Trek Throwback Thursday: The Genesis Wave by John Vornholt

Trek Throwback Thursday

The Genesis Wave by John Vornholt

On the planet Pacifica, Dr. Carol Marcus, the last person in the galaxy with the highly classified knowledge of Project Genesis, a 23rd century Federation terraforming technology that could be turned into a weapon of genocide, is kidnapped by parties unknown.  In a tale that brings the crew of the USS Enterprise-E face to face with old friends and new in a race to save the galaxy from a spaceborne solar system spanning new version of the Genesis Wave, mercilessly transforming whole planets and systems, killing billions in the process.  From the first victims of the wave, the entire population of the remote colony of Seran and the research base Seran T-One, to the Enterprise-E's crew investigating the lack of communication with the sector, to the emergency response by the Federation to stop the wave as one planet after another falls and their entire populations are wiped out, to the discovery of the culprits behind the wave and much more, the trilogy is an action packed, thoughtful, character rich and very satisfying TNG crew story with many fun faces and references from throughout the franchise.

Book 1

Following Dr. Marcus's abduction the planet Seran and the Seran-T-One base are destroyed by the wave, leaving only two survivors: Dr. Leah Brahms who was in an experimental radiation suit with phase shifting technology which allowed it to survive the wave's energy, and her Tellarite assistant Paldor, who was on the orbital base when the wave hit.  Escaping in a shuttlecraft they make their way to Hakon, a Tellarite colony.  Although none of the colony's authorities take their dire warnings seriously before the wave hits they are joined by a Capellan counsel and spy for the Romulans Bekra and an old Klingon with knowledge about the wave, Maltz (Kruge's first officer from Star Trek III).  After making contact with the Enterprise-E Maltz gives Picard the magic word he needs to get information from Admiral Nechayev: Genesis.  After a talk with the admiral Picard reviews classified files about Project Genesis and informs his officers.  They go on to assist with relief efforts and try to get more sensor data on the wave as it devastates more Federation planets, including Saronna VIII and Persephone V.  Having gained the assistance of the Romulans (who's own territory is in the path of the wave) they make a stand at Myrmadon, a Bolian colony by protecting several locations with Romulan interphase generators.  Meanwhile Starfleet sends a taskforce to the source of the wave, an asteroid belt known as the Boneyard.  The taskforce disappears and the Enterprise goes to investigate, finding one of the ships, the USS Neptune abandoned.  They assign a skeleton crew to the ship.  As the wave hits Myrmidon, the Neptune attacks, its crew not under their own control.

Book 2

While the inhabitants and Starfleet personnel on Myrmidon weather the storm and begin to explore the strange new world left behind by the wave Picard and Data join the Romulans in rendering assistance.  Meanwhile the USS Neptune is stopped by the Enterprise and evacuated, its skeleton crew are evacuated to the Enterprise for treatment.  It is discovered that the crew were overcome by the same moss creatures that are being encountered on Myrmidon.  Brahms and Maltz have set off with the crew of the Klingon ship IKS HosH to track down those responsible for the wave and stop them, including Dr. Marcus (a blood oath for Maltz).  After nearly getting captured on the mining planet Proteus they learn about a nearby planet, Lomar, which turns out to be the now dead home planet of the moss creatures.  A massive fleet of 40,000 Federation, Klingon, Romulan and allied ships combine to use their deflector dishes to deflect the wave into the Coalsack nebula.  The Enterprise visits the Boneyard, the asteroid belt where the wave originated, but is disabled by Romulan sabotage.  After Brahms, Maltz and co. fight off Romulans, moss creatures and unscrupulous people from Proteus Brahms is captured by a Romulan spy but Maltz escapes and is transported to a secret hanger bay inside the moon containing hundreds of captured ships.  He takes one of the ships and follows it to a hidden asteroid base in the Boneyard.  Setting a collision course he beams to the base.  On the base Carol Marcus, having cleared her mind of the moss creatures control escapes her chamber and vows to stop the creatures from sending the wave again.  She encounters Maltz and they work together to self destruct the base, destroying the Genesis wave technology and dying in the process.   It is discovered that since the moss creatures homeworld, Lomar, was dying, they were using the Genesis Wave to create new homeworlds.  In the aftermath Starfleet decides to designate one of the transformed planets as their new homeworld.

Book 3

On Torga IV a moss creature in Bajoran form flees Romulan forces with a portable Genesis wave generator.  Before she dies of her injuries she takes the form of Kai Opaka and gives the device to a Bajoran monk, Vedek Yorka.  Believing the device to be a gift from the prophets he replicates it, and after activating it and seeing its effects declares it to be "The Orb of Life".  He then tries to auction off the duplicate, the winning bid coming from a Romulan dissident known as Regimol (who is actually and agent working for Admiral Nechavey).  The deal goes south and Yorka and his followers flee, Regimol and the Ferengi Chellac (formerly a follower of Yorka) escape in a runabout.  Following the tumults of the Genesis wave crisis the USS Enterprise-E is surveying the affected parts of Federation space, searching for ships damaged or disabled by the wave.  Finding the USS Barcelona they discover several moss creatures and one crew survivor, an Antosian named Raynr Sleven.  Romulans arrive and demand that Starfleet turn over all of the Brahms phase shifting radiation suits.  They board the Barcelona and are attacked by the moss creatures.  Suddenly a spatial rift opens destroying the Barcelona and a Romulan ship.  Similar rifts open across the region.  Picard, working closely with the romulan flagship commander Kaylena (actually an Elasian) falls under control of her Elasian tears.  Having resigned as an admiral after Genesis Wave affair Necheyev, now a captain, take command of the USS Sequoia on a mission to free the captives on Lomar.  During this mission they learn of the portable Genesis device on Torga IV.  Regimol learns that Yorka has replicated more devices and plans to use them on Solossos III.  Getting this report Necheyev spreads a rumor that Starfleet has the devices.  Hearing the rumor Kaylena sends Picard to obtain the devices.  Nechayev rendezvous with the Enterprise and exposes Kaylena as a fake.  The Romulan ship attacks the Sequoia and the Enterprise and is destroyed.  Light years away Picard, in the captains yacht, feels Kaylenas death and is freed from her influence.  Exploring the rift in a space suit Deanna Troi discovers that it is a rift to the same dimension as the Enterprise encountered several years ago at Gemworld (see Vornholt's Gemworld novels).  She learns that the rifts are destroying the other dimension.  Geordi and Data devise a way to disable the portable genesis devices.  On Solossos III Picard infiltrates Yorkas base but is discovered.  A firefight ensues, damaging the facility and exposing everyone inside to the planet's toxic atmosphere.  Yorka and his followers die, Chellac helps Picard destroy the Genesis devices, a wave of tranquility washes over the whole galaxy, temporarily stopping fighting everywhere.