In the second act of “Star Trek: Worlds of Doubt,” Kirk and the Voitaan council begin to unravel the mystery behind the enigmatic aliens who have been abducting security and medical personnel from the research base on Dreknor.
Meanwhile, aboard the Enterprise, Sulu discovers that the narrow gravity well between the two planets is pulling them together on a collision course that will destroy them both.
To his chagrin, Detective Elijah Baley must leave Earth to investigate a murder on the sparsely populated outer world of Solaria where crime is practically nonexistent and robots far outnumber their human masters. In fact, humans on Solaria have evolved into isolationists, communicating with one another solely by holographic projection, otherwise known as “viewing.” The mere suggestion of physical contact or even close proximity is taboo—even for married couples.
This custom only complicates Baley’s investigation into the murder of biologist Rikaine Delmarre. Allegedly alone in his lab at the time, Delmarre was found bludgeoned to death with his wife, Gladia, lying unconscious beside him and a malfunctioning robot standing over them. Gladia is the prime suspect simply because she was the only person Rikaine would permit to see him. Certainly, the robot could not blamed, as robots cannot kill humans. Baley is not convinced, especially since no weapon has yet been found.
What of the robot? Solarian robots are constructed with positronic brains, programmed with the Three Laws of Robotics—a robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
Further inhibiting Baley’s investigation is his innate fear of the outdoors, resulting from a lifetime in the enclosed, underground cities of Earth. However, Baley forces himself to cope as he journeys across Solaria with his partner, R. Daneel Olivaw to interview various people in Delmarre’s life. A robot indistinguishable from a human, Olivaw was assigned to the investigation from the planet Aurora, another of Earth’s colonies.
With all of these impediments—and more—Baley must delve into Solarian sociology and psychology in his quest to compile the evidence needed to bring the murderer to justice.
The Naked Sun is the second of Asimov’s four robot novels starring Elijah “Lije” Baley and R. Daneel Olivaw (who also appears in Asimov’s Foundation series). The story’s title is derived from the fact that, in Asimov’s future, citizens of Earth live underground and have developed a dislike of the outdoors and have not set eyes on their own sun in many generations.
While Asimov has never been known for the depth of his characters, the human sociological idiosyncrasies of Baley, as juxtaposed against those of the Solarians, added another level of tension and complexity beyond a mere murder investigation.
Written in 1996, “Star Trek: Worlds of Doubt” was only my third fan fic and my first attempt at a longer, multi-part story.
Inspired by an encounter with actor Gary Lockwood at a science fiction convention, I wanted to explore the earlier years of Kirk’s command, when Gary Mitchell (portrayed by Lockwood) was ship’s navigator and the chief medical officer was Mark Piper (Paul Fix) as seen in the classic episode, “Where No Man Has Gone Before.”
In this adventure, the Enterprise is summoned to the twin worlds of Voitaan and Dreknor to render aid after a disaster. However, Kirk and crew soon learn that there is more here than originally reported including missing scientists and a potential planetary disaster…
I’m honored to be one of the 50 people featured in Diane Lee Baron’s upcoming collection of interviews and anecdotes from Maryland’s SF Convention scene. The Baltimore region is home to a number of popular and enduring SF cons that include Farpoint, Balticon, Shore Leave, and others. THE FANDOM FIFTY will be published early 2019 by Firebringer Press!
This collection of six bizarre fantasy tales share a common theme of protagonists who dream of strange journeys to exotic places far more desirable than anything found in our reality—or so they think.
In some cases, such dreams lead the hero back to the very home from which they departed, allowing them to regard the familiar in a new light. For others, however, the unbridled pursuit of fantasy leads to a grim fate.
For Massachusetts native Randolph Carter, his dreams of a city bathed in the golden glow of eternal sunset lead him on a fantastic and perilous journey through a world of loathsome creatures and ancient evils to find the onyx kingdom of unknown Kadath where the gods from outer space reside. Despite obstacles and warnings, Carter intends to beseech the gods to show him the way to this fabled city in “The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath.”
In “Celephais,” a London native known only as Kurane experiences lucid dreams of an ancient and eternal city of eternal youth. So determined is he to return there each night—and ultimately forever—that he resorts to extreme measures.
Disenchanted with the world around him, Randolph Carter finds true solace and beauty only dreams. After finding “The Silver Key” passed down through generations of his family, Carter travels to the woods of his boyhood and into adventures of his own past.
Several years after the disappearance of Randolph Carter, four men meet in the home of a mystic to divide Carter’s estate. One of the men, a lawyer, believes none of the fables and legends espoused by the other three, including a Swami named Chandraputra who imparts the fate of Carter in surprising detail and asserts that the man is still alive—in alien form—after passing “Through the Gates of the Silver Key.”
When third generation lighthouse keeper Basil Eaton finally accepts the invitation from the captain of a ghostly sailing ship, he is given a tour of many legendary and tempting lands such as Thalarion, the City of a Thousands Wonders, and Xura, the Land of Pleasures Unattained. However, Basil soon learns that each place holds sinister fates for those who enter. He remains steadfast until reaching the heavenly Sona-Nyl where time and death wield no power. Basil eventually become restless there and yearns to find the fabled land of Cathuria farther to the north—ignoring the repeated warnings of the captain of “The White Ship.”
Atop the lofty, unscalable cliffs of Kingsport, there lies “The Strange High House in the Mist” that for generations has become a source of rumor and myth among the coastal town’s citizens. Shortly after moving to Kingsport with his family, Thomas Olney’s curiosity impels him to undertake the arduous climb to uncover the truth about the strange cottage, with its front door flush with the edge of the cliff. Shortly after his return, both Olney and the cottage are noticeably changed…
As always, Lovecraft’s writing is lush in opulent detail, but can become repetitive and tiresome. This was especially true in the novellas “The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath” and “Through the Gates of the Silver Key,” both of which became a laborious read in the middle and could easily have been trimmed in half. My two favorites from this collection are “Celephais” and “The White Ship,” the shortest of the six.
And now the conclusion of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – Lasting Impressions” in which we learn that the murder of Daimon Gresh is linked to the mysterious Gul Drojeer and the crew of the Enterprise uncovers the truth on Chandai II, but not before narrowly escaping a skirmish with the infamous Gul Dukat.
Next week, we go back to the original five-year mission of classic Star Trek during a time when Gary Mitchell was at the helm of the Enterprise and Doctor Mark Piper was Chief Medical Officer. Stay tuned for “Star Trek: Worlds of Doubt.”