Recurrent Themes – Intentional Time Travelers
Intentional time travelers inform a lot of my fan fiction.
Background
Of course, time travel is canon in Star Trek. And by the time of Daniels, it’s not only semi-routine, it’s even got a department devoted to it. This is first called the Department of Temporal Investigations, but it settles into, eventually, the Temporal Integrity Commission, which is what I call it for my 31st and 32nd century characters.
With the Times of the HG Wells series of eight stories, plus a few extras thrown in, I’ve got thousands of words written about time travel, both voluntary and involuntary.
But this post will just be about people who travel in time because they want to, and they mean to, rather than are pulled there unwittingly, or against their will.
Appearances
While there are other time travelers in this series of stories, these are the main ones seen.
HD (Henry Desmond) Avery
A music and arts specialist is particularly helpful during various side missions that have to do with music, but he’s being separated from the other time travelers in order to keep him from talking about what he’s seen during A Long, Long Time Ago.
Daniel Beauchaine
The turncoat traveler is a survivalist and is most helpful during the events depicted in Where the Wind Comes Sweepin’ Down the Plain.
Sheilagh Bernstein
The computers specialist works best during Shake Your Body. Her romance is shown in Happy Stuff 3111.
Branch Borodin
This colony being from the Triangulum Galaxy is mainly seen during He Stays a Stranger.
Carmen Calavicci
The admiral is in charge of the human unit and works hard to protect her own. During First Born, she goes to bat for Daniels so that his temporally paradoxical son, Jun Daniels Sato, can live.
Marisol Castillo
This psychopath traveler shows her true colors during You Mixed-Up Siciliano.
Levi Cavendish
Levi, a junior engineer, is the inventor of the older time travel technology. Also, he has multiple issues with ADHD and higher functioning autism.
Milena Chelenska
This refugee from 1969 is first seen in Spring Thaw.
Otra D’Angelo
Most noteworthy, this half-Witannen agent can see temporal alternatives. Her childhood is briefly shown in Desperation.
Richard Daniels
The only canon character in the group, this melancholy agent beds women in time. He does this in order to assuage his grief, tamp down his guilt and mask his loneliness. In November 13th, he meets Lucretia Crossman. Then in Marvels, he meets Irene of Castile. In Souvenirs, he remembers them, and others, and Milena Chelenska.
Also, in Temper, and in Fortune, it’s established that he is at least a descendant of Lili and Malcolm, but he’s apparently also at least a descendant of Chip and Deb, as his mother’s maiden name is Masterson.
Thomas Grant
This weapons and combat specialist romances Eleanor Daniels.
Deirdre Katzman
This junior engineer names all of the time ships after old time travel fiction.
Kevin O’Connor
During Ohio, this Chief Engineer leads a training mission to the start of World War III. He courts his wife during The Honky Tonk Angel, and cares for her when she is deathly ill, in Candy.
Anthony Parker
This henchman for the enemy is killed at the end of Ohio.
Polly Porter
During The Point is Probably Moot, this psychology specialist is hit on by Saddam Hussein.
Crystal Sherwood
The Quartermaster rarely travels – although I always seem to bring Crystal along for round robin stories.
Alice Trent
This manners and protocols specialist is only hired during an alternate timeline in The Point is Probably Moot.
Helen Walker
This enemy agent’s death is faked during A Long, Long Time Ago.
Boris Yarin
The department’s doctor rarely travels, mainly because he’s a hybrid of human, Klingon and Xindi sloth. Boris is also having an affair with Marisol.
Yilta
This engineer for the Calafan unit is romanced by Kevin O’Connor after his wife’s death.
Upshot
Time travel, to my mind, can sometimes require rather specialized knowledge, beyond even engineering and the use of weapons. A balanced, diverse and admittedly quirky team has done the job here, and they have done it with flair. Intentional time travelers will be back.
