Ensign Gilden was a Human man, a 23rd century member of Starfleet who served aboard the Federation starship USS Enterprise in the late 2260s decade, as an assistant historian.
Biography[]
He stooped, was thin, of average height, and had an air of being depressed. He enjoyed authentic licorice tea.
Gilden was a hoarder, with collections overflowing his quarters, space allocated to the historical section of the ship, and any closet space he could beg from the crew. He collected ancient book series like 20th century first edition novels by Phillip Margolin, as well as numerous notebooks and letters acquired during the ship's travels to various worlds. He also kept unusual weapons, scrolls, ritual gadgets, and even full-size sets from the Murlgau passion play.
In the year 2268, Gilden heard a repeated tapping on deck eleven while working alone in his cubicle. He also noticed objects that had been moved inexplicably, including PADDs, styluses, and coffee cups. Later, he and fellow hoarder Emiko Adams surreptitiously moved their collections into a new pressurized hull section behind the fabrication room on deck nine. While unloading, they felt a ghostly presence, and soon a rhythmic tapping, which unknown to them came from the disembodied consciousness of Captain James T. Kirk. (TOS novel: Ghost-Walker)
In 2270, when the Enterprise was captured by the crew of the time travel vessel Nautilus, Gilden was trapped in a corridor on deck 7, near his quarters and Chief Science Officer Spock's office when all the ship's doors were sealed. He remained there, in the dark, until two of the intruders, Raksha and Adajia, entered the corridor and stunned him with a phaser. When the intruders led a captured Kirk and Spock from the science office, Kirk noted thankfully that Gilden was still alive.
When Kirk escaped from a deck 7 cargo bay where the intruders left him, Gilden helped Kirk open a magnetic lock with two styli from his log pad.
Because of the aftereffects of the mission, all memory of these events was removed from the crew's minds, meaning that Gilden would not recall the incident. (TOS novel: Crossroad)
- Gilden, like many other characters in Crossroad, is possibly named for a Star Trek author, Mel Gilden.
