"The Humanitarian" is the third of four TOS manga stories from the 2008 anthology Uchu (Universe), published by TokyoPop, written by Luis Reyes, with art by Nate Watson and shading by Chow Hon Lam.
In this story, a peace mission went disastrously awry when a nuclear reactor blast killed 63 and wounded 57 of the crew. With Kirk off the ship and Spock in sole command, Spock had to contend with political and emotional turmoil, both for the crew and the war-torn planet's inhabitants.
Description[]
- Uchu back cover
- Luis Reyes tries to glimpse the softer side of Spock.
Summary[]
- Captain's Log, Stardate 3347.6.
- First Officer Spock in Command. As Captain Kirk is recuperating on Starbase 47, the USS Enterprise has been ordered to the planet Rudimon for a remarkable mission of peace. Though once on the path to membership in the United Federation of Planets, Rudimon's internal political unrest drove them to sever all galactic ties. Now, seventy years later, the Federation has been asked to return and help a fledgling peace prosper. Our mission is to aid the people of this world by initiating a program to rebuild infrastructures weathered and torn by decades of war and neglect. It is a unique privilege. If I were human, I would most likely be bordering on excitement... if I were human.
Upon arriving, Spock meets with Governor Laisu and begins the massive mission, refitting equipment and training the populace on their first day. McCoy compliments Spock on his diplomacy. When Spock meets with his staff, Scotty reports an outdated warp core powering the city that should get a new casing. McCoy reports their hospitals are good but staff needs training. Lt. Labar Tique in security suggests implementing a system to inventory medical supplies. Petty Officer Harris says their educational materials are out of date but the system is good.
For Tique the mission is personal. His father was an early warp scientist from Rudimon who left after first contact then found himself unable to return when war started. His father died believing his world would never find peace, so Tique appreciates being on the mission.
Suddenly a massive explosion tears through the city.
Touring sickbay in the aftermath, Spock hears Leonard McCoy report 63 fatalities, 17 critically injured in sickbay and 40 more wounded crew still on the planet. McCoy says they need to go to Starbase 47 to treat everyone, as sickbay "wasn't built to handle so much carnage."
In Engineering, Montgomery Scott reports that a crude nuclear engine had blown up. He is unable to determine the reason for the explosion, whether it was intentionally set or if it had been forgotten over the years and whether age or the crew's movements had accidentally set it off.
As the crew prepares to evacuate to Starbase 47, Spock meditates in his quarters. McCoy brings two Saurian brandies, both for McCoy. Spock says he has no emotions to be affected, but nonetheless appears moved by the gesture and appreciates McCoy's company. Spock is reading an ancient Vulcan Book of Invocation to remind him that "even at the nadir of their development, we are at the core logical beings."
Spock and Tique visit the body of Laisu, who had been killed in the blast. Spock tells a local official that continuation of the mission is impossible with so many of the crew dead, but that the Federation will return soon. Lt. Tique reports the evacuation complete except for one security team. But as he is making his report, Tique is shot by a sniper and dies by the time they beam up.
Meeting with Kirk after arriving at Starbase 47, Spock suggests that Kirk might have found an alternative to aborting the mission, but Kirk commends Spock for his actions.
References[]
Characters[]
- Christine Chapel • Harris • Jevits • James T. Kirk • Kylat • Laisu • Leonard McCoy • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Stevens • Hikaru Sulu • Labar Tique • Nyota Uhura
- Referenced only
- Matthew Alford • Jason Alnas • Charles Babb • Alexandra Boring • Brizzi • Seth Cable • Jonathan Chen • Dashiell • Devico • Jake Forbes • Frood • Phillip Hansen • Elizabeth Hurchalla • Kasey • Anna Kernbaum • Kimie Ang Hae Kim • Theodore Kim • Steven Kleckner • Ghen Laraya • Lewter • Christian Lownds • Raymond Makowski • Rhona Medina • Jennifer Miller • Tomas Montalvo-Lagos • Matthew Nikon • Orgill • Jill Park • William Parkinson • Alan Payne • Pineda • Kyle Plummer • Joshua Pool • Zachary Rau • Reisman • Lisa Richards • Gary Shum • Hollace Smith • Timoth Snead • Aaron Sparrow • Erin Stein • Julia Taylor • Candice Uyloan • Jennifer Wagner • Willis • Weiya Xiao
Starships and vehicles[]
Locations[]
Races and cultures[]
- Human • Rudimonian • Vulcan
States and organizations[]
- Rudimon Security Ministry • Rudimon Interior Ministry • United Federation of Planets
Science and technology[]
- arterial regenerator • biobed • communicator • computer • Feinberg receiver • intercom • medicine • nuclear reactor • orbit • PADD • phaser • phaser rifle • probe • projectile weapon • radiation • sedative • starbase • turbolift • warp core • warp reactor
Ranks and titles[]
- chief • chief petty officer • commander • crewman • ensign • governor • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • lieutenant junior grade • medic • minister • petty officer • priest • sniper • technician • yeoman
Other references[]
- alert status (red alert) • assignment patch • Book of Invocation • bridge • captain's chair • captain's log • captain's log, USS Enterprise, 2268 • cargo bay • diplomacy • earring • emotion • engineering • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • hospital • hour • log entry • logic • orbit • peace • quarters • radiation • religion • Saurian brandy • shore leave • sickbay • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • three-dimensional chess • Vulcan nerve pinch • war • year
Production history[]
- July 2008
- Printed in 5" x 7 1/2" format in the anthology Star Trek: The Manga - Uchu. (TokyoPop)
- March 2009
- Reprinted in 6" x 9" format in the anthology Star Trek: The Manga - Ultimate Edition. (TokyoPop)
- 10 September 2020
- Reprinted in Graphic Novel Collection #129. (Eaglemoss)
Appendices[]
Related media[]
- TOS episode: "The Galileo Seven" - The story of Spock's first command.
Background[]
- When Tique was shot, Spock ordered the transporter room to beam up seven people immediately. Uncharacteristically, he miscounted. There were eight to beam up: seven security officers plus himself. While that might have been an error by the writer, it also might have been a subtle example of how Spock had been affected by the tragedy. Spock also did not record his logs for the mission, slumped against a wall when learning of Laisu's death, and spent time to honor Tique's memory.
- Most other sources depicting retrospective analysis of the Enterprise mission fail to mention a mass casualty event occurring during Kirk's first five-year mission, as the loss of 120 persons would account for more than a quarter of a crew of 430, leaving only 310 survivors aboard ship. One possibility to rationalize such an omission would be to consider that the group were considered officially detached from the crew at the time of their permanent or semi-permanent relocation to the planet. Also, it's possible some or all were specialists who had been sent aboard the Enterprise without ever having officially joined the Enterprise crew.
Images[]
Connections[]
| Manga stories | ||
|---|---|---|
| TOS manga | Shinsei Shinsei | "Side Effects" • "Anything But Alone" • "'Til Death" • "Oban" • "Orphans" |
| Kakan ni Shinkou | "Cura Te Ipsum" • "The Trial" • "Communications Breakdown" • "Scaean Gate" • "Forging Alliances" | |
| Uchu | "Art of War" • "Bandi" • "The Humanitarian" • "Inalienable Rights" | |
| TNG manga | Boukenshin | "Changeling" • "Sensation" • "The Picardian Knot" • "Loyalty" |
Timeline[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous story: Bandi |
TOS comics (Star Trek: The Manga) |
Next story: Inalienable Rights |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: The Order of Things Klingons: Blood Will Tell |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: The Stars Look Down VAN Declassified |
External link[]
- The Humanitarian article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.