Gateway (planet)

For other uses, see Gateway.

Gateway
Alternate name(s):	Time Planet; Rock of Ages
Location:	Alpha Zeta star system, sector 90.4, coordinates 4.05N 6.68E, Beta Quadrant
Moon(s):	0

Gateway (also known as Forever World, the Time Planet or the Rock of Ages) was a planet, an L class world located somewhere in the space of the galaxy's Beta Quadrant. In orbit of the Alpha Zeta star system, at coordinates 4.02S 2.22W, this world was found to be the home of the Guardian of Forever time portal. In the 23rd century, Gateway was under full quarantine by Starfleet, home to a research outpost that maintained complete secrecy regarding activities therein. (TNG - Strange New Worlds 9 short story: "Orphans"; FASA RPG module: The Federation; TNG novel: Imzadi)

The Guardian's planet had no moons. (TAS - Log One novelization: Yesteryear)

Gateway was an "empty death of a world" located at the rim of the galaxy, too far from the dying red sun that it orbited to naturally generate a life-sustaining atmosphere. The "city" of Oyya remained due to the time vortex converging on the planet. (TOS - Harlan Ellison's The City on the Edge of Forever comic: "Issue 1")

History and specifics

The Guardian was constructed on the planet around 5 billion years ago by an unknown race, but it was not until a few hundred thousand years that Gateway gave rise to its own intelligent species, who would become known as the Originators. They constructed large cities all over the surface of the planet. One of the largest cities was named Oyya, which spanned over 2,000 square kilometers, and was constructed around the Guardian.

Eventually, the Originators disappeared and their cities turned to ruins, yet the Guardian still continued to exist at the center of the ruins, and awaited to be asked a question again. (TAS novelization: Yesteryear; TOS novel: Yesterday's Son)

It is possible that the Originators were meant to be the initial builders of the Guardian, however, statements from TOS episode: "The City on the Edge of Forever" and other sources indicate that this can't be possible because the Guardian has existed for billions of years.

In 2267, the USS Enterprise was passing near Gateway when they detected temporal waves emanating out across the sector. After three days charting their way through the waves, the Enterprise reached the planet. Following an incident aboard ship, Captain James T. Kirk led a landing party down to the surface and discovered the Guardian. (TOS episode: "The City on the Edge of Forever")

Following the Enterprise's discovery of the Guardian, Gateway was declared a Federation Protectorate and all information about Gateway and the Guardian was classified and on a need-to-know basis. In addition the sector was continuously patrolled by a starship, but the crew had no idea what they were defending. The Ellison Research Outpost was also established on the planet to study the Guardian, however the research teams had fairly sporadic success with getting the Guardian to answer their questions. (TOS novel: Yesterday's Son)

In 2269, the Enterprise returned to Gateway with Dr. Grey and her associate, Aleek-Om, in an attempt to communicate with the Guardian and allow them to observe Orion history through the Guardian. (TAS novelization: Yesteryear)

In 2270, Captain Kirk, Commander Spock and Dr. McCoy returned to Gateway so that they could travel to Sarpeidon around 5,000 years previously and rescue Spock's son, Zar.

A few months later, a Romulan invasion force attacked Gateway. While the Enterprise and the USS Lexington kept the bulk of the forces at bay, Tal and his advanced guard were stopped from destroying the Guardian by Kirk, Spock and Zar. (TOS novel: Yesterday's Son)

Note: The planet that the Guardian of Forever is located on has different names in different books, Forever World in TNG novel: Imzadi for example. This may be due to the fact the existence of the Guardian is a highly classified secret, and so the planet doesn't have an official designation.

Captain Kirk returned to Gateway again in 2293, shortly before the commissioning ceremony for the USS Enterprise-B. During this visit he had a momentary encounter with the Guardian, which showed him some of the history of Zefram Cochrane and the Third World War. (ST novel: Federation)

In 2374, Dominion forces captured the Gateway planet and stationed Jem'Hadar troops to guard it. However, the Jem'Hadar were unable to activate the Guardian as it did not recognize their altered DNA. Soon after this, Section 31 sent Admiral Erik Pressman and Doctor Julian Bashir to recruit super-soldiers from Angosia III, to aid them in recapturing the planet. After reaching the Guardian, Roga Danar asked the Guardian what it desired. When it said it wanted freedom, Roga granted it permission to leave the Gateway planet; which it then did. (TNG short story: "Orphans")

At certain times, however, the Guardian appeared to have returned to the planet.

At the turn of the 2410s decade, Klingon ambassador B'vat used it to take Lieutenant Miral Paris back in time to the 23rd century. A Starfleet crew then followed the two through the portal and rescued Paris. (STO video game: Star Trek Online: City on the Edge of Never)

This mission was removed during STO's season ten update, and as such may no longer represent the current continuity of that timeline.

The world was guarded by Horta from 2464, and was later visited by Q after humans ascended to the Q Continuum. The Horta repelled an invasion by the Borg. (ST short story: "Guardians")

After many factions tried to use the Guardian of Forever to destroy their enemies during the Temporal Wars of the 30th century, the Guardian left Gateway and relocated to Dannus V. (DSC episode: "Terra Firma, Part 2")

Alternate realities

In an alternate 2408, Admiral William T. Riker visited Forever World, and used the Guardian to travel back to 2368, saving the life of Deanna Troi. (TNG novel: Imzadi)

In one frame of reference, there were six Guardians of Forever instead of a singular one. The Guardians of Forever lived in the crystalline city of Oyya, remaining due to the time vortex converging on the planet. When the crew of the USS Enterprise arrived on the planet, the Guardians displayed their time portals, one of which the unscrupulous Beckwith made use of to escape to the 1930s, changing time. After Kirk and Spock had restored history, the Enterprise crew left the planet. (TOS - Harlan Ellison's The City on the Edge of Forever comic: "Issue 1")

Appendices

External link

• Gateway (planet) article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.