"To Wherever" was the last of six TOS stories by William Rotsler in the young adult anthology Star Trek II Short Stories. The story took place during James T. Kirk's second five-year mission aboard the refit USS Enterprise. In this story, an ion storm propelled the Enterprise outside of the universe.
Description[]
- Join the entire crew in "To Wherever" — a place from which they may never return.
Summary[]
An engineering technician alerts Montgomery Scott to a minor problem with the warp drive that will worsen over time and requires shutting down the engines to check the integrity of their dilithium crystals. Scott discusses the problem with Spock and James T. Kirk, who reminds Scott of their deadline to deliver medicine needed to fight a plague on Sigma-14. The ship drops out of warp for repairs.
A highly energetic ion storm approaches, which the Enterprise cannot avoid at impulse. The storm begins altering the laws of physics. Spock sends a negative feedback into the ship to stabilize physics, allowing the crew to exist without experiencing further distortions in the fabric of reality. The viewscreen shows the starship has left the universe.
Engineering completes repairs, having discovered that only one dilithium crystal is faulty. Following a trail back to their own universe, the Enterprise is able to return to their own time and space.
References[]
Characters[]
- Linda Chang • Christine Chapel • Pavel Chekov • Friedman • Galloway • Elayne Granada • Heineman • James T. Kirk • Leonard McCoy • Lex Nakashima • Schirmeister • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura
- Referenced only
- Cain • Charles Gridley • W. Somerset Maugham • V'Ger
Starships and vehicles[]
- USS Enterprise (Enterprise-subclass refit Constitution-class heavy cruiser)
- Referenced only
- ISS Enterprise
Locations[]
- Milky Way Galaxy
- Referenced only
- Andromeda Galaxy • Earth (Atlantic Ocean • Johns Hopkins University) • mirror universe • Large Magellanic Cloud • Luna • Sigma-14 • Small Magellanic Cloud
Races and cultures[]
States and organizations[]
Science and classification[]
- artificial gravity • chronometer • Cochrane curve • communicator • computer • impulse engine • intercom • library computer • magnetic bottle • matter-antimatter pod • microscope • nacelle • photon torpedo • seat belt • sensor • sentrilizer • spanner • television • TR-19 • transporter • turbolift • viewscreen • warp drive
Ranks and titles[]
- admiral • astronomer • captain • chief engineer • commander • crewman • dancer • doctor • engineer • first officer • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • midshipman • officer • paymaster • science • science officer • sergeant • specialist first • technician
Other references[]
- 20th century • alert status (battle stations) • antimatter • atom • bifetor fever • Big Bang • bridge • command chair • dilithium crystal • dragon • drug • egg • electricity • engine room • far future • galaxy • glasses • gravity • hallucination • hour • IDIC • Industrial Revolution • ion storm • light year • magic • matter • Melantron-114 • minute • mustache • operation • orbit • plague • planet • quarters • radiation • second • security • sickbay • skull • space • spider • star • star • steel • system • time • warp speed (warp two) • water
Timeline[]
Chronology[]
- When V'Ger merged with Willard Decker and Ilia, the joint entity headed toward the Andromeda Galaxy.
- Prior to 2277
- Dilithium crystals were supplied to Starfleet by workers on Luna.
- USS Enterprise is sent outside the Universe.
Appendices[]
Background[]
- The Pocket Books Timeline places this story and all of those in Star Trek II Short Stories in 2277.
- Based on the description, the Enterprise was thrown into De Sitter space.
- The ISS Enterprise and Terran Empire were cited, but not by name.
- James T. Kirk said to Spock, "You may fire when ready, Gridley," a reference that Spock seemed not to recognize. It referred to Commodore George Dewey's famous command to Captain Charles Vernon Gridley during the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898. (You may fire when you are ready, Gridley (famous quote) article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.)
Related stories[]
- TOS episode & Star Trek 3 novelization: Mirror, Mirror – The method used to return the landing party from the mirror universe to the prime reality was expanded this time to encompass the entire USS Enterprise.
- The USS Enterprise also left the universe in:
Connections[]
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous story: Intelligence Test |
Star Trek II Short Stories | Next story: Last in book |
| Previous story: Intelligence Test |
Stories by: William Rotsler |
Next story: Distress Call! |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous adventure: Intelligence Test |
Pocket Books Timeline | Next adventure: Distress Call! |
| Previous adventure: Intelligence Test |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next adventure: Mirror Universe: Glass Empires The Sorrows of Empire Chapters 4-5 |