Buying Time

Star Trek SCE (ebooks) Novellas #32

by Robert Greenberger

An investigation into a chroniton disturbance leads the da Vinci to a time-travelling Ferengi named Lant -- one who is going to the past in order to "speculate" and make a fortune. Now Commander Gomez, Lt. Commander Tev, Lt. Commander Corsi, and Cultural Specialist Abramowitz of the S.C.E. must follow Lant into the past in order to preserve the timelines -- and save the future. But what they find may be more than they can handle, as one Tellarite male and three human females are not as welcome on the Ferenginar of fifteen years ago as they might think...

Genres: Star Trek, Science

104 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Infosifter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was reading this series soon after the novellas came out, but when they killed off my favorite character it lost its fun for me. On a whim I decided to pick it back up, but even after all this time I'm having trouble re-engaging without the character that was the heart of the team for me.

[Michel Siskoid Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

The episode that could never be shot! Bob Greenberger has fun with the premise, but if you get any prurient lasciviousness from his prose, it's really on you, the reader. Once they take their clothes off in resignation, there are no descriptions or anything untoward except the fact that Zek-era Ferengi leer at them (but then, they would even if clothed). It's still a physical ordeal on rainy Ferenginar, and of course, there are altercations with the more handsy types, but otherwise, it's a pretty tame version of the story. As line editor, Greenberger certainly knows where the, well, the line is. To me, all the instances of oo-mox are more disturbing anyway. Nice to see anything new for the big homeworlds, of course, and there are some fun bits at the Exchange and on the streets. Corsi's a badass, Tev's starting to warm up to the team. The way a Ferengi uses time travel is what they would obviously do with it and well handled. I do wonder about the shipboard subplot about one of the new ensigns thinking Bart is attractive and getting a lesson in how scuttlebutt works. It's cute, but doesn't really do anything in line with the themes (unless it's "buying time" i.e. page count, ha). I like that the series explores some of its lower decks characters - like it IS a small ship - but I don't know that Ensign Falcão reappears in a substantial role (they often just turn into extras). Will have to wait and see, I suppose, but I hope to see her again.

[Daniel Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. Love the 3 ladies kicking ass and taking names without a scrap of clothing between them.

[John Barclay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short simple fun read. Time Travel is either complex or simple, here it is simple. Ferengi are a little too one dimensional. The image of all the naked females is childish but only that. I wish the series would get back to more interesting problems.