Time Lock

Star Trek: Department of Temporal Investigations #4

by Christopher L. Bennett

An all new Star Trek e-novella from the world of Deep Space Nine , featuring the fan-favorite Federation bureau the Department of Temporal Investigations!The dedicated agents of the Federation Department of Temporal Investigations have their work cut out for them protecting the course of history from the dangers of time travel. But the galaxy is littered with artifacts that, in the wrong hands, could threaten reality. One of the DTI's most crucial jobs is to track down these objects and lock them safely away in the Federation’s most secret and secure facility. As it happens, Agent Gariff Lucsly and his supervisor, DTI director Laarin Andos, are charged with handling a mysterious space-time portal device discovered by Starfleet. But this device turns out to be a Trojan horse, linking to a pocket dimension and a dangerous group of raiders determined to steal some of the most powerful temporal artifacts ever known...

Genres: Star Trek, Science Fiction, Time Travel, Ebooks, Media Tie In, Novella, Space Opera

96 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 5, 2016

About the author

Christopher L. Bennett is a lifelong resident of Cincinnati, Ohio, with a B.S. in Physics and a B.A. in History from the University of Cincinnati. A fan of science and science fiction since age five, he has spent the past two decades selling original short fiction to magazines such as Analog Science Fiction and Fact (home of his "Hub" series of comedy adventures), BuzzyMag, and Galaxy's Edge. Since 2003, he has been one of Pocket Books' most prolific and popular authors of Star Trek tie-in fiction, including the epic Next Generation prequel The Buried Age, the Star Trek: Department of Temporal Investigations series, and the Star Trek: Enterprise -- Rise of the Federation series. He has also written two Marvel Comics novels, X-Men: Watchers on the Walls and Spider-Man: Drowned in Thunder. His original novel Only Superhuman, perhaps the first hard science fiction superhero novel, was voted Library Journal's SF/Fantasy Debut of the Month for October 2012. Other tales in the same universe can be found in Among the Wild Cybers and the upcoming Arachne's Crime, both from eSpec Books. His Hub stories are available in two collections from Mystique Press.
Christopher's homepage, fiction annotations, and blog can be found at christopherlbennett.wordpress.com. His Patreon page with original fiction and reviews is at https://www.patreon.com/christopherlb..., and his Facebook author page is at www.facebook.com/ChristopherLBennettA....

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Normally, I like these short Star Trek novellas, but this one just grated on my nerves. It felt like it was written for middle-school readers, and the writing was sub-par, focusing on the "telling" rather than letting the story develop. It just didn't connect for me.

[Lexxi Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Pocket Books/Star Trek in exchange for an honest review.

This is the fourth book in the Department of Temporal Investigations, and the fifth book I’ve read by this author (though one of those books is a full length novel hidden inside a longer collection of novels. It is titled ‘Places of Exile’, and is roughly 192 pages in length, and is found inside the book titled ‘Infinity’s Prism’).

As the Acknowledgments and notes section . . . um . . . notes, Agents Lucsly and Dulmer ‘were introduced in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine “Trials and Tribble-ations”’ episode. This explains to me where there was a note at the beginning of this that indicated that this was somehow connected to Deep Space Nine. This confused me, since I didn’t recall any of the previous books specifically including DS9 people. As in, since DS9 takes place at the same time, same century/year, as The Next Generation, and Voyager, I was confused as to why DS9 was specifically mentioned. But I realize now why it was.

Just like the previous books in this series, this book is about a government agency that has the directive to safeguard any and all time travel devices that it comes across. Unlike the previous books, the two main characters who were partners in the previous books, have been separated. Lucsly is working on the ice-moon Eris, while Dulmer is now an assistant director setting up a new branch of DTI on Denobula.

Before I get too far down this road, I need to note something(s): (1) I was excited to have the opportunity to read this book – regardless of the next comment, I am/was excited to be able to read this book; (2) one of the reasons I decided to read this specific book right now, instead of any other book I have access to, is relatively simply the idea that I felt a small need to dive into something that did not/does not have romance in it. Well . . . that idea failed. One of the main characters gets himself involved in a bit of romance. Who knew, eh?

Right, back to business –

While doing his job in the ‘vault of secret time devices’, Lucsly’s day is interrupted when one of the objects d’time suddenly activates. And spits out military personal carrying weaponry. A bit of Trojan Horse going on here (a phrase, well ‘Trojan Horse’) specifically used in this book. Agent Gariff Lucsly, several scientists stationed at the base, and the DTI director Laarin Andos (who just happened to be there for some reason or another) attempt to fight off the invaders. Hampered, somewhat, by the fact that while they might be agents, they are not, and I wish to word this carefully, highly trained military personal. I think. At least Lucsly makes a comment to that effect at some point.

While the fight commences in the secret base, Dulmer, and the rest of star fleet, attempt to provide some assistance. Hampered, somewhat, by the defensive measures put in place when the invaders invaded. That whole thing, the ‘defensive measures’ and the like were quite neat.

Long and short of it – this was a quite neat, fun, exciting novella. I already knew it was only 112 pages, so that didn’t specifically matter to me – as in, I knew I was reading a short story. As a short story, it had almost everything it needed. Ended on kind of a cliff-hanger, but still, a fully formed story. Though access to knowledge of the previous books in the series would help – plus access to knowledge of the books that occur – or are set around this specific point in time (2385) could conceivably help – there was mention of several books that this story falls in between so it is possible that my lack of knowledge of those books might have had an adverse impact on my enjoyment of this story. Or, in other words, it is possible, however slight or large this possibility might be, that I might have had a higher level of enjoyment if I had read those other books – the Titan ones, not the other books in this series, since I’ve read the other books in this series.

Now off to double check when it is that I can post this review at this time.

March 25 2016

[Wayne McCoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Department of Temporal Investigations: Time Lock' by Christopher L. Bennett is a book set in the Star Trek universe. It concerns a couple characters that are charged with protecting history from inadvertent time travelers.

This is the 4th book in the series, and I haven't read the preceding ones, but I don't thing that's necessary. It's probably a bit more helpful to know the characters who show up in a few episodes of the later Trek series.

This time around, Lucsly and Andros aren't working together. Lucsly is guarding a time vault, when it is taken over by a group that wants to raid the vault for tools to time travel. Lucsly threatens the group with, then enables, a device that slows time incrementally, but only within the facility. As time goes by in the facility, it goes faster and faster outside. Lucsly's partner tries to help, but the standoff goes on. What are the raiders looking for and can this stalemate end before years go by?

There is a clever timeline that shows up in the book showing federation time and time within the lock. In an afterword, the author shows the math he used to calculate the times. It's a nice touch.

It seems a bit tenuous to base a series on a couple characters that show up in three or so episodes, but they are memorable enough to hold a story like this together. I had fun reading it.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Gallery, Threshold, PocketBooks, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 2 out of 5]

While set in the same 'world' as Star Trek series, there are no characters in common other than a little name dropping, and not many races in common either. A group called the Vomnin are plotting to steal relics which are held in a secure storage bank on the dwarf planet Eris in Earth's Kuiper Belt. I'd love to read a story set in the Kuiper Belt. Unfortunately all this story takes place indoors so it might as well be anywhere.

When a break in is suspected, the scientists at the facility engage a time-lock which literally warps time and stops anyone entering or leaving. But the infiltrators have brought a gadget that creates a time bubble, allowing them a brief interlude to do as they wish. We get viewpoints of a couple of the staff and of one of the aggressive intruders.

I didn't take to the writing style, which was choppy, though the discussions of temporal physics will suit those interested in such matters. The book is novella length with some action scenes and good characterisation, but failed to grip me.

I downloaded a copy from Net Galley for an unbiased review.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Department of Temporal Investigations has become one of my favorite series within the world of Trek lit. I'm always excited to see it pop up on the schedule, and Time Lock once again delivers a fun and entertaining story. It never ceases to amaze me that Christopher Bennett is able to craft such fascinating stories and development for characters who got only about three minutes of screen time in a Deep Space Nine episode. I hope for many more DTI stories to come, and I am beyond thrilled to see another story is coming for these officious, time-babbly bureaucrats. 5/5!

Full review: http://treklit.blogspot.com/2016/12/T...

[Mark Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anytime I see a Star Trek story on NetGalley, I request it. Star Trek is my gert lush. (See Sarah, I used your regional British slang!) I usually wait until it’s closer to a book release to read and review, but I needed my Trek fix.

The Good: The regular cast members from the shows have done just about everything under the sun. It’s nice to read a Star Trek story that isn’t the main cast. Sometimes, the limitations of the main characters make for ho-hum stories. It’s refreshing to read new characters in a universe that I’m already familiar with. The author can do pretty much anything they want.

The Bad: This is another of those continuing Star Trek sagas. I think this is the fourth DTI story. There were lots of references to events in what I presume are the first three stories. They’re not required reading, and I was able to follow the story just fine. The villains in this story were one-dimensional and clichéd. That was disappointing.

The Ugly: This is just another Star Trek story. Nothing earth-shattering, which is a common issue with a fifty-year-old franchise. This felt like another TV episode. And why was this story branded DS9? There didn’t seem to be any connection to DS9 at all, except that two of the characters’ first appearance was the time-travelling tribble episode on DS9.

The Final Word: Star Trek fans will enjoy another romp into the franchise universe. This is a 3.5-star read, and I’d be interested in reading the previous DTI stories, and any new ones that happen in the future.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and Pocket Books, the publisher. This was with the understanding that I would publish a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and my book review blog. I also posted reviews to my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google Plus pages.
I requested this book as I am a fan of science fiction and I have read a number of the Star Trek books. This is the first by this author and the Department of Temporal Investigations series that I have read.

First, this is a novella and not a full blown novel. It is interesting and engaging and can easily be read in one sitting. The characters are well developed in the limited space within the book. It is easily a stand alone work, although it could possibly tied to the other three novellas in the series, but as I haven't read them, I can't say whether it is or not.

The book deals with the subject of time travel and the preventing of it in order to change the course of events in history. That is all I will say in order to not give away the detailed plot. The novella is easily set up to have a series of sequels.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading science fiction and in Star Trek in particular.

[NullusAnxietus]

Original review posted at http://wp.me/p4Wvzn-1PH

Two Nerds Talking received an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Time Lock is a Star Trek novella (shorter novel) featuring the Department of Temporal Investigations who fans of DS9 will remember from the episode Trials and Tribble-ations.

The book follows a raid on the Federation's secret bunker for time travel artifacts and the efforts of one Agent Gariff Lucsly to outwit the terrorists and save the day.

While on a short read, Time Lock is a very enjoyable book, set in the new Star Trek "relaunched" universe...but other than a blink-and-you-miss-it reference here and there, it has nothing to do with the wider Star Trek Universe. I have to say this was kind of refreshing.

Overall, Time Lock is a fantastic read and one that fans of time-travel will really enjoy. That said, I didn't realise it was the fourth in a series and although I didn't have any trouble keeping up with the story, there were a few events mentioned that i had no idea about.

[Dane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty much what you'd expect from a DTI novella: enjoyable (though maybe trying a bit too hard to be clever for its own good), with lots of timey-wimey technobabble. Is a bit lacking in the 'magic' of the other entries in the series, however. Not really sure why. If you really enjoy Bennett's work, then give it a try - it's short.

[John Kirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

The DTI books continue to get shorter, but I think this one was the right length for the story.

I'm tempted to describe this as the Star Trek version of "Die Hard", but we've already had that: the TNG episode "Starship Mine". Still, there are plenty of other films in this genre, e.g. "Under Siege" and "Passenger 57" so it's reasonable to have two Trek versions.

This story is also interesting because it doesn't really feature time travel. The high concept is time dilation, i.e. time passes faster outside the bubble than inside. This immediately made me think of relativistic effects: in the real world, time slows down as you approach the speed of light. There have been practical experiments to prove it, showing that two atomic clocks have slightly different times after one of them gets flown around the world. There have also been thought experiments, e.g. the "twin paradox" predicts that if you flew to Alpha Centauri and back then your twin brother would be an old man while you'd be about the same age as when you left.

In the Star Trek universe, it would be difficult to tell a story about special relativity when all their ships have warp drive, so the "Time Lock" is a way to get round that. Given that the dilation doubles every six minutes, I wonder whether this story idea originally involved an accelerating spacecraft.

I haven't checked the maths, but the author includes some equations in the appendix and I'll trust that the times are all correct. However, I don't think it was explained very clearly. On page 17, Andos says: "That means time will be half as slow after six minutes, four times as slow after twelve minutes, eight times as slow after eighteen minutes, and so on."

The problem there is that she's jumped from "half as slow" to "four times as slow". I think you could make a case for saying "half as slow" or "twice as slow" but whichever you pick you should be consistent, and certainly within the same sentence! Personally, I think it would be better to quantify the flow of time, e.g. "The speed will halve every six minutes".

In any case, the variable rate sets this apart from other stories with a similar theme, e.g. the final episode of "Stargate SG-1".

One other aspect of this book is a polyamorous marriage for one of the DTI cast. Other Trek novels have established that Andorians have four sexes, and you need one of each to reproduce, so the standard "marriage" involves four adults. This is slightly different, being more like a "V": the Denobulan scientist has three husbands, who might not even meet each other, and similarly she might not meet their other wives. I don't know how much of this was explicitly mentioned in "Enterprise" but there are certainly real world relationships that work the same way. It's also a clever solution to the problem of someone who is "married to their job", so that their partner doesn't feel short changed.

[S.B. (Beauty in Ruins) · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Star Trek novels (or, in this case, novellas) go, Time Lock was a very different sort of read. It's set in the original timeline, within the extended universe that has continued beyond TNG, DS9, and Voyager, but aside from a few instances of name-dropping, it has nothing to do with the characters with which readers are most familiar. Instead, this is a sort of side series, dealing with the Department of Temporal Investigations.

Christopher L. Bennett had his work cut out for him here, not only telling a story without the most famous characters or starships, but one that's entirely dependent on the intricacies of time travel. In lesser hands, this could have been a confusing, convoluted mess. Not only do we have time travel, but there's the paradox of viewing the present/future at the same time, and the added complication of time moving slower/faster for different characters.

Even as a seasoned fan, I found it a bit challenging to maintain a sense of time inside and outside the facility, but that was part of the fun.

The characters here really don't get enough time to really develop or stand out as truly memorable, but they do a serviceable job of keeping us engaged and entertained. The action moves along at a decent pace, and the warring time travel artifacts make for some truly original threats and opportunities. All told, a fun diversion that looks beyond the excitement of Starfleet to explore the little guys who protect the future and keep the timeline safe.


Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC of this title from the publisher in exchange for review consideration. This does not in any way affect the honesty or sincerity of my review.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my gosh! I loved that one! An excellent, well plotted, and fun DTI story! (AKA The Continued Antics of Lucsly and Dulmur.) I was half expecting the whole time for something sad to occur with the whole time dilation thing - like years passing in outside time. Thankfully that was not the case and instead had ALL THE LUCSLY AND DULMUR FEELZ. The bromance is strong with these two - I mean from Lucsly having unnecessary bff phone chats because he misses his partner to Dulmur holding off his Denobulan wedding so Lucsly can be there, this is the quality Star Trek content that I am here for! 👌🏻💯

I did love and was surprised by Dulmur finding love again with Cymmen. I thought that was absolutely perfect and I am happy Dulmur was able to find that family life he had always wanted. 🥰

I enjoyed the banter between Lucsly and his nemesis in this story, Daiyar. It was something akin to a Holmes and Moriarty, and it was exciting to see how they would outsmart one another with time physics! I hope she gets to come back in another story so they can discover what her real objective was.

Oh, and T’Viss. Just T’Viss. Badass science Vulcan! 🖖

[Ross Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today is First Contact Day, 2021. (Which means we are still a few decades away from the ACTUAL date of first contact). So, to celebrate this day, I read this novella.

It been about 4 years (not going to pull a "4 year, 2 month, 2 days... blah blah blah" time thing. Wolfram Alpha can figure that out for me) since I last read about the agents of the Department of Temporal Investigation. However, even with the passage of time, I still remember how much I enjoyed this series - even if it is not just novellas.

This is a heist story - an attempt to steal time travel tech, but stopped by a team from the DTI. And to help prevent the escape - a Time Lock, where one second inside the Vault equals minute, hours, days, etc to the universe outside the vault. So, in 90 minutes of action, many months pass by for Dulmur, who is outside the field. In the end, the leader of the thieves ends up being one of my favorite groups in Trek. #Spoilers

This one has the added bonus of referencing all kinds of Time devices. Some are obvious - yeah, I'm looking you, The Tardis - and some take some time to realize. I kept an eye out for an Omni, but I didnt find anything close to it).

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time Lock was the most enjoyable of the DTI stories I have read to date.

How do you protect the most dangerous time travel devices in the Federation? You put a time lock on them! When a high security storage facility is threatened; both invaders and our intrepid members of the DTI will be trapped with both sides fighting for advantage, and to escape.

I liked the use of time dilatation and the way that it affects those inside and outside differently, how the feeling of a siege could be forced to last months. Also done well was the antagonist, the fact that they are not simply overcome, but how there is move and countermove. Also, so many easter eggs and tie-ins to existing Star Trek stories.

Detracting from the story is the lack of development in any of the antagonists. As a reader you are required to have a thorough understanding of no only the DTI series of books, but other Star Trek stories.

That said, a fun, short (or is it long?) story continuing the DTI narrative.

[RBSProds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent novella, "Time Lock (Star Trek: Department of Temporal Investigations", #4) in the series, is by Christopher L. Bennett. It is a hoot of a Trek tale, occurring during the DS9 timeframe, featuring some new and some obscure characters, but none of the regulars. There are many references to The Original Series, The Next Generation, and DS9, plus an allusion to Voyager. The plot: space bandits and a time complication in the last place you would expect them. Lots of interpersonal relations among varied aliens species. Physics geeks will love this one, but the rest of us can just power through the deep stuff to the core. Very Enjoyable, so "I'll be back" for more of these DS9 universe tales. Five INTRICATE Stars. Apple Books. ~103 pages.

[Joe Pranaitis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Christoper Bennett brings us another adventure in temporal investigations. It's been six months since the incident with the Collectors and the vault get's a new artifact that happens to be a Trojan horse that once opened let's in bandits who want to raid the place. Once they begin to do so the time lock or time dilation field activates and slows time down within the vault. As I read this I kept thinking of the Stargate SG-1 episodes where they used the same type of field to slow down the replicators. But this is a good short read with a little twist of an ending that will make you want to read the next book in the series.       

[Robert Lewter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, but temporal mechanics still makes​ my head hurt. I think this group is going to be a great addition to my Trek reading.

[Evelyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tad short and boring compared to the others but still entertaining enough for a short one day-read.

[Frank Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is a fun heist-gone-wrong in the temporal vaults of the DTI. The time lock defense reminded me of a Stargate story with the evolved replicants stuck in a similar time shifted reality.

[Kevin Wojtaszek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice to get back into the world of the DTI. My only complaint is that felt so short! No matter, onto 'Shield of the Gods'.

[Vic Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

liked the idea of the time lock and some romance for dulmur but i think the concept wasn't used as much as i would have liked it. also, DTI just isnt for me really :(

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

My feelings about this one are basically the same as the previous volume.

[Steven Shinder · Rating 2 out of 5]

It shouldn’t have taken me a chunk of the day to get through this, but it did.

[Frank Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting take on time and the way it can be viewed.

Someone breaks into the Time Vault and plans on stealing items that have been locked away for the safety of the universe & the timeline. Agents lock the Vault so no one can get in or out but as time passes in the Vault it goes by faster on the outside.

Love how it takes a look at the difference inside and out during the standoff. A good starting off point for these characters and events that should be a good read down the line.

[Jonne Steen Redeker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The department of Temporal Investigations is at it again!

These books are just hilariously funny, intellectually engaging, and great explorations of the larger Trek Universe. So many assume Starfleet is all there is.

This book could be incredibly confusing, with the different timeframes involved and amount of stuff going on. However Bennet is fantastic at keeping it all understandable. If you think keeping the chronology of a short ebook accurate should be easy, guess again! And have a look at his notes page.

The plot is engaging, the setting compelling. While the resolution might feel like a Deus Ex Machina to some, it is actually completely grounded in the logic of the universe, and is an interesting twist on what was previously considered a problem.

I hope we get more DTI at some point, but with the novel continuity coming to a close I suspect these latest two books will be it. If it is I want to thank Bennet for creating a fantastic set of characters and ideas.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 4.0 of 5

Reading a Star Trek book/story is my guilty pleasure. I've been a Trekkie/Trekker nerd since the early/mid 1970's and despite an ever-widening circle of reading interests, I return to a Star Trek novel now and again because it's like getting together with old friends. It's comfortable and fun. (When done well.)

Christopher L. Bennett's Star Trek: Department of Temporal Investigations: Time Lock was a comfortable retreat with some old friends.

This appears to be book four in a series about the Department of Temporal Investigations, but while there's a definite sense of history in the characters and story, I don't feel as though I have to read the other books to make sense of this one.

The book is just a tad unusual for a Star Trek book because there are no regular series characters within (well...maybe a token mention). Instead, this book (novella) features two characters from one episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Agents Dulmer and Lucsly, from the Department of Temporal Investigations. While having only made the one appearance, the characters (as written, directed, and performed) definitely made an impression on fans of the series. Fortunately, because of the series of books continually published by Pocket Books, we fans can keep seeing favorites (like Lucsly and Dulmer).

As you might expect, the story centers around some disturbances in time. A warehouse (of sorts) belong to the Department and containing a number of objects with special temporal properties, has been infiltrated by the Vomnin. Facing the Vomnin and retrieving the objects is no simple feat considering that time moves at different rates in temporal anomalies. But it's all in a day's work for agents of the Department.

I really just had a lot of fun in this quick book. And my head didn't spin too much - which it can do when reading about time anomalies. This did precisely what I wanted it to do ... entertain me for a little bit in a comfortable (familiar) setting.

Looking for a good book? If you're a fan of Star Trek in general, and particularly if you enjoyed the episode with Agents Dulmer and Lucsly on Deep Space Nine, then you will definitely want to spend some time with Christopher L. Bennett's Star Trek: The Department of Temporal Investigations: Time Lock novella.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Department of Temporal Investigations: Time Lock by Christopher L. Bennett was an enjoyable foray in to the realm of Star Trek I love so much. I started as a trekkie at the age of 11, thanks to my grandfathers collection of The Original Series and The Next Generation. Since then I have made it a point to read and explore the vast world that is Star Trek. What I love about this story by Bennett is the ease at which you can read it. The plot progressed at an even pace and I found myself quickly slipping in to the story.

In Time Lock, we see the one of the Federation’s secure storage facilities infiltrated by means of a Trojan Horse. Their goal, to steal artifacts that may alter the fate of history as we know it. In order to prevent tampering with the timeline, it is up to Gariff Lucsly to perform some fast thinking and find a way to preserve the artifacts within the Eridian Vault. Unfortunately for Lucsly, he is going up against an ingenious opponent, a woman named Daiyar whose uncanny knowledge of all the artifacts in the vault gives her a decided advantage when countered by the sheer number of forces she brought in with her.

Will Lucsly be able to save the day before Daiyar escapes? Or will the timeline and the future of the Federation be irrevocably altered? If you enjoy Star Trek, you will appreciate Time Lock. Bennett does everything right in giving us a great mixture of humor and science without overwhelming readers that have no experience with the physics and science expressed in this book. As such I am giving this 5/5 stars for an easy to read book that left me wanting more.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an advance read copy of this book. I look forward to future forays with the Department of Temporal Investigations.

[Louis Brantmeyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was good

I loved this book. It was excellently written, engaging, fun, easy to read, and intricate enough to be entertainingly stimulating intellectually!

[John Purvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Department of Temporal Investigations: Time Lock” eBook was published in 2016 and was written by Christopher L. Bennett (https://christopherlbennett.wordpress...). Mr. Bennett has written several Science Fiction short stories, novellas and novels.

I received a galley of this novel for review through https://www.netgalley.com. I categorize this novel as ‘G’. The story is set in the future in the world of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Most of the action occurs at the Department of Temporal Investigations repository. Various objects and technology that have been discovered which threaten the time line are stored there.

Raiders attack the facility with the intent on stealing time altering devices. Agent Gariff Lucsly is caught inside the facility, along with the Director, Laarin Andos. To thwart the raiders, they set off the “Time Lock”. This device gradually slows down time in the facility on a geometric progression. After a few hours have past within the facility, weeks of time has past on the outside.

This time gives the Federation time to come up with a plan to rescue Lucsly and Andos, and to capture the raiders. Not all goes as planned.

This was an interesting, but short read of only 3+ hours for the 88 page novella. The story had an interesting premise, but I had a hard time getting into it. It reminded me more of a Star Trek TV episode. The cover art was OK. Difficult to find an image that shows how time is affected. I give this novel a 3.5 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christopher Bennett once again delivers an exciting adventure involving the United Federation of Planets, Department of Temporal Investigations (DTI).

In this short novella, the DTI's Eridian Vault, a high security storage facility for dangerous time travel artifacts, is under attack. If the attackers, Vomnin mercenaries led by an extremely intelligent, non-Vomnin, humanoid female, succeed in removing the artifacts, the future of the entire universe may be in danger. DTI Agent Gariff Lucsly and Doctor T’Viss, an elderly Vulcan temporal physicist, fight back by triggering a time lock safety mechanism. This has created a time dilation problem for the invaders--time is slowing down inside the vault compared to time outside of it. The DTI agents are prepared to allow centuries to pass inside the time lock rather than allow the marauders to succeed, but will the mercenaries be willing to never see their families again? Reminiscent of the Flash Gordon Saturday matinees of the 1930s and 40s, this bite sized adventure definitely will have readers wanting more.

(In return for an honest review, I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.)