Among the many species of the Alpha Beta, Gamma and Delta quadrants, some have evolved
to share certain traits and characteristics possibly due to a common ancestor like the
Progenitors who may have seeded life on a number of worlds during their interstellar
travels. There are other species however which differ
wildly from the two legged humanoids which populate the galaxy, such as the wormhole
aliens, also known as the Celestial Prophets of Bajor, the changelings of the great link
or Species 8472 of fluidic space. And while the many varied and exotic species the galaxy
each have unique skills and abilities, perhaps the most powerful species of them all were
the immortal 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 the Q believed they were they highest and purest form of life and during one occasion
when a Q was transformed into a human, he claimed to have an IQ of 2005. However there
were some limitations to their powers, as they could be killed, though the death of
a Q was a serious issue with lasting galaxy wide repercussions.
A Q later known as Quinn made it seem as though the Q evolved over eons to become these powerful
beings, yet another Q who was known throughout the federation claimed that the Q have always
existed. Whatever their origins, the New Era as they
called it, saw them reach a golden age, where they explored the universe and shared thoughts
and opinions about every subject imaginable. And while some of them continued to influence
galactic events wherever they deemed appropriate, most became lazy and apathetic, choosing to
simply maintaining the status quo without any changes that might disturb their society.
However things at last started to change when a member of their species broke with normalcy
and rebelled against the system, even growing fond of taking humanoid form and interacting
personally with less advances beings like the humans of the Alpha quadrant.
In the 24th century, as the Federation began to explore further into deep space, this rebel
Q appeared to the crew of the Enterprise, accusing their species of straying too far
from their home system, calling them a dangerous, savage child race, unprepared to deal with
the dangers that awaited them. Captain Jean Luc Picard disagreed with his
assessment and defended humanity claiming that they had made rapid progress and were
no longer the violent and greedy people their history might suggest.
Placing humanity on trial, it was decided that Picard and his crew would be tested,
made to deal with the mystery of farpoint station, where a species possessed a type
of technology that could build objects of great complexity like a space station, seemingly
out of nowhere. When the station came under attack, Picard
was presented with an opportunity to use violence to put an end to the problem, but instead
used his mind to solve the problem, discovering that a sentient being with incredible powers
was being held as a prisoner, and in response its mate was attacking the facility. By ensuring
the release of the creature, the attack stopped and the mystery was solved.
Having passed their test, Q allowed them to continue on their journey exploring the galaxy
but told them the trial was not over and he’d be watching their progress.
The next time they met, Q informed them that humanity was proving to be an interesting
species, and that they seemed to possess and insatiable curiosity, a desire to grow and
explore that the Q could not comprehend. As a result he gifted commander Riker, first
officer aboard the enterprise, the incredible powers of his species, in order to tempt him
into joining the Q continuum. In this way he would serve as a model of human behaviour
which could be studied to bring new ideas into their realm.
However Q proved too arrogant and confident in his ability to convince Riker, agreeing
to stay away from the enterprise if he should fail. Ultimately he was unable to convince
the first officer and so Q was forced to leave them.
The actions of the rebel Q had proven so disruptive, that for a time the others of his kind exiled
him from the continuum. Returning to the crew of the Enterprise, Q
then tried to join them on their voyages, offering to help guide them through the many
dangers and mysteries that awaited. However Picard refused and so Q transported their
vessel 7000 lightyears to see a cube shaped ship from a relentless and merciless species
known as the Borg, travelling in the direction of Earth. The Enterprise only survived the
encounter, when Picard admitted to needing Q’s help.
As it so happens, the Borg would eventually travel 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 accidently activate by a group of scientists, allowing one of them
to send a signal to Borg space, which would take 200 years to arrive at its destination.
This message then pointed the way towards Earth and may have been the catalyst, that
prompted the Borg to send the cube encountered by the Enterprise.
This implies that when Q transported Picard and his ship to meet the Borg for the first
time, he did it not only as a game for his own amusement, but also as a warning, to give
humanity time to prepare for the approaching threat.
The rest of the Q continuum grew increasingly upset with Q’s actions and so chose to strip
him of his powers, forcing him to live the rest of his life as a mortal in punishment,
and so he chose to take human form, in order to join the Enterprise crew, so they might
protect him from his enemies. Although his integration into the crew was difficult, he
came to care for them in his own way and even offered to sacrifice himself to save them
from harm. The other Q, witnessing his selfless act,
then restored his powers and welcomed him back into the continuum.
In the coming years, Q would return and interact with Federation crew on a number of occasions,
and while his meddling was often negatively received, he helped Picard a number of times,
even acting as a spiritual guide to help him confront his past and understand the consequences
of life choices he’d made. On another occasion, he helped a girl born
in the Federation who was developing Q like powers, explaining that her parents were Q
who lived on Earth and were executed shortly after her birth.
During one occasion, Q visited the Federation Outpost of Deep Space Nine, and there mockingly
challenged Benjamin Sisko to a fight. Yet to his surprise, Sisko did not have the same
aversion to violence as Picard, and proceeded to punch him in the face.
Seven years after commencing the Trial of Humanity, Q once again appeared before Picard,
arranged for another test, this time involving a time travel mystery, which the captain eventually
solved. Q then confessed that the Continuum wanted to see if humans were capable of understanding
more advanced concepts about the nature of the universe. However Q then made it clear,
that while they passed the test, the Q would continue watching Humanity, proclaiming that
"The trial never ends." Several years later, when the crew of the
USS Voyager became stranded in the Delta quadrant, they accidently released a Q from his prison,
prompting the former rebel, now reformed Q to appear, in order to recapture the criminal.
However the Q who is later known as Quinn requested Asylum on Voyager, explaining that
he wanted the freedom to commit suicide, but it will not be allowed.
Captain Janeway then decided to hold a hearing and there Quinn argues that the Q have been
alive for so long, and experienced so much, the continuum was now a place where nothing
ever happened, and where their people were so apathetic they no longer even spoke to
each other. Quinn, who had formerly been one of their
great philosophers, saw that the severe stagnation in their society was a problem and became
inspired by the antics of the rebel Q, who’d challenged authority and created chaos. He
then pointed out the irony, that the renegade was now just like all the others, and was
even trying to stop another free thinker from rebelling as he had.
Throughout the hearing, they learned Quinn was actually an important figure in galactic
history, having influenced a number of important events of the past, including helping Isaac
Newton discover his theories, saving the life of William Riker’s ancestor, and was even
involved in starting the hundred year war between the romulans and Vulcans. It was argued
that such an important being could not simply be allowed to end his life and that the repercussion
of allowing it might be drastic for the continuum. However Janeway ultimately sided with Quinn
and the rights of the individual, forcing Q to make him mortal. And while Janeway tried
to convince Quinn to find happiness living out his mortal life, the former Q killed himself
soon after. Although Q had argued against this action,
he could not help but admire Quinn’s conviction and became inspired to return to his rebellious
ways. And so when word of Quinn’s death reached
the continuum, a great civil war erupted, with Q leading a faction of rebels that wanted
to change society, against the establishment that wanted to keep things as they were.
The war grew viscious and many of their people died, resulting in a number of supernovas
erupting throughout the galaxy. However, with the help of the Voyager crew who became involved
in the war, a peace was at last reached when it was decided the rebel Q would mate with
a female Q, and produced the first child ever born to the continuum.
However Q jr. as he became known, was not quite the saviour they had hoped for, instead
growing to be wild, arrogant and selfish. When Q arranged for the Voyager crew to take
the boy in and teach him human values, his behaviour improved, and these changes along
with the importance of his father, convinced the others to allow the boy back into the continuum.