Zabel and Straczynski began discussing the concept while collaborating on a network pitch for a limited series called Cult. "We started talking about the state of the Trek universe," recalled Zabel. "Before we could stop ourselves, we banged out a fourteen-page treatment [....] I seem to recall having lunch at Art's Deli and our conversation veering off into the Trek situation. The take we came up with included using the original characters, but not as young officers at Starfleet Academy. We wanted to do what they would do in the world of comics: create a separate universe for all the past TV and film Trek continuity in order to free ourselves creatively so we could embrace the good stuff, banish the bad, and try some new things. In our reboot we wanted to start over, use Kirk, Spock, and