title: Foundations (Star Trek: Starfleet Corp of Engineers)
author: Kevin Dilmore
description: <i>Trek Nation</i> A perfect opportunity to be introduced to a wonderful set of characters that fulfill a distinctive role and provide a fresh and unusual perspective on the Star Trek universe. -- <i>Review</i>
zlib_text: # The Future Begins
  
  
  ### What’s Past — Book Two
  
  
  ### Star Trek: S.C.E. — No. 62
  
  
  ### Steve Mollmann & Michael Schuster
  
  
  # Dedication
  
  
  Dedicated to the memory of James Montgomery Doohan.
  
  
  # Prologue
  
  
  ### Stardate 53509.4
  
  
  ### May 2376, Old Earth Time
  
  
  Geordi La Forge materialized right in front of the Tucker Memorial Building,
  the beam having been ably targeted by Enterprise’s Vulcan transporter chief.
  The Tucker Building, adjacent to Starfleet Medical Headquarters, housed the
  Earth-based facilities of the Corps of Engineers. Those consisted of several
  offices, of course, and numerous labs where Starfleet’s best engineers
  analyzed alien technologies, developed new ones of their own, and fixed
  anything that came their way.
  
  
  Basically, it was a building full of very skilled tinkerers.
  
  
  La Forge quickly stepped up the flight of stairs leading to the building’s
  front doors, which automatically swished open to admit him. The lobby of the
  building was dominated by a massive replica