By BWilliams / 12:30, 3 May 2004 / Reviews - Books

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One of the most interesting and original STAR TREK novel series to come down the pike in recent years has been Pocket Books’ continuing monthly series S.C.E. Published each month in electronic format, S.C.E. gives readers a look into the lives of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers and their involvement in matters and adventures across the galaxy.

FOUNDATIONS, a paperback collection of three e-books written by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore (itself a nod to the celebrated trilogy written by Isaac Asimov), goes back in time to the glory days of the S.C.E. and the Federation’s most celebrated and well-known engineer, Montgomery Scott. Even the old-style cover of FOUNDATIONS harkens back to simpler times, when starship technology was on the cutting edge in the 23rd century, where spit and bailing wire prevailed over phasers and transporters.

The majority of the novel is covered in flashback form, while Ward and Dilmore set the framework within the 24th century. The Starfleet vessel U.S.S. da Vinci responds to a distress call from an alien ship gone out of control. Looking for ways to assist the Senuta in their first contact with this alien species, the da Vinci crew researches the past history of the S.C.E. and finds its answers in the reports of Montgomery Scott. From there, the tales begin to unfold.

We first meet Scotty in the days before his posting on the Enterprise, as he is assigned to assist the crew of the U.S.S. Lovell with the repair of a Federation outpost near the Romulan Neutral Zone. When things go awry, Scotty and his companion Mahmud al-Khaled must get to the source of the problem.

The novel then jumps ahead a few years to a time just after the events of the Original Series episode “The Return of the Archons”. The berserk computer system known as Landru has been neutralized, and the denizens of Beta III must now adjust to life on their own for the first time. Scotty and al-Khaled head up the team to clean up the mess that Captain Kirk left behind. But they soon find out that they have more on their hands than they realized…

The final third of the novel occurs several years afterwards, following the events of STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE, as Scotty and al-Khaled work with a group of Kelvan engineers on the U.S.S. Chandley, a decommissioned frigate, on an experimental transwarp drive. When the frigate jumps across the galaxy, both the Federation and the Kelvans face their first contact with an alien species that is bent on destroying them or forcing them to leave.

I must admit, I’ve not read any of the S.C.E. monthly e-books that have been released over the years, so I’m not familiar with the thematic arrangement of recaps and reviews that fans are familiar with. But with this compilation, FOUNDATIONS stands as a novel on its own merit, and one that is well told and well written from beginning to end.

This is basically Scotty and al-Khaled’s story, and their adventures and friendship over the years form the nucleus of what will become the Starfleet Corps of Engineers. While Mahmud al-Khaled stands out as the most defined of the original characters in this story, it’s also about the non-Starfleet personnel who take part in each mission, much like modern-day civilian contractors working alongside the military. Their involvement cannot be overlooked as well, as all work together. The story of FOUNDATIONS is about a very different Starfleet, one that has to get its hands dirty and do the work nobody else wants.

While it’s been difficult for me to get into the S.C.E. series overall, I found myself immersed completely in this particular tale. The old-school cover, Scotty’s appearance, and the flashback and stand-alone gimmicks serve as the lures to a fascinating tale within the 320-plus pages. Kick back with a steaming cup of raktajino and prepare to be entertained from start to finish.

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