The
crew of Voyager encounter an advanced and scientific
race who have made great strides in the realm of nanotechnology.
Known as the Chiar, these people have expanded internally rather
than externally. Every inch of their planet is crawling with
the tiniest bits and pieces of artificial intelligence imaginable,
working in concert as the lifeblood of this mechanical world.
The people themselves are inseparable from their nanites, which
layer their skin and provide extra limbs or senses as required.
They seem like a friendly race, so why is it that Janeway can't
help but think there is something the Chiar are hiding?...
The
Nanotech War is a rather slow novel and takes some time
to get going. However, that is not to say that this is not
an enjoyable story. The slow build is necessary in order to
set the events that unfold in motion. While at its centre
this book is not original that does not detract from the fact
that this is a well written spin on a well worn format.
The
story revolves around Seven of Nine and Tom Paris as they
are stranded(?) on the Chiar homeworld with no obvious means
of communicating with Voyager. Separated, both must
try to find ways to communicate with their ship before they
are given up as lost.
It
also brings up some interesting points about the Prime Directive
(which Janeway seemed to conveniently forget about from time
to time in the TV series). Here Janeway must decide how to
act towards an alien race that has only just managed to gain
warp capability - even though it was for a split second. Also,
should she really meddle with the planet's internal affairs?
Even when, compared to Starfleet's guidelines, they seem to
be badly managing their race's structure. A lot of comparisons
can be, and subtly are, between the Chiar and 20th Century
humans - both wishing to travel to other planets as they have
already destroyed their own ecology.
The
holodeck scenes see Seven changing into a small child in order
to interact with other children in a playground environment.
A little predictably the lessons she learns here (including
how to deal with the playground bully) are woven into the
real life events that Seven encounters on the Chiar homeworld.
An
above average novel for a show that was very hit and miss.
This story was more enjoyable, and believable, than many of
the TV series episodes.
Nick
Smithson
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