Relics - Michael Jan Friedman [0]
A Novel by MICHAEL JAN FRIEDMAN
Based on the Television Episode
Story and Teleplay by RON MOORE
POCKET BOOKS New York London Toronto Sydney Tokyo Singapore
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
An Original Publication of POCKET BOOKS
POCKET BOOKS, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc. 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
Copyright 1992 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
STAR TREK is a Registered Trademark of Paramount Pictures.
This book is published by Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster Inc., under exclusive license from Paramount Pictures.
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN 0-671-86476-9
First Pocket Books printing November 1992
POCKET and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster Inc.
Printed in the U.S.A.
For little Jared,
the newest addition to the crew
Acknowledgments
It’s funny how these things work out.
It’s only recently that I’ve begun attending Star Trek conventions. So while some of my fellow writers are like that with some of the stars we’ve come to know and love, I’ve only had occasion to speak with one or two of them.
At Toronto Trek VI, however, I had the pleasure of meeting Jimmy Doohan. (I’d normally be inclined toward the more respectful “James,” but “Jimmy” seems to fit him a whole lot better.)
The con chairpersons had thrown a little party to kick off the weekend-long event. When I arrived, I scanned the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of Mr. Doohan. No sign as yet, though.
Then there was a commotion at the door, and in bustles Jimmy with a pouchful of flexible refrigerator magnets-looking for all the world like Santa Claus in the off season. The magnets had a cartoon image of our beloved Montgomery Scott-laying back in an easy chair, feet up, a big smile on his face-while the intercom system blasts “Beam me up, Scotty! There’s no intelligent life down here!”
In my experience, few media personalities live up to their billing. Jimmy Doohan, on the other hand, was everything I’d heard he was-a man of inexhaustible charm and wit, an actor’s actor and one hell of a nice guy. And in an age when performers like to distance themselves from their roles, Jimmy embraced his Scotty persona like an old friend.
Shortly after I got home, I got a call from another man who lives up to his billing Dave Stern, Pocket Books’ Star Trek editor. “How’d you like to do a novelization?” he asked. And since I’d been lobbying to do one for some time, I said, “Sure. What’s it about and when’s it due?”
What it was about was Scotty’s appearance in a Next Generation episode … as you know by now, having seen the cover of this book. Great, I thought. It’s kismet. I meet Jimmy Doohan and then I write a book about his best-known role. I’d been doing research that whole weekend in Toronto without knowing it.
As for when it was due … I had a whole month. Four and a half weeks. Thirty-one long, leisurely days. Seven hundred and forty-four hours, only some of which I would have to devote to sleep. To write a book. Gee, I wondered, what was I going to do with all that time on my hands?
My first impulse was to say it’s impossible. Absolutely impossible. I mean, I can only write so fast.
There wasn’t enough time, plain and simple-and I couldn’t change the laws of physics, now could I?
Then I realized this book was about Scotty. Of course it was going to have an impossible deadline. And somehow, some way, it was going to get published on time-even if I had to work my poor wee fingers down to the first knuckle.
Along the way, I found myself grateful to a few people. First and foremost to Ron Moore, for his thoughtful and moving script. Next to Mike Okuda, for advice and generosity