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Description[]

Every thirty-three years, a rift in space connects the Federation with a mysterious race called the Calligar who live on a planet hundreds of light years away - much too far to travel in a starship. Captain Kirk and the USS Enterprise are dispatched to transport a Federation delegation of diplomats, scholars and scientists who will travel to Calligar directly during the brief period of time that the rift will be open.

Mr. Spock leads the Federation party as they travel by shuttle through the rift just as a group of the aliens arrive in Federation space. The meetings go smoothly until the Calligar take Spock's party hostage and Kirk discovers that the aliens are keeping a deadly secret. With angry Tellarite and Andorian fleets ready to attack the Calligar, Kirk must save Spock and the others before war breaks out and the rift closes for another thirty-three years.

Summary[]

The Enterprise encounters a rift in space and makes first contact with the Calligar, a race much more technologically advanced than the Federation, but one that follows an isolationist policy. Long ago, they destroyed their homeworld's ecosphere and fled to a series of interconnecting orbital satellite cities, powered by a self-sustaining plasma fire that engulfs the planet. Master Builder Zyo seeks to expand his people's horizons, and thus allowed the contact, though his plans are at odds with conservative Master of Status Alt. While the crew learns as much about Calligar technology as their hosts allow, Lt. José Tyler has a whirlwind romance with Ecma, Zyo's daughter. Ecma's brother, Macro, strongly objects to the relationship and the two men come to blows. The situation nearly escalates into a full-blown battle between the starship and the Calligar Worldnet, but the entire encounter is abruptly cut short. The ship's passage destabilizes the rift, causing it to collapse earlier than expected, and the Enterprise barely returns to Federation space.

33.4 years later, the rift reopens and the Enterprise-A carries a diplomatic party to reestablish contact with the Calligar. Spock, Scotty, Tellarite representative Shondar Dorkin, Andorian representative Thak, and Dr. Richard Daystrom take a warp-capable shuttle through the rift rather than risk disrupting the rift with a massive starship. Meanwhile, Ecma, now the Master Builder, comes aboard the Enterprise for an exchange with now-Commodore Tyler and Ambassador Robert Fox. Tyler has spent the last three decades infatuated by memories of his brief encounter with Ecma and is disturbed to learn that she married her belligerent brother (neither a cultural taboo nor a genetic risk to her) and has a son. Ecma uses the trip to seek asylum aboard the Enterprise but collapses before she can fully explain her plight. A key facet of Calligarian society is the Worldmind, a vast database containing the minds of all deceased Calligar. This hive mind allows all Calligarians to commune with the total intelligence and wisdom of their forbearers. However, it also constantly measures each person's contributions to society and determines when they have achieved their full potential, after which point they are expected to voluntarily end their lives and upload their minds to the Worldmind for the betterment of the whole. Ecma's time of "thinning" is upon her, but she is unwilling to sacrifice herself. Her collapse was caused by separating herself from this Worldmind and fighting the cultural expectations she's known all her life, though she eventually recovers.

Spock's party find their efforts to learn more about Calligarian society and technology curtailed by Alt, Macro, and the rest of their insular hosts. When the Worldmind becomes aware of Ecma's plans, the Calligar hold the Federation team hostage in order to ensure her return. Spock uses alcohol and a mind-meld to gain crucial intelligence on the whole situation and reports it back to the Enterprise, but the shuttle is brought down before it can escape the city. Dorkin is killed fighting with Macro, though he saves Thak's life despite their mutual antagonism. Kirk and Tyler venture through the rift in another shuttle to negotiate for their team's release, though they have no success in dealing with the governing council. Kirk convinces them to allow a meeting with the Worldmind, the sole authority responsible for deciding Ecma's thinning or freedom. Spock attempts to make contact but is overwhelmed; Kirk and Daystrom also accidentally commune while trying to free Spock. They learn that Regger, Ecma's and Macro's son and next in line to be Master Builder, orchestrated the incident. Eager to claim power, he secretly reprogrammed the Worldmind to order Ecma's thinning, an order that the whole of Calligar never thought to question. Kirk and Daystrom fight Regger in a virtual battle that ultimately destroys Regger's mind. Zyo's consciousness emerges and mourns the loss of his gifted yet troubled grandson before agreeing to release Ecma. Kirk and the rest of the Federation team escape in their shuttle.

On the Enterprise, Sulu faces down Andorian and Tellarite cruisers that have responded to the capture of their representatives. The Andorians are reasonable enough, but the Tellarites force their way into the rift, again destabilizing it. Ecma regains consciousness and decides to return to her people for the good of everyone involved. She enters the rift just as Kirk's shuttle emerges and the rift is collapsing, but returns a moment later, having decided to remain with Tyler after all; the two are married. Shondar Dorkin is honored on Tellar, which declares war (and later victory in absentia) against the Calligar. Daystrom uses what he did learn of Calligar systems to create the precursor of Federation holotechnology, finally proving that he still has worthwhile contributions to make. Macro is made the new Master Builder, but finds little consolation for the loss of his wife and son. 

References[]

Characters[]

AltCaitlin BarryJerry BoyajianPhillip BoycePavel ChekovJ. Mia ColtRichard DaystromDorkinEcmaRobert FoxGarisonHicksKhundJames T. KirkWinona KirkMacroLeonard McCoyMeyerNewmanNumber OneChristopher PikeNils PitcairnReggerMontgomery ScottSpockStanziaHikaru SuluThakToochJosé TylerNyota UhuraVandorVincentViolaYamataZyo
Referenced only
FlahertyGalahadGhuGodLancelotLandruLouis XIV of FranceM-5Carol MarcusDavid MarcusJohn MuirOracle of the PeopleSanta ClausValdiniVenusVina

Starships and vehicles[]

BelligerentUSS EnterpriseUSS Enterprise-AUSS PotemkinSecordStealthYonada
Referenced only
Andorian class D-3 ship

Locations[]

Argus XBrigadoonDelta VegaEarthEminiar VIIGamma QuadrantIowaJupiterLunaRigelRimborSaturnStarfleet HeadquartersTellarUranusVega IXVulcanWorldnet
Referenced only
hall of heroesmadrigal

Races and cultures[]

AndorianCalligarHumanIllyrianKlingonOrionRigelianTalosianTellariteVulcan

States and organizations[]

Federation CouncilFederation Intergalactic Studies CouncilKlingon EmpireStarfleetStarfleet AcademyUnited Federation of Planets

Science and technology[]

A3 Interface ModulecordrazinedilithiumduotronicholodeckhyperdriveIllidium Pew-36 Explosive Space ModulatorJefferies tubelithiummedibedModel 83 Logic Integratortelevisiontimewarptransparent aluminumtranswarptri-oxwarp-sled

Other references[]

1812 OverturecowboycyclopsDixieDown from Saturn and up UranuselephantelfFly Me to the MoonhandshakeHarmonyhorseIDICItalianjerkknightLatinmukkupNobel PrizepopPrime DirectiveQuakerismRigelian candigalRockabye Babysnafusnah phuSpanishturniptribbleTwinkle Twinkle Little StarvodkaVulcan lyrewaltzwizardWorldmindZankar-Bowles PrizeZ-Magnees Prize

Appendices[]

Related stories[]

Media featuring Christopher Pike
Episodes and movies The Original Series The CageThe Menagerie
Movies Star TrekkStar Trek Into Darknessk
Discovery Will You Take My Hand?BrotherNew EdenPoint of LightAn Obol for CharonSaints of ImperfectionThe Sound of ThunderLight and ShadowsIf Memory ServesProject DaedalusThe Red AngelPerpetual InfinityThrough the Valley of ShadowsSuch Sweet Sorrow
Short Treks Q&AThe Trouble with EdwardAsk Not
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
Novels Killing TimeaEnterprise: The First AdventureVulcan's GloryLegacyThe RiftWhere Sea Meets SkyBurning DreamsA Less Perfect UnionaThe Children of KingsChild of Two WorldsDesperate HoursThe Enterprise WarThe High Country
Short stories "Conflicting Natures" • "A Private Anecdote" • "Sins of the Mother" • "The Greater Good"m
Comics Early Voyages "Flesh of My Flesh" • "The Fires of Pharos" • "Our Dearest Blood" • "Nor Iron Bars a Cage" • Cloak and Dagger (12) • "The Flat, Gold Forever" • "Immortal Wounds" • "One of a Kind" • The Fallen (12) • "Futures, Part One" • "Future Tense" • "Futures" • "Now and Then" • "Thanatos" • "Nemesis"
Starfleet Academy "Return to the Forbidden Planet" • "A Prelude to War"
Crew "Shadows of the Past" • "The Ends of Eternity"
other "All Those Years Ago..." • "To Walk the Night" • "Door in the Cage" • Alien Spotlight Alien Spotlight, Volume I (VulcansOrions) • Mirror Imagesm (1245) • Spock: Reflections, Issue 2Star Trek Movie Adaptationk (23456) • Captain's Log: PikeAftermath (123)
k : Kelvin timelinem : Mirror Universea : alternate reality

Images[]

Timeline[]

Published Order
Previous novel:
Legacy
TOS numbered novels Next novel:
Faces of Fire
Previous story:
Q-in-Law
Stories by:
Peter David
Next story:
The Disinherited
Chronological Order
Previous adventure:
Pathways
Chapter 14, Section 2
Pocket Books Timeline Next adventure:
Pathways
Chapter 14, Section 3
Previous adventure:
Pathways
Chapter 14, Section 2
Memory Beta Chronology Next adventure:
"A Rude Awakening!"
The above chronology placements are based on the primary placement in 2287.
The Memory Beta Chronology places events from this story in 1 other timeframe(s):
Previous adventure:
Burning Dreams
Chapters 7 & 15
2254
Chapters 1-7
Next adventure:
Burning Dreams
Chapters 10 & 15
Translations[]
1993
Bulgarian : Проход между световете, translated by Rumyana Hristova. (Kalpazanov)
1996
French : La Faille, translated by Bruno Billion. (Fleuve Noir)
1996
German : Der Riss im Kontinuum, translated by Ronald M. Hahn. (Heyne)

External link[]

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