Star Trek: Department of Temporal Investigations: Forgotten History by Christopher L. Bennett
A mysterious ship has appeared in a new anomaly that appears to be the Enterprise NCC-1701, but touts the name “Timeship Two” and is apparently equipped with a device for time travel. The Department of Temporal Investigations has sent Agents Lucsly and Dulmur to study the ship and James T. Kirk, Captain of the Enterprise NCC-1701, who has had numerous time travel experiences over the years.
It’s important to have read Department of Temporal Investigations: Watching the Clock, as it introduces the DTI agents in more detail. This Department of Temporal Investigations novel seems to focus more on stories from the Original series and barely touches on character development. This certainly isn’t an action-packed adventure that most Star Trek novels seem to be. Instead, the story slowly unfolds as the agents investigate the Enterprise’s timeline, experiences with time travel, and a secret kept hidden leading back to the foundation of the DTI. The novel dragged at times, as the dialog was a bit tedious and repetitive. The reader wasn’t experiencing the stories, but being told about various accounts as a history lesson or in a debate on temporal ethics. Though, once the story focused on the Enterprise and the actual reason behind “Timeship Two”, it began to get more enjoyable. I really enjoyed the last half of the book, as the pacing sped up and the plot began to advance. If you’re really interested in time travel and alternative realities in Star Trek, this series is quite interesting. I’m hoping the next in the series focuses a bit more on the characters and plot as Watching the Clock did.