Star Trek and History Read Free

amusement separates him from the classic idea of a cosmic, omnipotent being who judges the human race from on high while untouched by emotion or mercy. His personality is shown even more clearly when we see how he enjoys how much his vast powers of illusion and reality manipulation unnerve Picard and his crew.
    Seemingly on a whim, Q transports Picard and a few officers into a courtroom plucked from a dark era of Earth’s past, with himself as the judge. This may seem like Trelane’s old mode of operation, and several creators involved with Star Trek , including de Lancie himself, have considered that the self-proclaimed “Squire of Gothos” was indeed a member of the Q Continuum as well. But while Trelane is a dangerous nuisance, Q plays for much higher stakes. The Enterprise crew acts as representatives for the Federation of United Planets, which means that not only is humanity on trial but so are many allied races, such as the Vulcans. Should these young explorer races be allowed to continue their expansion, or should they be caged, even destroyed for their arrogance? As Q says to Picard in “Encounter at Farpoint”:
    Q: You will now answer to the charge of being a grievously savage race!
    Picard: Grievously savage could mean anything. I will answer only specific charges.
    Q: Are you certain you want a full disclosure of human ugliness? So be it, fool.
    He is a biased judge and has no problem putting the entire Federation on trial while using only evidence taken from human history. Yet Q is not just another cosmic villain. When Kirk’s crew encounters powerful aliens who wish to have humanity bow down to their wishes, they simply throw their weight around and use force with reckless abandon. But during the trial, Q actually offers Picard and his people a chance to prove their merit, suggesting that their mission to the Farpoint Station will provide a mystery for them and a worthy test. Q makes no effort to hide his feelings that humanity should be cast aside, and he even suggests that the trial itself is proof of humanity’s guilt, since “bringing the innocent to trial would be unfair.” Yet he still listens, in spite of recognizing (or because he recognizes) his own bias.
    This outcome is clearly not your typical cosmic bully who enjoys batting down a weaker, younger race. For all his bluster, Q seems to operate by some form of rules and morality. He taunts the Enterprise crew by telling them that they are inferior, and yet he continually offers clues that help Picard arrive at the truth of the situation behind Farpoint, leading the Enterprise crew to pass the test. Q seems dissatisfied with this outcome, but it seems very unlikely he actually wants Picard to fail. Why offer him clues? Why even let him know to expect something strange and significant at Farpoint? Many scientists have talked about how observing a test can affect its outcome. Q not only observes; he prods and tells the Enterprise crew specifically, “this is a test,” rather than watching from afar to see how Picard will react if he is not aware he is under surveillance or that there is more to his current situation than meets the eye.
    For that matter, how likely is it that Q just happened to realize at the last moment that the Enterprise ’s first mission would, by sheer coincidence, serve as an excellent test? Could Q have manipulated things even earlier, making sure that the new crew would go to, of all places, Farpoint Station for its very first adventure?
    With all this in mind, Q is clearly more trickster than villain, yet not in the classic sense. Anansi tricked others for the sake of amusement or for his own benefit. These motives don’t apply to Q, however. He is already more powerful than any member of the Federation, so he doesn’t need or covet anything they have. By sheer force of will, he can transport himself anywhere in time and space, so dominion and territory are not really