Acknowledgments

During the three years that I've spent writing this novel, I have been helped profoundly the guiding hands of several people and numerous sources. In an effort to give the reader a fuller appreciation of the process, I have listed some of them here.

The Sources

I have relied heavily, of course, on the six Star Trek television incarnations and the ten films. More specifically, I have utilized the Borg episodes, ranging from "Q Who" to "Endgame". Q and Guinan episodes were also very helpful in the development of the plot, as was the two-part Spock episode "Reunification", and the various mirror/multiple universe episodes. Additionally, in the final chapter, I was inspired by the character Sonny Clemmons from the TNG episode "The Neutral Zone". As for the films, I think that "First Contact" and "Nemesis" speak for themselves as definite points of inspiration. "The Undiscovered Country" evoked the return of the character Valeris, as well as her role in the novel.

Many of the technical details in the book, written or assumed, have come from the long hours I spent as a teenager, faithfully reading "Star Trek: The Magazine". It was one of the most fantastic periodicals I have ever seen published, and it still makes me sad to think that it is gone.

I have found several internet resources very useful during the process of writing this novel. Unfortunately, I cannot list them here, as this website will not post them. Suffice to say, Wikipedia is a fantastic tool.

I have drawn a certain amount of inspiration from some of the Star Trek books, particularly the Q series by Peter David, and the Mirror Universe series by William Shatner.

The People

First and foremost, I must thank my part-time beta reader and editor, Shae. Without her, there might have been entire wormholes of plot, stewing in layers of broken jargon that I put in because I thought it was clever. Thanks, Shae.

Secondly, I'd like to thank the faithful trio of friends who have been reading this story almost since its inception: Jen, Andrew, and Melissa, thanks for the support.

Finally, I'd like to thank all of the people who have read and will read this book, and especially those who have taken the time to leave comments. You've kept the fire burning, and I appreciate that.