Through the Black Curtain: The Ka’thara, Voyager, and the Borg
About this audiobook
Through the Black Curtain is a speculative extrapolation that expands on the mysterious “Void aliens” encountered in Star Trek: Voyager and reconstructs them as the Ka’thara—a civilization forged in scarcity, silence, and extremes. Drawing from astrophysics, evolutionary biology, cultural anthropology, and strategic theory, the book develops a comprehensive model of Ka’tharan life, from planetary ecology to interstellar doctrine.
The analysis begins with the Ka’thara’s tidally locked homeworld, exploring the distinct adaptations of day-side, twilight, and night-side populations and how these divergences coalesced into a unified Type II civilization. It then examines the technological, cultural, and philosophical systems that sustain their expansion through the Delta Quadrant Void—an environment nearly devoid of stars and resources.
The Borg serve as a pivotal inflection point: first perceived as distant echoes, later reframed as a philosophical antithesis and catalyst for Ka’tharan evolution. This awareness drove the construction of dual fleets, resonance-based weaponry, and cloaking technologies designed not to conquer but to conceal, redirect, and endure.
Interwoven with the technical framework are narrative reconstructions: Voyager’s fateful passage through the Void, the Malon’s reckless incursions, and Ka’tharan responses ranging from silent observation to active repurposing of intruders. These case studies highlight not only the plausibility of Ka’tharan systems but also the tension between openness, assimilation, and concealment across civilizations.
Ultimately, Through the Black Curtain positions the Ka’thara not as incidental antagonists but as a mirror civilization, reflecting questions of survival, resilience, and philosophy in the face of existential threat. Where the Federation seeks cooperation and the Borg seek assimilation, the Ka’thara embody a third path: survival through silence, concealment, and the purposeful conservation of matter in a universe defined by abundance elsewhere but scarcity in the Void.
About the author
Euftis Emery is an author and speculative worldbuilder whose work blends rigorous science with imaginative storytelling. Drawing on a lifelong passion for Star Trek and classic science fiction, Emery creates thought experiments that expand on canonical gaps with astrophysics, evolutionary biology, cultural anthropology, and strategic theory. His speculative extrapolations reimagine how alien civilizations might evolve under extreme conditions of scarcity, silence, and survival.
In addition to Through the Black Curtain: The Ka’thara, Voyager, and the Borg, Emery has authored works across multiple genres—from urban fiction and memoir to Afrofuturist explorations of cosmic civilizations. His diverse catalog includes Off the Chain, Grass, Ass, or Cash…No One Rides for Free!, and Fluidic Space – Speculative Composition.
When not writing, Emery revisits the Star Trek series that shaped his imagination—The Original Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise—while pushing beyond them to imagine the stories and species left untold. He invites readers and listeners alike to step into the silence between the stars and explore what it means to endure, adapt, and dream.
