posted
I am currently beginning work on my overly ambitious and most likely doomed project to write a brand new constitution for the Federation, both as a resource for fans and an exercise in legalistic writing and stuff.
So, I wrote the preamble to the document thusly:
We, the people of the worlds Andor, Earth, Mars, Tellar, Vulcan, and their respective colonies; in order to provide for the general welfare, promote the cause of peace, and ensure the rights of all sentient beings; do hearby join together in a United Federation of Planets.
My problem is this: As I understand it, generally accepted fandom has always listed the following as UFP founding members: Andor, Earth, Tellar, Vulcan, and Alpha Centauri. However, Alpha Centauri's presence seems to be dependant upon Zefram Cochrane being a native of the planet, something we now know to be untrue. So I've left it out.
Mars, on the other hand, is apparently my own pet idea. From the TOS episode "Court Martial", we learn that part of Federation law is based on the Fundamental Declarations of the Martian Colonies. I believe that this implies a declaration of independance from Earth, thus making Mars a seperate government and therefore able to be a founding UFP member. However, I was discussing this with Tim, and he points out that the Martian Colonies are stilled refered to as colonies into the TNG era. Which of course suggests that they were not independant.
So my question to you is...well, the question in the subject line. Was Mars independant of Earth prior to the founding of the UFP? Is there a Federation world in orbit of Alpha Centauri, and if so are there sentient aliens there?
------------------ "And I can't approach myself, skating over this perdition." -- Soul Coughing
posted
Hmm, good questions. In 'Caretaker', Kim mentions the colonisation of Mars, and gives a specific year, which I can't recall. Now, if the UFP was founded c.2160 (I think that number is half-right), then any colonisation of Mars prior to this would IMHO imply that mars was still an Earth colony at the time. As such, Mars wouldn't have had a lot of time to gain indepenence, what with the WW3. I'd need some exact dates for this analysis, though.
And Alpha Centauri? What about Londo and Vir?
------------------ "Fire, Fire!" said Mrs O'Dwyer. "Where, where?" said Mrs O'Hare. "Down in the town." said Mrs Brown. "Lord bless us and save us" said old Mrs Davis. "I never knew a herring was a fish."
posted
I don't think that the Fundamental Declarations of the Martian Colonies, in and of itself, implies independence. It may have just been a declaration of the rights of colonists viz, declarations of Representation in government, taxation (as an example, not that they had it) etc. They don't have to be independent. That, combined with the fact that pretty much everyone calls them colonies, and combined with the fact that we've never had this discussion in relation to Luna, would make me come down on the non-independent side. Just my two cents.
------------------ Proverbs for Paranoids, 3: If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers.
posted
Harry said that in around 2104 (not sure if that's the right year either) the Martian Colonies were founded. I'd assume they'd be colonies early on, but maybe independant later. However, we have a monkey wrench...
Wasn't Cochrane said simply to be "of Alpha Centauri" or the like, implying he could've established his dream island there...?
------------------ Elim Garak: "Oh, it's just Garak. Plain, simple Garak. Now, good day to you, Doctor. I'm so glad to have made such an... interesting new friend today." (DS9: "Past Prologue")
posted
Yes, he was "Zefram Cochrane of Alpha Centauri, inventor of the space warp", IIRC. And the episode was "Metamorphosis", not "Court Martial".
------------------ "I think you people have proven something to the world: that a half a million kids can get together and have three days of fun and music� and have nothing but fun and music." -Max Yasgur; Woodstock, NY; August, 1969
posted
"Court Martial" being the source for the above Declarations. (As well as a few other things I'll be using later on.)
So, I can live without Mars. What about Alpha Centauri, then? There's no canon information on it all, and the best noncanon explanation I'm familiar with is it being the first colony settled after the invention of warp drive, and the place where Cochrane settled. (Hence the "of Alpha Centauri" remark.)
------------------ "Like I told you, you are concentric in your form. When it's cold you've got yourself to keep you warm." -- John Linnell
posted
At first I was going to bite your head off, Andy,. Then I was going to half-admit that it's an interesting take on things.
Now, I'm thinking you might be onto something.
Lemme see: you're saying mankind had already got as far as Alpha Centauri before the events of 'First Contact', and finding no intelligent alien life there, colonised it for Earth. They would have used sleeper ships to commute between Earth and AC, which may explain why Zef had never seen the Earth from space before the end of FC. I mean, sleeper ships were in use three years ago .
I fortell much anarchy as a result of this.
------------------ "Fire, Fire!" said Mrs O'Dwyer. "Where, where?" said Mrs O'Hare. "Down in the town." said Mrs Brown. "Lord bless us and save us" said old Mrs Davis. "I never knew a herring was a fish."
posted
I would say the Fundamental declarations of the Martian colonies, as it was called, constituted a declaration of independence, probably mid 21st Century when the Martians decided they didn't like the idea of being run by a new EarthGov uniting nation states. (Latter-day eurosceptics! )
I would also postulate mars may not have been a founding member, as suggested by their independent streak so implied. They could have joined say 30 years later, once it had been seen to be a good idea. ("wait & see" in the words of the martian PM )
As for Alpha Centauri, yes I'd say it'd want in - as it'd give new prestige to a colony world to be elevated to member status.
Cochrane was Earth-born and indeed discovered warp drive there. On the back of his invention he made millions ferrying people to Alpha centauri and the colony swiftlyt set up there (before Mars! - perhaps there's a Class M all nice and ready in Alpha Cent?) He then moved there around 2090-2095 and bought his dream island. His excesses and scandals made headlines and he became a kind of Hugh Hefner of space. Thus mention of him brought to mind his later days as business tycoon and extravagent casanova on Alpha C.
It nicely dovetails into the Metamorphosis backstory. At an old age, depressed by the way his fast-living lifestyle had failed to give him any inner peace, he decides to die in space, (you can just picture him grouchily snapping at the spaceport supervisor, drunk and with his rock'n'roll MDs, asking for departure clearance.) Out in space, he ends up on the planetoid with the Companion. The Companion rejuventates him to a form he WISHES he'd had. Better looking; that'd have given him more contentment in his life. It doesn't help, as he's lonely. He finds happiness in a monogomous relationship with the Companion. (How's that for typical Trek family values!)
Well, that's my rationalisation anyway.
------------------ "FOOLS! Will I have to kill them ALL?!?!"
posted
I think if you accept that fact that Alpha Centauri was colonized by 2060, you have to assume that Mars had already been colonized. The logical source of resources to support any extrasolar colonization effort (or any expansion within the solar system, for that matter) would be the asteroid belt. And if you're going to mine the asteroid belt, you need to have a colony, or at least a base, on Mars. Anyway I think the date of 2104 for establishment of Martian colonies is too late. This is 40 years after the invention of warp drive. Why would they wait so long? Mars is too much like Earth to pass up.
By the way, the Fundamental Declaration of the Martian Colonies could have been a failed Declaration of Independence. Maybe try tried to break away, but the attempt was crushed.
------------------ When you're in the Sol system, come visit the Starfleet Museum
posted
One more point regarding the possible colonization of Alpha Centauri. The ship whose crew ended up in that Alien hotel (The Royale): didn't it leave Earth before the War? Where was it headed?
------------------ When you're in the Sol system, come visit the Starfleet Museum
Saltah'na
Chinese Canadian, or 75% Commie Bastard.
Member # 33
posted
Mars?
All this seems good, but I don't like the bit of Zefram Cochrane being a playboy. History saw Cochrane as the greatest human being. It's hard to say that if he maintained that kind of lifestyle.
Sure, he may had some backwater dealings, but they were probably small enough to be kept under wraps. Too bad there's no 24th century National Enquirer.
------------------ I can resist anything....... Except Temptation
posted
Very interesting. We have a canonical date for the colonization of Mars...2103, I believe. Why so long? Well, even in real life it doesn't look like we'll get people on Mars until, say 2040? And that only gives you ten years or so before WWIII, which would no doubt put an end to any such notions.
------------------ "Like I told you, you are concentric in your form. When it's cold you've got yourself to keep you warm." -- John Linnell
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