Choices!

   

The new voyages. – "Choices!" was the 37th issue of DC Comics' 1984 series of Star Trek comics.

SummaryEdit

Following the test flight of the Enterprise-A, the crew considers the ramifications of beginning a new mission after the loss of their original starship. Meanwhile, a religious zealot sabotages the Enterprise-A, giving Spock the first test of his problem solving skills following his rehabilitation on Vulcan.

Log entriesEdit

Captain's log, stardate 8925.2 

I've never really believed in ghosts… until now. But after seeing the newly commissioned, newly refurbished USS Enterprise floating there in spacedock, a virtual duplicate of the precious starship destroyed by my own hand just a few months ago, I'm willing to believe in anything—including miracles! The ship's refitting will be complete within hours, and the Enterprise will be ready to carry me back where I belong—but who, I wonder, will be with me this time, when I go… We've been through so much together, my crew and I—so much joy—so much pain—! They stuck beside me when I needed it most, through the death and rebirth of my good friend Spock—through a court martial that could have cost them all their careers—! And yet, I was the only one who suffered for our actions—reduced in rank, relieved of my supervisory duties, and reassigned command of a starship! Starfleet Command believes that, by taking these actions, they have punished me! They really did reward my efforts! I really am where I belong! It still seems strange, to be called only captain again, after so many years as an admiral—and yet, it seems so right.

Spock's personal log, stardate 8925.2 

Not even the soothing tones of my harp can bring me solace today. There is too much on my mind—too many questions cry for answers… Though I was excluded from the court-martial, I chose to stand beside my friends—and share their eventual fate. As an honorable man, I could do no less—since all their actions were on my behalf. Thus, I have been reassigned as science officer aboard the Enterprise, a position I know better than any other—and yet, I wonder if I have made the right choice. On Vulcan, they repaired my mind—but am I fully restored? And, if not, do I truly belong here?

ReferencesEdit

CharactersEdit

Arex • William Bearclaw • Nancy Bryce • Pavel Chekov • James T. Kirk • Konom • Leonard McCoy • Maria Morelli • M'Ress • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • unnamed Humans (zealot saboteur, loading workers) • USS Enterprise-A personnel • unnamed USS Enterprise-A personnel (engineers)

Starships and vehiclesEdit

USS Enterprise-A (Enterprise-class refit Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • Travel Pod 5 (travel pod)

Referenced only 

USS Enterprise (Enterprise-class refit Constitution-class heavy cruiser)

LocationsEdit

Planets and planetoidsEdit

Earth (Sol star system, sector 001, subquadrant 0, the galaxy's Alpha Quadrant)

Referenced only 

Centaurus (Alpha Centauri, Beta Quadrant) • Vulcan (Vulcan system, Beta Quadrant)

Stations and outpostsEdit

San Francisco Fleet Yards Orbital Drydock

Shipboard locationsEdit

USS Enterprise-A 

bridge • engineering • quarters (Spock's, Uhura's) • sickbay

Station locationsEdit

Orbital Drydock 

lounge

Planetary localesEdit

Earth 

Japan

Races and culturesEdit

Caitian • Edoan/Triexian • Human • Klingon • Vulcan

States and organizationsEdit

Federation • Starfleet • Starfleet Command

Ranks and titlesEdit

admiral • captain • chief engineer • chief medical officer • commander • commanding officer • communications officer • doctor • engineer • ensign • Federation Starfleet ranks • Federation Starfleet ranks (2270s-2350s) • first officer • helmsman • lieutenant • navigator • science officer • security chief • tactical officer

Science and classificationEdit

astronomy • communications • lifeform • matter • technology • time

AstronomyEdit

planet • space • star • star system

CommunicationsEdit

captain's log • engineer's log • medical log • personal log

LifeformsEdit

humanoid

Materials and substancesEdit

antimatter • atmosphere • blood • gas

food and drink 

mint julep

MeasurementEdit

day • hour • month • stardate • year

Technology and weaponsEdit

drydock • matter-antimatter matrix • spacedock • starship • warp drive

musical instruments 

ka'athyra

Other referencesEdit

chess • clothing • court martial • death • demon • emotion • ghost (spirit) • god • log entry • logic • Project Genesis • races and cultures • rank • refit • religion • ship commissioning • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2278-2350s) • three-dimensional chess • title • uniform • rank • insignia • Starfleet insignia

ChronologyEdit

stardate 8925.2, 2286 (2280s chronology, Enterprise-A voyages) 

Enterprise leaves drydock.

AppendicesEdit

Related mediaEdit

• TOS movie, novelization & comic adaptation: The Voyage Home (directly follows)
• Star Trek: The Animated Series (M'Ress and Arex)
• The Doomsday Bug! story arc (precedes The Voyage Home)

BackgroundEdit

• This issue comprises something of a reboot of the series after the continuity-fixing The Doomsday Bug! story arc and the changes introduced in TOS movie, novelization & comic adaptation: The Voyage Home.
• Saavik's departure was documented in The Voyage Home, and supporting cast member Morelli leaves as of her appearance in this issue. The rest of the early issue supporting cast would return, with Konom, Bryce and Bearclaw shown to return here, and Elizabeth Sherwood turning up a few issues later.
• Also added to the cast, as of this issue, were TAS supporting cast M'Ress and Arex.
• The first voyage of the USS Enterprise-A from the last scene of The Voyage Home is tied in to this issue. However, that comic shows the Enterprise-A leaves spacedock and head out at warp speed, while this comic shows the ship in a drydock.
• The front cover shows a Bill Wray painting with a fanciful perspective angle of the Starfleet insignia, and the tagline "THE NEW VOYAGES", which was also the name of a subseries of Bantam Books novels (The New Voyages and The New Voyages 2). The tagline was not used again in continuations after this installment.
• Although a new mission began in this story, the editors would have the next issue slated for a flashback story to the five-year mission, "The Argon Affair!".

ImagesEdit

Cover image.

Starfleet insignia.

USS Enterprise-A.

3D chess.

Vulcan harp.

Travel Pod 5.

Travel Pod 5.

Maria Morelli.

The zealot saboteur.

The zealot saboteur.

M'Ress and Arex.

USS Enterprise-A.

Earth.

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TimelineEdit

External linkEdit

• Choices! article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.