Introduction
- From the back cover
- More than two centuries ago, the Dokaalan sent an unmanned probe into the void, bearing a distress call for anyone who could save their doomed world. But the message reached Federation space too late to save the planet or its people. Or so it was believed....
- Generations later, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the crew of the Enterprise-E are stunned to discover the last of the Dokaalan -- now only a colony fighting to stay alive in a decrepit asteroid mining complex. Although their home planet was destroyed long ago, the survivors hope to someday transform a nearby planet into a new home for their people. But bitter divisions exist among the Dokaalan, sowing the seeds of sabotage and terrorism -- and placing Picard and the Enterprise in the middle of an escalating crisis that can only lead to total destruction!
Summary
The discovery of a centuries old Dokaalan probe, containing a message relating to the imminent destruction of their homeworld, reminds the Federation of a similar probe recovered by the Vulcans two hundred years previous. At the time, it was decided that since the disaster occurred decades previous no further action should be taken. Now, Starfleet dispatches the Enterprise to discover the Dokaalans' fate, an assignment many of the crew see as a means of getting them out of the way following the Ontailian incident.
Arriving at the asteroid field near the former location of Dokaal, the Enterprise picks up a distress call from a mining colony that is experiencing a reactor failure. Evacuation efforts begin but the reactor blows before La Forge and Taurik predicted, causing the deaths of twenty-five miners and two Enterprise crewmembers. Furthermore, their analysis suggests sabotage.
The Dokaalans have survived in mining colonies on the asteroids and now in a central complex created by attaching several asteroids together. Their ultimate aim is to "terraform" Ijuuka, one of the other planets in the system. Their council prove reluctant to accept Federation help, however, and two of the council members who support the offer are apparently eliminated by security minister Nidan.
Crusher discovers evidence that the Dokaalans have become dependent on the ambient radiation in the asteroid belt while a stranger, Kalsha, infiltrates the Enterprise using a camouflage net that lets him assume another's identity and disables Data. La Forge and Taurik travel to Ijuuka where they discover that someone has been tampering with the terraforming process to deviate from the original parameters; soon after, they and their Dookalan guide Faeyahr are attacked by Nidan's men. While being pursued in the asteroid field, La Forge and Taurik attempted to initiate a Kolvoord Starburst maneuver to escape.
The Enterprise receives a report that a disaster has occurred at another mining outpost and there is clear indication of sabotage. With the rest of the senior staff either off ship or inactive, Riker takes the Enterprise to try and offer assistance.
References
Characters
Enterprise
- Beverly Crusher • Data • Diix • EMH • Geordi La Forge • Graham • Hines • Leisner • Jarek Maxson • McPherson • Melorr • Alyssa Ogawa • Osborne (24th century) • Jim Peart • Kell Perim • Jean-Luc Picard • William T. Riker • Taurik • T'Bonz • Zelev th'Chun • Deanna Troi • Tropp • Tyler (Lieutenant) • Christine Vale • Veldon
Dokaalan
- Alerott • Creij • Faeyahr • Hjatyn • Jipta • Nentafa • Nidan • Ryndai • Rysatam
- Referenced only
- Beeliq • Caesi • Dokaa • Rueq
2151
- Maxwell Forrest • Serel • Soval • T'Lih • Taren • Vanik
Others
- Kalsha • Worf • Giancarlo Wu
- Referenced only
- Henry Archer • Jonathan Archer • Reginald Barclay • Zefram Cochrane • Wesley Crusher • Jadzia Dax • Yerbi Fandau • Glinn (24th century) • Sonya Gomez • Gowron • Sherlock Holmes • Kahless, son of Kahless • K'Ehleyr • K'Ratak • Locutus • Kurt Mandl • Martok • Alynna Nechayev • Odan • A.G. Robinson • Alexander Rozhenko • Pascal Saadya • Gideon Seyetik • Noonien Soong • Sun Tzu • zh'Costeth
Starships and vehicles
- Enterprise (NX-01) • Ti'Mur • Sovereign-class • Surak-class • Ballard (shuttlecraft) • USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E)
- Referenced only
- IKS Ya'Vang • Phoenix • Promellian battle cruiser • SS Artemis • USS Crazy Horse (NCC-50446) • USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D) • USS Hood (NCC-42296) • USS Ilan Ramon • USS Juno (Excelsior class) • USS Voyager • NX class • Shuttlepod
Locations
- Alpha Quadrant • Deep Space 9 • Dokaal • Dokaal Sector • Dokallian System • Earth • First City • Ijuuka • Jeluryn Sector • Mining Station Twelve • Outpost Takir • Qo'noS • San Francisco • Wyjaed
- Referenced only
- Arvada III • Beta Trianguli III • Boreth • Delta Vega I • Delos IV • Delta Quadrant • Farpoint Station • Janus VI • Jupiter • Luna • Mars • Omicron Theta • P'Jem • Rashanar Battle Site • Romulan Neutral Zone • taD • Tau Cygna V • Velara III • Venus
Races and cultures
- Andorian • Benzite • Betazoid • Bolian • Denobulan • Dokaalan • Human • Klingon • Trill • Vulcan
- Referenced only
- Borg • Cardassian • Deltan • Horta • Ontailian • Romulan • Sheliak • Tholian • Traveler • Xindi
States and organizations
- Borg Collective • Federation Council • Judge Advocate General • Klingon Empire • Orion Syndicate • People of Dokaa • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Command • Starfleet Corps of Engineers • Starfleet Medical • Terraform Command • Trill Symbiosis Commission • United Federation of Planets • Vulcan High Command • Vulcan Science Academy • Vulcan Science Directorate • Vulcan Space Service • Zahanzei Council
Science and technology
- airlock • antigrav gurney • antigrav work sled • atmospheric processor • bio-implant • biosensor • combadge • deflector shield generator • dermaline • deuterium • diagnostic bed • disruptor pistol • docking port • emotion chip • encephalopathy • environmental suit • helium • holodeck • hypospray • impulse engine • magnetic interlock • medkit • medical tricorder • mimicking shroud • warp nacelle • navigational buoy • nuclear weapon • outpost • PADD • phase pistol • phaser • plasma • portable dermal regenerator • power coupling • rodinium • skiff • starbase • shuttlecraft • shuttlepod • stellar cartography • stun baton • tractor beam • transporter • Trill symbiont • tritium • vitamin • workbee
Other references
- 21st century • 24th century • asteroid • baseball • benzocyatizine • bondo • caribou • Class M • concierge • Dokaa • Dominion War • Earl Grey • Egiun • Federation standard • fly • Genesis Wave • Golden Gate Bridge • granite • hyperonic radiation • I, Robot • Imzadi • Iverson's Disease • jumpsuit • K-1 class star • kilometer • Kolvoord Starburst • latinum • Malkus Artifacts • Melorazine • Mind meld • Monograph • oath of celibacy • painting • parrises squares • plomeek soup • Project Genesis • Project Pathfinder • raktajino • Risian perfume • salt • San Francisco Bay • sofa • Starfleet Survival Guide • Sto-vo-kor • Surgeon General • Tenara Cliffs • terakine • The Art of War • The Collected Works of William Shakespeare • The Dream of the Fire • transparasteel • tri-ox compound • violin • Warp 5 project • water • wusher • xenophobia • zero-g
Connections
- A Time to Sow article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
| The A Time to... Mini-Series | ||
|---|---|---|
| A Time to Be Born | A Time to Die | A Time to Sow |
| A Time to Harvest | A Time to Love | A Time to Hate |
| A Time to Kill | A Time to Heal | A Time for War, A Time for Peace |
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: A Time to Die |
TNG novels | Next novel: A Time to Harvest |
| Previous novel: A Time to Die |
TNG novels A Time to... |
Next novel: A Time to Harvest |
| Previous story: Home Fires |
Stories by: Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore |
Next story: A Time to Harvest |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous Adventure: A Time to Die |
Next Adventure: A Time to Harvest | |
| The above chronology placements are based on the primary placement in 2378. The Pocket Books Timeline places events from this story in two other timeframes: | ||
| Previous Adventure: Prelude: Discovery |
2151 Chapter 1 |
Next Adventure: Breaking the Ice |
| Previous Adventure: Breaking the Ice |
2151 Chapter 2 |
Next Adventure: Civilization |