Description
- An all-new Original Series adventure about a Federation mining colony on the verge of destruction and the unlikely solution that could save them from extinction.
Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise are sent to evacuate the Federation mining colony Vesbius, a frontier settlement that is on the brink of an extinction-level event, threatening the lives of all the colonists and the disruption of ore production vital to Starfleet. However, the colonists refuse to abandon this settlement, not wanting to leave their claims. It is after these irrational decisions that Spock suggests that perhaps an unexpected ally could aid the colony and help complete the mission....
Summary
The Enterprise has been despatched to Vesbius, a human colony that is not part of the Federation, to evacuate the population prior to a meteorite strike that will devastate the biosphere. Where they arrive, however, they learn that the request was not from an official source and the colonists intend to take refuge in shelters they have built. It is soon determined that the shelters are inadequate and nothing of the planet's surface will survive for them to emerge to, but the majority of Vesbians still refuse to evacuate.
Kirk eventually learns that, because of being rejected by the planet's biosphere, the first children born on Vesbius all died and the adults would have followed. To prevent this, they genetically engineered their children, while all those born offworld have to undergo genetic manipulation to remain there. As a side effect, if they leave the planet they will be dead within weeks. However, a terrorist group, the Exos, believe the modifications make them superior and they should dominate over races: They are using the crisis to force the Vesbians to leave the planet, including destroying some of the shelters in bomb attacks.
Spock eventually postulates that the Horta may be able to break down the asteroid into the right size fragments for the Enterprise to deflect. The ship departs for Janus VI with Hannah Faber, the daughter of the planet's chancellor who has become Kirk's lover, and bigoted security officer Major Merling onboard. The Horta agree to the proposal on one condition: The All Mother is dying and they wish Spock to replace her. He agrees if they still wish it when he returns.
Merling, secretly a member of the Exos, threatens one of Hannah's bodyguards, Hox, into sabotaging the shuttle bay with banned nano-technology to force the Horta into space. However, the Horta survive the experience. Merling then attempts to sabotage life support but is exposed by Sulu and Chekov. During the confrontation, Merling is exposed to nano-technology himself and Sulu and the others use phasers to vapourise him and the tech.
The Horta set to work with help from Scotty while Hannah faces down a mob of Exos after Kirk stuns their leader, council member Jasper Torn. The Horta also work out a way to strengthen and enlarge the shelters so all can take refuge. The Enterprise deflects most of the asteroid but the core strikes home, badly damaging the biosphere. Those in the shelters survive thanks to the Horta.
The Enterprise returns to Janus VI where the All Mother releases Spock from his obligation on one condition: Kirk helps the Horta become Federation members and also helps all those who wish it to join Starfleet Academy.
References
Characters
- All Mother • Balan • Bynum • Pavel Chekov • Crumblecake • Slider Dan • Faber • Hannah Faber • Simon Ferlein • Ellen Freitag • Bellamy Hox • Hot-John • James T. Kirk • Manuel • Marlena • Leonard McCoy • Frances Meredith • Johan Merling • Missile-in-Rock • Johnny Sanchez • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Jasper Torn • Nyota Uhura • Debra Weisskopf • Xart
- Referenced only
- Devil • Elaan • Sarah Faber • Edith Keeler • Winona Kirk • Marla McGivers • Miramanee • Miriam • Isaac Newton • Perkins • Rudolf • Sarek • Khan Noonien Singh
Locations
- Fussdesberge • Great Chamber of the Horta • Hesse Mountains • Janus VI • Omega sector • Vesbian system • Vesbius
- Referenced only
- Amerind • Amerind system • Ardana • Beta Geminorum • Cabella • China • Chicxulub crater • Colorado • Deneb II • Earth • Goldilocks Zone • Iowa • Japan • La Garita Caldera • Long Island • Montauk Point • New York City • North America • Philos D • Pikes Peak • Rigelius • San Francisco • Shi'Kahr • Sol • Starbase 12 • Starfleet Academy • Stratos • Toro • Troyius • Warburton's World
Starships and vehicles
- antigravity sled • carrier sled • USS Enterprise (Constitution-class) • merchant hauler • Rover • shuttlecraft • tunnel rover
- Referenced only
- USS Archer • Botany Bay • Noah's Ark • seismic truck
Races and cultures
- Horta • Human (Asian • Austrian • Bavarian • Canadian • Chinese • Cossack • European • Japanese • Russian • Scottish • Swiss • Terran • Turk • Vesbian) • Vulcan
- Referenced only
- Augment • Elasian • Klingon • Preserver • Romulan
States and organizations
- Daily Buzz • Exos • Gem Collectors • Hole Diggers • Melter Clan • Rendar Armory • Sand Blaster Clan • Soviet Union • Star Clan • Starfleet • Tunnel Borers • United Federation of Planets • United States of America • Vesbian Planetary Council • Water Holders • Water Sharers
Science and technology
- acid rain • adrenaline • agriculture • airlock • antigrav crane • antigrav stretcher • antigravity lift • antimatter • antimatter bomb • atmosphere • atom • aurora • biology • biosphere • blunderbuss • bomb • brain • bullet • carbon • carbon dioxide • centimeter • cholera • code key • coma • communicator • computer • computer card • data slate • deflector shield • dilithium • DNA • drone messenger capsule • drug • duroceramic clamp • earthquake • ecology • egg • electromagnetic pulse • energy • entertainment tape • EV suit • evolution • fertilizer bomb • fire • fireworks • force field • fountain • galaxy • genetic engineering • genome • gigahertz • gigaton • gravity • greenhouse effect • hair • hammer • headlamp • heart • hemisphere • horticulture • hour • hoverlight • hurricane • hyperspace • hypospray • ice • ice age • impulse engine • injector pistol • intercom • kilometer • kiloton • laser scalpel • lava • Leonid meteor storm • life support • macrobiology • magma • matter • megaton • meter • mile • military nanotechnology • millimeter • millisecond • mining • minute • molecule • monitor • monofilament • needle • neutron star • neutronic weight • nuclear weapon • oil • orbit • oxygen • pergium • phaser • photon torpedo • physiology • pistol • plasma • poison • pole star • pulsar • quantum interaction • railgun • Rendar Mark 7 • replicator • rescue airhorn • rickets • rifle • Rigelian fever • sandstorm • scanner • scissors • second • seismic sensor • sensor • shotgun • silicon • snow • space • star • starbase • starship • subspace • subspace antenna • subspace receiver • subspace sensor • sulfur • telepathy • teraton • thunder • TNT • torpedo • tractor beam • transceiver • transponder • transporter • treadmill • tricorder • tri-ox • Tsar bomb • tsunami • turbolift • universe • vaccine • viewscreen • vitamin • volcano • warp drive • winch cable • xenobiology
Ranks and titles
- assassin • astronomer • biologist • bodyguard • bureaucrat • cadet • captain • chancellor • chief advisor • chief engineer • chief gendarme • commander • commander-in-chief • communications chief • construction worker • cook • doctor • ensign • farmer • fire chief • first officer • genetic engineer • geneticist • healer • helmsman • jeweler • journalist • judge • junior officer • lieutenant • major • marksman • mercenary • merchant • mining director • mining engineer • miner • navigator • physician • policeman • politician • record keeper • reporter • samurai • science officer • scientist • security officer • soldier • technician • terrorist • transporter chief • veterinarian • waiter • weapons officer • xenobiologist
Lifeforms
- alien • animal • ant • bean • bee • Beginning Tree • bürste henne • canine • cantaloupe • carrot • cattle • cedar • chicken • chimpanzee • cloud-duster • cockroach • dinosaur • dog • duck • fern • frog • grain • greyhound • herb • herbivore • honey bee • humanoid • meela • melon • moss • oak • pig • plant • potato • rose • salmon • sehlat • sheep • spice • Tellurian genta bat • tree • turtle • vegetable • vulture • wolf
Other references
- 2169 • 17th century • 20th century • 21st century • alcohol • anthropology • architecture • Article 17 • asteroid • basalt • bath • beer • The Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond • bridge • brig • bulkhead • candy • cargo bay • Casablanca • cemetery • century • civil war • claustrophobia • coffee • colony • comet • crater • crystal • democracy • diamond • doll • empathy • engineering • Eugenics Wars • extinction • Federation Homestead Act • feldspar • first contact • five-year mission • gemstone • genocide • Ghost-in-the-Rock • grave • helmet • honey • internment camp • iron • Jefferies tube • jig • Jillie • kiss • klaxon • knife • landing party • lavagoblin • lazy Susan • library • linguine • logic • marbles • matcha • Mesozoic Era • mess hall • metal • meteor • microbial refresher towel • micrometeorite • militia • millennia • mind meld • money • month • moon • mountain • music • nickel • nightstick • Operation Horta Overboard • Pandora's box • pasta • philosophy • planet • planetoid • plastic • pon farr • prejudice • Prime Directive • punch • quartz • rec room • rock • rum • salt • Saurian brandy • science • scotch • shuttlebay • sickbay • skeet shooting • square dance • stalactite • steel • tea • thermoconcrete • thimble • Tholian Web • three-dimensional chess • titanium • transparent aluminum • transporter room • uniform • Vesbian ale • Vesbius Tawla • Vulcan Domination Conspiracy Theory • waltz • water • whiskey • wildfire • wine • winter • World War II • year • zombie
Appendices
Background
In the first chapter, Kirk notes that his crew had been together for three and a half years, and that they were more than halfway through their five-year mission.
External links
- Devil's Bargain article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.