages
Romulus with bio-thermic weapons and within hours, Romulus is a
wasteland with over 4 billion dead. Nearby Remus evacuates, civilian
transports heading for deep space with Romulan defense ships lagging
behind to slow down the Imperial warships. Remus is captured shortly
after.

2110 Romulan space is secured and annexed by the Vulcans, a gift from
the Emperor. Vulcan imperial families are commissioned sectors of
Romulan space and the Vulcan Defense Force is given authority to
patrol the annexed territory in association with Imperial Starfleet
warships. The Vulcan Protectorates is now 3 times it's previous size.
Imperial Defense Outposts are built along the Vulcan-Klingon Border.

2116 The Sovereign Class Heavy Cruiser becomes operational. It has a
new, more efficient cloaking device, developed from captured Romulan
technology. All Imperial warships are equipped with the cloaking
devices from this point on.

2128 The number of subjugated civilizations reaches 150. The Imperial
Federation has gained great strengths and begins tentative forays
into Klingon space.

2143 The Aries Class Dreadnought becomes operational. This new class
and all classes to follow use the dilithium balanced anti-
matter/matter warp engines. This is mated with a more efficient
shield generator design that makes for a powerful vessel.

2152 First contact with the Klingon Free States. The ISS Defiant
fires on and cripples a Klingon scout vessel. Much about the Klingons
are learned from the ship's computer and crew interrogations.

2175 Imperial Scientists Daystrom and Abramson devise the first
practical, portable universal translator. Imperial Intelligence R&D
quickly develops a minitiarized, subcutaneous version for their
agents use while conducting covert operations in alien cultures.

2178 Through many attempts, the Imperial Vulcan Science Institute
invents a stable transporter. Imperial Starfleet and Imperial Marine
Corps orders all warships to be fitted with them as assault
transporters for their marine forces.

2180 Extensive deposits of dilithium are found on Rigel XII, held by
the Orion Trade Alliance. A shipment being sent secretly to the
Klingon Free States prompts retaliation by the Imperial Federation.
The Orion Trade Alliance is quickly annexed. They punish the Orions
by barraging their home planet with bio-thermic weapons.

2186 A massive construction program is initiated to produce several
new classes of destroyers, frigates, cruisers, and dreadnoughts. This
is to prepare for a massive military action against the Klingon Free
States.

2194.2 Imperial Intelligence reports that a Klingon Task Force, sent
to test the strength of the Imperial Federation, is underway to the
Axanar System. The ISS America is dispatched to investigate.

2194.3 The ISS Monmouth, a Devisor Class Frigate, discovers the buoy-
recorder of the ISS America. It is learned that the Klingon Task
Force destroyed it after it's immediate arrival at Axanar.

2194.4 The ISS Monmouth, commanded by Captain Garth of Izar, disables
a Klingon cruiser eight parsecs from the Axanar system. He is joined
by a wing of Tecumseh Class cruisers, and enters Axanarian space. He
demands the surrender of the Klingon Task Force. One of the Tecumseh
Class cruisers picks up a second Klingon task Force on it's way to
Axanar. Captain Garth immediately executes a tactical plan that
results in the destruction of the Klingon Task Force at Axanar and
disables the incoming Task Force.

Emperor Phineas Young declares war against the Klingon Free States.

2195 Due to his success at Axanar, Captain Garth is promoted to Rear
Admiral and given command of the 6th and 8th Fleets. Over the next
two years, he coordinates many victories against the Klingons,
expanding Imperial holdings.

2197 Rear Admiral Garth of Izar is promoted to Fleet Admiral and
given command of Imperial Starfleet.

2199 Due to dwindling resources and losses of territory, the Klingons
become increasingly desperate in their tactics, causing further
defeats. Soon the Imperial Federation warships have located Q'onos.

2201 The Klingon Free States surrender to the Imperial Federation.
Klingon space is annexed by the Terrans. Several Klingon Houses,
accepting the inevitable, declare their loyalty to the Emperor. What
remains of the Klingon Naval Forces is commissioned to be the Klingon
Defense Forces. Their Command Officer's are replaced with Imperial
Starfleet officers, and many Klingon Officers are placed on Imperial
Starfleet vessels for "re-education".

2209 Emperor Phineas Young contracts a rare form of Rigellian Blood
Fever and dies within days of contraction. Fleet Admiral Garth of
Izar, hero of the Klingon War, is the first non-Terran to ascend the
throne and become Emperor.

2217 The ISS Rattler is forced to destroy Vendikahr on a first
contact mission, when the planet attempts to fire on the ship.
Vendikahr and it's neighbor Eminiar VII have been at war for over 200
years. With Vendikahr eliminated, Eminiar VII readily joins the
Imperial Federation. This is the first time such a drastic action is
executed by a Captain without orders from the Emperor.

2218 In a highly public trial, Captain Josea Cummings, commanding
officer of the ISS Rattler, is defended by Imperial Starfleet against
the Grand Imperial Council for his actions at vendikahr. Many
individuals, including Ambassador Strategist Sarek, argue that it was
correct to destroy Vendikahr, that the "Balance of Terror" must be
maintained when one encounters Imperial Starfleet and the Imperial
Federation. Captain Cummings is returned to the captaincy of the
Rattler with a promotion to Commodore.

2229 As a gesture of goodwill by Emperor Garth, as well as maintain
relations between Terra and Vulcan, he awards the hand of Amanda
Greyson, daughter of Duke Greyson, to Ambassador Strategist Sarek of
Vulcan.

2230 The Imperial Vulcan Sciences Institute engineers a son between
Sarek and Amanda, designed to be the first true child of the Empire.
He is named Spock.

2244 The Conqueror II Class cruiser becomes operational. It is
designed to conquer and expand into uncharted territories. One of the
first, the ISS Enterprise, becomes famous for being the first to
allow women to serve on board, and carry its own variation of the
Seal of The Imperial Federation.

2246 Governor Kodos of Tarsus IV is assassinated by a rebel gang for
his ineptness to handle a food shortage caused by a botanical plague.
James Kirk, leader of the gang, orders the execution of half the
colony to save the other half. The Imperial Federation awards Kirk
for his expedient actions.

2248 Emperor Garth of Izar dies after ingesting an unknown toxin.
Further investigation by Imperial Intelligence links the toxin to an
Orion source. One thousand Orion prisoners are executed. Fleet
Admiral Josea Cummings is chosen to become Emperor.

2250 The ISS Enterprise returns from its shakedown cruise. Fleet
Captain Christopher Pike is given command after Captain April dies in
an unfortunate transporter accident.

2252 Ensign James Kirk graduates from the Grand Imperial Fleet
Academy and posted aboard the ISS Yorktown.

2260 Lieutenant (sg) James Kirk discovers the Tantulus Field while
leading an expedition on a dead planet.

2264 Lt Commander James Kirk, Intelligence Officer aboard the ISS
Enterprise, uses his position to advantage and assassinates Commodore
Christopher Pike when he discovers the truth about the Talos IV
incident. Kirk is promoted to Captain and takes command of the
Enterprise.

2266 First contact with the Gorn. In the quest to expand Imperial
Federation territory, Task Force Delta is mobilized with Captain Kirk
of the ISS Enterprise commanding the fleet. The fleet lays waste to
Cestus III. Soon after, the Gorn are subjugated by the Empire.

2267 The ISS Enterprise, while trying to "persuade" the Halkans to
supply the Imperial Federation with dilithium, is involved in what
later is coded as the "Mirror, Mirror" incident. All officers are
instructed by Intelligence Chief Sulu not to speak of the Incident.

2268.06 The Guardian of Forever is discovered by the ISS Enterprise
after investigating a temporal anomaly. Dr. Leonard McCoy, suspected
of being anti-Federationalist, enters the Guardian and goes back to
1931. He allows Edith Keeler to die, ending the Mirror Timeline.
Captain Kirk and First Officer Spock go after McCoy and prevents the
death - restoring the Mirror Timeline. McCoy is executed for treason.

2268.09 The ISS Enterprise discovers the SS Botany Bay, which holds
the frozen Khan Noonien Singh and his followers that escaped Earth in
1996. Kirk is impressed with Khan's strategic and tactical knowledge
and keen mind, and uses his influence to secure a place for Khan in
the Imperial Starfleet.

2271 The ISS Bastion makes first contact with the Deltans. They are
found to have great empathic and telepathic abilities, and prove
quite valuable to the Imperial Federation. Deltans loyal to the
Imperial Federation are soon utilized by Imperial Intelligence in the
formation of a new Intelligence/Security Division, the Imperial
Thought Enforcement Division. Members of the division are utilized on
board Imperial Warships as Political Officers, ensuring loyalty of
the Command staff and crew.

2274 Emperor Cummings passes away from natural causes at a very young
age and quite unexpectedly. Fleet Admiral Androver Drake ascends to
the throne of Emperor.

2277 Captain Spock is given command of the ISS Enterprise by Admiral
James Kirk while it is being refitted. Imperial Starfleet promotes
Admiral Kirk to Commander, Alpha Quadrant Command.

2285 Admiral Kirk is aboard the refitted Enterprise during a
shakedown cruise when Captain Khan of the ISS Reliant steals the
Genesis Torpedo from the Regula Outpost. His plan is to assassinate
Emperor Drake and get payback from earth for his exile in 1996. His
boasting to Imperial Scientist Marcus of his plans proves to be his
downfall. Admiral Kirk is able to force the Reliant into the Mutarra
Nebula and disables the ship. In an attempt to strike out in
vengeance, Captain Khan detonates the Genesis Torpedo, but not in
time to destroy the Enterprise.

2289 The ISS Intrepid, commanded by Captain Saavik, is destroyed
along the edge of Klingon territory, defending Andoran Defense
vessels from a rebel Klingon faction. Andor offers to replace the
ship and the Empire agrees immediately. The Imperial Federation uses
the opportunity to fund the development of the Excelsior Class Battle
Cruiser.

2290 In the aftermath of the strange and yet unsolved disappearance
of Emperor Androver Drake, Fleet Admiral James Kirk ascends to the
throne and renames himself Emperor Tiberius. Thus begins the
bloodiest reign in Imperial Federation history. Rebellions begin to
emerge throughout the Imperial Federation.

2299 While on tour of the new Excelsior Class Enterprise-B, under the
command of Captain Harriman, Emperor Tiberius mysteriously disappears
after the ship encounters what is later termed "The Nexus Band".
Fleet Admiral Spock, Prime Regent and Praetor of the Vulcan
Protectorates, claims the Imperial throne, but rather than be called
Emperor, takes the title of Intendant.

2301 Intendant Spock gives cloaking technology to all Defense Fleets
and pulls out most of the Imperial Starfleet vessels patrolling their
territories, giving the Defense Fleets more autonomy. He also allows
their crews to be wholly Vulcan, Klingon, and Andoran.

2305 A rebel faction of the Klingon Imperial Houses, who bore Emperor
Tiberius' excesses the most, begin to secretly build up their fleets.

2317 The ISS Enterprise-B is assumed lost near Barzan.

2324 The Betazoid culture is discovered and found to have similar
empathic and telepathic capabilities of the Deltans, and loyal
members are incorporated into the Imperial Thought Enforcement
Division.

2327 The planet of Bajor is discovered and annexed for its placement
on the frontier and vast mineral deposits.

2330 First contact with the Cardassians. The ISS Perregrin detects
and intercepts a Cardassian Scout. The ship is able to get out a
distress call. Cardassia immediately takes offense and declares war
against the Imperial Federation.

2334.01 The ISS Stargazer begins its mission of conquest with captain
Jack Crusher, commanding.

2334.04 Imperial Starfleet sends the 12th and 23rd Fleets to Bajor
responding to reports of a Cardassian fleet massing near there. In
what becomes known as the Bajoran Blockade, the Empire loses 27
warships and over 100,000 lives in six weeks.

2334.06 The Battle of Bajor begins. Within two weeks, the Bajoran
system is abandoned by the Imperial Federation. The Cardassians build
Terek Nor. Over 18,000 POW's are left behind.

2338 Intendant Spock and Imperial Scientist Noonien Singh
successfully build an android with the capability of storing the
entirety of Intelligence and Security data. This android is
codenamed "DATA". It serves as an Internal Security Officer on board
the ISS Tripoli during field tests.

2344 Investigating possible Klingon rebel elements working with the
long thought gone Romulans, the ISS Enterprise-C is lost near Narenda
III.

2350 Klingon rebels, aided by Cardassia, begin to interrupt Imperial
Operations. Intendant Spock reluctantly sends in shock troops to try
and quell the rebellions.

2355 The ISS Stargazer engages an armed trading vessel when it
refuses to be boarded for inspection. The Stargazer is damaged and
Captain Crusher is killed when the vessel self-destructs with him on
board. Commander Picard assumes command and reports the incident to
Imperial Starfleet.

2357 The Battle of Orias IV brings an end to the war with cardassia.
Unable to push them back, the Empire and Cardassia form the
Cardassian Neutral Zone.

2358 Imperial Intelligence deep space scouts locate a stable wormhole
along the Alpha-Delta Quadrant border. It extends to a location
45,000 light years within the Delta Quadrant. This information is not
made public and shared with only a handful of Imperial Houses.

2360 Intendant Spock announces to the gathered Imperial Houses and
Military Elite that he foresees the Imperial Federation falling to
outside hostile forces within the decade.

2361 A number of Imperial Houses and a select group of Imperial Elite
Forces secretly organize Operation Pheonix. The project begins
construction of a starbase with construction and repair facilities,
as well as quarters for the members of the project and their
families, near the wormhole that Imperial Intelligence discovered a
few years previous. All records of the find are expunged. Immediate
build up of privately held military fleets begins with earnest.

2362 Recognizing a need for a stronger, more devastating design for
the Fleet's flagship. Recently relocated and promoted Admiral
Montgomery Scott helps to modify the Galaxy Conqueror Class, a design
that had been in development but put on hold during the Cardassian
War. Admiral Scott was found on a moon where his courier vessel had
crash landed. He and another crew member had used the transporter
buffer to save themselves until a rescue party could find them.

2364 The ISS Enterprise-D is launched, first of the new Galaxy
Conqueror Class. Commodore Jean-Luc Picard is given command.

2365.02 In an incident coded SECLAR 9-GAMMA, a squadron of Avenger
Class frigates engage a race known as the Borg along the Alpha/Delta
Quadrant border. Three of the seven ships are destroyed before they
are able to destroy the cube. Six Borg are captured and neutralized
for study by Imperial Intelligence and Imperial Starfleet Medical.

2365.07 The rebel Imperial Houses within the Klingon Protectorates
and the Cardassian Empire enter into a covert alliance. Rebel Klingon
warships supported by Cardassian vessels begin to attack Imperial
warships in a bid for their freedom.

Lieutenant (sg) Worf of the Imperial Klingon House of Mogh disappears
from the ISS Enterprise-D, and is later discovered to have joined the
rebel Klingon faction.

2366.01 A vast task force of Klingon and Cardassian warships make
their way towards Earth. Intendant Spock is unable to muster a
defense. On the Enterprise-D, it is learned that Commodore Picard
sold out to the new Klingon-Cardassian Alliance. He was instrumental
in locating the Nexus, where Emperor Tiberius had disappeared to. It
was Tiberius that helped forge the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance.

Commander Riker and most of the crew mutiny and Commodore Picard
escapes in his Captain's Yacht. The Enterprise speeds to Wolf 359
where Intendant Spock has ordered all Imperial warships to converge
to make one last stand. There the Klingon-Cardassian Fleet swept
right through them - destroying 39 vessels and losing over 100,000
lives.

The Enterprise-D makes one last stand at earth, but is destroyed. A
few of her command crew escape when the transport onto fleeing ships.
Earth is razed by the Alliance, nothing left to sustain it.

Members of the Operation Pheonix, upon hearing of the impending
attack at Wolf 359, begin to abandon homes and posts, making their
way to their rendezvous point under cloak. Once there - they used
ship tenders with beefed up impulse engines to move the starbase and
the accompanying military fleet through the wormhole. Once through -
they launched a tricobalt device into the wormhole, detonating it and
destroying the wormhole so that Alliance forces could not locate
them.

2366.04E The exiled members of Operation Pheonix locate a planet to
colonize and places their starbase in orbit. In a short period of
time, their fleet conquers a number of Delta Quadrant races nearby,
and all with the fractionalized Kazon, unifying them into a powerful
force.

2366.11E The Exiles encounter the Borg. Two Imperial Cruisers on
patrol intercept a Borg Scout. Jamming their subspace link and
disabling their weapons, Imperial Marines board and subdue the Borg
drones. Intelligence, military, and scientific personnel begin
immediate study of the weapons, defenses, propulsion, computer, and
biomechanical enhancements of the Borg.

2367 World after world joins the Alliance and Terrans, Vulcans, and
Andorians become slaves under the bloody fist of the Alliance.

Escaped refugees hide in the Badlands and begin work to overthrow the
Alliance. Intendant Spock sends Commander Riker on a special mission.
While conducting it, Riker disappears and is never heard from again.

2367.08E After a number of significant breakthroughs in studying Borg
technology, a squadron of Imperial Frigates are intercepted by two
Borg Cubes. The Imperials lose two frigates, but are able to destroy
one cube, and disable another. These give the Imperials a good look
at tactics and strategies of the Borg, and adapt these to their own.

2367.11E Imperial scientists develop an Anti-Borg nanite which
neutralizes the assimilation nanites of the Borg. The could also be
used to infiltrate Borg systems and disable them. The Imperials begin
construction of ships using adapted weapons, shields, and propulsion
enhanced with Borg technology.

2368.08E A massed fleet of exiled Imperial warships, enhanced with
Borg technology, advances on the Borg Homeworld. The result is a
devastating attack, which for the first time in a millennia - the
Borg knows defeat. Their population of drones and ships are
assimilated into the growing exiled Empire.

2370 A stable wormhole is discovered at Terek Nor during a cross-over
incident.

2372 Terran rebels steal plans for the USS Defiant using a cross-over
device. Rebels in the Badlands construct the ship and with the help
of the Mirror Sisko (the Sisko of the benevolent Federation) becomes
operational and soon secures Terek Nor.

2373E The exiled Imperials begin making plans to return to their
homelands and return the Imperial Federation to it's previous might.
A construction program to build the Pheonix Class deadnoughts and
Hades Class assault vessels begins. These incorporate the latest in
Imperial Borg weapons, multi-phasic and ablative shielding, and the
new quantum stream engines that mesh Borg Transwarp and Brunari Slip
Stream technologies. The ships also feature a bioneural AI computer
with enhanced Borg engineering nanites. Both ships carry a complement
of the new Borg Shock Marines.

2373 Rear Admiral Picard is made Intendant of the Klingon Dependancy,
formerly the Terran Empire.

2374 Emperor Tiberius gains control of a mirror universe ship, the
USS Enterprise-E, and plans to use it to wreak vengeance on the
Alliance for deceiving him. He is thwarted by the restored Captain
Kirk of the Mirror Universe. Intendant Spock, his daughter T'Val, and
a Terran rebel Kathryn Janeway return with plans for the Sovereign
Class Starship and other advanced designs.

2385 Intendant Spock dies when his ship is destroyed on its way to
Vulcan, where he planned to enlist the Vulcan rebel forces. This
deals a serious blow to the rebellion against the Alliance.

2388 Free Terrans and Vulcans begin a concerted effort to disrupt
Alliance trade and military operations. Terek Nor serves as their
base of operations. Regent Worf amasses an Alliance armada and
attacks Terek Nor a second time, devastating the rebel fleet there.
Intendant Kira is restored to command there where she severely
punishes Terran and Vulcan POWs.

2395E The massed fleet of 24 Pheonix Class Dreadnoughts and 36 Hades
Class Assault Vessels, commanded by Fleet Admiral Michael Wolffe,
began it's trip to the Alpha Quadrant. Three days later, using the
new drive, Alliance forces surrounding Earth were taken totally by
surprise and Alliance losses came to 90% of their fleet there. From
there, the Imperial fleet separates in to 6 groups, heading out in
different directs, laying waste to all opposition that Regent Worf
tries to mount. Alliance vessels were being boarded by the Borg Shock
Marines, and crews were effectively assimilated, and the ship became
part of the invading armada. Within two weeks, almost 80% of the
original Imperial Federation's territory had been reclaimed. Two
weeks after that, Cardassia Prime was a wasteland. The Klingon Houses
that were loyal to the old Imperial Federation reorganized swiftly
and took over the Klingon High Council - executing the old council.
They declare the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance nullified, and sue for
peace with the Imperials. Regent Worf, in the combat field, received
news of this and declares the governing council traitors to the
Klingon people. He leads an Armada of remaining loyal Alliance
warships, escorting the remains of the Cardassian civilian population
and military forces to the Bajoran wormhole and fled to the Gamma
Quadrant.

2396 Imperial forces re-establish their dominance and brings their
families back to the Alpha Quadrant - leaving the Kazons to control
the Delta Quadrant portion of their new Empire. Earth begins it's
restoration, and to punish the Bajorans for their treatment of
Imperial Citizens, all Bajorans are gathered and exiled to their home
planet of Bajor. Once all are accounted for - the Imperials launch a
next generation Genesis Torpedo and revamps Bajor and eliminates the
Bajoran population. The new planet is named New Terra and the new
government and military force is headquartered here. Terek Nor is
destroyed and a new Battlestation and Shipyards are built, and
defense platforms are placed around the wormhole to destroy anything
that tries to come through.

The exiled government now reorganizes and creates a new political
entity, the Imperial Confederation of Planets. The new hierarchy is
comprised of loyal family lines from Earth, Vulcan, Andor, Kazons,
and Q'onos. These families are given control of large sectors of the
new ICP territories, and given titlements over them. The
Confederation is led by an Emperor, who is advised by the Prime
Regent and Council of Regents. The Imperial Cabinet of Ministers
administrate the ICP.

Each partner government in the new ICP is given Defense Fleets, with
Confederation officers commanding the ships. They are also required
to carry Borg marine Units, controlled by the Ship's Political
Officer.

2401 Fleet Admiral Michael Wolffe becomes the first Emperor to rule
the Imperial Confederation of Planets on the fifth anniversary of the
Grand Exile ending. With the reigns of power his, he makes a number
of appointments:

Admiral Gavin Collins is appointed to the position of Prime Regent.

Admiral Gary Byrne is appointed as a Special Envoy for the Emperor,
his flagship being a courier vessel, the ISS Pride of Ireland.

Admiral B'Anne Dragonis-Hawkins is appointed as Regional Fleet
Commander of the 11th Imperial Fleet.

Admiral Jarod Hawkins is appointed as Minister of War and serves as
Commander-in-Chief of all Imperial Fleet Forces.

Admiral Stonn T'Pau is appointed as Minister of Imperial Security. He
will oversee the Director, Internal Security, Director, Intelligence
Division, and Director, Psi Enforcement.

Vice Admiral Rayne Frisbee marries Emperor Wolffe and becomes Empress
Rayne. She additionally will serve as Minister of State, where her
Deltan-Betazoid heritage serves the Emperor well.

General Rok'ta Ryshtor, who served as Commandant, Imperial Marine
Forces during the Grand Exile, is appointed as Commander-in-Chief of
the Klingon Defense Forces, and will serve as Chancellor of the new
Klingon High Council. The Chancellor will serve as an advisor the
Council of Regents and as liaison for them to the Klingon High
Council.

Rear Admiral Kevin Young is appointed as Minister of Information and
charged with the archiving of all data Trek, as well as development
of a news media.

Commodore Jeremy Cummings is appointed as the Regional Fleet
Commander of the 10th Imperial Fleet
 
poster342002 said:
Interestingly, do the Nazi salutes of the mirror-Enterprise crew indicate a world history where Hitler maybe won WW2?

I doubt it. What little we see of the Empire (the I.S.S. Enterprise) doesn't seem at all inspired by Nazism. If anything, I would guess that it's a U.N. gone horribly wrong.
 
The timeline also ignores the 2 books set in the Mirror universe where Intendant Kira becomes Overseer of the former Terran Empire and proceeds to sleep with many, many people. Most perversely amusing, where B'Elanna Torres is the Intendant of Sol, Kai Winn is a nice person and Agent 7 of Corps 9 is a member of the Obsidian Order. Fantastic.
 
KJM said:
I doubt it. What little we see of the Empire (the I.S.S. Enterprise) doesn't seem at all inspired by Nazism. If anything, I would guess that it's a U.N. gone horribly wrong.

The earleir posted mirror-timeline suggests a bit of both. During Hilter's global empire there was a "United Nazi Nations" (UNN) before it was toppled. Perhaps certain formalities and practices of the UNN had become so institutionalised by that point that they continued into the non-nazi era. The nazi-style salutes of Imperial Starleet crew may have been such a holdover from the UNN era...
 
KJM said:
I've been thinking about the Star Trek universe for some time, and I've come to a conclusion: the "main" universe isn't actually our own!

No matter how people try to fit the Eugenics Wars into our history, it always ends up seeming out of place. The Earth that joined the Federation is in fact in an alternate universe that diverged from ours a few decades ago. This would explain away some of the other outdated "predictions".

So, is our Earth left out entirely then? Not necessarily. There is another universe that is also introduced in the original series. Later dubbed the "mirror universe," this place has a humanity which has NOT overcome its problems or learned to live peacefully with its neighbors. Since we know nothing about this univere's Earth, there is no reason not to believe that this is not our "real" future.

Could it be? Could our world become the homeworld of the Terran Empire, with the Federation existing in the other universe?

Am I making any sense?

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07.21.2004
Producers Reveal Tidbits about Season 4

WARNING! CONTAINS SPOILERS!
A 22nd-century Dr. Soong, a shadow of the Eugenics Wars, a Vulcan civil war and the possible reincarnation of Surak ... these are some of the epic ideas being developed right now for the unfolding fourth season of Star Trek: Enterprise.

Tuesday night UPN held its annual summer party for the Television Critics Association (TCA) — like every network does — where reporters get to mingle with the producers and cast members of its various shows. This year the party took place at Shutters, a ritzy hotel on the beach in Santa Monica, on an upstairs outdoor deck overlooking the ocean.

Attending from Enterprise were producers Rick Berman, Brannon Braga and Manny Coto, and actors Scott Bakula, Jolene Blalock, Connor Trinneer, Dominic Keating, John Billingsley, and Linda Park with her boyfriend Tom Hardy (yes, the Picard clone from "Star Trek Nemesis"). We managed to catch up with most of them throughout the evening, but today we will bring you our interviews with the producers, and save our conversations with the actors for a later article.

We were particularly excited about the chance to speak with Manny Coto, who came on last season with the title of co-executive producer and is now considered a "show runner." Coto has been widely praised by the actors, his fellow producers, and fans alike for bringing a creative shot in the arm to Star Trek: Enterprise, beginning with his script for "Similitude." He had just come from the Showtime series Odyssey 5, which ended after one season, but Berman and Braga saw the show and liked his work, and after interviewing him hired him as co-executive producer.

We asked Coto, what unique creative vision does he think he brings to the show? "Well, first and foremost, I bring a passionate love of all things Star Trek," he said. "I've loved Star Trek since I was a little kid. When Star Trek Communicator magazine was doing a little article on me, I went through my box of old photos, and I found a shot of me at age 11 watching Star Trek on TV, with a picture of Spock on the screen. In that same box I found a comic book that I had written — I must have written this when I was 10 — and it was a Star Trek comic book, with 'Beam me up Scotty' and all this. And I realized, 'Oh my God, I've been doing this my entire life!'"

He attended conventions in his hometown of Orlando, Florida, and has followed the subsequent series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager, "all the way."

We asked Coto to elaborate on the "showrunner" role he's taken on with Enterprise. "What's been publicized, that Rick and Brannon have stepped back and I've moved in, is not exactly true. I've kinda moved in with them, so to speak, so we're all three running the show. I'm actually more in charge of writing, I guess, dealing with the writers and the 'writing room,' coming up with stories that Rick and Brannon approve or not approve, or give notes on."

"A lot of the stories that we're doing this season — so far, the first half of the season — are stories that I've come up with, or that Rick has come up with or that Brannon has pitched, and then we flesh them out in 'the room.'"

We asked if he could elaborate on some of these story ideas — especially pertaining to the recently reported guest role of Brent Spiner in three episodes. "Well, it's a very exciting arc. Brent is going to play an ancestor of Dr. Soong, the creator of Data. However, this character is more of a Dr. Frankenstein. He is not a benign individual. He has brought to life 20 embryos from the Eugenics era. So you have Soong who's leading a band of Khan Noonien Singh's, so to speak. He believes that genetic engineering was on the right track! He wants to improve humanity, and he believes that the Eugenics Wars were an aberration, that these individuals are the future of humanity. Of course he's wrong — they get away from him. They get out of control, and it becomes this three-episode saga that's kind of like 'Apocalypse Now' — Enterprise becomes kind of like a ship going up river, trying to find these individuals, with Soong on board."

Spiner's character will be named Arik (like "Eric") Soong. The backstory, Coto explains, begins 20 years prior to the time of Enterprise (presumably 2134), when Soong stole the 20 embryos which were secretly stored in a Starfleet facility, and brought them to term. Arik Soong is a notorious criminal, and Coto even compared him to Hannibal Lecter — "He's tried to escape many times, and he's feared, because Earth is still terrified of anything having to do with the Eugenics Wars." But his help is essential in tracking down the renegade "genetic supermen" who could ignite a war with the Klingons.

The adventure leads the ship to the "Borderland," which is an area of space between the Klingon Empire and the Orion Syndicate. This will be the first encounter with the Orions, and we will get to see the green "slave women" introduced in "The Cage."

"What I really wanted to do this season is make the episodes that I as a Star Trek fan would have to see. You know, as a fan of the original series, if I heard that they were doing the Orion slavers and the Eugenics Wars, I would have to be in front of that TV."

But we had to ask about the place of the Eugenics Wars in the Trek universe. In "Space Seed" it was clearly established that the Khan-led conflict occurred in the 1990s. However, in "Hatchery," Archer mentions that his great-grandfather fought in the Eugenics Wars (which would probably put them in the mid-21st century). How is Coto dealing with the chronology issue?

"I'm not dealing with it. There's no point. They were in the 1990s because the old series ran in 1966 and that was the future then. Clearly, we're in 2004, and there haven't been any Eugenics Wars that I know about! So, simply, the Eugenics Wars 'happened' — they happened in the past [relative to the current show]. I don't know how else to do it."

There is another three-episode story arc being planned for later in the season that Coto is tremendously enthused about, one that deals with a civil war on planet Vulcan. "If you've watched Enterprise and you watched the old series and Next Gen, you know that there's a difference between the Vulcans of our era and the Vulcans of later eras. Our Vulcans lie, our Vulcans are monolithic, our Vulcans are not pacifistic. What we've done is develop an idea: What if an individual appears on Vulcan who is saying to the populace that we have strayed from the teachings of Surak? This individual is like a Martin Luther. And he spawns a Vulcan civil war."

He nicknamed it "Vulcan of Arabia" because it's an epic story taking place almost entirely on the hot, desert planet. "It involves a Vulcan Reformation," he continued. "I'm equating the Vulcan High Command with the Catholic Church, which in medieval times strayed from the teachings of Christianity; similarly, the Vulcan High Command has strayed from the teachings of Surak. This individual wants to bring us back to those teachings, but it causes instability on Vulcan because he's preaching pacifism, he's preaching pure logic, he's preaching a return to the old ways. But, he not only believes in the teachings of Surak, he believes he is Surak. He claims that he possesses Surak's katra. Is that true or isn't it? We'll find out. But what happens is, with the instability on Vulcan, you have the Andorians trying to take advantage, and it threatens to destabilize the entire region. And of course, Enterprise will be stuck in the midst of this turmoil, and by the end of this three-episode arc, we will begin to see Vulcans approaching what they were in the later eras. We'll see the beginnings of a new Vulcan."

"It's gonna be a blast. I'm picturing the scene where two Vulcan armies are poised on the desert — what's gonna happen, will they or will they not fight?"

In this epic story arc, he also promised a subplot which will unravel into a very intriguing plot twist.

Of course, these ambitious plans beg the question of whether there will be enough budget to realize such imaginative visions, given reports that UPN is paying Paramount a lower license fee for the show. "The budget has gone down slightly, but it's not gone down as much as has been reported. We're not slaving under a horrible miniscule budget at all. You're not going to notice," he promised.

"It should be a fun season."

We also caught up with one of Coto's partners in crime, Brannon Braga, and got him to talk about the first story arc of the season, the followup to the cliffhanger of "Zero Hour" starting with "Storm Front" (which is in production right now). It's been rumored that this "Nazi story" will wrap up the Temporal Cold War throughline. Is that true?

"Our intention is to resolve the Temporal Cold War once and for all," Braga replied. "It lingered for three seasons, and we would like to finish it off in grandiose fashion, and move on to new territory. So, with these episodes, it will be the last of Daniels, and the last of all of those elements." We will see Silik and the Suliban once again during the Nazi story, but Braga added that "most likely" it'll be the last time. "It's hard to say for sure, because we're so early in the season, but our intention is to be done with it."

Will the identity of "Future Guy," Silik's shadowy boss, ever be revealed? "Well, we've been debating that for quite some time, and I'll leave that question open. We haven't decided yet. We have some ideas about him — or her — or it. But we haven't settled on any one identity yet. It's still a question mark. The Temporal Cold War may resolve without Future Guy's identity being revealed."

It's been widely publicized that William Shatner could make a guest appearance on the show. What can he tell us about that? "There have been some preliminary discussions with William Shatner, but it's so far from being resolved that I hesitate to comment because I don't want to jinx it. We so badly want it to happen, but it's so early that I don't really have much to say about it. There's interest on both ends, but Bill is on a different series [Boston Legal], and we're just starting our season, and so much has to be done before it actually happens. We all have our fingers crossed."

Any notion yet what kind of story Shatner might be involved in if he does come on to the show? "There are some ideas floating about, but we're hesitant to commit to anything or start actively developing anything, until we know whether it's a reality," Braga said.

Earlier in the day, UPN held a press conference for the TCA with Les Moonves, co-president and co-COO of Viacom, and Dawn Ostroff, president of entertainment for UPN. The emphasis of the press conference was UPN's new shows and its revamped schedule in general, but Moonves — whose recent promotion puts him in charge of Paramount Television as well as UPN — and Ostroff took some time to speak about how Enterprise fits into the network's lineup.

Enterprise is moving to Friday at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT starting August 6, and the new episodes of Season 4 will begin October 8.

Ostroff commented that the Star Trek spinoff is one of the shows "that have the most loyal viewers on television," and expects the audience to follow it to Fridays. She said the season-long arc of last season "really worked well for us," but the fourth season mini-arcs "will allow people to come in and out a little more freely." She added, "We're very aggressive in 'stunt casting' this year, which I think will also bring in some viewers." She mentioned Spiner, but also noted that Golden Brooks of Girlfriends will guest star in the first few episodes. "And we're working on several other people."

Moonves spoke about the licensing fee cut (related story) that reportedly helped keep the show on the air. "Paramount came to us — that was before Paramount was reporting to me, so now I'm negotiating with myself," he joked, "and they made a very attractive offer to UPN to bring the show back... Obviously Paramount has a large syndication deal with Star Trek. They gave us a very attractive offer and therefore, it fit into our scheduling needs."

Moonves confirmed that, as Paramount chief, he would like to see Enterprise go a full seven years because of the syndication value. But as UPN chief, he has to make other considerations in the case of a show that's been seen as an underperformer for the network.

"If Star Trek had cost the license fee that it cost a year ago, a different decision may have been made," he said. "I can tell you right now the key, the priority goal, is building UPN." However, he believes the move to Friday for Enterprise, coupled with America's Next Top Model, is "a much better strategy. I think we'll do a much better number there with that show, and perhaps it can live for a number of years. We hope so."
 
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