A Question of Priorities (Star Trek: TOS story)
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| Star Trek TOS Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | A Question of Priorities |
| Author(s): | Mary Louise Dodge |
| Date(s): | 1976 |
| Length: | |
| Genre: | gen |
| Fandom: | Star Trek: The Original Series |
| External Links: | |
Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
A Question of Priorities is a Star Trek: TOS story by Mary Louise Dodge.
It was published in Delta Triad #3.
Reactions and Reviews
Lovely version of the "who do I choose" dilemma. After a lab explosion on board while Kirk and Spock are engaged in negotiations on a radiation-strewn planet, McCoy requires a lung transplant to survive. Scott, in command, must decide whether to take McCoy to safety or stay to retrieve the Command pair, who will be endangered by the time they can return. Others caught up in the drama are Uhura, trying to determine if her affair with Kirk is in fact interfering with her duty - she would decidedly have chosen Kirk and Spock - and Chapel, faced with the loss of Spock or McCoy. Tense plotting with a good "clock" and nice bits with the temporary head of engineering and Scotty as they practice switching out a failing valve that may cost the Command's lives. Scott repeatedly has to stay out of engineering in order to protect himself as commander, which certainly rubs the wrong way. [1]
'A Question of Priorities' is a drama taking place between Kirk and Spock on the surface of a radioactively-contaminated planet and the Enterprise. While Mr. Spock has control of the ship, an explosion occurs in sickbay, critically injuring Dr. McCoy. Scott must decide whether or not to take the good doctor to a medical base or stay in orbit around the planet to pick up the landing party before their radioactive immunity wears off and they die. This reads like a TV script, and you can almost tell where to put the commercials, but once again it suffers from poor plotting. The crises which occur are too sudden and happen at just the right time, making them suspiciously convenient. [2]
Exquisite. The suspense is well utilized. An extremely tight situation for Scott to be in Once again, the stories were well researched for historical accuracy, behavioral responses and plausible occurrences. [3]
References
- ^ Halliday’s Star Trek Zinedex (TOS) - Title Index, Archived version
- ^ from Spectrum #29
- ^ from Germaine Best in Tetrumbriant #12