What If? The Federation Discovers the Underdark

[Bear Ribs]

ROB Quietly moves a section of the Forgotten Realms Underdark, specifically Menzoberranzan and surrounding areas sufficient to support it, underneath San Francisco during the early TNG Era. ROB arranges to hide all the immediate effects so that neither side realizes the swap has been made. The Drow soon note that their raiding paths to the surface are blocked. The Federation also picks up something hinky going on in their sensors and finds Menzoberranzan on a sensor sweep around the same time the Drow use divination spells to check what's going on above and why the surface tunnels vanished.

As far as the Drow are concerned, this is their native world and they've always been there. The Federation, of course, feels the same way.

How does first contact between the Drow and Federation go? What ethical concerns will shape their policy? On the flipside, how will Drow society react to finding out how much the Federation has built and how magnificent its ships, stations, and monuments are?

Should things devolve to conflict Lolth will not interfere with Federation forces in any way though she'll continue to supply spells to her clerics and can manage Drow society as usual, such as declaring a Peace of Lolth if needed and bestowing the Favor of Lolth however she pleases. She will be able to give Federation clerics spells if she somehow winds up with valid worshippers there and she thinks it's a good idea. Q has also been privately asked by ROB not to interfere with his prank, and if the Federation somehow gets him in a position to question him, Q will only inform them he didn't cause these shenanigans... possibly while eating popcorn.

 

[Sailor.X]

Thank goodness I looked twice. for a second I thought it read the Federation discovers Undertail.........

 

[The Whispering Monk]

I was thinking the Underverse form Riddick.

 

[Bear Ribs]

I kept mistaking it for Septerra Core's Underlost.

 

[Hlaalu Agent]

The Drow start liking Root Beer?

 

[The Whispering Monk]

It really depends on how the Drow magic impacts tech.

 

[Bear Ribs]

Honestly, I figured the social aspects were more interesting than the notion of an actual fight. While 9th level spells are pretty powerful, the Drow are going to have maybe a couple dozen at most who can pull those off. They are unlikely to defeat the Federation directly though they could certainly throw some nasty sucker-punches.

OTOH it puts the Federation in a pretty quandary. Unless the Drow have a Gypsy Moth Armada stored away (depending on the edition) they're a pre-warp civilization and thus the Prime Directive should technically apply, but it really can't because the Drow are right there on Earth and can't really be kept away from finding out what's going on above. The Federation might prefer a hands off approach by custom but the Drow are pretty danged horrifying in their habits and customs and it would surely strain their patience mightily to know there's a slave-and-rape-focused culture just a mile below Federation Headquarters that they could do something about.

 

[Husky_Khan]

Yeah I haven't read anything recent in the Forgotten Realms... I'm almost literally a century behind the times I think when it comes to Dale Reckoning, but I'd agree that the Federation would try to have the Prime Directive apply.

And maybe it could?

The thing is... the Federation and Menzoberranzan would readily know of each other. Both would rapidly become aware of the other and unless things have changed... from what I recall of the Drizzt novels before they got all weird and OP, Menzoberranzan was supposed to be a smaller mid sized Drow City with about twenty five thousand Drow living there. Not sure if its the whole population or just adults or whatever but... twenty five thousand... plus lots of slaves that are mostly Goblinoids.

Militarily... even in the restrained and sometimes Flanderized nature of Star Trek Ground Warfare means that if a military conflict arises... the Federation would win. They'd win even if (and this being Star Trek its probably certain) their transporters couldn't work due to interference and if their com badges were wonky and they're still marching down there with pajamas and flashlights mounted on Phaser Rifles. They'd win... no question beyond how hard they'd force their victory upon the fell Dark Elves.

So with that out of the way, the Drow aren't dumb and the Federation is conciliatory. The Federation also literally has all of the cards here and the Drow will come to that realization sooner or later. I basically see two options because the problem for me isn't the Drow by and large, but this is literally an example of why the Prime Directive is kind of a thing.

Almost all of my hypothesis on what could happen in this situation result in the destabilization of Drow Society... the only difference is how dramatic... and that drama ranges from serious... to apocalyptic (for their way of life).

At a minimum for culture shock, the Federation could do what they did in one of the worst episodes of Star Trek Homeward where a far smaller civilization... or one group of them anyways, were rescued by a rogue Federation scientist, ported into the Holodeck, and then sent to live on another planet nonethewiser (the Federation and Picard originally were going to let them all die from a natural disaster). Here, transporting an entire city and twenty five thousand Drow wouldn't be feasible without them knowing.

BUT... they could go willingly. In a perfect (for the Drow) world that would mean they all get transported to some isolated off limits planet that is suitable to their needs and after the serious shock of relocation, everything would be hunky dory for these Drow. Happy ever after.

But no... that won't happen. Slaves won't wanna slave anymore, especially if and when they learn of the wonders of the Federation and the world underneath the Stars of the Endless Cavern... or Cavern without a Roof... whatever it is they called the Surface world. It's been a while. And lots of lowly Drow... not just the males or whatever... but ones from lower houses and the like etc etc wouldn't want to go either I imagine. And I can't see the Federation just... letting that happen if they're going to relocate them somewhere. The Prime Directive is already being forcibly violated. The Federation can't act as Slavekeepers for fugitives that manage to escape or are begging for liberation whilst being led into a cargo bay.

And this is a similar problem if the Federation try to "isolate" the Underdark underneath San Francisco. Sure it might seem easy to seal tunnels, erect forcefields, set up sensors... but the Drow and everyone else use magic. There's still teleportation, gaseous forms, shape changing, dimension door'ing, charm personing and transmutation spells that can play havoc on things. All of the Drow will know they're being kept in an essential cage and even if they weren't Drow, living in a sealed reservation isn't something practical in the long term. Most sentient species are naturally isolationist and despite the Drow being "isolated" they aren't "isolationist." They enjoy going out for a little slave taking and murder... as well as trade and other things. They don't live a sedentary life.

I think the most amicable option is relocating the Drow elsewhere but that would still likely shatter the Drow Society. But the Federation might be fine with that. They were fine with Turkana IV after all. Not in my backyard anymore and all that.