User:Captainmike/Admiral Archer's beagle

The possibilities of what was referred to. The simplest explanation in the drama of the reference was that it was Archer and Porthos, but that is the most complicated explanation in the technicality of the reference. Likewise, the simplest technical explanation is the last satisfying dramatically, that another Archer and another beagle are referenced. There are some compromises possible in between.

Admiral Archer's beagle
Montgomery Scott received negative attention for attempting to prove a theory in a spectacular manner, dematerializing Admiral Archer's prize beagle, which never returned, although Scott maintains that it still might.

This would have to take place in the 2250s. Scotty himself thinks a subsequent assignment to planet Delta Vega was a punitive measure taken to punish him for the action, and had been trapped at the outpost for some time in 2258.

Adm. Jonathan Archer witnessed the dematerialization of the beagle Porthos
Admiral Jonathan Archer was born in the first couple decades of the 22nd century, around 2219. His most notable beagle was Porthos, who was only a few years old circa the beginning of the 2150s.

Since Archer would have been over 130 years old, and Porthos at over 100 years at the time of the 2250s, some extraordinary measures would have to have been taken for them to both have survived. Archer's history is a blank after 2192 when his term as President ended, but he would have been a known figure until at least 2233 when the timelines veer off of another. The final clue about Archer's life was that he died at an old age in 2245 in the unaltered timeline. In the new timeline, nothing would be different until 2233, at which point it is possible Archer entered stasis or suspended animation, extending his life, or it is simply possible that he lived longer for some reason and made it to a near record-breaking age. It is also possible that Archer spent time in suspended animation sometime between his last known whereabouts in 2192 and his 2245 death in both timelines, and also possible that the time spent was longer in the new timeline.

Porthos would be expected to die of natural causes in the 2160s or 2170s. Since Porthos's history leaves off after the founding of the Federation, he could have been, and would have to have been, in suspended animation for almost a century to just be alive when Scotty demterializes him.

Adm. Jonathan Archer witnessed the dematerialization of another beagle
Archer, remaining alive either due to stasis or simple longevity, could have expectedly lost Porthos earlier.

If Archer was inclined to continue being a beagle owner, he would have another dog. The later beagle could have been obtained by simply adopting another puppy, or several, over the years until the event with the transporter. It is also possible that Archer bred Porthos and that any later beagle would have been a Porthos descendant of some sort, or a clone.

Adm. Jonathan Archer did not witness dematerialization
This could all have happened after Archer had passed. Archer would pass away as expected, before the 2250s.

His dog would survive the Admiral, whether it be a revived/rejuvenated Porthos, or simply another of Archer's later beagles. The dog would then be dematerialized by Scotty after the Admiral's passing, but would still have been the Admiral's dog.

Another Adm. Archer's dog was dematerialized
Jonathan Archer passes as expected. Another Admiral Archer could be a descendant who shares a forefather's love for raising beagles. This later admiral Archer loses his (or her?) dog to Scotty's dematerialization.