Stardate Unknown #1     March 1976, 97p. ( 2nd printing, July 76; 3rd printing, Mar 77; 4th printing Aug 77)
Ed. Gerry Downes; Anchorage AK

"Among the Stars" (p. 6-35) / Gerry Downes

The Enterprise encounters a small remnant of a civilization of pacifist winged humanoids, apparently transplanted long ago and now being exterminated by the indigenous Neanderthal-like population as it develops. McCoy becomes romantically involved with Llaria, but the Prime Directive seems to require the Feds to leave the Trrwylans to their fate. They leave them with directions to a possible haven on an island far from the hunter Gran - which they may attempt when the present children grow enough to fly there. Neither the romance nor the culture are very convincing/compelling, but the story has excellent bits about the joy and compulsion of flight.
[Sequel is "Winged Joy Soaring, Gloriously Uprising" - Stardate: Unknown #3]

"The Coming Flame" (p. 38-63) / Gerry Downes

During transport, Spock's mind is kidnapped by a sorcerer and plopped into a destroyed planet's medieval past, where he is forced to lead an army in battle to rescue Christine Chapel. Nice switches between Sickbay and the sorcerer's world, with events in each time-space affecting the other. But basically, this story belongs to a genre in which any excuse will suffice to put our guys into an Arthurian setting. Too much of magic for my taste.

"Nebula of Orion" (p. 66-95) / Gerry Downes

Kirk is taken over by Orion, the mind of the Orion Nebula, which they are investigating. It knows it will die in a few eons, and wants his company. Meanwhile, it tries to make him kill Spock and McCoy, but Kirk manages to hold on to his self, convincing the entity that he will be its Satan, never its friend. Spock and McCoy are left to rescue the wrung-out and unconscious Kirk him from the brink of death by melding with him. It's an overdone plot, but handled well enough. And it has this delicious bit of dialogue: McCoy: "So now you're dead, I'm an accomplice, some monster's in charge of the Captain, and everything's just fine!" Spock: "Precisely."

.

 

Stardate Unknown #2     November 1976, 103p.
Ed. Gerry Downes; Anchorage AK

[Now, this issue is a delight all around!]

* "Nessie" (p. 6-11) / Gerry Downes

[reprinted from Berengaria #7?]
Scott has a little heart-to-heart with the Loch Ness dragon, over a few bottles of Scotch. A lovely romp.

Reflections (p. 12-27) / various

Poetry & art portfolio section. Excellent Kirk/Spock portrait and in interesting poem (Radio Source by Gerry Downes) on the real "music of the spheres."

* "Full Circle" (p. 28-35) / Gerry Downes

Excellent Spock/McCoy confrontation & reconciiliation. McCoy is about to drink himself into oblivion after performing an abortion. Spock disapproves of both actions and bullies McCoy into allowing him to meld to discover the roots of his need for such oblivion. His objective view of the events surrounding McCoy's divorce (here, involving an extramarital affair of his which ended in abortion) brings McCoy some perspective. Characterization and dialogue are perfect, and the situation compelling.

" 'Mate" (p. 38-40) / Kathy Penland

Nicely written, very short Spock get 'em. McCoy talks Kirk out of giving up his career to stay near Spock, who is brain-damaged and dying. Kirk makes a last visit, leaving the chess board set up, waiting for Spock's last move. Hence, the title.

"Crossroads" (p. 42-85) / Juanita Salicrup

Spock/Chapel romance, sensibly and pleasingly presented. As the 5-year mission draws to a close, McCoy assigns Chapel to look after Spock during a month-long convalescence on Vulcan, specifically to force them to come to terms with their (non)relationship. When T'Pau brings a "candidate" bondmate, Spock confronts his own emotional needs, but by then has to work to win Chapel over.
[Sequel is "A Grief Well-Ended"- Stardate: Unknown #3.]

"One Last Time" (p. 90-103) / Gerry Downes

An aged Kirk, anticipating senility, bids farewell to Spock (McCoy has died long before, victim of a transporter accident), buys himself a starship and heads off to cross through the Galactic Barrier. He finds a planet there, embroiled in an uprising, joins the revoutionaries, and is killed in action. Nicely written, and though the planet outside the Barrier and its repeat of Earth history - the regime is essentially Nazi - may be implausible, Kirk's response to his latter days is right in character.

 

Stardate Unknown #3     July 1977, 130p.
Ed. Gerry Downes; Anchorage AK

[Now, this issue is a delight all around!]

"Tea Time" (p. 4-19) / Jon Aiken

A black hole catapults the Enterprise into Earth's past, where the gang must retrieve a dataprobe by eluding both colonial and British capture to join in at the Boston Tea Party. Good fun, though the plot could have used some tightening.

Reflections (p. 20-39) / various

Poetry & art portfolio section. Nothing too notable other than a nice Spock/McCoy portrait by G. Moaven.

"Winged Joy Soaring, Gloriously Uprising" (p. 40-77) / Gerry Downes

[Sequel to "Among the Stars" - Stardate: Unknown #1]
After 3 years, the Enterprise checks up on the Trrwylans, finds them dying out of accelerated aging and fragility, and rescues them for transplantation -- McCoy beaming into an oceanic storm to retrieve Llaria. Llaria's children turn out to be his. McCoy discovers that the disease is essentially psychosomatic, the Trrwylans moods having wild physiological effects. His desire to protect them from stress causes a blowup between McCoy and Spock, when the latter undertakes the tutelage of McCoy's feathered son. Though I found the winged people curiously unappealing, and the McCoy romance too trivial for my taste, the writing and characterization are quite nice.

Episode Portfolio (p. 78-86) / various

Poetry & art based on Enemy, Mirror, Enterprise Incident, Spectre and Requiem.

"A Grief Well-Ended" (p. 87-99) / Juanita Salicrup

[Sequel to "Crossroads, Stardate: Unknown #2]
Consummation of the Spock/Chapel bonding. Okay read, but a bit predictable and bland in comparison to the first installment.

"Paved With Good Intentions" (p. 100-115) / Gerry Downes

Kirk goes to hell. Literally. The tale starts as a romp, but turns serious when Kirk bargains with the Devil (here a bureaucrat wrapped in red computer tape) for a last few minutes with Spock and Spock interprets his visit as a message from his own subconscious telling him it is time to end his own life. Kirk defeats the devil by disbelieving in him, and it all turns into a hangover. Good writing all round.

"The Sword at the Gate" (p. 116-129) / Jane Aumerle

Aftermath of "Paradise Syndrome." Spock forces a meld to allow Kirk to accept and grieve Miramanee's loss. The team play gods to minimize contamination of the Amerindian culture, with Kirk designating Salish - beaten half to death by the crowd hoping to please the god - as the medicine chief and an umarriageable girl as priestess. Believable interpretation.