How did Khan survive?

[Captain Picard's Hair]

After the once-habitable Ceti Alpha VI was quantum'd out of it's orbit and became hell, how did Khan and his group of followers survive?

[Teaos]

Eating bugs and dust I presume, probably lived like the Freemans do in Dune. Which while possible wouldnt leave them in fantastic shape after all those years.

[kostmayer]

Another question - presumably those earwigs from hell were already on Ceti Alpha V. Would Khan and his followers still have suffered as many losses if Ceti Alpha VI hadn't Alderaaned?

[Teaos]

Probably not, those bugs might have only lived in deserts, thus Khan wouldnt have come across them usually, they only spread once the world went to hell.

[Mark]

I think it was a matter of time. Ceti Alpha V looked completely ruined to me. If USS Reliant hadn't come along and allowed them to be rescued, I think it just a matter of time before they all died. They most likey had a horde of supplies, and their enhanced abilites let them find food where nobody else could find any, but still, looked like they wouldn't have lasted much longer.

[Teaos]

How long do you think it would take for the planet to go to hell once it was shifted.

[Mark]

I would guess some of the effects would have instantly happened, like tidal shifts and the like. The ecosystem probably started failing after a few years due to the screwed up seasons and climates. Water likely went around the same time, as weather patterns we all disprupted. I'd figure the atmosphere would EVENTUALLY go, but no idea how long that would take.

[kostmayer]

I'd have thought it would go to hell pretty damn quick, then settled down - as opposed to getting gradually worse.

I doubt they'd have had more then a few months worth of supplies, they were supposed to be living off the planet.

Despite Khans statement, could the planet have been habitable with only one surviving life form?

And while we're asking questions How did they take over the Reliant with only Chekov and Terrell? Did they all beam up at once and fight for control (not impossible given they're enhanced abilities), or was subterfuge used?

And would Spock have raised the shields?

[Teaos]

Well the Reliant was staffed with scientists, I doubt it would have been to hard to take over.

But I'm sure some other life forms survived on the planet, we have life in our deserts.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

I remember the Augments kicking the hell out of that Klingon crew in ENT. Wouldn't be too hard with the element of surprise, methinks.

[kostmayer]

Yeah, I'm gonna put that down to a gaff on Khans part - either that or he was talking about intelligent life, and not counting plantlife or insects.

Wonder how the crew of the Reliant survived - I doubt they'd all fit into those two cargo containers

[Mark]

Depends on how many survived the take over, I'd say. And if Kahn was noble enough to leave them some of Reliants supplies (which I doubt)

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Kahn said he abandoned them... but never said what their fate was. Heck for all we know, they didn't survive.

[Mark]

Terell said they were marooned on Ceti Alpha V. And at the end of ST II they were going to pick them up, IIRC.

[kostmayer]

Which begs the question, why did Khan bother sparing their lives, rather beaming them into space, or round them up into a shuttle bay and opening the doors?

I'm guessing whatever method they used to take over the ship needed the willing participation of Tyrell and Chekov, and compromised by earwigs or not, they'd be unwilling to knowingly participate in the death of the Reliants crew. Tyrell was unwilling to kill Kirk, I doubt he'd help to kill his whole crew.