“Time is patient. So, we must be patient with it. Eradicating a single Zahl colony wasn’t enough for a total restoration. We have to work on a larger scale. Take us to the Zahl home world. Enter a new set of calculations. We must erase the entire species from time. Every life form, every molecule.” — The troubled Annorax, Star Trek: Voyager, Year of Hell Episode 1 0:00 to 1:20
Erasure of the Zahl colony would not do for Annorax. The haunted Annorax demanded more of his crew. He demanded erasure of the species itself. And thus began the Year of Hell Episode 1, Star Trek; Voyager.
As Annorax wipes away the Zahl species from existence, we discover the power of a God brings no peace to Annorax. No peace.
The Zahl home world vaporized in one temporal wave.
What is Annorax’s motivation? Why would a Krenim scientist destroy worlds and species wholesale? A prior temporal incursion caused a plague which killed Annorax’s wife. All Annorax can understand is full restoration of his Krenim species and return to life of his wife. Again and again, his timeline falls short. A 98% incursion and still his wife is not restored. For 200 years, Annorax has destroyed and destroyed again and not restored his wife.
Despite crew mumblings, Annorax refuses to give up. He has all of eternity to accomplish his mission.
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The mission consumes Annorax. Annorax has no life, only a timeless unending quest. Does he have purpose? Perhaps. Does he have meaning? Maybe, but at what cost? He can never regain those lost 200 years in the cosmos. Is the life of one woman greater than the existence of an entire Zahl colony, the entire Zahl species? What is a proportionate response under these circumstance? It is not even clear that 100% restoration of the Krenim empire is possible.
Entire civilizations gone in the hunt for one woman, the wife of Annnorax.
I was reminded of the hunt for racism. There is no racism in today’s America. Racism is state action, state conduct. Mission has been accomplished. There is prejudice and bigotry in the land. You bet. But the label “Racism” was invented for political purposes by Leo Trotsky in the Soviet Union. Here is a challenge. Find the word “Racism” in any 1600s government document. Do a google search. No luck? Try another search. Find the word “Racism” in any 1700s government document. Any luck? Surely, the word “Racism” would appear in government documents from the 1800s.
If I am wrong and incorrect, I will gladly accept the correction.
Spock reminds us that labels are not arguments. The label “Racism” is not an argument. The slogan word nowadays is a poison pill for manipulation. I care more about treating people as individuals. Do unto others as one would have others do unto you. If everyone lived by that principle, what would be left to scream and shout about?
How many civilizations will you have to erase to send us merrily on our way?
If we could go back in time and change the timeline, what would you do? Would you kill the slave owner? Would you murder your 5x great grandfather while he slept at night? Suppose changing the timeline meant you were wiped out of existence? Would you still erase your ancestor from existence? Would you wipe out free black slave masters or give them a racial pass as race brothers in the struggle? Just asking one to think about how much one wants to resent and abhor the past. Would you eliminate European ancestors, the Irish ancestor from Ulster, Ireland? The young indentured servant from Birchington, Kent, England? How much are you like Annorax deep down inside? Would you eradicate these ancestors who made one possible due to race prejudice and bigotry? Have you traced your lineage back to a specific farm or plantation from the 1750s like I have? Would you erupt in rage at the sight of the old farm and throw stones at the wooden walls like Jenny did in Forrest Gump? Jenny Throws Stones Should we sponsor a night of reparations where descendants of American slavery can howl at the moon?
I doubt most descendants care enough. In fact, I believe the reparations call is performance art. It wasn’t one’s own life like it was for Jenny. We are talking about five and six lifetimes ago. However, the fury of Annorax over 200 years is where the reparations debate leads us. The past should not consume our future energies.
I can’t stop until I have forced time to give me back my wife!
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Conclusion: To bring his wife back to life, Annorax wiped innumerable colonies and species from existence. He would never achieve his goal by deploying temporal waves throughout the galaxy. With the power of a God, Annorax had no place for any creature or entity but for his wife. His past pain destroyed his haunted future.
There are lessons here for us in the modern era on Planet Earth. How easy is it for the past to consume one’s future? How conditioned are sentient beings to be blind to others in the name of cosmic justice? How rigid can the hunt for identity render us?
In the end, Voyager Captain Kathryn (Kate) Janeway saves Annorax from himself. Eternity promised more and erasures of doomed worlds by Annorax. It would never end, the hunt for Ahab’s white whale. Captain Janeway reasoned that the original timeline could be restored if Annorax’s vehicle were destroyed with his own weapon. And so Janeway rammed Annorax’s ship with the Voyager. The Voyager destroyed itself. Annorax’s star ship exploded.
The original timeline was restored. The Voyager sailed on its merry way. And the episode closed with Annorax’s wife asking Annorax to enjoy the nice day together. Annorax worked too much. Annorax joined his wife and his calculations for changing the timeline were left on his desk.
Let us beware the fate of Annorax in race discourse. We may pursue lightening in a bottle, the equivalent of anti-black racism. And in doing so, we may wreck havoc throughout the cosmos. Better to restore the timeline of the 1990s or the early 2010s. And leave all of the anti-racism work from the past 14 years on our virtual desk.
Only time can pronounce judgment against me. Times up!
Good evening!