Maximum Warp Two (Book #63)

by Dave Galanter and Greg Brodeur

Spock, convinced that T'sart would beam a Klingon party onto the Enterprise, persuades Captain Picard to rig up a hologram system to foil the Klingon's. It works.
T'sart, ravaged by the virus deliberately transferred to him, shows signs of respiratory arrest and is confined to sickbay. Beverly Crusher uses the Klingon Kalor to transfuse his blood into T'sart, the only way to flush out the toxins in his body.
Commander Riker and Deanna Troi stumble across a Romulan defector called Tobin who's seeking asylum. Riker agrees to aid him if Tobin helps them locate the desperately needed Barantium. Knowing that there are supplies of Barantium on the Romulan repair station, Data deliberately sabotages his ship. Tobin first has to temporarily put Will and Deanna somewhere safe. He takes them to the planet Lantig where they are sold as slaves. But the Romulan's on the repair station are suspicious, and in the end, Tobin and Data take another ship and make a run for it, collecting Will and Deanna on the way.
Meanwhile, Spock takes a shuttle to a secret scientific base which the Romulan's believe is the origin of the dead zones and are trying to destroy it. But they only manage to destroy themselves. Spock's shuttle begins to buckle in the atmospheric chaos and is beamed onto the Romulan ship, Makluan. It's captain, Folan is persuaded to aid Spock and the Enterprise rather than destroy them once she understands just what is at stake.
The spacial disruptions - dead zones - are being created by a sphere that is travelling through the universe, and it is this sphere that must be destroyed - somehow. Up to then, every ship that had tried, had been destroyed.
The Makluan joins forces with the Enterprise as they battle against the Romulan ships whilst Spock and Picard beam down to the scientific base to try and unravel the mystery surrounding the sphere, as well as find a way to stop its annihilation of mankind, and the universe.
With Data's help, the Enterprise enter the sphere itself and via a console, they manage to communicate. But Picard gets it horribly wrong when he orders the sphere to go back. It not only begins to go back, but continues to go back to the very beginning of the universe - before planets have been born. Before mankind has been created.
Deducing that if they accelerate what was happening, the sphere would reach its goal quicker. The theory works, just as every other infinite alternate timeline deduces the same thing and the sphere disappears, leaving everything as it was in the beginning; Back to normal.

Notable Imzadi moments:

Page 24

"I will explain you don't speak the local language," Tobin said quietly. "Be sure not to react to anything people might say." They were both wearing inner-ear translators so they could follow what was happening. "And do not take offence when I hit you again."
"Again?" Riker stopped and looked at him.
Tobin had to stop, hit him again, and Riker reacted a bit faster this time with a flinch.
"This is because I disabled your ship before, right?"
"It is expected, to show your obedience," Tobin said. "Deanna will hit you as well."
Riker smirked. "Oh, she will, will she?"
"You are male," the Romulan said matter-of-factly. "The female servants have standing and authority."
The Enterprise first officer sighed. "This day just keeps getting better."
Shivering, Deanna nuzzled against Riker playfully. "You've never had a problem with females in authority before."
"I've never been sold before." Riker hugged her with the arm that cradled her.

~~~~~~~~~

Pages 76 to 77

"Will!" Deanna was in the center of the large bed, reading a book.
"Deanna?" Riker's face felt warm and his skin was tight.
"I'm glad to see you. I was getting worried." She closed her book, dropped her legs over the side of the bed, and stood.
He looked at the book on the bed, then back to her. "I can see that."
She waved her hand at the book, dismissing it. "I mean I expected to be beamed up by now."
Riker shook his head. "Change in plans. Where's your 'employer'?"
"Oh, him," Deanna said disdainfully. "He tried to get fresh with me."
"'Fresh'?" Riker's muscles snapped taut. "Where is he?" he almost growled.
"Locked in the closet."
Obviously hearing their voices, he began knocking on the walls, ordering them to let him out.
Deanna sighed. "Oh, don't start the shouting again. We talked about that, remember? It gives me a headache."
"She reminds me of me," Nien told Riker, smirking.
He looked from the closet, to Deanna, and back to the closet. "I should have known," he said and walked towards the closet. "In here?"
"Yes. What are you going to do?"
"I want to see him," Riker said.
Deanna sighed. "Will..."
"In here?"
"Yes, but..."
Riker opened the door. The same fat Romulan from earlier in the day was sitting on the floor in the back of the closet. When he saw the door open he immediately jumped up. He moved well for someone his size. "It's about time..." he began, then noticed Riker's face. "Who are you?" he demanded.
"Her boyfriend," Riker said angrily and slammed the Romulan in the nose with his closed fist.
The Romulan stumbled back and then finally fell.
"That was very...male of you."
"You bring out the savage in me, Imzadi," Riker said with a grin.
She rolled her eyes. "Flatterer."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Thank you Carol for putting this together =)