Introduction (blurb)
A pretty alien scientist invents the Intergalactic Inversion Drive, an engine system that transcends warp drive and the Enterprise will be the first to test it! The Klingons attempt to thwart the test, but a greater danger looms when strange symptoms surface among the crew and time becomes meaningless.
Now Captain Kirk and his friends face their greatest challenge - to repair the fabric of the Universe before time is lost forever!
Summary
The Enterprise is assigned to test a new propulsion system, based around a speck of material with infinite mass which will allow the ship to blink out of existence and reappear outside the galaxy. The Klingons attack once the Enterprise is out of Federation space and the ship turns a star supernova and uses the drive to evade them.
However, during the course of the inversions the crew experience hallucinations, seeing historical and future events they did not witness and each other's past experiences. Worse, their next jump is accompanied by another supernova and observation shows an area of space where entropy and the normal flow of time has ceased. The use of the drive has torn a hole with another universe where entropy does not exist.
The Enterprise journeys into the anomaly, where the crew see themselves travelling through a landscape to reach the being at the centre of the universe. Spock, Uhura and D'Hennish, a crewmember whose species perceive time differently, manage to communicate with the creature, giving it self-awareness for the first time, and convince it the breach between universes must cease. K't'lk, the scientist who invented the drive, is able to weave a universe for the creature to inhabit after they are gone and stays behind when the breach is sealed.
The Enterprise returns to its own universe where the effect of the breach has been reversed. Kirk finds that, as per her species' reproduction, K't'lk left behind an egg which hatches a new version of herself, who joins Scotty in working on the drive again.
References
Characters
- Larry Aledort • Amekentra • Lia Burke • Christine Chapel • Pavel Chekov • Dabach • Niwa Awath-mánë ri d'Hennish enu-ma'Qe • Dithra • Rhonda S. Halloran • Heming • Katha'sat • Janíce Kerasus • James T. Kirk • K's't'lk/K't'lk • Mahásë • Leonard McCoy • Mayri Sagady • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Harb Tanzer • Nyota Uhura
- Referenced only
- Aesculapius • Ludwig van Beethoven • DD Tauri V • Stephen Decatur • T'k'rt't • Y'tk't
Races and cultures
- Adarin • Altasa • Andorian • Eseriat • Hamalki • hestv • Human • na'mdeihei • Sadrao • Sulamid • Tegmenir • Vulcan
- Referenced only
- Romulan
Locations
- 109 Piscium • Acamar system • aia'Hnnrihstei • Alexandria II • Alpha Arietis • Altair IV • Coma B patrol corridor • Hamal • Iota Sculptoris • Majoris Congeries • Mars • Rasalgethi • Rukbah V • Sa-na'Mdeihein • Small Magellanic Cloud • Sol • Starbase 18 • Zeta-10 Scorpii
- Referenced only
- Andor • Antares A II • DD Tauri • Earth (California • Euxine • Kazalkum • Los Angeles • Pompeii • San Francisco • Stonehenge • Tripoli • Van Nuys) • Luna (Bianchini • Flamsteed • Herigonius • Jura Range) • Mirfak XI-C (Ten-Thousand-Step Stair) • Orual • Procyon A (Serengeti • Mount Meritaja) • Sadr • Theta Carinae • Vercingetorix IV • Vulcan
Enterprise locations
- astrocartography • bridge • corridor • engineering • observation lounge • quarters • recreation deck • sickbay
Starships and vehicles
Federation vessels
- USS Arizona • USS Armstrong • USS Bannockburn • USS Bismarck • USS Bonhomme Richard • USS Challenger • USS Clarke • USS Condor • USS Constellation • USS Constitution • USS Dataphda • USS Divine Wind • USS Eilonwy • USS Erinnye • USS Ewet • USS Ferris's Folly • USS Henrietta Leavitt • USS Hypsipyle • USS Inaieu • USS Indomitable • USS Intrepid • USS Isshasshte • USS John F. Kennedy • USS Kamë • USS Lewis • USS Lookfar • USS Malacandra • USS Manhattan • USS Marya Morevna • USS M'hasien • USS Milton Humason • USS Mor'anh Merin'hen • USS Na'i'in • USS Potemkin • USS Q.E. III • USS Queen Christina • USS Ransom • USS Raptor • USS Resolute • USS Rodger Young • USS Sadat • USS Sorithias • USS Sulam • USS Surak • USS Tao Feng • USS Thermopylae • USS T'Laea • USS Valkyr • USS Yorktown
Klingon Defense Force vessels
- IKS Amak • IKS Enekti • IKS Kaza • IKS K'j'khrry • IKS Kytin • IKS Menekku • IKS Okuv • IKS Tukab
States and organizations
- Bureau of Planetary Works • Federation Department of Science • Klingon Empire • Romulan Star Empire • Starfleet Academy
Other references
- Acta Mega-Astrophysicalis • adrenocorticotropic hormone • ailurin • alicorne • allcall • Alroth • altar • Architectrix • Ardrosam-G • arie'mnu • Artemis/Luna reflector • Ballad of Orange and Green • Black Fleet • Caledax • dilithium • flitter • humpback whale • inertrogen • inversion drive • Jane's Fighting Ships • kazoo • landshark • M'hektath • Neonor • nova • poker • Rofenisin • Suspenar • Thinking Planet • Unifactor • veriglas • Wolf-Rayet star
Appendices
Background
- Although the Pocket Books chronology places this story in 2275, the narrative makes repeated references to uniforms of the TOS style, described to resemble those of the mid 2260s decade, rather than the Star Trek: The Motion Picture-era uniforms that were in place circa the year 2271, which is also an issue with the cover art. The discrepancy could indicate that Starfleet used uniforms of this style for a time before changing again to the later maroon uniforms in use by 2278 (as established in TNG episode: "Cause and Effect").
Images
Connections
published order | ||
---|---|---|
Previous novel: Mutiny on the Enterprise |
TOS numbered novels | Next novel: The Trellisane Confrontation |
chronological order | ||
Previous Adventure: To Reign in Hell: The Exile of Khan Noonien Singh Chapter 22 |
Next Adventure: My Enemy, My Ally |
External link
- The Wounded Sky article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.