Galactic Barrier (Star Trek)

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In the science fiction universe of Star Trek, the Galactic Barrier, often referred to as the "Energy Barrier", or "The Great Barrier", is an energy field that surrounds the Milky Way Galaxy. The field completely encompasses the galactic disk and prevents conventional starship travel beyond the edge of the galaxy.

A non-canon theory has suggested the barrier is not meant to keep explorers "in" the galaxy, but to keep something from beyond the galaxy "out". It is also uncertain whether or not the energy barrier is a natural or artificially created phenomena.

Although numerous attempts to travel outside the galaxy have been made, with various degrees of success, the barrier usually damages or destroys ships that try to pass through it. It also has psychoactive effects as some personnel gain powerful telekinetic and telepathic abilities if traveling near the barrier.

The barrier appears as a pinkish band of light, and upon entering it, a ship is surrounded by dancing clouds of colorful energy. Inside the barrier, a ship's power and engines shut down and navigational systems become erratic.

The Galactic Barrier made its first appearance in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before" where the crew of the USS Enterprise had to deal with those affected by the psychic powers of the field - as did the crew of the ill-fated SS Valiant which had encountered the same barrier, two centuries earlier.

It was also encountered again in the episode "Is There in Truth No Beauty?" where the Enterprise becomes lost within the barrier and is saved by the incredible navigational skills of an alien passenger.

The barrier had also damaged an alien ship from outside the galaxy, in the episode "By Any Other Name", stranding the aliens in our galaxy until they try to steal the Enterprise and return to their home galaxy.

There is also a second barrier at the core of the Milky Way, which was first revealed in the motion picture Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. Being the only encounter ever shown, the only known reference is the "Great Barrier". This energy barrier at the core was thought to be impenetrable like the one at the edge of the galaxy, however it was revealed that only mankind's natural fear of the unknown was keeping those from entering it.

Although not canon, the series of novels Star Trek The Q Continuum explains the two barriers, stating that they were created by the Continuum to keep one omnipotent being sealed away at the center of the Galaxy, and to keep another, whose powers can rival the Q, locked out of our galaxy forever due to his rampages and destruction of species.

Another non-canon explanation for the Galactic Barrier (not the Great Barrier) can be found in William Shatner's novel Captain's Glory, where Picard mentions the events of the Star Trek The Q Continuum trilogy, but for some reason states that the barrier was built by the proto-humanoids shown in "The Chase" (TNG) 4 billion years ago (not 600,000 as stated in Star Trek The Q Continuum) to protect their "children" (the races they seeded across the galaxy) from a dark matter entity known as the Totality.

Yet another non-canon explanation can be found in the (non-canon) novel Q-Squared in which the Galactic Barrier was revealed to be Q himself, in a time-tossed and temporarily discorporated state.

[edit] External link

Galactic barrier article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki.

Great Barrier article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki.