Indistinguishable from Magic.
Description
- The most talented Starfleet engineers of two generations unite to solve a two-hundred-year-old technological mystery that turns out to be only the beginning of a wider quest.
- With the support of Guinan and Nog, as well as the crew of the USS Challenger, Geordi La Forge and Montgomery Scott soon find themselves drawn into a larger, deadlier, and far more personal adventure. Helped by old friends and hindered by old enemies, their investigation will come to threaten everything they hold dear.
- Seeking out the new, and going where no one has gone before, Geordi, Scotty, and Guinan find that their pasts are very much of the present, and must determine whether any sufficiently advanced technology is really indistinguishable from magic.
Summary
2161
In 2161, shortly after the end of the Romulan War, the
is undergoing repairs to her hull in deep space when Captain Jason Lambert – on the hull in an EV suit overseeing repairs – observes a flare nearby. In the process of reporting a possible Romulan minefield to Starfleet, communications are abruptly cut off and no trace of the Intrepid is ever found.
2383
In 2383, the USS Enterprise is exploring the Agni Cluster in order to locate potential colonies for the remaining refugees of the Borg Invasion two years earlier. But the crew is soon distracted by the discovery of the Intrepid NX-07, pocked by micrometeorites and aged, drifting in space. After the vessel is determined to be safe, Geordi La Forge and Jasminder Choudhury transport over to discovery a horrifying sight – the dissolved residual remains of the crew, victims of an apparent failure of the inertial dampeners. When Starfleet decides to send in the USS Challenger, Geordi is temporarily reassigned under its captain, Montgomery Scott. Soon Geordi learns Guinan will be joining him on the Challenger, along with a number of other familiar faces already assigned to the vessel, including: Nog, Leah Brahms, Reginald Barclay, Alyssa Ogawa, and a time-traveling thief the Enterprise apprehended fifteen years earlier, Berlinghoff Rasmussen.
2161
Shortly after the destruction of the Intrepid, the 22nd century inventor, Berlinghoff Rasmussen (or B.R.) encounters the 26th century historian, Dominic Kent in Trenton, NJ. After following Kent for several days, Rasmussen breaks into his apartment – in order to determine if Kent stole an invention of his – only to discover evidence that Kent is from the future, including a small time-ship. After Rasmussen confronts Kent, the professor eventually acknowledges his origins but continues to be evasive with details about his time. Nevertheless, the two men fall into an unusual friendship. Having hidden the time-pod to prevent Kent’s escape, the professor asks Rasmussen to grant him access to obtain medication stored aboard – but when Rasmussen fears it is a ploy to escape, he refuses, and Kent dies.
2383
After the Challenger crew gets the Intrepid functional, and the former crew’s dissolved remains collected, a Klingon vessel decloaks and attacks, luring the Challenger away from Intrepid. It soon becomes apparent that the Klingon vessel was stolen, when a Ferengi marauder and another Klingon vessel decloak and – led by DaiMon Bok and with Rasmussen’s help – a group of pirates steal the Intrepid. (TNG episodes: "The Battle", "Bloodlines")
When the Intrepid is underway, Rasmussen and Bok invite the Starfleet officers to continue working on the vessel – which Geordi accepts in hopes of finding some way to contact the Challenger. As Geordi and the others resume work, he tries to understand the agenda of the thieves and sow discord between Bok and Rasmussen. Meanwhile, on the Challenger, Nog uses his father’s authority to extract information from the thieves’ captured comrades, eventually leading the crew to realize that Bok is taking the Intrepid to the Split Infinite – the intersection of a cosmic string and a neutron star – in hopes of riding the string back in time. Onboard the Intrepid, Geordi learns the same terrifying truth and realizes that Rasmussen plans to take the Intrepid back to the 22nd century – while Bok makes a daring effort to save his son. In the process of preventing Bok from escaping into the past, the Challenger used the closed timelike curve of the Infinite to force the Intrepid further back in time until the Big Bang destroyed the vessel. In the final pitched struggle, Rasmussen escaped and Scotty was injured.
Shortly afterward, Dr. Ogawa informs Captain Scott that injuries sustained during the battle – coupled with his age – prevent him from meeting Starfleet fitness standards. Subsequently, Scotty chooses to retire from Starfleet, become a civilian specialist, and promotes Geordi La Forge to captain, giving him command of the Challenger. Meanwhile, the Tal Shiar obtain intelligence of Bok and Rasmussen’s efforts to travel through time and began researching their methods.
The investigation of the Intrepid leads Geordi to postulate that something akin to trans-slipstream is responsible for the vessel’s circumstances – and the data share peculiar similarities to telemetry transmitted by the USS Hera shortly before her disappearance, under the command of Geordi’s mother. This leads Geordi and the Challenger to investigate the trans-slipstream wake. Meanwhile, a sabotaged Romulan vessel carrying Sela, the chairman of the Tal Shiar, is forced into Federation space and rescued by the Challenger shortly before the Challenger is struck by an alien force. After bringing systems online, the crew find themselves outside the galactic barrier, and they soon discover the USS Hera floating in the void.
As the crew works to try and restore all of Challenger's systems, Sela plots to take control of the ship and suspects that Starfleet secretly controls the trans-slipstream technology. A series of bizarre readings leads Geordi to order an away team to the Hera, led by Scotty. The shuttle disappears en route, at the same time that strange alien vessels appear on the scene - the presumed trans-slipstream travelers. However, the away team soon wakes on an alien world, surrounded by evidence that the crew of the Hera survived and built a colony there. A number of even stranger occurrences leads Barclay and Scotty to propose that they occupy a toroidal continuum fold - a phenomenon which could explain why the Hera initially exhibited a mass far beyond its size.
The away team soon discovers fifty-seven survivors from the Hera, including the former first officer, Savar. The Vulcan explains the psycho-reactive nature of the living planet the team has crashed on, and explains the futility of attempting to travel back through the toroidal continuum fold to reach Challenger.
Meanwhile, on their side of the fold, the Challenger crew watches the alien vessels amass a small fleet before the Tomalak's Fist, the Romulan vessel searching for Sela, is displaced into the same area of space as the Challenger. When Guinan confesses memories of the alien vessels from her time in the Nexus, Sela stages a takeover of the Challenger but agrees to cooperate when Dr. Ogawa develops a way for Guinan to communicate with the aliens. The alien vessels are, in fact, alien lifeforms of immense size and power -- who express surprise and regret upon learning that their travels in the Milky Way Galaxy were harming its residents, and they agree to be more careful in the future.
Barclay and Scotty devise a method to communicate through the fold, which leads the Challenger to mount an ill-fated mission to open the toroidal continuum fold -- with the help of the Tomalak's Fist -- by widening the fold with a static warp bubble. After the entire complement of the Challenger is transported to the Tomalak's Fist, the former effects its widening of the fold, allowing the Romulan vessel to fly through to the rogue planetoid. The away team is transported up, but not before Geordi is able to finally say goodbye at his mother's grave. The living planet begins responding by launching "antibodies" to attack the Romulan ship. But after Dr. Ogawa informs the rescued Scotty that his organ failure may be irreversible, the ancient engineer chooses to lay his life on the line. After stealing away to the Challenger, Scotty holds the ship until the Tomalak's Fist travels back through the fold and destroys the Starfleet vessel to un-fold space and close the opening. But at the instant the ship implodes, Scotty is transported away -- unsure if he'll survive inside the toroidal continuum fold, but prepared for the possibility of death.
After the living trans-slipstream ships deliver the Tomalak's Fist back home, Sela delivers the Starfleet crew to the USS Enterprise. With the destruction of the Challenger, the crew prepares to go their separate ways, with Geordi returning to the Enterprise, retaining the rank of captain of engineering. Having began a romantic relationship during the assignment, Leah Brahms chooses to stay for a time with Geordi. A final occasion brings them together for the memorial service of Scotty, held aboard the Enterprise and attended by Spock, Sonya Gomez and other familiar faces.
References
Characters
- Zeinab al-Qatabi • Balis • Reginald Barclay • Bok • Leah Brahms • Roland Brazzi • Anna Byelev • Carolan • Carter • Jasminder Choudhury • Sean Collins • Harry Croft • Beverly Crusher • Sonya Gomez • Grak • Guinan • Halliday • Harga • Tyler Hunt • Jo • K'Vadra • Gell Kamemor • Yukio Kawazana • Dominic Kent • Leon Khalid • James T. Kirk • Kovac • Kren • Geordi La Forge • Jason Lambert • Gustav Larssen • M'Rsya • Marist • Michaels • Nog • Alyssa Ogawa • Jean-Luc Picard • Qat'qa • Q'Hap • Berlinghoff Rasmussen • Saldis • Savar • Montgomery Scott • Sela • Sloe • Spock • Spot • Taurik • Mor glasch Tev • Tomalak • Tornan • Georges Toussaint • Trell • unnamed Breen • unnamed Ferengi • unnamed Humans • unnamed Klingons • unnamed Nausicaans • unnamed Romulans • unnamed Tellarites • unnamed Vulcans • Varaan • Emilia Vargas • Jano Vellil • Voktra • Vol • Worf
- Referenced only
- Alexander the Great • Jonathan Archer • Azetbur • B'Etor • Michael Baker • Howard Carter • Cheshire cat • Zephram Cochrane • Data • Jadzia Dax • Elizabeth Dehner • The Doctor • Fek'lehr • Flax • Matt Franklin • Malcolm Frazer • Stephen Garrovick (I) • Gomtuu • Gowron • Phillip Green • Grim Reaper • Tamala Harstad • Sherlock Holmes • Kathryn Janeway • Kahless • Edward La Forge • Silva La Forge • Leeta • Lursa • Gary Mitchell • Miles O'Brien • Odo • Orion the Hunter • Noah Powell • Q • QiQ'as • Quark • Telek R'Mor • Rehaek • Rojan • Rom • Ro Laren • Satan/Devil • Serval • Gary Seven • Seven of Nine • William Shakespeare • Percy Bysshe Shelley • Benjamin Sisko • Tolian Soran • Hikaru Sulu • T'Pren • Deanna Troi • Tutankhamen • unnamed El-Aurians • Jason Vigo • Volskiar • Patrick West • Tasha Yar
Starships and vehicles
- USS Agamemnon (Sovereign-class) • USS Challenger (Galaxy-class) • USS Clyde (Danube-class runabout) • USS da Vinci (Saber-class) • D'deridex-class warbird • D'Kora-class Ferengi marauder • Dominic Kent's time pod (time pod) • USS Enterprise (Constitution-class) • USS Enterprise-E (Sovereign-class) • gravsled • groundcar • USS Hera (Nebula-class) • Intrepid (NX-07) (NX-class) • IKS Iw'Bat (B'rel-class bird-of-prey) • K'Tinga-class battlecruiser • (Suurok-class) • picket ship • Rogue planet antibody vessel • shuttlepod • IRW Stormcrow(Valdore-class) • support shuttle (shuttlecraft) • USS Thames (Danube-class runabout) • • transport • USS Vesta (Vesta-class) • Vor'cha-class warship
- Referenced only
- airplane • Akira-class • USS Aventine (Vesta-class) • boat • chariot • Columbia (NX-02) (NX-class) • D-7-class • Daedalus-class • D'Vey Fek'lehr • Enterprise (NX-01) (NX-class) • USS Enterprise-A • USS Enterprise-B (Excelsior-class) • USS Enterprise-D (Galaxy-class) • escape pod • USS Excelsior (Excelsior-class) • Flying Dutchman • USS Hood (Excelsior-class) • USS Jenolen • Klingon stormbird • Korvallen freighter (freighter) • USS Lexington (Nebula-class) • lifeboat • Miranda-class • Oberth-class • Phoenix • salvage vessel • space shuttle • USS Stargazer (Constellation-class) • USS Titan (Luna-class) • truck • van • USS Voyager (Intrepid-class)
Locations
- Agni Cluster • Alpha Quadrant • Alpha Six-Four • Bolus Reach • Delta Five Gamma Zeta Alpha • Earth (Cheep'N'Cheerful Motel • The Hidden Panda • New Jersey • New Zealand Penal Settlement • San Francisco • Starfleet Headquarters • Trenton) • G-231 • galactic barrier • the galaxy • Gamma Zeta Alpha Cluster • Garath system • Glintara • Happy Bottom Riding Club • Indra IV • intergalactic void • Nelson's • NGC 4414 • Remus • Rogue planet (Hera City) • Romulan Neutral Zone • Romulus • Split Infinite • Tal Shiar Headquarters • unnamed stars and systems • Wexx (Starbase 410)
- Referenced only
- Andromeda Galaxy • Beta Quadrant • Deep Space 9 • Delta Quadrant • Earth (Alaska • Belgium • Cambridge • Forth Bridge • Great Pyramid • Kansas • Manchester • New Zealand • Nullarbor Plain • Sahara • Scotland • Scottish Highlands • Stonehenge) • Earth Spacedock • Ferenginar (Rog Prison) • Gre'thor • Hell • Jupiter Station • Kaladian system • L-374 • Luna • Mars • Mirror universe • Norpin V • Pacifica • Penthara IV • Risa • Skybridge of Vanalis • Starfleet Museum • Sto-vo-kor • Tellar • Ten-Forward • Utopia Planitia • Valken • Veridian III • Voloczin homeworld • Warlock Station
Races and cultures
- Andorian • Bajoran • Benzite • Bolian • Breen • Caitian • Denobulan • El-Aurian • Ferengi • Klingon • Human (Anglo-Korean • Asian • British • Celtic • Cuban • Englishman • Eurasian • Frenchman • Hispanic • Indian • New Zealander • Scottish) • Nausicaan • Romulan • Tellarite • unnamed races and cultures • Voloczin • Vulcan
- Referenced only
- Betazoid • Borg • Cardassian • Human (Chinese) • Kelvan • Kriosian • Neanderthal • Organian • Orion • Q • Xindi-Insectoid
States and organizations
- Bajoran Militia • Daystrom Institute • Department of Temporal Investigations • Dominion • Federation Council • Federation Diplomatic Corps • Federation News Service • Ferengi Alliance • Ferengi Commerce Authority • House of Duras • House of Qang • Imperial Senate of the Romulan Star Empire • Information Recovery Directorate • Klingon Defense Force • Klingon Empire • Klingon High Council • Maquis • Mars-Venus Project • Nausicaan cartels • Orion Syndicate • Pathfinder Project • Project Genesis • Q Continuum • Republic of Bajor • Romulan Engineering Corps • Romulan Star Empire • Royal Navy • Security team alpha • Security team delta • Shadow Treasurers • Short-Change Project • Starfleet • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Command • Starfleet Corps of Engineers • Starfleet Intelligence • Starfleet Medical • Starfleet Security • Tal Shiar • Technical Directorate • T'Lani Bureau • Typhon Pact • United Federation of Planets • Vulcan Science Council
Science and classification
- 3D projection • adhesive patch • airlock • alien • alpha rhythm • alternate timeline • analgesic • analyzer • android • anesthetic gas • animal • annular confinement beam • antibody • anticoagulant • antimatter • anyon • artificial intelligence • astrometrics computer • astrophysics • atmosphere • atmosphere shield • auditory cortex • autodestruct system • autopilot • axon • bacteria • Big Bang • biobed • biomatter • biosynthetic prosthesis • black hole • black star • blood • blood cell • blood sugar • bomb • bone • boneknitter • brain • brain scanner • brainwave • bullet • buoy • Bussard collector • cable • cannonball • carbon • cargo transporter • cellular regeneration therapy • cellular regenerator • centimeter • chemical • chemical cleanser • chroniton • chronometer • chronotron • chronotron refraction index • circuit • circuit junction • class-4 Romulan mine • class-10 probe • cloaking device • cloaking field • clock • cog • collar bone • collector • combadge • command chair • comm system • communications • communications relay • communicator • comnet • comnet pad • companel • computer • computer core • conduit • connector web • conservation of reality • containment field • control panel • coolant • cosmic string • cutting torch • cybernetic eye • cybernetics • dashboard console • data bank • data crystal • data slate • database • deck plate • deep-scanning node • deflector • deflector array • deflector dish • delta rhythm • dendrite • dilithium • dilithium chamber • dilithium cradle • dilithium frame articulation • dilithium matrix • dilithium matrix monitor • dimension • disease • disruption emitter • disruptor • disruptor bank • disruptor pistol • disruptor rifle • distribution node • DNA • DNA marker • docking latch • docking umbilical • Doomsday machine • door lock • drug • eardrum • egg shell • electrical field • electricity • electronic • elevator • EM band • EM interference • emergency light • emergency release charge • EMH • emulator • energizing coil • energy • energy weapon • engine • environmental suit • EPS grid • evolution • exobiology • feedback loop • feline • fire • fire suppression gas • firmware • flagship • flashbulb • flashlight • flight pack • food blender • force field • force field generator • forensics • fossil • fossilization • freezer • fungus • galaxy • gamma radiation • gamma ray burst • ganglia • gas • gas giant • G-Class star • gene pool • generator • Genesis Device • Genesis Wave • geology • goose bump • gravimetric distortion • gravimetric eddy • gravimetric interference • gravimetric pulse • gravitational field • gravitational micro-lensing • gravitational shear • gravity • gravity field • gravity grid • gravity wave • gravity waveguide • gravity well • grav-sled • grenade • Guardian of Forever • guidance chip • guillotine • gyroscope • hadron • hail • hair • hand-held beacon • hand phaser • Harker-Wade patterned coil • headache • heart • hertz • historical database • holodeck • hologram • holographic master systems display • hologrid • holonovel • holoprogram • homeostatic factor of the universe • hour • hull plate • hydrogen • hypo • ice • impulse engine • inch • inducer • inertial dampener • inertial dampening system • injector • intercom • internal combustion engine • interphase cloaking device • ion storm • isolinear chip • jamming • Jefferies power loop • jury rigging • Kelvan device • Kelvin • kidney • kilogram • kilometer • kinetodynamic energy • kinetoplasmadynamic • Klein bottle • lamp • laser-cutter • launcher • LCARS • leaf • lepton • life support • lifeform • light-year • liquid • long-range sensor • lung • magnetic boots • magnetic drone • magnetosphere • magnet • makeshift descrambler • maneuvering thruster • Mark I EMH • marker buoy • mass-attractor • master situation monitor • master systems console • matter • matter-antimatter intermix chamber • matter echo • matter-synthesis system • medical sensor • medical tricorder • medicine • medkit • meter • methane • metric ton • micron • mile • mine • mine detector • minute • mirror • missile • mission module • Möbius strip • molecular cutter • molecule • monitor • monofilament • motion sensor • muscle tissue • mutation • nacelle radiator • nail • nanometer • nanosecond • navigational buoy • navigational computer • navigational deflector • navigational display • nebula • negative g • neon • nerve plexus • neuro-electrical energy • neurogenic patch • neuron • neuroscanner • neutrino • neutrino band • neutrino wave • neutron star • Nexus • nova • octopoid • ODN cable • oil • Old Scale • optronic cable • optronic circuit • orbital tether • orbit • oxygen • padd • padlock • painkiller • parallel universe • parsec • particle • passive sensor • pattern enhancer • phase cannon • phase discriminator • phase inverter • phase pistol • phase rifle • phaser • phaser bank • phaser-cutter • phaser rifle • photonic missile • photonic torpedo • photon flare • photon torpedo • photosphere • pistol • planetary deflector shield • plasma • plasma bolt • plasma inducer • plasma injector • plasma storm • plasma torpedo • plasma welder • plate tectonics • polarized hull plating • polyhedron • portable generator • power conduit • power distribution node • power grid • power junction • power transfer beam • power transfer conduit • pressure wave • probe • projectile weapon • propulsion system • prosthetic • protein • proton • psycho-surgery • pulsar • quantum filament • quantum granulation • quantum singularity • quantum slipstream drive • quantum slipstream mechanics • quark-gluon plasma • radiation • radiogenic field • radiogenic marker • radiogenic particle • radio • rain • reactor • receptor circuit • red giant • relay station • remote control • remote detonator • replicator • retina • reverse-engineering • rib • rifle • rivet • rocket fuel • Romulan telepresence weapon • root • satellite • scanner • science computer • scientific method • second • self-sealing stembolt • sensor • sensor array • sensor node • sensor sweep • separator module • servo • servo arm • shield harmonic • shields • shower • Sims beacon • skeleton • skull • slingshot effect • slipstream wake • sodium • software worm • solar mass • solvency field • sonic disruption field • space • space station • spaceship • spanner • spatial fold • spatial manifold • speaker • spine • spleen • spore • spotlight • starbase • starship • star • star chart • star system • stasis chamber • stasis field • stasis module • stasis storage installation • static warp shell • stator • stator backup • stealth probe • steam engine • stimulant • stun grenade • sublight • subsonic • subspace • subspace distortion • subspace distortion field • subspace granulation • subspace gravity inversion • subspace gravity spike • subspace relay • supernova • surgery • tachyon detection grid • tactical database • tactical sensor • _targeting scanner • telescope • temporal diffraction index • temporal slingshot • tentacle • terraforming • theta rhythm • thruster • time • time machine • time travel • timeline • timer • Tipler cylinder • T'Lani Bureau type plasma injector • ton • tooth • toroidal continuum fold • torpedo • torpedo launcher • torpedo tube • toxin • tractor beam • translation matrix • transporter • transporter buffer • transporter inhibitor • transporter pad • transporter relay • trans-slipstream • trans-slipstream drive • transwarp conduit • tricorder • tri-ox compound • tsunami • tumor • turbolift • Type 3 singularity • universal translator • universe • vacuum cleaner • ventilation system • viewport • viewscreen • VISOR • visual cortex • volcanism • warhead • warp coil • warp core • warp drive • warp factor • warp field • warp-jump • warp matrix • warp nacelle • warp reactor • warp ring • warp theory • warp trail • water • watch • wheel • womb • wormhole • X-ray • zero-g
Occupations and titles
- admiral • agent • ambassador • assassin • astronomer • bodyguard • boxer • businessman • captain • captain of engineering • case officer • centurion • chairman • Chairman of the Tal Shiar • chancellor • Chancellor of the High Council of the Klingon Empire • chef • chief • chief engineer • chief medical officer • Chief of Starfleet Intelligence • civilian specialist • commander • communications officer • conman • conn officer • co-pilot • counselor • dabo girl • DaiMon • decorator • deputy • dignitary • diplomat • director • doctor • duty officer • engineer • ensign • entomologist • executioner • executive officer • figure skater • first officer • flight controller • forensic technician • freebooter • general • geologist • governor • Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance • grave robber • gunman • helmsman • historian • hostess • intern • inventor • junior lieutenant • junior officer • king • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • liquidator • magician • matriarch • medic • medical technician • mercenary • miracle worker • mission specialist • navigator • news anchor • nurse • officer • ops ensign • ops officer • paymaster • physicist • pianist • pilot • pirate • politician • post captain • Praetor of the Romulan Star Empire • president • private contractor • proconsul • professor • psychiatrist • quartermaster • refugee • sailor • science officer • scientist • second officer • security chief • security guard • security officer • senior officer • sensor officer • smuggler • soldier • specialist • steam engineer • subcommander • tactical officer • tactician • teacher • technical director • technician • test-pilot • thief • tourist • transporter chief • warrior
Other references
- 2150s • 2155 • 2160 • 2161 • 2164 • 2180 • 2220 • 2280s • 2312 • 18th century • 19th century • 20th century • 22nd century • 23rd century • 24th century • 26th century • access drawer • access panel • alcoholic • alcohol • alphabet • aluminum crystalfoam • angel • anniversary • ant • anvil • apocalypse • Apollo moon landings • apple • arachnid • archaeology • armor • armory • armrest • art • assassination • asteroid • astrometrics • authorization code • automated distress signal • auxiliary control • away team • bachelorette party • badge • ball • balloon • balloon animal • bank • barrel-roll • basalt • bathroom • battle bridge • Battle of Maxia • beach • bedroom • bee • belt • beta shift • Bigfoot • biopsy lab • bird • birthday • birth certificate • black market • blackmail • blade • bleach • blueprint • bonnet • booby trap • book • boot • Borg Invasion of 2381 • bourbon • brainwashing • brick • bridge • bridge • briefing room • brig • bronze • brush • buffet • bug • bulkhead • bull • bureaucracy • butterfly • cadaver • café • campus • cappuccino • Captain's log • caramel • Cardassian sunrise • cardboard • cargo bay • carousel • carrier signal • carton • cat • catwalk • cave • ceasefire • cement • century • ceramic • chicken • china • Chinese food • Chinese water torture • chrome • city • civil war • Clarke's Law • Class M • claustrophobia • claymore sword • clothing • cloth • coat • cocktail • cocktail stick • coffee • coffin • coliseum • colony • command fitness requirement • comet • concerto • conference room • contract • corpse • corridor • country • cow • crab • cream • crock pot • crow • cuckoo • currency • curve ball • cushti • date stamp • day • decade • dedication plaque • degH • desert • desk jockey • diamond • distillery • docking bay • docking tower • dog • dogfight • Dominion War • donut • door chime • dormitory • dormouse • dragon • dress uniform • duck • duranium • duritanium • duty roster • Earl Grey • Earth-Romulan War • elephant • emergency field hospital • emergency saucer separation • emotion • empathy • engineering • engineer's vest • English language • entry visa • equipment belt • escape hatch • ethanol • eulogy • execution • faceplate • farm • Federation Standard • fence-post • Ferengi Rules of Acquisition • field jacket • field kit • file archive • file dump • filing cabinet • first contact • fish • fish tank • flambeaux • flea • flower • fly • food • forest • fort • French language • fruit • funeral • garage • gauntlet • geode • German language • ghost • giant squid • glass • glove • gold • goose • gorilla • government • granite • grave • ground pounder • hat • hawk • helm • helmet • hilt guard • history • Holy Grail • homeworld • horse • horseshoe • hospital • hot chocolate • hull • humanoid • hypochondriac • iced tea • IFF transponder code • immortality • incense • inertial dampening failure • insignia • inspection hatch • interrogation cell • iron • island • Jefferies tube • jerkin • jewel • Jolan tru • Jovian planet • jumpsuit • kanar • keramide • kevlar • Khitomer Conference • kiss • kite • klaxon • kleptomaniac • Klingon Civil War • laboratory • ladder • landing party • landslide • language • latinum • Latin • launch bay • leather • library • lintel • Loch Ness Monster • locker • logic • loon • mackerel • magic • Malky • malt scotch • mantra • Martian dust • mask • medal • memorial service • menu • mess hall • metal • meteoroid • meteor • micrometeoroid • microscopic breach • military • milk • millennia • mind meld • mine field • mineral • mining cart • mining station • model • mok'bara • mold • molybdenum • money • monkey • monster • month • moon • morgue • moss • motel • moth • museum • mushroom • music • mustache • myth • neoprene • newspaper • nickel • North American Thunderbird • observation lounge • obsidian • ocean • Officer Exchange Program • olive • Oort cloud • ops console • overshirt • paint • paper • paperweight • peace lily • penal colony • penny • petaQ • pet • pharmacy • pickle • pip • planetoid • planet • plastic • polyduranide • ponytail • power flow chart • prayer • prefix code • primary hull • Prime Directive • priority downlink • promotion • propaganda • prune juice • pry bar • punch-card • puppet • puzzle • Q Civil War • qapla' • quadrant • quarters • quartz • Qu'vatlh • rabbit • raktajino • rank • raptor • ration • rat • razor • ready room • recording • red alert • Rekellian Kaspra • religion • restraints • river • robe • rock • rubber • rubber band • rum • sandstone • sausage • school • science • science fiction • science station • Scotch whisky • sea serpent • seaport • search pattern • seasickness • seat cushion • secondary hull • sector • self destruct • self-storage garage • senior staff • sensor log • serpent • service number • shark • sheep • shield • ship exchange program • shirt • shrapnel • shuttlebay • sickbay • sidewalk • Siege of AR-558 • silk • silver • skyscraper • slacks • snake • spacewalk • specter • sprat • squid • stardate • Starfleet uniform • statue • steel • streamer • suede • suicide • summer • swimming pool • tactical alert • tactical console • targ • tattoo • tavern • tax • tea • technology • telepathy • Temporal Prime Directive • textbook • thoroughbread • ticket • titanium • toast • tomato • tomb • tongo • tool • tool kit • torpedo bay • tourniquet • towel • toy • transparent aluminum • transponder code • transporter log • transporter phobia • transporter room • transport pool • treaty • Treaty of Algeron • tritanium • trousers • tumbril • tweeds • UFO • uniform • university • vaporware • vest • vial • Victorian era • visa • vomit • Vulcan science archives • waffle • warp core breach • war • war grave • washroom • weapon • week • wheel clamp • whip • wine rack • wolf • workbench • workshop • World Cup games • year • yellow alert • Zee-Magnees Prize • zombie • zoo
Chronology
Appendices
Related stories
Background
- This novel is David A. McIntee's first Star Trek novel; his previous two Star Trek stories were a short story and novella.
- The novel was initially pitched as a duology, but was commissioned as a single book.[1]
- The novel was initially to be released under the general Star Trek brand, but it was later decided to release it under the Star Trek: The Next Generation banner.[2]
- On page 100 Geordi remarks that he has been chief engineer on two Enterprises for 19 years, placing this story in 2384, based on LaForge attaining the position of chief engineer of the Enterprise-D in 2365 just prior to the episode The Child.
Connections
Timeline
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: Paths of Disharmony |
TNG novels | Next novel: The Light Fantastic |
| Previous story: Reservoir Ferengi |
Stories by: David A. McIntee |
Next story: most recent Star Trek story |
- 2011, April - First published in mass market paperback by Pocket Books
Images
Translations
- 2013
- German : Von Magie nicht zu unterscheiden, translated by Kerstin Fricke. (Cross Cult)
External link
- Indistinguishable from Magic article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.