6

In Star Trek: Enterprise, Archer saved humanity from the Xindi, but he didn't really care about the real enemy, the Sphere Builders.

In the episode Zero Hour, the crew of the Enterprise NX-01 destroyed Sphere 41 which started a chain reaction destroying all the spheres. But, the spheres weren't really destroyed if you think about time: they were still there in the Delphic Expanse if you move back in time.

The Sphere Builders altered the past to experiment one thing and failed to get the desired outcome. What could stop them from experimenting again?

2 Answers 2

5

The Sphere-Builders exist in a parallel dimension to our own, they could only enter ours by using the Spheres to modify our space so that they could survive in it. In the Star Trek: Enterprise episode Zero Hour the crew of the Enterprise blows up Sphere 41, which initiates a chain reaction, causing all of the spheres to be destroyed.

Archer has no time-travel capabilities himself, and is unable to enter the parallel dimension in which the Sphere builders reside. By this time, he has accomplished everything that he possibly can to defeat the Sphere-Builders. Presumably if he had failed at stopping them then he would be told by Crewman Daniels, so we have to assume that he succeeded.

Edit: In fact he was told by Crewman Daniels that his actions fixed the entire timeline, meaning that the threat of the Sphere-Builders is over.

6
  • Spheres exist if you think of past (its mentioned in question). And, to correct mistakes, one needs to go in past. Sphere Builders were always able to enter in past. Aug 15, 2012 at 19:10
  • 3
    Don't talk about that one character from the future... Nero destroyed Vulcan and he never appeared to prevent that. Aug 15, 2012 at 19:58
  • 1
    @SachinShekhar Your question asks what could stop the Sphere Builders from correcting their mistakes, my answer states (as does the canon evidence) that it is very apparent in the show that the Sphere Builders are no longer a threat to the future. Therefore there is no need to proactively do anything about them. Also the "one character" I was referring to is the one character from Enterprise that came from the future to warn Archer about the Sphere Builders. After they are destroyed he no longer talks about them...i.e. they are no longer a threat.
    – NominSim
    Aug 15, 2012 at 20:07
  • 1
    it is very apparent in the show that the Sphere Builders are no longer a threat to the future ~> How can you say that? The TV series only displayed a portion of one timeline. Aug 15, 2012 at 20:19
  • 4
    @SachinShekhar The story-arc that had the Sphere-Builders ended with the destruction of the Spheres. The Temporal Cold War timeline (from which the Sphere-Builders began) continued on for a short while into the next season but Daniels specifically states that it ends because of Archer. Daniels and Archer are looking at the timeline (Storm Front II) when Daniels says this, so they are looking at the past/present/ and future. The entire timeline is fixed according to Daniels, so the Sphere-Builders are taken care of.
    – NominSim
    Aug 15, 2012 at 20:30
4

Think of the resources that the Sphere Builders would have had to invest into invading normal space. The destruction of the Spheres meant the loss of all of those resources. Destroying the Spheres could have been all that was needed to stop the threat. The Spheres were the Sphere Builders' entire ability to interact with normal space. They may not have been able to go back without the Spheres in place.

Those resources invested in the Spheres could have been way too finite, in Sphere Builder space, and completely invested in the invasion attempt. After the Spheres were gone, the Sphere Builders would be completely cut off from those resources, and physically unable to stage another invasion attempt, even a small enough incursion to prevent the Spheres' destruction.

Another possibility is even simpler: The loss of those resources could have crashed the Sphere Builders' economy, and led to a change in Sphere Builder leadership to those less likely to pursue an invasion of normal space, and there was no will among the new leadership to fund another incursion to prevent the Spheres' destruction.

2
  • 1
    These all are meaningless when you deal with time. Spheres were already in existence when you go back in time. They never needed to invest more resources.. Jun 16, 2013 at 2:51
  • 2
    Remember the parasites in Twilight (the episode, silly--no sparkly vampires involved)? Destroying the parasites in the timeline where Earth was destroyed, destroyed them going all the way back to the point at which Archer was infected and the timeline diverged. Considering Archer was infected during one of those Sphere-created phenomena, maybe the Sphere Builders were using those parasites, or resources that can be destroyed temporally like they were.
    – Amanda
    Jun 18, 2013 at 13:25

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.