For other uses, see Field Trip.

   

Field Trip is a 1995 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel by John Peel. It was the sixth novel of the DS9 novel series for young adults. It depicts Professor O'Brien taking Jake, Nog and their classmates to the Gamma Quadrant.

Description[]

Survival course.

Ever since the wormhole was discovered as a shortcut to the far off Gamma Quadrant, Jake Sisko has been dying to go through it. Not only is the one-of-a-kind stable wormhole an incredible sight, but the trip through is a once-in-a-lifetime ride! Now, with a lot of urging from her students, Keiko O'Brien is leading a field trip through the wormhole to Cetus Beta, a very safe, boring planet on the other side. What could possibly go wrong?

But then a Cardassian raider shoots down their runabout! Now Jake, Nog, T'Ara, Ashley and the other students are trapped on a planet where plants rule: they move, run, eat��� and scream. With a Cardassian search party closing in, the students find the runabout is useless and their tricorders are missing. And then suddenly, Jake and his friends come face-to-face with a new enemy… one who threatens their only hope of escape!

Summary[]

Keiko O'Brien is giving her students an astronomy lesson and highlights that while the Alpha and Beta Quadrants have been explored, the Gamma Quadrant has not. However, this has all changed now that Commander Sisko has discovered the wormhole. Jake and his classmates comment that none of them have visited the Gamma Quadrant, but Keiko thinks it would not be safe.

Later, Keiko suggests to Sisko that a field trip to the Gamma Quadrant would be educational and fun and suggests the planet Cetus Beta. Sisko is initially against the idea, but Keiko points out that Cetus Beta is only populated with plant life and is near the wormhole's Gamma Quadrant terminus. Sisko agrees.

Jake's enthusiasm for the field trip is dampened when Nog reveals that his uncle Quark will not let him go. Jake is able to convince Quark that plant samples they will bring back could be used to create new medicines that Quark could profit from. Quark agrees that Nog can go.

Several days pass and the day of the field trip arrives. Joining Jake and Nog are Ashley Fontana, the Vulcan girl T'Ara, the Bajoran girls Marn Laren, Rakt Loran and Pahat Kalen and the Bajoran boys Taran Bakis, Bren Senor and Chel Boras. Keiko warns the children that while the planet is only inhabited by plants, they should take care around plants like the tingle tangler.

The children board the runabout Orinoco, plus Keiko, Molly and their pilot Lieutenant Danvers, and the ship departs DS9 and passes through the wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant. Three hours later, the Orinoco arrives at Cetus Beta. Danvers is shocked to see a Cardassian ship heading towards them. The runabout is fired on and Danvers is forced to crash it on the planet below.

References[]

Characters[]

Bren Senor • Chel Boras • Danvers • Dukat • Ashley Fontana • Kira Nerys • Lek • Marn Laren • Nog • Keiko O'Brien • Molly O'Brien • Pahat Kalen • Quark • Rakt Loran • Rom • Benjamin Sisko • Jake Sisko • Tad • T'Ara • Taran Bakis

Referenced only

Julian Bashir • Darl Tavros

Locations[]

Alpha Quadrant • Bajoran wormhole • Cetus Beta • Deep Space 9 • Gamma Quadrant • Quark's

Referenced only

40 Eridani • Andros • Bajor • Beta Quadrant • Earth • Fire Falls of Ushara • Gardens of Pure Delight • Monastery Fortress of Kai-tona • Sol • Trofar homeworld • Vulcan

Starships and vehicles[]

Cardassian raider • USS Orinoco (Danube-class runabout) • shuttle

Referenced only

USS Enterprise-D (Galaxy-class explorer)

Races and cultures[]

Bajoran • Cardassian • Ferengi • Human • Trofar • Vulcan

States and organizations[]

Bajoran Militia • Starfleet • United Federation of Planets

Science and classification[]

animal • anti-sensor dampener • botany • electronic implant • holodeck • hologram • light year • PADD • plant • sensor • subspace radio • tricorder

Occupations and titles[]

scientist • teacher

Other references[]

asylum • away team • baseball • camouflage • island • planet • Screaming Mimi • Tingle Tangler • water

Appendices[]

Related media[]

• The wormhole was discovered in "Emissary". Keiko's school was established in "A Man Alone".
• Some of the children were introduced in Prisoners of Peace.

Images[]

Cover image.

Cover art by Alan Gutierrez.

Connections[]

Timeline[]

Translations[]

1997

German : Ein Trip durch das Wurmloch. (Heyne)

External links[]

• Field Trip (novel) article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.