Psi Phi's Star Trek Books Database

Daedalus, Part One of Two

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Enterprise
Mass-Market Paperback / December, 2003
0-7434-7118-0

Written by Dave Stern

Description:

October 5, 2140. After a half-dozen years of research and testing, Starfleet prepares to launch its first warp 5 vessel--Daedalus. Propelled by a radical new engine designed by Earth's most brilliant warp field theorist, Victor Brodesser, the new ship will at last put the stars within mankind's reach.

But on the eve of her maiden voyage, a maintenance engineer, Ensign Charles Tucker III--"Trip" to his friends--discovers a flaw in Daedalus's design. When he confronts Brodesser, the scientist--as charismatic as he is brilliant--eases Trip's concerns. The ship launches on schedule--and as Trip watches in horror, it explodes in a catastrophic matter/antimatter reaction, killing all aboard.

Thirteen years pass. Still haunted by memories of that disaster, Trip now serves as chief engineer aboard Enterprise. When a freak explosion cripples his vessel, leaving her helpless before a surprise attack, Trip is forced to abandon his ship--and his shipmates. As he is on the verge of mounting a desperate rescue attempt, however, a shocking turn of events forces him to confront the ghosts of Daedalus one final time.

Notes

"The author had 'First Flight' and re-fitted his story so it still works, and tru[th]fuly it even works better now that we have seen Trip in 'First Flight'." -- Margaret Clark, editor