- For other uses, see Metamorphosis.
Introduction (blurb)
From the back cover: It's an all-new crew -- an all-new starship -- but the same Star Trek magic that has thrilled audiences for almost twenty-five years! Now join Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the men and women of the starship Enterprise for their most challenging, exciting mission yet...
Metamorphosis
In the bestselling tradition of Spock's World and Enterprise: The First Adventure, comes another epic Star Trek adventure -- a sweeping saga of transformation and tragedy.
Unexplained gravitational disturbances summon the Enterprise to the planet Elysia, and the android Lieutenant Commander Data to a date with destiny. For on this alien world, he will be drawn into an impossible quest, leading him to consequences both heartwarming and disastrous, as he finally dares to pursue his fondest desire: to become human.
Summary
The Enterprise is sent to investigate mysterious gravitational distortions at the planet Elysia. In the process, they meet up again with Darryl Adin and his crew. An away team beams to the surface and hears of mysterious godlike aliens living on an island. Data investigates alone and finds Thelia, a princess going on a quest to unite her people's land with their neighbours. She and Data go on a quest together to meet with the gods, passing a series of tests that seem designed specifically for them. Both are given an audience with the gods. Although Data sought only knowledge, he is given the chance to become human and accepts it, returning to the Enterprise in that state.
The Enterprise's next port of call is the Samdian Sector, whose inhabitants claim to be under attack from another race, the Konor, that no-one else has heard of. However, the crew slowly realise that the Konor are actually a new group of Samdians possessed with telepathic abilities, who believe this means they have souls and no-one else does. As a result, they are enslaving or exterminating what they consider an inferior race trespassing on "their" land, while removing any children who are like them. Since they are not interested in negotiation, the Enterprise crew are forbidden by the Prime Directive from intervening. Aldin and his crew stay behind to help them by making a stand on one of the system's planets.
Data meanwhile is experiencing curious sensations around women and begins to realise he is in love with Thelia. He returns to Elysia looking for her but finds she is engaged to Sharn, the prince of the neighbouring land. He also realises when she kissed him on the cheek it created a bond between them. He speaks with the gods, who inform him that because of his decision, the situation with the Konor will not only wipe out Aldin and his crew but start a war that will drag in all the major powers.
Data is returned to the moment he met Thelia but this time hides from her, and instead Sharn joins her on her quest. He travels with the Enterprise to the Samdian sector and the crew make the same discoveries as before...except this time Data is able to realise that his machine brain can understand the Konor's telepathy, meaning it is not true telepathy. A way is found to rig him so he can send out messages on the same wavelength. The Konor recognise him as one of them, only to discover he is a machine, causing their faith in the concept that they speak through their soul to be shaken. They agree to peace talks.
References
Characters
- Darryl Adin • Argyle • Aurora • Wesley Crusher • Data • Drahanna • Serena Gibson • Guinan • Johnson • Geordi LaForge • Lodel • Sandra Murchison • Mystery • Miles O'Brien • Jean-Luc Picard • Poet • Katherine Pulaski • William Riker • Sdan • Selar • Sharn • Pris Shenkley • Thelia • Thralen • Meff Tichelon • Tom • Deanna Troi • Lian T'su • Ulia • Worf
- Referenced only
- Francis Bacon • Calatina • Carson • Beverly Crusher • God • Ira Graves • Great Mother • Sherlock Holmes • Lore • Phillipa Louvois • Bruce Maddox • Melinia • Pinocchio • Portal 63 • Providence • Noonien Soong • Tasha Yar
Starships and vehicles
- boat • USS Enterprise-D Galaxy-class • shuttle
- Referenced only
- Bird-of-prey • USS Clarion • IKS Pagh • USS Stargazer
Locations
- Atridia • Dacket • Elysia • Eskatus • Great Swamp • Quinaria • Romulan Neutral Zone • Samdian sector • Starbase 61 • Starbase 173 • Ten-Forward
- Referenced only
- Artemis III • Atlantis • Beta Tharsis IV • Brancherion • Earth • Gagarin IV • Gellesen • Genetic Research Station • Ghandi VII • Jokarn • Nisus • Starbase 32 • Starbase 92 • Theskia • Tosus • Treva • Vagra II
Races and cultures
- android • Betazoid • Elysian gods • Elysian • Human • Klingon • Samdian (Konor) • Theskian • Vulcan
- Referenced only
- Andorian • Brancherion • Edo • Ferengi • Orion • Preserver • Romulan • Verwar • Waykani
States and organizations
- Ancient Den • Federation Council • Federation Starfleet • Konor Council of Elders • Samdian Planetary Council • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Command • Tkon Empire • United Federation of Planets
Foods and beverages
- Aldebaran wine • alphabet soup • apple • apple soup • Arcturian cider • argramine soup • asparagus soup • baked potato • beta-resnis soup • bread • café au lait • carrot • cavistat soup • champagne • cheddar cheese soup • chicken broth • chicken consommé • chicken noodle soup • chicken sandwich • chicken vegetable soup • chocolate • chocolate mousse • coffee • cream of asparagus soup • cream of broccoli soup • custard • Earl Grey • fruit juice • grain • gring-nut • honey • horseradish • hot fudge sundae • ice cream • kosa juice • lemon • Marallel fowl • meat • milk • mustard • orange juice • oyster • pastry • pear • porridge • quetzi ramekin • roast beef • salad • Secarian meat roll • sennabar sauce • spice • sugar • tea • verne porridge • water pear • water
Ranks and titles
- captain • Chief Elder • commander • counselor • doctor • ensign • first officer • lieutenant • officer • prince • princess • Questor • security chief • security guard • security officer • sociologist • Speaker
Science and technology
- adrenaline • alimentary tract • animal • antigrav gurney • antigrav trolley • atmosphere • automatic shaver • bacteria • blood • brain • brain surgery • carbon • circuit • claustrophobia • cloaking device • clone • combadge • computer • conduit • connector • crystal holograph • deodorant • diagnostic console • dilithium • diode • DNA • earthquake • electrode • electromagnetic • electronic feedback • energy • ESP • exobiology • filament link • fire • food dispenser • food synthesizer • force field • hair • heart • heliograph • holodeck • hologram • hour • hypospray • ice • intercom • ion storm • listening device • lung • machine • matter transformer • memory bank • memory board • mirror • neural net • nitrogen • oxygen • parsec • phaser • photon torpedo • plasma • plasma electrode • positronic brain • quantum mechanics • radiation • radio • rainbow • receptor • scanner • screen • semantic interpreter • sensor • sensory mesh • sleep • sonic shower • speech amplifier • starship • startube • subspace radio • sun • synthoskin • telepathy • telescope • thought transmitter • time • tractor beam • transmitter • transmitter circuit • transporter • treatment field • tricorder • turbolift • universal translator • universe • vaccine • viewscreen • virus • VISOR • Visual Acuity Transmitter • warp drive
Other references
- 19th century • 20th century • ape • away team • bathrobe • bat • bellflower • bird • Black Fleet • boot • bridge • brig • butterfly • cat • chimney • class M • comb • corridor • crown • crow • doll • dragon • eagle • Elysian Quest • empathy • flowchart • glove • gold • golem • gring • guerrilla warfare • guitar • hairbrush • homunculus • horse • humanoid • Ikonor • insect • island • Kiss of Bonding • knife • lake • lamb • leather • lichen • locust • magic • mandolin • marionette • marriage • meteor • Moby Dick • mountain • nail clipper • Old Faith • pajamas • personal log • planet • poker • Pop Goes the Weasel • prejudice • Prime Directive • puppet • quarters • rabbit • raptor • ready room • red alert • reptile • robe • Romeo and Juliet • sandal • scarecrow • schematic • seja • semaphore • shampoo • shark • Siamese cat • sickbay • sling • slipper • smoke signal • snake • soap • social anthropology • soul • star chart • Starfleet uniform • table • tool • toothbrush • torch • uniform • Voice of Power • Vulcanoid • war • yellow alert
Links
- Metamorphosis (novel) article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: first unnumbered novel |
TNG unnumbered novels | Next novel: Vendetta |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous Adventure: Many Splendors |
Next Adventure: The Dauphin | |
