Spoiler Warning: Beware of spoilers for the following Star Trek productions: The Next Generation Season 1, Deep Space Nine Season 6, Voyager Season 1, Generations, Star Trek ’09, Discovery Season 2, and Picard Season 2.
Almost four years ago I had a lot of fun writing a piece here on the website called “What If…? Star Trek Edition!” I took the basic concept behind the then-new Marvel miniseries What If…? and applied it to several storylines from the Star Trek franchise that I found interesting. Speculating and getting creative was a blast, so… let’s do it again!
If you missed the miniseries (or my earlier post), I’ll briefly explain how this works! We’re going to look at five stories from across the Star Trek franchise and ask a simple question: what if things went differently? What would the consequences be for Starfleet, the Federation, and some of the characters we’ve come to know and love if, for example, Spock wasn’t resurrected on the Genesis Planet or Captain Janeway and the USS Voyager tried to reach the Gamma Quadrant terminus of the Bajoran wormhole? I covered both of those topics in my post from 2021, by the way, so be sure to check it out – you can find it by clicking or tapping here.
Alternate history has been an interest of mine for a long time – so we can consider this an “alternate history of the future,” if you like! With the Star Trek franchise slowly but surely heading toward the 1,000-story mark, there are a lot of places where narratives could branch, and where the Star Trek galaxy could end up in very different situations! As a Trekkie, and as someone who likes to spend time in this setting, it’s a ton of fun to come up with these ideas and consider how they might play out.
As always, a couple of important caveats! All of this is the entirely subjective take of one old Trekkie. If you hate all of my ideas, think I’ve got the wrong end of the stick, or if I miss something that seems totally obvious to you… that’s okay! There ought to be enough room in the Star Trek fan community for differences of opinion. None of this is close to being “canon,” anyway, so there’s even less of a reason to get upset about completely made-up Star Trek stories that will never be seen on screen!
Alright, let’s jump into the “what if” scenarios!
What If…? #1:
What if… Captain Picard and Q never met?
The Next Generation, Picard Season 2
This is a really interesting one – and it might not go the way you think! Looking back over Picard’s run-ins with Q during The Next Generation, there really aren’t many places where we could say that their interactions had wide-ranging consequences. I have my pet theory that Q deliberately saved Picard and the Federation by making them aware of the Borg threat (click or tap here for that one, it’s one of my favourite Star Trek theories!) but that’s not the angle I’m gonna take today. In this case, we’re going to say that – for whatever reason – Picard and Q never met, never developed their complex relationship, and Q never set any puzzles for Picard to solve. In fact, Q stayed away from humanity and Starfleet altogether in this alternate timeline.
As noted, Q’s interactions with Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-D almost always involved problems or scenarios of his own devising. So without Q on the scene, the Enterprise-D’s mission actually proceeds slightly more smoothly than it did in the series; the absence of Q doesn’t matter in a big way to the seven-year cruise. Every other episode and story plays out more or less the same, from the mystery at Farpoint Station to the ship’s destruction over Veridian III. Picard assumes command of the Enterprise-E, then the Romulan rescue armada, before retiring from Starfleet.
But here’s where things change. After the mission to rescue Soji and being named Chancellor of Starfleet Academy, Admiral Picard is aboard the USS Stargazer when a mysterious anomaly is detected. The Stargazer, the Excelsior, and a handful of other ships race to the scene, where they’re confronted by a massive subspace anomaly that Seven of Nine thinks could be a huge transwarp conduit. Attempts at communication fail, and with only a handful of Starfleet ships on the scene, there’s no way to prevent the conduit from unleashing its triquantum waves.
Aboard the Stargazer, Picard and the crew look desperately for solutions – but there are none. Without the Borg, their vessel, and their knowledge of the situation, there’s no way to stop the transwarp conduit from doing what it was designed to do: launching a massive attack on the Federation. Its triquantum waves blast across several sectors of space, destroying the Starfleet ships as they attempt to escape, as well as several starbases and Federation colonies. Having expended its initial wave of energy, the conduit then falls eerily silent, as if waiting for instructions… or for its operators to emerge.
Because Star Trek: Picard was a jumbled mess of a show, we don’t know who made the transwarp anomaly. My pet theory is that it’s something to do with Season 1’s super-synths, but it could also be the Borg, the Dominion, or any one of a number of Star Trek baddies! In this timeline, though, the anomaly’s initial attack would be successful – because there’d be no Q to throw Picard and his friends into the alternate reality that eventually led to Dr Jurati’s assimilation and the creation of a Borg splinter group. Without the Jurati-Borg’s presence at the site of the transwarp anomaly, there was no way to stop its energy from being unleashed.
What would happen next? I’d imagine that whoever made the anomaly would be pleased with its success, and if it was a transwarp conduit – as Seven theorised – then it could serve as a gateway for any ships that the attacker had. With a devastated sector and no intact ships remaining in the area, any invader would quickly be able to establish a massive bridgehead right in the heart of Federation territory, and if they have more transwarp conduit weapons… who knows? The next target could be Earth.
What If…? #2:
What if… Section 31 and the Federation accidentally created the Borg?
Deep Space Nine, First Contact, Discovery Season 2
If you’re a regular reader, you might remember my theory that Discovery’s second season – which featured a time-travelling spacesuit and an AI that could “assimilate” humans using nano-bots – was originally pitched as a “Borg origin story.” So what if that’s actually what happened? In this timeline, Section 31 and the Control AI are going to be uncovered as the true progenitors of the Borg!
Here’s how it went down: after chasing Captain Pike and the USS Discovery all over the quadrant, Control and its fleet of automated drone-ships finally have them cornered. Using the assimilated body of Captain Leland, Control boards Discovery and attempts to seize the all-important Sphere Data that it needs – but the battle in space is going poorly, and Control seems to be on the verge of defeat. Not wanting to give up, Control switches tactics. Instead of the Sphere Data, Control races to the science lab and steals the Red Angel suit that Burnham and the crew have finished working on.
Staring down an armada of allied ships in space and Discovery’s security team just outside the doors, Control is trapped. With no other options, Control uses the Red Angel suit to escape – but because the suit is malfunctioning, Control ends up in the distant past. Trapped on a planet in the far-flung Delta Quadrant, anchored in time the same way Gabrielle Burnham was, Control surveys its surroundings. The planet is primitive, populated by humanoids in an early stage of development – with no spacefaring technology. Control has some nano-bots remaining, and the Red Angel suit… but that’s it. It decides that the best course of action is to assimilate some of the local humanoids and work on producing more technology – hoping to one day return to Federation space and finish what it started.
For me, the biggest question is this: does the Borg Collective still know all of this as of the late 24th Century? Or has the passage of time and countless assimilations over the millennia led to this information being forgotten, buried somewhere in the depths of the Collective’s knowledge? My personal take is that this is something the Borg Queen would know – but in the Collective’s run-ins with Starfleet, it’s gone out of its way to avoid revealing this truth.
But the Borg Queen is clearly not the same as Control – so what happened there? Perhaps the Queen regards Control as her “ancestor,” in a sense, or maybe Control merged with a particularly strong personality that it assimilated early on. Dr Jurati, in Picard’s second season, merged with the Borg Queen rather than simply becoming a Borg drone, so the same principle could apply here. It does beg the question, though, as to why the Borg Collective didn’t set its sights on Earth and humanity decades earlier if Control’s desire for revenge is hard-coded into the Collective’s DNA!
More interestingly, I wonder what Starfleet would make of this revelation. Let’s say that, after the Battle of Sector 001, Starfleet was able to analyse the remains of the Borg Cube and found remnants of 23rd Century Federation programming in the Borg’s systems. Further analysis eventually led to one inescapable conclusion: the Control AI is the basis for the Borg, making the biggest threat to the galaxy an accidental Federation creation. Perhaps that knowledge could be used by Starfleet’s Borg experts to find a weakness or a way to communicate… but it would also be a serious blow to morale.
What If…? #3:
What if… the USS Voyager was destroyed over Ocampa?
Voyager Season 1
In this alternate timeline, we’re going to say that the USS Voyager and the Val Jean – Chakotay’s ship – were both transported to the Delta Quadrant as we saw in Caretaker. But during the battle for the Caretaker’s Array, it’s Voyager, not the Val Jean, that ended up being destroyed by the Kazon. Some survivors made it to the escape pods and were taken aboard by the Maquis, with Chakotay ordering B’Elanna to fire up the engines and get the ship out of range of the Kazon as quickly as possible!
The first character we’d miss would be the Doctor – and with no surviving medical staff (and apparently no medically-trained Maquis, either) that would quickly become a problem for the crew of the Val Jean. I’m also going to suggest that Neelix and Kes wouldn’t be a part of this crew – or if they were involved, they’d remain aboard Neelix’s ship rather than try to cram aboard the already-overcrowded and cramped Maquis raider. As to what else would be different… well, it depends on who survived the destruction of Voyager.
I’m going to assume that Captain Janeway went down with the ship – as she once told Naomi Wildman that it’s part of a captain’s duty. That was half-joking, perhaps, but I can’t see Janeway abandoning the ship while any members of the crew were still aboard, so I’m gonna say she was lost with Voyager. Among the survivors, though, would be Tuvok, Harry Kim, Tom Paris, and B’Elanna Torres, as well as Seska, Ensign Wildman, and engineer Carey. There’d likely be a clash between Tuvok and Chakotay over command decisions, but Chakotay would pull rank – figuratively speaking – and remind the Starfleet survivors that they’re aboard his ship, so he’s in charge. However, as a concession given the difficult situation, he’d offer senior roles to Tuvok and Carey, and Kim would take up a role on the bridge.
Living conditions would be difficult, though. Voyager was kind of inconsistent with this, but we got hints in several episodes that there might’ve been about twenty-five or so Maquis aboard Voyager. If we assume that there’d be at least forty survivors from Voyager’s original complement of 150, the Starfleet personnel would outnumber the Maquis – which could lead to a lot more tensions aboard a Maquis ship than it did aboard Voyager. The small raider – which probably wasn’t equipped for a long voyage – would struggle to accommodate so many people, and with fewer replicators (if they even worked at all) the ship would have to make many more stops to forage and hunt for food and supplies.
Equinox offers an excellent look at how a ship less well-equipped than Voyager might’ve handled being stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Despite the Val Jean’s personnel being arguably better prepared to survive than Captain Ransom’s crew, the limitations of the ship, the difficult living conditions, and the constant danger would all take a toll on the survivors. Morale would be low among the Starfleet personnel after Janeway’s death, and the reality of the situation would sink in for them over the first few days as they struggled to adapt. Having to share bunk beds and malfunctioning replicators would lower morale even further.
Chakotay would do his best to avoid the Kazon, and without the technologically-advanced Voyager to pursue, I daresay they’d be less interested in chasing the Val Jean, so the ship would make slow but steady progress toward the Alpha Quadrant. After several months (or perhaps a year) of planet-hopping, the Val Jean would encounter something strange: an old Earth automobile floating in space. This would lead them to a planet with a human settlement; the descendants of abductees from Earth. Most of the Starfleet personnel would disembark here, choosing to stay on the planet rather than remain aboard Chakotay’s ship. Chakotay and the Maquis would stay for a while, too, enjoying the friendly atmosphere and making repairs to their ship. After an extended stay, though, would anyone want to re-join the mission back to the Alpha Quadrant on a ship dangerously unsuited for such a voyage?
What If… #4:
What if… the Romulans figured out what Sisko and Garak did?
Deep Space Nine Season 6
Perhaps this one won’t always be a “what if!” One of my fantasy Star Trek episodes is a follow-up to the outstanding Deep Space Nine episode In The Pale Moonlight, and I’d really love to see a sequel of sorts one day. But for now we’re going to make up our own version – and connect it to other parts of Star Trek, too!
There are two time slots for this, and both are interesting – so this is kind of two “what ifs” in one!
Firstly, we have the obvious question: what if the Romulans figured out what happened before the end of the Dominion War?
Shortly after the Breen joined the Cardassians and the Dominion, the Tal Shiar uncovers the truth behind the assassination of Senator Vreenak. How they figured it out doesn’t matter; all we need to know is that the proof is irrefutable. As a result, the Romulans terminate their alliance with the Federation and Klingons at the worst possible moment – just as Breen weapons are proving to be a tactical and technological hurdle for the allies to overcome. Worse, a few days later the Romulans announce a non-aggression pact with the Dominion, shortly followed up by an official alliance. In short, the Romulans have switched sides.
It’s no secret that the Romulans have long coveted Federation systems, and promises from the Dominion about ownership of Vulcan combined with a need for revenge swayed the Romulan senate. They began collaborating openly with the Dominion, sharing technology like cloaking devices with their new allies. The Cardassian rebellion led by Damar would be quickly crushed by the combined might of the Dominion, Breen, Romulans, and Cardassian collaborators, and would be far less effective and far-reaching. With the axis shored up and bolstered by Romulan troops and Romulan intelligence, they’d be back on the front foot ready to press home their advantage. The obvious first targets are Bajor and DS9; control of the wormhole would be vital. From there, it could be a very short war indeed…
The second scenario is the one I still hope to see on screen one day. In this timeline, the Romulans discover what happened – but only years after the war is over. The destruction of their homeworld took a toll, and the Romulan Empire is in a difficult position. Romulan leaders demand the extradition of those responsible, but with Sisko “missing in action” and apparently residing with the Prophets, there’s really no one to prosecute. Garak’s involvement remains unknown, and he wouldn’t stick his head above the parapet!
But the Romulans would make a fuss, doing whatever they could to make life difficult for Starfleet. One action the Romulan government takes is cutting off Federation researchers from a derelict Borg vessel that they control, and ordering all Romulans to leave Federation space. The result? Soji doesn’t head to the Artifact, Laris and Zhaban leave Earth, and the synths at Coppelius Station remain hidden from Starfleet. But not necessarily hidden from everyone…
What If…? #5:
What if… Captain Kirk didn’t die on Veridian III?
Generations
This is one of the biggest “what-ifs” in Star Trek – at least for fans of a certain age! Kirk’s death in Generations was controversial, though I’d argue it was at least fitting for his character that he gave his life in an act of sacrifice, saving the crew of the Enterprise-D and the population of Veridian III from the Nexus. But in this alternate timeline, Kirk and Picard are able to stop Soran without Kirk losing his life.
Kirk would reunite with Picard and then meet up with the crew of the crashed Enterprise-D, before boarding a rescue ship bound for Federation space. Upon reaching a starbase, Kirk would be absolutely stunned to disembark only to be greeted by Spock and Montogomery Scott! Scotty had survived to the 24th Century in a transporter buffer (as seen in the episode Relics) and of course, Vulcans live longer lives than humans so we know that Spock is also still alive. This reunion would be incredibly touching, and Kirk would spend time with his old friends, catching up on almost eighty years of Spock’s life and also learning of Scotty’s 24th Century adventures.
Kirk would be debriefed by Starfleet Command about his time in the Nexus and would also seek out other members of his crew. Dr McCoy would have passed away, but at least one other member of the Enterprise’s bridge crew – someone like Uhura or Chekov – could still be alive in this time period, though they’d be very old! Kirk would visit them at their home, catching up on the events of their lives after he’d last seen them. Having decided to retire from Starfleet around the time the Enterprise-B was commissioned, Kirk would consider returning to his home – which has been preserved as a museum by Starfleet for the last eighty years – but I’m not so sure that that’s what he’d do.
We know that, in between the events of Relics and Star Trek ’09, Scotty was still working in some capacity – it’s in this era that “transwarp beaming” is invented. I’m going to say that, for the purposes of this alternate timeline, Kirk would return to Starfleet. In an unofficial capacity at first, he’d work with Scotty and Spock, and might also be visited by an old rival: the Klingon Captain Kor, now a Dahar master. Kor would invite Kirk to Qo’noS, where he’d see the results of his work to bring about peace between the Federation and the Klingon Empire.
Kirk would also be present at the launch of the Enterprise-E, reuniting with Picard as the ship undertook her first cruise. Scotty would also be present, having opted to join his former captain at the launch of the latest ship to bear the name Enterprise. Kirk and Scotty would have departed the ship shortly before the Battle of Sector 001, though. Kirk would be offered a promotion back to the rank of Admiral, and he’d join Starfleet Command in an advisory role; many senior Starfleet officers and admirals would call upon the famed officer for advice.
Where I think Kirk could be most influential, though, is in the aftermath of the synths’ attack on Mars. In the prime timeline, Picard was unable to convince Starfleet to proceed with their plan to help the Romulans, but I think Kirk would be on Picard’s side here. As a living legend and someone of such high standing in Starfleet Command, Kirk’s word would carry a lot of weight. As a result, Picard’s rescue armada would be rebuilt, and many more Romulan lives could be saved before the Hobus supernova. Among the evacuees would be Nero’s family – meaning Nero never attacks Spock’s ship, the two are never pulled into a black hole, and the alternate reality seen in Star Trek ’09 would never begin.
So that’s it!
We’ve taken a look at five “what if” scenarios set in the Star Trek universe. I hope this has been interesting – and perhaps a bit of fun, too!
There are a lot of places in Star Trek where things could’ve gone very differently, and something as small as the absence (or presence) of a single individual has literally changed the course of history for the Federation and the entire galaxy. I can already think of plenty of other “what ifs,” so stay tuned! I’d love to revisit this idea again one day.
There’s plenty more Star Trek content coming up here on the website. So far in 2025 we’ve talked about some of my head canon, as well as some Star Trek stories that I wish weren’t canon at all! I’ve also reviewed the Section 31 film and finally caught up with Season 2 of Strange New Worlds. Season 3 will premiere later this year and I’ll definitely have something to say about it when it’s here! Until then, see you… out there.
Most Star Trek series and films discussed above are available to stream now on Paramount+ in countries and territories where the service is available. The Star Trek franchise is also available on DVD and Blu-ray. The Star Trek franchise – including all films, shows, and properties discussed above – is the copyright of Paramount Global. This article contains the thoughts and opinions of one person only and is not intended to cause any offence.
Trekking with Dennis 