"Tempered by the Forge" is the first of 18 short stories in New Worlds, New Civilizations, an in-universe anthology released by Pocket Books in November 1999. It was written by Michael Jan Friedman, illustrated by Gary Halsey and Alan Kobayashi, with additional contributions by André Bormanis. The story, the first of five in Part 1: Fire, takes place on Vulcan's Forge.
Description[]
Summary[]
A journalist for the New Worlds, New Civilizations project, a native of Earth's Arizona desert, is granted permission to cross the Forge, with the Vulcan Consulate choosing Tavis to accompany him. Staying in ShariKahr, the reporter travels by hovercraft to Tavis's cave home near Mount Seleya on a different bluff of the Kurat Mountain Range. His Vulcan guide is 220 years old and has crossed the Forge more than a dozen times.
They travel 25 kilometers on the first day, making camp at sunset as the temperature drops 20 degrees. They pass a koon-ut-kal-if-fee temple on the second day. On the fourth day, they see a line of 20-meter-tall rubinitite crystal statues of Vulcan masters in the T'Kurat Highlands. They reached the shore of the Great T'Kala Sea at the end of the seventh day. The journalist bathed in the brackish water, completely exhausted. He traveled back to the capital city by hovercraft the next day, now having a much better understanding of how environment played a part in developing the Vulcan mind.
References[]
Characters[]
- Tavis • unnamed Humans (reporter) • unnamed Vulcans (hovercraft pilot)
- Referenced only
- Samuel Beckett • Surak
Starships and vehicles[]
Locations[]
- Vulcan (Great T'Kala Sea • Kurat Mountain Range • Kurat Temple Complex • Luna • Mount Seleya • Seleya • ShariKahr • Surak province • T'Kurat Highlands • T'Khut • Vulcan's Forge)
- Referenced only
- Earth (Arizona) • the galaxy • Luna
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
- Federation • Romulan Star Empire • Vulcan Consulate
Science and classification[]
Occupations and titles[]
- pacifist • philosopher • pilot • Vulcan master
Other references[]
- art • atmosphere • avian • canyon • Cartographic Standards Act of 2237 • cave • city • M-Class planet • day • death • desert • dust devil • emotion • favinit • flower • food • fruit • gravity • hour • kilometer • Kolinahr • Koon-ut-kal-if-fee • logic • mammal • meat • metal • meter • mineral • mountain • orbit • plant • Pon farr • reptile • rock • root • rubinitite crystal • sand • sand viper • sehlat • shuttleport • skeleton • sleep • sonic shower • statue • teddy bear • telepathy • Time of Awakening • UFP Regulation 3201.09, Part 23 • vegetable • volcano • Vulcan salute • water • year
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- TOS episode & Star Trek 3 novelization: Amok Time – Background on pon farr.
- ENT episode: "The Forge" – Jonathan Archer and T'Pol crossed Vulcan's Forge with guide Syrran.
- DS9 episode: "Change of Heart" – Worf's ideal honeymoon with Jadzia Dax was a hike through Vulcan's Forge.
Background[]
- Like all the stories in New Worlds, New Civilizations, "Tempered by the Forge" was set after DS9 episode: "What You Leave Behind".
- The anthology's front and back cover painting was sourced from this story.
Images[]
Connections[]
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous story: first story in book |
New Worlds, New Civilizations | Next story: The Glories of the Hebitians |
| Previous story: Seventh Heaven |
Other short stories | Next story: The Glories of the Hebitians |
| Previous story: The First Virtue Double Helix |
Stories by: Michael Jan Friedman |
Next story: The Glories of the Hebitians |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: The Voyager Conspiracy |
Pocket Books Timeline | Next adventure: The Glories of the Hebitians |
| Previous adventure: The Voyager Conspiracy |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: The Glories of the Hebitians |