The Mikeyverse FAQ (Pt I)....

[MikeKozlowski]

STAR TREK: MIKEYVERSE FAQ!

By Mike Kozlowski

A brief word of explanation: when I first started working on The Last Starship, a lot of folks wanted to know exactly which canon I’d be following…and even more entertainingly, how.

See, here’s the thing: You have the Roddenberryverse, the JJVerse, the Star Fleet Battlesverse, and a whole ‘verse of things that may or may not be canon. Then I got to try and explain just how things work, because in literary form….you simply cannot gloss over things like, “How did they pay for that cup of coffee?” (The answer is…well, I’ll get to it in a bit.) In a movie, you’re not focused on that, but while happily reading the printed word….I guarantee that question and a whole lotta others are going to pop up. In the meantime, I shall lay out some of the more common questions I got, and if anyone has any they’d like to throw at me, PLEASE feel free. I love a challenge.

….Hoookay, then. If you’re so smart, what exactly IS the Mikeyverse?

Glad you asked. The Mikeyverse - presently consisting of two full-length stories, The Last Starship, its projected followup Valedictory and two stories-in-outline called Star Trek: Patton and Star Trek: Constitution - is my take on the Trekverse.
*Its primary components are TOS, ST: Enterprise, ST: Strange New Worlds, and ST: Discovery along with the TOS movies and the Animated Series. You’ve already seen some concepts from the TNG era show up, and they may play a bigger role later. Stay tuned….
* The JJVerse - which I consider entertaining, mostly well made, and a lot of fun - is not here. There are some ideas that may make it into the Mikeyverse, but for the most part it’s not going to be here.
*The Star Fleet Battlesverse….with some NOTABLE exceptions. The biggest problem was one of the central concepts of SFB, the General War - a massive war lasting nearly fifteen years and involving every single major race that ends in a decisive Alliance (Federation, Kzin, Tholian, Gorn) victory.
The problem here was this: many SFB fans believe that the GW happened between ST:TMP and ST:TWOK. This would explain the change from the ‘comfy pajamas’ uniforms of TMP and the downright militaristic uniforms of TWOK and beyond - a major war will do that to your self-image. However, after looking very hard at the problem from several angles and then comparing it to canon…there was simply no way to get the GW into the Mikeyverse. At best, it could only have been 6-8 years in-universe between TMP and TWOK, nowhere near enough time. On the other hand, the wonderfully wild array of ships, bases, and assorted other craft that SFB created are definitely going to be here.

Hmmm. Okay, seems reasonable. But now here’s a biggie: the Federation’s COMMUNIST, isn’t it? From all according to their abilities, to all according to their needs?

…Oh, heavens to Murgatroyd, no. The United Federation of Planets is a strongly capitalistic socialist society. The phrase ‘luxury socialism’ might be a good one to describe it - you are entitled to many, many things, health care, housing, food, communications, education, all of which are to an extent that would seem luxurious to us - but the more you earn, the better it gets.
People still have jobs. They still get paid (in ‘credits’; physical money is rare anywhere in the Federation any more except for some collectors’ pieces) and they still farm, they still raise livestock, and they still make stuff. The thing to keep in mind here is that all that high tech costs surprisingly little because of economies of scale, though the more esoteric it gets, the costlier it does get - for instance, you wanna call Aunt Dixie on Alpha Centaurii? No prob, that’s the ST equivalent of a local phone call. You want to call the Vulcan Market on said planet and order up some freshly harvested plomeek? Sure. It’s gonna cost a little bit. (For the record - it’ll be caught, cleaned, dropped into a stasis box, and sent on the next Federation Express flight to Terra…which is still about three days, then another eight hours or so to get to you.)
It works as simply as it can get: you do your job (easily 90% of civilian administrative jobs are done from home) and your employer credits your account. When you spend credits, it’s instantly transferred by your comm unit (looks like a slightly bulkier wristwatch, though the more expensive ‘glasses’ types are popular as well) Even the most junior secretary or clerk is able to afford a pretty decent lifestyle. Several hundred million Terrans live and work off world, and they tend to make a lot of money.

Vacations on and off world are common, and actually don’t cost that much. With just about any point on Earth only about four hours at most from any other, tourism is big the world over. With a little planning, you could live in Tokyo, take your spouse to dinner in Paris, and be back in the morning. Off world is a whole ‘nother matter - the other planets in Sol System aren’t exactly vacation spots, though the Star Fleet Museum (http://www.starfleet-museum.org/) over San Francisco is a huge tourist draw, and the orbital resort stations are always popular. The real problem is that everything else is at least a few days away…and then add in things like, for instance, Vulcan doesn’t really like tourists all that much unless they’re exceptionally well behaved. Andoria’s culture welcomes tourists, but as the most combat-oriented race in the UFP, they aren’t big on art or music. Alpha Centauri is…well, pretty much like Earth. Business travel throughout Alpha Quadrant tends to be a lot more routine. Spaceliners are common and comfortable.

Health care, it goes without saying, is a basic right of every last being in the Federation, and no matter how challenging or difficult the condition, you will get the care you need and your bills are covered while you’re being treated. On the other hand, if the care you need is available on Rigel IV and you’re here, it could take a while to get you there.

Housing is a basic right. Just how basic varies from planet to planet, but here on Terra, with ten billion people, each person is entitled to a minimum 121 square meters (1300 square feet) with a kitchen, three bedrooms, and one bathroom…if you’re paying for it though, you can go as big as you want. If you ain’t, then that changes a little bit - more to come on that.

Education? No problem. Keep in mind that two hundred and seventy five years from now, basic public education turns you out with what would be the equivalent of a Master’s from high school, which is free. Most colleges and vocational schools are free as well, but there are still many which charge tuition.

Now, let’s say however that you - Joe or Jane Federation - just don’t feel it, and decide to let the Federation (or in this case, the UN, which runs Terra) pay for everything. No problem - go to the appropriate office and sign the paperwork. This is what will happen:

* You will get a 121 square meter apartment. It will have two bedrooms and one bath. It may be on the first floor, it may be on the 110th. It will be BASIC - the synthesizers for food and clothing will be Government issue, and they will be nowhere near as good as what you can buy at the 23rd century equivalent of WalMart. You will have a single viewscreen with a somewhat limited feed - mostly news and cultural channels; little flat-out entertainment. You want to watch Aldeberan’s Got Talent, you need to pay for an entertainment package. The furniture would be basic but comfortable.

*You will be seen at a UN Free Clinic. Solid, competent care - but you may be sitting in line for a bit.

*You will receive a minimum stipend from the Government every month that will vary considerably based on where in the world you may be. If you live in Boswash (the megalopolis that runs from Hampton Roads to Boston) it’s going to be fairly substantial. If you’re in Botswana, not so much. Don’t run out.

*You want to travel? No sweat - there are dozens of websites that will hook you up with freighters or liners that have Space-A slots open, or are willing to let you work your way on a passage. The rules are quite strict; they must feed you the same as the crew, and you can only be worked the same hours - but if you don’t hold up your end of the deal, you can legally be put off at the nearest station or planet and figure out your own way back.

Traveling on Terra is pretty easy, but you have to pay for it. Having said that, taking a hopper ride (the STverse equivalent of an airliner) from say, Boswash to Melbourne - about a two hour ride - costs proportionally what you’d pay to fly Continental cross-country today. But you will be in the cheap seats.

You mentioned replicators earlier…

Why, yes. Yes I did.

The one question you usually hear is why they just can’t replicate entire starships. The answer to that is - if you think about it - if you could, you wouldn’t have to.

With that in mind, replicators are obviously limited in what they can do. Meals and clothes are easy-peasy, and just about anything else that can be made in one piece up to about a square meter in size is simple enough. Replicators are pretty much extremely complex 3D printers, and as such have a useful place in the Mikeyverse. Having said that, there’s varying levels of capability - and cost - and interestingly, most people regard the food replicators as luxuries the way microwaves were regarded forty or fifty years ago here - a surprising number of people still cook (and shop for) their own food as a matter of routine.

Most people have synthesizers, and still have cooking systems (imagine microwaves with the same amount of control as a standard oven/grill today) in their homes. One can still find standard ovens/stoves pretty easily, but they tend to be kind of a niche item.

To Be Continued....

Mike

[Craiglxviii]

Mikey. Two words. Sonic showers.

That is all

PS +1 for Federation Express (remember the live lobsters!)