Watching the Clock

DTI: Watching the Clock is a Star Trek novel by Christopher L. Bennett, published by Pocket Books in 2011. The novel features the Department of Temporal Investigations.

Description

 * There's likely no more of a thankless job in the Federation than temporal investigation. While starship explorers get to live the human adventure of traveling to other times and realities, it's up to the dedicated agents of the Federation Department of Temporal Investigations to deal with the consequences to the timestream that the rest of the Galaxy has to live with day by day. But when history as we know it could be wiped out at any moment by time warriors from the future, misused relics of ancient races, or accident-prone starships, only the most disciplined, obsessive, and unimaginative government employees have what it takes to face the existential uncertainty of it all on a daily basis . . . and still stay sane enough to complete their assignments.


 * That's where Agents Lucsly and Dulmur come in—stalwart and unflappable, these men are the Federation's unsung anchors in a chaotic universe. Together with their colleagues in the DTI—and with the help and sometimes hindrance of Starfleet's finest—they do what they can to keep the timestream, or at least the paperwork, as neat and orderly as they are. But when a series of escalating temporal incursions threatens to open a new front of the history-spanning Temporal Cold War in the twenty-fourth century, Agents Lucsly and Dulmur will need all their investigative skill and unbending determination to stop those who wish to rewrite the past for their own advantage, and to keep the present and the future from devolving into the kind of chaos they really, really hate.

Summary
At the San Francisco branch of the Department of Temporal Investigations, Special Agent George Faunt suffers a breakdwon, and holds researcher Rani Mohindra hostage, a situation resolved by Special Agents Marion Dulmur and Gariff Lucsly.
 * Stardate 58188.4 - 58193.8
 * I

The USS Everett (NCC-72392) arrives in the Regulus System to rendez vous with the Verity, a civilian transport ship that had arrived in the present, having unwillingly travelled fifteen years into it's future. During their inestigation, Dulmur and Lucsly discover that upon discovering the devastation of the previous Borg attack, the crew and passengers decided to travel back to their original time, in an effort to warn the Federation of the attack. Teresa Garcia is beaten by the others in an attempt to sabotage the return journey, being the only one onboard who voted against it. Adding to damage the Verity had already sustained during it's intial time-travel, Garcia was succesful, and the ship and those on board remain in their future.

II
 * Stardate 41697.9 - 41906.7

III
 * Stardate 58281.1 - 58365.9

IV
 * Stardate 42692.8 - 42704.5

V
 * Stardate 58699.8 - 58738.9

VI

VII
 * Stardate 43731.5 - 43738.6

VIII
 * Stardate 58746.7 - 58806.9

IX

X
 * Stardate 45703.8 - 46008.2

XI
 * Stardate 58923.8 - 59046.6

XII

XIII
 * Stardate 49572.0 - 50912.6

XIV

XV
 * Stardate 59061.4 - 59087.2

XVI
 * Stardate 55049.0 - 55089.5

XVII
 * Stardate 59087.2 - 59155.0

XVIII

XIX

XX

XXI

XXII

XXIII

XXIV

Undisclosed Date

Characters

 * Ajur • Claudia Alisov • Laarin Andos • Nanietta Bacco • Rif jav Balkar • Sagar bav Balkar • Morgan Bateson • Lloyd Boen • I'stel Borah • Boratus • Borvala • Damyz • Daniels • Falvin Dor • Juel Ducane • Marion Dulmur • Megumi Dulmer • Dina Elfiki • George Faunt • Felbog Bu-Tsop-Vee • Emro Ganazeel • Teresa Garcia • Daisen Hamor • Hariin • Dennis Harmon • Jamran Harnoth • Kathryn Janeway • Mara Kadray • Vorlis Klega • Korath • Ellec Krotine • Lirahn • Gariff Lucsly • Alan Manheim • Erika Manheim • Paul Manheim • M'grash • Yvette Michael • Rani Mohindra • Naadri • Jena Noi • Oydia • Melora Pazlar • Heather Petersen • Jean-Luc Picard • Ian Purvis • Meyo Ranjea • Ranz • Clare Raymond • Louise Cara Raymond • Revad • William T. Riker • Sanioth • Shelan • Shelithan ch'Riin • Shiiem • Vennor Sikran • Sonaj • Wataru Takizawa • Temarel • Teyak • T'Manis • T'Viss • Deanna Troi • Vard • Vikei • Parvana Whitcomb • Stijen Yol

Akorem Laan • Jonathan Archer • Issac Asimov • Sonny Clemonds • Kal Dano • Arne Darvin • Skrain Dukat • Samuel Estragon • Endora • Peya Fell • Sigmund Freud • Vasily Hunyadi • James T. Kirk • Kira Nerys • Miliani Langford • Lee Majors • Nog • Miles O'Brien • Odo • Ralph Offenhouse • Piccolo • Quark • Berlinghoff Rasmussen • Darrell Raymond • Donald Raymond • Eddie Raymond • Jonathan Raymond • Mary Raymond • Thomas Raymond • sh'Lesinas • Khan Noonien Singh • Rom • Benjamin Sisko • Gillian Taylor • V'Ger • H. G. Wells • Jamshid Whitcomb • Christopher Wren

Locations

 * Anchar sector • Axis Hub Station • Axis of Time • Bezorek Station • Black Star • Canary Wharf • Ealing • Earth • Endicor system • Epsilon Ceti • Eridian Vault • Eris • Great Britain • Greenwich • Indira City • Kaferia • Kemrel Municipality • London • Motilal City • Nehru Colony • Paris • Pyrellia • Regulus sector • Rellon Station • Rellon Ta • Risa • River Thames • Royal Observatory • Sagittarius Reach • San Francisco • Selakar-Era Axis Outpost • Siraven Resort • Tandar Prime • Tandar sector • Tau Ceti III • Vandor IV • Warlock Station • Yeshel Outpost

Aldebaran • Bajoran wormhole • Benecia • Cambra system • Camus II • Centauri VII • Coridan • Deep Space 4 • Deep Space 9 • Delphic Expanse • Dysnomia • Gaia • Golana • Gum Nebula • Hugora Nebula • Jalbador • Kalandra sector • Norkan • Orisha • Regulus III • Regulus VI • Rhaandarel • Sector 006 • Tiananmen Square • Typhon Expanse • Vega • Vulcan• Wolf 359

Starships and vehicles

 * USS Asimov (Nova class) • USS Bozeman  • ' (runabout) • USS Capitoline  • ' (shuttlecraft) • USS Everett (NCC-72392)  • USS Titan  • Verity (transport) • USS Voyager

USS Aquaria • Cyrus • USS Defiant (NX-74205) (I) • Quark's Treasure

Races and cultures

 * Aurelian • Andorian • Benzite • Betazoid • Betelgeusian • Bolian • Boslic • Caitian • Caratu • Cardassian • Chelon • Chenar • Choblik • Cygnian • Deltan • Denevan • Denobulan • Elaysian • Farian • Ferengi • Human • Ithenite • Klingon • Kreetassan • Na'kuhl • Romulan • Orion • Pa'haquel • Pahkwa-thanh • Paraagan • Rhaandarite • Selakar • Selenean • Sentry • Shirna • Siri • Suliban • Tandaran • Tellarite • Tholian • Trill • Vorgon • Vulcan • Yeshel • Zakdorn • Zcham

Bajoran • Borg • Breen • Caeliar • Ky'rha • Ocampa • Pak'shree • Prophet • Q • Sargonian • Sarpeidon • Shenchorig • Talosian • Trinni/ek • Tzenkethi • Xindi

States and organizations

 * Aegis • Arret Empire • Axis Council • Vomnin Bureau for Historical Resource Development • Chandra Detective Agency • Tholian Chronological Defense Corps • Clan Ru • Colloquium of Progress • Corps of Engineers • Department of Temporal Investigations • Dominion • Empire of Orion • European Alliance • Federation News Service • Federation Science Council • Federation Temporal Agency • First Federation • Imperial Romulan State • Indiana State University • Klingon High Council • Obsidian Order • Orion Syndicate • Paraagan Science Council • Regnancy of the Carnelian Throne • Regulus Academy • Romulan Star Empire • Starfleet • Suliban Cabal • Temporal Agents • Romulan Temporal Assessment Group • Temporal Displacement Division • Temporal Integrity Commission • Typhon Pact • United Federation of Planets • University of Greenwich • Vomnin Confederacy • Vulcan-Andorian Empire • Vulcan Science Directorate

Other references

 * Augment • benamite • chroniton • Dominion War • Eugenics Wars • Feynman curve • Genesis Wave • Great Psionic War • Greenwich Mean Time • Gregorian calendar • Guardian of Forever • hovercar • Iconian gateway • Indian National calendar • jamaharon • Kerr loop • Ky'rha Artifacts • Lissepian Lottery • Manheim Event • Mayan calendar • Megaptera novaeangliae • Nexus • Norkan Massacre • Null • oath of celibacy • Ongilian caviar • Orb of Time • Orishan • quantum phase inhibitor • Risan calendar • Roladan wild draw • Shah of Iran • Tandaran calendar • Temporal Accords • Temporal Cold War • Temporal Prime Directive • time portal • Tox Uthat • Vulcan calendar • Vulcanoid

Background

 * The book was first announced by the author in March 2010 with the working title Star Trek: DTI . The full title was announced in Star Trek Magazine #154; Bennett elaborated on his blog that he considered Star Trek: DTI on its own too vague and giving the full title Star Trek DTI: Department of Temporal Investigations - Watching the Clock too unwieldy, so went with the acronym and subtitle combination as comfortable compromise. Despite that, the first cover released for the book did indeed sport the expanded title Star Trek: Department of Temporal Investigations - Watching the Clock.
 * Bennett's aims with the novel included generating a unified theory to explain the various ways time travel has been portrayed in Star Trek. To that end he researched every instance of time travel in Star Trek and the use of time travel in other fiction.