# "Star Trek" fans: Loose threads/unanswered questions? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 21, 2010, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268 "2010-03-21T21:09:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268/1 "2010-03-21T21:09:05Z")
What loose threads or unanswered questions from any ST series or movie still intrigue you? If one was later addressed in a book, what was the book, and the answer? (Put the actual answer in a spoiler box, please). Did you agree with the author’s non-canon answer? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268/2 "2010-03-21T21:37:52Z")
There was one episode in the original series where Kirk strands a bunch of crewmen on a planet while he goes off to complete the mission. He never goes back for them. What happened to them? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268/3 "2010-03-21T21:45:15Z")
Species 8472 lived in fluidic space. > **[Species 8472](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species_8472)** > > Species 8472 is a fictional extraterrestrial species in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager. Species 8472 is a designation given to them by the Borg. The multiplayer game Star Trek Online gives their proper name as Undine. > When the USS Voyager made contact with them, Species 8472 were engaged in a war with one of Star Trek's perennial antagonists, the Borg. They are noted for being a tripedal and telepathic species and for their use of biotechnology. They originated from w... I’d love to see a movie that explored that further. Species 8472 were bad ass. They blew up Borg Cubes with no problem. ---
**Author:** ![the\_Lady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@the\_Lady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_Lady)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268/4 "2010-03-21T21:52:05Z")
What happened to the little Borg baby on Voyager when they come across the crippled ship with the Borg kids (Ichep et al) on it? ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268/5 "2010-03-21T21:58:26Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Species 8472 lived in fluidic space. > [Species 8472 - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species_8472) > > I’d love to see a movie that explored that further. > > Species 8472 were bad ass. They blew up Borg Cubes with no problem. There’s a lot of this explored in the new STO MMORPG. Of course, it’s not explored _well,_ but frankly most storylines that take a long time aren’t explored well in multi-series, multi-producer, multi-etc franchises. I’d like to know a little bit more about some of Picard’s going-ons, TNG had a lot of one-off episodes that begged for follow ups. Stuff like the Binaries, the woman who molded herself to Picard, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268/6 "2010-03-21T22:07:08Z")
Speaking of TNG what about those parasites that sent a homing beacon out after Picard went admiral murdering\*? It always seemed to be dying for a follow up. \*note I don’t remember if he actually murdered any of the admirals. Only that annoying inspector guy that had the mother creature inside of him. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268/7 "2010-03-21T22:13:03Z")
> [@Darkhold](#): > > Speaking of TNG what about those parasites that sent a homing beacon out after Picard went admiral murdering\*? It always seemed to be dying for a follow up. The plotline idea evolved into the Borg and was abandoned after it was introduced. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268/8 "2010-03-21T22:15:07Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > The plotline idea evolved into the Borg and was abandoned after it was introduced. Shame. It would have been interesting. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268/9 "2010-03-21T22:17:18Z")
I’ve wondered how things evolved on the planet that based it’s culture on Al Capone and Chicago gangs. McCoy left behind a communicator or tricorder? when they beamed up. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268/10 "2010-03-21T22:21:16Z")
Oh to to add my own. What about the planet with the telekinetic mind-control Roman-ish folks. They figured out it took about 5 seconds to fabricate the compound, and a couple hours to take effect, to gain a freakin superpower, but nobody bothered with it? ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268/11 "2010-03-21T23:06:43Z")
I’d like it if Dela had not died out with her race, but ended up having Kirk’s child (but who is also “accelerated”) and then Kirk and Jr could have met somewhere… Also, whatever happens to Miri? She’d be an interesting character to follow. And the kids who lost their parents. There are story lines I would love to see developed: Spock and Nurse Chapel, for one. Sulu is left on the planet surface and dies a slow, lingering death from cold (I’m not a fan of Sulu–the character is ok, but the actor really gets on my nerves). McCoy goes back to that asteroid/planet and meets Ms Hottie again (can’t remember her name) and finds out she’s had his child. Oh, and the last plot line: Kirk time travels back to earth in season 2 and finds me–and we’ll leave the rest of that to the imagination. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268/12 "2010-03-21T23:34:04Z")
The spores in TOS “This Side of Paradise” gave everyone perfect health - Sandoval even grew back his appendix! The Federation should establish a clinic on the planet, with a space station in orbit: beam down, get sprayed by the spores and healed of whatever ails ya, then after a blissful week (or two weeks, or a month, or however long you’ve paid for) you’re beamed up, smacked a few times to make you mad and shake off the effects of the spores, and boom, you’re good to go… ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268/13 "2010-03-22T01:54:05Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > Shame. It would have been interesting. The Borg were originally supposed to be insects (& related to the parasites), but they couldn’t afford all the puppetry and SFX that would’ve involved so they became cyborgs instead (they kept the hive-mind part). ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268/14 "2010-03-22T03:26:50Z")
In TNG they discover that warp is destroying the environment. They don’t really do much with it. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268/15 "2010-03-22T03:57:33Z")
They had to go no faster than Warp 5 (barring emergencies) for awhile, but then they mentioned in passing that their engines could be redesigned to avoid causing damage. =Whew!= Crisis averted. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268/16 "2010-03-22T04:25:27Z")
I was always hoping to find out what happened to “The Sisko” after he bonded with the Prophets in the wormhole. ---
**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268/17 "2010-03-22T04:29:27Z")
In Star Trek IV McCoy gives the woman in the hospital a pill to grow back her kidney. Did they adapt that technology from the spore planet organ-growing ability? ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268/18 "2010-03-22T04:49:24Z")
I’ve mentioned this in another thread, but we never saw why Q feared Guinan when they met on The Enterprise. ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268/19 "2010-03-22T07:19:43Z")
> [@Darkhold](#): > > Speaking of TNG what about those parasites that sent a homing beacon out after Picard went admiral murdering\*? It always seemed to be dying for a follow up. > > \*note I don’t remember if he actually murdered any of the admirals. Only that annoying inspector guy that had the mother creature inside of him. This was followed up in the DS9 “Relaunch” series and paid off in “Unity”. The big mama of the creatures ends up getting introduced to Bajoran justice and finds itself in a white void… which is filled with all the Jem’Hadar that Sisko made disappear in Season 6. The Jem’Hadar have fun. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2010, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268/20 "2010-03-22T07:53:45Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I was always hoping to find out what happened to “The Sisko” after he bonded with the Prophets in the wormhole. Yep. Pretty much the only series with a cliffhanger was DS9. I’ve heard rumors that Trek has done something similar to Buffy season 8 with novels instead of graphic novels but I haven’t examined it closely yet… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-fans-loose-threads-unanswered-questions/533268.md?page=2)