Star Trek Voyager: The Nanotech War by Steven Piziks

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Star Trek Voyager: The Nanotech War by Steven Piziks
pub: Pocket Books/Simon and Schuster. 330 page paperback. Price: £ 5.99 (UK), $ 6.99 (US) and $10.50 (CAN). ISBN: 0-7434-3646-6

check out website: www.simonsays.co.uk and www.startrek.com

Voyager is caught in an ion storm and encounters a smaller ship breaking up. Kindly Captain Janeway rescues it. The ship's sole pilot is Engineer Zedrel, a Chiar from planet Chi, testing a warp drive vessel for the first time, even as Zephraim Cochran did in 'First Contact' - but sober. It is a first contact situation. The Chiar are making their first leap to the stars.

Voyager has been damaged by the storm. The Chiar seem pleased to meet their first aliens and are keen to help. Voyager's crew is not so pleased to meet the Chiar because they stink, literally. But they have a space station in orbit, which could facilitate repair, so Janeway accepts their hospitality.

The Chiar are heavily dependent on nano-technology. They use it as clothing and nanites do all their work. Keeping their nanites off the ship is a major headache for Voyager's engineering staff.

The planet has three continents: the Goracar Alliance controls the space station.

The Ushekti are imprisoned, their whole land surrounded by a microwave field. The Sherekti are thralls to the Goracar, wearing nanite-suits that compel obedience. There is an Ushekti-Sherekti underground movement that fights a guerrilla war against the dominant Goracar Alliance.

Things go smoothly for Voyager until there is an attack at a party. Terrorists (or freedom fighters) apparently carried out the unsuccessful raid. Later, raiders kidnap Seven and Tom Paris. The target was Seven. Tom was not especially wanted and so is given amnesia and sold into slavery.

With untrustworthy allies on a divided world, a damaged ship, restricted by the Prime Directive and threatened by a nano-technology to rival the Borg, Janeway must rescue Tom and Seven.

There is a sub-plot about Seven devising holodeck programmes to recreate the childhood she missed out on because of the Borg. With Chakotay for company, she plays freeze tag and tries to deal with school bullies. Like so many other Star Trek characters she is learning to be human, to get in touch with her emotions, to feel, California-therapy style.

Yuk! This is by far the most nauseating aspect of the Trek franchise. Every ship must have a Vulcan, android, Klingon or ex-Borg learning to get in touch with his emotions, learning what it is to be human. Spock was restrained in this, probably thanks to Nimoy's good sense. Data's blubbering made a bad film worse. Seven generally retains her composure and has other charms too. (Phwoar!)

A good thing about later Treks is the focus on minor characters. The captain is not always centre stage. This story is mainly about Tom Paris, B'Elanna and Seven of Nine, and is told from their points of view. I am only an occasional Voyager viewer, not a dedicated fan. Having read this book I will watch it with deeper understanding in the future.

Because you visualise what is seen so often on the box, a Trek book is normally easy reading. The quality can vary but this one is well written with a good plot and a nice science-fictional warning about dependence on technology.

It certainly made me scared of nanites. Recommended.

Eamonn Murphy

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