The Better Man

   

The Better Man

Description[]

From the book jacket

When theplanetEmpyrea, acolony ofgenetically perfectedhuman beings, demands that theFederation remove a science station which has been in place for nearly twenty years, thestarshipEnterprise is assigned to transport to the planet the Federationambassador who negotiated with theEmpyreans long ago - an ambassador who was onceDr. McCoy's closest friend, but is now a bitter rival.

On Empyrea, McCoy discoversAnna, a daughter he never knew he had. McCoy soon realizes that the isolationalist Empyreans must not learn her father is an off-worlder, and that hergenes are less than "perfect". As relations with the Empyreans collapse around him, McCoy must find a way to save his newfound daughter from the harshest penalty her planet can impose!

Summary[]

TheEnterprise has been placed at the disposal of AmbassadorMark Rousseau, a former friend of McCoy's. When Rousseau was captain of theUSSFeynman and McCoy his chief medical officer, they made contact with a human colony on Nova Empyrea that had deliberately isolated itself a hundred and fifty years earlier to practise genetic engineering. The Empyreans agreed to the Federation establishing an observatory on the planet to study its unusual star system but now many want it removed. They have agreed to let the Federation negotiate a renewal of the treaty on condition McCoy and Rousseau are the negotiators.

The two men meet with the planet's president,Elizabeth March, an old acquaintance. Privately, she tells McCoy that he is the father of her daughter Anna. When Anna turns eighteen, she will be expected to undergo a medical for a reproduction license, which will expose the genetic fraud. Elizabeth wants McCoy to take her away from the planet but Anna wants to remain so he instead works on a way to fool the genetic test. In the process, he learns that he is not her father: Rousseau is.

Anna chooses to undergo the risky medical procedure over her mother's objections. However,Ethan, a youth in love with Anna, takes McCoy hostage to try and force theEnterprise to take him and Anna and others who oppose their world's isolation off planet. In their absence, Anna's treatment starts to fail and Ethan releases McCoy in order to save her.

Meanwhile,Spock andScotty have been working withDoctor Ortega, an Empyrean scientist who approves of strict segregation, to keep the observatory in working order. They eventually realise that someone has sabotaged the facility, creating a series of failures that threaten to release radiation. Spock and Scotty manage to beam the reactor core aboard theEnterprise, safely shutting it down.

With Ortega now speaking in favour of contact with the outside universe, the Empyreans narrowly vote in favour of renewing the treaty. It is hoped this will be the first step in establishing further involvement in galactic affairs, with Anna volunteered to travel to Earth aboard theEnterprise.

References[]

Characters[]

Alexei •Calvin •Christine Chapel •Pavel Chekov •Kara Choudhury •Clements •Eleni •Ethan •James T. Kirk •Liftig •Anna March •Elizabeth March •Leonard McCoy •Katrina Ortega •Ramon Ortega •Paolo •Lisa Putman •Erica Rousseau •Mark Rousseau •Montgomery Scott •Jacob Simon •Linden Skloff •Spock •Ibrahim Tamiya •Nyota Uhura

Referenced only

Devil •God •Sherlock Holmes •George Samuel Kirk Sr. •Joanna McCoy •Jocelyn McCoy •Gregor Mendel •Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart •Christopher Pike •Christopher Rousseau •Khan Noonien Singh •V'Ger

Starships and vehicles[]

Areian freighter •SS Botany Bay •USSEnterprise •USSHood •USSKoop •USSLexington •USSManhattan •USSRepublic •USSRichard Feynman

Locations[]

Stellar locations

Alpha Kratonii system •Campan sector •Mutara sector

Planetary bodies

Donatu 5 •Earth •Nova Empyrea

Planetary locations

Georgia •Great Wall of China •Iowa •Isolation Center •Mount Placidus •Savannah

Facilities

Starbase 86

Races and cultures[]

Human (African •Augment •Empyrean •Greek •Luddite •Russian) •Klingon •Vulcan

States and organizations[]

Boy Scouts of America •Empyrean Council •Empyrean Liberation Front •French Foreign Legion •Nazi

United Federation of Planets[]

Federation Diplomatic Corps •Starfleet •Starfleet Academy •Starfleet Cosmology and Astrophisics •Starfleet Science Academy

Other references[]

alligator •bairn •bear •bee •birth control •bread •canary •cancer •cello •chicken •corn •cow •dog •dollar •doughnut •duck •English •Eugenics Wars •frog •Gaelic •goose •gothic •Great Empyrean Experiment •guitar •haggis •horse •hypospray •jazz •leech •nickel •PADD •phantom •piano •pistol •Plomeek soup •poker •pon farr •Prime Directive •scotch •snake •Starfleet uniform •Sternn Fusion Core •sword •Sword of Damocles •Syringe 112-B •tea •Ten Commandments •wine

Timeline[]

• 2253
• 2254
• 2255
• 2256
• 2261
• 2264
• 2275 --Stardate 7591.4 to 7596.1

Appendices[]

• James T. Kirk was aCaptain in this novel. It takes place betweenAdmiral Kirk's adventure in the first film andAdmiral Kirk's adventure in the second film.

Related stories[]

• TOSepisode: "Amok Time"-Spock's plomeek soup throwing incident is referenced by both Kirk and McCoy.

Images[]

Cover image.

Cover art byKeith Birdsong.

German language edition cover image.

German language edition cover image.

James T. Kirk.

Leonard McCoy.

USSEnterprise.

Timeline[]

Translations[]

1998

German :McCoys Tochter, translated by Ronald M. Hahn. (Heyne)

1999

French :L'Homme parfait. (Fleuve Noir)