That Which Divides

Star Trek: The Original Series

by Dayton Ward

An original novel set in the universe of Star Trek: The Original Series!

The Xondaii system—located in an area of non-aligned space near Federation and Romulan territory—is home to a unique stellar phenomenon: a spatial rift which opens every 2.7 Earth years, remains open for a period of approximately twenty-one Earth days, and allows access to a small planetoid that orbits in proximity to the system’s fourth planet. During this brief window, the people of Xondaii undertake a massive interplanetary operation: mineral ore is ferried from the mining operation while supplies, crew replacements, and so on are transported from the planet. Also, communications with the mining colony on the planetoid are possible only when the rift is open. 
 
Science vessel U.S.S. Robert Ballard is severely damaged during its mission to the system, and the U.S.S. Enterprise is dispatched to investigate and render assistance. But Kirk, Spock, and Sulu also collect the data about the rift, and the evidence they’ve gathered regarding its artificial nature is compelling. How has this not been discovered by anyone from Xondaii, especially when considering the extensive mining operations that have been in place for decades? And what can prevent enemies of the Federation from exploiting this newfound power?

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Star Trek Original Series, Ebooks, Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy

390 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Dayton is a software developer, having become a slave to Corporate America after spending eleven years in the U.S. Marine Corps. When asked, he’ll tell you that he left home and joined the military soon after high school because he’d grown tired of people telling him what to do all the time.

Ask him sometime how well that worked out.

In addition to the numerous credits he shares with friend and co-writer Kevin Dilmore, he is the author of the Star Trek novels In the Name of Honor and Open Secrets, the science fiction novels The Last World War and The Genesis Protocol, and short stories which have appeared in the first three Star Trek: Strange New Worlds anthologies, the Yard Dog Press anthology Houston, We’ve Got Bubbas, Kansas City Voices Magazine and the Star Trek: New Frontier anthology No Limits. Though he currently lives in Kansas City with wife Michi and daughters Addison and Erin, Dayton is a Florida native and still maintains a torrid long-distance romance with his beloved Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Reviews

[Kieran McAndrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

An anomaly at the edge of Federation space leads the 'Enterprise' into danger when it puts the crew in direct conflict with the Romulan Empire as Kirk and a scientific Away Team struggle to deactivate a self destruct sequence at a centuries old Kalandan outpost.

Ward's sequel (of sorts) to 'That Which Survives' has a lot of great character work and an exciting plot with plenty of callbacks to older episodes.

[TheOldWoman&TheSea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book very much.

The story is set in the Kondaii system and centers around a spacial barrier that opens every three years. The Dolysians live on the nearby planet and extract ore from the planetoid inside the barrier.
A Starfleet ship crashes on the planetoid, the Enterprise investigates, and the Romulans come along, looking for a fight.

It could have been a great story, but :

* The local inhabitants are mostly ignored.
* Uhura is now an expert pilot and computer programmer.
* Most of the work with the alien computer seems to be undertaken by Uhura and Boma ; Spock is just ... watching, twiddling his thumbs, ... ?
* There are two interesting Romulan characters : the commander and the chief engineer. Nothing much happens with them.
* After the final conflict between Kirk and the Romulan commander, there is no closure. She just ... walks away.
* The book is 386 pages long, but nothing memorable seems to have happened.

[Cheryl Landmark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never tire of Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the Starship Enterprise. Ever since the original series aired on television way back when, I've been an avid fan. And, not just of the tv show, but the books as well. This one was no exception.

Once again, the intergalatic adventurers met up with a new people and a new set of dangerous challenges. Mr. Ward's writing was excellent and he stayed true to the original characters, as well as tying parts of the story into past episodes. I also liked how he told some of the story from the perspective of the Romulans, who were anxious to find out just what the Federation starship had found in the Kondaii system and how it could benefit them.

Overall, this was a typically enjoyable Star Trek novel and I continue to be a fan.

[Tommy Verhaegen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Enterprise goes to the rescue of a starship in trouble. They meet a new people (for them) which is close to a first contact with brach of the first directive. An (un)natural rift that opens and closes at fixed intervals invites for exploration although this is where the other Federation starship met its end. A hidden base with old advanced technology and the Romulans that want to take possession of it give enough ingredients to deliver a book filled with action and some humor - always the best kind. We get a glimpse of Romulan thinking and for once diplomats that co-operate for the best in stead of being a blocking factor or endangering everybody. I admit i had to turn the last page before i actually could believe that... Love it.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I did enjoy this, and it feels like a classic Trek story...I do have two issues. The first is that it's almost TOO classic a Trek story -- one gets the feeling that, no matter how well put together, it still feels like something you could generate from a classic Trek story generator. The second is that it's a bit too long and drawn out for my taste. It feels as if you could cut at least fifty pages from the novel and the story integrity would remain intact. Overall, pleasant, enjoyable "Star Trek" comfort food.

[Mark Oppenlander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dayton Ward offers up another solid TOS adventure, this one drawing on elements from several episodes of the TV show. At its heart, it's a sequel to "That Which Survives" but it also has echoes of various episodes dealing with Romulan/Federation disputes (e.g. "Balance of Terror") and reintroduces a major character from "The Galileo Seven" for good measure. It's almost like a Star Trek medley or remix.

In this story, the Enterprise gets called to the Kondaii system, near Romulan territory, where a spatial rift opens every three years or so, allowing brief access to a mineral rich planetoid. The Kondaii people set up mining operations and leave a long-term facility on the planetoid. The Kondaii are an unaligned star system, but they allow Starfleet to come and study the energy rift. During the visit, the science vessel Huang Zhong is damaged by an unknown effect and crash lands on the planetoid. Kirk and his crew must come to the rescue, but in so doing, they discover there is something much larger going on with the rift and the planetoid than had previously been suspected; the phenomenon is not natural. And then the Romulans show up too. It's only a matter of time before Kirk, McCoy, Spock and Uhura are crawling through subterranean caverns trying to avoid a bloodthirsty Romulan landing party. I could almost see the papier-mâché rocks.

Ward has written other Star Trek novels and his familiarity and comfort level with the characters allows the reader to settle in as if they are visiting old friends. He also does a nice job of weaving in other ideas from the Star Trek universe, so that his tale feels very much like part of a larger whole. I think I most appreciated the return of Sam Boma, the Lieutenant who sparred with Spock in "The Galileo Seven" and now serves on the Huang Zhong. The two of them get a chance to have a second chapter in their relationship, and it proves intriguing to say the least.

I don't know that this novel really broke any new ground, but I enjoyed the warm familiarity of it and the smooth facility with which Ward writes in this universe. It's almost as if CBS had dredged up a "lost script" from the archives and converted it into a novel. Of course, given the length of the story and the numerous plot complications, it probably would have been a two-parter.

[Patrick Nichol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dayton Ward's new Star Trek novel is a gift to fans of TOS.
It's a terrific read that could very easily have been a TV episode.
When the Romulans threaten a small mining colony it's up to the USS Enterprise to step in.
Complicating matters is an energy rift and a millenia-old defense system that is threatening to destroy it and all life forms.
I found's portrayal of the bellicose Romulans particularly enjoyable, as well as some cameos from notable Star Trek characters of the past.
Well done, sir!

[Anthony Burdge · Rating 4 out of 5]

The events of That Which Divides takes place in the 4th year of the Enterprise's 5 year mission, which are related in many ways to the events of the 3rd year episode That Which Survives.

In That Which Survives, a story by the luminous DC Fontana (writing under the pseudonym Michael Richards) we find the Enterprise about to investigate an unexplored Class M Planet. As Captain Kirk, Doctor McCoy, Mr. Sulu and Lt. D'Amato are being beamed to the planet's surface they see the image of a beautiful woman aboard the Enterprise who we later learn is named Losira. Once upon the surface of the planet Kirk is unable to contact the Enterprise, which has been hurled almost a thousand light years away due to the appearance of Losira. The image of Losira appears in a solid form and can only kill those she names. Upon their investigation Kirk and crew find an underground chamber with a cube like computer that once belonged to the now extinct race of Kalandans. The computer is designed to repel everyone but the Kalandans. Losira is a projection from that computer and is the enabling arm of their defense system to protect the scientific data stored within its memory. In the end Spock orders the Enterprise back to the planet where he beams down and is able to destroy the computer and effectuate a rescue of Kirk and staff. The original story outline for this episode was entitled "Survival," which in the later title That Which Survives alludes to the challenge the Enterprise will face, survival.

Now in its fourth year, the Enterprise is summoned to the Kondaii system to conduct rescue operations of the USS Huang Zhong, which had crash landed on a planetoid in the system. However, in this area of non-aligned space that borders Federation and Romulan territory there is a unique stellar phenomenon; a spacial rift that opens every three years in proximity to the system's only inhabited planet. The people of Dolysia have established a small mining operation upon the planetoid inside the rift. For the duration that the rift is open this operation ferries mineral ore, personnel, supplies and equipment back and forth between the colony and the home planet. Upon approach of this rift the engines of the Huang Zhong are severely compromised as they cross past it. With compromised engines the ship is then grabbed by a tractor beam originating from the planet's surface. The beam draws the ship toward the planet and forces them to crash land. The ship's trajectory and crash cannot be stopped even though the beam was taken out by the Zhong's phasers. The rift that opens and closes separating Dolsyia from the planetoids clearly is That Which Divides. It is clear to Kirk and Spock that the Dolysian people are not advanced enough technologically to have created the rift. From the data retrieved by the Zhong survivors and the Enterprise's own scans the rift is not a natural phenomenon. For this mission Kirk and Ambassador Dana Sortino set to meet with the Dolsyian representatives while Spock, McCoy and Uhura work with the Zhong recovery team on the surface of the planetoid. This leaves Scotty in charge of the Enterprise with Sulu and Chekov at the helm.

In reading That Which Divides I found the pacing vastly different at times than the prior Star Trek novel I reviewed, The Rings of Time. The writing style of both authors is vastly different nor did I expect the pacing to be entirely the same. Not that I felt it was intentional between the authors but each book features mining operations on a planetoid. At times I felt the pacing a slower read in the recovery effort scenes than I did when Spock discovers the underground chamber containing the Kalandan computer network responsible for the tractor beam and when the Romulans arrive. The defensive system this time is spearheaded by another holographic projection, which we learn is named Meyeliri. This female projection does not directly kill crew members as Losira did, instead the underground chambers from which she emanantes is equipped with a system of gun turrets, sensor and communication disruptors, and ultimately a self destruction device. The underground Kalandan facility has five clusters of rooms, numerous rooms networked by a series of tunnels, each cluster has its own power source is a self contained system, within the computer rooms Spock and crew find similar cube like power sources as they did in the Kondaii system. In addition to the challenges the crew faces of the Kalandan defensive network they have the deal with a ship of Romulans that arrive and enter the underground chamber. The Romulans are bent on seizing and studying the underground system, which proves a challenge for them as well. The Enterprise becomes cut off from the crew on the surface and must deal with the arrival of three additional Romulan ships.

The engagement with the Romulans at times felt a tad predictable and the recovery efforts of the Zhong more a staged setting for the larger parts of the story. The larger theme, I believe one of Roddenberry's more important ones, is how different races and species can work together. In That Which Divides we have a new culture, the Dolysians, in its first year contact with the Federation near Romulan space. The Dolysian mining efforts, an operation that can expand them technologically, is slowed down by the dividing line of the rift. In the end the Enterprise greatly assists the Dolysian's operation in regards to the rift, details of which I shall leave for your own read of Ward's novel.


Kirk, McCoy and Sulu encounter Losira in That Which Survives
This novel is a brilliant crossover, and continuation of That Which Survives. The reader is treated to greatly expanded details and knowledge about the Kalandan computers and its people. In reading any novel, especially Trek, I look for how the author draws me in with his/her attention to description of the character's environment and actions. In That Which Divides, Ward's descriptive skill is nothing short of exceptional. Ward's master class attention to detail is equally paralleled in his methods of striking the right emotional chords. I felt as if I were right there with the recovery team, and the Zhong survivors saddened by the loss of my fellow crew mates in the crash. I did not lose interest once, knowing the original story of That Which Survives I wanted to know more about the mysterious Kalandans and their underground chambers, which protect their warehouses of knowledge. I feel Ward brilliantly expanded Fontana's original story concepts on the Kalandans that it leaves more than enough room for future expansion in any of Trek timelines.

This also reads as a stand along novel. The readers do not necessarily have had to see TOS episode nor TAS story. However, this novel has enough hints, nods and "easter eggs," that knowledge of at least That Which Survives would only broaden the appeal and appreciation of Ward's story

[Peter Rydén · Rating 4 out of 5]

Den utspelar sig i TOS-eran och är en riktigt rafflande berättelse med romulaner, uråldriga artefakter och en art som precis är på gång att ta sig ut i den interstellära gemenskapen.

David Ward är precis som vanligt en mycket bra författare, särskilt inom TOS-eran, och denna bok är inget undantag. Berättelsen utspelar sig kring en planet där dolysierna bor och de använder en av sina månar för mineralutvinning. Det unika är att månen bara är tillgänglig under en kort period ungefär vart tredje år, och den övriga tiden är den skyddad med en ogenomtränglig sköld. I tron om att den är en naturlig företeelse har dolysierna använt månen i flera generationer

Vid ett räddningsuppdrag fick Federationen kontakt med en dolysisk farkost som hamnat för långt från sitt solystem och de har nu under ett år haft diplomatiska relationer. Dolysiernas solystem ligger mittemellan Federationens och Romulanernas områden och ett romulanskt skepp tar sig självfallet till solystemet men kommer i kontakt med skölden som reagerar och skjuter ner det.

Boken kom ut i februari och det var en fröjd att läsa den. För alla som gillar TOS är det här en kärleksfull berättelse om de olika karaktärerna. Det är inga stora utsvängningar i karaktärsutvecklingen, utan man känner igen Kirk med besättning. Det blir en tydlig kamp mellan den romulanska kommendören och Kirk, fyllt av både respekt och utmaningar. Som Dayton Ward skriver på sin blogg innehåller boken allt en TOS-fan bör älska: “uteuppdrag går åt skogen, McCoy- och Spock-gnabb, Kirks söndertrasade tröja och kanske även en eller två döda ’redshirts’”.

Mitt betyg på boken blir 7 av 10 – jag rekommenderar även att ni lyssnar på Trek.fms intervju med Dayton Ward på bit.ly/stdb-ward .

[Sarah B · Rating 1 out of 5]

Normally I enjoy reading Star Trek novels and I admit I haven't read any of the ones by this author before, but, wow, the story crept along like a snail! You are like 50 or 60 pages in and nothing has happened yet! It seemed to take Kirk forever to get to the odd rip in space and to find out what was happening. It just moves too slow. I gave up on this book in favor of reading something else.

[Chance · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was messy story that got solved in the dumbest way for too different societies to end a conflict over territory an advance tech.

[John Keegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the early days of Star Trek literature, particularly during the era of the Original Series film franchise, many of the novels co-existed in a semi-shared universe. There was a lot of time and effort spent between various authors and editorial to use the same set of minor characters, cross-reference, and follow roughly the same timeline. (Something far from established, in terms of the period between the first and second films.) In some cases, the novels also managed to tie into episodes from the Original Series, or base themselves in references from the episodes. But above all, the novels were self-contained, so prior knowledge of those other novels wasn't necessary. It just added another layer to the mix.

I mention this because this novel feels like an intentional throwback to those days, and in all the right ways. Elements are derived from the details of the Original Series episode "That Which Survives", in terms of the technology of the Kalandans, and "The Galileo Seven", in terms of the character of Boma. The general premise is a Federation vessel that has crashed after passing through a mysterious rift in space, which is also vital to a planet's ability to gain critical resources when the rift intermittently opens.

The crash leaves few survivors, and they rely upon the good graces of the Dolysians, who had not been exposed to visitors from other worlds prior to this incident. A good amount of the book is devoted to the crew of the Enterprise helping with the recovery of Starfleet assets while working with the Dolysians, in classic Trek fashion. And of course, digging into the reason why there was a crash in the first place.

Things are complicated by the arrival of some Romulans, at which point the novel also becomes a bit of a follow-up to the events of "The Enterprise Incident". Since the events of the novel are supposed to take place in the fourth year of the original five-year mission, the tensions from the theft of the cloaking device a year previously are still present. The author spends considerable time on each side of the rift, and on each side of the inevitable conflict, before things erupt at the worst possible time.

The author clearly knows his Original Series Trek, and not just in terms of the continuity elements. The characterizations are spot-on, and one can easily imagine this adventure taking place in a theoretical fourth season of the Original Series. Given how few novels are coming out each year, and the sheer number of ongoing series to juggle and keep up with, it's nice to be able to sit back with a stand-alone tale that doesn't require a familiarity with years worth of previous novel continuity.

[David Palazzolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Usually I enjoy my Star Trek books, (surprise!) but this one I really took a liking to. The main story sees the USS Enterprise investigating the circumstances surrounding the tragic loss of the USS Huang Zhong on the Dolysian colony of Gralafi. Apparently the craft ran afoul of an ancient defense system set in place by an extinct civilization centuries before the Dolysian colonization. Eventually we do find out who placed the defense system, a race mentioned in a Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS) broadcast episode but I will not mention their name here.
Adding another wrinkle to the situation it turns out Gralafi and its mother world Dolysia are close to the Romulan Neutral Zone, and as one might expect the Romulans are not about to let the Federation set up shop on their front doorstep without close scrutiny. Upon the discovery of the defense system, a race ensues between the Federation and the Romulan Star Empire for control of that ancient technology.
Dayton Ward's Romulans, led by Cmdr Vathrael of the scout ship Nevathu are not the cardboard mustache-twirling villains one might expect. In fact, there are no "villains" in this piece, merely people acting upon the dictates of duty to their governments. Vathrael and her subordinates are remarkably well fleshed out and I'd like to see more of them. Ward also puts Lt Uhura in the spotlight, makes great use of recurring TOS character Lt John Kyle, and brings back Lt Samuel Boma who was only seen once in the TV episode "The Gallileo 7."
I even like the ending of the novel, which has been a sticking point with me on some of the last Trek books I've been reading. Highly recommended.

[Kyle Phillips · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Star Trek: That Which Divides" provides a wonderful setup in the early stages. Unfortunately the rest of the book fails to follow through in a satisfying or exciting way, and is plagued with other crucial problems.

The individual characterizations of the Enterprise crew, while not wholly unbelievable, are mostly bland. Secondary arcs are underdeveloped and wholly interchangeable, which has the inverse effect of rendering characters more lifeless even as more is said about them.

The juxtaposition of the Starfleet crew against their adversaries (in this case, Romulans) provides no real insight and simply grinds the narrative to a halt.

Internal asides by the characters are generic and awkwardly rhetorical, e.g. "Let's not try that, OK?" and "It didn't help you with this kind of thing, did it?"

Put it all together and you have a story that fails to build any momentum or generate any real tension.

The real shame of this novel is not that it is boring, but that it fails to live up to its potential despite being very well-conceived. Dayton Ward has obviously done his homework on the original Star Trek series, and has a natural feel for that fictional universe. The action, when it finally happens, is fluid and clearly presented.

Unfortunately "ST:That Which Divides" has far too many elements which conspire to bog down the pace of the plot, and ultimately waste the potential of what could otherwise have been an excellent and exciting foray into the Star Trek universe.

[Paul Lunger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dayton Ward's "That Which Divides" is a very slight variation in the episode "That Which Survives". In this version, the Enterprise is called in to assist in the rescue of the U.S.S Huang Zhong which has crash landed on a planet in the Kondaii System. The planet itself is unique since it is located inside of an interstellar rift that only opens every 3 years. Ward does a rather remarkable with the plot as he keeps us guessing as to the mystery of the rift & the people who inhabit the system. The Romulan scenes are done well as well since they aren't entirely overblown & the scenes on the bridge after things get split is nice too. What also helps this story is that Ward doesn't do a lot of rehashing of old characters nor does he bring back elements of things best left forgotten which has been the case with books in the Kirk era as of late. Overall a well written & well timed story for the Original Series as this year looks a lot better in the Trek fiction world than a year ago.

[Sean O'Hara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Generic Trek novel -- the Enterprise goes to investigate a mysterious planet surrounded by a mysterious energy field built by a mysterious and long dead civilization. Kirk and Spock mysteriously get trapped on the mysterious surface and have to investigate mysterious technology, while in space the Romulans show up and Scotty has to deal with them. Mysteriously.

For the first two-thirds of the book, the story was well executed despite its genericness, but unfortunately the final part ends up being a lot of run 'n' gun action as Kirk battles Romulan troops in a mysterious alien facility. The only suspense is which of the redshirts will die.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a lot of Original Series goodness in this book to enjoy - scheming Romulans, Kirk in a fistfight, an Enterprise that isn't invincible, and M'Ress and Arex, the characters from the Animated Series. In a way this reminded me of James S.A. Corey's recent book Abaddon's Gate since the crew finds themselves in a position where their ship can't come to the rescue like it's supposed to. My only regret is that this sat on my shelf unread for a long time.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid, well-written story, just one that didn't seem to completely capture my attention. I enjoy Mr. Ward's writing, and while this is not his best work, I still enjoyed reading it. In particular, the exploration of the lives of people other than the main cast as well as an interesting scientific quandary make this a pretty good read. Some parts seemed to drag on longer than they should, but these are few and far between.

Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2012/03/t...

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good adventure for Captain Kirk's time, featuring the Romulans. It's actually a good story, but it resolves quickly in the last 30 pages, and some of the scenes in the early pages seem like they'll payoff in the resolution and, well, they don't. But the Romulan part also seems thrown in just to up the danger and the red-shirt deaths. I liked reading it, but it wasn't a really organic story...most elements seemed forced.

[Jimyanni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good Star Trek novel. It is not a great Star Trek novel. It is well-written, with a reasonable plot, tie-ins to the series, good characterization, good pacing, good dialogue, a reasonable conclusion, and a better than average feel of being a story that could have been an episode on the show. But it is not terribly memorable on any count; it's a good read, but not one that is likely to be remembered as a "favorite" a few months down the road.

[Christopher Backa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sort of sequel to the episode That Which Survives, the Enterprise is sent on a rescue mission to find a missing star fleet scout ship. Dayton Ward captures the original series characters perfectly. The book reads like a season 2 episode of the series. The banter between the characters is spot on. The book also makes good use of some of the animated series characters like M'ress and Arex. I highly recommend this book.

[J.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! It's so well written, true to the characters, great details and the feel of the book. I always enjoy long dead races tricks and discovery stuff. And Enterprise's crew cracking mysteries. Can I give another 5 stars for Spock playing cards and, logically, being a winner? He does have a right face for it.

[Robert Greenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dayton does a fine job with the original crew in this thoughtful adventure, building off the third season episode "That Which Survives". he uses the full crew, and then some, to good advantage and displays a good handling of character and voice. A very satisfying read.

[Emilyf11]

fabulous book that I enjoyed very much

[Robert Faughnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story - well worth the time to read.

[Andrew Beet · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good book the romulan commander reminded me of the commander in the enterprise incident good story

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good classic Trek novel, though a little predicable. Ward definitely knows how to make these characters behave in authentic ways, and that adds a lot to the reading.

[Les · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good Star Trek book; very much in the spirit of the original series and well written. I recommend it.

[Francisco J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

A predictable, serviceable Star Trek adventure. The most interesting element was the introduction of a Romulan Chief Engineer as skilled and sympathetic as Chief Montgomery Scott.