Talk:Traveler (Star Trek)

The Identity & Abilities Of The Traveler's Species
"The Traveler is exceptionally skilled mentally and is able to make a bridge between space, time, and thought which he, and presumably those of his kind, uses to travel throughout the galaxy."

If other members of the Traveler's species had his spacial-temporal abilities, it seems likely that the Federation, Romulans, Borg and other races would take a significant interest in their people; not just members of government/military organizations, but unscrupulous private citizens as well. Anybody with such talents could probably be pretty effective at defending themselves from aggression from foreign species, which could be used as an excuse for other people being unable to capitalize upon such power (and thus perpetuating the status quo of the ST universe). However, the Traveler (and presumably any of his peers) is not omniscient or omnipotent, and sufficient minds with sufficient resources may find creative ways to persuade, whether by agression or other means. Therefore, it seems unlikely that the Traveler's abilities are characteristic of other inhabitants of Tau Alpha C. Somebody somewhere would have capitalized on a planet of people with such abilities. It also goes without saying that Starfleet personel would have to be fairly incompetant to welcome the Traveler aboard their military flagship during a significant engineering experiment, without any inkling that most or all residents of Tau Alpha C have godlike powers over spacetime (and therefore the Traveler is not just some mild-mannered engineering assistant).

Perhaps a more plausible theory would be that the spacial-temporal abilities really are characteristic of the Traveler's species, but the Traveler is not really a native of Tau Alpha C (just as he wasn't really a human when Wesley Crusher encountered him in the episode, "Journey's End"). When considering other possible species that the Traveler might be a member of, it is most logical to start by comparing the Traveler with species that are known to possess similar abilities. At the very top of this list would be the Q Continuum. While some Q depictions have been rather decadent, the Q still appear to be a race of individual beings with various motivations and attitudes of ethics. Just as Loki was a god, a nemesis and a trickster, de Lancie's Q wore more than one mask ("Even I've been the scarecrow!" - Voyager, "Death Wish"). Yet Q lingered as a companion of Picard throughout his "trek" from one conflict to another, and he progressively demonstrated hints of compassion for Picard's "child race" despite Q's verbal legerdemain and habit of creating problems that require meaningful solutions. If de Lancie's Q would play this dynamic role in Picard's life, then it is reasonable to accept the possibility that another Q (or de Lancie's Q, hidden within more than one layer of disguise) would adopt the guise of the Traveler in an attempt to act as a guide for young Wesley Crusher as his spacial-temporal abilities began to emerge. It would also add a reason for de Lancie's Q to be a factor in the life of Picard, due to Picard's longtime associations with the Crusher family. Such lengths and complexities of lifetimes would not be beyond the orchestrations of a Q, and could be an occasional necessity in helping a member of a "child race" emerge into the realms and activities of the Q.

Even if the Traveler is not a member of the Q Continuum (or de Lancie's Q himself, within layers of disguise), it is interesting that the Traveler never mentions the Q, and vice versa. If they ever met, they would probably have a lot to talk about, or at least have a lot in common (like siblings of different ages). An interaction between them would probably have required an episode all its own.

- R.A.Y. June 27, 2006

What no picture?