Name: Mission To Horatius
Author: Mark Reynolds
Publication Date: 9/1968
Publisher: Whitman Publishing
Page Number: 210
Historian’s Note: Sometime between season 2 and
season 3 of classic Star Trek
Cast of Characters: Captain James T. Kirk Commander Spock Dr. Leonard H. McCoy AKA “Bones” Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott AKA “Scotty” Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu Lieutenant Nyota Uhura Lieutenant DePaul Lieutenant Peterson Lieutenant Freeman Lieutenant Kellum Lieutenant Masaryk Nurse Christine Chapel Ensign Pavel Chekov Yeoman First Class Janice Rand Yeoman Second Class Doris Atkins Yeoman Second Class Thompkins Crewman Dick Grang of the Wolf Clan Shaman Muel of the Wolf Clan Pater Delvin Pater Stuart Extreme Holy Warren Feldherr Jodl Oberst Muller Nummer Ein Shickle Anna Shickle
Starships and/or Starbases: USS Enterprise NCC-1701
Planets: Neolithia, Mythra, and Bavarya
My Spoiler filled summary and review: The book begins with McCoy stepping on to the bridge. He wants to know why they were being rerouted when they had been scheduled for some shore leave. The reason McCoy is so concerned is he thinks there may be an outbreak of space cafard. Cafard is a condition of space madness the space travelers get when they are overly board for long periods of time. It used to be triggered by having no artificial gravity. Since they have artificial gravity, it is not as common a problem anymore. However, it is going to be part of a minor ongoing subplot for the rest of the book. Also, Sulu has a pet mouse that snuck in his uniform shirt. Sulu, in addition to botany, likes to get specimens of animals from planets they explore. Although this little guy is just a mouse who Sulu named Mickey adding a bit a comic relief to the book.
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| McCoy concerned about Cafard |
The main story is the Enterprise
has a secret mission given to them by Starfleet. They are to proceed to the Horatius system.
When they arrive, they are able to read their secret orders. The Enterprise enters the Horatius
system so it is time to look at the orders.
Starfleet has received a distress call from this system. In the system are three planets, Neolithia,
Mythra, and Bavarya, each world was settled by humans who had left Earth before
the formation of the Federation. Their
mission is to explore these worlds and discover who is seeking their help.
The first planet the visit is Neolithia. It turns out the humans who went to this planet seem to have reverted back to the stone age. While there the away team is attacked by a young teenager who they quickly stun. When he wakes, he identifies himself as Grang of the Wolf Clan. Grang is an interesting character and provides a good deal of comic relief with his misunderstanding for Starfleet human nomenclature. He often identifies Enterprise crew members as “Captain of the Kirks” or “Doctor of the McCoys.”
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| Captain Kirk needs to get to the bottom of this |
Almost being stereotypical space
aliens Kirk has Grang “take them to his leader.” Grange warns they will be killed. When they get to the leader, who is referred
to as a wizard-doctor of the Council of Patriarchs, it turns out really does
have powers of a telepathic nature. He
tries to execute for the landing party for their “crimes.” It appears there
have been these raiders from space attacking and the Council think its Kirk and
company. An army of men seem ready to
kill the leaning party with arrows.
Spock is the only one who senses that the archers are not real. The wizard-doctor’s powers only extend to
fellow descendants of Earth and Spock’s Vulcan half protects him. With his illusion destroyed the wizard doctor
retreats. Had Spock not called this out
the landing party would have suffered “the silent death.” Now, according to Grang, they were going to
get their actual physical warriors.
Since Kirk is now convinced the people of this planet did not send the distress signal and clearly don’t want them around it is time for them to leave. Sulu protests seeing as they can’t abandon their ally Grang, who the wizard-doctor threatened with death. Kirk points out that according to general order # 1 they can’t take him for that would be interference. It sucks for Grang but those are the breaks. However, when they beam back up it turns out Grang came along anyway. The device that Kirk had Sulu set up to capture a specimen of animal life, turns out it “captured” Grang. It is implied that Mr. Sulu told Grang about it and where to go. Kirk, who isn’t really angry, let’s Sulu know that watching Grang will be his responsibility. So “the Lieutenant of the Sulus” becomes Grang’s ship buddy.
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| Sulu looking out for Grang! |
The Enterprise then heads to
Mythra. This planet is capable of
communicating with the Enterprise as it has radio technology, however
they were quite surprised when the starship popped in to say hello. The Mythraian officials put Kirk in contact
with their leader a man named Warren who is the Supreme Exarch, Extreme Holy of
the United Temple. He tells Kirk to take
the ship away, but Kirk insists that they are there to see who is sent the
distress signal and who is attacking Neolithia.
Once he has cleared them the ship will leave. He also points out that it is against their
orders to interfere with their internal affairs.
Kirk leads an away team down to the
planet. They are greeted and their hosts
ask if they have had their anodyne yet.
Anodyne is part of their religion in worshiping “The Ultimate.” McCoy scans it and finds that it is laced
with a drug that will make its victims mind zombies for a day. The government has this entire population
outside the leadership in an intoxicated state.
Chekov had some and becomes one of their mind slaves. Kirk orders an emergency beam out. Since it is clear these people neither sent
the distress signal nor are attacking Neolithia—in fact are victims of such
attacks themselves—Kirk decides to move on to the next planet. However, before they leave McCoy puts an
antidote to the anodyne in the water. So
much for the prime directive.
They get to the last planet Bavarya. This planet actually has space capabilities
and is none too happy to have the Enterprise around. Bavarya demands the
Enterprise get lost but Kirk points out they are not in their space, as
apparently intergalactic space governments only recognize a planets ability to
claim space so far from itself and the Enterprise is outside of Bavarua’s
legal claims. Bavarya attacks but their
phasers are no match for the Enterprise’s shields. Kirk points out that
the Federation has more scientists so their technology is better.
The Bavaryan leader, a man named Nummer
Ein, reluctantly agrees to let a landing party from the Enterprise come
to their planet to investigate the attacks. Kirk has Grang dress in an ensign’s
uniform and he accompanies the landing party.
After they beam down Grang can confirm that these are the people who
attacked his planet. The whole place has
a Nazi-Germany vibe to it.
They meet a young woman named Anna
Shickle and she is the one who sent the distress signal. Before they can find out why they discover
that Nummer Ein never intended to treat Kirk and his crew as guests instead he
choices to hold them as hostages until they hand over the Enterprise and
its technology to them. With the
planet’s phasers targeted at the Enterprise, the crew can’t lower its
shields to beam back the landing party.
To make them comply Nummer Ein decides to have them complete in gladiator matches. The fighters are Kirk, Spock, and Grang. Since Kirk is the greatest fighter in the galaxy, Spock has enhanced strength and gladiator experience, and Grang isn’t sloppy himself, they make quick work out of their three opponents. However, every time they win their opponents are taking away only to return moments later fully restored. The three keep wining however so Nummer Ein decides for a break. The three are taken down to their cell only to by saved by Anna Shickle who was able to get Yeoman Rand her phaser. With the Starfleet officers and Grang all armed they learn the truth of Bavarya. They manufacture their underclass: the Doppelgangers by way of cloning. Except they can’t replicate the soul. So, the upper class, the Herr Elite, has a bunch of soulless servants waiting on them hand and foot. Until Anna learned that her father, Nummer Ein had been replaced by one. This would indicate that the Doppelgangers are capable for much more than we are told. However, we never explore this. Anna explains that the Doppelgangers are all connected to a machine that generates them. Kirk destroys the machine making all the Doppelgangers disappear. Bavarya no longer has the man-power to harass the other planets but also now the Herr Elite will have to work for themselves for a change.
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| Spock with gladiator experience |
They return to the Enterprise
and bring Grang home where he is welcome as a hero for stopping the raids from
outer space. McCoy discovers that Sulu’s
pet mouse got loose and maybe carrying the bubonic plague. So, the whole ship searches for the missing
rodent and it turns out to be a gag. Dr.
McCoy was despite to find a cure for space cafard made the whole thing up with
the senior staff in order to get the crew excited again.
Additional thoughts: The only Star Trek novel
published when the series was actually on the air. The book was released right as season 3 was
getting started. I bought my copy in 1999 under the banner of “the lost Star
Trek novel, out of print for more than 30 years.” It was a great add to my
collection. The story is mostly told from the point of view of Captain Kirk but sometimes shifts to Dr. McCoy and an omniscient narrator.
The main adventure is rather
interesting the ship being called to a system where there are three human
settlements who have been separated from the rest of humanity for so long that
they evolved into an entirely different cultures that are like us but not like
us. Each planets name has a special meaning the to the culture that is
there. Neolithia, clearly is from the
word Neolithic which is a period of human civilization that represents the end
of the stone age and the beginning of agriculture. Bavarya comes from Bavaria a former German
kingdom and modern-day German province. This planet is under a fascist regime
that claims to be descended from the elite of the Teutonic peoples. I am
not really sure where Mythra gets its name but considering it was run by a
religious cult it probably has something to do with that.
The prime directive comes up in
this book which left me confused. Why
would the prime directive be applicable to humans? They are part of us not some alien culture. It is also applied very haphazardly. Kirk is about to abandon poor Grang because
taking him would be a violation of the prime directive. However, Kirk doesn’t hesitate to free the
people of Mythra from the drug induced mind-control that their government was
imposing and he outright destroys all the Doppelgangers. You can try to make a “not developing
argument” such as “The Return of the Archons” and “The Apple” but I feel that
is a bit of a reach.
There are some interesting errors
in the book such as referring to the Romulan Star Empire as the Romulan
Confederation, and referring to the Enterprise as a space ship and not a
star ship. Also, there is a huge typo
when Kirk is telling Chekov on page 143 to “report to the bridge” it is typed
out as “repair to the bridge.
The book could have done without
the whole space canard and Mickey misadventure.
It really was a huge waste of space.
The author really should have spent more time on Bavarya. The whole Herr Elite ruling over the Doppelgangers,
who they regard as having no souls despite the fact that one of them has
appeared to have replaced their leader. This is the source of a great
story. Unfortunately, it is brushed over
to spend more time with canard and space mice.
In the end of the day why would anyone on the Enterprise get
bored to the point of sickness?
Even though it was a book it was nice to see the whole cast. Since Janice Rand disappeared in the early first season, it meant we never saw her interact with some of the new characters added later such as Ensign Chekov. She even had an important part to play getting Kirk and Spock out of that dungeon.
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| Missed you, Yeoman |
Should it be canon: Now since the status of the
books as any sort of canon is the matter some contention, we should ask
ourselves “should this be” canonical material.
I really liked where they discussed “space law” describing it like we
would discuss “national waters.” In my
opinion, despite its flaws yes it should be.
It is good adventure for the crew, it fits right in with the series for
which it is based. I would find this to be a fine addition to the Star Trek
mythos.
Cover Art: The art of cover I find to be okay, but
nothing more than that. It consists of a
full color drawing of the Enterprise on the front with a drawing of Kirk
and Spock behind it. The image of the
Captain and First Officer are not colored in rather they appear as drawings on
a blueish back ground.
Final Grade: 3 of 5
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