Star Trek Chronology Notes
The Movies
Undisputably, the films Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek
III: The Search For Spock, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and Star
Trek V: The Final Frontier all occur one after another with very short
time lapses between each. In fact, the above four films are set
within one to two years time, no longer. Many months being the crews
exile on Vulcan between ST III and ST IV, and the alteration of bridge
and systems of NCC-1701-A between ST IV and ST V.
This leaves us with the gap of time between Star Trek-The Motion
Picture and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. From the statements of
Kirk and Khan we are led to believe that "Space Seed" happened 15
years ago. There is therefore a gap of 7-8 years between ST-TMP and
ST II. Unfortunately this does not hold up under intense analysis.
There is overwhelming data to suggest that "Space Seed" occurred
further back than just 15 years.
- In ST II, Kirk reads the date 2283 off of the Romulan ale bottle.
McCoy replies that it needs to age. Assuming it is an Earth date and
not a Romulan date (FASA fans prefer the latter) then the timeline is
off by 8+ years, as it brings us to 2275.
- In ST III, Admiral Morrow states that the "Enterprise" is 20 years
old. What comes as a shock to the officers is Star Fleet's idea of
decommissioning the "Enterprise." Although externally scarred from
battling the "Reliant," the "Enterprise" was still quite intact and
repairable. If there was only a 7-8 year gap between the time she was
rebuilt and the time Star Fleet wants to decommission her, something
is terribly wrong. Even more troubling is the 20 years statement,
when it should be more like 55 years. The "Enterprise" is the pride
of the Fleet, the finest starship and according to unanimous tech
sources, the uprated "movie Enterprise" has a duration of 22 years.
(This of course begs the question: Why decommission a brand new
ship of the line, NCC-1701-A, after less than 5 years of service?
First introduced in the closing moments of ST IV, the "Enterprise"
was decommissioned after ST VI. The cumulative damage received in
ST VI, including a photon torpedo Through the primary hull, is
extensive but not irrepairable. However if we take into account
additional events following the movie documented in the novels,
partriculary "Sarek," it becomes more plausible. The final answer
to this problem is the ship's first mission in ST V where Sybok
commandeers the vessel and takes her to the Great Barrier at the
galactic core. At the new "Enterprise's" maximum emergency speed
of at least warp factor 13, sustained for hours, the structural
strain placed on her frames and stanchions would be irrepairable.
The result would be a vessel still spaceworthy--and capable of low
speed diplomatic courier missions such as ST VI's--yet not up to
par as a Class I ship of the line. Thus the early decommissioning
and replacement by the upgraded "Excelsior" class starship.)
- In ST V, The Planet of Galactic Peace was established between the
Klingons, Romulans, and Federation. If "Space Seed" (a 1st season
episode) was really 15 years ago, then it occurred the same year as
"Balance of Terror": the Federation's only contact with the Romulans
in a century's time. According to Spock, in "Balance of Terror," no
Human, Romulan, or ally had ever seen the face of the other. In other
words, Nimbus III was settled 5 years BEFORE "Balance of Terror" which
is impossible. It's also quite unlikely that the war-mongering
Romulans would sit down with the Federation and agree to jointly
settle a planet.
What is the solution to all these discontinuties? If Admiral Morrow
was referring to the age of the UPRATED "Enterprise" of ST-TMP, then
most of these problems are solved. 2267 + 20 = 2287. The date comes
reasonably close to her maximum duration deadline (22 years--an
undisputed figure given in all Treknical publications). The
date also surpasses the 2283 date on the ale bottle, well within the
"need to age range" (4 year old ale). It's also a reasonable amount
of time after "Balance of Terror" for the Romulans to reacquaint
themselves with the U.F.P. Furthermore, the actors would be
portraying characters much closer to their actual ages. Otherwise,
Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley would have been portraying characters 10+
years younger than themselves in ST V! The Federation Reference
Series, Ships of the Fleet, and other Tech Fandom works accept this
20 year gap. The only glitch in this approach is the 15 year
statements in ST II. Some were made by Khan: perhaps a Ceti Alphan
year is longer than an Earth year? Either way he still clung to 200
years from 1996, "On Earth, 200 years ago, I was a prince..." He was
clearly confused about time passage. FASA fans and friends of Shane
Johnson's books who dispute this and point to the service pins on the
uniforms as a "proof" of a 7-8 year gap will be sad to know that the
pins don't hold water under close analysis, since Kirk (/./././)
should have at least one more 5 year pin and possibly 2 of them (Kirk
was at the Academy 15 years before "Space Seed" according to "Shore
Leave"). There are even MORE problems if anyone's compared the
service pins on Spock (..////..), McCoy (/../../), Chekov (..///..)
and other officers. These pins and bars probably represent
commendations and citations earned by the officer, and not service
length at all. Even in ST VI, the number of pins and their
arrangements remain identical to those in ST II, and they are carried
forwards into the opening of Generations. Indeed, if they are service
pins then Harriman (.///.) was probably the youngest cadet in Star Fleet
history.
What is confusing and contradictory is the dating of the novels set
between ST VI and the "Enterprise-B's" launch at the start of
Generations. We are told twice in ST VI that the senior officers
of the "Enterprise" are intending to retire in 3 months, and this
is a key reference point for dating later novels. Going by
the reasonably consistent months given in A.C. Crispin's "Sarek"
and applying them to the late 2291 events based around ST VI (and the
novels set immediately thereafter) works well for fixing months to
these events. Yet with the introduction of "The Ashes of Eden"
into this sequence it all falls apart! This novel, set some 6
months after the events of ST VI, repeatedly shows us that the
"Enterprise" officers have decided to remain in Star Fleet (except
for Scotty) and will retire in the near future. The back cover of
the paperback is wrong, stating that the novel is set 6 months
prior to the launch of 1701-B. Wrong because the novel "The
Fearful Summons" is set some 6 months after Kirk's retirement (and some
9 months after their last voyage together). Kirk's alive and well
in "Summons" so "Ashes" must be earlier than 6 months prior
Generations' opener. Also the text within does not substantiate
this half year figure in any way. The DC Comics adaptation makes
matters even worse by having it end with 1701-B's launch, said to
be under a month after "Ashes!" "Summons" meanwhile also gives
us a rough estimate that ST VI was a year ago. Working with the
basic framing dates (ST VI circa 15 August 2291 and Generations' opener
circa 06 June 2293) and what little solid dating info available in
the novels, we can piece together this period:
15 August, 2291: The Undiscovered Country immediately followed by
"Shadows on the Sun" and "Best Destiny," leading into
16 September, 2291: "Sarek" (the novel) with some events in October
November, 2291: Original projected retirement date
March, 2292: "The Ashes of Eden"
April, 2292: Projected date for 1701-A's decommissioning & destruction
June, 2292: Official retirement of the "Enterprise" officers
December, 2292: "The Fearful Summons"
06 June, 2293: Generations (1701-B's christening)
This seems relatively consistent with most of the facts. In fact
the novelization of "Generations" sets their retirement 1 year
prior to 1701-B's launch--despite confusion over the status of
1701-A. The Spring, 2294 A.D. date given in "Summons" is deliberately
ignored.
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