This week I decided to review Star Trek: The Original
Series: Crisis of Consciousness by Dave Galanter. The story opens with the
Enterprise ferrying a diplomatic party from the Maabas, a usually xenophobic culture which has
recently opened negations with the Federation, to their world of Maaba S’Ja.
But as Enterprise approaches the planet, it is intercepted by a vessel belonging
to an unknown race calling themselves the Kenisians. After a brief skirmish, the
Kenisians agree to talk, claiming that Maaba S’Ja is their world and that they
want it back. The Maabas had been driven off of their homeworld by invaders thousands
of years ago and fled until they settled on
Maaba S’Ja where they found abandoned ruins, with the study of the ruins greatly aiding their science. The Kenisians, who
are descendants of an ancient lost Vulcan colony that have mastered the art of
transferring a consciousness from one generation to the next with a single body containing dozens or hundreds of minds, claim that the ruins are theirs and that
they were driven off the world by an invasion as the Maabas were driven from
their home. As the
Enterprise crew tries to negotiate an agreement between the
two sides, they discover that the Kenisians seem particularly interested in some
of the ruins. Upon examining the ruins, it is discovered that they contain vital components
of a Kenisian super-weapon, one so unstable that it could possibly destroy a
large chunk of the galaxy if deployed. The Kenisians seize the superweapon and
kidnap Spock, hoping to make him discover how to use it safely, while also
seizing the Maabas ambassador, Pippenge, to translate any useful Maabas data.
Spock must stall for time while finding a way to convince the Kenisians not to
deploy their uncontrollable weapon while facing many ancient Kenisian minds
that have sought revenge against their ancient enemies for hundreds or thousands
of years, and keep Pippenge safe. Meanwhile the
Enterprise is trying to discover the Kenisian vessel,
or its destination in time to intercept it while realizing in the process that
the same force drove both the Maabas and Kenisians from their ancient homes.
But the
Enterprise must face a trap laid by the Kenisians, who do not care if
the Enterprise is merely delayed or utterly destroyed, and other danger await them
as well…
I give this book an 8.5 out of 10. The story is interesting
and the background to the current situation was well done but there are some key
points to the history of the Kenisians which I felt could have been made more
clear. While I’m somewhat leery of super-weapon-based stories, this one managed
to avoid the worst excesses I have encountered in past super-weapon tales and
the combat sequences were well done.
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