Posted on by TracyC

Exiles of Colsec

ExilesColSecExiles of ColSec by Douglas Hill, 1984.

This is the first book in a sci-fi series, the ColSec Trilogy.

In the future, Earth is controlled by a repressive government that sends criminals and dissidents (especially strong youths) into exile on other planets. These exiles are assigned to different planets to form colonies by ColSec (short for Colonization Section). The government then reaps the benefits of whatever resources the colonists find or produce, all while keeping them at a safe distance to prevent them from starting rebellions.

The system works very well as far as the government is concerned, but this time, things don’t go according to plan.  The ship of dissident colonists destined for the planet Klydor crashes, killing most of the people on board.  There are only six survivors, all teenagers:

Cord — A boy from the Scottish Highlands, an area more wild and uncontrolled than most areas of Earth.

Samella — From the area once known as Minnesota (or possibly Manitoba, even the people who live there aren’t sure of the old name).  She lived as part of a commune until a harsh winter brought them to the brink of starvation, and her own family sold her into slavery.  On Klydor, she begins to discover that she has ESP.

Heleth — From the Bunkers, the old Underground tunnels under Old London.  She belonged to a gang called the Vampires, who purposely dye their skin jet black to blend into the darkness of their hidden homes.

Jeko and Rontal — a pair of Free Streeters, gang members from Limbo, in the area of what was once Chicago.

Lamprey — The most dangerous of all, a homicidal maniac who quickly forces the others to do his bidding for fear that he will kill them.

These few survivors are alone on a strange world, where they will have to figure out how to continue to survive and somehow create a life for themselves . . . if Lamprey doesn’t kill them all first.  The other rebels from Earth decide that they will have to stage a rebellion within their own group to get rid of Lamprey, and Cord finds himself appointed to be their leader.

But, it turns out that they aren’t quite as alone on Klydor as they thought, and possibly the most formidable creatures on the planet might be . . . the trees.

This is largely a story of survival as the colonists work together to protect themselves from Lamprey and uncover the secrets of their new world that will allow them to survive.  Samella’s ESP is what allows them to realize the truth about the forest where they have crashed.

The book is available to borrow and read for free online through Internet Archive.

Posted on by TracyC

Cadet Kirk

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

STACadetKirk

#3 Cadet Kirk by Diane Carey, 1996.

McCoy and Spock meet again when they are both on their way to the Starfleet Academy Science Conference at Colony Cambria. However, the small ship that is supposed to take them there is piloted by Cadet Kirk, who is disappointed because he was originally supposed to be the pilot for Dr. Richard Daytrom, a famous scientist who will be speaking at the conference. McCoy isn’t happy about the situation either, remembering that Kirk got him in trouble the last time they met and caused him to miss his holiday.

Kirk seems entirely too self-assured and constantly quotes rules and regulations. As they pass the Atlantis Outpost, an automated research station, the ship is caught by a tractor beam and forced to the ground. A group of mercenaries hired by Klingons believed that Dr. Daystrom was on board the ship, and they want to kidnap him. Kirk does his best to follow regulations, but it only results in getting them all captured. Kirk is discouraged and worried about what will happen when Daystrom’s ship finally arrives.

The book is currently available online through Internet Archive.

STACadetKirkPic

Posted on by TracyC

Aftershock

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

STAAftershock

#2 Aftershock by John Vornholt, 1996.

Leonard McCoy is a medical student at Starfleet Academy. Shortly before the Christmas holidays, McCoy is tired from studying and looking forward to spending some time at home. However, he takes a break from his studies to play a game of football with the other students and ends up in trouble. A younger student, Cadet James Kirk, tackles him, and they end up crashing into a security fence and setting off an alarm. As punishment, Kirk is given kitchen duty, but McCoy is asked to sign up for the Disaster Relief service club.

The club has its training course during the holidays, so McCoy will not be able to go home after all. As disappointing as that is for McCoy, the situation soon becomes much worse. The training course is barely over when the club is called away on a mission. The planet Playamar has been ravaged by earthquakes, and the club will be called upon to deliver supplies, treat the wounded, and rescue survivors. The club is organized into groups, and McCoy finds himself in a group with pretty Lisa Donald and the serious Vulcan, Spock. McCoy feels overwhelmed by the experience and questions whether he really has what it takes to become a Starfleet doctor.

When Spock says that he knows what is causing the earthquakes and how to stop it, will McCoy be willing to take the risks necessary to save the planet?

STAAftershockPic

Posted on by TracyC

Crisis on Vulcan

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

STAVulcan

#1 Crisis on Vulcan by Brad and Barbara Strickland, 1996.

This is the first book in a series about characters from the original Star Trek series when they were young.

Young Spock accompanies his father, Sarek, on a diplomatic mission while he negotiates a peace treaty among different factions of the Marathan system. The different factions have been fighting for years, but now they must resolve their differences because they wish to join the Federation. Spock and his father journey home on the Enterprise, which is captained by Robert April. April’s first officer, Christopher Pike, takes a liking to Spock and shows him around the ship. Spock is surprised at the mix of different races aboard the Enterprise, how well they work together, and how easily they accept him.

Then, a group of Marathans attacks the Enterprise with the intention of capturing Sarek. They claim that Sarek betrayed them, although they do not explain why they think so. Spock helps the crew of the Enterprise to escape from the Marathans, and out of appreciation, Captain April offers to sponsor him for Starfleet Academy. Spock has already been accepted to the Vulcan Science Academy, so he does not accept the offer. The Vulcan Science Academy is the one of the best places for a young scientist to study, but they have extremely strict standards.

STAVulcanPicAll Vulcans believe in logic and reason and the suppression of emotions. Spock is half human, and Sarek is concerned that his control over his emotions will not be sufficient to allow him to cope with life at the Vulcan Science Academy. Sarek could tell that Spock was pleased with the praise that the crew of the Enterprise gave him when he was able to help them, and he urges him to keep a tighter rein on his feelings. To help Spock adjust to life at the Vulcan Science Academy, Sarek arranges for him to stay there over the summer, before the next semester’s classes begin.

As Sarek suspected, Spock is heavily scrutinized by his teachers and the other students. They are suspicious of him because they know that his mother is human, and they suspect that his ideas are not as logical as theirs. Although Spock excels in his studies, none of the others will give him the respect that he deserves. Then, Spock’s father calls him home because there has been an attack on his mother. Someone is out to harm Sarek’s family, and it looks like it is the same Marathans that attacked the Enterprise, possibly including a young Marathan Spock befriended earlier. What to do they want, and why are they so angry over a treaty that they had already agreed to sign?

The book is currently available online through Internet Archive.