Star Trek: TNG originally had a science officer nicknamed Con

When Star Trek: The Next Generation was still in the process of getting underway, producers had outlined several characters that would be aboard the Enterprise. Characters like William T. English (who later became Jean-Luc Picard) and Walter T. Raleigh (who later became William T. Riker), Geordi LaForge, and Data were included in the original descriptions, and only some of their names changed. But there were several characters that did not get included in the series even after they were thoroughly described and named. One of those was Con, whose real name was D.T. Fontana, according to documents from Gene Roddenberry dated October 1986 and made available by The Trek Files.

Con was described as having an adversarial relationship with the captain, but she had great affection for him. This would have been a possible romantic attraction, but a relationship would have been inappropriate. According to the description, Con was essentially the Captain’s right-hand, offering explanations and putting every situation under a microscope.

The Captain would have often turned to her for advice and input, and she would have had no problems speaking her mind as the outline describes her as “having a very strong temper.” In the description, Con didn’t have any problems asking the Captain to step into his Ready Room so she could chew him out if his actions put himself in danger. In essence, she would have been a beloved adversary for the Captain.

Why this character was jettisoned, we’ll never know, but I, for one, think Con would have been an excellent character. Having a female science officer who was smart, capable, and confrontational on the bridge would have been a true asset. Unfortunately, not only the character was ousted but the position as well as the Enterprise under Captain Picard’s command didn’t have a specific science officer, although Data was more than capable of providing any information needed. Perhaps that was why Con never made it to the screen.