The Motion Picture

Star Trek: The Motion Picture was the first Star Trek movie, released in 1979. As well as the novelization there was a comic adaptation.

Introduction
The Great Bird of the Galaxy writes a Star Trek novel!

The writer-producer who created Mr. Spock and all the other Star Trek characters—who invented the starship USS Enterprise, who gave the show its looks, its ideals—puts it all together again here for his first Star Trek novel!

Their historic 5-year mission is over. Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, all the crew have scattered to other jobs or other lives. Now, they are back together again on a fabulously refitted USS Enterprise as an incredibly destructive power threatens Earth and the human race.

Admiral Kirk's preface
James Tiberius Kirk introduces himself with an explanation of his name, noting that the custom of using a male-surname is rare among most humans, except those serving in Starfleet. Kirk characterizes Starfleet as a conservative, individualistic group where old customs "die hard." This aspect is often criticized as "primitive" by modern critics calling themselves New Humans, who tend to bury their identities into group consciousness. While Kirk acknowledges this may be more evolved, it makes for poor space travelers as shown by Starfleet's early history.

Kirk's Academy class was allegedly composed of those possessing more limited "intellectual agility" than previous classes. The reminiscent admiral finds this ironic considering the larger-than-life public treatment he has received upon the conclusion of his five-year mission. However, such treatment makes him uncomfortable as 94 of his crew died under his command.

The following chronicle is an attempt to accurately relay Kirk's actions and experiences during the Enterprise 's encounter with Vejur.

Author's preface
The author notes his surprise at being chosen by Admiral Kirk to write his story as he was responsible for many of the chronicles criticized by the admiral as inaccurate. The following story has been proofread and corrected by everyone involved.

The author closes by noting that the adventures of the Enterprise reflect the author's personal views about Earth and humanity.

Chapters

 * In the beginning... there was darkness. Then, God said "Let there be light!" ... and the light was good! (from the comic adaptation)

A squadron of Klingon battle cruisers approach a massive cloud of energetic gas in space. The lead ship's captain, Krase, orders a tactical display and preparation to fire photon torpedoes. The weapons do nothing, and the cloud fires back. Krase orders full force fields and evasive maneuvers, but his starship is quickly engulfed by the cloud's energy bolts.

Across the galaxy, on the planet, Spock attends the ceremony of his attainment of kolinahr. Before receiving the symbol of logic, Spock is telepathically distracted by a consciousness from space. He mind melds with T'sai, who finds him too confused to receive the symbol of kolinahr.

In San Francisco, Rear Admiral James T. Kirk arrives at the Starfleet Headquarters air tram station. He meets Commander Sonak there and confirms his recommendation that Sonak be assigned as science officer. He then informs Sonak of the accelerated launch schedule and that he intends to meet him aboard the Enterprise in an hour.

Kirk leaves the orbital office complex in a travel pod piloted by Scotty and docks with the Enterprise. He informs Scotty that he has been given command of the Enterprise, and gets his first glimpse of the newly refit vessel. Meeting Nyota Uhura, Hikaru Sulu and Pavel Chekov on the bridge, he asks for Captain Willard Decker's location so he may inform him of the change.

In engineering, Decker is supervising the final phase of readiness for the new ship. Kirk meets him and informs him that Decker will be his executive officer on the mission. Angered, Decker states that Kirk doesn't know the new ship a fraction as well as he does. Nonplussed, Kirk informs him that the main reason Decker is staying aboard. Their conversation is cut short by an alarm from the transporter room. Sonak and a female crewmember are beaming aboard, but the transporter sensors fail in mid-transport, killing them.

Kirk calls a briefing of all crewmembers on the ship's massive new recreation deck. While he addresses the crew, the ship receives an update from Station Epsilon IX. Commander Branch reports that the cloud is passing close to his space station, when suddenly the cloud seems to react to the station's sensors. The facility is destroyed quickly while the horrified Enterprise crew looks on.

The final crewmembers come onboard, including Lieutenant Ilia, the ship's new Deltan navigator. Ilia is surprised to see an old acquaintance, Will Decker, at a lowered rank as executive officer. Kirk confirms with Ilia that her oath of celibacy is in effect. The final crew replacements come onboard, save the chief medical officer, who is wary of the transporter. Kirk orders him beamed aboard, and informs McCoy that he is needed, as an explanation for the doctor's reserve activation.

The Enterprise clears her drydock, even as top officers worry about the efficacy of the ship's new, untested warp drive.


 * Captain's log, stardate 7412.6 : In order to intercept the intruder at the earliest possible time, we must now risk engaging warp drive while still within the solar system.

The Enterprise sets out to attain warp speed, but is quickly caught up in the wormhole effect, caused by a drive imbalance. The vortex in space drags the Enterprise into it, along with a giant asteroid, which threatens to collide with the ship. Kirk quickly orders phasers to be targeted on the asteroid, but Decker countermands the order, and has Chekov prepare a photon torpedo instead. After a tense moment, the torpedo fires and destroys the asteroid, just as the wormhole effect diminishes and releases its hold on the ship.

Furious, Kirk demands to know why Decker countermanded his order. Decker states that, with the warp engines in an imbalance failure, there would be no phaser functions, as the two systems were interconnected power sources. Kirk, unaware of this modification, grudgingly apologizes for the mistake and asks Decker to help him through the design difficulties. Ilia and Decker confer briefly about their separation and hardships of reacquaintance in the crisis situation.

The Enterprise receives a signal from the Shuttlecraft, which separates from a warp sled to deliver a passenger. Spock has arrived to help!

Characters

 * James T. Kirk • Spock • Leonard McCoy • Montgomery Scott • Hikaru Sulu • Pavel Chekov • Nyota Uhura • Janice Rand • Christine Chapel • Krase • Heihachiro Nogura • Willard Decker • Ilia • T'sai • Sonak • Gerry Auberson • Vaylin Zaand • Cleary • Mosi Nizhoni • Teresa Ross • Joaquin Perez • Marcella DiFalco • Lori Ciana • Branch • Shantherin th'Clane • R'trikahi • Hrrii'ush Uuvu'it • Chezrava • unnamed Klingons • unnamed Vulcans • unnamed USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) personnel • unnamed Starfleet personnel

Sarek • Amanda Grayson • James • George Samuel Kirk Sr. • James Kirk • Samuel Kirk • Winona Kirk • Tiberius • Xon

Starships and vehicles

 * air tram • travel pod • Shuttlecraft ( shuttlecraft) • USS Entente (NCC-2120) ( dreadnought) • Enterprise (OV-101) • Enterprise (XCV-330) • V'Ger • workbee


 * heavy cruiser : USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) ( refit) • USS Merrimac (NCC-1715)


 * battle cruiser : • unnamed K't'inga-class starships


 * scout : USS Columbia (NCC-621) • USS Revere (NCC-595)

Shipboard locations

 * USS Enterprise : bridge • turbolift • engineering • recreation deck • transporter room • airlock

Stations and outposts

 * Epsilon IX • San Francisco Fleet Yards Orbital Drydock • Earth Orbital Office Complex

Planetary locations

 * Earth : San Francisco (Starfleet Headquarters • San Francisco Fleet Yards • Alcatraz Children's Park • Starfleet Academy • Telegraph Hill) • Gibraltar (Gibraltar Rock) • Egypt-Israeli Museum • Library of Alexandria • Los Angeles • Mediterranean Sea


 * Vulcan : Gol (Plains of Gol)

Planets and planetoids

 * Earth •

Aaamazzara

Stars and systems

 * Sol system • Vulcan system

Betelgeuse • Rigel system

Stellar locations

 * the galaxy • Klingon Neutral Zone • Epsilon sector

Races and cultures

 * Human • Vulcan • Deltan • Arcturian • Rhaandarite • Andorian • Saurian • Zaranite • Betelgeusian • Chelon • Rigelian • Therbian

States and organizations

 * Federation • Starfleet • Klingon Empire • Klingon Defense Force • Mediterranean Alliance • NASA • Starfleet Operations

Technology and weapons

 * probe (Voyager 6) • transporter • starship • biobed • viewscreen • helm • command chair • photon torpedo • drydock • maneuvering thruster • impulse engine • warp drive • warp sled • deflector shields • phaser • force field • senceiver • sensor drone

Ranks and titles

 * admiral • captain • commander • commanding officer • executive officer • flag officer • helmsman • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • navigator • science officer • chief engineer • ensign • communications officer • security chief • tactical officer • chief petty officer • transporter chief • lieutenant junior grade • chief medical officer • Chief of Starfleet Operations • engineer • Vulcan master

Other references

 * space • planet • energy • gas • matter • uniform • insignia • rank • title • The Bible • kolinahr • emotion • logic • mind meld • telepathy • rank insignia • priority signal • Starfleet uniform • oath of celibacy • captain's log • log entry • asteroid • humanoid • wormhole • tactical display • evasive maneuver • weapon • star • system • stardate • Mind Control Revolt • missing in action • refit • surname • t'hy'la • Vulcan language

Novelization

 * The novel establishes that Gene Roddenberry (perhaps sometime after "The Man Who Sold the Sky") was asked by Kirk to put the V'Ger Incident in literary form.
 * A limited edition, slip-cased hardcover edition was available in the USA.
 * The Futura mass market paperback editions, published in the UK and Australia, contained numerous, captioned, colour plates of publicity stills from the movie. The text was slightly revised with additional material, in these editions, to better explain how Vice Admiral Lori Ciana came to be transporting aboard during the accident which killed both her and Commander Sonak.
 * The first French language translation incorrectly attributed this book to Alan Dean Foster.

Comic adaptation

 * The comic adaptation of the film was released as the fifteenth issue of Marvel Super Special magazine, from Marvel Comics.
 * The comic adaptation was reissued as three issues of Marvel's new monthly Star Trek series—.
 * The comic adaptation was then released as a pocket-sized trade paperback. The reprint rights have been inactive for many years, but were recently exercised by IDW Publishing for a collection of all Star Trek: TOS film comic adaptations.
 * Because of changing standards in the comic industry, as well as a move to high-profile American company Marvel, this was the first Star Trek comic to feature complete credits for writer, penciller, inker, colorist, letterer and editor. Previous Gold Key Comics were created as collaborations between overseas artists studios (with multiple artists contributing) and American editors. These earlier comics did not feature extensive credits, usually only citing artist and writer, if any at all.
 * The comic presents a fairly straightforward adaptation of the film, with many panels based on stills taken during the production of the film. The story and narrative are cut in places to account for the smaller pagespace of a comic book.
 * As the scenes are based on actual film images, many of the characters are close matches to the film's appearance, down to the Andorian, Saurian and Zaranite officers seen in the recreation deck scene.

Related Stories

 * Night Whispers short story by Diane Duane in Enterprise Logs
 * The Lost Years saga
 * Ex Machina by Christopher L. Bennett