Star Trek: 10 First Contacts We Need To See

Not without a certain delight on the part of the audience, Guinan was able to rattle one member of the mostly omnipotent, but typically omni-self-assured, Q Continuum by her mere presence. Our favourite El-Aurian got in a few cutting, though fair, remarks, and Q made some less-than-flattering ripostes. From Ten Forward in Q-Who? we could see the two sides had a history more fiery, more unique than most.

In this case, the 'first' in 'first contact' is rendered almost meaningless. In the way we would perceive it, there probably can be no singular point of encounter between one near-immortal species with extra-temporal perceptions, and the ability to choose when to age, and another that exists outside of normal space-time entirely. In fact, Q would be dismayed if we were to think any less than non-linearly. Nevertheless, our teeny Earth brains, thrown inevitably forward by the sense of their own entropy, can do little more than want to pick a moment. It turns out that 'a moment' has particular resonance for the El-Aurians too.

"A long time ago," the El-Aurians and the Q fought a "long cold war," after which a truce was made over a bottle that Guinan then had in her possession in the 21st century. The "half-life" of the very moment of the settlement between the two species was captured (somehow) within, like a liquid photograph or a potable harmonic. As points of successful (peaceful) first contact between the Q Continuum and the El-Aurians go, it's also as good as any we're likely to see. Get some more glasses out, Guinan, so we can all have a drink!