Q & A

Q & A was the second of three TNG relaunch novels released in 2007 as part of TNG's 20th Anniversary and featured Q.

Introduction (blurb)
Nearly two decades ago, Jean-Luc Picard took command of the U.S.S. Enterprise™ NCC-1701-D. The captain knew it was an honor without equal. His new command bore the name of Enterprise. The people who had commanded other like-named starships had gone down in Starfleet's annals. Some officers would be intimidated, but they would not have been given command of Enterprise.

On her first mission, the Enterprise was sent to Farpoint Station. A simple, straightforward investigation. Perfect for a crew that had never served together. Then there was Q. An omnipotent lifeform that seemed bent on placing obstacle after obstacle in the ship's – and in particular in Picard's – way. And it hadn't ended with that first mission. When he was least expected, Q would appear. Pushing, prodding, testing. At times needling captain and crew with seemingly silly, pointless, and maddening trifles. Then it would turn all too serious, and the survival of Picard's crew was in Q's hands.

Why was it today that Picard was remembering the day he took command of the Enterprise-D? Now he commanded a new ship, the Enterprise-E. His crew was different. There was nothing about Gorsach that in the least resembled Farpoint. But Picard couldn't shake the feeling that something all too familiar was going on. All too awful. All too Q.

Summary
This book concerns the pending destruction of the universe by the beings known as Them. It is revealed in the opening pages that They have created and destroyed many other universes because they were bored by them. The planet known as Gorsach IX was an artificial construct by Them to test the first species to find it for the purpose of determining the fate of the universe, and Q, in almost all of his previous visits to the Enterprise, had related to this test. Once an away team beamed down to investigate the planet, they set off a chain reaction of quantum fissures in all corners of the universe. They were invisible to sensors, and could only be seen by having visual contact. While most of them simply swallowed ships, the one in the Gorsach system became very similar to the one encountered by Worf in 2370, in that dozens of Enterprises emerged into one universe. Worf's attempt to shut down the fissure and restore the various Enterprises to their own universes was not successful, and they were all engulfed by it.

Picard had, by Worf's attempt to shut down the fissure, gained audience with Q to speak with Them. They were sufficiently impressed and interested in his reaction (laughing) to spare the universe. All of the events in the book "never happened," except in Picard's, Worf's, and Q's memories. As Picard composed a report on what had happened to Admiral Janeway, Q made it clear that he, despite the fact that he no longer had to prepare them for anything, would be back to visit the Enterprise again.

Characters

 * Beverly Crusher • Jordan • Miranda Kadohata • Geordi La Forge • Zelik Leybenzon • Jean-Luc Picard • T'Lana • Worf, son of Mogh • Tropp • La Monica • Mimouni • Natasha Stolovitzky • Kapsis • Harley de Lange • Vogel • Joanna Faur • Jill Rosado • Luptowski • Balidemaj • Taurik • Wesley Crusher • Donatra • Kathryn Janeway • Klag, son of M'Raq • Krytak • Norvid • Q • William T. Riker • Elizabeth Shelby • Deanna Troi • Galeckas • T'Relek • Liravek • Vogusta • Darsook • Neek • Zali • Danee • Sheel • Liswan • Refeek • Pak-Cho Deng • Sebastian Stolovitzky • Gar Tarklem • Ariana Rodriguez • T'Vorak • Richard Galen • Martin Madden • Hedril • Thomas Halloway • Christine Vale • Branson • Perim • Cintron • Dryanushkina • Lore

Jonathan Archer • Pancho Barnes • James T. Kirk • Guinan • Tal'Aura • Chuck Yeager • Rothman • Ian Karapips • Esmeralda • Bridget • Jenni • Dorian • Efrak chim Gorsach • Trelane • Rebekah Grabowski • Franco Garcia • Jean-Claude Mbuto • Benjamin Sisko • T'Sora • Gldrnksrb • Soon-Tek Han • Chiroka • Helga Van Mayter • Data • Hanok • Clia • Ryno • Anndii • Keith Hughes • Emck • Aenni • Vance Haden • Vash • Viksash • Yuri

Starships and vehicles

 * USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) • • USS Titan •  • USS Inwood • Shakikein • Keta


 * Romulan Bird-of-Prey
 * RIS Arest • RIS Eliet • RIS Esemar • RIS Lallasthe


 * Alternate reality vessels
 * FSS • USV • US • ISS • USS Enterprise (Alternate) • IKS Qu '  • USS Enterprise (Alternate 1) • ESS • USS Stargazer (alternate reality) • USS Sovereign • USS Enterprise (Alternate 2)

Apsac • USS Andromeda (Akira class) • USS Defiant (NX-74205) (I) • Enterprise (NX-01) • Jovis • •  •  • Shuttlecraft Pike • USS Luna (NX-80101) • Windfall

Locations

 * Gorsach IX • Q Continuum • Space Station Bravo • Trakliv system • Lakeside on Cestus III • Gaia system • Phnadrux • Phnodra ruins

Artaleirh • California • Deep Space 9 • Earth • Happy Bottom Riding Club • Talos IV • Two Worlds • Bacco University • Beta Omicron Delta III • Ydriej • Starbase 185 • Dessica II • Vahni Vahtupali • Leyles system • Berengaria • Void • KMH-5 system • Xintil Nebula • Vela 3AG • Gum Nebula

Races and cultures

 * Human • Q Continuum • Vulcan • Karemma • Malon • Klingon • Them

Borg • Jem'Hadar • Vidiian • Haakonian

States and organizations

 * Starfleet • Imperial Romulan State • Port Shangri-La Seagulls • Romulan Star Empire • United Federation of Planets

Other references

 * astronaut • automated janitorial system • baseball bat • Chateau Picard • croissant • dedication plaque • desert • d'k tahg • Happy Bottom Riding Club • horseshoe • jam • ketracel-white • steak • Ten-Forward • hasperat • LIngta' • lo mein • Grakizh • quinine water • Taknar gizzards • Grapok sauce • Jambalaya a la Sisko • Selcundi Drema • hytritium • kanar • Ilecs • Leyles ink • sknort • therhea • smap • risotto • mozzarella • Wensleydale • yrilijk • Irish cheddar • Gouda • trwoqa • lemto • Grinnak • psychobabble

Information

 * Author Keith R.A. DeCandido acknowledges his use of this wiki as a research tool in the afterword of this novel.
 * The back of the book contains an excerpt from the next Post-Nemesis TNG novel; Before Dishonor, by Peter David.