Q History

The Q are a race of almost-omnipotent beings who originate in the Q Continuum. (The Q known as Quinn was stated to Starfleet Captain Janeway of the USS Voyager that the Q were NOT omnipotent but made out they were) Quite how the Q came into existence is a mystery. However many theories have been put forward. The Q themselves have been quite mysterious on this point with the Q, that has been encountered on Federation ships most, often known to Federation Captains as 'our Q' due to his fascination with humans once stated that the Q had always existed, this has lead many to suspect that the Q started to exist along with the Universe at the moment of the big bang. One Federation theory even puts forth the theory that a Q actually started the Big Bang. The son of 'Our Q' who will hereafter to be referred to as 'Q Jr.' once gave the before mentioned Janeway an essay on how the continuum came into existence. However based on the nature of 'Q Jr.' who was lying, manipulative and disobedient even when compared to his father, 'Q Jr's' evidence has been deemed unreliable. The first known interaction of a Q with humans was in the year 1666. The Q who would later be known as Quinn appeared in the garden of an English scientist known as Isaac Newton. Quinn jostled the tree under which Newton sat, dropping an apple on his head and causing him to 'discover' gravity, which in turn lead to many scientific reforms, and surely sped up scientific research on Earth as it opened up new avenues of physics. Conversely the first known interaction in the Galaxy with a Q is also with Quinn, as he indirectly set of a 100 year war between the Vulcans at the Time of Awakening and dissident Vulcans who wished to remain in touch with their emotions. These dissidents would eventually become the Romulans (see explanation in Vulcan History). Quinn again appeared on Earth in 1864 in the American nation on Earth during their civil war, Quinn saved one Colonel Thaddius 'Old Iron Boots' Riker, an ancestor of the famous Commander William T Riker of the USS Enterprise-D and E. Due to his intervention the Borg did not destroy the Federation as they were supposed to as Riker survived to help save the Federation. Quinn once again appeared on Earth on August 15th 1969 when he helped one Maury Ginsberg, an engineer at the famous Woodstock festival on Earth notice a loose cable and repair it in time for the festival to begin. This is the last contact with a Q until 2364, when true First Contact occurred. Quinn was famous among the Q, he believed that the immortal life was boring, he'd practically done everything the universe had to offer. He wished to end his life, indeed it was one of his ill-fated suicide attempts which resulted in the before mentioned Vulcan-Romulan War. In order to end these suicide attempts, for his own safety Quinn was imprisoned in a rogue comet in the Milky Way's Delta Quadrant in 2072. 2364- The USS Enterprise-D was assigned to investigate Farpoint station, a station constructed by the Bandi for possible use as a Starfleet facility. 'Our Q' appeared in the mission, charging humans with being a "dangerous, savage, child-race." He put the senior crew on trial. The crew later discovered that Farpoint Station was a shape-shifting alien forced to take the form of the station. The fact that the Enterprise crewmembers were not hostile to this creature proved to Q that we were not guilty of his accusations, and he left impressed with humanity but angry too. Months later, Q dogged the Enterprise again. This time interrupting a rescue mission to the Sigma III mining colony. Q made a few members of the crew fight it out to be Qs and although Riker won, he eventually gave up the position of being a Q. Q's hostile nature continued into 2365. Around halfway through 2365 Q appeared on the Enterprise-D demanding to be a member of Starfleet. When Captain Picard refused he propelled the Enterprise 7,000 light years away to System J-25, as a result of Q's hostility the Federation was introduced to the Borg, and the Borg to the Federation, leading to the loss of many, many Starfleet personnel, most notably at Wolf 359, but also the attack of Sector 001 in 2373. In 2364 Q once again appeared on the Enterprise, this time.... naked. He claimed to of been made mortal by the continuum for his messing with the universe. Many crewmembers took the claims rather cynically but his claims were proved true when a race known as the Calamarain enacted revenge on him for previous 'playings'. In order to save the crew of the Enterprise, Q selflessly attempted to sacrifice himself. Another Q saw this, and believing that 'Our Q' had learned the error of his ways returned his powers. Q celebrated his returned powers on the bridge of the Enterprise and left, promising to help Picard in the future. From now on Q would be a far less hostile, more constructive influence on the Enterprise, particularly Captain Picard. Q was next encountered by the Enterprise in 2367. Q found Picard in love with one Vash, a female human, Q wished to teach Picard a lesson about love to help repay the debt he felt he owed Picard. He transported Picard and crew to a 'Robin Hood and his Merry Men' fantasy, where Picard was Robin and Vash was Maid Marion, after Picard 'rescued' Vash she agreed to enter into a partnership with Vash and they set off on their way. Q appeared yet again, 2 years later in 2369, sans Vash no less. He arrived on the Enterprise to collect one Amanda Rogers, a Q or human, depending on your viewpoint. Q told her she would either have to join the continuum or remain as a human for ever. Eventually Amanda agreed to join the continuum and went of to live with the Q. Q appeared a few months later, not on the Enterprise, but on Starfleet's new space station, Deep Space 9. Vash, also appeared on the station, and although Q helped save the station from a space entity from the Gamma Quadrant, Vash refused. Q left her alone, and she left the station. This was Q's only visit to DS9. Later that year Captain Picard was injured in an attack by the Lenarans. When he awoke he spoke of an afterlife experience where Q had shown him how the many 'mistakes' in his youth had made him who he was. Picard was grateful that Q had made he see how these 'mistakes' were not something to be regretted. Qs last appearance on the Enterprise was at the end of 2370, he sent Picard back and forth through time, between the day he joined the Enterprise crew, the present and 25 years in the future. In each time Picard was compelled to travel to the Devron system to look for a spatial anomaly there. Under the future Data's advise Picard scanned all three Devron systems with an Inverse Tacyon Beam, however it turned out the tacyon beams joined in time to make the anomaly, which Q revealed would eventually stop life on Earth evolving. Picard ordered the three Enterprise-Ds inside the anomaly, which stopped it, saving life on Earth. All this had been a continuation of the trial Q had put Picard and humanity on seven years before at Farpoint, and again Picard had won, but unlike before Farpoint, Q was genuinely pleased that Picard had one. At this point Q has yet to bother Picard or the Enterprise again. In 2372 the USS Voyager, lost in the Delta Quadrant, was beaming up a comet sample when they accidentally released the before mentioned Quinn from incarceration in the comet. Quinn once again attempted to commit suicide, but accidentally made the entire male crew of Voyager disappear. 'Our Q' appeared and explained to Captain Janeway why Quinn had been locked up, his constant suicide attempts. Quinn requested asylum and mortality so that he could carry out suicide. Janeway held a hearing, and eventually found in Quinn's favour. His arguments had so convinced Q, that he gave Quinn a rare poison with which to commit which the ships doctor could not cure. Quinn died, freed from the tediousness of immortality. Quinn's death had great repercussions for the Q continuum. A year later, in 2373, Q once again appeared on Voyager where he declared his attentions to father a child by Captain Janeway. Janeway refused, saying she did want a child, but not by Q. Q persisted, revealing that the continuum was in the grips of civil war, caused by Quinn's death. Q lead the side of freedom, who wanted the freedoms Quinn had martyred for as they fought the forces of the status quo, Q believed a child, born from a human would be able to bring peace to the continuum. However in the end Q mated with his girlfriend, a female Q he'd dated for 6 billion years. Janeway was named 'Q Jr's' godmother. Q would next appear in 2377 again aboard Voyager. His son, now in the Q equivalent of being a teenager, was basically being disobedient. After Q stripped his son of his powers, he left Q Jr behind to be looked after by the Voyager crew, who he thought would give him a proper sense of morality. Q finally learned what it was to be a father however, and left along with Q Jr. Since then no more Qs have been encountered by the Federation. However there is one man always looking over his shoulder for a Q, Captain Jean Luc Picard.