Year Four, Issue 6


Summary
"Captain's log, stardate 5965.5: The  is in orbit over the third planet in the Gobi System. Dr. McCoy and Ensign Mallard are joining me on the surface. Our hails have gone unanswered, but we still hope someone from the Pasteur is alive."

The USS Pasteur was reported missing eleven months ago. The Enterprise has discovered hull fragments consistent with a Federation science ship and Spock's early investigation has revealed that it was hit with a high-intensity ion particle beam. Spock also notes that there is only one habitable planet in the system and that would be where any survivors might be found.

As Captain Kirk prepares to join the away team, Lieutenant O'Hara, an archaeologist, approaches him and asks to join the mission as her brother Matthew was the captain of the Pasteur. The party beams down to the surface to find themselves near a pool of clean water. As McCoy scans the pool, a strange sound is heard, and all four members of the away team collapse into unconsciousness.

On board the Enterprise, Spock asks Montgomery Scott to fix the shields to protect against similar weapons to those that appear to have destroyed the Pasteur. He detected an energy spike not long before Kirk and the away team missed their check in with the ship. Scotty notes that the shields are not designed to withstand the kind of blast that hit the Pasteur, but that he'll make it happen.

On the planet, the away team awakes in what appears to be a decontamination chamber with nasty headaches. A being that looks like a matronly nanny robot appears in front of them and apologizes for the inconvenience, but that they had to ensure the group's cleanliness before allowing them into the merchandise warehouse. The robot introduces itself as Avatar and apologizes for removing their weapons and communicators due to the fact that they could not be decontaminated. It continues, informing them that it is alone on the planet and that it ships the merchandise, mostly tools for agrarian and industrial worlds in the sector. Mallard sneaks out during the conversation and finds their weapons and communicators but as he reaches for them, he is zapped from behind, killing him. Kirk demands to know what the merchandise is when O'Hara discovers a window into what appears to be a baby nursery. Avatar declares that this is the merchandise of which it speaks.

On the Enterprise, the shields deflect an ion beam, just as Spock predicted. He has beamed down to the surface with a small security team. While there, he attempts to replicate the energy spike which he believes to be a transporter beam.

Inside the complex, Avatar tells Kirk that the populace of the planet became infertile and died off more than a thousand years prior. McCoy checks the children and discovers that their DNA is a patchwork of species including some Human DNA. Avatar notes that due to a dwindling supply of material, it was necessary to find alternate sources. O'Hara opens the door to the nursery and Avatar aims its hand at her, telling her that she cannot enter as she has not been prepared and that it was hoping to harvest their materials and that they must now be destroyed. As it fires, Kirk pushes it, forcing it to shoot wildly. Kirk and Avatar battle while O'Hara enters the nursery and picks up a baby that shares her brother's eye colors, one blue and one brown eye. As O'Hara prepares to escape with the child, Avatar seals them in and prepares to harvest the three Humans. Just as Avatar is about to fire, it is shot from behind by a young woman.

Avatar yells out the name "Adan", and when McCoy asks about it, Avatar prepares to attack him, trying to protect the child. Avatar unseals the complex and asks them to take Adan with them, as the planet may have finally found its legacy. At that time, Spock and his team enter the complex. Kirk fills them in and tells them that there are survivors... in a way.

"Captain's log, supplemental… The Federation's found homes for Adan and the Gobi infants, and the Enterprise is making one final stop before resuming its mission…"

The Enterprise sets out for Pacifica to drop off all of the surviving children, and O'Hara notes that the ruins there are an archaeologist's dream. As she leaves the bridge, McCoy notes that motherhood agrees with her. Kirk asks Spock why he knew to recalibrate the shields. Spock notes that as his first officer, indigenous populations have attacked the Enterprise 33 times, 84% of them after Kirk failed to make a scheduled check-in.

Memorable quotes
"Someone's been a bad boy."
 - Avatar, as Mr. Mallard gets zapped and killed

"We do not keep merchandise. It is forbidden. But I have been shipping the product for so long, I became curious about its possibilities."
 - Avatar, talking about Adan

"You missed all the fun, Spock. As usual."
"I would not call endangering the crew of the Enterprise fun, Doctor."
"I was being sarcastic."
"I think you're confusing sarcasm with irony. It's a common–"
 - McCoy and Spock

"In the time I've served as your first officer, an indigenous population has attacked the Enterprise 33 times."
"My record's that good?"
"Of those attacks, 84 perfect occurred after you failed to make scheduled check-ins from the surface."
"I'll try to do better."
 - Spock and Kirk

"He's a doctor, not a linguist."
"That would be ironic."
 - Kirk and Spock, teasing McCoy

Background information
 The stardate of this story places it shortly after the events of .
 The IDW online store lists this issue as being released 18 January 2008.
 The issue sold an estimated 9,797 copies in comic specialty stores in January 2008.  These figures do not cover copies sold on the direct market (bookstores, etc.).

Creators
 Writer: David Tischman
 Artists: 
 Gordon Purcell (interior art)
 Leonard O'Grady (color art)
 Mario Boon (color art assist)
 J.K. Woodward (color art assist)
 Robbie Robbins (letter art)
 Steve Conley (cover art)
 Joe Corroney (alternate cover art)
 Editor: Andrew Steven Harris
 Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry
 Special thanks to Paula Block of CBS Consumer Products for her invaluable assistance.

Characters

 James T. Kirk  Federation captain of the USS Enterprise.
 Spock  First officer of the USS Enterprise.
 Leonard McCoy  Medical officer of the USS Enterprise.
 Montgomery Scott  Chief Engineer of the USS Enterprise.
 O'Hara  Archaeologist on the USS Enterprise. Sister of Matthew O'Hara, captain of the USS Pasteur.
 Mallard  Security officer on the USS Enterprise. Killed in action by Avatar.
 Avatar  A robot in charge of the merchandise on the planet.
 Adan  "Daughter" of Avatar.

External link 
 

Comics