One aspect of the “Test that assumption at your convenience” incident that remained secret for decades was that they salvaged the Shang raider’s primary fabricator in nearly operational condition. While far outside the technical capabilities of the New England Federation to replicate, studying that fabricator jumpstarted Federation fabrication technology through centuries of progress in a decade. The fruits of that study went towards making the Fleet 2300 Project the revolutionary technological and strategic leap forward that it was. The new ships could fly farther, faster, and throw more missiles and energy at the enemy than any previous generation. And it was those ships that anchored our fleets when the Shang attacked us in earnest. We would have lost without them. That technology saved us from becoming a zoo exhibit for Aliens to wave at as they flew past a defeated Earth.