Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki

A friendly reminder regarding spoilers! At present the expanded Trek universe is in a period of major upheaval with the continuations of Discovery and Prodigy, the advent of new eras in gaming with the Star Trek Adventures RPG, Star Trek: Infinite and Star Trek Online, as well as other post-57th Anniversary publications such as the ongoing IDW Star Trek comic and spin-off Star Trek: Defiant. Therefore, please be courteous to other users who may not be aware of current developments by using the {{spoiler}}, {{spoilers}} OR {{majorspoiler}} tags when adding new information from sources less than six months old (even if it is minor info). Also, please do not include details in the summary bar when editing pages and do not anticipate making additions relating to sources not yet in release. THANK YOU

READ MORE

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki
Register
Advertisement

Greater Than the Sum is a Star Trek: The Next Generation novel by Christopher L. Bennett, published by Pocket Books in 2008. The book is the fifth TNG novel set after Star Trek Nemesis, and is a direct sequel to preceding novel in the series, Before Dishonor; seeing the USS Enterprise-E explore the NGC 6281 star cluster to stop the Borg-assimilated USS Rhea gaining access to quantum slipstream technology. The novel features, and marks the first appearance of, the recurring Enterprise crew-member, T'Ryssa Chen, and at its close sets the stage for the Star Trek: Destiny trilogy.

Description

The starship USS Rhea has discovered a cluster of carbon planets that seems to be the source of the quantum energies rippling through a section of space. A landing party finds unusual life-forms inhabiting one of the planets. One officer, Lieutenant T'Ryssa Chen—a half-Vulcan—makes a tenuous connection with them. But before any progress can be made, the Rhea comes under attack from the Einstein—a Starfleet vessel now controlled by the Borg. The landing party can only listen in horror as their comrades are assimilated. The Borg descend to the planet, and just as Chen accepts that she will be assimilated, the lieutenant is whisked two thousand light-years away.
A quantum slipstream—instantaneous transportation—is controlled by these beings in the cluster, and in the heart of the cluster there is now a Borg ship. Cut off from the rest of the Borg collective, the Einstein cannot be allowed to rejoin it. For the sake of humanity, the Borg cannot gain access to quantum slipstream technology.
Starfleet Command gives Captain Picard carte blanche: do whatever he must to help the beings in the cluster, and stop the Einstein no matter the cost.

Summary

The USS Rhea is exploring a planet in star cluster NGC 6281 when they come under attack from a Borg vessel constructed from the former USS Einstein (dubbed the Frankenstein). T'Ryssa Chen, a member of an away team that had just encountered a group of mysterious constructs, is about to be assimilated when she is transported, apparently by slipstream, to Maravel, a planet she visited in her youth.

Picard is in the process of assembling another new command crew, following the mutiny during the previous Borg crisis, when Admiral Nechayev asks him to investigate the Borg presence in NGC 6281. He is provided with a multivector agent, comprised of various previous defenses against the Borg, and also transphasic torpedoes, only to be used in an emergency. He agrees to take T'Ryssa along as his new contact specialist.

The Enterprise arrives at NGC 6281 where the crew eventually realize that the star cluster is a living entity, with the constructs being extensions of it. They also discover the Rhea frozen in time, with many of the crew badly injured or partially assimilated. This was the entity's attempt to protect them, just as it sent T'Ryssa to safety.

The Frankenstein, meanwhile, was sent to a colony of former Borg drones led by Hugh, this colony refers to themselves as the Liberated. A group of them arrive in a vessel called the Liberator and offer the Enterprise their assistance, also asking for their help to be able to procreate.

The Frankenstein attempts to assimilate one of the star cluster's planets. The Enterprise engages them but the multivector agent fails to work because of a new armor. The entity refuses to allow any fighting and separates them. It is decided the multivector agent must be administered by allowing someone to be assimilated with it in their system on a suicide mission. Hugh volunteers.

The Enterprise and the Liberator track down the Frankenstein but the entity refuses to allow them to approach. Picard and T'Ryssa convince it through meditation and prolonged discussion that the Borg's way of life is sterile and it changes its mind. The Liberator is captured by the Borg but only Hugh is onboard. The multivector agent takes effect and the Borg cube is destroyed. The entity also delivers the Rhea to them so its crew can be saved. The Liberated depart, grateful.

With the crisis over, Picard agrees to Beverly's request to try for a baby and she becomes pregnant. However, some time afterwards, the Borg launch attacks on Barolia and Acamar, decimating them. The USS Bhutto, Leybenzon's new ship, attempts to defend Barolia but Leybenzon's attempt at a suicide mission allows them to analyse the multivector agent. The Enterprise is recalled to Earth.

This article or section is incomplete
This article is marked as lacking essential detail, and needs attention. Information regarding expansion requirements may be found on the article's talk page. Feel free to edit this page to assist with this expansion.

References

Characters

Abby BalidemajBazelBeronDawn Blairch'RegdaT'Ryssa ChenChi'iotJasminder ChoudhuryBeverly CrusherDerekDina ElfikiJoanna FaurGonzalesRebekah GrabowskiGuinanHegol DenHughPaul JanissMiranda KadohataRennan KonyaLeungLytonNuaxGeordi La ForgeZelik LeybenzonQing LongLorlinnaMargarkMimouniAlynna NechayevNinaNuaxJean-Luc PicardSekmalSeven of NineNatasha StolovitskyT'HalaT'LanaTaurikTelosCaithlin TomeiTroppVallasaVogelWorfThyyshev zh'Skenat
Referenced only
AdamArjunaArturisB-4Nanietta BaccoBataiLionardo BattagliaGautama BuddhaAntigone ChenSanta ClausZefram CochraneDomenica CorsiBrenna CovingtonJack CrusherWesley CrusherDamoclesNella DarenDataJadzia DaxDevilDiraniThe DoctorDonatraAoki FarrengaColin FarrengaSylvanna FarrengaVicenzo FarrengaBart FaulwellSigmund FreudGaanthRichard GalenGodGowronArmin GrabowskiRuth GrabowskiHadenLaura HeimboldHenry VHeraFelisa HowardIshmaelKathryn JanewayJanylK'EhleyrKahless the UnforgettableKamieKaminKauravasJarem KazKorKrishnaEdward La ForgeSilva La ForgeLocutusLoreBruce MaddoxMartokMeriborMoriartySara NaveQRheaWilliam RikerRo LarenHelena RozhenkoNikolai RozhenkoSergey RozhenkoSarekWilliam ShakespeareShinzonBenjamin SiskoNoonien SoongSpockSurakSylixT'LanaTaredTinmanTitansTravelerDeanna TroiLwaxana TroiVallejoGarem ValzKarina WozniakMarien ZimbataLewis Zimmerman

Starships and vehicles

USS Einstein/FrankensteinUSS Enterprise-EUSS RheaLiberatorUSS Bhutto
Referenced only
USS AventineUSS TitanUSS VictoryUSS Enterprise-DUSS VoyagerUSS TimurUSS OdysseyUSS IndefatigableUSS da VinciUSS HeraUSS Equinox

Locations

Stellar
NGC 6281Antares NebulaBeta Columbae systemOrion ArmCarina ArmSol systemDelta QuadrantGamma QuadrantSector 10Lagoon NebulaTrifid NebulaOmega NebulaEagle NebulaBajoran WormholeColumba sector
Planets, moons, and planetoids
AcamarCestus IIIBaroliaNGC 6281-34 IIIMaravelEarthBetazedKevratasDorvan VQo'noSSoukaraBajorChin'tokaVeridian IIIDenevaOrganiaBarolia
Planetary
Middle EastLa BarreFranceStarfleet HeadquartersSan FranciscoGolden TempleAmritsarKurukshetraLand of the Lotus-EatersSherwood Forest
Referenced only
Starbase 103Unimatrix ZeroDeep Space 9Happy Bottom Riding ClubSto-Vo-KorGarden of Eden

Races and cultures

BorgHumanMabraeNoh AngelVulcanCosmozoanAndorianSaurianEdoanKataanKlingonBetazoidKurlanLiberatedEl-AurianBenzite
Referenced only
NosgohImmortalQTravelerSpecies 116Species 8472RhaandariteJem'HadarRomulanRemanBarolianBolianAurelianVortaTormandarIconian

States and organizations

LiberatedStarfleetUnited Federation of PlanetsStarfleet AcademyBorg CollectiveDominionStarfleet Corps of EngineersFederation Judiciary CouncilDaystrom InstituteFederation CouncilKlingon EmpireRomulan Star Empire

Other references

ablative hull armorAnalectsanethezine gasangelArtha ShastraAsianAxanar crystal topiaryBajoran Wormholebar mitzvahBhagavad GitaThe Boomer DiariesbowBibleBuddhismBularian canapéscatChinesecoffeecreditdiamondDominion WarDraculadragonEarl Grey teaeggnogelfEmergency Medical Hologramenvironmental suitfembotFour Noble TruthsFrenchgraphiteGreekhorsestrawberry ice creamIDICimpJapaneseJewishkahs-wanlake dragonLyentha faithmagnetopausemek'lethmilkshakeMoby Dickmultivector agentnanoprobeOdysseyopen clusterOthellopencilphaserpierogipokerProject EndgamePunjabiquantum slipstreamquantum torpedoQur'anRoyal ProtocolRussianStarfleet bratteatigerToward a Prehistory of the Milky WayTransformational Relativity and Continuum Distortion Propulsiontransphasic torpedoTrojan horsetube grubVulcan lyrewatercress sandwichThe WolfmanThe Wizard of Ozyoga

Appendices

Background

  • This novel was announced at Shore Leave 2007.

Non-english editions

Mehr als die Summe

German cover

  • In May 2010 the German publisher Cross Cult published a German translation of this book. The translation, titled Mehr als die Summe, was translated by Bernd Perplies, and featured the same cover art as the original English edition; but with different title placement.

Related stories

Star Trek: The Next Generation novels set after Star Trek Nemesis
Death in WinterResistanceQ & ABefore DishonorGreater Than the SumLosing the PeaceIndistinguishable from MagicCold Equations (The Persistence of MemorySilent WeaponsThe Body Electric) • The Stuff of DreamsThe Light FantasticTakedownArmageddon's ArrowHeadlong FlightHearts and MindsAvailable LightCollateral Damage

Connections

Published Order
Previous novel:
Before Dishonor
TNG novels
(Post-Nemesis)
Next novel:
Gods of Night
Previous story:
Places of Exile
Stories by:
Christopher L. Bennett
Next story:
Empathy
Chronological Order
Previous adventure:
Articles of the Federation
Chapters 22-24
Memory Beta Chronology Next adventure:
Articles of the Federation
Chapters 25-28
The above chronology placements are based on the primary placement in October-November 2380.
The Memory Beta Chronology places events from this story in 3 other timeframe(s):
Previous adventure:
Articles of the Federation
Chapters 18-21
September 2380
Chapter 1-2
Next adventure:
Revenant
Previous adventure:
Articles of the Federation
Chapters 25-28
December 25, 2380
Chapter 12

January 2381
Epilogue

Next adventure:
Mere Mortals
Chapter 18, section 4

External links

Advertisement