▁had ▁not ▁yet ▁joined ▁the ▁cast ), ▁and ▁thus ▁Khan ' s ▁recogn izing ▁Che kov ▁on ▁Cet i ▁Al pha ▁did ▁not ▁make ▁sense . ▁Non - can on ▁Star ▁Tre k ▁books ▁have ▁attempted ▁to ▁rational ize ▁this ▁dis cre p ancy ; ▁in ▁the ▁film ' s ▁novel ization ▁by ▁V onda ▁N . ▁Mc Int y re , ▁Che kov ▁is ▁" an ▁en sign ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁night ▁watch " ▁during ▁" Space ▁Se ed " ▁and ▁met ▁Khan ▁in ▁an ▁off - screen ▁scene . ▁The ▁novel ▁To ▁Re ign ▁in ▁Hell : ▁The ▁Ex ile ▁of ▁Khan ▁No on ien ▁Singh ▁fixes ▁the ▁error ▁by ▁having ▁Che kov ▁esc ort ▁Khan ▁to ▁the ▁surface ▁of ▁Cet i ▁Al pha ▁after ▁the ▁events ▁of ▁the ▁television ▁episode . ▁The ▁real ▁cause ▁of ▁the ▁error ▁was ▁a ▁simple ▁o vers ight ▁by ▁the ▁film m akers . ▁Meyer ▁def ended ▁the ▁mistake ▁by ▁not ing ▁that ▁Arthur ▁Con an ▁Do yle ▁made ▁similar ▁o vers ights ▁in ▁his ▁Sher lock ▁Hol mes ▁stories . ▁Although ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁appear ▁in ▁the ▁episode ▁together , ▁the ▁Star ▁Tre k ▁tim eline ▁indicates ▁that ▁Che kov ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁crew ▁at ▁that ▁time . ▁Che kov ' s ▁sc ream ing ▁while ▁being ▁inf ested ▁by ▁the ▁Cet i ▁e el ▁caused ▁Ko enig ▁to ▁j ok ingly ▁dub ▁the ▁film ▁Star ▁Tre k ▁II : ▁Che kov ▁S cre ams ▁Again , ▁in ▁reference ▁to ▁a ▁similar