Orion Archives: 2229-2265 The Beginnings

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Zine
Title: Orion Archives: 2229-2265 The Beginnings
Publisher: Orion Press
Editor(s): Randall Landers
Date(s): 2001, 2007
Series?: yes, see below
Medium: print zine
Size:
Genre:
Fandom: Star Trek: TOS
Language: English
External Links: Orion Press flyer
Orion Online Archives page for 2229-2265 The Beginnings
old website (archived)
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Orion Archives: 2229-2265 The Beginnings is a gen and het Star Trek: TOS anthology that reprints content published in previous Orion Press zines in particular from Orion. Some of the later issues also reprint online fanfic. The early issues are numbered, later on the titles are organized by the fictional timeframe the zine takes place in (many Orion Press zines take place in a vaguely shared universe at least as far as the basic chronology of the Trek universe is concered. Their website offers timelines and such that the zines adhere to). Issues are still being released as of 2009, and there are also re-releases of older Orion Archives issues. A full list is available at the Orion Press website.

Summary from the flyer: "These stories either feature the Star Trek characters featured in The Cage (such as Captain Christopher Pike, Number One, Lieutenant Spock and Doctor Phillip Boyce) as well as stories about the characters from Star Trek: The Original Series (including Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Sulu and the others) but set before their tour of duty on the Enterprise, ranging from a young Spock to a teenaged Jimmy Kirk to Sulu's first mission to an alien world."

Orion Archives: 2229-2265 The Beginnings 1

cover of issue #1, 2001 edition
cover of issue #1, the 2007 edition

Orion Archives: 2229-2265 The Beginnings 1 contains 202 pages and artwork by Donna C. Clark, Tim Farley, Don Harden, Jeanne L. Matthews, M.J. Millard, Julie Nosal, Bonnie Reitz, and Zaquia Tarhuntassa. It was published 2001 and re-released 2007.

  • Sam by Ann Zewen ("Sam” is a look at the young James T. Kirk and his brother, George. We finally learn the real reason why Jim Kirk calls him “Sam.”)
  • The Killer Instinct by Phillip A. Mucha (“The Killer Instinct” is a look at the young Vulcan and his relationship with a certain sehlat. Delightful!)
  • Popcorn Chris Dickenson (While awaiting word on his Aunt Roberta’s fate, Spock reminisces about his first visit to Earth.)
  • Light Speed in an 85 MPH Zone by D.G. Littleford (Jimmy Kirk goes through one of life’s little adventures as a teenager.)
  • Salt by Linda McInnis (“Salt” is set six months later while Kirk was taking Command Training graduate level courses, and is the story of his relationship with Carol Marcus, a blonde lab technician with big plans.)
  • The Anniversary Gift by Donna C. Clark (Ever wonder why McCoy joined the service? This story has the answer. It’s concise, it’s believable, and in its own way, it’s elegant.)
  • Victory by Mark C. Henrie (In “Victory,” we have Cadet James T. Kirk and a fellow cadet are competing with Cadet Spock and Cadet Lystra Davis, the latter being a former girlfriend of Kirk’s in a deadly race around the Antares star system.)
  • The Medal by D.G. Littleford (Returning from his first mission with Starfleet, Spock finds a chilly reception from his father.)
  • The Difference by Chris Dickenson (While in 1986, Doctor McCoy comes across a terminal patient which prompts a particularly tragic memory.)
  • The Fire Bringer by Jane Yambe (A young Hikaru Sulu becomes involved the young officer in a first contact situation while gathering botanical specimens on a recently discovered planet.)
  • Home Sweet Home by Nicole Comtet (After finding a relic from Vulcan’s earliest space agency, Captain Pike orders Spock to return the probe to Vulcan, where he confronts his own past.)
  • The Spider’s Lair by Randall Landers (Commander James T. Kirk, captain of the scoutship Shenandoah, finds himself and his landing party at the mercy of an alien lifeform.)
  • Boy Scout by Ann Zewen (James T. Kirk has returned to Carol Marcus with one goal in mind: he wants to get to know his son. He’s considering leaving Starfleet altogether, and wants to pick up the pieces of their relationship if Carol will let him.) (also published as a standalone)

Reactions and Reviews: Issue 1

See reactions and reviews for Boy Scout.

[zine]:
  • Sam / [rep. Orion #33] Young Jim and his brother, explaining why Jim calls him Sam.
  • Popcorn / [also Orion Archives #6] While Spock and McCoy await news of Spock's dying aunt Grayson, Spock reminisces about his first visit to Earth, and reveals to McCoy that "I take after my father's side when it comes to look's, Doctor, but I pop corn like a Grayson.
  • The Killer Instinct / [rep; Orion #33] Young Spock & his sehlat
  • Light Speed in an 85 Mph Zone / [rep; Antares #6] Cute little vignette - young Kirk is celebrating his admission to SF Academy by getting another traffic ticket, forcing the long-suffering cop to admit he'll miss him.
  • The Anniversary Gift / [also Orion Archives #3] Nicely written scenes of McCoy's divorce from Heather, over his ignoring her for his work.
  • Victory / [also Orion Archives #2]
  • Salt / [rep; Stardate #21; also Orion Archives #2]
  • First Best Destinies / [also Orion Archives #2]
  • The Medal / [rep; Antares #2, 1998] Spock and Sarek at odds over an act of violence that earned Spock a medal of valor.
  • The Difference / [also Orion Archives #6; OA 2001 - Interludes]
  • The Fire Bringer / [also Orion Archives #3]
  • Home Sweet Home / [rep; Antares #4] The E has recovered an old Vulcan probe; Vulcan demands its return and Spock has an unsatisfactory return to Vulcan and equally unsatisfactory encounter with Dad. This sort of story, with a racist elite in control on Vulcan, keeps popping up - doesn't seem to fit to me, but then I've never reconciled Vulcan logic with Vulcan hoo-ha.
  • The Spider's Lair / [rep: Antares 5; also OA 2001-Capt. Sulu] Evil "Q'xl%" (pronounced Kicksulpop) shows up every 30 years to slurp up 5 insignificant lives. It happens to take them from a landing party of the Shenandoah, commanded by Kirk and his second Gary Mitchell, with Sulu present. It is unaffected by laser weapons. Sulu is sent back 30 years later to try again. A nice touch here is that we don't know if Sulu has managed or not - he does lose his 5 crew, though. Interesting contrasts of Sulu's command crew and Kirk's - Sulu's does not come together like that of Enterprise.
  • Boy Scout / [rep; novel] Nice job on the background of Kirk & Carol Marcus. After a disastrous tour on the Pegasus, in which Lt. Commander Kirk became a hero by getting everyone home after the entire bridge crew was wiped out, Kirk is being pushed into early promotion and captaincy of the Enterprise. He wavers, wanting to take a ground assignment to have Carol and David back in his life, and slowly wins over David. Things go awry when Kirk accompanies David on an introductory boy-scout camping trip that goes all wrong. Though he's the hero again, and discovers that command comes naturally to him, Carol is unwilling to ever face that kind of worry again. Very nice set-up for the movies. [1]

Orion Archives: 2229-2265 The Beginnings 2

cover of issue #2

Orion Archives: 2229-2265 The Beginnings 2 contains 286 pages and artwork by Gamin Davis, Don Harden, Bobbie Hawkins, Joseph Melvin, Christine M. Myers, Bonnie Reitz, and Gennie Summers. It was published 2007.

  • Reminiscing by Selek (A look at the first meeting between Sarek and Amanda.)
  • The Logical Choice by Elise (After receiving a message from Skon and T’Pau directing him to select a new wife, Sarek reviews the candidates they’ve selected for him and comes to his own logical choice.)
  • It Isn’t Logical by Elise (Sarek breaks the news to Amanda about the decision he’s made, but he doesn’t quite get the reaction he expected!)
  • A Family Holiday Surprise by Selek, Saidicam and T’Lea (Christmastime on Earth for Spock and his father as they visit Amanda’s parents.)
  • By the Back Door by Jim Ausfal (A look at how Montgomery Scott came to be the chief engineer of the fabled starship Enterprise, and at a very special instructor who helped him realize his goals...)
  • First Contact 101 by D.G. Littleford (Cadet James T. Kirk has a lot to learn at the Academy, including more about himself than he ever expected. Meanwhile, Cadet Spock finds acceptance by his fellow cadets a challenging task. An excellent look at the beginnings of their friendship.)
  • Adventures in Iowa by D.G. Littleford (Cadets Jim Kirk and Spock spend a memorable time in the Spring of 2252 during their Easter Liberty Weekend with they visit Majorie Kirk’s farmhouse...)
  • It’s Not Fair by biotech, Lisa Evans and Rob Morris (Janice Lester’s painful departure from Starfleet Academy, as seen through her eyes and those of her friends...)
  • Twixt and Tween by Rob Morris (Gary Mitchell tries to spare Jim Kirk a painful separating of ways.)
  • Command Potential by Donna S. Frelick (Set aboard the U.S.S. Farragut, under the command of Captain Garrovick, Lieutenant James T. Kirk finds himself finally in charge of a landing party mission to a mining planet’s surface. Unfortunately, things don’t go as smoothly as his captain thought it would.)
  • Helmsman by Rick Endres (Following the death of his friend, Captain Kirk must find someone to fill some pretty big shoes.)
  • The Beginning by Mary Rottler & Lynn Syck (This story bridges from "The Beginnings" timeframe to the start of the "First Mission" timeframe. Doctor Leonard McCoy joins the beleaguered crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise following its shakedown cruise to the edge of the galaxy.)

Orion Archives: 2251-2264 Pike's Enterprise 1

cover of issue #3

Orion Archives: 2251-2264 The Beginnings 3 contains 292 pages and artwork by Rick Endres. It has the subtitle, "Pike's Enterprise 1.

These stories either feature the Star Trek characters featured in The Cage (such as Captain Christopher Pike, Number One, Lieutenant Spock and Doctor Phillip Boyce) during their tour of duty on the Enterprise.

  • Incident on Xantharus by Rick Endres ("Incident on Xantharus" is set a few months after "The Cage." The Hood has been attacked, its crew killed except for the one woman who knows the whereabouts of the plans for the secret weapon the Hood was transporting. It’s up to Captain Pike and his crew to retrieve the plans or destroy them. This is a violent tale which depicts the open savagery of the Orions and the subtle savagery of some Humans in the Federation.)
  • Remember the Hood by Rick Endres and Elizabeth Knauel ("Remember the Hood" is a violent story of revenge as someone is killing all those responsible for the deaths above Xantharus IV. The murders are gruesome and all bear witness to the phrase "Remember the Hood.")
  • Drink Deeply by Elizabeth Knauel and Rick Endres (An extremely sexual vampire comes aboard Captain Pike’s Enterprise, wreaking havoc among the crew. CAUTION: This collection contains sexual situations, rape, torture, and extreme violence. It is not for the weak-hearted or for children. Let the buyer beware that this is a dark view of the Star Trek universe, one that can be very disturbing to the uninitiated. If you have any doubts, consider this collection as rated X -- for adults only.)

Orion Archives: 2166-2170 Studying the Field

cover of issue #4, Randall Landers

Orion Archives: 2229-2265 The Beginnings 4 contains 106 pages and a novel called "Studying the Field" (also called "Orion Archives: 2166-2170" by Orion Press. It is an excellent speculative fiction look at how these breakthroughs are in fact well grounded in science and engineering. Note: Though set in the Star Trek universe, this story does not feature any of the Star Trek characters.

A novel by Jim Ausfahl. There are several things that are accepted without question in the Star Trek universe that the series never really explains: dilithium crystals, for instance, or trititanium, or the apparently limitless supply of antimatter that seems to power the 23rd century. Although Studying the Field is not primarily a story about explaining these things, the development of the plot line provides an explanation of that and more. The story itself is about the interaction of two childhood friends who find each other at graduate school, and the fruit of their friendship.

The Orion Archives:

Note: Though it has a different title format, Hyperion 2296-2323 may also fit into this series

References

  1. ^ Halliday’s Star Trek Zinedex (TOS) - Title Index, Archived version
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