Star Trek 6 (Novel)
| Series | Star Trek |
| Published by | Bantam Books |
| Previous | Star Trek 5 (Blish05) |
| Next | Star Trek 7 (Blish07) |
| Written by | James Blish |
| Released | Apr 1972 |
| Advertising |
Kirk, Spock, and the others of the Enterprise find a deadly Eden, discover elemental life forces and planetary death wishes, and even meet Abraham Lincoln and Genghis Khan, as they speed through space on new assignments into the unknown.
Based on the exciting new NBC-TV series created by Gene Roddenberry.
The Savage Curtain
Adapted from the episode The Savage Curtain.
Story by Gene Roddenberry
Teleplay by Gene Roddenberry and Arthur Heinemann
While surveying the planet Excalbia, which appears to consist of nothing but a lava-like surface, the Enterprise is scanned by a powerful energy source from the surface. Soon afterward, an entity who resembles and claims to actually be Abraham Lincoln appears in space and requests to be beamed aboard. Kirk and Spock welcome Lincoln with the full ceremonies due a visiting head of state, then accept his invitation to visit Excalbia. There, a rock-like being named Yarnek appears and announces that the Enterprise landing party will participate in a battle between good and evil, so that the Excalbians can learn about these concepts. On the side of good are Kirk, Spock, Lincoln, and Surak, the Vulcan who united the people of his planet and taught them to suppress their emotions and live in peace. On the side of evil are Zora, a merciless criminal scientist, Genghis Khan, the tyrant warlord of ancient Earth, Colonel Green, an unprincipled, aggressive Human warlord, and Kahless the Unforgettable, the Klingon who set the mold for the Klingon Empire. Yarnek threatens to destroy the Enterprise if Kirk and Spock do not participate. After both sides conceive plots and counter-plots, only Kirk, Spock, Genghis Khan, and Zora are left alive. Satisfied, Yarnek returns Kirk and Spock to the Enterprise.
Related Data
The Lights of Zetar
Adapted from the episode The Lights of Zetar.
Written by Jeremy Tarcher and Shari Lewis.
Lieutenant Mira Romaine has been assigned to the Enterprise to supervise the transfer of new equipment to Memory Alpha, the central library facility of the United Federation of Planets. Then an energy storm of unknown nature kills all the inhabitants of Memory Alpha — and erases its computer banks as well. Apparently as a result of the storm, Lieutenant Romaine, who has recently entered a shared attraction with Mr. Scott, is able to predict where the energy will strike next: the Enterprise. Despite Captain Kirk's best efforts, the energy enters the ship and possesses Romaine. They discover the storm is actually a collective, energy-based life-form, the surviving life force of the last natives of Zetar, a dead world. Romaine's psychological attributes made her an ideal host for the Zetars, who communicate through her. The Zetars refuse to leave her body, insisting that they have a right to live, even at the expense of Romaine's life, but the "Lights" are extinguished when Romaine is placed in a pressurized chamber, and the Zetars, accustomed to the vacuum of space, are subjected to extremely high pressure. Recovered, Romaine returns to Memory Alpha to help restore the heavily-damaged facilities.
Related Data
The Apple
Adapted from the episode The Apple.
Teleplay by Max Ehrlich
Beaming down to Gamma Trianguli VI, an Enterprise landing party discovers a seeming paradise — until they encounter poisonous plants, exploding rocks, and extremely dangerous weather conditions. In contrast, the planet's inhabitants are a gentle, childlike people who call themselves the Feeders of Vaal. Vaal is a computer constructed "in the dim time" many years before by unknown entities, which survives by metabolizing the natives' offerings of food, and it is draining the Enterprise of energy as well. The landing party must defeat Vaal and its people, led by the high priest Akuta, before the machine can destroy the starship. After a fight with the villagers, and Mr. Spock's encounter with a lightning bolt, the starship's phasers destroy Vaal.
Related Data
By Any Other Name
Adapted from the episode By Any Other Name.
Story by Jerome Bixby.
Teleplay by D.C. Fontana & Jerome Bixby.
Rojan and his fellow Kelvans have journeyed from their native Kelva in the Andromeda galaxy, assuming Human form to determine if this galaxy is suitable for colonization by the Kelvan Empire. Now ready to return home with their report, Rojan lures the Enterprise with a false distress call and succeeds in taking over the ship. The Kelvans intend to use it for transportation back to their home in Andromeda. Preparing for the 300-year journey, Rojan, Kelinda, and the other Kelvans transform the Enterprise crew into small, tetrahedral blocks — save for Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scott. Spared from the conversion process, the four plot to regain control of their vessel. To do this, they take advantage of the aliens' newly-acquired Human emotions. With the aid of carefully cultivated jealousy, a little food, alcohol, and drugs, the Kelvans soon find themselves at each other's throats, enabling Kirk and company to retake the Enterprise and restore the crew to normal. The Kelvans realize that they cannot return to Andromeda: now too Human to survive there, they agree to permit the Federation to locate a habitable world for them to settle on.
Related Data
The Cloud Minders
Adapted from the episode The Cloud Minders.
Story by David Gerrold and Oliver Crawford
Teleplay by Margaret Armen
In search of the crucial and rare mineral zenite, which is needed to stop a plague on planet Merak II, the Enterprise travels to Ardana, where the substance is excavated by miners — Troglytes — who are forced to live on the harsh surface while the ruling class — Stratos-dwellers — reside in a luxurious city, floating high above the planet's surface. When the Troglytes refuse to turn over the zenite, Captain Kirk is drawn into their struggle for equality. Plasus, the High Adviser of Ardana's ruling council, maintains that the Troglytes are naturally inferior beings. While Spock is involved with Droxine, Plasus' daughter, Kirk befriends Vanna, a Troglyte leader. Kirk, Vanna, and other Troglytes enter a zenite mine, where Kirk causes a cave-in that isolates them, and has Plasus transported into the mine with them. Without protective filter masks, they all begin to display violent, unreasoning behavior. Plasus, now aware of the reason for the Troglytes' mental state, reluctantly agrees to address his planet's social structure — and the Troglytes agree to gather the needed zenite.
Related Data
The Mark of Gideon
Adapted from the episode The Mark of Gideon.
Written by George F. Slavin and Stanley Adams.
Captain Kirk beams down to Gideon, a disease-free planet the United Federation of Planets is attempting to recruit as a member. Something goes wrong with the transporter, and Kirk never arrives in the Gideon council chambers. A frustrated Mr. Spock fails to secure permission from either Star Fleet or the council members to beam down and search for the captain. Kirk awakens in an exact duplicate of the Enterprise, empty save for himself and a young woman, Odona. He discovers he is actually on Gideon, which, though disease-free, is also terribly overpopulated. Because of this, Gideon councilman Hodin lured Kirk into the faux starship. Now Odona, his daughter, has been infected with Vegan choriomeningitis, a virulent disease Kirk survived but still carries in his blood. Odona will die and infect others on Gideon with the disease, paving the way for a reduction in population. Mr. Spock finally locates the captain and then brings Kirk and Odona back to the Enterprise. Odona is cured — but happily returns to Gideon to infect other citizens of that world with the potentially fatal disease.
