NOVEL
By The Book
Attribution
Series:	Enterprise
Author(s):	Dean Wesley Smith & Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Publication information
Published:	Paperback - 1 January 2002
Pages:	252
ISBN:	ISBN 0743448715
Chronology
Date:	2151

Contents 1 Introduction (blurb) 2 Summary 3 References 3.1 Characters 3.1.1 Regular characters 3.1.2 Recurring characters 3.1.3 Other characters 3.1.4 Fictional characters 3.2 Starships 3.3 Locations 3.4 Races and cultures 3.5 Other 3.6 Related stories 4 Inconsistencies 5 Chronological placement 6 Connections

Introduction (blurb)Edit

In their first few weeks in space, Captain Jonathan Archer and the crew of the Enterprise have already discovered several new species and explored strange new worlds. But each planet brings new discoveries... and new dangers.

The Fazi, whose ultraregulated culture ranges from strict conversation protocols to unvarying building designs, inhabit half of a planet discovered by Enterprise. But after a disastrous first contact with the ruler of the Fazi, Archer must depend on Vulcan science officer T'Pol and communication specialist Ensign Hoshi Sato to help him mend relations with the people of this planet, and unravel the mystery of the other creatures living on the world.

SummaryEdit

Enterprise comes across a planet inhabited by a race known as the Fazi, who have a highly structured society even though they have recently achieved space travel. Archer makes contact with them but the first meeting goes disastrously when he fails to follow the protocol for speaking in turn.

Meanwhile, Reed has become curious about an apparently primitive spiderlike race who live on the planet's southern continent and discovers they are actually an advanced underwater civilisation. Archer again contacts the Fazi leader, Draa, but he brings the conversation to an abrupt end when Archer mentions the other race.

Mayweather takes a team to the aliens' village to collect samples but when the aliens reappear suddenly, Crewman Edwards collapses in pain when they surround him. An attempt to retrieve him with the transporter accidentally brings one of the aliens onboard as well and, when two security guards also collapse in his presence, Archer has the alien secured in the brig.

T'Pol and Phlox realise the aliens communicate telepathically using a focused beam of psionic energy, which is damaging and potentially fatal to humanoid brains. Hoshi is able to develop a translator that converts thoughts into words and vice versa and junior engineers Novakovich and Williams are able to devise a psionic shield to protect Archer from the alien's thoughts. With these, Archer communicates with the alien, a Hipon, who explains his people colonised the worlds two thousand years previous when the Fazi were still primitive. Their attempts to communicate with them have proved fatal, for reasons that they didn't understand until now.

Mindful of affecting the aliens' development too much, Archer manages to establish peaceful relations with both races before leaving the planet in the hope they can build a beneficial relationship on their own.

ReferencesEdit

CharactersEdit

Regular charactersEdit

Jonathan Archer • Charles "Trip" Tucker III • T'Pol • Phlox • Malcolm Reed • Hoshi Sato • Travis Mayweather

Recurring charactersEdit

Elizabeth Cutler • Ethan Novakovich

Other charactersEdit

James Anderson • Daniels • Draa • Jamal Edwards • Pointer • Williams

Fictional charactersEdit

Abe • Bertha • Mr. Doom • Dr. Mean • Horseman • Rust • Unk

StarshipsEdit

Enterprise

LocationsEdit

Fazi

Referenced only 

Mars

Races and culturesEdit

Denobulan • Fazi • Hipon • Human • Vulcan

Referenced only 

Martian

OtherEdit

coffee • cookie • Councilman • first contact • jasmine • mess hall • Porthos • Prime Directive • RPG • Rust • sandwich • universal translator

Related storiesEdit

• "Strange New World": Novakovich is still recovering from the transporter malfunction.

InconsistenciesEdit

• Ensign Hoshi Sato is referred to as Ensign Hoshi (it should be Ensign Sato).
• Elizabeth Cutler is referred to as an ensign (she is an enlisted crewmember).
• Novakovich is given the first name of Alex twice in Chapter Three (it should be Ethan).

Chronological placementEdit

• According to "Fight or Flight", Enterprise didn't encounter any other species since leaving Qo'noS, so this novel must be set after that episode. It is also stated to take place "a few weeks" after the episode "Strange New World".

ConnectionsEdit

• By the Book article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.

Star Trek: Enterprise prose publications
Novelizations	Broken Bow • Shockwave • The Expanse
Original novels	By the Book • What Price Honor? • Surak's Soul • Daedalus • Daedalus's Children • Rosetta • Last Full Measure The Good That Men Do • Kobayashi Maru • The Romulan War (Beneath the Raptor's Wing • To Brave the Storm)

published order
Previous novel: first in series	Enterprise novels	Next novel: What Price Honor?
chronological order
Previous Adventure: Unexpected	Pocket	Next Adventure: Terra Nova