Algenib II was the second planet in the Algenib, or Alpha Persei system. It was first charted by Earth Starfleet starship Columbia in 2159, at which time it was observed to be a lifeless world similar to Mercury. In the late 2260s, the USS Enterprise approached within 20 light-years of Algenib II, at which time it appeared to be Class M. Enterprise Captain James T. Kirk assigned Lieutenant Thorvald Pearson, head of stellar cartography, to take a shuttle to the planet to investigate. The shuttle crashed mysteriously, forcing Kirk, along with Spock and McCoy, to beam down and retrieve the missing crewmembers. (TOS short story: "Make-Believe")