Enterprise: The First Adventure

Introduction (blurb)
He was the youngest man to captain a starship in Federation history. His crew included an untried first officer - and a maverick ship's surgeon. In the years to come, the voyages of Captain James T. Kirk and the USS Enterprise would become legend.

But before their historic five-year mission began, before the crew meshed into the superb unit that would journey across the galaxy, before the legend took shape, there was the mission that brought them together for the first time.

Here, at last, is that untold story - the first voyage of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy and all the rest of the Enterprise crew - the most eagerly awaited Star Trek adventure of all!

Prologue
James T. Kirk awakens from a nightmare of the Battle of Ghioghe, in which he lost his ship (the USS Lydia Sutherland) and his first officer Gary Mitchell was badly injured. He visits the hospital, where Gary is unconscious but recovering, and runs into Carol Marcus. Meanwhile, Spock goes swimming on his last day of leave, Sulu looks forward to being assigned to the USS Aerfen, and on Arcturus, the Klingon renegade Koronin takes possession of a Bird-of-Prey.

Chapter 1
Spock goes to Christopher Pike's headquarters to congratulate him on his promotion to Commodore and thank him for the opportunity to work with him. On the Enterprise bridge, Uhura returns from the Irish Harp Festival at Mandela City and Scotty hands out cigars to celebrate the birth of his niece Dannan Stuart. While on Spacedock, Kirk runs into an old friend, Agovanli, and the two share a few drinks together. Sulu is dismayed to learn that he has instead been assigned to the Enterprise, but his complaints to Spock prove fruitless.

Chapter 2
At the reception for the change-of-command ceremony, Kirk meets his bridge crew and learns that Spock will be serving as his first officer. Admiral Noguchi turns down his request for Gary Mitchell to be assigned first officer. Kirk takes his mother and brother on a tour of the Enterprise, where they find an equiraptor in the shuttlebay.

Chapter 3
Kirk meets the equiraptor's owner, Amelinda Lukarian. He is surprised and dismayed to learn from Admiral Noguchi that the Enterprise has been assigned for the next three months to transport Amelinda's vaudeville troop to the starbases in the Federation Phalanx in order to boost morale. Kirk tries to argue with the Admiral and speaks rudely to Amelinda. His mother scolds him for his behavior, and his brother tries to reach out to him, but both efforts fail. Later, he apologizes to and makes peace with Lindy.

Chapter 4
Kirk postpones departing from Spacedock until McCoy can board the Enterprise. Several attempts are made to track down his whereabouts, but all of them prove fruitless. McCoy, who had been on a rafting vacation without any communications technology, is transported to the ship in time. That evening, the vaudeville troop dines with the crew in the mess hall, where the food synthesizers are malfunctioning. Kirk is late for dinner, having decided to catch up on his paperwork, and McCoy recommends that he get a yeoman to handle it for him.

Chapter 5
Janice Rand is assigned as Kirk's yeoman. Although proving capable at organizing his paperwork, she lacks self-confidence and feels constantly frightened. McCoy gives a medical exam to Spock and gets into an argument with him on emotionalism. Kirk assigns Rand to help Lindy design an advertising poster for the vaudeville company. He later calls Gary Mitchell (who has regained consciousness), talks with McCoy about Rand, and impresses Spock by using intuition to solve a chess problem.

Chapter 6
Rand shows up on the bridge in a disheveled state. Kirk harshly reprimands her for this, and she runs off in tears. Uhura follows and comforts her, learning of her background as a slave and refugee, and her current situation as a victim of her roommate's bullying. She gets Rand moved into the yeoman's cabin, and later Kirk apologizes to Rand. Lindy contacts a juggler for her act, a Vulcan named Stephen.

Chapter 7
Spock has a barely-repressed emotional reaction on seeing Stephen and leaves for his quarters to mediate. Kirk follows him and and learns that Stephen is considered a deviant on Vulcan for seeking out emotional experiences. Kirk and Lindy meet with Stephen after he docks with the Enterprise. The ship acquires cometary debris from an Oort cloud to cover the shuttlecraft deck with dirt so Athene can run on it. Kirk and Lindy converse, Lindy telling him the history of her vaudeville troop, and Kirk telling her about the Battle of Ghioghe.

Chapter 8
Spock finds Stephen in his quarters and the two exchange harsh words. Kirk goes to the bridge early and meets Pavel Chekov as the Enterprise enters the Phalanx. Later, Kirk has a fencing match with Sulu, rides Athene, and takes Lindy to the arboretum, where she tells him - much to his disappointment - that she thinks she's falling for Stephen.

Main

 * James T. Kirk
 * Spock
 * Leonard H. McCoy
 * Montgomery Scott
 * Hikaru Sulu
 * Pavel Chekov
 * Nyota Uhura
 * Janice Rand

Others

 * Agovanli
 * Marietta Cheung
 * Christine Chapel
 * Cockspur
 * Eng
 * Greg and Maris
 * Hazarstennaj
 * Hunter
 * George Samuel Kirk Jr.
 * Winona Kirk
 * Koronin
 * Amelinda Lukarian (Lindy)
 * John Kyle
 * Marcellin
 * Carol Marcus
 * Jocelyn McCoy
 * Gary Mitchell
 * Kimitake Noguchi
 * Newland Yanagimachi Rift
 * Roswind
 * Stephen
 * Philomena Thetis
 * Tzesnashstennaj

Referenced

 * Phillip Boyce
 * Pavi Chekov
 * Chhay
 * Aurelan Kirk
 * George Samuel Kirk Sr.
 * Peter Kirk
 * Mark Piper
 * Benjamin Rand
 * Sirri Rand
 * Sieren
 * Dannan Stuart

Starships

 * USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) - Constitution-class
 * USS Aerfen
 * Dionysus
 * USS Lydia Sutherland
 * Quundar

Locations

 * Arcturus
 * Arcturus IV
 * Earth
 * Australia
 * Colorado River
 * Grand Canyon
 * Georgia
 * Macon
 * Mandela City
 * Faience
 * Federation Phalanx
 * Ganjitsu
 * Ishikawa
 * Ghioghe
 * Hafjian
 * Saweoure
 * Tau Ceti II

Species

 * Corellian
 * Human
 * Vulcan
 * felinoid

Others
Athene | Equiraptor | Fire in Frost | Ilya | Irish Harp Festival | Lieber exoskeleton | Monash University | Nine Suns | Starbase 13 | Starbase 32 | Starfleet (primate) | Starfleet Teaching Hospital | Vladivostok Genetics Institute | Warp-Speed Classic Vaudeville Company

Information

 * The stardate is derived from the audiobook adaptation of the story, read by William Shatner.