"Recruitment Drive" was a Star Trek Online short story by Katherine Bankson released in Star Trek Magazine #184 UK/#57 US in June 2016. It was the 18th of 20 stories set in the STO continuity that were published in the magazine between 2012 and 2016, the last of five by Bankson. This story focused on Captain Benjamin Walker and Commander Nereda aboard the Wells-class timeship USS Pastak in the 27th century.
Description[]
- The future of the Federation is in jeopardy, as alien time-incursions rip holes throughout its history. In the 27th century, the captain of the USS Pastak has no option but to consider recruiting new temporal agents, from a time like no other...
Summary[]
Benjamin Walker returns to the Pastak from a time travel mission to the 23rd century. Soon after, First Officer Nereda meets him in his ready room and realizes his mission isn't over, as he's still wearing an old Starfleet uniform. Although history is back on track, Walker says he's observed three temporal incursions in three weeks from the Na'kuhl. One oddity was the emergence of a planet killer in the 2260s, which shouldn't have occurred in the sector or that era, and led to the loss of the USS Constellation.
Starfleet orders Pastak to recruit operatives from the 23rd century to help ferret out the Na'kuhl. The familiarity of temporal locals with their culture, language, and politics will prevent them from standing out, as opposed to fish-out-of-water time travelers. Walker shows Nereda two dozen potential candidates, one of whom is a member of the crew of the Constitution-class USS Enterprise. She thinks he's the best choice on his list, but suggests an alternative in case Command doesn't approve. Her selection is a captain who had a short career and died too soon, who could be scooped from the timeline before they actually die. Walker thinks this might also be a challenging choice, but agrees to submit both candidates before getting a sonic shower and changing back into his regular uniform.
References[]
Characters[]
- Nereda • Benjamin Walker
- Referenced only
- Jonathan Archer • Pavel Chekov • Daniels • James T. Kirk • Montgomery Scott
Starships and vehicles[]
- USS Pastak (Wells-class timeship)
- Referenced only
- USS Constellation (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • USS Enterprise (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • planet killer
Races and cultures[]
- Cardassian • Human
- Referenced only
- Na'kuhl • Sphere Builders
States and organizations[]
Science and classification[]
- hologram • PADD • sonic shower • time stream • time travel • tricorder
Occupations and titles[]
- captain • commander • first officer • officer • security officer • temporal agent
Other references[]
- assignment patch • bridge • century • command division • crew • culture • day • decade • Dominion War • history • pocket • raktajino • ready room • sector • security • stardate • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • Temporal Cold War • time • tribble • uniform • Wells uniform • whale
Chronology[]
- 20th century
- Montgomery Scott violates temporal regulations during a time travel mission to retrieve whales.
- 22nd century
- Daniels recruits Jonathan Archer for assistance in the Temporal Cold War.
- 23rd century
- Na'kuhl agents plot to change history in this century.
- USS Constellation is destroyed by a planet killer.
- Pavel Chekov nearly earns a prison sentence for having misunderstood Earth's political climate in 1986.
- 24th century
- Na'kuhl timeline tampering could have extended the Dominion War and collapsed the Federation within two decades.
- 27th century
- Benjamin Walker returns to the USS Pastak from the past.
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- ENT episode & novelization: Shockwave – Temporal agent Daniels recruited Jonathan Archer.
- TOS episode & Star Trek 3 novelization: The Doomsday Machine – USS Constellation was destroyed by a planet killer.
- TOS movie, novelization & comic adaptation: The Voyage Home – Benjamin Walker cited James T. Kirk retrieving whales, Montgomery Scott violating temporal laws.
- DS9 episode & novelization: Trials and Tribble-ations – Nereda mentioned Kirk's 17 temporal violations.
- STO mission: "The Temporal Front" – Na'kuhl emerged as a threat following the Iconian War.
- STO - Agents of Yesterday mission: "Gentle Response" – Walker learned that Na'kuhl agents had been left in the 23rd century.
- STO - Agents of Yesterday mission: "The Once and Future Agent" – Agent candidates met with Daniels.
- STO - Agents of Yesterday mission: "Return to Babel" – Temporal Agent Chekov revisited the USS Enterprise in 2268 to protect the Babel Conference from a temporal incursion.
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
published order | ||
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Previous story: After the Storm |
STO short stories (Star Trek Magazine) |
Next story: Time of the Scotsman |
Previous story: After the Storm |
Stories by: Katherine Bankson |
Next story: latest story |