The Guardian of Forever has been waiting for someone worthy to ask it a question ever since the time Captain Kirk and his crew came there in "City on the Edge of Forever." When Captain Kirk returns to the Guardian on his way back to Earth, he asks the Guardian, "why?" The Guardian then proceeds to take him back to a point where the future of the Federation was at stake, where Zefram Cochrane was being hunted by a man named Colonel Thorsen. He follows Cochrane through three centuries. He hunts down Cochrane on two Enterprises, one commanded by Captain Kirk, and the other by Captain Picard. This is a story about the birth of the new Space Age, the Post-Atomic Horror, the Optimum, and Zefram Cochrane trying to find a place where he can rest in peace without having to worry about Colonel Thorsen chasing him down looking for the answer to a question. Does the Warp Bomb exist? If it does, that would make Thorsen the most powerful being, and bring about a new Era of terror, oppression, routine executions, and more violence than was experienced during the Eugenics Wars. While this story is based in the Star Trek universe, it sheds some light on how humanity sometimes views itself. Everyone one has at one point questioned themselves by asking, "is this all that I am? Is there nothing more?" This book helps us to figure out that sometimes it's alright to be all that we are. People like Thorsen choose to see themselves as going towards a more perfect version of humanity, and exterminating all of those who disagree with him, or do not fit in his own ideals of how humanity should be viewed. At one point, we see Thorsen as part human, part machine. We all know the similarities between Thorsen now and another culture that has been seen in Star Trek. Yep, The Borg. Remember the Queen describing to Picard and Data how The Borg are on the road to perfection? This is basically what Thorsen has become. Here's a quote from the book that appears on the back cover of the hardcover copy: "The Enterprise screamed around them as she fought the staggering tidal forces straining to tear her apart. Worf gripped the underside of the console to steady his position as he read the sensor displays flashing erratically before him. "Sir, sensors have locked onto a Constitution-class vessel within the electromagnetic event horizon. Trajectory calculations indicate the vessel penetrated the event horizon from a position ninety-nine years in the past." The other ship's fleet identification signal gained strength for an instant, just long enough for sensors to detect a second signal sent with the first. Then it seemed as if the universe itself became still as Worf spoke again, his voice filled with disbelief and awe. "Captain Picard." Word said, "the other ship is the Enterprise 1701. And, sir...her captain, James T. Kirk, is hailing us...." Now that your palette has tried that on for size, I would just like to say that I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about themselves, and humanity as a whole. You never know what you will find when you open up a new book.
Title: Federation
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3/24/05
