Expert: Justin Case - 6/23/2009

Question
QUESTION: Who's more likely to allow itself to be put on trial?
A) Armus
B) Edo god

A) Armus
B) Nomad

Since Armus is completely evil, I can't see him allowing such a thing. I think he'd simply attack whoever tried to put him on trial. Even if the race was superior, such as Q or Organians, I still think Armus would try to fight.

You stated recently that the Edo god would probably help the Pakleds before Nomad, because it would find something useful out of them before the probe did. However, wouldn't Nomad be able to 'soup up' the Pakled ship so that it could go super-fast, and take him to whatever target he had next on his schedule? Kind of like a chauffeur? If the Pakleds refused, then he could simply annihilate them, which he might do anyway.

If Armus somehow was submerged in the Great Link, how would the changelings respond?

Also, how would the changelings respond if Q decided to go scuba-diving in the Great Link with 2 members of 8472?

ANSWER: Hi John -

Wow, I doubt either entity would allow that at all!

I could see Nomad doing as you say.  He/she/it was a quirky little probe with logic that made sense only in his own mind.  Then again he seemed to be able to get where ever he wanted pretty easily and might not necessarily need the Pakleds and might just eliminate them altogether.

My guess is the Changelings would immediately separate themselves from Armus, maybe forming a donut type shape with Armus in the center and the other Changelings scattered around him.  At that point they might turn themselves into a mist, or something else so that they could escape Armus.

I doubt they would take too kindly to Q diving through them.  I guess it would be something like the feeling some humans get when tarantula's crawl on them.  Imagine a tarantula crawling on your insides though!  Ewwwww!

My guess is they would take immediate steps to get out of the situation.

(Now I have goosebumps!)

Thanks!

Deran

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: What about my point about superior beings trying to put Armus on trial, such as Q or the Organians? Do you think Armus would try to fight them, even though it was futile?

Yeah, the Great Link would be out of luck if Q really wanted to scuba, but I'm sure they could get 8472 out of there pretty quickly.

If Q was masquerading as a Romulan, and 4 Hirogen started firing weapons at him, do you think Q would punish them, or would he forgive them for being ignorant of his true nature?

Whom would Captain Picard rather have onboard?
A) Cytherian full-time
B) Traveler 65% of the time

Tasha Yar vs. Worf (no weapons)

If a Pakled hailed the Edo god, and said 'You are stupid, very stupid, dumber than a Tribble,' would the Edo god turn away, or vaporize him?

Answer
Hi John -

I think he would, if Armus truly was a 'skin of evil' then everything in his nature would be screaming to flaunt the laws he was being tried for and I'd bet he couldn't help but resist.

Hmmmm, well Q seemed to regard us beings on this plane of existence as curious distractions, maybe like lower order 'pets' (the way you and I would look at a ferret maybe....) so I doubt he'd obliterate the Hirogen who fired on him from existence, but I don't think he'd just stand by and let them blast at him either.

I'm sure he wouldn't penalize them for not knowing his true nature if he was in disguise, but I doubt he'd let the attack completely slide.

My guess is that Picard would go with the Cytherians.  Picard is all about learning and discovering and I doubt humans could learn to do what the Traveler does.

From the Nth Degree episode we know that the technology of the Enterprise-D could be reconfigured and engineered to do fantastic things and I think Picard would want to learn all he could from the Cytherians since they were able to accomplish amazing things using technology he could understand.

Worf would kick the snot out of Tasha.  Given his superior strength, redundant organs, extensive training in multiple forms of martial arts and weaponry, Tasha wouldn't stand a chance.  

I doubt the Edo God would waste time retaliating against something like a verbal assault, particularly from a Pakled.  'Gods' are above such things!

Thanks!

Deran