Retrospect (comic)

For other uses, see Retrospect.

Scotty's true love.

Summary[]

2286[]

Doctor McCoy interrupts a fencing practice between James T. Kirk and Hikaru Sulu, nearly getting struck in the head when the foil flies out of Kirk's hand. McCoy tells them he's worried about Scotty, who hasn't been himself since picking up a package on Space Station K-12. Kirk and McCoy go to Scotty's quarters and find a drunken chief engineer clutching half of a pendant in the shape of a broken heart. Scotty tells them he has received word of a death in the family: his wife's. Kirk, shocked because he never knew Scotty was married, asks when they married and when Scotty's wife died.

Scotty opens a box containing a medal with a cluster of ribbons, an Enterprise pin, and a holophoto of his wife, Glynnis Campbell, as a young woman. He places both halves of the broken heart pendant inside, telling Kirk and McCoy that he and Glynnis were married about five years before the Enterprise's second encounter with Khan, and that Glynnis died in a shuttlecraft accident while Kirk's senior staff was in exile on Vulcan.

Kirk remembers meeting Glynnis fifteen years earlier on a visit to Beta Nirobi II. Scotty says Glynnis left everything to her sister except for the pendant. Scotty lies down, and Kirk and McCoy leave him alone with his thoughts. Weeping, Scotty gets up and opens the box again. Holding the halves of the pendant together, he thinks, "Ah'll love ye ferever, Glynnis Campbell. Ferever."

Stardate 8140.1[]

Scotty and his wife Glynnis attend the funeral of his nephew Peter Preston, along with Saavik, Scotty's sister Fran and his niece Dannan Stuart. Fran slaps Scotty, angrily reminding him that he promised to look after her son. Glynnis comforts Fran, saying that everyone dies eventually and that Peter will be remembered as a brave young man who brought honor to his family. Dannan tells Scotty that she will review the log tapes of her brother's death on her return to Starfleet Academy, and that if he failed to do something that could have saved Peter, "God help you." Saavik reassures Scotty that he did everything he could, but Scotty says he will never believe that. He tells Glynnis that he would have given up his reputation as a "miracle worker" to be able to perform an actual miracle and bring Peter back to life.

Some time later, Scotty and Glynnis are in their high-rise apartment, Scotty staring distractedly out the window. Glynnis reminds him that their five-year marriage contract is due for renewal in three months, and suggests they might sign a ten-year contract this time, but Scotty is too wrapped up in his own thoughts to respond. Glynnis realizes that Scotty is leaving again. Scotty tells her that something is wrong with McCoy, that Kirk thinks they need to return to the Genesis Planet, and that they plan to "borrow" the Enterprise to do so. Glynnis is concerned by the risk involved, and announces she will not be there when Scotty returns. She does not blame him, but reminds him that they have had this conversation before and that his mind is always in space even when he's with her. She says she will return to Glasgow. Scotty puts on slow music for one last dance with her.

2271[]

Scotty returns home for a visit to his sister Fran and her children Dannan and Peter as the Enterprise undergoes its full redesign and refit. After Dannan and Peter leave the room, Fran expresses concern about Peter entering Starfleet. Scotty promises to take care of him. Fran tells Scotty that Glynnis is back in Glasgow, her husband, Angus McFarlane, having left her.

Scotty finds Glynnis painting a landscape. She asks him not to say "I told you so" about Angus, who left her for someone half his age. Scotty reminds her that he was Angus' best friend, and thus knew how rotten he could be. Scotty proposes marriage to Glynnis. She declines, not only because she cannot join him in his life but also because she has not yet recovered from the end of her marriage. However, she asks him to repeat his proposal after his next five-year mission, also suggesting that he grow his mustache back.

Stardate 3471.4[]

Captain's log, stardate 3471.4 : We are in orbit around Beta Nirobi II, an agricultural colony with which the Federation has lost contact. Starfleet is understandably nervous, particularly after the difficulty with those spores on Omicron Ceti II.

Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Scotty beam down to the colony, which has been out of contact due to a failed transmitter which Scotty repairs. Scotty is surprised to see Glynnis at the colony and kisses her passionately, but is immediately engaged in an epic fistfight by Angus McFarlane. Scotty has Angus on the ground when Glynnis interrupts with the revelation that Angus is her husband. As Scotty walks away, Kirk apologizes for him to a colony official, Mr. Weiss, saying Scotty hasn't been the same since being struck by Apollo's lightning.

Later, Kirk finds Scotty, who tells him that he hadn't seen Glynnis for twenty years but always assumed she would wait for him. Their conversation is interrupted by the sound of Glynnis screaming and moaning inside her house. Thinking Angus is beating her, Scotty kicks the door in only to discover that she and Angus are making love. Angus declares that Glynnis never thinks of Scotty any more -- but she is wearing half of the broken-heart pendant...

2240s[]

Two months before Scott's birthday, his girlfriend Glynnis has her holophoto taken as an early birthday gift. After two months away on a freighter, Scott is looking forward to spending some time with Glynnis. However, he receives a message from Admiral Henri Picard informing him of his acceptance into Starfleet Training School. He must report to San Francisco within 72 hours. Glynnis weeps as she realizes Scott is leaving her again. Scott encourages her to join Starfleet with him, but she knows that is impossible; she would go mad spending years on a spaceship. Scott offers to stay with her, but Glynnis knows he would be miserable Earthbound. They decide to enjoy their last few days together.

2237[]

The fifteen-year-old Scott is disappointed to learn that a girl named Dorrie is accompanying his friend Angus rather than himself to the county fair. Angus suggests that Scott instead take Glynnis Campbell, who is only thirteen. Scott reluctantly escorts her to the fair, where they win a dancing prize together. Afterwards Glynnis gives him half of her broken-heart pendant, keeping the other half.

2229[]

Five-year-old Glynnis Campbell is riding her scooter when she is frightened by Angus McFarlane and two other boys, who rush toward her, yelling. Seven-year-old Montgomery Scott appears and demands that Angus give her scooter back. Montgomery fights with Angus and his friends. The other two boys have Montgomery on the ground when Glynnis enters the fray; Angus and his friends leave. Glynnis and Montgomery introduce themselves to each other for the first time. As Montgomery walks away, Glynnis clutches the broken-heart pendant she wears around her neck, whispering, "Ah'll love ye ferever, Montgomery Scott. Ferever."

References[]

Science and classification[]

camera • engine • holophoto • transmitter • transwarp drive

Ranks and titles[]

admiral • artist • captain • chief engineer • doctor • officer • wizard

Other references[]

1881 • A Tale of Two Cities • agriculture • apartment • army • assignment patch • bagpipes • bird • birthday • boxing • bridge • captain's log, USS Enterprise, 2267 • chicken • colony • credit • crew • dancing • day • decade • Douglas Scotch • engineering • epée • exile • Federation Starfleet ranks (2260s) • fencing • fire • five-year mission • grass • gymnasium • Hamlet • heart • hornpipe • hour • jewelry • kilt • knight • lightning • liquid • log • marriage • marriage contract • metal • month • music • Othello • pommel horse • quarters • refit • rose • sandpaper • Scotch whisky • shore leave • space station • Starfleet uniform • Starfleet uniform (2265-2270) • Starfleet uniform (early 2270s) • Starfleet uniform (2278-2350s) • sun • tree • trophy • whisky • year

Appendices[]

Background[]

Kirk jokingly quotes his "Risk is our business" comment from TOS episode: "Return to Tomorrow".
After Glynnis' death Scotty thinks, "Carolyn, Mira, all the others... just pale copies of ye," referring to Carolyn Palamas (TOS episode: "Who Mourns for Adonais?") and Mira Romaine (TOS episode: "The Lights of Zetar").
"Omicron Ceti II" is presumably a mistake for "Omicron Ceti III", where a "difficulty with... spores" occurred in TOS episode: "This Side of Paradise".
Scotty's niece Dannan is referred to as "Danna" at one point.
The references to the nature of Glynnis and Scotty's marriage contract tie in with information given in TOS novelization: The Motion Picture, by Gene Roddenberry.
Among various books in Glynnis and Scott's 2240s apartment is one entitled Star TreX.
There appears to be a visual continuity error in the depiction of Glynnis and Scott's dancing trophy. In one panel of the 2237 segment its base is in the shape of a harp, which is not the case on any of its other appearances.
In the story's final panel Glynnis' broken-heart pendant is colored red rather than gold. This is corrected in the recolored version of the story in The Best of Star Trek.
Glynnis has blonde hair on the comic's cover, but is a redhead in the actual story.

Images[]

Connections[]

Timeline[]

published order
Previous comic: #2: The Final Voyage	Star Trek: The Original Series (DC Comics, Series One Annuals)	Next comic: last issue
Previous story: Finnegan's Wake!	Stories by: Peter David	Next story: The Return!
chronological order
Previous adventure: Choices!	Memory Beta Chronology	Next adventure: When You Wish Upon a Star...!
The above chronology placements are based on the primary placement in 2286. The Memory Beta Chronology places events from this story in 6 other timeframe(s):
Previous adventure: Sarek	2229	Next adventure: Burning Dreams Chapters 4 & 5
Previous adventure: Child of Two Worlds Prologue	2237	Next adventure: When Worlds Collide: Spock Confronts the Ultimate Challenge Pages 1-2
Previous adventure: not yet placed	2240s	Next adventure: not yet placed
Previous adventure: The Mimicking Menace	2267	Next adventure: The Menace of the Mechanitrons Waypoint
Previous adventure: The Star to Every Wandering Crucible Chapter 5, Section 2; Chapter 6, Section 1; Chapter 7, Section 1; Chapter 9, Section 1	2271	Next adventure: Forgotten History Department of Temporal Investigations Chapter 6, Sections 1 and 2
Previous adventure: Blood Fever Saavik's Story	2285	Next adventure: The Search for Spock

External link[]

Retrospect (comic) article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.

Memory Beta, non-canon Star Trek Wiki