Q & A was the second of three TNG relaunch novels released in 2007 as part of TNG's 20th Anniversary and featured Q.
Introduction[]
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 been 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 an 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.
References[]
Characters[]
- Balidemaj • Branson • Cintron • Beverly Crusher • Wesley Crusher • Danee • Darsook • Data • Harley de Lange • Pak-Cho Deng • Donatra • Dryanushkina • Female Q • Joanna Faur • Galeckas • Richard Galen • Thomas Halloway • Hedril • Horrhae • Kathryn Janeway • Jordan • Miranda Kadohata • Kapsis • Klag, son of M'Raq • Krytak • Geordi La Forge • La Monica • Zelik Leybenzon • Liravek • Liswan • Lore • Luptowski • Martin Madden • Katerina Mueller • Mimouni • Neek • Norvid • Miles O'Brien • Kell Perim • Jean-Luc Picard • Jean-Luc Picard • Q • Refeek • William T. Riker • Ro Laren • Ariana Rodriguez • Jill Rosado • Sheel • Elizabeth Shelby • Natasha Stolovitzky • Sebastian Stolovitzky • Deanna Troi • Gar Tarklem • Taurik • T'Lana • T'Relek • Tropp • Tuvok • T'Vorak • Christine Vale • Vogel • Vogusta • Worf, son of Mogh • Natasha Yar • Zali
- Referenced only
- Aenni • Anij • Jonathan Archer • Michael Argyle • Artim • Reginald Barclay • Marta Batanides • Pancho Barnes • Bridget • Mackenzie Calhoun • Chakotay • Chiroka • Clia • Jack Crusher • Jadzia Dax • Dorian • Emck • Esmeralda • Kivas Fajo • Aoki Farrenga • Colin Farrenga • Franco Garcia • Gldrnksrb • Rebekah Grabowski • Efrak chim Gorsach • Guinan • Vance Haden • Soon-Tek Han • Hanok • Keith Hughes • Jenni • Ian Karapips • Sylvana Kadohata • Harry Kim • James T. Kirk • Ariana La Forge • Edward M. La Forge • Silva La Forge • Jean-Claude Mbuto • Mogh, son of Worf • M'Raq, son of K'Ton • Odan • Tom Paris • q • Quinn • Amanda Rogers • Ronin • Rothman • Alexander Rozhenko • Helena Rozhenko • Sergey Rozhenko • Ryno • Shinzon • Benjamin Sisko • Noonien Soong • Tal'Aura • Trelane • Lwaxana Troi • T'Sora • Helga Van Mayter • Vash • Viksash • Vkruk • Chuck Yeager • Yuri
Starships and vehicles[]
- USS Enterprise-E • IKS Gorkon • USS Titan • IRW Valdore • USS Inwood • Shakikein • Keta
- Romulan Bird-of-Prey
- RIS Arest • RIS Eliet • RIS Esemar • RIS Lallasthe
- Alternate reality vessels
- FSS Enterprise • USV Enterprise • US Enterprise • ISS Enterprise • IKS Qu' • USS Enterprise (Alternate 1) • ESS Enterprise • USS Stargazer (alternate) • USS Sovereign (alternate) • USS Enterprise (Alternate 2)
- Referenced only
- Apsac • USS Andromeda • USS Defiant • Enterprise (NX-01) • USS Excalibur • Jovis • IRW Dominus • IRW Intrakhu • IRW Rohallhik • Shuttlecraft Pike • USS Luna • USS Roosevelt • USS Sugihara • Windfall • USS Voyager (Intrepid-class)
Locations[]
- Gorsach IX • Q Continuum • Space Station Bravo • Trakliv system • Lakeside on Cestus III • Gaia system • Phnadrux • Phnodra ruins
- Referenced only
- 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 • Deneb IV • Farpoint Station • Sherwood Forest • Kesprytt III • Sector 109-G • Sector 221-G
Races and cultures[]
- Human • Ferengi • Karemma • Klingon • Malon • Q Continuum • Them • Vulcan
- Referenced only
- Anndii • Bajoran • Bolian • Borg • Cardassian • Changeling • Dosi • Haakonian • Jem'Hadar • Kinshaya • Metron • Organian • Vidiian • Vorta
States and organizations[]
- Starfleet • Imperial Romulan State • Port Shangri-La Seagulls • Romulan Star Empire • United Federation of Planets
- Referenced only
- Borg Collective • Dominion
Other references[]
- astronaut • automated janitorial system • baseball bat • Chateau Picard • croissant • dedication plaque • desert • d'k tahg • Happy Bottom Riding Club • horseshoe • iced tea • jam • ketracel-white • steak • Ten-Forward • hasperat • Journal of Psychology • LIngta' • lo mein • Grakizh • quinine water • Taknar gizzard • Grapok sauce • icoberry jam • Jambalaya a la Sisko • Selcundi Drema • hytritium • kanar • ilecs • Leyles ink • ion storm • neutron star • ponytail • prune juice • sknort • therhea • smap • risotto • mozzarella • Wensleydale • yrilijk • Irish cheddar • Gouda • trwoqa • lemto • Grinnak • psychobabble • leolia song • Mok'bara • music • hammock • joke • flight deck • ink • economy • government • money • tariff
Appendices[]
Background[]
- 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.
- A Malon character mentions the events of Demons of Air and Darkness.
- The first prologue and interlude act as a framing story for Hide and Q, the second interlude acts as an epilogue for Deja Q, the third interlude acts as a prologue for True Q, the fourth interlude is set at the same time as the beginning of Tapestry while the fifth is apparently set before First Contact.
Continuity[]
In the post-Nemesis TNG continuity, certain parts of the serialized story arcs do not reconcile well with the events established in Star Trek: Picard. Unless the new canon production involves Q in some way, this novel overall doesn't overly conflict with the newer series accounts of Picard's life at this point.
Images[]
Connections[]
published order | ||
---|---|---|
Previous novel: Resistance |
TNG novels Post-Nemesis |
Next novel: Before Dishonor |
Previous story: The Mirror-Scaled Serpent |
Stories by: Keith R.A. DeCandido |
Next story: Four Lights |
chronological order | ||
Previous Adventure: Not yet placed |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next Adventure: Not yet placed |
Previous Adventure: Resistance |
Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E) |
Next Adventure: Before Dishonor |
Translations[]
- 2010
- German : Quintessenz, translated by Stephanie Pannen. (Cross Cult)