Mission to Horatius is a Star Trek: The Original Series young adult novel by Mack Reynolds. It was published in 1968 by Whitman Publishing. It was their only Star Trek novel, and the first original Star Trek novel.
Description[]
- While exploring a new star system, NGC 434, Captain Kirk and the crew of the starship Enterprise find themselves in an adventure, from one planet to another.
- They enlist the help of Grang, a local from NGC 434, to guide them through the system, all while attempting to find the runaway mouse "Mickey" on the Enterprise.
Summary[]
At the time of the story, the Federation starship Enterprise is due to return for a shore leave from a prolonged mission. The crew is beginning to get upset and prone to an outbreak of space cafard—a disease that is contagious and often deadly. The supplies and food are running low. However, the ship is unexpectedly diverted, instructed to pick up emergency supplies and to head to a remote section of space where Captain Kirk is to follow secret orders.
The ship is ordered to go to the distant Horatius system populated by anti-Federation colonists to check on a distress call. Upon arrival, the crew starts checking all three planets in the system. The first one, Neolithia, is the world free of modern technology and so low on development scale that its stone-age population is not even capable of sending a distress signal. The second one, Mythra, is a world populated by religious zealots and has normal radio-level technology, but denies sending a distress signal. Both planets, however, report attacks by mysterious "space raiders" who kidnap citizens and wreak havoc. Kirk decides to help, hopefully without breaking General Order Number One, and is joined by Grang, a resident of Neolithia.
The Enterprise heads towards the third planet in the system, Bavarya, which turns out to be a technologically advanced world with an unusually large population.
In the meantime, Doctor McCoy is trying to prevent an outbreak of space cafard. Also, Sulu's pet rat, "Mickey", escapes, and is believed to be a possible carrier of bubonic plague.
References[]
Characters[]
- Akrumba • Doris Atkins • Chang (Lieutenant) • Christine Chapel • Pavel Chekov • Delvin • Sean DePaul • Dick • Jerry Freeman • Grang • Jodl • Kellum • James T. Kirk • Masaryk • Leonard McCoy • Mickey • Muel • Muller (Oberst) • Nummer Ein • Peterson (Lieutenant) • Janice Rand • Montgomery Scott • Anna Shickle • Spock • Stuart (Pater) • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • Warren (Mythran)
- Referenced only
- Baal • Julius Caesar • Cheshire cat • Horatius Cocles • Homer • Jesus of Nazareth • Laika • Lucifer • Maripol • Noah • Christopher Pike • Lars Porsena • Sarek • Shickle • Taylor (USS Enterprise) • Thomkins
Starships and vehicles[]
- Referenced only
- Westmoreland
Locations[]
- Asia • Bavarya • bridge • Earth • Europe • Garden of Eden • Great Britain • Horatian system • Japan • Jericho • Kansas • Mars • Milky Way Galaxy • Mythra • National Park of Kyoto • Neolithia • New England • NGC 400 • NGC 434 • Proxima Centauri • Rome • Space Station K-8 • Starbase 12 • Starfleet Command Center • Tiber River • Ultimate • Venus • Vishnu • Vulcan
Races and cultures[]
- Human (Bavaryan • Etruscan • Indian • Mythran • Neolithian • Phoenician • Roman) • Klingon • Romulan • Vulcan
States and organizations[]
- Byzantine • Clan Shaman • Clan Wolf • Council of Patriarchs • Herr-elite • Klingon Empire • Planetary Defense Command • Romulan Confederation • Starfleet • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Command • United Federation of Planets • United States of America • United Temple
Science and classification[]
- animal • anodyne • argon • aspirin • boomerang • Bubonic plague • chlorine • clone • coal • confinement syndrome • deflector shield • Doppelgänger • ESP • Explorer 1 • hallucinogen • krypton • LSD • mile • neon • nitrogen • oil • oxygen • parsec • petroleum • phaser • radio • smog • space cafard • space strain • space suit • Sputnik 1 • super phaser • television • transporter • Tri-Di show
Occupations and titles[]
- captain • churl • gladiator • lieutenant • Oberst • Pater • pilgrim • recreation officer • serf • steward
Other references[]
- 1001 Popular Games Down Through the Centuries • American Civil War • antelope • Bavaryan wine • boxing • buffalo • canasta • cat • Chinese • Code Duello of Bavarya • coffee • Colosseum • coup • dog • drum • Earth basic • elk • feudalism • flea • Forbidden Rooms • General Order Number One • gin rummy • god • goose • Gothic • Greek • guitar • horse • judo • karate • kata • kenpō • kilt • Middle Ages • Nature Boy • Old West • Operation Mickey • Ping-Pong • planet • poker • rat • The Saga of Mickey the Space Rat • sandal • Scottish • slavery • Slavic • spear • Stone Age • sword • Teutonic • tribble • tunic • wine • wrestling • zombie
Chronology[]
Appendices[]
Background[]
- This novel was the first original prose story written in the Star Trek universe, but it was not the first book published, as it was predated by the first episode novelization collection by James Blish. While this book was aimed primarily at children and young readers, the subsequent Spock Must Die! is the first Trek novel aimed at a general audience.
- The German version of the book Notruf aus dem All ("Emergency Call from Space") was released in July 1970 while the original Series itself would not air until 1972 in that country. As a result, the Novel contains multiple illustrations of the interiors and starships that have a different style than the actual series.
- In 1999 Pocket Books published a facsimile edition of the book. Pocket Books editor John Ordover commented that they did the reprint "for fun", and had also noted that copies of the original were selling for high prices on the second hand market. (ST reference: Voyages of Imagination)
- To create the facsimile Pocket Books purchased one of two copies of the original owned by Dayton Ward.[1]
- The facsimile is almost identical to the original: The text on the cover "AUTHORIZED EDITION" is moved slightly, and the book has a new copyright page, plus a one page introduction by John Ordover on what was originally a blank page.
- The reprint edition was packaged in a slip-cover, promoting it as "The lost Star Trek novel".
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| chronological order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous adventure: Bread and Circuses |
Pocket Books Timeline | Next adventure: Battlestations! Chapter 6 |
| Previous adventure: Bread and Circuses |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: Battlestations! Chapter 6 |
Pubication history[]
- 1968
- first published by Whitman Publishing.
- February 1999
- facsimile edition published by Pocket Books.
Translations[]
- 1970
- German language: Notruf aus dem All (Franz-Schneider-Verlag).
External links[]
- Mission to Horatius article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Mission to Horatius article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.