Ocampan Society and Their Future

[BohandiAnsoid]

I wonder what happened to Ocampa after Voyager left the planet. Especially the ones left on the homewold. And certainly not Kes, as I think she eventually reached Federation, and she was restored to normal on the way.

But, what happened to the others? They have 5 years of power left and there are Kazon on the surface… PErsonally, I hope they spend these 5 years preparing themselves to emerge, fight Kazon and take their technology and ships (if the Kazon even sticks around that long). I hope they succeeded, since the Ocampa are, I think, inherently superior to the Kazon and have a healthier society (not that either of this is saying much). And, once they have their ships, I hope they’II begin to build a new galactic civilization.

Especially since, according to the Caretaker novelisation, the Caretaker downloaded all his knowledge to the Ocampan city computers before dying, meaning the Ocampa should have some head start when establishing a new galactic civilization.

 

[Oddish]

Especially since, according to the Caretaker novelisation, the Caretaker downloaded all his knowledge to the Ocampan city computers before dying, meaning the Ocampa should have some head start when establishing a new galactic civilization.

That should have been featured in the show. It would have changed everything. Including the wisdom (vs the lack thereof) of Janeway's actions.

 

[WarpTenLizard]

I tend to think that the Kazon eventually breached the Ocampa's walls, and enslaved them. Then an elderly Kes arrived and taught the Ocampa slaves mental powers, which they used to fight for their freedom. From there, I don't know if they'd drive all the Kazon off the planet or coexist with them, since both populations on that planet seem pretty scarce.

 

[BohandiAnsoid]

While we know little about Ocampa society (at their homeworld), from what I know it seems quite good. Certainly better than Trill or Vulcan (they did let Kes go away aboard Voyager, after all).

So, what do we know about the subject and what can be thought about it (and how Ocampa society looked before the Caretaker came, too)?

 

[1001001]

Moving to the Voyager Forum.

 

[Akiraprise]

Since we already have a recent thread about Ocampan society I've merged the two topics.

 

[at Quark's]

I never thought of it that those 5 years of energy would have meant the Ocampa would have had to emerge well within Voyager's run, somewhere around the beginning of S6 to be more precise (or, if those 5 years were just a roundabout figure, some time during S5 or S6). Perhaps that explained why Kes was so cranky in Fury (yes, I know, a different explanation is given in the episode).

 

[Lynx]

I wonder what happened to Ocampa after Voyager left the planet. Especially the ones left on the homewold. And certainly not Kes, as I think she eventually reached Federation, and she was restored to normal on the way.

But, what happened to the others? They have 5 years of power left and there are Kazon on the surface… PErsonally, I hope they spend these 5 years preparing themselves to emerge, fight Kazon and take their technology and ships (if the Kazon even sticks around that long). I hope they succeeded, since the Ocampa are, I think, inherently superior to the Kazon and have a healthier society (not that either of this is saying much). And, once they have their ships, I hope they’II begin to build a new galactic civilization.

Especially since, according to the Caretaker novelisation, the Caretaker downloaded all his knowledge to the Ocampan city computers before dying, meaning the Ocampa should have some head start when establishing a new galactic civilization.

I think that your comment about the Caretaker novelisation is the key to what happened to the Ocampa.

Since the book is created from the script of the episode, I assume that it's true that the Caretaker downloaded all his knowledge to the Ocampa city.

The Ocampa then had five years to develope their technology and everything else to whitstand a Kazon invasion.

I also assume that the Ocampa on Suspiria's array became curious after Kes's contact with them in Cold Fire and found a way to visit the home planet, further strengthen the defence of the Ocampa city.

Faced with all that, the Kazon probably left the area. The area of space in which the kazon lived was big enough for them to find other planets to exploit.

I also assume that with the knowledge of the caretaker and the knowledge from the Ocampa from Suspiria's array, the Ocampa could expand their lifespan and develoope even more.

 

[at Quark's]

The Ocampa then had five years to develope their technology and everything else to whitstand a Kazon invasion.

Five years is not much in that respect when you've been so utterly dependent for so long. Back in 1998 when working on my PhD thesis, I was working with some concepts in the defence industry that were supposed to be ready around 2010. And that wasn't even a very long lead time by the standards of that industry. Granted, things would probably move quicker if they didn't have to do their own research and if they had access to replicator technology (which I don't know if they had), but still. So I'd guess those Ocampan Ocampa really would need the help of the Suspirian Ocamp, even if only in terms of mentality.

 

[Lynx]

Five years is not much in that respect when you've been so utterly dependent for so long. Back in 1998 when working on my PhD thesis, I was working with some concepts in the defence industry that were supposed to be ready around 2010. And that wasn't even a very long lead time by the standards of that industry. Granted, things would probably move quicker if they didn't have to do their own research and if they had access to replicator technology (which I don't know if they had), but still. So I'd guess those Ocampan Ocampa really would need the help of the Suspirian Ocamp, even if only in terms of mentality.

But now you are thinking in terms of "The Dark Ages" (the 2010s and 2020s) and not in terms of the 24th century.

The Ocampa society did seem quite developed and with their ways to learn quickly and with further knowledge and technology from the caretaker, they would be able to improve a lot during those five years.

However, I can agree that the help of Suspiria's Ocampa could be necessary.

 

[USS Firefly]

I don't know if I remmember correctly, but couldn't the Ocampa only have one child in their life? So they would probably go extinct soon

 

[BohandiAnsoid]

That was one of few things I don;t like about them (small lifetime being other) and we are trying to somehow work around it (one idea is that they work similar to how Guinea Pigs work in real life, so they need to have a child during Elogium if they are to have children ever, but if they do, they can have other children later).

 

[at Quark's]

I don't know if I remmember correctly, but couldn't the Ocampa only have one child in their life? So they would probably go extinct soon

The canon quote is this:

KES: But you, you don't understand. The elogium occurs only once. If I am ever going to have a child, it has to be now!

Some have theorised this means that if you don't make 'use' of the elogium, you can't have a child after that. But that if you do, you might be able to get more children in the future.
Others have theorised that perhaps it's usual to get twins, triplets, quadruplets, etc.

Given the exact way she phrases it, I can't really exclude those options, but neither do they sound like the most likely explanations.

 

[Lynx]

The canon quote is this:


Some have theorised this means that if you don't make 'use' of the elogium, you can't have a child after that. But that if you do, you might be able to get more children in the future.
Others have theorised that perhaps it's usual to get twins, triplets, quadruplets, etc.

Given the exact way she phrases it, I can't really exclude those options, but neither do they sound like the most likely explanations.

No doubt that the "one child syndrome" was a mistake by the writers.

In retrospect, I can't understand that they came up with such a stupid thing.

The nine-year lifespan was a similar mistake.

I guess that they just came up with something which was sort of "oh we haven't had this in Star Trek before". If or when they realised thet the "one child syndrome" was unrealistic, they didn't bother, it was just like "oh, the viewers won't notice"

They were very sloppy and ignorant.

However, there are certain ways to "write around" the problem. For example, we have the episode Before And After when kes's father benaren states that Kes is his favorite daughter.

So maybe they were triplets: Jes, Tes and Kes!

 

[at Quark's]

So maybe they were triplets: Jes, Tes and Kes!

Why not a boy, Wes, too? A boy with prodigious talent for the sciences and especially for 'the intricacies of time, energy and propulsion'?

 

[Lynx]

Why not a boy, Wes, too? A boy with prodigious talent for the sciences and especially for 'the intricacies of time, energy and propulsion'?

I only mentioned the sisters because Benaren stated that Kes was his favorite daughter.
But it would be OK with Wes too!

 

[BohandiAnsoid]

I like this idea.