I don’t believe the Romulans understood the ramifications of giving cloaking technology away, and I wouldn’t judge them too harshly for it.
That’s my answer to the last question of the day, and here’s the question as it came in. In Star Trek lore, the Romulans gave cloaking technology to the Klingons in exchange for the D7 class design. Why would the Romulans give away such a powerful technological advantage for just a few ships?
Sheer Impulse, and No Warp
Remember, Romulan power at the time was sheer impulse. That was literally their whole thing. I want to do this, I want to do that, I want to conquer, and they moved. Not to mention they didn’t have the ability to go much faster. They didn’t have warp capability.
So all of a sudden you’re introduced to another species, and it turns out to be Klingons. They seem to be down for it. All right, you guys are equally idealistic, though we don’t necessarily know if we trust you or not. But we do see you have an impressive piece of technology, one that would all of a sudden open up the stars. Which, by the way, according to Romulan history, were closed to them.
The Hundred Years Vulcan Had on Them
Remember, Vulcans at some point evolved to become Romulans, and they eventually broke off. The ones that wanted to become logical became the Vulcans we know, live long and prosper. The Vulcans that didn’t want to stay and be logical became Romulans, and they got on a ship and took off.
Chances are, when they took off, they were going at some form of sublight and traveling for hundreds of years until eventually they arrived where they were. Meaning the Vulcans got about a hundred years or so of a jump on them, in terms of their history and their evolution.
So now you have this group who has traveled through space, maybe encountered one or two species, and eventually, well after they’ve established themselves in a home place, they’re looking to expand. They don’t know anywhere to go but space, and they don’t have the ability to actually travel in space the way they used to. There’s only so aggressive you can be as a species doing nothing but putzing around the universe at sublight speed.
Hide and Seek Technology, Here You Go
They would need not only the technology, they’d also need the ship that lends itself to travel. So what do you care about?
They weren’t part of the bigger tapestry, which is why I don’t believe the ramifications were understood. But at the same time, they’re sitting there and they need to go. They’re like, clearly there’s a universe out there we have to be a part of. How about this. Okay, hide and seek technology, here you go. Give us the ability to actually explore.
That’s all that mattered. The ability to conquer, the ability to go out. That’s what happened.
When you think realistically about the scenario, you kind of go, okay, I get it. I mean, I totally get it. It’s something to keep in mind for how all of them move forward and progress.
If you’re a Romulan historian of any kind, I’d love to hear your opinions on the entire scenario. Was it a good deal or was it not, and should they have bargained a little more? The conversation lives in the comments on the video above.
