A Choice of Futures

Publisher's description

An original novel set in the universe of Star Trek: Enterprise!

A new nation has arisen from the ashes of the Romulan War: the United Federation of Planets, an unprecedented union of diverse species cooperating for the good of all. Admiral Jonathan Archer—the former captain of the Earth starship Enterprise, whose efforts made this union possible—envisions a vibrant Federation promoting galactic peace and a multispecies Starfleet dedicated to exploring strange new worlds. Archer’s former crewmates, including Captain T'Pol of the U.S.S. Endeavour and Captain Malcolm Reed of the U.S.S. Pioneer, work with him to secure that bright future. Yet others within the Federation see its purpose as chiefly military, a united defense against a dangerous galaxy, while some of its neighbors view that military might with suspicion and fear. And getting the member nations, their space fleets, and even their technologies to work together as a unified whole is an ongoing challenge.

When a new threat emerges from a force so alien and hostile that negotiation seems impossible, a group of unaligned worlds asks Starfleet to come to its defense, and the Federation’s leaders seize the opportunity to build their reputation as an interstellar power. But Archer fears the conflict is building toward an unnecessary war, potentially taking the young nation down a path it was never meant to follow. Archer and his allies strive to find a better solution…but old foes are working secretly to sabotage their efforts and ensure that the great experiment called the Federation comes to a quick and bloody end.

Summary

Admiral Archer is contacted by the Tandarans, who blame the abduction of several of their children on Suliban refugees given safe haven by the Federation. On his flagship the USS Endeavour, now commanded by Captain T'Pol, Archer is able to expose the abductors as the Malurians, hoping to drive a rift between the Federation and Tandarans, and rescue the prisoners.

The mastermind is Archer's old enemy Garos, who begins working with the Orion group led by Navaar. The Orions are hoping to undermine the Federation and see an opportunity when the Mute aliens that Archer previously encountered begin stepping up their attacks on ships. They hope to use the situation to make the Federation more militaristic. Garos joins a conference set up to combat the threat and, despite opposition from Archer and T'Pol who favour a less aggressive move, a combined fleet of Federation and non-aligned worlds is despatched to confront the aliens and locate their homeworld. Phlox also finds evidence that transporter usage has left Archer and Reed with genetic damage and transporters are suspended for lifeforms except in emergencies.

Meanwhile, Reed is given command of the new USS Pioneer and invites Mayweather aboard as his first officer. A group of engineers led by Tobin Dax come aboard to supervise the integration of various Federation systems but accidentally create a micro-wormhole that traps the ship in a decaying orbit of a gas giant. The ship's science officer, Reynaldo Sangupta, eventually saves the day by communicating with cloud whales living in the atmosphere, who hold the ship aloft until it can be repaired. Reed invites Dax to be his chief engineer.

Garos stirs up hatred against the Mutes by framing them for the destruction of an Andorian-controlled Starfleet vessel. However, when some Mutes are captured, T'Pol and Sato realise that their means of communicating by infrared empathy means they can't recognize other lifeforms as sentient and have been treating them as wild animals to be analysed. Meanwhile, Archer reluctantly works with Tucker, despite no longer trusting Section 31, to expose Garos and the Orions' involvement.

T'Pol and Sato return the Mute prisoners to their fellows, with T'Pol having mind-melded with them to convince them of other lifeforms' sentience. After a long process of negotiation, they are able to convince the aliens, Vertians, to modify their behaviour towards other species and bring the conflict to a peaceful end.

However, while this has been going on Soval and the crew of the USS Essex have been negotiating with the Saurians, a race Starfleet accidentally revealed the existence of other worlds to, for their mineral rights. They find that most of the world has formed into a Global League but the hereditary ruler of the most mineral-rich region, Maltuvis, presents himself as independent. He attempts to get Captain Shumar to provide him with weapons to take over the world but is forced to accept a peaceful treatment. However, he then signs a treaty with Navaar and Garos to provide him with the weapons, with the Orions knowing the Federation will be blamed for his conquests.

References

Characters

Orions

Devna • D'Nesh • Maras • Navaar
Referenced only: Parrec-Sut •

Rigellians

Boda Jahlet •

Saurians

Maltuvis • Moxat •

Tandarans

Glith • Valk

Tellarites

Mov chim Flar • Grev • Min glasch Noar •

Vulcans

Kunas • Selvok • Soval • T'Pol • T'Venri • T'Viri
Referenced only: Skon • Surak • T'Maran • T'Rama

Others

Tobin Dax • Edzak • Garet Kadlin • Alexis Osman • Orav Penap • Phlox • Porthos
Referenced only: Lela Dax • God • Jamran Harnoth • Phinda • Sloane

Starships and vehicles

administrative barge • USS Endeavour (Columbia-class) • Enterprise (NX-class) • USS Essex (Daedalus-class) • Grentra • inspection pod • Metsanu (light cruiser) • USS Pioneer (Intrepid-class) • Rivgor • shuttle • shuttlepod • Starfleet One • USS Thejal (Sevaijen-class) • USS Vinakthen (Kumari-class)
Referenced only: ECS Bjarni Herjolfsson • Bonaventure-class (schematic) • Columbia (NX-class) • Daedalus-class • Discovery (NX-class) • IGS Docana • escape pod • ECS Horizon • Hrumog • ECS Ibn Battuta • Intrepid • IGS Kumari • Noyrit • ECS Silk Road • submarine • Suliban carrier ship • Suliban cell ship • Vol'Rala • Wasp-class (schematic)

Locations

bridge • Deneva, Kappa Fornacis system • Earth (Federation Executive Building, Paris • Starfleet Headquarters, San Francisco, California) • engineering • Gamma Vertis IV, Verti constellation • Hansen's Planet • mess hall • Orion (Pi-3 Orionis III) • Psi Serpentis B, Psi Serpentis • Qhembembem Outpost • Rigel V Orbital Spacedock, Rigel V, Tau-3 Eridani • San Francisco Fleet Yards • Sauria/Lyaksti'kton/N'Ragolar (M'Tezir • M'Tezir One • Tai'sheku) • sickbay • Unnamed planets • Vega Museum of Antiquities, Vega colony, Vega IX • Wolf 46-III
Referenced only: Akaali homeworld • Alpha Centauri • Alpha Centauri III • Alrond • Andoria • Arken II • Asia • Axanar • Carina boarder region • Cetus boarder region • Cheron • Delphic Expanse • Delta Triangle • Deneb V, Deneb Kaitos system • Denobula • Dreshna • Europe • Fesoan • Great Britain • India • Iowa • Kemsar Colony, 10 Tauri IV • Maluria • Mars • Middle East • Orion constellation • P'Jem • Raij'hl • Rigel • Rigel X • Rome • Sanibel Beach, Sanibel Island, Florida • Tandar Prime, Tandar sector • Tellar • Terra Nova • Trill • Vulcan • Zeta Fornacis

Races and cultures

Andorian • Axanar • cloud whales • Denobulan • Hansen's Planet anthropoid • Human (American • Centaurian • Denevan • Englishman • European • French • Japanese • Roman) • Ithenite • Klimasz • Malurian • Nuvian • Orion • Rigelian • Risian • Saurian • Tandaran • Tellarite • Tesnian • Trill • Trill symbiont • Vertian/"Mute" • Vulcan • Wolf 46-III natives • Xarantine
Referenced only: Aenar • Akaali • Antaran • Arkenite • Arkonian • Boslic • Denebian • Gosis' species • Humpback whale • Hur'q • Kantare • Klingon • Lorillian • Mazarite • Nalori • Nausicaan • Osaarian • Romulan • Suliban • Tholian • Valakian • Vegan • Xindi • Xyrillian

States and organizations

Alpha Centauri Space Research Council • Andorian Imperial Guard • Cochrane Institute of Alpha Centauri • Earth Cargo Service • European Alliance • Executive Council • Federation Commission • Federation Council • Federation Starfleet • Global League • Guard Academy • Interspecies Medical Exchange • Orion Syndicate • Raldul • Section 31 • Smithsonian Orbital Annex • Starfleet Command • Starfleet Medical • Starfleet Intelligence • Suliban Cabal • Tellar Space Administration • Three Sisters • United Earth • UESPA • United Federation of Planets • Vulcan Space Council
Referenced only: Alpha Centauri Concordium • Andorian Empire • Coalition of Planets • Confederacy of Vulcan • Klingon Empire • Klingon High Council • Lyaksti Empire • Maurya Empire • Military Assault Command Organization • Ministry of Security • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Engineering • Syrrannite • Terra Prime • United Earth Starfleet • United Planets of Tellar • United States of America • Vulcan High Command • Vulcan Science Directorate

Science and technology

airlock • Andorian genders • antenna • antimatter • arrenhe'hwiua • atmosphere • atmosphere processor • atmosphere suit • autopilot • biology • bio-signature • biosphere • bio weapon • blood • bone • brain • breathing mask • Bussard collector • camera • cancer • carbon • carbon dioxide • centimeter • coma • communications beacon • communicator • computer • database • data tablet • decontamination chamber • deflector • deflector shield • Denebian fever • dermal camouflage • distress beacon • DNA • drydock • Einstein-Rosen bridge • EM band • emitter array • energy • environmental suit • force field • forward emitter • fusion initiator • genetic engineering • geometry • Global warming • grappler • gravimetric distortion • graviton beam • gravity • gravity plating • hair • hammer • helium • hologram • holorecorder • hydrogen • hypercapnia • imaging chamber • impulse engine • inertial damper • intercom • ion storm • ion trail • kilometer • klaxon • knife • lamp • lantern • light-year • magnetic compass • magnetic field • medicine • methane • microbe • micro-warp drive • monitor • nail • Napoleon Complex • neurology • neuron • night-vision eye-piece • nuclear winter • orbit • oxygen • particle beam • particle rifle • phase cannon • phase pistol • photonic torpedo • photosynthesis • plasma • plasma cannon • polarized hull plating • probe • radiation • repulsor • rifle • Rorschach test • scalpel • scanner • sensor • shield generator • siren call • space • space station • spatial distortion • spear • starship • subspace • subspace transceiver • terraform • thruster • time travel • torpedo • tractor beam • tractor beam generator • transporter • transporter pad • turbolift • viewscreen • virtual display visor • Vulcan ring drive • warp bubble • warp coil • warp drive • warp field • warp nacelle • warp reactor • waste reclamator • wormhole • Xindi vortex • Xyrillian simulator

Ranks and titles

admiral • ambassador • Archaeology and anthropology officer • armory officer • asteroid miner • Basileus • butterfly dancer • captain • chief of communications • chief engineer • chief medical officer • chief of staff • commander • commander-in-chief • commissioner • commissioner for science and technology • commodore • communications officer • councillor • crewman • diplomat • doctor • Earth defense secretary • emperor • engineer • ensign • entomologist • executive officer • Federation Commissioner of Defense • Federation Commissioner of Foreign Affairs • first officer • Fleet commander • general • governor • helm officer • historian • insect tamer • instructor • judge • legislator • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • linguist • major • maskwright • medic • merchant • minister • navigator • physician • pilot • Presider • President of the United Federation of Planets • Prime Minister of United Earth • princess • protocol officer • quartermaster • science officer • security advisor • senior officer • sociologist • soldier • spy • tactical officer • used-car salesman • weapons officer • xenobiologist • yeoman

Other references

2140s • 2153 • 2154 • 2155 • 2162 • 2163 • 21st century • 22nd century • 28th century • adoption • alien • Andorian ale • Andorian redbat • Andorii • animal • ape • asteroid • Augment crisis • avocado • ball • bamboo • Battle of Cheron • blackmail • black market • boarding party • Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice • bronze • cat • century • chirini • chutney-grilled chicken • coffee • colony • court-martial • crater • crystal • decade • Declaration of Independence • democracy • demon • Deneva Conference • dilithium • dog • drill lubricant • drug • dwarf planet • Earth-Romulan War • elf • eon • fire • fire wasp • first contact • f'sherr-beetle • galaxy • goggles • gorilla • grain pudding • grape • guinea pig • gun powder • Hail Mary • helmet • history • hlad root • hour • humanoid • iced tea • ice borer • ice giant • IDIC • insect • internment camp • invertebrate • K class star • Kir'Shara • kiss • landing party • leopard • lion • logic • Malurian mead • mammal • Mandarin collar • marsupial • massage • metal • mind meld • mining • Minshara class • minute • monarchy • month • moon • mothball • mountain goat • movie • mushroom • music • outpost • paper • parasite • philosophy • pig • pineapple • piracy • planet • planetoid • plant • plastic • poker • porcine • prejudice • pretzel • Prime Ministers' Conference • red dwarf • reptile • rock • salad • Saurian brandy • The Scream • second • sector • serpent • service patch • shark • silk • slavery • smuggling • snail • space boomer • spaceport • star • super-Jovian planet • tattoo • telepathy • Tellarite Civil Conversation • Temporal Cold War • tin • torture • tree • trellium-D • tritanium • uniform • universe • vegetable • veridium • vertebrate • Vertian crisis • water • winter • World War III • xenophobia • Xindi crisis • year • zhihal • zoo

Timeline

Chronology

This novel covers the period from 25 September 2162 to 21 May 2163.

Production history

Published Order
Previous novel: To Brave the Storm	Enterprise novels	Next novel: Tower of Babel
Previous story: Forgotten History	Stories by: Christopher L. Bennett	Next story: Tower of Babel

Appendices

External links

A Choice of Futures article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.

Star Trek: Enterprise prose publications
Novelizations		Broken Bow • Shockwave • The Expanse
Original novels	set during the series	By the Book • What Price Honor? • Surak's Soul • Daedalus • Daedalus's Children • Last Full Measure • Rosetta
Original novels	set after the series	The Good That Men Do • Kobayashi Maru • The Romulan War (Beneath the Raptor's Wing • To Brave the Storm) • Rise of the Federation (A Choice of Futures • Tower of Babel • Uncertain Logic • Live by the Code • Patterns of Interference )

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki