Triangle is a Pocket TOS novel – #9 in the numbered series – written by Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath. Published by Pocket Books, it was first released in March 1983, and is set during the Star Trek: The Motion Picture era.
Summary
- From the book jacket
- Kirk's soul... Spock's life
- A dark plan has been unleashed in the galaxy, a design so vast, only a collective – and ruthless – mind like the Totality could have conceived it. Now Captain Kirk must battle the seductive force of the Totality's will. It was reasonable that Captain Kirk and Federation Free Agent Sola Than would fall in love. But no reasoning in the universe could have foreseen the tragedy of Spock's own passion for the same woman. Now this unimaginable conflict could cost Captain Kirk his very soul, and bring death to the proud Vulcan. But in the unimaginable lies their only chance, and the freedom of the galaxy depends on the outcome of the... Triangle.
Memorable quotes
"Force? If I know nothing else, I know that that is yesterday."
"Is it force to offer tomorrow irresistibly?"
"Tomorrow has been the excuse for every atrocity."
"And the fuel of every advance to the stars. Now, perhaps, the direction of advance is beyond love."
- - James T. Kirk and Gailbraith, on how the Onenesses must spread
"You have been cast, Captain, long ago, as I have. The final trial must always be against the best."
"And what is your role?"
"I am the Devil. Or else I am becoming a god."
- - Gailbraith and James T. Kirk, regarding the similarity of their situation to the story of Job in the Bible
"What would have happened if Job had had the gall to ask the Devil to heal him of his boils without even demanding his soul?"
"If the Devil were smart, he would have done it."
"Yes. He would have."
- - Gailbraith and James T. Kirk, regarding the similarity of their situation to the story of Job in the Bible
"But at what cost? If your goal is right, can it not win without force?"
"That has been my belief. But to win without force may take a thousand years or a million. Captain, if I could offer you, say, peace in your lifetime and forever, but at a cost–would you not be tempted?"
"I might be, Ambassador, but I have learned that some costs cannot be paid. The use of force destroys any benefit which can come from it."
"I wish I were quite so certain, or so innocent."
- - James T. Kirk and Gailbraith, on how the lesser of two evils is not better than no evils
"Would you prefer to destroy your crew, rather than have them live happily in the new world of Totality? Are you so prejudiced–when your primary mission is to seek out the new? Or do you perhaps fondly hope that you could transport your crew to the planet below–and that they, or you, could survive there? I assure you, it is not an alternative."
"There is always an alternative to surrender, and history has shown that surrender or appeasement of any totality is not an alternative to destruction–merely a preliminary."
- - Gailbraith and James T. Kirk, regarding how his resistance to joining a oneness is futile
"No one asked me."
"I'm asking."
"What are you offering?"
"What have I got that you want?"
"Perhaps the usual terms, Doctor. Your soul...?"
"Come with me."
- - Gailbraith and Leonard McCoy bargaining for a mutual agreement
"But that may merely be a hypothesis about the nature of virtue. Such hypotheses may have no basis in fact."
"You mean, the universe is not necessarily on the side of the good guys?"
"Precisely, Doctor. Worse, the universe, and even the participants, sometimes have some difficulty determining who are the forces of good or at least who are the future. Virtue has triumphed on occasion. So, for a time at least, has evil. And sometimes it is difficult to determine whether the new is wrong or merely different."
- - Dobius and Leonard McCoy regarding which oneness is the stronger of the two
"No. That kind of peace, even if it could exist, would not be worth it. And that argument–that you have to break eggs to make an omelette, or amoebas to make a Oneness has been the argument of every dictator, every totalitarian from Hitler and Stalin to the ones you fought, to Colonel Green and all the others. But intelligent beings are not eggs–nor amoebas–and when they break, the irreplaceable is lost, and the unforgivable is done. Soljenov, don't you see that you have bought the argument of your old enemies?"
- - James T. Kirk, to Soljenov, on why his plan will fail
"Your name is known to me, and it is the name of a traitor. You have brought other-worlders here, and your intent is to destroy the Totality which serves your people."
"My intent, Z'Ehlah, is to free my people. If that be treason, you are welcome to make the most of it. I have come here to the Center of your power. Treason cannot live here. But I can."
- - Z'Ehlah and Sola Thane
"You must know, that the direct pain is merely pain. Rebels have defied pain, even to the death, before. It is the pleasure which is unendurable, and unbeatable. It will make you want it beyond any other pleasure. You cannot get past it."
"I can. I–have known the real thing."
- - Z'Ehlah and Sola Thane
"There is no love, no passion, no friendship, no ultimate personal choice which does not depend on the unique, irreplaceable one. It is what we would miss in Oneness, and why we have fought against you with our lives. But why shouldn't two diverse Onenesses also begin to find that in each other? What would prevent friendship between the unique entities of Oneness–friendship, perhaps even love?"
"Power prevents. An entity grows. Or dies."
"Infants and children grow. Adults–love."
- - James T. Kirk and Soljenov on why the two onenesses can't work together
"And shall I live knowing that you lied,' Spock?"
"If necessary. But live."
- - Sola Thane and Spock on whom Thane should save between him and Kirk
"I do not require or accept sacrifice."
"I do not make one. I have–acquired a taste for oneness. Or Oneness. It is an elegant solution to an otherwise insoluble problem, Spock. The three of us have struggled with that problem, to no solution. There is no solution within our normal parameters. I cannot take her from you–or see her with you. I can't leave. You can't. She can't. Impasse. But nothing is won without cost. I will free the ship and settle with the question of Oneness. I do not think the Totality can continue its present course if I am in it. And this way–I will not be alone. Nor will you."
- - Spock and James T. Kirk, regarding Kirk's plan to sacrifice himself to save Spock and Thane
"You believe you three have chosen the love and friendship which you feel for each other. You have chosen its destruction. Unless you all come to me now."
"We have chosen each other. The choice is not measured in the time we have or do not have. It is not measured at all. If we lived for a thousand years and never saw each other again, it would still have been our choice."
- - Soljenov and James T. Kirk regarding the apparent failure of Kirk, Spock, and Thane forming their own oneness
Background information
- This story is set seven years after Spock last experienced pon farr (TOS: "Amok Time").
- This story elaborates on the New Humans idea originally established by Gene Roddenberry in his novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture.
- The novel was re-printed as a limited edition hardcover by Gregg Press in 1984.
Characters
- Canon characters listed below are linked to the main article about them. Non-canon characters are not linked, but those that recurred, appearing or being mentioned in more than one story, are defined further in Pocket TOS characters.
Canon characters
- Christine Chapel
- Nurse, USS Enterprise
- Pavel Chekov
- Ensign, Navigator, USS Enterprise
- James T. Kirk
- Captain, Commanding Officer, USS Enterprise
- Leonard McCoy
- Lieutenant Commander, Chief Medical Officer, USS Enterprise
- Montgomery Scott
- Lieutenant Commander, Chief Engineering Officer, USS Enterprise
- Spock
- Commander, Executive Officer and Science Officer, USS Enterprise
- Hikaru Sulu
- Lieutenant , Helmsman, USS Enterprise
- Nyota Uhura
- Lieutenant, Communications Officer, USS Enterprise
Non-canon characters
- Dobius
- A seven-foot Tanian with a bifurcated head
- He is also featured in The Prometheus Design.
- Gailbraith
- Federation Ambassador, head of a "oneness".
- Soljenov
- Zaranite man, head of the Totality, a hivemind like group called a "oneness".
- Sola Thane (β)
- Half Human, half Zaranite woman. Free agent of the Federation.
- Viana
- Z'Ehlah
- Zaranite woman, lead matriarch of the Totality.
References
- Zaranite
- Zaran
- Marie Celeste Sector
- Cephalus System
- V'Ger
- Mountains of Gol
- New Humans
- Philosophy of one
- Zaran philosophy where everyone is of one same mind
- Free Agent of the Federation
- Special Starfleet secret agents that are free to act and only answer to Starfleet's chief of staff
- Kolinahr
- Collective consciousness
- Andoria
- Chief of staff
- Starfleet Command
- Federation Council
- Class M
- Devil
- Amoeba
- Olduvai Gorge
- Idiosyncratic memory code
External links
- Triangle at Wikipedia
- Triangle at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
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