The Companion plunges the Enterprise into a starless void! – "A Warp in Space" was a Star Trek comic book story published by Gold Key Comics in 1977, the 49th issue of their TOS series. It was the tenth issue drawn by Alden McWilliams and the third of ten written by George Kashdan.
In this story, James T. Kirk, Spock and Leonard McCoy reunite with Zephram Cochrane and the merged entity of Nancy Hedford/The Companion.
Description[]
- It began as a routine mission for the Enterprise: Find the missing ships! But the Enterprise was destined for a trial that no human mind could foresee! For their judges were neither physical nor mental, but a breed of beings that had been spawned in another universe, millennia before the creation of what we call "life"!
Summary[]
- Captain's log, stardate 5803.6:
- We are now entering Canaris Galaxy, last known location of the experimental spacecraft which the Enterprise has been assigned to track down.
Starfleet lost track of the X-1 hyperwarp starship and its sister ships when they approached warp factor 13 near Gamma Canaris N. Kirk, Spock and McCoy know that this world is the secret haven of warp drive inventor Zephram Cochrane and The Companion, so they beam down to ask for help. Cochrane is intrigued by the mathematical challenges and, despite the Companion's warnings, provides modifications for the Enterprise to reach warp 13. Knowing what they will be getting into, the Companion leaves the body of Nancy Hedford, which can only survive alone for a few hours. As Kirk and Montgomery Scott discuss Cochrane's instructions on the bridge, the Companion takes hold of their ship.
- Captain's log, stardate 5807.1:
- "The Companion" has transported us, by some mysterious process, through what Mr. Spock describes as, quote, a rip in the fabric of our universe, unquote!
The Enterprise emerges into a starless universe full of cloud creatures just like the Companion. The missing vessels are contacted, but X-1 refuses further communication. When Kirk orders them to prepare to be boarded, all five fire at the Enterprise with energy beams that shrink the starship, but not the crew, as a demonstration of their powers. Cloud creatures now pilot the vessels — none of their Starfleet crews survived the transition between universes. The Enterprise's crew survived because the Companion had protected them.
As this universe does not support biological life, the cloud creatures order Kirk to depart, minus the Companion. However, Kirk tells the Companion that they will not abandon her. Scott hurriedly implements Cochrane's modifications, with Kirk counting on their ship's sturdier construction to keep them alive. The Enterprise departs and makes it safely back to the prime universe. The Companion returns to the body of Nancy Hedford with seconds to spare.
References[]
Characters[]
- Zefram Cochrane • Nancy Hedron/The Companion • James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura
Starships and vehicles[]
- USS Enterprise (Constitution-class) • Galileo (II) (class F shuttlecraft) • X-1 (hyperwarp starship)
Locations[]
- Canaris Galaxy • Gamma Canaris N • starless universe
- Referenced only
- Epsilon Canaris III • Loch Lomond
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
Science and technology[]
- communicator • computer • hyperwarp • logic • mathematics • pilot's log • shuttlecraft • stardate • warp drive
Ranks and titles[]
- Assistant Federation Commissioner • captain • Commissioner • doctor
Other references[]
- atmosphere • galaxy • meteor storm • planet • Sukarno's disease • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • star • supernova • telepathy • transporter room • universe
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- TOS episode: "Metamorphosis" – Introduces Zefram Cochrane, Nancy Hedford and The Companion.
- ST novel: Federation – Describes the final fates of Cochrane and The Companion.
- TOS comic: "From Sputnik to Warp Drive" – Cochrane's other appearance in Gold Key Comics, as part of an overview of Human history.
- TNG movie: First Contact – Depicts Cochrane's historic warp flight in 2063.
- TOS comic: "We Are Dying, Egypt, Dying!" – In 2274, the refit Enterprise is shrunk by an energy beam that does not shrink the crew.
Background[]
- This story must take place prior to November 2267, when Cochrane and the Companion departed Gamma Canaris N during the events of ST novel: Federation.
- The story is a sequel to TOS episode: "Metamorphosis" and provides a four-page summary of the episode. To keep it brief, the flashback takes some liberties. Kirk, Spock and McCoy recognize Cochrane immediately. Communicators are adapted to speak to the Companion, rather than explaining the concept of the universal translator.
- The flashback correctly cites the episode's stardate, Hedford's rank and Cochrane's age. However, a few details are inconsistent. Writer George Kashdan misspells Nancy Hedford's name and her affliction, Sakuro's disease. Hyperwarp's transitional speed is specified as warp 13 at the beginning of the story, but warp 15 at the end.
- The episode shows a rejuvenated, younger Cochrane having a small, hand-made shelter. Artist Alden McWilliams depicts Cochrane as a balding, older man having a multi-story building. The Companion and her fellow cloud creatures appear more like the white, smoky dikironium cloud creature than the colorful energy fields seen in the episode, perhaps due to the artistic limitations of comics in the 1970s.
- Hedford wears four outfits in this story. She wears a red-and-black striped shirt and black miniskirt in the flashback, a black and purple striped dress when the Enterprise crew first arrives, an orange and black spotted suit when the Companion separates from Hedford's body, and oddly a different purple-and-black striped dress when the Companion returns to her body.
- Cochrane wears two outfits: a green shirt with a high collar and brown pants in the flashback (as opposed to the red jumpsuit seen in the episode) and a black t-shirt with green pants in the rest of the story.
- Galileo (II) appears in five panels in the flashback.
- Although five hyperwarp starships are seen, only X-1 is named.
- In less than a day, Cochrane comes up with a way for the USS Enterprise to approach warp 13, modifications which Montgomery Scott is able to implement in ten minutes. During Cochrane's appearance later that year in ST novel: Federation, however, his knowledge of warp drive is considered 150 years out of date.
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous comic: #48: Murder on the Enterprise |
TOS comics (Gold Key) | Next comic: #50: Planet of No Life |
| Previous story: This Tree Bears Bitter Fruit |
Stories by: George Kashdan |
Next story: Destination Annihilation |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: Jeopardy at Jutterdon |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: The Aging World |
| Previous comic: Jeopardy at Jutterdon |
Voyages of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), Year Three | Next comic: The Aging World |
Production history[]
- November 1977
- First published by Gold Key Comics.
- September 2008
- Included on The Complete Comic Book Collection DVD. (Graphic Imaging Technologies)
- 6 December 2018
- Printed in Graphic Novel Collection #51. (Eaglemoss)
Translations[]
- 1978
- German: Abridged in 12 pages as "Der Begleiter" in Raumschiff Enterprise Comic Album #2. (Condor)
- 1979
- Dutch: As "Overdrive in de Ruimte" in Ruimteschip Enterprise Strip-album #2. (De Vrijbuiter)
External links[]
- A Warp in Space article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Best of Gold Key #42-61 article at The Mugato's Blog.