Shockwave: Paul Ruditis

Star Trek: Enterprise III. The Paraagan deep space colony was just another first contact, unusual in only two respects - it was a matriarchal society and the planet's upper atmosphere was filled with a highly volatile gas. But the officers of the Enterprise know how to handle their shuttlepod and they understood the Paraagan landing protocols. As the shuttlepod descended, they closed the plasma vents, certain that noting could escape that would ignite the gas. Thirty-six hundred colonists were vapourised in the blast. Every building, every living thing, everything on the surface of the planet was destroyed. Could the Enterprise have caused the destruction? Recalled, Captain Archer knows that the Vulcan High Command has convinced Starfleet that humans are not ready for deep-space exploration. But these are not the events as history recorded them. No-one died. Archer was never recalled. This is the startling information offered by the mysterious Crewman Daniels - who claims to be from the 31st century. Cover art by John Blackford.