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+ | [[File:Barzan Wormhole.jpg|thumb|Federation and Ferengi shuttlepods preparing to enter the Alpha Quadrant terminus of the Barzan wormhole]] |
| + | The '''Barzan wormhole''' was a [[wormhole]] with one end initially located near the [[planet]] [[Barzan II]] in the [[Alpha Quadrant]] and one end that moved unpredictably to points through the galaxy, including the [[Gamma Quadrant|Gamma]] and [[Delta Quadrant]]s. ({{TNG|The Price}}, {{VOY|False Profits}}) |
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| − | [[Image:BarzanVoyagerTakar.jpg|thumb|175px|The [[USS Voyager|USS ''Voyager'']] encounters the Barzan wormhole near [[Takar II]] in [[2373]].]] |
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| − | The '''Barzan wormhole''', located near [[Barzan II]], was discovered in [[2366]]. At the time, it was believed to be the first and only stable wormhole to ever exist, connecting the [[Alpha Quadrant]] with the [[Delta Quadrant]]. |
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| + | == History == |
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| − | The wormhole appeared precisely every 233 minutes, which according the Barzan scientists, is due to radiation build up in the accretion disk; its visible burst was very brief. A Barzan probe sent through the wormhole discovered that its terminus was located beyond the [[Denkiri Arm]] in the Delta Quadrant. During a later investigation, it was discovered that the terminus also appeared at a location in [[Sector 3556]] of the [[Delta Quadrant]], nearly 200 [[lightyear]]s from the intitial report. |
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| + | [[File:Barzan wormhole inside.jpg|thumb|The inside of the Barzan wormhole]] |
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| + | The wormhole provided the [[Barzan]]s with their first true natural resource, an opportunity which they decided to capitalize on by opening up negotiations for use of the wormhole. Present at the negotiations were representatives for the [[Federation]], the [[Caldonian]]s, the [[Chrysalian]]s (represented by [[Devinoni Ral]]), and, later, the [[Ferengi]]. |
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| + | In the Alpha Quadrant, the wormhole became visible every 233 minutes, due to radiation buildup in the [[accretion disk]]. A Barzan [[probe]] sent through the wormhole discovered that the Gamma Quadrant terminus was located beyond the [[Denkiri Arm]], a distance that at [[warp]] 9 would have taken nearly a century to cover. |
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| − | The discovery of the wormhole provided the [[Barzan]]s with their first true natural resource. Consequently they decided to capitalize on the opportunity and negotiations to secure rights to the wormhole took place on board the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D)|USS ''Enterprise''-D]] between representatives of the [[Caldonian]]s, [[Chrysalian]]s, the [[Federation]], and [[Ferengi]]. However these ended when a pair of Ferengi were trapped on the far side of the wormhole. It turned out that the non-Barzan terminus of the wormhole was unstable so it could not be used as a safe transport system. ([[TNG]]: "[[The Price]]") |
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| + | During the negotiations, the {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701-D|-D}} conducted scientific studies of the wormhole, sending [[Lieutenant Commander]]s [[Data]] and [[Geordi La Forge]] through in a [[shuttlecraft]], followed by two Ferengi, [[Arridor]] and [[Kol]]. Emerging from the wormhole, Data and La Forge discovered that, as opposed to arriving in the Gamma Quadrant as expected, they had emerged in [[sector 3556]] of the Delta Quadrant. They quickly realized that although the terminus in the Alpha Quadrant was stable, the other end shifted positions periodically, and that both ends would eventually destabilize. Data and La Forge attempted to explain the situation to the Ferengi, who refused to accompany the [[Starfleet]] officers back through the wormhole. Data and La Forge returned to the Alpha Quadrant, but Arridor and Kol stayed, and they watched in shock as the wormhole destabilized, stranding them in the Delta Quadrant. ({{TNG|The Price}}) |
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| − | These Ferengi were discovered in [[2373]] by the [[USS Voyager|USS ''Voyager'']] posing as [[god]]s on [[Takar II]] in the [[Delta Quadrant]]. During their escape, the pair disrupted the wormhole's fragile subspace balance and made both ends unstable. It is not known where they emerged. ([[VOY]]: "[[False Profits]]") |
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| − | [[Category:Astronomical objects]] |
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| + | [[File:Barzan Wormhole in the Delta Quadrant.jpg|thumb|left|''Voyager'' near the Delta Quadrant terminus of the Barzan wormhole]] |
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| + | In [[2373]], the [[starship]] {{USS|Voyager}}, which had become stranded in the Delta Quadrant because of the [[Caretaker's array]], discovered Arridor and Kol living on a planet, in a region called [[Takar (region)|Takar]], posing as gods by using the religion of the local inhabitants to exploit them. The two lived lavish lives while the people were mostly in squalor. [[Captain]] [[Kathryn Janeway]] did not want to let the Ferengi continue with their gross exploitation of the inhabitants; at the same time, she and her crew tried to find a way to make the wormhole appear long enough for ''Voyager''—and the two Ferengi they planned to take with them—to go through. |
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| + | |||
| + | ''Voyager'' bombarded the area of the [[subspace]] instability created by the wormhole with [[verteron]] particles, which they hoped would amplify and polarize the instability, attracting the wormhole so they could travel through it back to the Alpha Quadrant. This was a risky undertaking, however; many different factors could deflect the wormhole from their [[sector]], such as [[gravimetric shift]]s or [[solar flare]]s. |
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| + | |||
| + | Escaping ''Voyager'' in their shuttle, the two Ferengi initiated a high-energy [[graviton pulse]], which changed the rotational momentum of the wormhole, destabilizing it. Although the [[gravitational eddy]] of the wormhole pulled the shuttle in, the graviton pulse had knocked the wormhole completely off its [[subspace axis]], causing the wormhole to jump around erratically on both ends before disappearing altogether. This once again ended ''Voyager'''s hopeful attempts to return home. ({{VOY|False Profits}}) |
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| + | |||
| + | ==Appendices== |
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| + | === Appearances === |
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| + | <div class="appear"> |
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| + | * {{TNG}} |
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| + | ** {{e|The Price}} |
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| + | * {{VOY}} |
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| + | ** {{e|False Profits}} |
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| + | |||
| + | ===Background=== |
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| + | The [[Star Trek: The Next Generation|TNG]] episode {{e|The Price}} was the first to use the term "Delta Quadrant" and established its extreme distance as well as the tendency for spatial phenomena located in it, such as wormholes, to be unstable. |
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| + | |||
| + | ===Apocrypha=== |
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| + | In the [[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|DS9]] novel ''[[A Stitch in Time]]'', [[Cardassian]]s had suspected the existence of the wormhole nearly a decade before it was discovered, and [[Elim Garak]] studied it while he was at the ''Bamarren Institute for State Intelligence.'' |
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| + | |||
| + | ===External links=== |
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| + | * {{startrek.com|barzan-wormhole}} |
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| + | * {{NCwiki}} |
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| + | |||
| + | |||
| + | [[de:Barzanisches Wurmloch]] |
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| + | [[nl:Barzan wormgat]] |
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| + | [[Category:Wormholes]] |
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Revision as of 21:53, 24 November 2013
Federation and Ferengi shuttlepods preparing to enter the Alpha Quadrant terminus of the Barzan wormhole
The Barzan wormhole was a wormhole with one end initially located near the planet Barzan II in the Alpha Quadrant and one end that moved unpredictably to points through the galaxy, including the Gamma and Delta Quadrants. (TNG: "The Price", VOY: "False Profits")
History
The inside of the Barzan wormhole
The wormhole provided the Barzans with their first true natural resource, an opportunity which they decided to capitalize on by opening up negotiations for use of the wormhole. Present at the negotiations were representatives for the Federation, the Caldonians, the Chrysalians (represented by Devinoni Ral), and, later, the Ferengi.
In the Alpha Quadrant, the wormhole became visible every 233 minutes, due to radiation buildup in the accretion disk. A Barzan probe sent through the wormhole discovered that the Gamma Quadrant terminus was located beyond the Denkiri Arm, a distance that at warp 9 would have taken nearly a century to cover.
During the negotiations, the USS Enterprise-D conducted scientific studies of the wormhole, sending Lieutenant Commanders Data and Geordi La Forge through in a shuttlecraft, followed by two Ferengi, Arridor and Kol. Emerging from the wormhole, Data and La Forge discovered that, as opposed to arriving in the Gamma Quadrant as expected, they had emerged in sector 3556 of the Delta Quadrant. They quickly realized that although the terminus in the Alpha Quadrant was stable, the other end shifted positions periodically, and that both ends would eventually destabilize. Data and La Forge attempted to explain the situation to the Ferengi, who refused to accompany the Starfleet officers back through the wormhole. Data and La Forge returned to the Alpha Quadrant, but Arridor and Kol stayed, and they watched in shock as the wormhole destabilized, stranding them in the Delta Quadrant. (TNG: "The Price")
Voyager near the Delta Quadrant terminus of the Barzan wormhole
In 2373, the starship USS Voyager, which had become stranded in the Delta Quadrant because of the Caretaker's array, discovered Arridor and Kol living on a planet, in a region called Takar, posing as gods by using the religion of the local inhabitants to exploit them. The two lived lavish lives while the people were mostly in squalor. Captain Kathryn Janeway did not want to let the Ferengi continue with their gross exploitation of the inhabitants; at the same time, she and her crew tried to find a way to make the wormhole appear long enough for Voyager—and the two Ferengi they planned to take with them—to go through.
Voyager bombarded the area of the subspace instability created by the wormhole with verteron particles, which they hoped would amplify and polarize the instability, attracting the wormhole so they could travel through it back to the Alpha Quadrant. This was a risky undertaking, however; many different factors could deflect the wormhole from their sector, such as gravimetric shifts or solar flares.
Escaping Voyager in their shuttle, the two Ferengi initiated a high-energy graviton pulse, which changed the rotational momentum of the wormhole, destabilizing it. Although the gravitational eddy of the wormhole pulled the shuttle in, the graviton pulse had knocked the wormhole completely off its subspace axis, causing the wormhole to jump around erratically on both ends before disappearing altogether. This once again ended Voyager's hopeful attempts to return home. (VOY: "False Profits")
Appendices
Appearances
Background
The TNG episode "The Price" was the first to use the term "Delta Quadrant" and established its extreme distance as well as the tendency for spatial phenomena located in it, such as wormholes, to be unstable.
Apocrypha
In the DS9 novel A Stitch in Time, Cardassians had suspected the existence of the wormhole nearly a decade before it was discovered, and Elim Garak studied it while he was at the Bamarren Institute for State Intelligence.
External links
- [1]
- Template:NCwiki