While answering a distress call from a scientific station in a remote part of the galaxy, the USS Enterprise becomes infected with a mysterious alien life for which feeds on and trasnforms inorganic materials.

The Starship begins to gradually disintegrate, and Starfleet is forced to order its evacuation and destruction to prevent the dangerous infection from spreading throughout the galaxy. It's the end of an era for Captain Picard and his crew, who are scheduled for transfers that will split them up among different Starfleet vessels.

But as the end draws near for the Starship Enterprise, Captain Picard begins to forumlate a desperate plan to save his ship and preerve his crew - a plan that will force him to defy Starfleet orders and lean him to a confrontation with a malevolent alien for which has the power to destory the entire Federation.

The Enterprise investigates an emergency on a scientific station on an uninhabited planet with unusual properties. There, the ship becomes affected by an alien presence, and the crew must find a way to dispel it or the Enterprise will be destroyed.

This was written well and it was an intriguing story. I thought some of the dialogue was not great but that's a minor thing - I liked that the book was written in a few different voices and styles. There was just enough science to be interesting and not boring.

And I think that this is one of the only Trek books I've read that could be enjoyed by non-Trek fans.

RELEASE NOTES:

Left on the Visitor's Information Board under Plexiglass.

Released as a part of the 'Books by the Numbers' release challenge.

May 3/5