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2024-03-25
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2024-03-25
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How Long Was He Missing: An analysis of the Chronology of Events in Star Trek Prodigy

Summary:

I believe the AO3 rules allow for meta-analysis so I'll post this here for future reference.
I was struggling to figure out how much time was passing between episodes, So I did an analysis of the Stardates using the calculator that made the most sense based on a comparison of 3 different star date calculators ( The Hill Schmidt Calculator produced dates that aligned with the context in-universe more often than the other two I tried this on.)

One Chapter Per Season. DO NOT READ CHAPTER TWO IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN SEASON 2

Notes:

Prodigy has a few log inconsistencies with the Schmidt Hill calculator and a few with other stardates in the series, but nowhere near as egregious as other Trek series (Kudos to the creators for the attention to detail). I've marked any inconsistencies with the calculator's dates and marked where a stardate is one that I've guessed.

I will italicize dates or stardates created in the calculator and bold information from the canon.

Chapter 1: Season One Chronology

Chapter Text

Protostar Launch Date / Chakotay MIA date (Minor season 2 spoilers, but relevant to this season, hence including it here)

Click to View the Launch Date and MIA date
  • As Seen on Protostar's Ship Placard: Launched Star Date 59749.1 (October 12, 2382)
  • From his service record: Chakotay declared MIA in 2383 - given this general timeframe, he is potentially MIA anywhere from a month to a year before Dauntless picks up the Protostar's trail in A Moral Star

Season One Chronology

⚠️Dates and star dates from the first half of Season One are all guessed based on episode context and extrapolated from the star dates given in Admiral Janeway's logs from the second half of the season. This chronology is the shortest reasonably possible timeframe that the first ten episodes' events could have taken place. The real timeline could be longer - the big unknowns are:

  • How long their mis-adventure in First Con-Tact lasts (I guessed a few days based on what we saw on screen but it could have been a longer trip.
  • How much time is passing between Kobayashi Maru and First Con-tact (again I guessed a short timeframe, presuming that they wouldn't be alone in the Gamma quadrant long before running into someone, but there's no reason it has to just be a few days.
  • How much time is passing between Leaving Nandi in First Con-tact and Nandi's call to Diviner in Time Amok. (We see Nandi get on the call with Diviner at the end of First Con-Tact but there could have been a longer time jump separating it from the scenes before.
  • How much time the kids spend with the liberated people on the Rev 12 before leaving.
  1. Star Date 61062 (January 23, 2384) - Adventure begins - Lost and Found Part 1 begins.
    Lost and Found Part One and Two and Starstruck all happen continuous from one another. Dal and the crew spent a day and a half or so outfiting the Protostar and escaping. Then immediately warp to the location of the dying star for their first adventure. Presumably they have time to sleep before arriving at the star. So about 3 days (if that) pass during this timeframe.
  2. Star Date 61081.2 (January 30, 2384) - On board for 7 days - Dream Catcher begins.
    I am guessing that a week passed between this and the first three episodes because of the training Hologram Janeway provides to the kids (a crash course in running a starship) And also guessing that she would not allow too much time to pass before engaging them in the test mission.
  3. Star Date 61084.4 (January 31, 2384) - On board for 8 days -Terra Firma ends / Dauntless registers the first protowarp signature when Protostar escapes the Diviner / Kobayashi Maru begins.
    The kids spend an overnight on Murder Planet hence I'm guessing two days pass for this adventure, based on this context clue. Kobayashi Maru seems to be continuous from when Terra Firma ends. 
  4. Star Date 61092.1 (February 3, 2384) - On board for 11 days - First Con-tact begins.
    This is a total guess and the weakest part of the chronology this season. But based on context not a terribly long time passes from the first Proto-warp to when we meet Nandi (HJ is still fixated on that corrupted May-day message and the kids have only just discovered what the transporter is... so clearly haven't been onboard for that long. I'm going to guess that their mis-adventure with Nandi lasts at least three days.
  5. Star Date 61097.6 (February 5, 2384) - On board for 13 days - First Con-Tact ends / Time Amok begins / Time Amok ends / A Moral Star begins.
    ⚠️Time Amok has a Training Officer's Log dated Star Date 607125.6 (2930!) given that her matrix, like the rest of the ship, is beginning to be affected by the tachyon storm, I am going to chalk this error up to a clever bit of foreshadowing.
    Time     Amok     starts shortly the end of First Con-tact. Hologram Janeway notes that the crew have been upset since the failed mission. I'm guessing the two day timeframe here, on account of I don't think she (or the living construct) would let them all sulk aimlessly without a heading for very long.
  6. Star Date 61100.3 (February 6, 2384) - On board 14 days - Dauntless registers the second proto-warp signature.
    Diviner gives them a day to return to the Rev 12 and it looks like they stay up late to pull it off.
  7. Training Officer's Log, Star Date 61103.1 (February 7, 2384) - On board 15 days - A Moral Star ends / Dauntless registers the third proto-warp signature.
  8. Captain's Log, Star Date 61209.5 (March 17, 2384) - On board 54 days - Asylum begins.
  9. Admiral's Log, Star Date 61224.9 (March 23, 2384) - On board 60 days - Dauntless arrives at Tars Lamora and discovers the Diviner.
  10. Admiral's Log, Star Date 61293.1 (April 17, 2384)  - On board 85 days - Diviner Wakes Up.
  11. Captain's Log, Star Date 61296.9 (April 18, 2384) - On board 86 days - All the World's Stage begins.
  12. Admiral's Log, Star Date 61301.1 (April 20, 2384) - On board 88 days - Dauntless has located Barnus Frex and is enroute to his location.
  13. Admirals Log, Star Date 61326.1 (April 29, 2384) - On board 97 days -  Crossroads begins / Crossroads ends with Protostar's escape into the Neutral Zone.
  14. Admiral's Log, Star Date 61368.6 (May 14, 2384) - On board 112 days - Masquerade begins / Masquerade ends / Protostar has spent 15 days in the Neutral Zone.
  15. Admiral's Log, Star Date 61396.4 (May 25, 2384) - On board 123 days - Preludes begins / Preludes ends /  Protostar has spent 26 days in the Neutral Zone.
  16. Admiral's Log, Star Date 61401.5 (May 26, 2384) - On board 124 days - Ghost in the Machine begins / Ghost in the Machine ends / Mindwalk begins
    Total time getting repairs in the Neutral Zone: 27 days.
  17. Admiral's Log, Star Date 61403.7 (May 27, 2384) - On board 125 days - Mindwalk ends / Supernova battle occurs
  18. Star Date 61488.3 (June 27, 2384) - One month after Supernova, Dal, Gwyn, Rok, Zero, Jankom and Murf arrive in San Francisco
    ⚠️ The Admiral's Log for Supernova Part 2 quotes the star date 61408.8 as the day the kids are made warrant officers. But that is May 29 and only 2 days after the battle. Given that the episode has a "1 month later" message on the day they arrive at Starfleet, I've inferred that whichever team made the Admiral's logs must have made an error putting it so close to the previous log. The log states that the kids have been in San Francisco for a week when they are made warrant officers. I used this in my own estimate below.
  19. Star Date 61507.4 (July 4, 2384) - One week in San Francisco Kids should be made Warrant Officers / Gwyn departs for Solum / Supernova Part 2 Ends