The Alphan Primaries

Star Trek TOS Fanfiction
Title:	The Alphan Primaries
Author(s):	Mary Louise Dodge
Date(s):	1975
Length:
Genre:	gen
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
External Links:
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The Alphan Primaries is a Star Trek: TOS story by Mary Louise Dodge.

It was published in Delta Triad #1.

Part of a Series

• DT1: The Alphan Primaries
• DT2: Companion Four
• DT3: To a Time Divided
• DT4: Bivouac
• DT5: Rigel Five
• DT5: Mission and Men
• DTSI: Autumn's Echo

Summary

A secret from McCoy's past threatens to destroy him. McCoy has been invited to attend the manhood rites of a son he has not seen since the boy was 5 days old.

Author's Comments

From the editorial in Delta Triad #1:

"...Primaries" was, I believe, written soon after ST premiered; therefore, Mary had an entirely different view of McCoy's past (different from mine, at any rate). Although Mary & I had a few 'disagreements' on the storyline, I decided (i.e, voted down 2 to 1) to let the original format stand. If nothing else, it's an interesting possibility; and is as likely as any other version of McCoy's well-concealed past. It’s a good story & well done.

Reactions and Reviews

'The Alphan Primaries' is a well-conceived story in which Kirk and McCoy go to the graduation exercises of McCoy's illegitimate son; things are NOT as they appear.

'The Alphan Primaries' is about McCoy's illegitimate (!) son, who is facing the demanding graduation testes of Alpha V, which the doctor has been invited to attend. It is well written, a good representation of an intelligent and complex human colony, and the author wisely obeys the Prime Directive... It's an excellent story....

'The Alphan Primaries' is by far, the best story in the lot. McCoy receives an invitation to attend the 'graduation' tests of a son he hasn't seen for 18 years. The tests turn out to involve much more than McCoy was led to believe, and there is a great deal of interaction between all of the characters, as the story evolves. This is very well done for a story of its length. Good characterization is shown here, but then I've always thought McCoy makes a better character study than Spock; this story doesn't help disprove the point. One of the better things I like about this story is that I couldn't second guess the ending. It ended differently than I thought it would, and what's more, the ending works nicely.

The third story, "Alpha Primaries", at first appears to be rather bland, but appearances are deceiving. After one progresses further in the story, one finds a host of sub-plots so well entwined that one can't help but be envious of Miss Dodge's writing abilities.