Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Book: TOS: Troblesome Minds by Dave Galantar

A well written and mostly enjoyable book with a certain lack of originality. The Enterprise encounters a telepathic alien race that does not have the apparatus for speech (Dark Page, anyone?). In the course of trying to establish communications with the Isitri, Spock gives an dangerously powerful alien an inroad to control him telepathically. Spock the steals a shuttle ( seriously, why do they not have shuttles on lock down?), placing the Enterprise and two warring alien races in danger. Only with the help of another powerful "troublesome mind" can the Enterprise crew save two alien races from annihilation.
Note of interest: In his real life, authour Dave Galantar is an employee of Gallaudat University, which inspired him to create a race that communicates with other races through sign.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

ENT: A Night in Sick Bay

Nothing could thrill my kids more- an episode dedicated to the character they consider the star of the show- Porthos. But wait. The show focuses on Porthos because his life is in danger from and alien pathogen picked up on Kretaasa. And while he was there, he was not just picking up alien pathogens, but peeing on one of the Kretaasan's sacred trees. Which Archer must apologise for, because Trip needs to trade for one of the Kretaasan's plasma injectors. After enduring much humiliation at both the hands of Doctor Phlox and the Kretaasans, Porthos is well, and Trip has not one but three plasma injectors.

Monday, July 13, 2009

ENT: Dead Stop

Still trying to effect repairs after their experience with the Romulan minefield, Trip tells Archer that the repair estimate may be years. Archer has Hoshi send out a general distress call, and a passing Tellarite freighter sends them to co-ordinates to a repair facility. The facility they find is fully automated, and able to adjust both it's atmosphere and outer configuration to match the customers. The repair deal seems to good to be true- and they discover it is after Travis is found dead. When Phlox's autopsy shows that it's a fake Travis, Archer goes searching for him and finds him in the Matrix.

TOS: The Galileo Seven

While en route to New Paris with a vaccine for an epidemic, the Enterprise encounters a quasar. Much to the dismay of the officious commissioner Ferris, Kirk enacts his sacred Starfleet duty to study any and all quasars. Kirk sends out the Galileo Seven with Spock in command. Ionic storms confuse the sensors, causing the Galileo to crash land in Bronson Canyon. While Spock tries to find the most logical way to get as many of the crew as possible off the planet alive, Bones, the scientist Boma and the redshirts decry Spock's lack of a heart. Meanwhile, Kirk searches for his missing crew, but Ferris has only given him two days before they must leave for New Paris and the clock is ticking. After being attacked by primitives that make Classic Who monsters look good, the decision about who to leave behind to achieve lift off is made much easier. IN the end, an act of desperation by Spock allows the remaining crew of the Galileo Seven to be rescued.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Book: Vanguard: Open Secrets

Commodore Diego Reyes has caused an uproar and ended his career by releasing details of Starfleet's true mission in the Taurus Reach. T'Prynn is still comatose, suffering the effects of pon farr gone wrong, and Doctor M'Benga embarks on a journey to Vulcan with her to seek a cure.The Klingons kidnap Lt Ming Xiong in an attempt to gain the secrets of the Shedai for themselves. A new commander has come to take command of Vanguard station- Admiral Nogura. Happily, the book was short on actual Shedai action, as I find that much less compelling than the interesting characters in this series.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

ENT: Minefield

An episode which had the potential to be tiresome, but which was done well. The Enterprise is investigating a Minshara class planet when it it struck by a mine. Malcolm goes EVA to diffuse the mine, but when he is struck through the leg with a magnetised spike from the mine Archer comes out to assist, and learns much about Malcolm in the process. Meanwhile, an injured Hoshi must translate a message from a new race- the Romulan Star Empire.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

ENT: Carbon Creek

I really enjoyed this episode! Maybe it's because I just like Vulcans- or maybe because it was an enjoyable tale. At a dinner with Trip and Archer celebrating her first year aboard Enterprise, Archer asks T'Pol about a trip she had made to Carbon Creek, Pennsylvaia. T'Pol tells a tale of first contact that occurs almost a century before Zefram Cochrane's contact in Bozeman, Montana. Although she leaves Trip and Archer with the impression that it was "just a story", the episode doesn't end before leaving the viewer with the impression she was telling the truth.

Monday, July 6, 2009

ENT: Shockwave

When the Enterprise attempts to visit the mining colony at Paraagan II, a plasma ignition destroys the colony and more than 3000 colonists. The Enterprise is recalled to Earth, but Archer eels sure Enterprise is not responsible for the tragedy. A visit from Crewman Daniels, who was believed dead, reveals that the Suliban were involved. Archer risks not just his crew and his life, but the future, to prove his innocence.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Book:Titan: Over A Torrent Sea

The Borg have been absorbed into the Caeliar, and the Federation is inching back from the brink of near destruction. The Titan and her sister Luna class ships can resume their intedned missions- to explore far beyond that reaches that have been explored before. The discovery of a water planet brings the skills of Pacifican ensign Auli Lavenna to the fore. A disaster leaves the contact situation in chaos, and Riker and Troi seperated at a most important time.