The Persistence of Memory is a Star Trek: The Next Generation novel by David Mack published by Pocket Books in 2012. It is the eighth novel in the post-Nemesis TNG Continuity, published under the banner of The Next Generation and centers around the Enterprise trying to find stolen Soong-type androids.
Publisher's description
- From the back cover
- The start of a new trilogy by the national bestselling author of Star Trek: Destiny!
- A BRAZEN HEIST: Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the USS Enterprise crew race to find out who has stolen one of the Galaxy's most important technological achievement–and for what sinister purpose.
- A BROKEN PROMISE: One desperate man risks everything for what he abandoned decades ago – but is he ready to pay the price for redemption?
- A DARING MISSION: Against overwhelming odds, and with time running out, Commander Worf has only one chance to avert a disaster – but how high a price will he pay for victory?
Summary
Geordi is contacted by Bruce Maddox, who needs his help: B-4 is on the verge of a cascade failure and the only way to save him is to remove Data's memories. Before anything can be done, however, someone breaks into Maddox's lab and removes all the Soong-type androids, including B-4.
The Enterprise takes charge of the investigation. A search of the planet's surface comes across a mysterious man who resembles the androids but he manages to evade the security teams. Picard decides to lift the blockade on the planet and sees a ship rendezvous with a cloaked Breen vessel and transfer the androids over.
The Enterprise follows a mysterious ship to the Breen's destination in a largely deserted system. Worf leads a covert team down to the planet, where they meet up with the mysterious man and the pilot of the ship: Noonien Soong, who transferred his consciousness into an android body after his apparent death and stumbled across the Breen while trying to save B-4 himself.
Soong joins the away team in investigating the Breen base, which turns out to be a factory they took possession of which was constructed by Lore to manufacture Soong-type androids to which he could transfer the minds of the Borg he was allied with. Soong and La Forge are captured but Soong bargains for their lives by offering to activate the androids, which the Breen intend to use as non-sentient slaves. Worf and Choudhury are also captured and, when Worf instructs Soong to stop his co-operation, the Breen commander kills Choudhury to force him to continue.
The Enterprise receives a message left by Worf on a time delay, informing them of the situation and advising they destroy the factory. Soong activates the androids but programmes them to attack the Breen, then transfers Data's memories from B-4 into his own body, effectively allowing Data's personality to overwrite his own while leaving his memories intact. The group manage to escape in Soong's ship, the Archeus, and rendezvous with the Enterprise after it has destroyed the facility (although not before the Breen take several inactive androids off the planet).
Data turns down Picard's offer to reactivate his Starfleet commission, instead telling Geordi that Soong discovered that Emil Vaslovik reactivated Juliana Tainer after her apparent death. Data intends to track him down and learn the secret in order to revive Lal.
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References
Characters
Enterprise-E personnel
- B-4 • Austin Braddock • T'Ryssa Chen • Jasminder Choudhury • Beverly Crusher • Kirsten Cruzen • Data • Peter Davila • Ravel Dygan • Joanna Faur • Randolph Giudice • Tamala Harstad • Geordi La Forge • Mlawr • Jean-Luc Picard • Rene Jacques Robert Francois Picard • Aneta Šmrhová • Spot • Worf • Velex
- Referenced only
- Dina Elfiki • Jordan • Taurik
Starfleet personnel
- Bruce Maddox • Alynna Nechayev • Teg
- Referenced only
- Andell • Reginald Barclay • Jadzia Dax • Anthony Haftel • James T. Kirk • William T. Riker • Benjamin Sisko • Deanna Troi • Tasha Yar • Lewis Zimmerman
Breen
- Feid • Kren • Nolik • Pazur • Raas • Tren • Vess • Zadlo
Others
- David Auerbach • Eloch • Flint (aka Ahkarin • Alexander the Great • Micah Brack • Johannes Brahms • Leonardo da Vinci • Lazarus • Merlin • Solomon • Emil Vaslovik) • Kinett • Kobb • Lal • Laryn • Molob • Prak • Shakti • Noonien Soong • Syrinna • Juliana Tainer • Katja Tangano • T'Nal • Tyros • Xifal
- Referenced only
- Pancho Barnes • Blessed Exchequer • Croesus • Fortune • Ira Graves • Grim Reaper • Jack the Ripper • K'Ehleyr • Koschei the Deathless • Lokos • Lore • Mangala • Rhea McAdams • Michelangelo • Oneiros • William Shakespeare • Shinzon • Tolian Soran • Igor Stravinsky • Pran Tainer • Venk • Kim Volonakis • Min Zife
Locations
- Alpha Quadrant • Beta Quadrant • FGC-38919 • Galor system • Milky Way Galaxy
- Referenced only
- Azure Nebula • Gamma Quadrant • Omega system • Paulson Nebula • Romulan Neutral Zone • Taurus Dark Cloud
Planets and places
- Alpha Centauri IV • Atrea IV (Kessatol Medical Center • Mainzeros) • Galor IV (New Glasgow • Talburgh) • Hanolan colony • Mangala • New Eden • Orion (Imperial Star Resort) • Pacifica (Crown Star • Royal Pacifican Suites) • Terlina III • Tessen III • Yutani IIIa
- Referenced only
- Antos IV • Ascella • Beltane IX • Benecia • Bolarus IX • Camus II • Cebelrai • Deneva (Summer Islands) • Epsilon Canaris III • Draken IV • Earth (Mesopotamia • San Francisco • Sardinia • Starfleet Headquarters) • Evora • Exo III • Fellebia (Nokolu) • Ferenginar • Galvan VI • Holberg 917G • Kenda II • Kostolain • Mars (Utopia Planitia) • Marvala IV • Megara • Nusakan • Omicron Theta • Penthara • Risa • Rhaandar • Ronara • Soukara • Syrma • Tezwa • Veridian III • Vulcan • Zibal
Starships and vehicles
- Archeus • Borg cube • Breen warship • USS Cumberland (runabout) • USS Enterprise (Sovereign-class) • Gwiazda (Breen cruiser) • Mlotek (Breen cruiser) • Obranca (Breen cruiser) • USS Roanoke (runabout) • SS Velatida (Manta-class) • Zemsta (Breen cruiser)
- Referenced only
- bird-of-prey • USS da Vinci (Saber-class) • USS Enterprise (Constitution-class) • USS Enterprise (Galaxy-class) • Jem'Hadar warship • USS Orion (Steamrunner-class) • USS Pegasus (Oberth-class) • Scimitar • USS Titan (Luna-class) • USS Trieste (Merced-class) • USS Tripoli (Hokule'a-class)
Races and cultures
- Atrean • Bajoran • Betazoid • Bolian • Breen • Cardassian • Caitian • Denobulan • Efrosian • Ferengi • Human • Klingon • Kobliad • Kriosian • Tellarite • Trill • Troyian
- Referenced only
- Andorian • Ba'ku • Borg • Brancher • Caeliar • Changeling • Choblik • Grigari • Jem'Hadar • Nalori • Nausicaan • Neanderthal • Neuvian • Orion • Pak'shree • Reman • Romulan • Talarian • Tholian • Vulcan • Yridian
States and organizations
- Ad Astra Finance Corporation • Bank of Bolarus • Breen Confederacy • Brock-Cepak • Cardassian Union • Ceres Finance Group • Cygnus Capital Group LLC • Daystrom Institute • Daystrom University • Dominion • Federation Department of the Interior • Federation Judiciary Council • Federation News Service • Federation Security Council • Fellowship of Artificial Intelligences • Ferengi Central Reserve • Interstellar Commerce Commission • Klingon Empire • Nalori Commandos • Nalori Republic • Orion Colonies • Orion Depository • Orion Syndicate • Prak-Tikal Games Incorporated • Romulan Star Empire • Soong Partners Holding Corporation • Spetzkar • Starfleet • Starfleet Academy • Starfleet Command • Starfleet Corps of Engineers • Starfleet Medical • Starfleet Research and Development • Typhon Pact • United Federation of Planets • Vulcan Science Academy
Science and technology
- annular confinement beam • artificial intelligence • bio-neural gel pack • cloaking device • emotion chip • exocomp • fusion reactor • Genesis Device • gravitic calipers • holotronic brain • homing beacon • ion cannon • isolation suit • laser • nanite • nanite spy-fly • neural net • neural truncheon • phasing cloak • plasma torch • phase discriminator • phase shifting • phaser • phaser rifle • positronic brain • repulsor beam • retinal scanner • shroud • synaptic scanner • transporter • tricorder • VISOR
Other references
- Borg Invasion of 2381 • Capellan Snare • chronometer • The Creation of Adam • Crystalline Entity • DNA • Dominion War • The Firebird • grass • Happy Bottom Riding Club • Lorcan wisdom mask • monkey • periscope • Rocky Raccoon • running light • shapeshifter • sickbay • Starfleet uniform • Trojan horse • Vedic
Food and drink
- Bordeaux • cilantro • coffee • Earl Grey • filet mignon • jambalaya • Kaferian lemon • Kytherian crab • miso soup • pickled seaweed • plomeek soup • prune juice • raktajino • Sangiovese • Slug-o-Cola • tube grub
Elements and substances
Appendices
Background information
- The German translation of the novel was released by Cross Cult in 2015. It was translated by Wibke Sawatzki.
- Breen cruisers' names appearing in the novel come from the Polish (Gwiazda, Młotek, Zemsta) and the Slovak languages (Obranca) and mean respectively Star, Hammer, Vengeance and Defender.
- Also, the Breen names are taken from various European languages (Norwegian, Dutch, Spanish, Polish) - for example Pazur and Żądło, which in the Polish language mean Claw and Sting respectively.
Related stories
- TNG episode: "The Measure of a Man" - Bruce Maddox' position on android rights and the court case in this episode are mentioned.
- DS9 episode: "Change of Heart" - Picard has doubts about Sisko's assumption that Worf will never command a ship due to Worf failing a mission in order to save Jadzia's life.
- DS9 episode: "What You Leave Behind" - Worf's time as an ambassador was established in this episode.
- ST novel: Articles of the Federation - Maddox advocating B-4 in a court case was mentioned.
- Encounters with androids - La Forge informs Tamala Harstad about the Enterprise's encounters with androids.
- TNG episodes: "Datalore", "Brothers", "Descent, Part I", "Descent, Part II" - The encounters of the Enterprise with Lore are mentioned.
- TNG episode: "The Offspring" - Lal's life and death is mentioned.
- TNG episode: "Inheritance" - The way the Juliana Tainer android works is mentioned.
- TNG novel: Immortal Coil - The Enterprise's encounter with Rhea McAdams and the being known as Flint are mentioned.
- TNG movie: Nemesis - The discovery of B-4 and the death of Data are mentioned.
- TNG - A Time to... novels: A Time to Kill, A Time to Heal - The method of landing on Tezwa is mentioned and repeated in this novel.
- SCE novels: Wildfire, Book 1, Wildfire, Book 2 - The events from this duology are mentioned.
- TNG episode: "I, Borg" - Hugh is mentioned.
- TNG episode: "Skin of Evil" - The death of Tasha Yar is mentioned.
| Star Trek: Cold Equations |
|---|
| The Persistence of Memory • Silent Weapons • The Body Electric |
| Star Trek: The Next Generation novels set after Star Trek Nemesis |
|---|
| Death in Winter • Resistance • Q & A • Before Dishonor • Greater Than the Sum • Losing the Peace • Indistinguishable from Magic • Cold Equations (The Persistence of Memory • Silent Weapons • The Body Electric) • The Stuff of Dreams • The Light Fantastic • Takedown • Armageddon's Arrow • Headlong Flight • Hearts and Minds • Available Light • Collateral Damage |
Timeline
The first and third part of this novel is set in January of 2384. It begins four years and two months after the final TNG movie: Nemesis.
| published order | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous novel: Indistinguishable from Magic |
TNG novels post-Nemesis |
Next novel: Silent Weapons |
| Previous story: Storming Heaven |
Stories by: David Mack |
Next story: Silent Weapons |
| chronological order | ||
| Previous Adventure: Brinkmanship |
Memory Beta Chronology | Next Adventure: Silent Weapons |
External link
- The Persistence of Memory article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.