Choices! — memory beta

The new voyages. – "Choices!" was the 37th issue of the DC Comics 1980s series of Star Trek comics.

Summary

Following the test flight of the starship Enterprise-A, the crew considers the ramifications of beginning a new mission after the loss of their original starship. Meanwhile, a religious zealot saboteur boards the Enterprise-A and rigs the ship to explode, giving Spock the first test of his problem solving skills following his rehabilitation on Vulcan.

Log entries

Captain's log, stardate 8925.2: I've never really believed in ghosts… until now. But after seeing the newly commissioned, newly refurbished USS Enterprise floating there in spacedock, a virtual duplicate of the precious starship destroyed by my own hand just a few months ago, I'm willing to believe in anything—including miracles! The ship's refitting will be complete within hours, and the Enterprise will be ready to carry me back where I belong—but who, I wonder, will be with me this time, when I go… We've been through so much together, my crew and I—so much joy—so much pain—! They stuck beside me when I needed it most, through the death and rebirth of my good friend Spock—through a court martial that could have cost them all their careers—! And yet, I was the only one who suffered for our actions—reduced in rank, relieved of my supervisory duties, and reassigned command of a starship! Starfleet Command believes that, by taking these actions, they have punished me! They really did reward my efforts! I really am where I belong! It still seems strange, to be called only captain again, after so many years as an admiral—and yet, it seems so right.

Spock's personal log, stardate 8925.2: Not even the soothing tones of my harp can bring me solace today. There is too much on my mind—too many questions cry for answers… Though I was excluded from the court-martial, I chose to stand beside my friends—and share their eventual fate. As an honorable man, I could do no less—since all their actions were on my behalf. Thus, I have been reassigned as science officer aboard the Enterprise, a position I know better than any other—and yet, I wonder if I have made the right choice. On Vulcan, they repaired my mind—but am I fully restored? And, if not, do I truly belong here?

References

Characters

Arex • William Bearclaw • Nancy Bryce • Pavel Chekov • James T. Kirk • Konom • Leonard McCoy • Maria Morelli • M'Ress • Montgomery Scott • Spock • Hikaru Sulu • Nyota Uhura • unnamed Humans (zealot saboteur, loading workers) • USS Enterprise-A personnel • unnamed USS Enterprise-A personnel (engineers)

Starships and vehicles

USS Enterprise-A (Enterprise-class refit Constitution-class heavy cruiser) • Travel Pod 5 (travel pod)

Referenced only: USS Enterprise (Enterprise-class refit Constitution-class heavy cruiser)

Locations

Planets and planetoids

Earth (Sol star system, sector 001, subquadrant 0, the galaxy's Alpha Quadrant)

Referenced only: Centaurus (Alpha Centauri, Beta Quadrant) • Vulcan (Vulcan system, Beta Quadrant)

Stations and outposts

San Francisco Fleet Yards Orbital Drydock

Shipboard locations

USS Enterprise-A: bridge • engineering • quarters (Spock's, Uhura's) • sickbay

Station locations

Orbital Drydock: lounge

Planetary locales

Earth: Japan

Technology and weapons

drydock • matter-antimatter matrix • spacedock • starship • warp drive

musical instruments: ka'athyra

Other references

chess • clothing • court martial • death • demon • emotion • ghost (spirit) • god • log entry • logic • personal log • Project Genesis • races and cultures • rank • refit • religion • ship commissioning • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2278-2350s) • three-dimensional chess • title • uniform • rank • insignia • Starfleet insignia

Chronology

stardate 8925.2, 2286 (2280s chronology, Enterprise-A voyages): Enterprise leaves drydock.

Appendices

Related media

TOS movie, novelization & comic adaptation: The Voyage Home (directly follows)
Star Trek: The Animated Series (M'Ress and Arex)
The Doomsday Bug! story arc (precedes The Voyage Home)

Background

This issue comprises something of a reboot of the series after the continuity-fixing The Doomsday Bug! story arc and the changes introduced in TOS movie, novelization & comic adaptation: The Voyage Home.
Saavik's departure was documented in The Voyage Home, and supporting cast member Morelli leaves as of her appearance in this issue. The rest of the early issue supporting cast would return, with Konom, Bryce and Bearclaw shown to return here, and Elizabeth Sherwood turning up a few issues later.
Also added to the cast, as of this issue, were TAS supporting cast M'Ress and Arex.
The first voyage of the USS Enterprise-A from the last scene of The Voyage Home is tied in to this issue. However, that comic shows the Enterprise-A leaves spacedock and head out at warp speed, while this comic shows the ship in a drydock.
The front cover shows a Bill Wray painting with a fanciful perspective angle of the Starfleet insignia, and the tagline "THE NEW VOYAGES", which was also the name of a subseries of Bantam Books novels (The New Voyages and The New Voyages 2). The tagline was not used again in continuations after this installment.
Although a new mission began in this story, the editors would have the next issue slated for a flashback story to the five-year mission, "The Argon Affair!".

Images

Connections

Timeline

published order
Previous comic: #36: The Apocalypse Scenario! The Doomsday Bug	The Original Series (DC Comics, series 1)	Next comic: #38: The Argon Affair!
Previous story: The Apocalypse Scenario! The Doomsday Bug	Stories by: Len Wein	Next story: When You Wish Upon a Star...!
chronological order
Previous adventure: Debt of Honor (Pages 1-9, 26-37, 45, 50-92)	Memory Beta Chronology	Next adventure: Retrospect

External link

Choices! article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.