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Star Trek: The Next Generation - Starfleet Academy #5
Atlantis Station
Earthquake!
Geordi LaForge and his fellow cadets are headed to Atlantis Station, the underwater research base located near a volcano in the Atlantic Ocean. Up until now Geordi has spent most of his life in space with his Starfleet officer parents and he is more than ready to explore this strange, new world deep underwater.
The first stop for the cadets is the above-ground complex on Isla del Fuego, where the students barely escape a small volcanic eruption. They finally arrive at the underwater station shaken and fighting among themselves, but determined to carry out their assignments.
Then suddenly an earthquake rocks the station and the cadets are trapped in their lab with tempers running high. Now, as debris blocks their path back to the aquashuttle, Geordi and the others, "together," must race against time and the dangers of the freezing seawater to escape the station before it disappears into an underwater abyss!
Geordi LaForge and his fellow cadets are headed to Atlantis Station, the underwater research base located near a volcano in the Atlantic Ocean. Up until now Geordi has spent most of his life in space with his Starfleet officer parents and he is more than ready to explore this strange, new world deep underwater.
The first stop for the cadets is the above-ground complex on Isla del Fuego, where the students barely escape a small volcanic eruption. They finally arrive at the underwater station shaken and fighting among themselves, but determined to carry out their assignments.
Then suddenly an earthquake rocks the station and the cadets are trapped in their lab with tempers running high. Now, as debris blocks their path back to the aquashuttle, Geordi and the others, "together," must race against time and the dangers of the freezing seawater to escape the station before it disappears into an underwater abyss!
116 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1994
1 person is currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
V.E. Mitchell
13 books11 followersVictoria "Vicki" Estelle Mitchell Gustafson is a science fiction author specializing in Star Trek novels.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 13, 2016
Like usual for this series, this one was good, but not quite Star Trek as I've come to expect it.
December 21, 2021
Wow. Both racism and ableism. I mean, yeah, Yoshi is likeable. But portraying him not only as obsessed with samurai, but acting like a western cliché version of one?
And on the last page Mitchell states that the Federation (a supposed utopian construct) allows euthenasia of disabled people on one of their FOUNDING worlds?
Also it is not understandable how bullying is not punished by Starfleet Academy. That's one thing that takes place in almost every Starfleet Cadet novels. In an organization where everyone has to be able to trust EVERY other member of their crew, it is illogical that such behaviour is not only not punished, but actually accepted.
The story itself is one of the weaker Cadet novels. It ignores canon (cloning is illegal) and always stays on a superficial level, both when it comes to science, and in terms of characterisation. Also, parts are either illogical or show that the leaders of the science base are completely irresponsible.
But yeah, mostly I'm pissed off by a Federation and even Starfleet member, telling me that I should be dead, because I'm disabled. Thanks a lot of once again showing me that while Trek tries to be progressive in most areas, it is DEEPLY ableist. (And that abled Trekkies don't even notice it.)
And on the last page Mitchell states that the Federation (a supposed utopian construct) allows euthenasia of disabled people on one of their FOUNDING worlds?
Also it is not understandable how bullying is not punished by Starfleet Academy. That's one thing that takes place in almost every Starfleet Cadet novels. In an organization where everyone has to be able to trust EVERY other member of their crew, it is illogical that such behaviour is not only not punished, but actually accepted.
The story itself is one of the weaker Cadet novels. It ignores canon (cloning is illegal) and always stays on a superficial level, both when it comes to science, and in terms of characterisation. Also, parts are either illogical or show that the leaders of the science base are completely irresponsible.
But yeah, mostly I'm pissed off by a Federation and even Starfleet member, telling me that I should be dead, because I'm disabled. Thanks a lot of once again showing me that while Trek tries to be progressive in most areas, it is DEEPLY ableist. (And that abled Trekkies don't even notice it.)
February 3, 2022
Two and a half stars, rounding up to three. This is a fast-paced, entertaining read, and the second of the Starfleet Academy series that focuses on Geordi. It doesn't do quite as well as the first at rounding out the secondary characters, but it's still likeable... if you can forget about the problems with the plot. There are two of them, they are major, and honestly part of me thinks I should give the book two stars for failing that badly there, but as I said, I enjoyed it well enough.
The first problem is Geordi's assessment of the volcano, a plot point that relies on idiot adults. (Yes, Geordi is himself an adult, a cadet at the Academy, but this is a children's book and the idiot adults trope is jumped on hard.) Sent on a field trip to a volcano, Geordi's assessment of the collected data is that the volcano is about to erupt. No, no, say all the experts, people who have been studying volcanoes for their entire careers. Geordi, who has only very basic geology, is able to interpret geological data better than they do, and it frankly defies belief. Secondly, when everything turns to custard, Starfleet Academy does not beam its cadets out of harm's way. They save themselves, and are left to shuttle home even when several of those cadets are fairly seriously injured. I actually thought there'd be a twist ending when it was revealed to be a virtual simulation to assess how cadets react to unexpected disaster, starting from where they all had the helmets put on. But no, it really is that nonsensical. Oh, screw it. Two stars it is, together these things are just too annoying to overlook.
The first problem is Geordi's assessment of the volcano, a plot point that relies on idiot adults. (Yes, Geordi is himself an adult, a cadet at the Academy, but this is a children's book and the idiot adults trope is jumped on hard.) Sent on a field trip to a volcano, Geordi's assessment of the collected data is that the volcano is about to erupt. No, no, say all the experts, people who have been studying volcanoes for their entire careers. Geordi, who has only very basic geology, is able to interpret geological data better than they do, and it frankly defies belief. Secondly, when everything turns to custard, Starfleet Academy does not beam its cadets out of harm's way. They save themselves, and are left to shuttle home even when several of those cadets are fairly seriously injured. I actually thought there'd be a twist ending when it was revealed to be a virtual simulation to assess how cadets react to unexpected disaster, starting from where they all had the helmets put on. But no, it really is that nonsensical. Oh, screw it. Two stars it is, together these things are just too annoying to overlook.
December 15, 2022
Schade, dieser Jugendroman mit Gerodi als Hauptfigur ist reichlich misslungen: Die Figuren sind stereotypisch und der Handlung fehlt es an Spannung und Glaubwürdigkeit. Am meisten missfiel mir, dass alle Kadetten (außer Geordi) ziemlich unsympathisch wirken. Diesen Kadettenroman kann man getrost auslassen.
November 23, 2017
THIS was terrifying and I learned about fail closed vs. fail open doors, and which ones you want when you are very far underwater. Also developed a low opinion of Andorians, which— we've all been there, amirite?
October 15, 2022
This one is a bit problematic, with racist and ableist elements. I also think some of the scientific details are not quite right. I would have liked to have seen the cadets from the previous novel return rather than being introduced to a whole new group.
September 18, 2020
This was great! Geordi is the real hero!
April 12, 2025
a nice story, very trek if you ignore minor typos and poor choice of words etc and a few logic gaps. but perfect for kids expanding what they read with imagination
July 10, 2012
Mitchell has captured Geordi's voice well, and the novel is written with clear, flowing language that makes it very quick to read. Too bad that both the science and the plot are depicted in a pedestrian and not very interesting way, and all the supporting characters are left at a very shallow mostly antagonistic level.
October 13, 2014
Geordi goes on a fact finding mission with other cadets who really don't get on with each other. They go to an island and have to treat it as an alien planet for their reports. There's also an underwater facility. This is a decent story and some of the characters are interesting, particularly the Andorian. The illustrations are very good and capture the action well. A good read.
June 13, 2015
meh book + grossly orientalist portrayal of Yoshi = 2 stars
November 7, 2018
An iteresting undersea adventure with Geordi keeps you from putting these short books down
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews