Forgotten History is a Star Trek novel by Christopher L. Bennett, published by Pocket Books in 2012. The novel is the second in the Star Trek: Department of Temporal Investigations series.
Description
- The agents of the Department of Temporal Investigations are assigned to look into an anomaly that has appeared deep in Federation territory. It's difficult to get clear readings, but a mysterious inactive vessel lies at the heart of the anomaly, one outfitted with some sort of temporal drive disrupting space-time and subspace. To the agents' shock, the ship bears a striking resemblance to a Constitution-class starship, and its warp signature matches that of the original Federation starship USS Enterprise NCC-1701—the ship of James T. Kirk, that infamous bogeyman of temporal investigators, whose record of violations is held up by DTI agents as a cautionary tale for Starfleet recklessness toward history. But the vessel's hull markings identify it as Timeship Two, belonging to none other than the DTI itself. At first, Agents Lucsly and Dulmur assume the ship is from some other timeline… but its quantum signature confirms that it came from their own past, despite the fact that the DTI never possessed such a timeship. While the anomaly is closely monitored, Lucsly and Dulmur must search for answers in the history of Kirk's Enterprise and its many encounters with time travel—a series of events with direct ties to the origins of the DTI itself…
Summary
The Enterprise's experiences with time travel draw the attention of a senior Starfleet officer, Antonio Delgado, who discovers that the ship's cold restart above Psi 2000 have charged the engines with chronitons and made it capable of time warp. Kirk and his crew are initially enthusiastic about Delgado's desire to explore the idea but when a number of incidents nearly alter the timeline they change their minds. A committee is set up to explore the possibility, headed by archeologist Meijan Grey, and evolves into the Department of Temporal Investigations.
When the Enterprise's five-year mission ends, Delgado takes advantage of the refit to acquire the old engines and uses them to build the Timeship One, intended to take a short jump into the future. However, before they can do so a duplicate Timeship One returns from the future, with its dying crew explaining they went too far and succumbed to Hawking radiation. When the launch is cancelled, the duplicate Timeship One and its crew vanish, proving timelines can be erased. Grey decides to more closely regulate temporal experimentation.
However, the Enterprise is then involved with an incident with a Vedala planetoid, which causes them to swap places with the Vulcan ship Muroc from the alternate timeline that the Onlies came from. With humans having never developed space travel, in this timeline V'Las turned the Vulcans into a military power who are at war with a Klingon/Andorian alliance. The ship is caught in the crossfire before Kirk allies himself with the Vulcans. Meanwhile, Spock, in his own timeline aboard the USS Hypatia, discovers the alternate T'Pring is aboard the Muroc. After they experience pon farr together, he tells her how to find the still lost Kir'Shara and they work together to swap the Enterprise and the Muroc again.
Although the Vedala demand the Federation surrender the planetoid and its technology, Grey and Delgado remove one of their drives and use it to construct the Timeship Two, hoping to travel into the past or future of another timeline. Instead, they create a confluence with the 2383 of their own timeline. That era's Department of Temporal Investigation intervene and, reviewing confidential files, are surprised by Kirk and Grey's relative role in proceedings.
The Enterprise answers a distress call from Timeship Two and Kirk beams aboard with a landing party. They are disturbed by the intervention of a Klingon/Andorian ship from the 2383 of the alternate timeline, which threatens to alter history so the Klingons gain advanced technology and conquer the Federation. They are saved by the alternate T'Pring, who managed to turn Vulcan towards peace and end the war with most of the Klingons and Andorians.
Lucsly and Dulmur board the Timeship Two and Lucsly reluctantly gives Kirk the information needed to reprogramme the ship's engines to emit a cancellation wave. Kirk directs Spock and Scotty to do the same with the Enterprise, giving the crew the knowledge to time travel in any ship, and the timeline is restored.
The Vedala reclaim the technology and Grey and Delgado are allowed to retire quietly. In the future, the DTI choose to continue to believe the myth with regard to Kirk and Grey.
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References
Characters
- Loom Aleek-Om • Claudia Alisov • Tracey Amritraj • Laarin Andos • Pava Ek'Noor sh'Aqabaa • Barak • Christine Chapel • Pavel Chekov • Chezrava • Shantherin th'Clane • Cleary • Crenfel • Nijen Danehl • Willard Decker • Antonio Delgado • Vincent DeSalle • Marcella DiFalco • Marion Dulmur • Ted Erickson • Frank Gabler • Teresa Garcia • Meijan Grey • Harriet Griswold • William Hadley • Chuu'iik Hru'uith • Samira Jalili • Virum Kalnota • James T. Kirk • Burton Kwan • John Kyle • Monique Ledoux • Vaacith sh'Lesinas • Ryan Leslie • Ron Liftig • Gariff Lucsly • Arthur Manners • Leonard McCoy • Enrique Mercado • Revethanis ch'Naras • Vexam ko Nel • Mosi Nizhoni • Heihachiro Nogura • Reiko Onami • Palchelle • Joaquin Perez • Heather Petersen • Meyo Ranjea • Zhimen ch'Rhettel • Rixil • Satak • Montgomery Scott • Sekel • Simok • Danga Sitru • William Smillie • Sornek • Spring Rain on Still Water • Hikaru Sulu • Spock • T'Nuri • T'Pring • T'Viss • T'Vran • Tunzos • Nyota Uhura • Hrrii'ush Uuvu'it • ch'Venethes • John Watkins • Dierdre Watley
- Referenced only
- Jonathan Archer • Neil Armstrong • Gerry Auberson • B'kash • Balok • Bonnie Prince Charlie • Isambard Kingdom Brunel • Glynnis Campbell • John Christopher • Lori Ciana • Zefram Cochrane • Robert L. Comsol • Matthew Decker • Angela Delgado • Jard Elbir • John Farrell • Benjamin Finney • John Glenn • Amanda Grayson • Guardian of Forever • Hypatia • Kautilya • Edith Keeler • Kor • Roger Korby • Krase • Alexey Leonov • Pasthemon sh'Levram • Chab jav Lorg • Konahr Lutet • Angela Martine • Marla McGivers • Lorne McLaren • Maria Moi • Lyo Morhas • Harcourt Fenton Mudd • Grace Murabi • Muroc • Christopher Pike • Andrew Probert • Samuel Solomon Qasr • Janice Rand • Franklin Delano Roosevelt • Theresa Ross • S'kaa • Saavik • Sarek • Gary Seven • Shuuri'ik • Benjamin Sisko • Soval • Stonn • Ahmed Suleiman • Surak • Sybok • T'Pau • Valentina Tereshkova • V'Ger • V'Las • Elaine Watley • Kenneth Wescott • Worene • Zora
Starships and vehicles
- VHC Ahn-Woon • USS Capitoline (Vesta-class) • USS Enterprise (Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • USS Everett (Nova-class scout) • USS Hypatia (Capella-class) • VHC Muroc • Thorn of Justice • Timeship One (timeship) • Timeship Two (timeship) • workbee
- Referenced only
- IKS Amar • Apollo 11 • USS Boston • USS Bozeman • Doomsday machine • Enterprise (NX-01) • ISS Enterprise • USS Exeter • USS Intrepid • IKS Klothos • USS Neumann • ECS Philadelphia • Suurok-class • Verity • USS Zheng He
Locations
- Alpha Centauri III • Briefing Room 14 • Chasav III • Earth • Earth Spacedock • Gateway • Greenwich • Imperial Palace • Lembatta Cluster • New Samarkand • Palais de la Concorde • Paris • Pelos • Prime Meridian • San Francisco • Starbase 9 • Starbase 12 • Starbase 23 • Starfleet Headquarters • Warlock Station
- Referenced only
- Aberdeen • Alpha Centauri III • Andoria • Argo • Axanar • Axis of Time • Beta III • Beta Niobe • Black Star • Capella IV • Coridan III • Cygnet XIV • Davlos • Delta Triangle • Denobula • Eminiar VII • Epsilon IX station • Epsilon Eridani • Elysia • Galos Sigma • Gamma 7A • Gamma Trianguli VI • Gliese 229 • Hellguard • Icor IX • Ithen • Izar • Laibok • Luna • Makus III • Mars • Miri's homeworld • Mount Vesuvius • Mountains of Gol • Mutara sector • Neural • New Samarkand • Omega IV • Omicron Ceti III • Oort cloud • Orion • Paan Mokar • Pompeii • Psi 2000 • Regulus • Regulus III • Rigel XII • Sarpeidon • Sauria • Sector 006 • Sheineth Province • Skagway • Split Infinite • Starbase 23 • Talos IV • Tiburon • Vendikar • Venus • Vulcan
Races and cultures
- Andorian • Aurelian • Betelgeusian • Caitian • Deltan • Denobulan • Edosian • Efrosian • Human • Ithenite • Klingon • Makusian • Orion • Pelosian • Rhaandarite • Romulan • Saurian • Vedala • Vulcan • Zakdorn
- Referenced only
- Acamarian • Aquan • Augment • Aulacri • Borg • Clan Ru • Cygnetian • Elasian • Eminian • Fabrini • Gatherer • Gorn • Halkan • Lorillian • Mazarite • Megarite • Nausicaan • Onlies • Risan • Suliban • Taurean • Tellarite • Tholian • Tiburon • Troyian • Yang • Zeon
States and organizations
- Chronal Assessment Committee • European Alliance • Federation Department of Temporal Investigations • Federation Intelligence Council • Federation Science Council • Federation Starfleet • Institute of Galactic History • Institutes of the Federation Science Council • Klingon-Andorian Compact • Starfleet Corps of Engineers • Starfleet Intelligence • Starfleet Science Operations • Tandaran Institute of Temporal Studies • United Federation of Planets • Vulcan Protectorate
- Referenced only
- Cambridge University • Central Research Institute of Aldebaran III • Great Western Railway •Masters of Gol • Nazi Germany • Regulus III Science Academy • Royal Observatory • Starfleet Command • Starfleet Inspector General Office • Temporal Integrity Commission • Terran Empire • United Earth Space Probe Agency • United States Air Force • United States of America • Vulcan High Command
Ranks and titles
- admiral • ambassador • captain • chief • chief engineer • chief medical officer • Chief of Starfleet Operations • Chief of Starfleet Science Operations • chief science officer • commander • commodore • councillor • crewman • director • doctor • ensign • executive officer • Federation Secretary of Science • governor • High Teer • lieutenant • lieutenant commander • petty officer • President of the United Federation of Planets • professor • queen • rear admiral • special agent • subcommander • vice admiral
Other references
- anomaly • antimatter • atavachron • atomic bomb • Bible • black star • Bussard collector • Cauchy horizon • chroniton • coleopteric warp drive • Constitution of the United States of America • Cordrazine • court martial • Declaration of Independence • deflector dish • Earth-Romulan War • Eugenics Wars • Everett-Wheeler equations • Federation Standard • Feynman curve • Flag of the United States of America • General Order 1 • golf • Gregorian Calendar • Guardian of Forever • Hawking radiation • historian • impulse engine • isolation suit • kal-if-fee • Kir'Shara • Kol-ut-Shan • Kolinahr • le-matya • life support belt • Minshara class • missile • neutrino • Novikov loop • Organian Peace Treaty • phaser • plasma injector • pon farr • predestination paradox • Prime Directive • quantum signature • radar • Saurian brandy • slingshot effect • space • space amoeba • starship • subcutaneous transponder • subspace • subspace confluence • t'hy'la • t'kam'la • Temporal Cold War • temporal drive • theragen • time • time travel • timeline • tractor beam • tricorder • Vedala confluence drive • Vedala planetoid • War of Kentin • warp core • warp engine • warp nacelle • warp signature • World War II • World War III
Chronology
Appendices
Connections
| Published Order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous story: The Struggle Within |
Stories by: Christopher L. Bennett |
Next story: latest work |
Related stories
- TAS episode: "The Time Trap" - The Delta Triangle and Elysia from this episode are referenced.
- SCE eBook: Where Time Stands Still - The method of travelling to and from Elysia as created in this ebook is referenced.
- TOS movie: Star Trek: The Motion Picture - The Enterprise's refit was discussed.
- TOS episode: "Tomorrow is Yesterday" - The Enterprise's voyage through time is examined.
- TOS episode: "The Naked Time" - The Enterprise's short voyage through time near Psi 2000 was also examined.
- ENT episode: "Broken Bow" - Jonathan Archer's knowledge of the Temporal Cold War is referenced.
- TOS episode: "The City on the Edge of Forever" - Antonio Delgado debriefs Kirk regarding the discovery of the Guardian of Forever.
- TOS episode: "Assignment: Earth" - Commodore Delgado assigns the Enterprise to explore history a mission carried out in this episode.
- TOS episode: "Turnabout Intruder" - Scott postulates that any number of factors could contribute to the Enterprise's ability to time travel, including the plasma injectors Balok gave the Enterprise.
- TOS episode: "Miri" - The mysterious appearance of Miri's Earth is explained.
- TOS episode: "Mirror, Mirror" - The Enterprise crew's encounter with the beings of this universe is referred to.
- TOS episode: "All Our Yesterdays" - The Chronal Assessment Committee discusses the discovery of the atavachron.
- TOS episode: "The Omega Glory" - Antonio Delgado studied the population of Omega IV because he believed that planet's American artifacts were the result of time travel.
- TAS episode: "Yesteryear" - The Enterprise's voyage to the Guardian of Forever is used as a reference frame.
- TOS novel: Assignment: Eternity - The Enterprise's second encounter with Gary Seven is referenced.
- TOS novel: Final Frontier - The raid on the Guardian's planet by Clan Ru is mentioned.
External links
- Forgotten History article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Christopher L. Bennet's website with detailed annotations of much of his work.