Among the many species that roamed the Alpha Beta, Delta and Gamma quadrants, perhaps the
most powerful were the immortal, non-corporeal Q of the Q continuum.
From the perspective of humans and other similar species, they had god like powers, able to
manipulate energy, matter, time and space.
Many of their kind, believed they were they highest and purest form of life.
However there were some limitations to their powers, as under specific circumstances they
could be killed.
Yet the death of a Q was a matter taken very seriously by the continuum and could have
lasting galaxy wide repercussions.
Although some claim the Q always existed, others say they were once similar to humans
until they evolved over eons.
Whatever their origins, the New Era as they called it, saw them reach a golden age, where
they explored the universe, sharing thoughts and opinions about every subject imaginable.
Yet while some continued to influence events wherever they deemed appropriate, as time
went on, most became lazy and apathetic, choosing to simply maintaining the status quo without
any changes that might disturb their society.
But some of their species rebelled against the system, growing fond of taking humanoid
form and interacting with less advances beings like humans of the Alpha quadrant.
In 2267, by human calendar, an immature young being named Trelane interacted with the crew
of the USS Enterprise under captain Kirk, and while his species was never identified,
his near omnipotent powers and behaviour made some believe he was a Q.
In the 24th century, as the Federation explored further into deep space, a Q appeared to the
crew of the USS Enterprise D, accusing their species of straying too far from their home
system, calling them a dangerous, savage child race, unprepared to deal with the dangers
awaiting them.
Captain Jean Luc Picard disagreed with this assessment and defended humanity claiming
they made rapid progress and were no longer the violent, greedy people of the past.
Placing humanity on trial, Picard was tested with the mystery of farpoint station, where
the people possessed a technology able to build objects of great complexity seemingly
out of nowhere.
When the station came under attack from a powerful being, Picard had an opportunity
to resolve the issue with violence but instead he continued to investigate and learned the
facility imprisoned a sentient being with incredible powers, forcing it to build whatever
they wished.
In response the being mate attacked.
By ensuring the release of the creature, the violence stopped and the mystery of farpoint
station was solved.
After passing the test, Q allowed them to continue exploring the galaxy but said the
trial wasn’t over and he’d be watching their progress.
Q and the continuum’s interest in humanity grew from a preoccupation that their natural
curiosity and ability to adapt might one day trigger their evolution into Q-like beings,
not only making them potential rivals, but also granting future humans the power to cause
great harm on an intergalactic scale.
As pointed out by the Traveller, another highly advanced being of great power, it’s only
in the 24th century that humanity truly became interesting to more developed lifeforms.
Therefore the Continuum chose the second half of the 24th century as a testing ground to
measure humanity’s potential.
Should they prove themselves unworthy of further evolution, they would be wiped out.
If they proved worthy, the would continue on to whatever fate awaited them.
Choosing Captain Picard and Enterprise crew as participants in the trial, Q started appearing
before them, often at random and for silly reasons, seeming to put them in great harm
for his own amusement.
Yet often there was a larger game being played, as indeed the trial never ended.
Unlike many of the other Q, the being who visited the Enterprise seemed to enjoy interacting
with less advanced species, often acting as an agent of change and chaos.
The Continuum did not appreciate his antics and increasingly viewed him as a rebel.
When he next approached the Enterprise, Q expressed a desire to bring a human into the
continuum, to be studied and serve as a model for change.
Therefore he gifted their first officer the incredible powers of a Q, tempting him to
permanently join the Continuum.
However Riker learned wielding great power without earning it would not bring him fulfillment
or long term happiness.
And so he declined the offer and Q agreed to leave.
Fed up with the erratic behaviour of the rebel Q, he was exiled from the continuum for a
time, and so returned to the USS Enterprise and attempted to join their crew.
When Picard refused, Q transported their vessel 7000 lightyears toward the Delta quadrant
where they met a cube shaped ship travelling in the direction of Earth.
The vessel belonged to the Borg, a relentless and merciless cybernetic species.
The Enterprise only survived the encounter, because Picard admitted to needing Q’s help.
Though on the surface, this seemed like another bout of mischief from Q, there may have been
a larger plan at work, as the Borg eventually travelled through time resulting in some of
their drones crash landing in the arctic ice of earth centuries earlier.
In 2153, several of these drones were discovered and accidentally activated by a group of scientists,
allowing them to send a signal toward far away Borg space.
The message took about 200 years to arrive but pointed the way towards Earth, meaning
this was likely the catalyst for the Borg to send the original cube encountered by the
Enterprise.
The implication of these events, meant Q likely introduced the Enterprise to the Borg, not
for his amusement but as a dire warning, giving humanity time to prepare for a threat that
was already approaching.
Growing further irritated with the rebel Q, the continuum stripped him of powers and made
him mortal.
And so he chose to take human form, and again tried to join the Enterprise crew, this time
so they might protect him from his many enemies.
Although his integration into the crew was difficult, he genuinely came to care for them
in his own way and offered to sacrifice his life for their safety.
When the other Q witnessed this selfless act, they restored his powers and welcomed him
back into the continuum.
Having particularly enjoyed his time with Data, an android who longed to be human, Q
allowed him to feel a full throated belly laugh, thereby giving him a glimpse into one
of humanities most joyous emotions.
In the coming years, Q interacted with the Federation crew on various occasions, and
while his meddling was often negatively received, he helped Picard a number of times, even acting
as a sort of spiritual guide to confront and understand the choices of his past.
For a time he took one of the Captain’s former love interests Vash on adventures across
the galaxy, promising Picard to keep her safe.
However she broke off their partnership in 2369.
On another occasion, after two Q living on Earth were executed by the continuum, their
daughter grew older and developed powers, causing Q to show up and bring her into the
Continuum.
When the Q later visited the Federation Outpost of Deep Space Nine, he mockingly challenged
commander Benjamin Sisko to a fight.
Yet to his surprise, Sisko did not have the same aversion to violence as Picard, and punched
Q in the face.
Seven years after beginning the Trial of Humanity, Q once again appeared before Picard, arranging
yet another test, this time involving a time travel mystery.
With the help of his Q ally, Picard eventually solved the problem.
Q then confessed the Continuum was testing humanity’s ability to understand more advanced
concepts about the nature of the universe.
Although they passed the test, Q yet again proclaimed "The trial never ends."
Later, when the crew of the USS Voyager was stranded in the Delta quadrant, they accidentally
released a Q from prison, prompting the former rebel Q to appear and recapture the criminal.
However the incarcerated Q called Quinn, then requested Asylum on Voyager, explaining that
his crime was a desire to end his own life.
An action forbidden by the Continuum.
When Captain Janeway agreed to judge a hearing, Quinn argued the Q lived so long, and experienced
so much, the continuum was now a place where nothing happened.
Where their people were so apathetic they no longer even spoke to each other.
Quinn, who was once a great philosopher, saw that severe stagnation in their society was
a problem and was so inspired by the antics of the rebel Q, he chose to act by ending
his own life.
He then pointed out the irony that the renegade he admired was now just like all the others,
trying to stop a free thinker from going against the system.
Throughout the hearing, they learned Quinn was an important figure in galactic history,
who influenced a number of important historical events, including helping Isaac Newton make
discoveries, saving the life of William Riker’s ancestor, and starting a hundred year war
between romulans and Vulcans.
It was argued that such an important being could not simply be allowed to end his life,
as the repercussions might be drastic for the continuum which could then spill out into
the rest of the universe.
At one point, the rebel Q attempted to bribe Janeway, offering to take the stranded Voyager
crew home to the Alpha quadrant for a favorable ruling, but she declined.
As it turned out Voyager’s presence in the Delta quadrant went on to have massive repercussions,
including a time travel event where Voyager was involved with 29th century technology
ending up on Earth in the past, leading to the technological revolution of the 20th century
and the eventual formation of Starfleet and the Federation.
Therefore, it’s possible this was yet another test by Q, as Janeway accepting his bribe
would have meant none of those events occurred and the Federation may have never existed.
In the end, Janeway judged in favor of Quinn and the rights of the individual, forcing
Q to make him mortal.
Janeway then tried to convince Quinn to find happiness living out his mortal life, but
he killed himself soon after.
Although Q argued against this result, he could not help but admire Quinn’s conviction,
inspiring a return to his rebellious ways, which started by helping Quinn procure the
poison used to end his life.
As predicted, when word of Quinn’s death reached the continuum, it caused great upheaval,
as a faction following the rebel Q started a movement for change, while others wished
to keep things the same.
This sparked a vicious civil war that killed many of their people and caused supernovas
to erupt throughout the galaxy.
Peace was eventually established thanks to the aid of the USS Voyager, resulting in the
rebel Q agreeing to mate with a female Q, to produced the first child ever born inside
the continuum.
It was hoped that Q jr would lead their people toward a new future, but he grew up wild,
arrogant and selfish, causing Q to leave his son with the Voyager crew, so they might teach
him human values.
Though it was a challenging experience, his behaviour improved, and these changes along
with the importance of his father, convinced the continuum to allow the boy back.
As a reward for their help, Q offered Janeway new coordinates that would take several years
off their long journey back to the Alpha Quadrant.
When she asked why he didn’t take them all the way home, Q explained doing all the work
for Voyager would set a bad example for his son.
Yet once again it seems likely Q had a larger plan in place.
By creating a new route for Voyager he set them on a direct path with a Borg Transwarp
hub, capable of transporting ships vast distances in mere moments.
Although the original plan was to go around because it was to dangerous.
A future admiral Janeway travelled back in time and sacrificed herself to get Voyager
home immediately, and in doing so destroyed the transwarp hub, landing a devastating blow
against the Borg.
Though the Q were extremely powerful, they too feared provoking this widespread cybernetic
species, and so perhaps Q sent Voyager on a path that would not only get the home quickly
but also hurt the Borg.
According to a possible alternative timeline, Q eventually returned to have several more
interaction with Jean Luc Picard up until 2401, when it was revealed the Q species was
not really immortal.
Q felt his powers draining and knew he didn’t have much time left, so used his final moments
to help his old friend Picard travel through time and come to terns with the death of his
mother.
Then with his final bit of strength he said good bye and returned Picard to 2401, even
bringing back a friend who passed away as a final gift.
The next year, despite losing his life, Q appeared before Picard’s son Jack Crusher,
claiming he could be there because Q did not experience time in the same linear fashion
as humans.
He then made it clear that while Picard’s trial was over, Jack’s had just begun.