Out of Time! – "The Alone" was the 62nd issue of DC Comics's second monthly Star Trek series, published in August 1994. It was written by Kevin Ryan and drawn by Rod Whigham and Arne Starr, with most of the events taking place in a flashback to 2270.
Publisher's description
- Letter column teaser
- We begin a two-part story set near the end of the five-year mission. Captain Kirk is buried alive in an ancient temple when a war-weary race attacks the Enterprise. Spock is determined to rescue his Captain and the aliens are just as determined to stop him.
Summary
In 2290, Kirk feels some trepidation as the USS Enterprise-A arrives in orbit of Gribbin II, and he recalls a mission from twenty years earlier...
- Captain's log, stardate 5992.4.
- The Enterprise is now in orbit around Veneu II. Sensors show no intelligent life forms, though the world has extensive ruins from an advanced culture. I will beam down with Mr. Spock and a landing party to investigate residual energy readings and make a preliminary determination about the value of the planet as an archaeological site.
- Captain's personal log.
- With less than sixty days left in our five-year mission of exploration, it is clear that both myself and the crew approach this mission with a sense of trepidation. The dead world below us may too much of a symbol of the end of our mission, and the loss of we all face.
Though reassignments will put most of us back into space, myself and the crew will no doubt spread among several different ships. Our duty will bring us new responsibilities and new opportunities. But for now, our thoughts are running to endings, not beginnings.
The energy readings come from a vast structure containing an operable long distance transporter able to beam objects through time to various locations within the sector. The building is shaken as alien vessels strafe it. The team heads to the exit, but Kirk is trapped when it collapses under debris. Back aboard the Enterprise, Montgomery Scott is unable to locate Kirk's communicator signal anywhere within the structure.
The attacking vessels warn Spock that the Enterprise is trespassing and must withdraw, and their leader doesn't believe Spock's contention that Kirk is still on the surface. The attackers fire on the starship, but with minimal impact to the shields. When the alien flagship tries to ram the Enterprise, Scott secures the attacker with a tractor beam and they relent. Commander Ikemar allows Spock to beam to the flagship and is swayed by Spock's calm logic, agreeing to supervise a landing party visit to search for Kirk. After excavating the structure's collapsed entrance, they discover that Kirk has been transported to another planet in the sector, arriving at some point within the previous three hundred years.
Elsewhere, Kirk knows he's no longer on Veneu II as he spots three moons. He trusts that the Enterprise will find him eventually, and recalls Ben Finney's advice from Starfleet Academy that his job now is to survive and make sure he is able to be found. He finds ample water, small game, fish and plant life in the area. His Starfleet training, combined with experience on undeveloped planets with Miramanee and Tyree, allows him to survive. He is able to make paper and ink, and begins writing down log entries. After 185 days, he's explored a small continent and found that the planet is devoid of intelligent life. No signals are picked up by his communicator and he is convinced that he is totally alone. Knowing he has a duty to return to Starfleet, he conceives a plan that will get him home.
But that night, he finds himself in jeopardy as he is attacked by a group of tusked, bear-like animals.
References
Characters
- Pavel Chekov • Ikemar • James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • unnamed USS Enterprise personnel (landing party personnel, transporter chief, rescue team)
- Referenced only
- Devil • Ben Finney • George Samuel Kirk, Jr. • Miramanee • Tyree
Starships and vehicles
- USS Enterprise (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • USS Enterprise-A (Enterprise-subclass refit Constitution-class tactical command cruiser) • Wumpar starships (flagship, fighters)
Locations
- Gribbin (Gribbin II) • Veneu (Veneu II • Veneu II structure) • Wumpar sector
Races and cultures
- Human • Vulcan • Wumpar • unnamed races and cultures (transporter chief)
- Referenced only
- Veneu II native
States and organizations
- Starfleet (Starfleet Academy) • United Federation of Planets • Wumpar Defense Fleet
Science and classification
- archeology • arrow • bow • communications • communicator • Feinberger • flashlight • intercom • long distance transporter • mayday • sector • sensor • shields • shovel • spear • technology • time travel • tractor beam • transporter • tricorder • turbolift • viewscreen • weapon
Ranks and titles
- acting captain • captain • commander • commanding officer • doctor • first officer • lieutenant commander
Other references
- animal • assignment patch • beam • binary star • blood • bluff • bridge • briefing room • captain's log • captain's log, USS Enterprise, 2270 • civilization • continent • crew • day • diplomacy • earring • emotion • evasive maneuvers • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • Federation Starfleet ranks (2270s-2350s) • fire • fish • five-year mission • foods and beverages • galaxy • Gary's species • humanoid • landing party • lifeform • light • logic • meter • month • moon • mountain • ocean • orbit • peace • personal log • plant • Prime Directive • races and cultures • rock climbing • science • snow • space • star • Starfleet ranks • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • Starfleet uniform (2278-2350s) • stone • system • time • transporter room • tree • water • wood • year
Timeline
Chronology
- James T. Kirk materializes on Gribbin II via time travel.
- 2270 (stardate 5992.4)
- USS Enterprise visits Veneu II and makes first contact with the Wumpar.
- A long distance transporter saves Kirk's life, but sends him centuries into the past.
- 2290 (stardate 8826.2)
- Kirk returns to Gribbin II aboard the USS Enterprise-A.
Appendices
Background
- The planet where Kirk was stranded, Gribbin II, was named in "The Alone, Part Two". Gary's species and the Wumpar sector went unnamed.
Related stories
- TOS episode & Star Trek 7 novelization: The Paradise Syndrome – James T. Kirk recalled his experiences on Amerind.
- TOS episode & Star Trek 10 novelization: A Private Little War – Kirk also thought back to his time on Neural.
- TOS episode & Star Trek 10 novelization: The Galileo Seven – Spock considered that the Wumpar, being an emotional species, might react unpredictably if attacked, a lesson he learned on Beta Tauri II.
- TOS movie & novelization: The Undiscovered Country – Established Kirk's skills at rock climbing.
- Kirk was also trapped alone in the past in:
Images
Connections
| Published Order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous comic: #61: Door in the Cage |
TOS comics (DC Comics, Series Two) |
Next comic: #63: The Alone, Part Two |
| Previous story: The Maze |
Stories by: Kevin Ryan |
Next story: The Alone, Part Two |
| Previous adventure: Schism, Issue 3 |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: The Alone, Part Two |
| The above chronology placements are based on the primary placement in 2270. The Memory Beta Chronology places events from this story in 1 other timeframe(s): | ||
| Previous adventure: Door in the Cage |
2290 | Next adventure: The Alone, Part Two framing story |
External links
- The Alone article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- The Alone article at Siskoid's Blog of Geekery.
