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For other uses, see Caretaker.

The Caretaker's array, also known as Caretaker Array[2] was a centuries-old Nacene space station, an array operated by the Caretaker for 500 Ocampan generations until the 2370s decade. This array was located in the vicinity of Ocampa V in the Ocampa star system in the galaxy's Delta Quadrant. (VOY episode & novelization: Caretaker)

Service history and disposition

The Nacene arrived from extragalactic space. Due to a mistake, they changed Ocampa V's atmosphere from producing water. While the other Nacene explorers moved on, the Caretaker and Suspiria remained. The Caretaker used his array to send power to the subterranean Ocampa city via pulses for 500 generations. By the 2370s, the Caretaker was alone and dying of old age. He brought starships from across the galaxy. The last vessels were the Maquis raider Val Jean and the Federation starship USS Voyager from the Badlands in the Alpha Quadrant. On stardate 48317, the Caretaker died before the Alpha Quadrant ships could returned.

To prevent the Kazon from seizing control of the array's technology, Captain Kathryn Janeway ordered Voyager to destroy the array. The Val Jean was destroyed in battle with the Kazon-Ogla. The surviving crew of the Val Jean and Voyager set course for the Alpha Quadrant on the latter ship. (VOY episode & novelization: Caretaker)

Before the station detonated, a component was seized by aliens and later became incorporated into Tash's graviton catapult. (VOY episode: "The Voyager Conspiracy")

Suspiria created her own array elsewhere in the Delta Quadrant. (VOY episode: "Cold Fire")

Alternate timelines

The array sends home.

The array sends Voyager home.

In countless alternate timelines, the Caretaker's array pulled versions of Voyager to the Delta Quadrant. (VOY - Myriad Universes - Infinity's Prism novella: Places of Exile)

In one permutation of the mirror universe, the array transported the Talaxian trader Baxial to the Badlands. (VOY - Mirror Universe novel: The Mirror-Scaled Serpent)

In an alternate timeline beset by the Q Continuum's temporal anomaly crisis, the Caretaker's array was transported into the orbit of Omicron Theta around the year 2380. (ST video game: Timelines)

In realities where USS Voyager's journey differed from the primary universe, Captain Kathryn Janeway ordered Lieutenant Tuvok to use the array to return Voyager home. Maquis Commander Chakotay protested the decision. In some permutations, the effort failed. In others, the array lit up brightly and returned Voyager to Earth in the Alpha Quadrant. (VOY video game: Across the Unknown)

Location

Caretaker Array location in .

Caretaker Array location in 2371.

The Caretaker Array was located 70.000 lightyears from the Badlands in the Alpha Quadrant. It resided inside the Ocampa system, situated in the space between the territories claimed by the Haakonian Order and the Kazon-Ogla. Less than 40 lightyears away, the nearest other known system was Oblissa. (ST reference: Star Charts)

Personnel

Relocated vessels

In search for a mate, the Caretaker whisked starships from across the galaxy to its location. According to Neelix, this had occurred around 50 times by 2371. (VOY episode & novelization: Caretaker)

In one timeline, Lieutenant Commander Harry Kim referred to them as the Caretaker Club. (VOY - Myriad Universes - Infinity's Prism novella: Places of Exile)

Appendices

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 VOY episode & novelization: Caretaker.
  2. ↑ ST reference: Star Charts.
  3. ↑ VOY episode: "Dreadnought".
  4. ↑ VOY episode & novelization: Equinox.
  5. ↑ VOY episode: "The Voyager Conspiracy".
  6. ↑ VOY - Myriad Universes - Infinity's Prism novella: Places of Exile.

External link