This volume is mostly flashbacks to the early history of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers, featuring 3 stories from Scotty's past interactions with them. The first segment takes place just before Scotty reports to his assignment on the Enterprise. The second and third tie into TOS episodes as the COE and Scotty are called on to keep the Landru computer shut down and to help the Kelvans with their warp drive research. The connected stories make this more a complete stand-alone book than the other collections so far. ( )

This book is a combination of three separately released ebooks that are in the Starfleet S.C.E. series. I'm not sure if the stories were just smushed together as is without any editing, or if there was a great deal done to make the three work well together as one whole story. If all three are collected as is, then these were probably three separately annoying stories. If "stuff" was done to make the stories work as one, and read as such, then they did a great job.

Hmms. That's wordy. Let me try again. This was three short stories. They have been merged into one book. The book reads as one complete work instead of three separate works that have been packaged in the same container.

Most of the story involves Scotty back long ago in Star Trek history. The first story of his took place shortly before he joined Enterprise. The second and third occur several years later. Intermixed in with his stories is a "contemporary" S.C.E. mission (contemporary to the rest of the S.C.E. universe).

The S.C.E. mission involves coming across a space ship traveling really really fast and out of control. The engineers help the runaway ship. As is, it is an interesting enough story but . . . lacking. If the S.C.E. parts were pushed together and presented by itself, I'd probably have another 2 star Ward book on my hands. There were interesting bits, don't get me wrong, but . . . kind of boring.

The Scotty parts involved Scotty helping an earlier version of S.C.E. An earlier corps of engineers. Which may or may not have been called Corps of Engineers. The first story involves him and a team from this earlier corps attempting to help an asteroid that has a runaway fusion engine. Actually a pretty exciting story. Running against time, trying to save the day. This particular part connected to the overarching S.C.E. story line through ion storms. The asteroid was damaged by an ion storm. The ship the S.C.E. team is trying to help was damaged by an ion storm.

The second Scotty story involves being on a particular planet helping the inhabitants adjust to thinking and making decisions by themselves, after having the all controlling computer removed from the system. An aftermath story to the television episode wherein Kirk talked the Landru computer to turn itself off. While Scotty and one of the people from the first Scotty story attempt to "fix" things so that the people on the planet can better function without Landru, Landru itself tries to turn itself back on. Instant chaos thus created.

The third story involves an engineering trial for a new type of warp engine. That goes haywire and flings the spaceship far into uncharted territory. Meeting aliens who do not like intruders.

All three of the Scotty stories are quite good. The S.C.E. overarching story less so. I don't know, but I don't think I actually like any of the S.C.E. people, at least not when Ward is writing them. ( )