Enigma Tales is a Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel by author Una McCormack, released in June 2017.
Description[]
- From the New York Times bestselling author of The Fall comes a compelling and suspenseful tale of politics and power set in the universe of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
- Elim Garak has ascended to Castellan of the Cardassian Union… but despite his soaring popularity, the imminent publication of a report exposing his people's war crimes during the occupation on Bajor looks likely to set the military against him. Into this tense situation comes Dr. Katherine Pulaski—visiting Cardassia Prime to accept an award on behalf of the team that solved the Andorian genetic crisis—and Dr. Peter Alden, formerly of Starfleet Intelligence. The two soon find themselves at odds with Garak and embroiled in the politics of the prestigious University of the Union, where a new head is about to be appointed. Among the front-runners is one of Cardassia's most respected public figures: Professor Natima Lang. But the discovery of a hidden archive from the last years before the Dominion War could destroy Lang's reputation. As Pulaski and Alden become drawn into a deadly game to exonerate Lang, their confrontation escalates with Castellan Garak—a reluctant leader treading a fine line between the bright hopes for Cardassia's future and the dark secrets still buried in its past…
Summary[]
A Cardassian report has recommended prosecution for war crimes committed during the Bajoran Occupation. Pulaski visits Cardassia with Alden to accept the Distinguished Impact Medal for her work on the Andorian reproduction crisis. During an interview, she favours the prosecution of war criminals, which is taken as a criticism of Garak. Relations between them are further soured by Garak's reluctance to let her visit Bashir.
Elima Antok, a researcher who worked on the report, discovers evidence of Project Enigma, an attempt to remove the Bajoran genes from half-Cardassian, half-Bajoran children. Natima Lang is among those who signed off on it. Despite threats, Antok reports the matter to the police and is promptly kidnapped. Pulaski is kidnapped by the same person but quickly released.
Pulaski is suspicious of Garak, who supports another candidate for the university chair Lang is favourite for, so refuses to co-operate with the Cardassian authorities. She manages to track down Antok at the same time as Mhevet and the kidnapper, who also killed Lang's aide who had been assisting him, is arrested. He admits to planting false evidence tying Lang to Project Enigma. However, the project is shown to be real when Garak is confronted in his home by a gul who was one of the subjects: The man is admitted for psychiatric treatment.
The murderer turns out to be a rogue Starfleet Intelligence operative who was abandoned in deep cover during the Dominion War. Alden arranges for him to be secretly extracted into Starfleet Intelligence custody; Pulaski suspects SI are covering up the fact that one of them informers authorised Project Enigma. Garak informs Lang that he hopes she will succeed him as castellan.
Later, Garak succumbs to visiting Bashir in the ward, and speaks to him despite his catatonic state. He reads to him, and while his eyes are on the words, Bashir's hand and fingers twitch slightly, showing movement. This implies that he may have physical movement returning, or at least reactionary.
References[]
Characters[]
Cardassians[]
- Akret • Elima Antok • Evrek Antok • Mikor Antok • Velek Antok • Chenet • Dhrok • Metok Efheny • Feris • Elim Garak • Natima Lang • Letek • Edek Mayrat • Arati Mhevet • Ista Nemeny • Nevek • Kelas Parmak • Renel • Servek • Telek • Enek Therok
- Referenced only
- Carnis • Ulan Corac • Corat Damar • Skrain Dukat • Rakena Garan • Reta Ghemeny • Alon Ghemor • Tekeny Ghemor • Lim Pa'Mar • Meya Rejal • Sayak • Enabran Tain • Telek • Tora Ziyal • Tret Vetrek
Starfleet personnel[]
- Referenced only
- Jean-Luc Picard • Benjamin Sisko
Others[]
- Referenced only
- Nanietta Bacco • Franz Kafka • Kira Nerys • Audre Lorde • Quark • Maurita Tanj
Locations[]
- Cardassia Prime • Cardassia City (Assembly Hall • Barvonok • Coranum • Federation Embassy on Cardassia • Liberation Bridge • Munda'ar • Paldar • Perok • Tain residence • Tarlak • Torr (East Torr • North Torr))
- Referenced only
- Ab-Tzenketh • Arawath • Bajor (Rakantha Province) • Brigadoon • Cardassia (Central Archive • Culat • Headquarters Allied Reconstruction Forces • Lakarian City • Metenok • Orlehny • Veletur) • Cardassia IV • Deep Space 9 (Garak's Clothiers) • Earth (Berlin • Cambridge • Europe • London • Mount Olympus • Paris • Rome) • Tzenketh
Starships and vehicles[]
- Referenced only
- USS Enterprise-D • Perek • tram
Races and cultures[]
- Bajoran • Cardassian • Human • Vulcan
States and organizations[]
- Cardassian Assembly • Cardassian Guard (Cardassian Fourth Order) • Cardassian Union • press • Federation Diplomatic Corps • Starfleet • Starfleet Intelligence • United Federation of Planets • University of the Union
- Referenced only
- Administrative Committee of the Office of the Academy • Cardassian Central Command • Cardassian Intelligence Bureau • Cardassian Second Republic • Detapa Council • Dominion • Founders • Friends of Bajor • Nazi • Obsidian Order • Office for Bajoran Racial Equity • People's Artistic Fund • Project Enigma • Section 31 • Tzenkethi Coalition
Ranks and titles[]
- admiral • agent • aide • ambassador • architect • archivist • assassin • Assemblyperson • Autarch of the Tzenkethi Coalition • bodyguard • captain • Cardassian Ambassador to Bajor • Cardassian Ambassador to the United Federation of Planets • Castellan of the Cardassian Union • chief academician • chief of constabulary • comfort woman • diplomat • Director of Research • dissident • doctor • Emissary of the Prophets • Federation Ambassador to the Cardassian Union • gardener • gul • historian • housekeeper • interviewer • journalist • legate • nestor • operative • poet • prefect • President of the United Federation of Planets • producer • professor • researcher • scientist • sociologist • soldier • spy • student • surgeon • tailor • teacher • torturer • vedek • vendor • writer • xenosociologist
Science[]
- communications • genetic engineering • genomic therapy • holography • soil reclamation • warm-blooded • xenosociolinguistics
Materials and substances[]
- analgesic • DNA • inoculant • nucleotide • sedative
Lifeforms[]
Technology and weapons[]
- chronometer • combadge • communicator • dermal regenerator • filtration system • holo-camera • holo-recorder • holodeck • isolinear rod • keycard • medical tricorder • padd • phaser • replicator • transparent aluminum • transporter • tricorder
Other references[]
- Age of Emergence • Andorian fertility crisis • architecture • archive • art • art gallery • autumn • Bajoran earring • Bajoran temple • baroque • basket • book • boulevard • cafe • cake • canapé • candle • canka • caroci • ceramic • chair • champagne • chopsticks • coffee • Congregation Hall • constabulary • contemporary literature • country house • coup d'etat • currency • curry • Dante's Inferno • democracy • Distinguished Impact Medal • doctorate • documentary • Dominion War • dress uniform • dust storm • eatery • Edosian orchid • The Ending of the Never-Ending Sacrifice • Enigma tale • ettaberry • ettaberry tea • eulogy • extradition • fabric • factory • fashion • fast • "the Fire" • fish juice • flower • garden • gelat • geleta • genocide • graffiti • grant • Greek mythology • gymnasium • Ha'mara • hat • holding cell • hound-racing • iced bun • ikri bun • isca • ithian tree • kanar • kotra • Kukalaka • labor camp • leya fruit • Liberation Day • library • lily • literature• londub • mansion • market • media • medical ethics • mekla • memorial • meya lily • military base • moba • murder mystery • music • The Never-Ending Sacrifice • news • nhemeni • noodle • Occam's razor • Occupation of Bajor • paint • painting • parrises squares • perek flower • poetry • pool • Prime Directive • protest • rape • ration card • red leaf tea • refugee camp • religion • replicator plant • Riddle Runner • rokassa juice • rope • shoe • shower • silo • slavery • snake • soap opera • soccer • sofa • spaceport • sports and games • spring • summer • sunglasses • tapestry • tea • technical college • teddy bear • thesis • town house • tuxedo • University of the Union Massacre • vigil • warehouse • water • wine • winter • World War II
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- DS9 episode: "Profit and Loss"
- DS9 episode: "The Die is Cast"
- DS9 novel: A Stitch in Time
- DS9 novel: The Never-Ending Sacrifice
- DS9 - Prophecy and Change short story: "The Calling"
- ST - Typhon Pact novel: Brinkmanship
- ST - The Fall novel: The Crimson Shadow
- ST - The Fall novel: A Ceremony of Losses
- DS9 novel: The Missing
- Section 31 novel: Control [1]
Background[]
- In September 2016, McCormack alluded to the upcoming release on a post for Uncanny Magazine. There, she wrote:
It’s nearly fifteen years since I started watching DS9, and I can’t believe my luck that this show came to me at exactly the right moment, when I was ready for it, and ready to shift my writing from hobby to profession. I’ve been able to take characters and settings I adore and shape their future histories. My books have been best-sellers and my publications got me a much-wanted job teaching creative writing at university. And I still don’t feel these stories are done. Every so often, I hear a polite clearing of the throat behind me, a gentle tap on my shoulder, and I hear Garak murmur “Now, my dear, where did we leave matters…?” And round we go again, for Cardassia.[2]
- Enigma Tales became the first novel since The Fall of Terok Nor to have an audiobook release.
Date[]
The novel's 'Historian's Note' identifies the novel as set in late 2386, weeks after Control. However, within the novel itself, the text continually refers to many years having passed since the 2385-set The Crimson Shadow. Garak has been Castellan for about "three years", during which time he commissioned an inquiry into the Bajoran Occupation which took over two years. Arati Mhevet remembers their first meeting (during The Crimson Shadow) as occurring "a few years ago". Furthermore, in Pulaski's interview with Cardassian journalist Edek Mayrat, her rhetorical point about Cardassia's superior infrastructure not being dependent on HARF, as it has been "gone a few years now", is not something to say 13 months after a withdrawal. Rather, later, it is mentioned that HARF left their headquarters on Coranum Hill "nearly three years ago". And Peter Alden has completed a doctorate in xenolinguistics since the end of the late 2385-set The Missing, although completed "in record time", a doctoral thesis and an examination in under a year would be exceedingly unlikely. Finally, it is never mentioned how long it has been in-text since Control, although at the novel's start, Dr Parmak notes to Garak that it has been some time since he visited Bashir. The year can therefore be 2388.
References[]
- ↑ 'Tragedy in Every Sense of the Word - Section 31: Control: David Mack', Literary Treks - A Star Trek Books and Comics Podcast 186. Accessible at http://trek.fm/literary-treks/186 (Date accessed, 9 April 2017)
- ↑ Una McCormack, 'All True, Especially the Lies—Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Cardassia', Uncanny Magazine 12. Accessible at http://uncannymagazine.com/article/true-especially-lies-learned-stop-worrying-love-cardassia/ (Date accessed 22 January 2017).
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
Published Order | ||
---|---|---|
Previous novel: The Long Mirage |
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine | Next novel: Original Sin |
Previous story: The Missing |
Stories by: Una McCormack |
Next story: TBA |
Translations[]
- 2020
- German : Mysterien, translated by René Ulmer. (Cross Cult)
External link[]
- Enigma Tales article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.