The Kobayashi Maru (novel)

Infobox Book |
name = The Kobayashi Maru
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = Kirk, Sulu, and Scotty are pictured on the novel's cover
author = Julia Ecklar
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series = Star Trek: The Original Series (Pocket Books)
genre = Science fiction novel
publisher = Pocket Books
release_date = 1 November 1989
media_type = Print (Paperback)
pages = 254 pp (paperback edition)
isbn = ISBN 0-671-65817-4 (paperback 1st edition)
preceded_by = The Cry of the Onlies
followed_by = Rules of Engagement

"The Kobayashi Maru" is a science fiction novel by Julia Ecklar, based in the Star Trek universe.

Plot introduction

While stranded in a damaged shuttlecraft, Kirk, Sulu, Chekov, and Scotty recall their Starfleet Academy Command School experiences with the simulation scenario "The Kobayashi Maru".

Explanation of the novel's title

The title is the name of the scenario, the name of the damaged freighter within the scenario, and an allusion to the situation the shuttlecraft is in.

Plot summary

When communications with the Venkatsen Research Group were lost, the U.S.S. Enterprise was sent to investigate. In a system with 47 planets, the transporter is not usable, so Kirk and crew take a shuttle to Hohweyn VII. En route, a gravitic mine damages the shuttle. Communications and navigation are not responsive, and Kirk and Sulu are injured in the blast. McCoy, in an attempt to pass time, convinces Kirk to tell his story about the "unwinnable scenario".

The training scenario itself involves a crippled fuel freighter in the Neutral Zone between the Federation and Klingon space. The starship receives a garbled distress call, which, if responded to, results in an attack by three Klingon cruisers. The opening volley causes heavy damage to the ship, and, despite any actions on the part of the cadet, the ship is destroyed. The purpose of the no-win outcome is to test the cadets' response to losing.

Kirk proceeds to tell how he reprogrammed the simulation so that the Klingon commanders recognize his name and assists Kirk in saving the freighter.

Chekov tells his story about the Kobayashi Maru and a secondary training exercise on an empty space station. Chekov completed the scenario by evacuating his crew and physically ramming the ship into the Klingon attackers. In the second exercise, Chekov is the final cadet after he "kills" all the others.

Sulu tells his story about his great-grandfather Tetsuo, and about going to Command School for the first time. The first exercise is a type of Model U.N., where Sulu is a tech level 3 planet, Menak III, and trying to gain entrance into the Federation. When Sulu finds out Tetsuo is discontinuing treatments for a life-ending illness, he refuses to speak to him. Sulu finds out about Tetsuo's death after returning from a field exercise, and when he finally takes the Kobayashi Maru test, he makes his own decision to not aid the freighter.

Scotty tells about his early years at Command School, and how his love of engineering made it difficult for him to pay attention to non-engineering subjects. Upon taking the scenario, Scotty used engineering solutions to destroy 3 waves of Klingon cruisers (3, 5, 9). Review of his performance shows that he used the Perera Field Theory to destroy the final wave, which was proven to be mathematically possible (thus acceptable to the computer), but physically impossible (as proven by a 16 year old Scotty). The resulting decision had Scotty kicked out of Command School and sent to study engineering.

The shuttle is rescued by the Enterprise after a plan to turn it into an electromagnetic black hole works, and lets Spock know where to find them.

Continuity

Many details about the scenario itself come from the film .