Star Trek : The Motion Picture ( novel ) The novelization of " Star Trek : The Motion Picture " is an adaptation of , written by Gene Roddenberry . The first " Star Trek " novel from Pocket Books , it was first published in paperback in . Summary . Admiral James Kirk , on a break from the Admiralty , relaxes in Africa at the world famous museum city , Alexandria . He slowly begins to receive a signal from Starfleet Command through a senceiver implant in his brain . The information plays out in his mind , of Klingon cruisers destroyed by a powerful cloud in space heading towards Earth . Meanwhile on Vulcan , Spock kneels before the Vulcan master s on Gol . He is about to achieve " kolinahr " , when a powerful consciousness touches his mind . Spock telepathically senses Kirk ' s thoughts of the attack on the Klingons . After a mind meld , the Vulcan Master T ' Sai sends Spock away without achieving " kolinahr " . Kirk contacts his associate , Vice Admiral Lori Ciana , whom he has been involved with for the two - and - a - half years since the end of the " Enterprise " mission . She informs him that Admiral Heihachiro Nogura plans to launch the " Enterprise " to intercept the cloud . Kirk goes to Starfleet headquarters and convinces Nogura to hand command of the " Enterprise " over to him . Once aboard the " Enterprise " , Kirk informs Captain Will Decker that he is assuming command . Decker is unhappy with the decision , but remains aboard as first officer . Suddenly , disaster strikes when the transporter malfunctions . Admiral Ciana and the Vulcan science officer Sonak are both killed . Later on the rec deck , Kirk briefs the crew on the cloud . Unexpectedly , the crew witnesses the destruction of Epsilon IX at the hands of that same cloud as the event occurs . After the transporter is repaired , new crew members beam aboard . Lieutenant Ilia , a Deltan and former lover of Decker , takes the navigator position . Then Leonard McCoy beams aboard , after being drafted back into service by Kirk . He resumes his position as CMO . With the crew finally together , the " Enterprise " leaves orbital dock . Once the ship ' s engages warp drive , a wormhole appears . The " Enterprise " is trapped inside , on a collision course with an asteroid . Torpedo es are fired and the asteroid is destroyed , freeing the ship . However , the warp engines are down . A shuttle docks with the " Enterprise " . The crew is shocked to find Spock has come aboard . Spock immediately gets to work on fixing the engines , and the " Enterprise " warps towards interception with the cloud . Spock reveals he has been in mental contact with the cloud and senses perfect logic . The " Enterprise " intercepts the cloud , and they are immediately scanned . The cloud returns no response to friendship messages and fires on the " Enterprise " . The force field holds and the " Enterprise " survives , however power is severely drained . The cloud fires again , but at the last second the energy bolt fades from sight . The cloud has received and understood friendship messages . The " Enterprise " enters the cloud . Sensors detect an object at the cloud ' s center . Kirk risks a scan , and the cloud responds by sending a green energy probe to the bridge . It begins scanning the computer . A security officer attempts to stop it , but the probe lashes out at him and he vanishes . Spock intervenes when it attempts to scan his console , to prevent it from learning Earth ' s defenses . The probe attacks Spock , but Ilia interferes . She too vanishes , and the probe with her . A tractor beam pulls the " Enterprise " inside the object at the center of the cloud . Once inside , the " intruder alert " alarm sounds . Inside Ilia ' s quarters , a probe identical to her in appearance is found claiming to be sent by " Vejur " to observe the carbon based units infecting " Enterprise " . She explains that " Vejur " is heading towards Earth to find the " Creator " and join with him . Kirk assigns Decker the task of learning as much information from the Ilia - probe as possible . Spock secretly leaves the ship in a spacesuit , intent on mind melding with " Vejur " . He passes through an elaborate gallery of " Vejur " s journey , seeing stars and entire planets . After finding a sensor and melding with it , Spock discovers " Vejur " s journey began at a planet of living machines , and concludes that the entire vessel is a lifeform . " Vejur " is the ship itself . " Vejur " senses Spock ' s presence , and Spock is injured during the meld . Kirk , now in a spacesuit , leaves the ship to find Spock , when the Ilia - probe reveals " Vejur " is sending Spock back to the " Enterprise " . There , Spock reveals " Vejur " has accumulated vast knowledge , but without the ability to feel that knowledge was useless , leaving " Vejur " without the answers it needs . Background information . References . Africa ; Alexandria ; ; Egyptisraeli Museum ; five - year mission ; Human s ; Klingon s ; ; mind meld ; oath of celibacy ; " perscan " device ; senceiver implant ; Starfleet ; STF 7997B ; Vulcan ( planet ) ; Vulcan s ; wormhole