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Brainstorming: The Next Destination

BRAINSTORMING: THE NEXT DESTINATION



Hi there!

So, the Theurgy is likely to use an aperture to escape the Borg and the Azure Nebula before the Omega Device goes BOOM!

That begs the question, where should the aperture lead?

A) The Andromeda Galaxy?
B) The Gamma Quadrant, and then returning via Bajoran wormhole?
C) Somewhere along the Resolve's old path to Fed space?
D) The Rolor Nebula, adjacent to the Badlands?
E) Breen Space?
F) Where else??

There are a ton of ideas here, I've gathered, so I thought I'd let everyone who wants put their ideas forward to do so.

At the end of this short workshop, a poll will determine where the Theurgy ends up!

Best,

Auctor Lucan

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #1 –
Risa

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #2 –
Just a thought: the aperture could be affected by Omega somehow, or the crap ton of torpedoes and phasers that everyone is firing, and send the Theurgy to the future. It could be akin to Yesterday's Enterprise, where because the Theurgy mysteriously vanished, that future is one where the Parasites achieved a complete victory. The A/B quadrants have descended into an anarchic nightmare, with atrocities, war and slaughter all routine, where the Federation has been utterly perverted. It would be an absolute worst case scenario where the Parasites won, giving some real context to the Theurgy's mission. Earth is a burned out husk from antimatter bombing, Starfleet is now madly sadistic and exterminating their "enemies" left and right...all things that make the Terran Empire look like cuddly teddy bears by comparison. A full on, horror movie nightmare.

The whole point is to showcase consequences and provide added motivation. Moreover, there could be a fun opportunity for new characters to enter the fold from this apocalyptic future, joining the Theurgy's mission just as Tasha did in Yesterday's Enterprise. Heck, the Theurgy could meet a small fleet called Task Force Pandora, the last true remnants of the Federation, continuing the Theurgy's mission despite it all seeming hopeless now to beat the Parasites and save the galaxy. That task force repairs, resupplies and reinforces the Theurgy with their advanced technology then send the Theurgy back through the aperture, back in time, with a renewed appreciation for what will happen if they fail in their mission.

Hell, it could even be a full (brief) mission rather than an interregnum. Task Force Pandora fights a desperate, futile battle against a Parasite-led armada to protect the Theurgy as Captain Ives and hir crew flee through the aperture. The Theurgy is returned to its own time and its own crusade, renewed and ready.

It's all very wacky, admittedly, and it adds extra complication to a story already full to the brim with complexity. I don't really think it can work. Still, it popped into my head, so here it is. The key in my mind is to show consequences and directly show what will happen if the Theurgy's mission fails. Come to think of it, that can be done in other (less ambitious and contrived) ways. Meh.

EDIT: Yeah, I'm an idiot. Masorin originally thought of the Theurgy shifting through time, and I forgot to give credit for where I was inspired. Sorry.

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #3 –
I like Griffs idea...

I was also going to suggest that it doesn't send us far and we end up somewhere near Qo'noS and our new Klingon Allies help us out.

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #4 –
I vote B Gamma, then home via the wormhole.

My reasoning is as follows.

1) The Gamma Quad is largely virgin. yes we know the Dominion is there but that's just part. There's huge huge parts of the Gamma that we can do what ever we want to do.
2) Noone's going to suddenly go "Hey they were in the Alpha Quad. Quick, everyone go check the Gamma quad for them!
3) It's 'far' it can be 'exotic' but.... with the Wormhole. We have an easy, and WELL KNOWN (I.E. non contrived) Way to get home. If/When we want to. (Maybe after some repairs and time breathing and not fighting for our lives every second.
4) There is no significant Fed presence there, so we're unlikely to be tripped over out of the blue.
5) With it BEING virgin territory, we can literally put what ever we want there, good or bad or middling.  We could do some actual exploring, as we fixed the ship. Let the crew do something other than fight for their lives. I KNOW some writers are dying for that.


That said I'm very much against a time jump. It's good for a chuckle but after the initial chuckle it gets weird.

1) If we jump forward, everything we encounter will be stronger than our ship. Which is held together with spit, hope and duct tape right now, and the duct tape is peeling.
2) I believe there has been at least two time manipulations already, and 'in universe' there has only been a few weeks/days since all this started. I know a ship from the future jumped to the past and was fought off. So this would be the second or third time manipulation in a very short period.
3) it's going to end up contrived. If we jump forward we're not just going to stay in the future. We're going to come back. So what ever is done in the future, won't matter to 'Our' future, as we'll be coming back to 'our' past and will change it.
More over we can't jump "Back" before we left.... because writers have been contributing to this story for literal years. Jumping back before we leave would change/invalidate years and years of writing. So we can't jump back before it all starts and change things as hundreds of thousands of words and hours/days/weeks of writing work would be deleted. So that's not going to happen.

So if we jump forward, what ever happens gets nullified when we come back. And we can't go "back" with out invalidating all the work and effort of the writers here. So at best it would be forward, nothing of substance happens, then back to where we -were- to start with, and then go some where from -there-.

We might as well just go that some where 'now'. with out the time jumps forward and then finding a way 'back'.

This isn't said to hurt anyone's feelings that like the time jump thing. I just think it would result in weeks or months of writing with null actual effect.
Lieutenant Vanya - Science Officer - Zoology/XenoZoology
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Lieutenant Junior Grade Zark – Security Officer – Combat Medic
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Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #5 –
Personally I don't like the idea of using the aperture, after having talked it over in chat and helping to inspire Griff's previous post I would say that the most interesting idea to come from going through the apature would be the link in time rather than space, I think it would be very neat to arrive back where we started some 50+ years after we left.

Traveling to the future creates less temporal fractures than traveling backward, and it gives a lot of characters a lot of different things that we can do. I love dystopian ideas, and seeing a Federation civil war is one of those neat ideas that we could work with for an episode.

But even then I'm not a fan.

I think the time jump allows us to continue the main story which is we have a chance to gather more information about the enemy parasites, and continue that storyline, it also allows for character creation and such.

If we go to the gamma quadrant the main story goes on hold, same with Andromeda, and basically any of the locations outside of the Alpha Quadrant our story is focused on the home of the Federation and I think that is where we should stay.

I think we should do something that allows the Theurgy to speed away from the Azure nebula without using the apature. Joining warp fields with the less damaged Cayuga, and Martok's ship, making for neutrual space.

I'd purpose the boarderlands are a much more interesting idea.

a) they are a stones throw away from the azure nebula, the boarderlands are a mix of Romulan, Klingon, Orion interest groups that abide under piracy laws.

b) We have a lot of characters that are tied into the Orion Syndicate, and the boarderlands is basically piracy space. Any station that we go too would likely be run by the syndicate which gives them a lot more to do in the story.

c) We have a chance for exploring some of the stranger less known worlds of the Federation, The Theurgy would be one of the bigger guns in the west, but not necessarily the biggest.

d) It gives us space from the Federation, giving us a much needed breather, with a chance to resupply, but it also allows for new story characters to come involved.

e) It makes the theurgy's reputation all the worse as we would be forced to consort with pirates, slavers, and drug runners to get resources we need to continue our fight.

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #6 –
I vote for a Quadrant of space (any quadrant) that will allow us some actual down time.  We could get the ship fixed a bit or at least repaired as much as our crew could do and let things gel for a little bit before we have to dive back into battle and death.  I feel like, honestly, the crew could use a break.  It seems like everything has been SO hard on them lately and I can't imagine even the strongest of people staying sane after all they have been through.  So maybe we could jump to a place where they could hide out for a short time.  Like a pre-mission chill fest.  We could have supplementals and let the people from the Endeavour, Cayuga, etc, settle in and into their roles.  Allow some just fun posting, give the crew hope.

I think honestly, this crew needs a little hope.  A little 'good' before we dive back into 'hey we're all about to die' again.  But, this is just my opinion and may not be a popular one.

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #7 –
I agree with BZ, we are in dire need of something to support the crew's spirits, something that isn't crushing or hollow. Not just the crew but also the writers themselves could likely do with some kind of reprieve before returning to the bloodbath. People can only go for so long before losing motivation or giving up. This may be something that is very much actually needed.

In short, I have little to say except that I second BZ's idea.

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #8 –
As a note, BZ's and Hasta's note about down time and repairs, are very much what I was envisioning in the Gamma Quad.

I support their posts 100% :)
Lieutenant Vanya - Science Officer - Zoology/XenoZoology
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Lieutenant Junior Grade Zark – Security Officer – Combat Medic
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Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #9 –
I will third any destination that will give the ship and its crew some true rest and relaxation, a place where we can just chill out, repair the ship, and have some of our characters start actually integrating into the crew in an environment that isn't full of people trying to kill them. Not only that, but it looks like we'll have quite a few crew members that will need some time to heal and much like the ship herself, that can't happen if we don't have a chance to stop and breathe. Running away from the Borg through an aperture will give that opportunity and it might even shake our pursuers off our tail completely for a time if they think the ship died in the clash.

I know one concern is going to be generating things to do for everyone during that kind of lull and there is honestly a lot that we can do outside of Engineering, Operations, and Medical all fixing things and I don't just mean everyone having sex with each other or exploring romance. Any leftover Morali cultists and Bellerophon survivors, for instance, could be investigated by Security to be cleared from being a Security threat. Tactical could show off their weapons knowledge during repairs - aiding Operations and Engineering in ensuring weapons systems get restored, chiefly, but also working with Science and Engineering on whether these graviton weapons we have left could be reverse-engineered to be useful as ship's weapons (probably requiring too much for the ship alone to build more than maybe a small prototype, but hey, who knows what the future holds?). Maybe we'll even make some new friends that will help in some small way.

It'd probably go in phases. Immediate needs would be triangulating where we are, damage control, casualties, and cleaning up. Then the crew settles into a rhythm getting Theurgy back into something resembling a spaceworthy warship as the new people from other ships start really making peace with being members of Theurgy (this would be the period when Ducote gets the XO spot, I'd assume). Then finally, it's preparation for getting back into the fight. I would suggest that this be an active choice made by the crew rather than another ambush or some sort of space virus gone awry or mutiny. The reason I say that is because this is an ideal time for a common moment in epic stories (whether books, movies, or video games) where we've gone through something incredibly damaging after a series of getting our asses kicked and just barely surviving. At the starting point of this next interregnum, the ship will have accomplished what is essentially a Pyrrhic victory, a battle that was technically a victory but still somehow feels like a loss due to the damage inflicted on the ship and crew and the sacrifice made by a senior crew member. Having that time after this to really rest and get some serious repairs done also allows reflecting on the story so far and the choices made. Were those choices good? Has it been worth the fight? Can we even continue the fight at this point?

The specific answers, of course, will vary as well as the justifications used for each character but I suspect we all know what the broad themes would be. Starting the next mission with a crew that feels a bit more rested and chooses to wade back into the fight with renewed resolution and strength gives both writers and characters a way to see through the next few stages of the war without shattering. That's important.

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #10 –
Thank you all for the excellent stuff posted in this thread!!

Just a quick clarification: This is just a brainstorming thread where the word is completely free. A poll between relevant alternatives will be held soon. The idea is that this thread allows everyone to pitch their ideas and locations so that they might be added to the poll.

I know that too many options runs the danger of the votes in the poll being a bit spread out, but if the result is too evenly spread, we will take the two options with the highest votes and then hold a second poll between those alternatives. That way, those who voted for an alternative that virtually got no more votes than their own will still have the chance to submit their vote on either of the two alternatives with the highest number of votes.

I think the general consensus atm, given the rough week our characters have had, we need an Interregnum with with some RRR (Repairs, Rest and Recreation), but that - like people have mentioned already - does not mean there won't be interesting main story plot options to explore. Moreover, we also have the Belleophon survivors (and some Security people from the Dauntless) besides the Devoted that needs to be (re-)integrated, with or without difficulty depending on the individuals. This, as mentioned above already.

As for the main story plot points, I already have plenty of ideas for an RRR period that we can use, depending on the coordinates we end up in. I actually even have some conceptual artwork for a city on an alien planet, but I will not show it yet since that may affect the poll. I'd rather keep an open mind to your wishes here.

So, there has been a lot of focus on what they can and should do next, but I'd love if the suggestions henceforth could be more focused on actual coordinates. As in, 'where' rather than 'what should they do'. The map at the top was just a suggestion, but if there are better ones showing the whole galaxy, please, feel free to post those too! Not sure there is any official canon ones with that scope and detail?

Keep the suggestions coming! :)

Best,

Auctor Lucan

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #11 –
Would an invitation to Q’onos be possible? We did stand in battle with the Chancellor himself after all.  He knows about the parasites now, and I don’t think even an infested Starfleet would be willing to push into Klingon territory, not yet at least.

And should give us some great R&R too, nothing better than knocking back warnog and bloodwine with some of the best warriors in the galaxy.

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #12 –
For the moment, the Gamma quadrant seems to me the most striking option for me, more than anything because the crew really needs a (very) well-deserved rest. Some time to assimilate where they are, why and establish ties with the rest of the crew. Literally there are characters who have not stepped on the Theurgy yet. The repairs of the starship don't only have to do with the bulkplates and engines, right now there is on board a patchwork of crews that need to know each other and start working together. If it's possible without having an enemy stepping on their necks. There are stories to tell there, and drama, and mistery. And R&R time could be exciting to write too.

For locations to flee, i've a couple of options.

- Klingon space. Yes, i know this have been throw to the pool, but aside of Martok there is a full House  with a seat in the Council that are more than potential allies. Just saying ;). Great Houses, as medieval nobility, have territories outside Qo'noS, systems and planets that they exploit, so a convenient system far from the Klingon Homeworld could be a neat chance, with the klingon vibes and bit far of the political core/Federation border. That could allow exploring sevant klingon worlds and a culture outside the capital world.

- Cardassia (Cardassia!): again, not need to be Cardassia Prime by far, but what about Lazon for example? To the point I remember we have at least an important allie in Cardassia and... who is better to keep a secret than a cardassian? To hide and lie?  Also we know that the Union have Federation Industrial replicators, so maybe it could be easy to obtain patterns and spare parts there. . Also we have the advantage here that the Union is still reconstructing, so, even when the main planets could be more or less as they were prior the DW, the satellite worlds will be probably still reconstructing, and probably won't be as guarded as the main systems.


As a foot note about maps, we must remember maps are 2d and space is 3d so, even when some systems appear close in the map to Federation borders in fact are way up or down from them ;)

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #13 –
Mirroring what has been said here previously, I feel that we should head into Klingon Space. While Martok may not be able to openly support us, I feel that he might be at least able to provide us a temporary shelter for repairs. Perhaps an uninhabited system near-ish to the border. Some RRR as Lucan has said, would be great, like a week :D

Is the Cayuga coming with? They could assist with repairs or gathering supplies. There is also the Orion Syndicate, the Klingons themselves or even the Remans that are within Klingon Space. Martok allowed them to settle there.

Then again, simply an industrial replicator and an asteroid field would be sufficient with enough time.

Personally though, I think we need to stay within the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. As appealing as it sounds to go joyriding around the galaxy, I think it would just complicate matters more.

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #14 –
I can reply right away in regard to the Cayuga, it will not be coming along. The guest ship will not be destroyed for once in this Episode, but this is a single ship sim against all odds.

Ziegler will have an important mission in staying behind, since the Theurgy crew has no idea where they will end up on the other side of the aperture. It might be the Cayuga will have to continue the mission alone in the Alpha Quadrant for all they know as of the end of the battle.

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #15 –
I personally would prefer not to temporally displace the ship.  Some of the characters have potential storylines that would be essentially negated if they were catapulted in time.  Displacing something to our timeline is one thing but sending us 50 years into the future?  I'm not a fan, I'm afraid.

If we're going "that far", I personally prefer the Delta Quadrant only because the territory is a little more built out in terms of canon where-as Gamma is seems far less defined.  Either way, we still face the possibility of encountering Starfleet since expeditionary forces would have been deployed to both around this time frame.

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #16 –
I have highlighted in red our current location, and the boarderlands, as you can see they are a touch too close for the use of the apatures, which is why i suggest linking warp cores with the Cayuga and flying away from the explosion at maximum warp.

Cannonically this is a region of space that the Federation has little presence in, and is big enough to hide our own ship. It has starbases, it has the syndicate, and so forth.

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #17 –
I'll also support any destination that would let the ship go down to a barebones anchor watch while effecting repairs (possibly in a friendly or neutral shipyard?), rest, relaxation, crew integration, and maybe some collective training to bring everyone up to speed.

And from where, say, away missions to acquire stores that aren't readily available could be launched from, maybe even covert supply runs?   

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #18 –
To help out, I have made this, based on a map from sttff.net, only removing some fan-made areas created by that fanfiction site:


>> Click For Full Resolution

Hope it helps! I know it doesn't show the Gamma or Delta quadrants, but those are largely unexplored so there isn't much to make maps over.

Best,

Auctor Lucan

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #19 –
I'm in favor of anywhere that isn't in relatively close proximity to our current location.  Space may be big but honestly the Borderland is still too close to our current location as well as Federation space.

In my opinion the Gamma Quadrant is the best option for us to end up in, and still have a stable way for us to return to Federation space once we've made repairs.  I think our second best option would be the Rolor Nebula as we could hide out in Breen space or Cardassian space to make repairs and still be close enough to get back into the fight once we're fully operational again.

Just my two cents.

Defeat, Genocide; why quibble with semantics.

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #20 –
Wild Card: What about the Ferengi Alliance? All we'd need to do is convince them it's more profitable to help us repair enough to leave again rather than sell us out to the Federation. @CanadianVet mentioned doing covert supply runs and we've talked a bit on the server about doing some shady stuff in support of the mission. What if we had to get something priceless for the Ferengi to pay for a safe space to repair?

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #21 –
The Ferengi would sell us out in a heartbeat. I'm personally more inclined to toss my hat in with the Klingons, as has been mentioned a few times in this thread already.

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #22 –
Ah, just a thought. If the Theurgy does go to the Gamma Quadrant, they could end up visiting a small commonwealth of worlds that are friendly with the Federation (partially for protection from the nearby Dominion?), and would therefore be willing to help the Theurgy with repairs and shoreleave. Their considerable distance from the A/B quadrants would be a reasonable justification for why they haven't heard anything about the Theurgy's situation, as the Federation wouldn't think to notify one of their allies in the Gamma Quadrant about that.

In general it means that the Theurgy can skip all the bargaining and negotiations and begin repairs/shoreleave rather quickly, as well as simplifying their arrival in the Gamma Quadrant.
 

Re: Brainstorming: The Next Destination

Reply #23 –
Another factor that is worth considering in that respect, from our Theurgy canon page:

Quote
Dominion
At the end of the Dominion War, the Treaty of Bajor was drawn up between the Dominion and the major powers of the Alpha Quadrant. The Dominion retreated back into the Gamma Quadrant. Within their home territory, news of the major defeat spread, leading to some rebellions on subject worlds. They were quickly subdued by the Jem'Hadar.

In 2374, the Great Link learned of the apparent reappearance of the Progenitor and sent a ship to investigate. However when Odo and the others arrived they found the Progenitor was apparently killed by radiation of a supernova. The Great Link dissolved as its individual members gave into their grief and despair and drifted off into space. This left Odo and Laas running the Dominion. Over the next several years, Odo concentrated on running the Dominion while Laas traveled in search of other Changelings to convince them to return. Due to the structure of the Dominion, in which most never even saw a Founder, the day-to-day affairs were largely unaffected.

During this time, Odo kept the Dominion borders closed to keep the political situation stable and focused his work on transforming the Dominion into a more peaceful and democratic society.

With the borders closed, the lack of news of the Theurgy's fate and persecution will be more or less guaranteed. Like Griff says, the species encountered might be amiably inclined towards Starfleet because of efforts during the Dominion War. Getting back to the Alpha Quadrant wouldn't be too hard either even if the borders are closed for visitors, since they can just claim they want to return home. Moreover, away missions and efforts in the Gamma Quadrant during the Interregnum might even give them a free pass home, even if the border might have been closed to begin with.

Oh, as for the Epsilon Mynos System option in the new poll, the Aldeans are pretty advanced, and could be a great asset in restoring the ship. I also kind of like how Martok would aid in setting up the help the Theurgy needs, but honestly, I like both of these options for their own merits.

Best,

Auctor Lucan
 
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