Cover art of the novel "I, Q".

I, Q is a 2000 novel by John de Lancie and Peter David, set in the Star Trek: The Next Generation fictional universe. Like all Star Trek novels, it is not considered canon. This article is about the year 2000. ... Daniel Defoes Robinson Crusoe; title page of 1719 newspaper edition A novel (from French nouvelle, new) is an extended fictional narrative in prose. ... John de Lancie (born March 20, 1948 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a character actor best known for his role as recurring guest star Q on the various Star Trek series. ... Peter Allen David (born September 23, 1956) is an American writer, best known for his work in comic books and Star Trek novels. ... The title as it appeared in most episodes opening credits. ... In the context of fiction, the canon of a fictional universe comprises those novels, stories, films, etc. ...

Synopsis

Q joins forces with Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Lieutenant Commander Data in order to save his wife and child, and incidentally avert the end of the universe. In the Star Trek fictional universe, the Q are a race of omnipotent, immortal and omniscient godlike beings from a parallel existence called the Q Continuum, though one states they do have limits. ... Jean-Luc Picard is a character in Star Trek, the commanding officer (having the rank of Captain) of the USS Enterprise-D and the USS Enterprise-E. He was played by British actor Patrick Stewart in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) and resulting films. ... Data is a character in the Star Trek fictional universe. ...

Plot

The novel opens with a mysterious Lady, who grows tired of contemplating the Universe. After contemplating the endless variety of planets, of life, of the interplay of good and evil, she has become bored of it, and decides to bring it to an end. She walks to the beach of the island where she lives alone, and summons a storm. As the storm builds up, a bottle washes up to the shore. The Lady picks up the bottle, takes out a manuscript it contains, and begins to read as the storm stands by and waits for her.

Q is doing some deep-sea fishing (literally standing at the bottom of an ocean) with his wife Q and son q, when the ocean begins being drained in a giant whirlpool. Q powerlessly watches as his wife and son are taken in, and is only barely able to escape. He arrives in the Holodeck of the Enterprise, where Picard and Data's fishing simulation had been disturbed by the same disaster. Saltstraumen off Norway. ... A holodeck on the Enterprise-D; the arch and exit are prominent. ... In the Star Trek fictional universe, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) is the Galaxy class starship that is the principal setting of the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG). ...

In order to investigate what happened, Q takes Picard and Data to the Q Continuum, which they perceive as the fictional world of Dixon Hill. There, they learn that the Universe is ending, and that not only the Q Continuum is powerless to stop it, they welcome the opportunity. Having explored all there is to explore and experienced all there is to experience, the Continuum is old and bored, and the end of the Universe is seen as a welcomed liberation. Q is unwilling to accept this decision, so the Continuum freeze him as a statue. But with the help of Q2, Q escapes this punishment and the Continuum. Dixon Hill is fictional detective in the Star Trek universe, a homage to Sam Spade set in 1940s San Francisco. ...

Q, Data and Picard return to the site of the whirlpool, to find it has calmed down and turned into a long shaft leading underground. They decide to explore it. Q tries to snap them to the bottom, but finds that his powers do not penetrate the shaft. They thus have to enter it the old fashion way, by climbing down. However, a few meters down, the walls of the shaft disappear and the three explorers fall down.

The world down the shaft, they soon find, is actually five superposed worlds. Each world is a level of the Kübler-Ross model, populated by members of the multiverse with the appropriate reaction to the end of the universe. Q, Picard and Data go through each level, trying to reach the bottom. While exploring, Q contemplates his existence and that of the Q continuum, the most powerful beings in existence, since he is convinced God does not exist. He reminisces on a young girl he met in Times Square during the 2000 New Year party, in a parallel universe where he was posing as a regular Human. She was insightful and intelligent, and when they kissed, Q thought she could almost fell his true power. In that universe, the celebration at Times Square was the target of a terrorist attack, and Q later found the girl's body among the dead. It has been suggested that On Death and Dying be merged into this article or section. ... Parallel universe (fiction) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Michelangelos depiction of God in the painting Creation of the Sun and Moon in the Sistine Chapel This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Times Square, named after the one-time headquarters of The New York Times, is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, which centers on 42nd Street and Broadway. ... The term terrorism is largely synonymous with political violence or the threat of violence, and refers to a strategy of using coordinated attacks that typically fall within the time, manner of conduct, and place commonly understood as unconventional warfare. ...

The first level is Denial. This level is populated with beings who try to ignore the fact the universe is ending, focusing instead on their more normal daily problems. Q briefly encounters a parallel-universe version of Jadzia Dax who, following the events of Blood Oath, chose not to return to Deep Space Nine but instead to continue fighting with Kang, Kor and Koloth. Together, the four of them are hunting the Romulans also present on this level, believing the whole thing to be some kind of Romulan ploy. Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax (played by Terry Farrell) was a fictional character in the first 6 seasons of the television show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. ... Blood Oath is a second-season episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. ... Deep Space Nine (DS9) In the Star Trek fictional universe, Deep Space Nine (or DS9 for short) is a space station and primary setting for the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. ... Kang is a character from the fictional Star Trek universe. ... Kor in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Kor (Qor in Klingon) is a character from the fictional Star Trek universe. ... The Romulans, a fictional race in the Star Trek universe, are descended from Vulcans and are characterized as being passionate, cunning, and opportunistic. ...

The second level is Anger. Here, Q battles with his rival from the enemy M Continuum, who tries to blame him for the end of the universe. M stages a trial against Q in front of an infuriated jury, but Data wins the case by acting more angered than M and turning the jury against him.

The third level is Bargaining. This level is dominated, appropriately enough, by a Grand Nagus, who offers to trade whatever the other residents of the level own for empty promises of an afterlife. In the TV show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Grand Nagus is the title given to the political and economic leader of the fictional race known as the Ferengi. ...

The fourth level is Depression. On this level, Q is finally reunited with his son q. However, q is now an adult, who has lived a long and depressed life believing his father had abandoned him to the whirlpool. After much trouble, Q manages to convince q of the truth, that he never stopped trying to find him. Relieved, q reverts back to his normal age.

The last level is Acceptance. This level is the Q Continuum, which is now seen as a New Year's Eve party, complete with a countdown to the end of the universe. Q2 reveals to Q that his escape from the Continuum earlier had been staged. The Continuum wanted him to go out to see the end of the universe for himself and return when he'd accepted it like they had. But they also knew he would refuse this suggestion, so they made it look like Q was rebelling against them and escaping. New Years Eve is a celebration held the day before New Years Day, on December 31, the final day of the Gregorian year. ...

When the countdown reaches zero, the whirlpool starts anew, and the Q Continuum is pulled into it without a fight. q tries to hold on to his dad, but he's pulled in too. Q however resists the pull, refusing to accept that it is the end. He creates a written record of his journey and puts it in a bottle, which he throws into the whirlpool.

The story cuts back to the beach, where the Lady finishes reading Q's manuscript. She laughs out loud, and decides to call off the storm. She walks along the beach, and finds q lying on the sand. She wakes him, and gives him a mud boat to return home. But before he leaves, she writes something on a piece of paper, puts it in Q's bottle and hands it to q, to give to his father.

Back in the holodeck, Picard, Data, Q and his wife awaken in the simulated fishing boat. They spot q's mud boat, and Picard orders the computer to "end program". Everything disappears, except for the five individuals and q's boat. q tells his father of the island and the Lady, which Q recognises as the girl he met in Times Square. q then gives Q the bottle containing the Lady's message, but Q is too scared to open it. He hands it to Picard, who opens it and reads the message: "Let there be light". Let there be light is a common English translation of the Latin phrase fiat lux, which describes the creation of light by God near the beginning of Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. ...

Trivia

• This is the only Star Trek story to feature a character who may be the real God, a stark contrast to Gene Roddenberry's secular humanist view of the universe.
• This is the first novel to explore Q's parenthood.
• Parallel-universe versions of some characters appear in this novel. This includes:
  • Jadzia Dax from Blood Oath.
  • Locutus from The Best of Both Worlds.