Q Threw the Enterprise Into Borg Space. How Long Would the Escape Really Take?
TrekVault
5,596 views
In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Q Who,” Q throws the Enterprise-D about 7,000 light-years across the galaxy into Borg space. We ran that escape at every warp speed on the franchise’s official scale.
At Warp 1 it takes 7,000 years. At the very top of the scale it takes under a year. In between, the numbers are stranger than you’d expect. At the Enterprise-D’s normal cruising speed, the crew wouldn’t see home for nearly two decades. And the fastest way out of this problem was never a warp speed at all.
In this video:
The 7,000 light-year distance from “Q Who”
Warp 1 to Warp 4, the escape that never ends
Warp 5 to Warp 7, a career or less
Warp 8 and Warp 9, where the trip becomes a mission
Warp 9.2 to Warp 9.99, the edge of the scale
The shortcut that beats every warp factor
9 Comments
There is the normal maximum cruising speed (warp 9.2 for the Enterprise-D) which is the max speed the ship can travel forever without stressing the engines at all. There is the maximum sustainable warp speed (warp 9.6 for the Enterprise-D) which damages the engines but the ship can go for several hours to a couple of days at best. And the emergency maximum warp speed (warp 9.65 for the Enterprise-D) and traveling at that speed would damage the engines at twelve hours at most. So when Data says maximum warp speed which maximum does he mean? In “Q-Who?” the Enterprise D got to warp 9.65 and maintains that for however long the Borg chase them and during what was at the time of airing a commercial break Geordi might have pushed the engines a bit faster as he says that is all that the engineering crew can give the captain but there is no actual on screen evidence of any increase in speed but there is that implication. So I ask what does “maximum warp” even mean when someone says that on the show?
LAFORGE: "Course plotted and set for Vagra Two."
PICARD: "Warp eight."
LYNCH [over the comm]: "I said minimum warp drive, Captain!"
PICARD [arrogantly]: "You heard the order, Mister Lynch! Make it so!"
LYNCH [over the comm]: "Yes, sir."
Not from the same episode, but clearly shows Picard's attitude toward the safety of "his" ship and "his" crew. Let's ignore the expert's warning and push the paddle to the metal! Yee-haw! YOLO! 🙄 I suspect he'd have no problem doing the same again, just to show who's the boss.
Another example: "She'll fly apart!" "Fly her apart, then", as Sulu once said to "his" helmsman as the Excelsior was already literally shaking. Hell, NX-01's Engineering had literally caught fire once because Archer kept ordering more speed, despite Tucker warning him against it. :face-blue-covering-eyes:
Q Threw the Enterprise Into Borg Space. How Long Would the Escape Really Take?
TrekVault
5,596 views
In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “Q Who,” Q throws the Enterprise-D about 7,000 light-years across the galaxy into Borg space. We ran that escape at every warp speed on the franchise’s official scale.
At Warp 1 it takes 7,000 years. At the very top of the scale it takes under a year. In between, the numbers are stranger than you’d expect. At the Enterprise-D’s normal cruising speed, the crew wouldn’t see home for nearly two decades. And the fastest way out of this problem was never a warp speed at all.
In this video:
The 7,000 light-year distance from “Q Who”
Warp 1 to Warp 4, the escape that never ends
Warp 5 to Warp 7, a career or less
Warp 8 and Warp 9, where the trip becomes a mission
Warp 9.2 to Warp 9.99, the edge of the scale
The shortcut that beats every warp factor