Introduction (blurb)[]
From solicitations: The colonists on distant planet Beta Eridani III have adopted the simpler lives of an earlier time, but what is the sinister secret that lies behind their peaceful facade? The answer may cost the crew of the USS Ventura more than their lives.
Summary[]
The USS Ventura investigates a lost colony established by 20th century humans who fled the Eugenics Wars. The colonists made their new home in the image of the "simpler" 1960s, but the landing party finds the settlement abandoned and pristine, as though it had never been inhabited. Before long, many colonists do reveal themselves, but their life-signs don't register on tricorders and the landing party is incarcerated. Duplicates of the team infiltrate the crew and disable several systems in preparation of "replicating the entire crew." The real team escapes captivity and finds a factory of advanced androids as well as their robot keeper, D-12, who shares the colony's history: the planet was in the middle of an ice age when the sleeper ship landed. The colonists’ hard existence was made even worse when they discovered they'd all been rendered sterile by the environment. Three robots, greatly enhanced by a resident computer savant, served the humans until they too expired, ultimately leaving D-12 the last survivor. On his deathbed, the savant gave D-12 a new mission: establish the colony they had all dreamed of. It constructed the present settlement and built android replicas of the deceased, but now it plans to hold the Ventura crew to preserve the colony. Number One objects and disables D-12, and by extension, all of the androids it controlled. Though she regrets the "death" of the colony, she stands by her actions to protect the ship and crew, earning another in a long line of commendations. Three months later, she is promoted to full lieutenant and transferred to the USS Enterprise.
References[]
Characters[]
- Lee Bridger • D-12 • Gomez • Miller • Number One • Sakata • Tulley • Jake Willis • Patty Willis • Tom Willis • Unnamed Starfleet personnel
Starships and vehicles[]
- Referenced only
- USS Enterprise • colony ship
Locations[]
- Beta Eridani III • Deep Space Station G-6
- Referenced only
- Earth • Romulan Neutral Zone
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
Other references[]
- 1960s • 21st century • airlock • carrot • colony • communications • DNA • Eugenics Wars • Founder's Day • landing party • laser pistol • Number one • NVC-187 unit • personal log • planet • Prime Directive • RNA • robot • starship • tree • tricorder
Appendices[]
Cover without titles
- This issue was available in two covers, both using the same art by John Byrne. The primary cover was a colored version, with colors by Tom Smith. The second cover, a limited retail incentive was a sketch version of the artwork.
- This issue was twenty-three pages in length, as opposed to the usual twenty-two; this was to allow a single-page epilogue moving Number One onto the Enterprise ahead of John Byrne's original intention, per IDW's request that he reduce the series from six to five issues. The fourth issue in the series was subsequently one page shorter than usual to balance the numbers to a twenty-two page per issue average. [1]
Timeline[]
This issue is stated to occur three months before "Shadows of the Past", which is itself set three years before "The Ends of Eternity". As "The Ends of Eternity" must take place late in Robert April's captaincy of the USS Enterprise, which concluded in 2251, this story is set in approximately 2248.
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous comic: The Bottle |
TOS comics Crew |
Next comic: Shadows of the Past |
| Previous story: The Bottle |
Stories by: John Byrne |
Next story: Shadows of the Past |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: Vulcan's Forge Chapters 3, 6 , 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, 21 & 23 |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: Excelsior: Forged in Fire Chapter 5 |
| The above chronology placements are based on the primary placement in 2248. The Memory Beta Chronology places events from this story in 1 other timeframe(s): | ||
| Previous adventure: Don't Call Me Tiny |
2248 Epilog |
Next adventure: Shadows of the Past |
Images[]
External link[]
- Ghosts (TOS) article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.