Expert: Justin Case - 6/24/2009

Question
When Riker was given the power of the Q in "Hide and Q," did he still have to eat, drink, sleep, and breathe? I think he did, because Q just gave him the "power." Riker was still a physical human being, not an energy being. In other words, Q didn't turn Riker into an actual Q. Of course, when Riker grew hungry, tired, or thirsty, he could simply snap his fingers and be instantly satisfied. But I still think those urges would have come, unless Riker put a stop to them.

I always wondered why Q, while alone on the planet with Riker, told Riker that "you will never understand, until you become one of us." Riker was asking about the Q, and Q was becoming impatient.

If Riker was Q, why didn't he understand? Why did Q say "until you become one of us?" Didn't Riker become "one with the Q" when he was given the power? I think that Riker's understanding was incomplete and he wasn't "officially" a member of the Q because he simply had been given the power, and was sort of like a Q-human hybrid, and wasn't a full Q (energy being).

Do my conclusions make sense, and is this what Q meant in the conversation with Riker?

Also, would Riker's physical body have been capable of injury or even death, even though he had the power of Q? Qs cannot be hurt by non-Qs, as far as we know, because their energy matrix is much more powerful than anyone else's. But Riker only had the power. So if the Douwd attacked Riker, would Riker's physical body (i.e., Riker) die, or would the power of Q act as an immune system to protect Riker, even though Riker wasn't fully Q?

Answer
Hi John -

That's a pretty good interpretation if you ask me.  My guess is that you're right on the money in that Riker had Q powers, but was still fundamentally a human.  

My guess is that Riker could access those abilities, but his physiology, and probably most of his mind, was still human.

I think Riker's mind was still fundamentally human in its thinking patterns and behavior but, since he wasn't born a Q and hadn't spent the millennia they had contemplating every single thing in existence, he was sort of a 'freshman Q' on his first day of taking the steps to a greater understanding.

I think your conclusions are right on the money.

I think Riker's body could be hurt, but, as long as the injury didn't knock him unconscious or put him in shock, he could snap his fingers and heal the injuries instantly.

That was an interesting set of observations there John!

Thanks!

Deran