Star Trek: Section 31: Control* by David Mack (website, Twitter, Facebook)

Her Grace’s rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Genre: sci-fi

I read it as a: paperback

Source: my own collection

Length: 352 pp

Published by: Pocket Books (30 May 2017)

Section 31, the unethical and ungoverned shadow branch of the Federation, has a longer history than previously known. Dr Julian Bashir and Agent Sarina Douglas uncover a deeply held secret that has followed 31 for its entire existence, some 200 years. They realize it is their best chance to bring down the organization and hold it accountable for the multitude of sins it has committed over the years. With the help of Ozla Graniv, a brave investigative reporter, and a few select old friends, Bashir and Douglas embark on their most dangerous mission to date, determined to bring to an end the unseen agency and its mastermind, a being known only as Control.

This was everything a good Trek novel should be – action, fighting against the odds, a little romance, and plenty of fun technobabble. It’s been really nice seeing the development of Bashir and Douglas over their last few missions and this was a grand culmination of everything they’ve sought to do. I loved seeing Garak again – he’s always a favorite – as well as Data and Lal. I confess I don’t actually like Lal all that much, but she was integral to Bashir’s mission this time and she did a good job with it. I shall have to reread the Cold Equations books again now. 

The exploration of artificial intelligence, though it has been done before, was still interesting in this novel. What was really the best about it is that it digs deep into the utopia of the Federation and destroys it. This was definitely not a terribly feel-good book; it was dark and gritty and felt very real. But, it IS a Star Trek story, so it also had a kernel of hope in the end. I also love that the ending is left open to more exploration of this story line without being a cliffhanger. I don’t think this is it for Bashir. Or I certainly hope it isn’t! 

Overall, this was a fun and fast-paced read that got me through a very long flight with minimal discomfort because it sucked me right into the story. 

Favorite lines (There ARE spoilers!):

• To excise this cancer from your body politic, all you need to do is kill the body, burn it down to ash, and then resurrect and rebuild it with wiser eyes and a sadder heart.
• Beliefs are dangerous things, Julian. Once we invest in them, it can be hard to challenge them without invoking cognitive dissonance. 
• ‘Are you still with me, my dear doctor? … Are you blind to the sight of me? Deaf to the music of my voice?’ … There was naught left for Garak to do now but keep his friend safe, in a clean and well-lit place, and give him whatever time he needed to heal himself – or at least to die in peace, with his last measure of privacy intact and jealously guarded by someone who loved him. [*wibble*]