Breakdowns (omnibus)

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Here lies Kieran Duffy (2332-2376). He died so others would live.

While the da Vinci undergoes repairs after the Galvan VI incident, the crew return to their homes to reconcile relationships with their families.

Summary

From the book jacket

After the catastrophic events of Wildfire, the SCE crew of the USS da Vinci is in disarray. Half of the ship's complement were killed at Galvan VI, and the survivors must put their lives back together. Corsi, accompanied by Stevens, tries to make amends with her long-estranged father. Abramowitz attempts to lose herself in her work, only to be confronted with an old rival – and her own emotional fears. P8 Blue goes home to find her world confronting a crisis that threatens the Nasat's very existence.

But it is Captain Gold and Commander Gomez who face the most difficult trials, as they find the road to recovery a difficult one. Each confronts demons from the past and the uncertainty of the future, leading to a bitter confrontation from which neither may ever truly recover...

Excerpts of copyrighted sources are included for review purposes only, without any intention of infringement.

Stories

25. Home Fires by Kevin Dilmore & Dayton Ward

26. Age of Unreason by Scott Ciencin

27. Balance of Nature by Heather Jarman

28. Breakdowns by Keith R.A. DeCandido

Home Fires

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Home Fires cover image

eBook #25 (19 February 2003, ISBN 0743475917)

by Kevin Dilmore & Dayton Ward

Summary

In the wake of the catastrophic events of Wildfire, Domenica Corsi and Fabian Stevens take a much-needed vacation, visiting Corsi's family on Fahleena III. Corsi is not happy about the trip, as she and her father, the head of a cargo-running company, haven't spoken in over six years.

An engine failure during a routine cargo run leads Corsi to confront her father, who reveals the deadly secret of the death of Corsi's uncle in a shocking tale from the Cardassian War that will change how Corsi views her family – and her relationship with Stevens – forever!

Excerpts of copyrighted sources are included for review purposes only, without any intention of infringement.

Description

Domenica Corsi brings fellow crewmate Fabian Stevens (who she has yet to admit to herself is her boyfriend) home to meet her parents, with whom they will be staying for a week. At first her mother, Ulrika, greets them warmly and helps them get settled in for their stay. Domenica and her mother discuss Fabian's feelings for Domenica. The two, who are not quite dating, have gotten very close after recent events, including the near-destruction of the da Vinci at Galvan VI.

When Domenica's father, Aldo Corsi, returns home, he does not question his daughter about her well-being but instead asks her about "the axe". After telling her father than the artifact is fine, Domenica explains to Fabian how she and her father haven't been very close since she joined Starfleet, going so much as to ask about an object before asking about her.

Her father explains that he must leave for his cargo run immediately, and can't chat with them. Fabian, trying to rectify the situation between Domenica and her father, arranges for them to go along on the trip.

En route to a rendezvous with the Thelkans, their cargo freighter, the Pharaon, experiences engine trouble. As Fabian and Wilson (Aldo Corsi's friend and ship's engineer) try to fix the problem, Domenica insists on having a talk with her father about why he hates Starfleet officers so much. He explains that back in 2355, just before the Cardassian wars, Starfleet came to him in the form of a Lieutenant Commander William Ross. Ross asked Aldo to store spy equipment aboard his freighter, the Ulrika's Hope, as his cargo route would pass near Cardassian space. Aldo reluctantly agreed since his brother and close friend, Giancarlo Corsi, was very eager to work with Starfleet.

Part way into the mission, the Starfleet officers tried to scan a moon nearby, believing it may have been a new Cardassian listening station. The Cardassians, detecting strange readings from the Ulrika's Hope, investigated and insisted on boarding and inspecting the freighter.

The Gul in charge, Gul Mogad, was an acquaintance of Aldo Corsi, so the Cardassian kept the search at a minimum with the intention of letting them go. But Mogad's officers detected the spying equipment, and the Starfleet officers were forced to open fire. This led to an all-out fire fight in the cargo bay, where three of the freighter's crew were killed, including Giancarlo.

To stop the bloodshed, Aldo was able to work out a compromise with the Cardassians in which he would hand over any scans Starfleet personnel obtained, and in exchange, the Cardassians would let them go. Gul Mogad reluctantly agreed. While Commander Ross argued that Argo could not turn over such classified information, Aldo was too angry over the death of his brother to care.

Aboard the Pharaon, Domenica feels a new sense of closeness to her father, this being the first time he'd ever truly opened up to her. Fabian enters and explains the warp drive is back online. The freighter then continues onward to its rendezvous with the Thelkans.

Domenica accidentally walks into Fabian's quarters just after he had taken a shower. Discussing the future, Fabian explains that he has decided to leave Starfleet due to his experience at Galvan VI, a revelation which shocks Domenica. She explains that every one had lost people at Galvan VI, and that she had to sleep with a highlighted list of the survivors next to her bed every night just so she knew who was still alive. She tells him that if she can go on after such an incident, then he would have to do so as well.

Characters

Aldo Corsi (β)

Dominica Corsi's father, whom she has barely talked to since graduating from the Academy. Starfleet officers aren't welcome in his house and he has great pride for the "Corsi Axe". He runs freight through the Rigel colonies. He was very close to his younger brother, Giancarlo (or "Gi") until he was killed by Cardassians as a result of Starfleet intervention in the 2350s.

Giancarlo Corsi (β)

Aldo's younger brother who worked with him on the Ulrika's Hope in the 2350s. He always wanted to join Starfleet, but never did. He was killed by a Cardassian boarding party in 2355.

Gul Mogad (β)

Cardassian Gul in charge of the Saltok system during the 2350s.

Lieutenant Commander William Ross (β)

Served as a Starfleet Intelligence officer in 2355. He was in command of the spy team aboard the Ulrika's Hope during its trip near Cardassian space. He assumed the identity of "Barry", the freighter's Assistant Helmsman, as his cover.

Ross' alias of "Barry" was likely a reference to Barry Jenner, the actor who played Ross on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Colv (β)

Tellarite engineer aboard the Ulrika's Hope.

Ulrika Corsi (β)

Dominica's mother, she is kinder to visitors than her husband. She welcomes her daughter, whom she refers to as "Dommie", and her friend Fabien when they arrive.

Michael Dillone (β)

Chief helmsman aboard the Ulrika's Hope.

Ensign Tobias Donovan (β)

Human Starfleet officer, he was in charge of monitoring the Starfleet sensor equipment along with Ghrovlatrei.

Gret (β)

Bolian navigator aboard the Ulrika's Hope.

Lieutenant Hu'Ghrovlatrei (β)

An Efrosian Starfleet officer, she was also in charge of monitoring the Starfleet sensor equipment. When two Cardassians discovered the sensors, she opened fire on them. Aldo later blamed her for the death of Giancarlo.

Traket (β)

Cardassian security officer, shot by Hu'Ghrovlatrei.

Walters (β)

Human cargo manager aboard the Ulrika's Hope.

Wilson (β)

Engineer aboard the Ulrika's Hope and later the Pharoan. He was very old, and born on the New Paris colonies.

References

Breen (β)

Duffy once saved Fabian Stevens during a ground-based fire fight with the Breen in the Dominion War.

Fahleena III (β)

A Federation colony, the location of Corsi's parents' house.

New Paris colonies

Earth colony established in the early 22nd century, its inhabitants have developed an accent of their own. Mr. Wilson was from the New Paris Colonies.

Soltok IV

A planet near Cardassian space, its moon was the location of a Cardassian listening station during the Cardassian wars.

USS Stargazer (β)

Lost during the 2350s, Starfleet Intelligence assumed the Cardassians were the cause of this starship's mysterious destruction in the Maxia Zeta system.

Tellarites (β)

The Tellarites are referred to only by their involvement in the "infamous Tellarite bar-fight story," which the senior staff jokes about occasionally.

Corsi Family Axe

The Corsi Family Axe is a family heirloom that's been passed down through the family for four centuries. It was given to the family of a Corsi firefighter that died in the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Galvan VI (β)

A planet in the previous book where First Officer Kieran Duffy was killed, along with a large portion of the da Vinci's crew.

Thelkans (β)

An alien species, who in the 2370s employed Aldo Corsi to run cargo.

Pharaon (β)

A cargo freighter owned by Aldo Corsi, capable of warp 4. Its inertial dampers were not up to Starfleet regulations.

Q'babi juice (β)

A beverage kept aboard the Pharaon. Corsi used to drink it all when she went on trips as a girl. Her father hates it when people finish the ship's supply before he can have some.

Ulrika's Hope (β)

A cargo freighter owned by Aldo Corsi in the 2350s.

Age of Unreason

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Age of Unreason cover image

eBook #26 (21 March 2003, ISBN 0743475925)

by Scott Ciencin

Summary

In the wake of the catastrophic events of Wildfire, Carol Abramowitz, Bart Faulwell, and Soloman are sent on a special mission to Vrinda, where the S.C.E. must introduce new technology to the world while avoiding getting embroiled in the political struggle between the Nasnan and the rival Tirza Sirajaldin. But first Abramowitz must participate in a ritual involving the expression of honest, naked emotion – one that has already been botched by Martin Mansur, the previous Federation representative, who is also a rival from Abramowitz's past. Never particularly comfortable expressing her emotions, Abramowitz must confront her own personal difficulties, and also confront Mansur, even as Tirza Sirajaldin saboteurs threaten the project's very existence...

Excerpts of copyrighted sources are included for review purposes only, without any intention of infringement.

Description

On the planet Vrinda, Lord Farhan Tanek discusses the future of the Vardan religion and its people with his advisor, Enzo Clyvans. Tanek plans to use a new weapon to annihilate the Nasnan, a rival religious sect and Tanek's political enemy. Clyvans decides that the ensuing civil war would be too catastrophic for the planet and attempts to get to a communications tower located within a Vardan temple. He is able to transmit a signal to Starfleet Headquarters just before a security guard kills him.

Cultural Specialist Carol Abramowitz planned to spend her shore leave at a conference on Caliph IX. However, she considers changing those plans when she meets Ian – a "quality inspector" for a company – during her trip aboard a cargo freighter. She and Ian flirt until one of the freighter's crewmembers informs her of a message from Captain Scott.

Carol is asked to meet with Soloman and language specialist Bart Faulwell on Vrinda. The planet's government has asked for Federation intervention as the two disputing sects want to avoid civil war. Although Vrinda could be described as "uncivilized" and "barbaric", they nonetheless possessed technology comparable to other major powers, given to them by an alien race with nothing along the lines of a Prime Directive.

Lord Tanek asks Carol to host the ceremony that will begin a truce between the two warring powers. Meanwhile, Bart and Soloman investigate a new device created by one of Carol's old rivals, Martin Masur. Masur's device can instantly duplicate a body and allow the one person to control both bodies, similar to "astral projection." However, the device also grants a person the ability to instantly appear anywhere and to gain or lose tangibility at will. For this reason, those in power on Vrinda are concerned about assassination attempts and the loss of all privacy.

While Bart and Soloman work with Masur on completing a device that would inhibit Masur's inventions world-wide, Carol investigates the possibility that Masur is guilty of the crimes of which the Vrindans have accused him – including murder. At the same time, she has to prepare for the ceremony. Thinking it would be easier if there were two of her, she decides to try Masur's device. Afterward, she begins to feel power hungry and paranoid, further proving the device's negative side-effects.

At the ceremony, Carol finally realizes Masur's big scheme. He didn't come to the planet to design a machine to inhibit the devices, but to empower them. The machine Bart and Soloman had been working on would in fact let the whole planet "astral project" when ever they like, plaguing the world with more chaos and violence then it already had.

The three of them leave the planet aboard the USS Sugihara and return to their shore leave. Peace on Vrinda was not reached but civil war was averted. The planet would begin the road towards Federation membership when its leaders decided that peace was better then the possibility of mutual annihilation.

Carol follows Ian and goes to Pacifica. Soloman decided to return to McKinley Station to oversee the refit of the da Vinci's new computer. And Bart opts to return to Starbase 92.

Characters

Lord Farhan Tanek (β)

Leader of the majority party (Vardan) on the planet Vrinda. He requested the Federation's assistance when plans for his new weapon were leaked, and he decided to stop its use by anyone.

Martin Mansur (β)

A Federation citizen that once stole the idea of Carol Abramowitz and took the credit, he helped the Vrindans develop the astral projection technology. He was later taken to a Federation court via the Sugihara's brig.

Alhouan (β)

A bodyguard of Tanek's, he was actually a member of the opposition party to the device's use.

Enzo Clyvans (β)

Faked his death to get the Federation to come to the planet and repair what he lied was an inhibitor, which was actually a enhancer.

Ian (β)

A "quality inspector" for a major ten-world organization, he showed romantic interest in Carol Abramowitz. Carol would later meet him up on Pacifica.

Tirza Sirajaldin (β)

Leader of the Nasan, who almost killed Tanek, but was put in jail. It was later discovered that his "projection" was imprisoned, and he was using the device.

References

Pacifica (β)

The Lionarti was en route to this planet before Carol had to leave. When the mission was over, she decided to meet up with Ian here.

Belgarian (β)

Species that owned the cargo organization the Lionarti worked for.

Caliph IX (β)

Planet that Abramowitz was originally heading for, before Starfleet sent her to Vrinda.

The Highborn

The legislative branch of Vrinda's government, it was made up of people who are believed to be born of noble blood.

Lionarti (β)

A cargo shuttle under the command of the Belgarian cargo authority, en route to Pacifica.

Nasnan (β)

The religious opponents of the Vardans; they were almost annihilated by the Vardan's use of the Astral projecting device. They decided to make peace with the Vardans when mutual annihilation became possible.

Sinnravian drad music (β)

Collection of musical compositions given to Abramowitz by Nog when she met him on an assignment to Deep Space 9. She listened to it often, and people often complained that it was horrible.

Starbase 92 (β)

The Starbase where Bart Faulwell's boyfriend was assigned. He spent most of his shore leave there with him.

USS Sugihara (β)

The Sugihara was a Federation starship that was in orbit of Vrinda in case the SCE team needed emergency beam out. They later brought the team to Starbase 92, and held Masur in their brig.

Varden (β)

Religious and political opponents of the Nasnan. Tanek was the leader of both the planet and the party.

Vrinda (β)

The planet inhabited by the Vrindans; the political party in control were the Vardan. They were split religiously and risked civil war until they asked the Federation to intervene.

Balance of Nature

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Balance of Nature cover image

eBook #27 (3 April 2003, ISBN 0743475933)

by Heather Jarman

Summary

In the wake of the catastrophic events of Wildfire, P8 Blue returns to her homeworld, only to find herself caught up in a web of intrigue. Strange disappearances among her fellow Nasats and odd happenings throughout her homeland have stymied local authorities. Due to her experiences with Starfleet in general and the S.C.E. in particular, Blue is asked to aid in the investigation.

What they turn up will lead to a terrible secret from the Nasat's past, and it will take all of Blue's ingenuity to save her people – and an entire world...

Excerpts of copyrighted sources are included for review purposes only, without any intention of infringement.

Description

As P8 ("Pattie") Blue steps foot on the Nasat homeworld for the first in years, a quake strikes, the first in sixteen seasons (or eight years, Federation standard). While trying not to fall off the ledge of the city built into the treetops kilometers in the air, many other Nasat are injured by the debris. She is also worried about a very important duffel bag she's carrying - which contains young larvae (her offspring). Nasat leave their young in special nursery buildings, and the young never meet their parents. Once the quake stops, she searches for her Betazoid friend "Zoë" who was there to meet her. The two of them try to treat injured Nasat, but a Nasat security guard tries to get everyone evacuated by order of the planetary council.

After finally giving up with arguing with officer, (as they've done all they can for the injured anyway) they head back to Zoë's paddock. Watching the news on Dr. Tarak's power cell viewscreen (as the power was out), P8 tries to figure out why the more sturdy buildings were destroyed while the older ones were reasonably untouched. She takes several frames and studies them, as Zoë catches up with her on her and Taraks research into "quiets," as well as her budding relationship with him.

Pattie determines that she can, and must, help with the research operation to find out why the quake occurred, as the future of the entire city could be at stake if the mother tree is damaged in any minor way. After determinately going through numerous channels, she finds a way to schedule an appointment with Governor Z4, who assigns her to a research team going to study the problem. On the way back to her paddocks with the good news, she decides to stop by a nursery building to examine their facilities - since one of the reasons she came back to Nasat was to leave her young larvae. She realizes that her 'quiet' genes may have been given to her offspring, and hopes that they aren't, so that they can have a better early life then she did.

On the research team, they split up to climb part-way down the side of the huge tree. Pattie finds a large collection of patches of black, oily tar, and takes pictures of them when she hears a loud humming. She goes to call base, but can't. When Base calls her to see if anything is wrong, she can't speak: a condition she has when she is very nervous. The teams go to rescue her, after the mysterious cause disappears. At a meeting, they cannot determine the problem: until Pattie realizes a connection to two maps of the mother tree. This leads her to suggest that the only way they can find the cause is to travel to the surface, something unheard of. Finally, she convinces them, and a small team begins climbing down the side of the tree, including Pattie and Tarak.

There, they find carvings into the tree from over 800 years before – depicting the black tar on the tree, ancient Nasat, and ancient Nasat without mouths (which Pattie presumes stands for "quiets"). Pattie devises a way to alter their SIMs beacons along the ultraviolet spectrum to see the trails left by the tar-creating creatures. Soon they are attacked by the strange humming monster from before, and the teams split up running. Pattie, Tarak, and a Nasat that actually showed Pattie respect run in one direction – as Y29 falls into quicksand. Pattie tries desperately to save him, as Tarak holds the branches, and they are successful. As they lose the strange cause of the "humming," they set up camp.

Pattie takes some time to think to herself, and go over the evidence they've found, as the "monster" attacks again. This time the whole team is brought to the ground (most of the Nasat curling into defensive balls) but Tarak manages to crawl to Pattie, and meld with her. He tells her "not to resist" the high-pitched humming. She knows she can trust Dr. Tarak, and decides to let it in. A rapid influx of telepathic images enter her mind, and she is able to speak with the creature. They find each others name, (the creature: a Citoac) and Pattie realizes why they were attacking.

In ancient times, the Citoac and Nasat lived together in harmony, until the Nasat decided to move to the treetops. The Citoac preferred a more simple life on the ground, and the two agreed that certain sections wouldn't be developed so that light could reach their photosynthetic food. The "quiets" were in fact a special group, that were the only ones that could communicate with the Citoac. But due to the Nasats nature of ignoring the past, the agreement with the Citoac had been forgotten - and they were being starved in the darkness.

Pattie agrees to give them a voice in the planetary council in the canopy, and the team returns to the Nasat city level. After a week of convincing, the Planetary Council agrees to move the outer establishments further up the tree, so that light could more easily reach the Citoac. With only a week left of shore leave, Zoë is surprised that she didn't take up the offer to oversee the move, as it was based on her designs. But she reminds Zoë that this is still her vacation, and she wants to spend her last week resting before returning to Starfleet. But before she does that, she returns to the nursery building to drop off her duffel bag. After filling out a chart, she for the first time regrets the fact that she'll never know her offspring, and wishes them well - perhaps they may even be as lucky to be born a "quiet" as she was.

Characters

Zoeannah "Zoë" Xanfer

A Betazoid scientist who has worked on the Nasat homeworld since 2366. Her and Dr. Tarak's work with "quiets" has progressed slowly over ten years, but the two of them still have high hopes. She helped Pattie get over her "quiet" status when she was younger, and the two have since become close friends. She was waiting for Pattie at the landing point, when just after Pattie got off a quake struck. She later caught Pattie up on her and Tarak's relationship.

Tarak

A Vulcan scientist that has been studying "quiets" on the Nasat homeworld for many years, trying to find the cause and cure of it. His wife, Tu'vara, was a Starfleet officer assigned to the USS Cairo when it was presumed destroyed near the Romulan Neutral Zone in 2374. Starting in 2375, Tarak and Zoë became more then "research fellows." He later went with the Nasat team to the surface to find the cause, and telepathically joined with Pattie to give her the strength to communicate with the Citoac.

Nasat

D6

The Nasat leader of the second research mission, that went to the planets surface. Pattie found him to be annoying, ignoring several important options that could actually have led to finding out the cause of the strange tar. He rolled into a defensive ball when the Citoac attacked the final time.

M9 Green

She served as mission leader of the team examining sector 9A, deck 6. When Pattie met her, she was busy giving out orders. Later while Pattie was trapped and frozen in a tree, she tried contacting her, to no effect.

"Yellow"

A Nasat security officer that came across P8 Blue and Zoë trying to help injured Nasats after the quake. He told them to go back to their house and medical personnel would be along shortly, but they told him it was pointless to leave the injured lying there while they could help. Pattie tried to convince him that she had advanced Engineering training and basic medical from her work with Starfleet, but when he looked at her identification file he prejudicially assumed she was less intelligent being a "quiet."

Y29 Brown

One of the scientists on M9 Green and P8 Blue's team, he quickly befriended P8 as he was more open to her then most of the other Nasat there. Later, on the expedition to the forest floor, he followed Tarak and Pattie running from the "monster," only to fall into some quicksand. Pattie was able to rescue him.

Governor Z4 Blue

Governor of the planet-quadrant encompassing the quake damage and Patties hometown, Z4 has been secretly following P8's career since they were both in the same nursery. He was friends with Commander Enom, who P8 contacted to be able to contact him since he was so protected from civilian complaints/appointments. Happy with P8s work with the SCE, he gladly gave her a provisional rank to work with the research teams.

References

Ktarian Merlot

Zoë commented that after P8 Blue's dramatic entrance included the first quake on the Nasat homeworld in eight years, she could have just brought a bottle of Ktarian merlot and some Risian pottery.

Vulcan, Trill, Andor

P8 Blue mentioned that the Nasat homeworld wasn't exactly up to Federation building codes, such as other Federation member planets.

C'kh fly

Insectoid species native to Nasat homeworld. Occasionally builds nests in trees that cause an infestation, requiring immediate procedures to remove to protect the tree. A c'kh fly infestation was one possible excuse for the quake.

Citoac

An ancient people that lived on the forest floor of the Nasat homeworld. After years of war, they because general allies. When the Nasat wanted to work their way up, and migrate to the treetops the Citoac protested, wishing to remind on the forest floor. So that their photosynthetic food would remain, they made an agreement that the Nasat would only expand their canopy settlements to certain areas, so that sunlight would still reach the forest floor. When the expansion blocked sunlight by the 2370s, the Citoac once again went to war the Nasat. Their transportation left black acid-like residue where it went, and they would use it to harm the trees the Nasat lived in - damaging the settlements that were where the Citoac reserved sunlight only. Partially telepathic, they can only communicate with "quiets", which is why quiets tended to live on the outskirts of settlements. Their existence was forgotten by the Nasat for eight hundred years, until P8 Blue traveled to contact them. Their communication sounds like a high pitched "hum" to non-"quiets."

D5 Green

Governor Z4 Blue's secretary, access to her is almost as hard to get by the public (to make an appointment) as it is to meet with the governor himself.

Commander Emon

An old friend of Z4 Blue, he was a first year cadet at Starfleet Academy when Captain Gold was a senior there, and as such the two occasionally caught up. P8 pulled some strings with Captain Gold and Commander Emon, in command of a near-by Starbase, so she could speak with Z4, who was surprised she went to so much trouble.

Wrist lights

Starfleet SIMs Beacons; they must be used on the surface because so little light gets there. Pattie devises a way to alter them on the Ultra-Violet spectrum to show the trail of the cause of the tar-acid killing the mother tree.

Laito monkey

A species of furry primate native to the Nasat homeworld, known for their swinging from treetop to treetop. The occasionally chew at live power lines, something security was worried about shortly after the quake struck. They also nest on the smoothed parts of branches.

Mother-tree

The primary tree of a Nasat city, it is the central base for all their buildings. A minor problem, like an insect infection in a single branch, can lead to the destruction of an entire city, so extreme care is taken and many scientists keep the tree healthy.

Nasat (species)

An insectoid species similar to large pillbugs, native to a planet of the same name. They live in the treetops, though in ancient times lived in the mushy underbrush. They do not pay nearly as much respect to the past as sentimental humanoid species, citing "when a building is no longer useful, it should be replaced, no matter what happened there." As slang, they call each other "shells" or occasionally the color of their shell (Red, Green, Yellow, Blue, and Brown) and they call humanoids "softs." (See: M3 Green)

Nasat (planet)

The homeworld of the Nasat, their cities are kilometers above ground level in the treetops, where a city is anchored to a central "mother tree." The surface is bog-like muck, which the Nasat prefer never to go down to; in between the two, the forest's midsection are parts of the tree covered in a kind of lichen.

Quiets

Name for Nasat young that are born with a disorder where pressure on their brain doesn't allow them to interpret language accurately, and hence go on to lead an isolated life. A "quiet" Nasat is listed as so in their planetary identification record, and is often expected to be so to an almost prejudicial manner. Approximately 1 in 750 Nasat of all colors and genders are born with the disorder, including P8 Blue. There is some forms of treatment however, such as training with Dr. Tarak and Xanfer, though most Nasat are not eager to meet with Federation scientists since rumors of them "performing experiments on quiets" have circulated.

Breakdowns

Breakdowns cover image

eBook #28 (18 June 2003, ISBN 0743474562)

by Keith R.A. DeCandido

Summary

After the catastrophic events of Wildfire, both Captain David Gold and Commander Sonya Gomez return to their homes, to take refuge in family in the wake of tragedy. But neither commanding officer nor first officer finds the road to recovery an easy one, as each confronts demons from the past and uncertainty about the future, leading to a bitter confrontation from which neither may ever truly recover...

Excerpts of copyrighted sources are included for review purposes only, without any intention of infringement.

Description

In San Francisco, a Starfleet Tribunal headed by Vice Admiral William Ross finds the near-destruction of the da Vinci and all twenty-three deaths related to the incident on Galvan VI not the fault of Captain David Gold and in the line of duty. The only officers present are Admirals Ross, Sitak, and Captain Scott – as David Gold had requested a closed session to let the survivors stay on their shore leave. Captain Scott, head of the Starfleet Engineering Corps reminds Gold that it really wasn't his fault – and that nothing he could have done would have changed the outcome. Gold finally gives in to Scotty, and heads to his home in the Bronx, New York with his wife Rachel. After a happy reunion with his dog Freser, he is greeted by his entire family (which is very large.) He sees several of his children and great-grandchildren he hasn't seen in years. After several minutes of exchanging stories, they go to have dinner, another of Rachel's famous meals.

In Vieques, Puerto Rico, Sonya is in her parents attic, which serves as her mother's sculpting studio, contemplating the Galvan VI incident again. Her sister Belinda comes in, and after trying to strike up a conversation, she gets Sonya to tell her what happened – and explain how Kieran proposed. After more jabbing from Belinda, she finally gets her to come out of the attic and the to head to a nearby beach.

Back in the Bronx, Gold happily and silently sits at the head of his huge table, with his entire family eating and chattering around it. But after dinners over, several of them have to head back home. Joey, who hasn't said more then a few words the whole night, leaves on bad terms – arguing that he doesn't want to be there anymore, and doesn't speak to his father. Before Khor and Esther can leave, David insists the two stay at the house. After some persuading that they really should head back to the Klingon embassy in Paris, Rachel convinces them using some Klingon word play that it is only honorable to accommodate such an accommodating host.

After some more of Rachel's food, the family members that are staying the night gather in the living room to hear David tell the full story of what happened at Galvan VI. David Gold explains how a missile being carried aboard the USS Orion was to be tested on a gas giant, until the ship mysteriously got caught in its atmosphere. The da Vinci went to rescue it, and a powerful explosive it was carrying, when it to got caught in the atmosphere. Trying to prevent the explosive from going off, killing the entire native population of non-corporeal beings, 23 crewman gave their lives. One of which, pushing Gold out of the way of a falling piece of debris that destroyed his hand. (Gold has since had it replaced with a bio-synthetic copy of his original hand, though he complains it doesn't feel the same.) Gold vows to contact the families of all twenty-three dead, and give his personal apologies.

While some families take Gold in better then others, he, one by one, contacts everyone on Earth. In Juneau, Alaska, the father of Lieutenant Kara Bain took his arrival very badly, slamming the door in his face and cursing at him several times. In the Gobi Desert, Gold gave his regards to the son of a security officer, who seemed unemotional about the whole thing. Gold gave Eddy's son the Starfleet Citation for Conspicuous Gallantry she'd earned, as he was the next of kin. In Dublin, Ireland, Gold finds the parents of Stephen Drew, as well as Drews friend (fellow da Vinci crewman) Vance Hawkins. The two share some stories with Drew's grandparents, who couldn't have been prouder of their grandsons sacrifice.

Back home in the Bronx, Gold is waiting for it to be an appropriate hour on Betazed so he can call the parents of Lieutenant Elleth Deo. Rachel argues it can wait till tomorrow, and that he's been overworking himself contacting everyone in such little time. After some convincing, and a reminder of how rarely he gets to return to Earth whether lone his bedroom, he decides it can wait till tomorrow.

In Vieques, Sonya is having a breakdown – she needs to go to Portland to see Kieran's mother and Kieran's grave. When her mother tries to get Sonya's mind off it at dinner, it just starts an argument about another of Sonya's sister Belinda's careers. Belinda screams that Sonya's indecision probably led to Kieran killing himself, and Sonya believes it. She runs out, and gets on a shuttle to Portland.

There, she finds Christa Duffy (Kieran's mother) and Captain Gold, who Sonya blames for Kieran's death. When Sonya screams at him for killing Kieran, but Captain Gold finally convinces her that Kieran didn't die because he thought she didn't love him, nor did Gold order him, but because he was the only one who could have disarmed the warhead and saved everyone. When Sonya is finally convinced of this, the two head back to New York where Sonya stays with him for several days.

The day before the da Vinci is ready to return to duty, Gold and Gomez has their returning crew meet at Golds home. After Gold gives a speech on how they should mourn their losses, but also celebrate living (something he's learned coming from a big family) after which, its time to hand out the promotions. Several once-junior officers are promoted to division heads – and Gomez and Gold approve on the transfer of the new second officer, a Tellarite. The crew goes inside to eat one of Rachel's delicious meals, as Sonya ponders if she'll be able to go on without Kieran. "Tomorrow, she'd find out..."

Characters

Christa Duffy (β)

Mother of Kieran Duffy, she lives in Portland, Oregon. She is unusually tall. Sonya felt the need to visit her while grieving Kieran, and when she did found Captain Gold at the house. When Sonya yelled at him to get out, Christa reminded her whose house it was and that she should respect her authority. Christa's husband also died years earlier, and is buried next to her son in a near by cemetery.

Freser (β)

The Gold-Gilman family golden retriever. Weighing over 60 pounds, he loves jumping on anyone who enters the yard. He never listens to anyone except Khor, the two of whom share a bond Captain Gold decided best not to look too deeply into.

Rachel Gilman (β)

Captain Gold's wife, a rabbi and great-grandmother. She was infamous for always getting what she wanted from anyone, especially her family. She was also known for not using a replicator, and was a magnificent cook with an old-style stove and real food. Anyone who visited the home reported feeling a kilo heavier after enjoying her food. She and David have lived in their house for 50 years, and have been married for 52 years.

Daniel Gold (β)

David Gold's son, husband to Jessica Silver. He and his father have a routine they do when ever they see each other ("Hi, pop."; "Hi, son, don't call me pop."; "Don't call me son, pop.") that everyone else thinks has gotten old, but they still enjoy it. He met his father after the tribunal to take him home.

Belinda Gomez (β)

Sonya's sister, she's gone from one job to another for years, often leading to arguments with her mother that end with "Why can't you be more like Sonya...". Some jobs include her stint as a newscaster for the FNS, a soccer player, a soccer coach, a sculptor, and a civilian transporter technician.

Guadalupe Gomez (β)

Sonya and Belinda's mother, husband to José Estaban. She is a professional sculptor, with a studio she built in her attic years ago. She often argues with Belinda, about her not being able to stay with a job.

Jessica Silver (β)

Daniel Gold's wife; David Gold's daughter-in-law. A beautiful woman whose once blond hair is in fact starting to show signs of silvering itself. She and her husband met up with Captain David Gold right after the tribunal to take him home.

Esther

Daniel and Jessica's youngest daughter, she is dating "Khor, son of Lantar" who she describes as her "par'Machai." She and Khor end up staying the night at the Gold residence, instead of returning to Paris. Happy to sleep in a mattress, after traveling on a Klingon vessel with her husband for several days – sleeping on a metal "board."

Khor, son of Lantar

A Klingon with the diplomatic corps, he works in Paris. Attending the family gathering in a green cassock, adorned with many honors, he is happy to see David Gold enter if only because "now that the House Head has returned, at last we can feast!" He is one of many that gives in to Rachel's persuading powers, when she insists they stay the night.

José Estaban

Sonya Gomez's father.

Tujiro

Gold's great-grandson, born in 2371. His mothers name is Hiroko, and his father is Daniel Gold's youngest son Michael. He ran up to Captain Gold's leg right as he walked in, reminding him of Freser's welcome only seconds earlier.

Danielle Hirsch (β)

Daughter of Nate and Elaine, she is married to Ira Hirsch. (She is one of David and Rachel's granddaughters.)

Simone Meyer

Daughter of Nate and Elaine, she is married to Jared Meyer.

Eden Graylock

Daughter of David and Rachel.

Robert Graylock

Eden's husband, also present at family gathering.

Ruth Graylock

David Gold's granddaughter, she is pregnant. Her husband is Rinic Kayven, and the two already have one son: Rinic David Kayven.

Rinic Kayven

Ruth's husband, attended large family gathering with his expecting wife and son.

Rinic David Kayven

Son of Ruth and Kayven, Captain Gold remembers him being so young, he's almost as tall as his mother.

References

Bronx, Riverdale - New York City

Location of Captain Gold's house. The exact house may have been rebuilt a couple times since its construction over 400 years earlier, but they have a photograph from 1990 of the house then.

Matt Franklin (β)

His first assignment was as an engineer on the USS Jenolen, only a few weeks out of the academy when it crashed into the Dyson sphere – and he and Montgomery Scott were the only survivors. With so little life support remaining, they put themselves into transporter suspension. Franklin didn't survive, when rescue came seventy years later. Scotty often thinks back to him, wondering why such a young boy with his whole life ahead of him died – while old him, on his way to retirement, survived. A story he told Captain Gold when he felt bad about losing half his crew to the Galvan VI incident.

USS Gettysburg (β)

David Gold's first starship assignment, more than fifty-two years prior.

Lian T'Su (β)

Old friend of Sonya Gomez's, she was a year ahead of Sonya at the Academy. When Lian got the posting on the USS Enterprise-D, Sonya announced to everyone that she'd make the Enterprise as well, dedicated to her goals. Captain T'su was killed when the USS Orion was destroyed at Galvan VI.

John Copper (β)

An aging medtech, that is one of the few survivors of the Galvan VI incident who decided not to stay aboard. Instead, he decides to retire – something he's been saying he'd do for years.

Federation Medal of Honor

Captain Gold brought it to Christa Duffy's house in Portland to give to her when Gomez stopped by. Kieran was awarded it for giving his life in the line of duty, to save his ship and an alien race.

Nate Gold

One of David's sons, married to Elaine. They have two daughters, both married. He was killed when the Dominion took Betazed.

Elaine Gold

Nate's wife, mother of two. She was with her husband when they were killed on Betazed.

See: "The Ceremony of Innocence is Drowned," Tales of the Dominion War.

Ina Mar (β)

Bajoran lieutenant and survivor of the Galvan VI incident. She is the only officer to request a transfer, and so Gomez was going over her replacements.

Mor glasch Tev (β)

Tellarite engineer, Scotty suggested him for new second officer of the da Vinci. Gomez recognized his name for writing a monolith on methods of penetrating cloaking shields in 2375. He also wrote a paper on the miniaturization of transporters.

Ohka

A Starfleet officer killed during the Dominion War aboard the da Vinci.

Salek (β)

Vulcan former first officer of the da Vinci, he was killed during the Dominion War. When he needed to be replaced, Gold asked Scotty for recommendations – eventually coming to Sonya Gomez.

Memorable quotes

"Please be calm while you're being squashed flat. Resistance is futile."

- P8 Blue, on the computer's constant reminders to remain calm during a dangerous quake

"With many small limbs, large tasks are done."

- Old Nasat proverb

"Got another surprise for you two inside."
"Son, Freser trying to knock me to the ground isn't a surprise, it's an inevitability."

- Daniel Gold and David Gold, about their dog Freser

"This is the most emotion you've shown since you got here. I was starting to think you got replaced with an android or something. Doesn't that happen to you Starfleet guys all the time, getting replaced with android duplicates?"
"Changelings more often these days."

- Belinda Gomez and Sonya Gomez, finally joking since Sonya's return home

Background information

These stories are the SCE equivalent of Star Trek's "Home" and "Family", as they show the crew finding themselves after a destructive battle.

The USS Sugihara (β) is a recurring starship in the Star Trek novels taking place in the late 2370s. Under the command of Captain Janna Demitrijian (β), it has appeared in several SCE novels, including A Time for War, A Time for Peace and Star Trek: Articles of the Federation. Its namesake, Chiune Sugihara, was a Japanese diplomat to Lithuania during World War II who issued visas that helped more than 2,000 Lithuanian Jews to freedom.

Although Martin Masur and Martus Mazur have very similar names, and somewhat similar personalities, they are not the same person.

This is the last SCE omnibus to be released under that banner. The next volume switched to the Corps of Engineers banner.

External link

• Breakdowns at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works

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