20
Nov
2015
Review – It Had to Be You

Review – It Had to Be You

Review – It Had to Be You

It Had to Be You!

Background

This short story comes from a prompt of the same name. It all hinged on emphasizing the last word in the sentence.

Plot

For the Original Series Mirror, Mirror episode, I always wondered why Janice Rand wasn’t in it.

Review – It Had To Be You

Marlena Moreau

Of course I know the real-life reason. It was that actress Grace Lee Whitney had lost her job with the show. But what about an in-universe reason?

Since it is canon that people in the Mirror often kill their superiors in order to get ahead, it makes sense that Marlena Moreau would do the same. This would be when it came to becoming the new Captain’s Woman. Because in a brutal society, that would work the best. It also worked as a retcon to make it so that Rand would have been the previous person to hold that position. Shatner and Whitney had great chemistry and that was another reason Whitney lost her job. Shatner (Kirk) was supposed to remain the bachelor captain. Hence I had another reason to make Rand the original Captain’s Woman.

However, the twist to the story was the addition of an investigator. I write Mirror Universe justice as being essentially nonexistent. So there had to be a compelling reason for an investigation into Rand’s death. I decided that she would have a connection to the Emperor. In my fan fiction, that man would be a descendant of the Mirror Tripp Tucker and Elizabeth Cutler.

Story Postings

Rating

The story is rated T.

Upshot

I loved putting together Moreau, Kirk, Rand, and the investigator. I should revisit this story line!

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, Hall of Mirrors, Review, 1 comment
17
Nov
2015

Portrait of a Character – Rosemary Parker

Portrait of a Character – Rosemary Parker

Rosemary Parker makes a point.

Origins

When I first got the idea of writing Crackerjack, it was not supposed to be a romance. It was to be a story for a young (I believe he was aged 12 at the time) fan. As I developed the story, though, I realized that I wanted Geordi and Wesley to have an ally on the ground. And so Rosemary Parker was born.

Portrayal

Rosemary is played by Oscar winner Halle Berry.

Portrait of a Character – Rosemary Parker

Halle Berry as Rosemary Parker

I don’t believe I have ever seen this beautiful and sharp actress in a period piece. I bet she’d be great.

Personality

Kind and friendly, but also trying to be independent within the confines of her time period, Rosemary is the sort of person who was probably dismissed by the people of her day. When her father angrily tells her to finish secretarial school and then find herself a husband with prospects, she knows he’s only looking out for her future. But she resents that all the same.

Relationships

Geordi LaForge

A big part of Crackerjack was putting them together. The talk freely and their candid conversations seem more relaxed than Geordi  ever had with a woman in canon.  Of course it is not meant to be, but they enjoy each others’ company, and he trusts her enough to show her his eyes (the story takes place pre-ocular implants).

Warren (first name uknown)

In Play, which has not yet been released as of the writing of this blog post, Geordi mentions Rosemary, and he says, “She, uh, after 1941, all I know is that there was a woman named Rosemary Parker Warren who was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1964. She gave her profession as schoolteacher.” Hence Rosemary weds. She has to – she’s an ancestor of Lakeisha Warren Crusher.

Theme Music

Crackerjack is loaded with period music, but nothing really speaks to me as a theme for Rosemary herself.

Mirror Universe

Portrait of a Character – Rosemary Parker

Halle Berry as Mirror Rosemary

There are no impediments to Rosemary existing in the Mirror Universe. But her circumstances would be far different. It’s highly unlikely that her father would be a preacher, as I write Mirror religion as being secretive. You don’t want to be indicating in any way that you’re not thinking of the Emperor or Empress 24/7.

Rosemary would be tougher and sexier and nowhere near as sweet. Would she find a man? Possibly; such a beautiful woman would not go unclaimed for long. As for whether it would be a love match or she would be treated well at all, that’s hard to say.

Quote

“I get it, it’s because we’re all individuals. Some people are kind, some are not, some are confused, some don’t know what to do, and still others are clumsy but they mean well. It takes all kinds, you know.”

Upshot

I was happy to bring her up a few brief times in the Barnstorming series. Rosemary gets arrested with Martin Luther King! But I’m not so sure I can bring her back for any other purposes. She’s a lovely character, but where can I put her?

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, Interphases series, Portrait, 2 comments
13
Nov
2015

Focus – Vulcans in Star Trek Fan Fiction

Focus on Vulcans

Vulcans are the backbone aliens of Star Trek.

Focus

A focus Barking up the Muse Tree | Janet Gershen-Siegel | jespah | Focus Magnifying Glass | Vulcans (unlike a spotlight) is an in-depth look at a Star Trek fanfiction canon item and my twist(s) on it.

Of course, all of fan fiction is like that, but the idea here is to provide a window into how a single canon concept can be used in fan fiction.

Vulcans – Background

Because the series that speaks to me the most is Enterprise, I have had to deal with Vulcans all along. The truth is that I always found T’Pol to be wooden. As for Spock in the Original Series, I have read far too much of him in fan fiction. I never got into Voyager, so my experience with writing Vulcans was limited and difficult. That is, until Eriecho and the Alternate Original Series. Thank you, JJ Abrams.

Occurrences

Aviri

Focus – Vulcans

Joanna Cassidy as Aviri (actually an image of the actress as T’Pol’s mother, T’Les, courtesy of Memory Alpha)

Lili is admitted to the Mars Culinary Institute based upon the strength of a meal prepared for Admissions Director Aviri.

Charles Tucker IV

Focus – Vulcans

Charles Tucker IV (actually an image of an infant Spock, from a deleted scene in Star Trek 2009)

In the E2 timeline, during the first kick back in time, Tripp and T’Pol have twins. Charlie becomes captain after Jonathan Archer’s death.

Eriecho

Focus – Vulcans

Mariel Hemingway as Eriecho

My favorite Vulcan, Eriecho never learned true emotional suppression while at Canamar Prison, and only tries it in a mistaken effort to please Sollastek.

Kefris

Focus – Vulcans

Kefris (this image is from the Star Trek Online wiki)

This character is named but rarely seen, and is often paired with T’Pau when I write Mirror Universe Vulcans. In the prime universe, he is T’Pol’s eventual husband.

Lorian

Canon character Lorian is seen during the second E2 kick back in time.

Focus – Vulcans

Lorian

Saddik

Barking up the Muse Tree | Jespah | Janet Gershen-Siegel | Saddik

Saddik

Eriecho’s foster/adoptive father cares for her as if she were his own.

Sarek

Spock’s father is overwhelmed by the changes wrought by Nero in the JJ Abrams timeline, but he rises to the occasion and accepts his new child.

Focus – Vulcans

Ben Cross as Sarek

Sollastek

Focus – Vulcans

Sollastek (this image is from the Star Trek Online wiki)

Eriecho’s mate is a lot younger than she is and was not a good student. Leaving class early saved his life during Nero’s attack on Vulcan. He witnessed the death of Amanda Grayson.

Soval

Focus – Vulcans

Gary Graham as Soval

When Soval is a lot older, he experiences difficulty in maintaining emotional control, as I show him in Biases.

Spock

Iconic and sometimes hard to pin down, I do better with this classic character in the JJ Abrams universe than in the prime timeline.

Focus – Vulcans

Spock

Sybok

Focus – Vulcans

Sybok

Spock’s canon half-brother is redeemed in the Eriecho universe.

T’Les Elizabeth

Focus – Vulcans

T’Les Elizabeth (this is actually an image of Elizabeth Tucker from Star Trek: Enterprise)

In the E2 timeline, during the first kick back in time, Tripp and T’Pol have twins. T’Les is Charlie’s twin.

T’Pau

Often paired with Kefris in the Mirror Universe, T’Pau is brought aboard Empress Hoshi‘s ship when she proves she is a genius in mathematics and physics.

Focus – Vulcans

Kara Zedicker as T’Pau

T’Pol

Focus – Vulcans

T’Pol

This canon character is easiest for me to write when I remove her emotional control.

Valeris

Saddik’s love interest also catches Sybok’s eye. In the JJ Abrams timeline, Valeris acts as a Pon Farr comforter, a kind of Vulcan sex worker.

Focus – Vulcans

Valeris

Others

E2 timeline

  • Jolene Tucker Hodgkins
  • T’Mir Ryan
  • Daphne Tucker

All of these characters are on the older version of the NX-01.

Freak School

  • Stellak – Rayna Montgomery’s love interest.
  • T’Bek – one of Rayna’s teachers (I’ve used this name in a few other places).
  • T’Mia – one of Rayna’s classmates.

Eriecho universe (JJ Abrams timeline)

  • T’Moona – in canon, Spock is the child of Sarek and a Vulcan princess. Her name is  the Hebrew word for picture.

Upshot

For a species that I often have difficulty writing, I’ve sure got a lot of instances. Maybe I’ll get this species right someday, without having to strip them of their emotional control.

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Posted by jespah in Eriecho series, Fan fiction, Focus, Hall of Mirrors, In Between Days series, Interphases series, Mixing It Up Collection, Times of the HG Wells series, 3 comments
10
Nov
2015
Review – That’s Not My Name

Review – That’s Not My Name

Review – That’s Not My Name

Background

This story comes from a prompt of the same name: That’s Not My Name.

Plot

I had already written the sequel to this short story, It Had to be You. Hence the idea of a story to precede it came to mind.

Barking up the Muse Tree | Jespah | Janet Gershen-Siegel | Barbara Luna as MU Marlena Moreau

Barking up the Muse Tree | Jespah | Janet Gershen-Siegel | Barbara Luna as MU Marlena Moreau

The idea I had was that the Mirror Universe Jim Kirk would not necessarily have gotten together with Marlena Moreau in a conventional way. After all, it’s the Mirror.

I had also wondered why Janice Rand wasn’t shown in the Mirror (the real reason is that the actress, Grace Lee Whitney, had left the show). For an in-universe explanation, it made a lot of sense for Marlena to be Janice’s killer. This would also work out rather nicely with my own view of the Mirror Universe, that women receive rather poor treatment. The best thing a woman would be able to do would be to latch onto a man with ambition and power, who could protect her. Yet their circumstances would horribly beat down the women. And therefore they would never consider in a million years the concept of banding together.

Hence a petticoat revolution, such as in Take Back the Night, is unthinkable.

Music

The prompt (which I wrote) comes from a Ting Tings song.

Story Postings

Rating

The story is rated T.

Upshot

So there had always been chemistry between William Shatner and Grace Lee Whitney. If Whitney had been around when the Mirror, Mirror episode had originally aired, it would not surprise me if there would have been a similar explanation about Janice.

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, Hall of Mirrors, 1 comment
06
Nov
2015

Portrait of a Character – Hamilton Roget

Portrait of a Character – Hamilton Roget

Hamilton Roget is of some interest.

Origins

While writing Take Back the Night, I was struck by an idea that would be strange for Daranaeans – where are the gay sentient marsupial canids? I decided that they would exist. Further, given the female-centric skew to their population numbers, and the male-centric skew to their positions of power, I would think that gay culture would make a great deal of sense. Females would bond as they toiled almost below decks, whereas males would bond almost like the ancient Greek intelligentsia.

Except on Daranaea, no one would ever admit to same-sex attractions and relationships, given the overwhelming pressure to reproduced.

Gay Daranaeans would all be in the closet. Enter Hamilton Roget.

Portrayal

Hamilton is played by veteran soap actor Jack Wagner.

Portrait of a Character – Hamilton Roget

Jack Wagner as Hamilton Roget

This good-looking actor seems to resemble an older David Bowie more as they both have aged.

I wanted someone good-looking but older, a kind of wise counselor to Erika Hernandez. Even more than most humans, Hamilton would be appalled at how Daranaean society is run.

Personality

Aloof but very competent, Hamilton is Erika’s First Officer. He’s got a Tactical background, and somewhat of a counterpart to Malcolm after Tripp‘s death and T’Pol‘s return to Vulcan, and Aidan while Malcolm commands the USS Bluebird. As First Officer, he and Lucy Stone run scientific scanners on Daranaea, so he’s got a bit of a scientific background as well.

Relationships

Hamilton’s partner is mentioned, but not by name. That is his only known relationship.

Mirror Universe

Portrait of a Character – Hamilton Roget

Jack Wagner as Mirror Hamilton

There are no impediments to Hamilton existing in the Mirror Universe.

Because he would not be in competition for the few women in that universe, he might be able to form decent relationships with men, even heterosexual men with whom he would have no hope of a romance.

That is, he would have, perhaps, a more cooperative life than most. He could rise in the ranks quickly and, like the MU Mark Stone, could find himself in a decent and even a relatively safe position of some power.

Quote

“But what about families where they can’t have children, or maybe they won’t? …

“Not everyone does, or can. My partner and me – if he and I wanted to become parents, we would adopt, or work with a surrogate mother. And we would love our child but, together, we can’t biologically have one. Are we worthless to you?”

Upshot

Intellect and IDIC are valued in Star Trek. Hamilton fits rather neatly into both areas. I should write him more.

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Posted by jespah in Emergence series, Fan fiction, In Between Days series, Portrait, 0 comments
03
Nov
2015

Review – Marbles

Review – Marbles

Marbles captures a quick moment. Blink and you’ll miss it. And the really funny thing about blog posts and SEO is that I need to write a blog post with just about three times as many words as the entire drabble. Hence if I am reiterating things, or seem to be repeating myself, that is exactly why. Sorry!

Background

This drabble comes from a prompt of the same name. As I have done many times before, I got inspiration from a play on words. Marbles led to, of course, the game pieces (toys? What would you call them? Playing pieces, maybe?) but also a marble cake. That got me to thinking about Lili. Furthermore, there is a third meaning – where you wonder if you are losing yours. Hence there is a rather subtle shout out to that as well. Because Charlotte Lilienne O’Day is presiding over barely structured chaos.

Plot

During The Three of Us,

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

The Three of Us

Lili – very pregnant with Madeline Suzette – bakes a marble cake for Jay‘s birthday. That version of Joss tries to help by taking the name of the cake a little too literally.

Lili’s task, of course, is to keep the steelies out of the cake so that it can remain edible.

Story Postings

Rating

The story has a K rating.

Upshot

I love giving Jay a family. As a result, this simple drabble is a bit amusing and heartwarming all at once. In addition, it fills in some blanks in his E2 life. The steely-eyed MACO commanding officer is not always all business. He has time and the inclination for love and a family as well.

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, Interphases series, Review, 0 comments
30
Oct
2015
Progress Report – October 2015

Progress Report – October 2015

Progress Report – October 2015

So October 2015 kept me going. And I needed that!

Posted Works

Barking up the Muse Tree | Janet Gershen-Siegel | jespah | Quill | October 2015First of all, on Fanfiction.net, I posted The Stranger. I then added A Lesson and began to post A Long, Long Time Ago.

In addition, on Wattpad, I began to post Fortune.

So then on the G & T Show forums, I posted Letters from Home, Throwing Rocks at Looking Glass Houses, Paving Stones Made  From Good Intentions, Bribery, The Light,  First Born,  and Waiting. I then started to post Reversal.

Finally, on Fictionpad, I posted the Clockworks collection, consisting of: A Lesson; Briefing; Candy; Desperation; Marvels; Pat the Bunny; Preparations; Recruitment; The Honky Tonk Angel; and Where O Where. I also imported Faith, Seven Women, The Decision, and The Stranger.

Hence there were a lot of changes although admittedly many of them were pretty damned effortless or close to it.

Milestones

See the Stats page for individual read and review counts.

WIP Corner

There is a lot going on. However, the Barnstorming series is mainly on hold as I work out NaNo and do schoolwork.

Prep Work

So as the month wound down, I got caught up in getting reading for this year’s NaNoWriMo. Also, this meant more work on The Enigman Cave, including naming many of the characters and the ships in that fleet. Because these are small decisions, but they can really slow you down if you don’t get them done, I am happy to have them all set in advance of the first of November!

This Month’s Productivity Killers

School work and travel! In addition, my cousin got married in the middle of the month and that of course changed my routine. We also put together the 24 Hours of G & T and that kept me busy. I was one tired pup!

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, Progress, 0 comments
27
Oct
2015
Review – It’s Not Really a Reset if you remember it

Review – It’s Not Really a Reset if you remember it

Review – It’s Not Really a Reset if you remember it

It’s Not Really a Reset if You Remember It serves as my answer to all of the awful ‘go back to the beginning’ stories in Star Trek canon. Sometimes, if a memory abides, then you are not back at square one. You have gone through changes. And you cannot be the same. It’s like the ancient philosopher Heraclitus says – you cannot step into the same river twice. That is, life fluctuates, and so do you. As a result, there must be effects.

Background

So for a prompt about drinking to forgot, I decided to go with the alcoholic, Carmen Calavicci (I suppose I could have chosen Susan Cheshire, but Carmen spoke to me with this particular prompt) and the end of the main HG Wells storyline. This story serves as an immediate sequel to the main storyline.

Plot

Barking up the Muse Tree | jespah | Janet Gershen-Siegel | Clockworks | Reset

Clockworks

It is right after everything has happened in He Stays a Stranger. Marisol, Dan, and Boris may be alive again, but it is still a rather traumatic moment.

This is the part après the hitting of the big reset button.  Everyone feels terrible. As well they should. And so Carmen suggests a visit to my standard, go-to watering hole of choice, the Tethys Tavern. The Tethys Tavern also shows up as a place where Lili tended bar and where I set a Christmas story for Stocking Stuffers. Much like a Derellian bat, that locale is almost a Swiss army knife.

Story Postings

Rating

The story is Rated K.

Upshot

One thing that broadcast Star Trek really never did was show aftermaths. This little story does this, but I can see where I should have done more. In addition, it works a bit like what a pariotric situation is. Essentially, this is what tampering with the timeline has done.

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, Review, Times of the HG Wells series, 1 comment
23
Oct
2015

Portrait of a Character – Libba

Portrait of a Character – Libba

Libba takes on a life of her own.

Origins

In The Cure is Worse Than the Disease, I wanted a kind of sandwich wife, who would get the worst of both worlds. Enter Libba.

Portrayal

Barking Up The Muse Tree | jespah | Janet Gershen-Siegel | Vizsla Libba

Libba (image of a Hungarian Vizsla is for educational purposes only)

Like nearly all Daranaean characters no one really ‘plays’ Libba. This is an image of a Hungarian Viszla. Readers are encouraged to use their imaginations.

Personality

Timid, oppressed, not very bright, and more than a little frightened much of the time, Libba is the very definition of stuck. Her position as a secondary wife requires her to do much of the reproductive heavy lifting. At the same time, she is also in charge of homeschooling the children. She is tired and weakened from her burdens. All she wants is for it to stop already.

Relationships

Elemus

Like all other Daranaean women of her time, Libba marries once and that’s it. There are no other options or prospects for her. If Elemus predeceases her, she will not have an opportunity to remarry.

Mirror Universe

Barking Up The Muse Tree | jespah | Janet Gershen-Siegel | Mirror Universe Libba

Mirror Libba (Vizsla)

I have never explored Mirror Universe Daranaean women.

The idea of the women possibly being in charge or assertive is intriguing and I may write it some day.

Quote

“I will, one of these days, I will die. I keep getting more and more tired, and weaker. The last time, it was less than a month from when I gave birth to when I became pregnant again. I was sick and weak and still pouch feeding, but already moved onto this one,” she indicated the baby in her pouch. {and} “I do not think I can do this anymore. I don’t want to do it anymore.”

Upshot

At the end of Flight of the Bluebird, things have considerably improved for the third caste women. But secondaries don’t get a lot of improvements to their lives. To Dr. Nguyen, Libba looks tired. She undoubtedly is.

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Posted by jespah in Emergence series, Fan fiction, Portrait, 0 comments
20
Oct
2015

Review – Worry

Review – Worry

Worry is, well, worrisome, I suppose.

For a prompt with the same name as the title, I wanted to do a little drabble about T’Pol and her sometimes uneven relationship with a certain crew member.

Background

Review – Worry

Worried T’Pol

In canon, T’Pol’s relationship with Porthos is a bit rocky. In the beginning, she is bothered by his smell and cannot adjust to the idea of a pet being an appropriate presence on a starship. Because Jonathan Archer is so wrapped up in the dog’s well being, and T’Pol and Jonathan do not get off on the best footing in the beginning of the series, there might be some carry over. That is, maybe T’Pol has issues with Porthos because she has issues with Archer. Fortunately, she warms up to both of them.

A part of T’Pol’s journey as a character is to understand and accept both of them. Love or hate These are the Voyages (hate it!), the scene where he stiffly hugs her has some merit.

So now she has cause to have concern over Porthos. And I feel this would ring true as well.

Plot

It’s just a little thing, but Porthos is sick. T’Pol has already rushed him to Sick Bay. The little drabble just covers her fretting and asking Phlox about his condition.

Story Postings

Rating

The story has a K rating.

Upshot

Porthos has a value to the crew that T’Pol only begins to understand later in the series. To my mind, it made sense for that understanding to happen during the E2 alternate timeline as well. For her, he has become more than just the captain’s pet. And he’s more than the odd addition to the crew she initially didn’t much care for. Now, she cares for him a great deal. I was glad to be able to showcase that.

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