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Star Trek: Enterprise turned out to be a cool series, with some convoluted time-travel story arcs. In one, you see the Federation far in the future fighting a battle against the sphere builders. I haven't read any of the Star Trek novels and I was wondering if any of them go any further into the future of the federation.

Are there any published Star Trek works that address the far future of the Federation?

7 Answers 7

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In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds IV, there is a TOS short story Tears for Eternity, that is set in the 523rd Century (about a new generation of Horta, sequel to The Devil in the Dark). However, (a) this perhaps isn't canon, and (b) I don't believe there's any reference to the Federation at that point.

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds II, there is a TNG short story I Am Become Death, that is set in the 44th Century (about a future with many Datas, prequel to Brothers). However, (a) this probably isn't canon either, and (b) I haven't read this personally, so I don't know if the Data future has the federation, either.

In Living Witness (Voyager S4), an alternative Doctor is activated and heads off to the Alpha Quadrant in the 31st Century. I don't recall (but it's been a long time since I saw it) any mention of whether the Doctor knows that the Federation is/is not around at that time.

The ship from Future Tense (Enterprise S2) is from the 31st Century, and had human/Vulcan crew. I don't recall (also a long time since I've seen this) any mention of whether it is a Federation ship (probably not, since Enterprise don't know about the Federation at this stage).

In Future's End (Voyager S3) we see the U.S.S. Aeon from the 29th Century. This presumably is the Federation, and is canon - but the timeline is wiped by the events of that episode.

In Relativity (Voyager S5), a semi-sequel to Future's End, we see the inside of the Federation timeship Relativity, in the 29th century. This timeline was not erased by the episode's events.

In A Matter of Time (TNG S5) we see a time pod from the 26th Century (via the 20th). There's no indication of what the 26th Century is like, however.

In Crossroad (TOS novel) there's discussion of the Federation in the 26th Century:

Starfleet and the Federation are corrupt and controlled by a private company. A traveller from the future is trying to get rid of the Federation in Kirk's time to prevent this.

I'm not sure if this is canon or not, but it's probably the closest to addressing the future of the Federation itself, rather than just the future in general.

(As an aside: the novel is by Barbara Hambly, who has written many excellent non-Trek novels).

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    The novels aren't canon, but I'm pretty sure the examples from Enterprise count.
    – Jeff
    Feb 11, 2011 at 16:34
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    The novels may not be canon, but the question did ask about "any published Star Trek works", and specifically mentioned novels. So, they're in scope for this question. Aug 14, 2012 at 20:37
  • Isn't there an Enterprise episode where Archer is transported fairly far into the future, and something particular has really wrecked it up? I remember them (Archer & what's-his-name from the future) having to come back through the Suliban's temporal communications device (whatever it's called).
    – Iszi
    Feb 28, 2013 at 21:39
  • @Iszi 26th century, we were shown the Battle of Procyon V - which is now in an alternate timeline, since that future was prevented. ENT 3x18, Azati Prime
    – Izkata
    Feb 28, 2013 at 23:55
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In terms of time travel, several storylines contain characters who travelled from ~500 years in the future back to the 'present' of the show, but most of the time travel episodes in which the cast travel through time send them to the past, not the future.

There are also a number of alternate timelines in which we see further into the future, but they don't really count, since they're alternate timelines.

The 2009 Star Trek film contains the furthest forward part of the actual storyline, when Romulus is destroyed in 2387, creating the alternate timeline that the film is set in.

The events of Nemesis take place in 2379, and the events of DS9 and Voyager take place in the 2370s (Voyager between 2371 and 2378, and DS9 between 2369 and 2375).

See this Memory Alpha article for more details about specific parts of the timeline.

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    Enterprise LOVED sending Archer into the future.
    – Jeff
    Feb 11, 2011 at 16:35
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    VOY 5x24, "Relativity" is partially set in the 29th century, and is not part of an alternate timeline, although not a lot is known...
    – Izkata
    Dec 27, 2011 at 5:26
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A brief scene in an episode of Enterprise took place in the distant future, aboard the Enterprise J.

I believe that's the further forward seen on the TV show/movies, as the Enterprise J wouldn't have been built until after the Enterprise E, F, G, H, and I had been destroyed. Nemesis pretty well trashed the Enterprise E, but I don't think they moved on to 'F' yet. I think the ships have an average lifespan of ~30 years (just a WAG).

Memory Alpha says the ship exists in the 26th century, when humanity is 'beyond transwarp' and 'exploring other galaxies, beyond the milky way'.

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  • The Battle of Procyon V is now in an alternate timeline, due to the destruction of the Spheres
    – Izkata
    Dec 27, 2011 at 5:27
  • @Izkata Every 'future' shown in each series is now in an alternate timeline, due to information from that future affecting the past. Disregarding that, even, they're all alternate due to the effects of Star Trek (2009).
    – Jeff
    Dec 27, 2011 at 7:28
  • Enterprise-E wasn't decomissioned after the Nemesis movie. As a matter of fact, there are deleted scenes where an impressively refitted E (superstructured visibly altered) exits the shipyard and Picard's new XO embarasses himself after Riker sets him up. And they get seatbelts. It later gets destroyed while under Data's command
    – Petersaber
    Jul 20, 2015 at 7:13
  • @Petersaber: Deleted scenes aren't canon, and neither are most books/comics. That said, I did mention in my answer that the E was not yet replaced by an F.
    – Jeff
    Jul 21, 2015 at 12:53
  • @Jeff it was just a footnote. It's also part of the continuity in the Star Trek Online game, which is kinda sorta but not completly canon. It's got CBS' blessing for what it's worth
    – Petersaber
    Jul 22, 2015 at 6:42
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Seems to be Nemesis, according to the Star Trek timeline.

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The Star Trek MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) is supposed to take place in the original Star Trek universe after Romalus was destroyed, but I don't think it is offical consider canon.

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It is the 31st century, 3040 to be exact:

Ship from Enterprise episode "Future Tense" commissioned.

Source: Timeline of Star Trek (Wikipedia).

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  • The ship was built then, but we saw it only in the Enterprise-era, so the work didn't take place in the future.
    – Jeff
    Feb 11, 2011 at 16:34
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The furthest point in the future which has been depicted in any canonical Star Trek work so far has been in the two-part Enterprise episode, Shockwave.

Here, Archer and Daniels travel to the 31st century. However, the view here is only of one possible future and the timeline has probably been significantly changed since.

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