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The Stuff of Dreams is a Star Trek novel, a TNG story set after the series in the First Splinter timeline. Written by James Swallow, The Stuff of Dreams was published as an eBook on 25 March 2013.

Description[]

An original e-novel from the Original Series universe! The Enterprise-E arrives in unclaimed space for a rendezvous with the Starfleet science vessel Newton. Jean-Luc Picard and his crew have been ordered to assist the Newton with the final phase of its current mission — a mission that brings Picard face to face with something he never thought he would see again: the phenomenon known as the Nexus. Less than twelve years after it left the Alpha Quadrant, the Nexus ribbon has now returned. Tasked to track and study the phenomenon as it re-entered the galaxy, the specialist science team on the Newton discovered that the orbital path of the Nexus has been radically altered by the actions of the rogue El-Aurian Tolian Soran — taking it deep into the territory of The Holy Order of the Kinshaya, one of the key members of the Typhon Pact. Starfleet Command is unwilling to allow the Kinshaya — and by extension, the Typhon Pact — free access to what is essentially a gateway to anywhere and anywhen, as a single operative could use the Nexus to change the course of galactic history

Summary[]

In October 2384, the USS Enterprise-E was dispatched to rendezvous with the science vessel USS Newton, crewed by both Starfleet and civilian scientists, which had been studying the Nexus for the past two years. The orders issued to Captain Jean-Luc Picard were vague and indefinite, merely to bring the Enterprise-E to the nexus and assist Captain Thom Bryant and his crew on their research. Upon arrival, Picard spoke with Bryant who explained that although the nexus was currently moving through unclaimed space, in less than a month it would cross into sovereign space claimed by the Holy Order of the Kinshaya. Starfleet could not allow word to get out if any Typhon Pact spies were listening, and believed that the threat of a Pact agent using the time travel properties to rewrite history and alter the United Federation of Planets was too great to allow. Starfleet Command approved a plan for the two starships to send a subspace pulse into the Nexus, triggering its collapse. Picard was shocked but with Bryant the ranking officer, the only course of action was for Picard to file a protest. As Picard was being escorted off the Newton, an old friend, Kolb, catches up with the captain. Kolb told Picard that the civilian scientists aboard were practically in rebellion, vehemently against Bryant's plan, and presented Picard with a tricorder of data and equations to instead encompass the phenomenon in a verteron membrane. However, once chief engineer Geordi La Forge looked over the incomplete data, he dismissed the plan as impossible to carry out in the short time frame remaining.

The next day, the Enterprise and Newton took their positions and implemented the plan to collapse the nexus. A phase imbalance in the Nebula-class ship's deflector dish caused the pulse to fail. A tendril of the Nexus struck the ship causing significant damage, injuring six and killing eight, including Bryant. As the Enterprise assisted with repairs, two Kinshaya Iconoclast-series liberators were detected on extreme sensor range. La Forge discovered evidence that the deflector dish's failure was intentional sabotage, and medical examination of scans indicated an Orion spy. Picard, Worf, and security chief Aneta Šmrhová implemented a plan to flush out the spy successfully, capturing him in the brig aboard the Newton.

Under the identity Een Norgadd, the spy was paid to infiltrate the Newton and gather intelligence for the Holy Order, funded by the ousted Episcopate. However, the spy claimed to not have performed the sabotage, having fled when someone else came into the bay, confirmed by the Betazoid first officer Rhonu. The two Kinshaya vessels began to move in on the Starfleet vessels, and as Picard figured out who the possible saboteur was, the shuttlebay doors of the Newton are blown out and the USS Cam launched. The Enterprise could not tractor the runabout, nor utilize the prefix code, but La Forge was able to beam Picard through the shields during a cycle drop. Picard materialized and was attacked by Kolb, who was fanatical about reaching the energy ribbon. Distracted by the fight, neither realize as the Cam was engulfed by the Nexus. The Kinshaya hailed the Enterprise on approach, declared the Nexus sacred, and threatened to defend it with the additional forces en route.

Picard found himself at the wedding of René Jacques Robert Francois Picard, but could not recall the bride's name or face. Realization slowly dawned on him that he was in the nexus, and he tried to leave the wedding, but first found himself in the now dilapidated house from his first Nexus experience, then on a desert world with the echo of Tolian Soran. Soran agreed to take Picard to Kolb, and as the two observed the scientist happily reunited with his family, they both expressed regret at how the situation on Veridian III unfolded. After Soran left, Picard approached Kolb, who angrily demanded he would not go back, even with the captain insistent that Kolb face consequences for sabotaging a Federation Starfleet vessel resulting in the death of several crewmembers. Kolb revealed the truth that he never let on - his family died on Deneva in the Borg Invasion of 2381, an event that left him distraught. Kolb admitted he had planned on causing a transporter accident, making it look he was lost in transit, but Bryant's plan to destroy the Nexus and the arrival of the Enterprise forced him to react quickly, and he miscalculated. Kolb gave Picard his tricorder, now with readings inside the energy ribbon, and left the nexus to be with his family as the Borg destroyed the planet.

Picard left the nexus, arriving back on the Enterprise moments after the Newton suffered the power failure; Kolb's presence aboard the Nebula-class ship altered such that he was never there and the sabotage had not killed any of the crew. With his knowledge, Picard warned the Newton of the Orion spy, which made Bryant suspicious until Rhonu confirmed the captain had been through the nexus again, although against his will. The Kinshaya vessels attacked the Enterprise, warned the Starfleet vessels away, and demanded the return of the Orion spy. La Forge investigated Kolb's tricorder data, and once the ship was able to disable the attackers, erected the verteron membrane, locking all ships from approaching the Nexus. Bryant was upset his orders were disobeyed but understood Picard's decisions, and departed on the Newton for the nearest starbase for repairs. Picard, his wife, and his son enjoyed a picnic of non-replicated food in the ship's arboretum, feeling the need for reality after his brush with a perfect but flawed fantasy.

References[]

Characters[]

Thom BryantT'Ryssa ChenBeverly CrusherRavel DyganDina ElfikiJoanna FaurHalnKolbGeordi La ForgeEen NorgaddJean-Luc PicardRene Jacques Robert Francois PicardRhonuSallosAneta ŠmrhováTolian SoranTaro TrinellTanna VetroWorfunnamed Enterprise-E personnel (USS Enterprise-E personnel) • unnamed Newton personnel (USS Newton personnel)
Referenced only
Borg QueenJasminder ChoudhuryZefram CochraneJack CrusherWesley CrusherDataDelkaCharles DickensGuinanJohn HarrimanJames T. KirkAntoinette MimouniMortodElise PicardMadison PicardMatthew PicardMimi PicardOlivia PicardRene PicardRobert PicardThomas PicardWilliam T. RikerLily SloaneLayaTaurikDeanna TroiTroppTasha Yar

Starships and vehicles[]

USS Cam (Danube-class) • USS Enterprise-E (Sovereign-class explorer) • Iconoclast-series (Kinshaya liberator) • USS Newton (Nebula-class heavy cruiser science vessel)
Referenced only
air tramBorg tactical cubeUSS Enterprise-BUSS Enterprise-DSS LakulPhoenixSS Robert Foxsailing boatskimmerSteamrunner-class

Locations[]

the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrant
DenevaNexus
Referenced only
AmargosaAndorEarthElysiumKodian PeaksPacificaRigelStyris IVVeridianVeridian III

Races and cultures[]

ArkarianBajoranBenziteBetazoidBoslicCaldonianCardassianCygnianDeltanEl-AurianHumanKinshayaKlingonKreelOrionStyrisianTellariteVulcan
Referenced only
BorgBreenKataanian

States and organizations[]

Episcopate of the Holy Order of the KinshayaHoly Order of the KinshayaOrion SyndicateStarfleetTyphon PactUnited Federation of Planets
Referenced only
Daystrom InstituteDepartment of Temporal InvestigationsDevotionalistsFederation Science CouncilStarfleet AcademyStarfleet CommandStarfleet IntelligenceUniversity of Vega

Science and classification[]

astrophysicsbio-scanbiologycommunicationsemitter overloadfeedback spikemattermeasurementmicrosingularityn-dimensional spaceweaponverteronverteron membrane

Astronomy[]

black holegalaxyG class stargravityplanetquadrantspacestarstar systemtime

Biology[]

lifeformDNAmedicineplant
Anatomy and medicine[]
Anchilles feveranesthezinedrugnerve
Lifeforms[]
dandelionhumanoidKaferian peonytigervirus

Communications[]

prefix code

Materials and substances[]

atmosphereDNAdrinkfoodgasglassliquidmetalsolidtritaniumwater
Food and drink[]
Altair watergrapeiced teateawaterwine

Cartography and measurement[]

metermicrosecondmonthquadrantsecondtimelineyear

Technology and weapons[]

autopilotcircuitrycloaking devicecombadgecomputerdeck platedeflector dishdeflector shieldenvironmental suitEPS conduitforce fieldforce field generatorholo-emitterhullinertial dampenerintercomintercoolerisolinear chipthe Machinemechanismmeson pistolMissionary Remoteoptical data networkPADDprobequantum torpedorelay modulereplicatorsensor palletspacedockstarbasestarshipstructural integrity fieldsubspace communicationssubspace pulsesubspace transmitterthrustertorpedotractor beamtransmittertransportertricorderturbolifttype-1 phaserviewscreenwarp corewarp drivewarp pontoonwarp nacelle

Occupations and titles[]

bishopcaptainciviliancommandercrewdoctorengineerensignFederation Starfleet ranksFederation Starfleet ranks (2370s-2380s)first officerglinnlieutenantlieutenant commandermedical officernumber oneofficerranksecond officersciences divisionscientistsecurity chiefsecurity officerspytactical officer

Other references[]

alpha shiftarboretumbaldricBattle of Sector 001bell (instrument)bootBorg Invasion of 2381bridgebrigcabinChristmasChristmas treeclothingcorridordemondress uniformemotiongardenglassgodgovernmentgriffinhairhelmhistoryHoly Rings of BetazedKataanian memory tracelightningmarriagemedkitmonographobservation loungepicnicplanterpocketpokerprimary hullProject Nexusquartersraces and culturesred alertrefresherrobesabotagesaucer sectionsecondary hullscienceshuttlebaysickbaysoulspiritStarfleet uniformStarfleet uniform (2373-2380s)statetitletransporter roomtunicuniformwarweddingyellow alert

Chronology[]

24th century
  • October 2384: The Enterprise assists the Newton and seals off the nexus.
25th century

Appendices[]

Related media[]

Images[]

Connections[]

Star Trek: The Next Generation novels set after Star Trek Nemesis
Death in WinterResistanceQ & ABefore DishonorGreater Than the SumLosing the PeaceIndistinguishable from MagicCold Equations (The Persistence of MemorySilent WeaponsThe Body Electric) • The Stuff of DreamsThe Light FantasticTakedownArmageddon's ArrowHeadlong FlightHearts and MindsAvailable LightCollateral Damage

Timeline[]

Publication history[]
Translations[]
2016
German language: "Der Stoff, aus dem die Träume sind", translated by Susanne Picard. (Cross Cult)

External link[]

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