Interphases series

10
May
2016

Portrait of a Character – Victoria Dietrich

Portrait of a Character – Victoria Dietrich

Victoria Dietrich serves several purposes.

Origins

During the E2 timeline, I wanted to showcase a bad marriage, where the husband would be cuckolded and it would not be discovered until the birth of what he thinks would be his child. But instead, the child would be of a different race. At the same time, I also needed a teacher character to handle the children. And so Victoria was born.

Portrayal

Portrait of a Character – Victoria Dietrich

Rooney Mara as Victoria Dietrich (image is for educational purposes only)

Vicki is played by actress Rooney Mara.

I like a chameleon-like actress, and Mara certainly fits the bill.

Personality

A bit gossipy and maybe a little haughty, Vicki seems like a standard crew member. Until she gets caught up in the drama of the Slaters’ divorce.

Relationships

Walter Woods

During The Three of Us, they start going out. All seems well, until Mara Brodsky’s baby is found out to be Walter’s and not her husband, Robert Slater’s. Humiliated, Vicki kicks Walter out.

Robert Slater

After the divorce, the two of them find mutual comfort, although the captain warns them against rebound relationships. In Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, Robert and Vicki get together and she bypasses Walter in her affections completely. They both lose their lives in an Insectoid-Imvari raid on the ship.

Mirror Universe

There are no impediments to Victoria existing in the Mirror.

Portrait of a Character – Victoria Dietrich

Rooney Mara as Mirror Victoria (image is for educational purposes only)

However, with Empress Hoshi having Aidan hire Susan, there is no need for Vicki for teaching. Hence she would remain in Tactical, most likely, and might not be plain or competent enough for Hoshi to not consider her a threat and/or want her around. Perhaps she would serve on a different ship entirely.

Quote

“But it was possible. And you just figured you wouldn’t tell me that you had slept with a married woman?”

Upshot

I think this character could be rather striking in the Mirror. Perhaps I’ll revisit her, and write that someday.

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, Interphases series, Portrait, 0 comments
03
May
2016

Portrait of a Character – Rex Ryan

Portrait of a Character – Rex Ryan

Rex Ryan plays the guitar.

Origins

The character is canon, although he did not have a first name. I’m not even so sure this was a speaking part. I named the character, as yet another reference to actor Steven Culp, after the Desperate Housewives character he played, Rex Van de Camp. Rex is not named after the coach of the New York Jets.

Portrayal

Portrait of a Character – Rex Ryan

Jason Collins as R. Ryan (Rex Ryan) (image is for educational purposes)

As in canon, Rex is played by actor Jason Collins. I do not know too much about the actor. It appears that he has gotten some work since the show went off the air. Good for him.

Personality

Shy and reserved, Rex is not the kind of guy who will ever be a leader or really promoted, although I can see him as getting commendations. I don’t send him on the failed missions, either.

Relationships

Meredith Porter

As The Three of Us opens, Rex is one of the men who, it seems, is going to be left out of the gene pool. But he gets an idea, and hauls out his guitar, once he learns that Meredith can sing.  She is older than him, but that doesn’t matter. They also marry during Everybody Knows This is Nowhere.

Do they get together outside of the kicks back in time? It is certainly possible, as they look at each other during the reception at the end of Everybody Knows. I like to think that, just as with Frank and Dave, the strange experience gives them the kind of mental permission they need to go ahead.

Theme Music

Rex’s first number with Meredith is Woody Guthrie’s This Land is Your Land.

Mirror Universe

While the character does not appear in the canon Mirror Universe episodes, there is no reason why he can’t exist there.

Portrait of a Character – Rex Ryan

Jason Collins as Mirror (sort of) Rex (image is for educational purposes)

There is even the possibility that he could get together with Meredith. After all, Empress Hoshi doesn’t like competition from the female members of her crew, but she might be all right with the older engineer, and might not see Porter as a threat.

Quote

“Look, I’m gonna bring my guitar to the Observation Lounge every day this week. And you can listen or sing along or just give me the stink eye, whatever you want. Or you can get up and leave the room. And except for you up and leaving, I figure, it’ll be a positive sign. I’ll play, and you’ll do whatever you’re gonna do. And, well, please don’t go.”

Upshot

I like the idea of a shy, reserved tough guy who gets the girl in the end. I think Meredith and Rex will both be back at some point.

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, In Between Days series, Interphases series, Portrait, 0 comments
26
Apr
2016

Portrait of a Character – Linda Orenstein Shapiro

Portrait of a Character – Linda Orenstein Shapiro

Linda Orenstein Shapiro shows up in two rather different stories.

Origins

As I wrote The Light, I wanted Ethan Shapiro to contact his mother as a part of discussing his Aunt Rachel’s death. Rachel is also Linda’s aunt. Linda is named after two of my aunts.

Portrayal

Portrait of a Character – Linda Orenstein Shapiro

Valerie Harper as Linda Orenstein Shapiro

Linda is played by actress Valerie Harper. I like the idea of a semi-wisecracking woman in this role. She is a fairly clichéd role, so to my mind that makes some sense.

Funny, though, the actress is actually not Jewish. But I still see her in the role.

Personality

A bit of a worrier, and deeply religious, Linda is seen only twice. Once is in the context of Rachel’s death. The other time is in a fevered coma dream during Entanglements.  Ethan asks if he will ever fall in love. Linda responds, “I think that will happen. Just be patient, Ethan. And remember – she might not look like what you think she should. But that doesn’t matter. Look with your heart, and see with your soul.”

Relationships

Linda’s only known relationship is with Ethan’s father, who I don’t believe I have ever actually named.

Mirror Universe

It is possible that Linda exists in the Mirror Universe.

Portrait of a Character – Linda Orenstein Shapiro

Valerie Harper as Mirror Linda (image is provided for educational purposes)

Ethan (at least, the Ethan who is her son) does not. But that does not preclude her own existence there.

Women in the Mirror Universe need to remain attractive longer (at least, as I write them), so she would possibly have surgery or at least be a serious user of makeup.

Quote

“It’s a shonda, so few Jews on board. Andrew; you’ll call your mother for Chanukah, right?”

Upshot

I particularly loved bringing Linda back for another round, to comfort a comatose Ethan and give him some hope for the future. In a way, much like Ian does for Lili, Linda predicts the future for Ethan, and shows him that the path might be somewhat crooked, but it will all work out in the end.

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, In Between Days series, Interphases series, Portrait, 0 comments
19
Apr
2016

Portrait of a Character – Michael Rostov

Portrait of a Character – Michael Rostov

Michael Rostov is canon but also fan fiction.

Origins

Portrait of a Character – Michael Rostov

Joseph Will as Michael Rostov, with Linda Park as Hoshi Sato (image is for educational purposes)

The character is canon, first on screen during the Vox Sola episode.

He also shows up two more times, in Two Days and Two Nights, and The Crossing. However, it’s only in Vox Sola where he is shown with J. Kelly, who calls him by his first name. So in canon, they clearly know each other well.

Portrayal

As in canon, Michael is played by actor Joseph Will. I like this big lug of a guy, who also seems to have a good sense of humor.

Personality

Kind and competent, Mike is not necessarily going to ever become a leader. But he truly loves Judy, and is a particularly good father to their daughter in the first E2 kick back in time, Valleri.

Relationships

Judy Kelly

During both kicks back in time, Michael and Judy marry. In fact, in the first iteration, they are the first to wed. So they essentially kick off the romances. Their wedding ends Reflections Down a Corridor.

Mirror Universe

So there do not seem to be any impediments to Michael existing in the Mirror Universe.

Portrait of a Character – Michael Rostov

Joseph Will as Mirror Michael Rostov

While he is not shown in the two canon MU episodes, that does not mean that he does not exist there.

Because Mirror personalities are often different, he might be less shy, and even a ruthless businessman.

Quote

“I don’t wanna just be friends. I, I know it’s early. Maybe you wanna see if you have, uh, other prospects.”

Upshot

I was glad to be able to give this canon character a little more substance. I hope I did right by him.

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, In Between Days series, Interphases series, Portrait, 0 comments
08
Apr
2016

Portrait of a Character – Karyn Archer

Portrait of a Character – Karyn Archer

Karyn Archer marries canon and fan fiction.

Origins

During the run of Star Trek: Enterprise, there is an episode where the ship meets its own descendants. It is through an odd time travel trope. E2 has led me to four books and also two kicks back in time. Karyn is in the second one, and she is seen in Everybody Knows This is Nowhere.

I decided that Karyn, who in canon is Jonathan Archer‘s descendant, would also be a descendant to Lili and José. Hence she adds the captain, in a way, to the O’Day-Reed-Hayes-Digiorno-Madden family line.

Portrayal

Portrait of a Character – Karyn Archer

Tess Lina as Karyn Archer (image is for educational purposes)

As in canon, Karyn is played by actress Tess Lina.

Personality

Friendly and generally upbeat, Karyn is a big part of why the older NX-01 holds together at all. She is vital to its existence.

Relationships

I don’t have a relationship for Karyn. People sometimes ‘ship her and Lorian, but I have him taking two separate human wives, and only having children with the first one. Karyn, unfortunately, is left out of the genetics sweepstakes.

Mirror Universe

Karyn, by definition, cannot exist in the Mirror Universe, as she is the product of a kick back in time. And in a way, I think that’s okay, because she gets a measure of goodness. Much like Dr. Hugh Culber in Star Trek Discovery, she does not have a dark side to her.

Quote

“Sir, they are going to want to know about the Xindi weapon, and why we did not stop it.”

Upshot

For a character with not a lot of screen time, Karyn is already pretty memorable. I hope I have done her some justice.

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Posted by jespah in Interphases series, Portrait, 0 comments
01
Apr
2016

Portrait of a Character – Lucas Donnelly

Portrait of a Character – Lucas Donnelly

Lucas Donnelly is an LGBTQ character.

Origins

I wanted Doug‘s first kill in the Mirror Universe to be kind of a lark, just to see if he could do it. Then, later, when I was writing more diverse characters, I wanted another gay male character. Enter Luke.

Portrayal

Portrait of a Character – Lucas Donnelly

Eric Stoltz as Lucas Donnelly (image is for educational purposes only)

Luke is played by actor Eric Stolz. I really love how he has science fiction chops – he had a recurring role on Caprica.

I like this actor, who seemed effortlessly handsome when younger, and now looks like he’s got a few miles on him. That’s okay; that’s reality.

Personality

Aloof, a little bored, and also overly artistic, Luke considers making a play for Dave Constantine, in A Perfect Note. But he is discouraged when he learns that Constantine is going to Movie Night with Preston Jennings. But he writes his poem to Dave anyway, although he never sends it. Instead, he reveals to Lili that he wants to write tactical problems for cadets. He ends up sending his poem and a letter to a friend of his, a guy named Kobayashi Maru.

Relationships

Preston Jennings

During the E2 kick backs in time, they end up together. The situation is not the best for either of them. In fact, prior to that, Preston had been approached by Diana as a kind of beard, and Ingrid also approached Luke. She didn’t know he was gay.

Mirror Universe

In the Mirror Universe, Luke has the dubious distinction of being Doug’s first kill.

Portrait of a Character – Lucas Donnelly

Mirror Luke (Eric Stoltz. Image is for educational purposes only)

In Fortune, Doug reveals that Luke was the Barracks Chief and also, therefore, was his superior officer. In a fit of rage, and in order to move up in rank, Doug strangles the man with his bare hands, only to find that being in charge of the barracks was not all it had been cracked up to be.

Quote

“Yanno, I just want a damned perfect note. Something that, that takes care of everything. And if I couldn’t get one, dammit, I wanted to at least send one.”

Upshot

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, In Between Days series, Interphases series, Portrait, 1 comment
18
Mar
2016

Portrait of a Character – Walter Woods

Portrait of a Character – Walter Woods

Origins

As I was writing the E2 stories, one thing I wanted to have happen was for some of the relationships to not work out. One, in particular, would be a cuckolding, not found out until the birth of a child. Making matters more interesting, the child would be mixed race.

With canon character W. Woods (I gave him the first name of Walter), a rather dark-skinned man, the premise proved to be irresistible, a kind of secondary ‘three of us’, but a far from positive one.

Portrayal

Portrait of a Character – Walter Woods

Ricky Lomax as W. Woods (image is courtesy of Memory Alpha)

As in canon, Walter is played by background actor Ricky Lomax.  I don’t believe he uttered a line in the entire series (although he was seen in the background of a lot of episodes in the series).

Personality

Lonely and caught up in the moment, but ultimately decent, Walter never means to hurt Victoria.

Relationships

Diana Jones

Before he asks out any of the other women, Walter first goes after Diana, who informs him that she is a lesbian. She points him in the direction of Vicki.

Victoria Dietrich

When Walter and Vicki are dating, in The Three of Us, he expresses his joy about their relationship. However, all is not quite right, although he technically never cheats on her. Once she hears about Mara, she kicks him to the curb and ends up with Mara’s ex, Robert Slater.

Mara Brodsky

Just before beginning to date Victoria, Walter is Mara‘s affair partner while she is married to Robert. In denial, she insists, and he agrees, that she is pregnant with Robert’s child. But once the baby is born, the jig is up.

They raise Jeffrey together, and end up together. They also have a daughter, Tanya.

Mirror Universe

Walter exists in the Mirror Universe, in canon. As is the case with every even halfway decent-looking man on the ISS Defiant, Empress Hoshi sleeps with him.

Portrait of a Character – Walter Woods

Ricky Lomax as Mirror W. Woods (image is courtesy of Memory Alpha)

But he isn’t high enough in the ranks for her to have his child.

I don’t have him challenging the status quo, and probably won’t write anything like that.

Quote

“I, I, Gods. I just got caught up. The, uh, the last time, it was less than a week before Victoria and I got together for the first time. And I, yanno, I was happy. So I just kinda swept it under the rug. And I figured, well, she couldn’t be pregnant by me. It had to be your kid. Had to!”

Upshot

This character, much like Patti Socorro, has been kicked around a lot.  I don’t see him in a leading role but I do like him as a kind of background character, much like the actor really has been.

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Posted by jespah in In Between Days series, Interphases series, Portrait, 0 comments
23
Feb
2016

Portrait of a Character – Preece Ti

Portrait of a Character – Preece Ti

Origins

For the first E2 kick back in time, in The Three of Us, Ebrona needed to have a Science Officer. I also wanted to provide a lesbian character to pair up with a preexisting lesbian character.

Portrayal

Preece Ti is ‘played’ by actress Neve Campbell.

Portrait of a Character – Preece Ti

Neve Campbell as Preece Ti (image is provided for educational purposes only)

I like this lovely actress who has aged well on screen – a good choice, I feel, for a species that dies young.

Personality

Smart and kind, Preece Ti might be a little too clever by half. By the time the storyline advances to Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, it is revealed that a powerful source of fuel and the means to capture, refine, and utilize it, were kept from Captain Archer during the first kick back in time. While he rightfully blames Ebrona for the deception, at least some of the blame should be shouldered by Preece Ti.

Relationships

Diana Jones

Preece Ti’s only known relationship is with Diana Jones, who works in Science and eventually becomes a kind of nurse. In Infinite Diversity, it’s revealed that Preece Ti isn’t really Diana’s first choice (Diana feels she is settling), but Preece Ti is definitely attracted to Diana.

Mirror Universe

Portrait of a Character – Preece Ti

Neve Campbell as Mirror Preece Ti (image is provided for educational purposes only)

There are no impediments to Preece Ti existing in the Mirror Universe. As someone who is already deceptive in our universe, she would likely kick it up several notches, and become truly ruthless.

Quote

“We do not know your dances. Are they man-woman only?”

Upshot

Like a lot of the characters in the E2 timeline, Preece Ti was glossed over at the end there. I’m not sure when I can pick her up again, but I might at some point write that Ikaaran ship’s history before encountering the NX-01.

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, Interphases series, Portrait, 1 comment
22
Jan
2016

Portrait of a Character – Lorian Tucker

Portrait of a Character – Lorian Tucker

Origins

This canon character has to be a part of any E2 timeline.

Portrayal

Portrait of a Character – Lorian Tucker

David Andrews as Lorian Tucker

As in canon, Lorian is played by actor David Andrews.

Personality

As in canon, Lorian is dutiful to a fault, and works hard to assure that the prime timeline’s Enterprise can get through and complete its mission in the Delphic Expanse.

Relationships

Jill Lattimer

Lorian marries the daughter of Mario Lattimer and Susie Money. Their daughter is Jolene Tucker. Their grandchildren are Stephanie and Steven Hodgkins. Their great-grandson is Jay Hodgkins.

Hanna Rosen

Because Vulcan hybrids live longer than humans, Lorian is widowed and remarries. He and Hanna (the daughter of Joshua Rosen and Karin Bernstein) do not have children. It is her second marriage, too.

Mirror Universe

By definition, Lorian cannot exist in the Mirror Universe.

Quote

“We were hoping to reveal some of these in a more private manner. There were some men who never wed, and died young. You were one. So were Daniel Chang, Christian Harris, Jay Hayes, Brooks Haynem and Malcolm Reed.”

Upshot

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, Interphases series, Portrait, 0 comments
19
Jan
2016

Review – Promise

Review – Promise

Promise works as, like a lot of other stories, a play on words. For that is because it means both vow and potential. It covers a meaningful moment during a kick back in time.

Background

I was asked several times, “When are you going to show Travis and Julie?” Well, here they are.

Plot

Taking place wholly within The Three of Us and the E2 timeline, the story covers the very beginning of their relationship.

Barking up the Muse Tree | jespah | Janet Gershen-Siegel | The Three of Us | Promise

The Three of Us

So Travis is ready to ask the lovely MACO out. But Julie is skeptical. She knows that being asked out is practically a marriage proposal in that generational ship. An with so many limitations, she wonders if she is compromising. Is she settling?

Well, she is, and so is he. But that is the nature of that particular beast. The timeline does not permit the picking up of too many passengers.

However, Travis is not only very good-looking, he’s also sweet.

Story Postings

Rating

The story has a K rating.

Upshot

I’m not so sure that I fully captured Julie’s reticence as well as I had liked. Travis is basically the happiest canon character on the ship, and I wanted Julie to share in his enthusiasm and optimism. But I also wanted her, at the start, to be cautious. However, I wanted her abundance of caution to spring from doubts as to who would be the best possible mate for her. They do not come from the characters’ differing races.

I do hope that fans liked what I wrote. I always hope that, but I particularly do here, as the story was written in order to satisfy an ongoing request.

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, Interphases series, Review, 0 comments