Bait Once, Bait Twice
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| Zine | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Bait Once, Bait Twice |
| Publisher: | Trinary Systems Press |
| Editor: | |
| Author(s): | Lee M. Jaecks |
| Cover Artist(s): | Peter John Fugere, Sr. |
| Illustrator(s): | Peter John Fugere, Sr. |
| Date(s): | February 1980 |
| Medium: | |
| Size: | |
| Genre: | |
| Fandom: | Star Trek: TOS |
| Language: | English |
| External Links: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Bait Once, Bait Twice is a gen 243-page Star Trek: TOS novel by Lee M. Jaecks.
It has a single piece of interior art by Peter John Fugere, Sr.
Typing, proofreading, binding by Carolyn Venino. Collating, stapling by Lee M. Jaecks.
Summary
From an ad in Universal Translator #2: "... takes the reader through the hell of battle, and through the private hell of one man's struggle with himself."
From The McCoy List: "Kirk, exposed to the deadly rays of Delta Radiation, has been relieved from duty and Spock is in command. McCoy and Christine work frantically to find a cure for Kirk while Spock, Scotty and all are fighting a desperate battle with the Klingons."
Reactions and Reviews
The enemy is out there, waiting, biding their time. The dilithium crystals are shot, no warp drive, impulse is pathetic and the batteries -- you got it -- are about to expire. You may be tempted to ask what else could go wrong. Name one episode in which we saw a plumber's friend. 'Bait Once, Bait Twice' is the story of a desperate situation, played out as an unwholesome odor wafts through the good ship Enterprise. It's got Klingons, it's got Romulans, and it's got Kirk in restraints in Sickbay, alternately portraying a vegetable and a mound of jello. Spock is in command, the Enterprise is in the middle of nowhere, and there ain't no cavalry to come charging over the hill. Lee Jaecks has woven a good old action/adventure story, and done a fine job. A tight time span allows from much frenetic action as our valiant crew attempts to save themselves, and of course, the galaxy, from desperadoes, annihilation, and what have you. Kirk out of commission leaves no noticeable hole in the story, with Scotty nursing his bottle, Christine frantically trying to cure the Captain, Bones trying to sit up straight after his ninth overdose of stim pills, everyone trying to keep warm as they implement the necessary conservation procedures, and a few strange bed fellows thrown in for good measure. You know, for such a rotten predicament, there are a hell of a lot of laughs in this story. Its one flaw is necessary, and though cheap, forgivable. In order the convert the quivering mound back into James T. Kirk, Boy Hero, Jaecks introduces a quick deus ex machina. So, who's perfect? I get a little tired of McCoy's railing at Spock, but that was because McCoy's bile came out in page-long paragraphs. These could have been cut into several smaller paragraphs with better effect. But these are small flaws in the context of the overall package, and, what the hell, they all happen at the end anyway. 'Bait Once, Bait Twice' is a fun ride to the edge of oblivion. (And, as a person with a far-too-intimate knowledge of the backed-up bilge, all I can say is better them than me.) [1]
Bait Once, Bait Twice starts very simply. A Romulan ship attacks and destroys a small space station while the Enterprise is racing to help. The Romulans leave a little present, a bomb in the reactor area. Just after the crew repairing the reactor find it, the bomb explodes, unleashing Delta radiation. Two crew get it and Captain Kirk takes a dose. Ah, but there are some surprises in store. The Klingons have kidnapped the ship and are forcing the Romulans to run it and there is a way to cure Kirk of the effects of the Delta rays, but it's a case of the cure being as bad as the disease... It's an interesting story, although it could have been a bit tighter. [2]
References
- ^ from Universal Translator #5
- ^ from the Augustrek program book