Star Trek: NuTrek – jj abrams universe

Mar

2017

Portrait of a Character – Sarek

Sarek Origins

Sarek the character is, of course, canon.

Sarek Portrayal

Ben Cross as Sarek (image is provided for educational purposes only).

As in canon, Sarek is played by Ben Cross when younger and, when older, by Mark Lenard.

Personality

Relationships

Amanda Grayson

The Sarek and Amanda marriage in TOS is perhaps the best-realized love relationship ever in the history of Star Trek. Even though he is emotionally unavailable to Spock (and probably also to Sybok), the same cannot be said of Amanda. Because Vulcans have touch telepathy, and they are often touching, they must be sharing their thoughts nearly all of the time.

Perrin

After Amanda’s death in the prime timeline, Sarek eventually weds Perrin, another human. Because he is older, she is a lot more protective of him and, perhaps, a little too much so.

Mirror Universe

Sarek must exist in the Mirror Universe because Spock does.

Mark Lenard as Mirror Universe Sarek (actually, this is an image of the actor as a Romulan Commander; image is provided for educational purposes only).

Like most denizens of the Mirror, he is tougher and is probably more emotional than a Vulcan should be. The idea is interesting and I might write it.

Quote

Mark Lenard as Sarek (image is provided for educational purposes only).

“I see the humans are mostly on one side, and my fellow Vulcans are on your own side. Yet this dinner, and this week, they have been set aside for you to meet one another. And you are not doing so. And I have been speaking with two persons who were wrongfully sent to Canamar Prison. And you apparently rarely speak with them as well.

“I understand that there is an Earth saying. It is something like this – beggars cannot be choosers. …

“And my understanding of what that signifies is that we are a small band. And we have few options for meeting others. The humans and our other allies have done what they can in order to accommodate and assist us. For without them, we would be most vulnerable. And our species, I am certain, we would die out. For our natural processes, they are slow. I have heard humans refer to Vulcan customs about marriage as moving at a glacial pace. And that is true. But the glaciers, they must be rushed. And wombs must be rented. And we must live in places such as this, for our own safety, and to make friendships among our people. And to, perhaps, meet new mates….

“My understanding is that this is a holiday for family. And our families have all been sundered. And so we must make new ones. And they might have red or blue blood, rather than green, in their veins. They might have emotions. They might eat meat. But consider this. …

“This is my child! He is a Vulcan! And it is he who will help to rebuild our race. He and thousands like him are our future! And these good people, they are, they are no replacement for the ones who are gone. But they are my family now, if they will have me.”

Upshot

As an indispensable part of JJ Abrams universe, this character is also a necessary component of Eriecho’s world. He might even go to her wedding.

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Mar

2017

Portrait of a Character – Christopher Pike

Christopher Pike is a terrific character in any timeline.

Bruce Greenwood as Captain Christopher Pike (image is provided for educational purposes only)

I am still trying to figure out if I want Shelby Pike to be related to him. But why the hell not?

Hell, maybe she should be.

Christopher Pike Origins

In the Original Series, he is a handsome, intelligent captain . He is just as impulsive as Kirk. But Pike has a tragic accident yet gets a kind of illusory happy ending. In the JJ Abrams universe, he dies heroically.

Portrayal

As in canon, this character is played by Bruce Greenwood and, after he suffers his disability, by Jeffrey Hunter.

Personality

Christopher Pike, Disabled

Like most of us, Pike does not consider what might happen if the unthinkable were to occur. But it does.

So in the prime universe, he is rather badly injured. Just how conscious and aware is he? I write him as being heartbreakingly conscious of the world around him. Plus this is so much so that he flashes Morse code. And it is better than any therapy when Nyota Uhura understands him.

Relationships

Pike’s only known canon relationship is with Vina, from The Cage and The Menagerie. However, given the illusory nature of the setting, that ‘relationship’ seems a bit unreal, too.

Mirror Universe

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

Mirror Christopher Pike

Like many Mirror Universe men, I would have him sporting the Y Chromosome Skew. Hence this would make him more powerful . Furthermore, he would be much more interested in women, but also a much better father.

Quote

There was a series of beeps. “He says,” Nyota explained, “that’s he’s very happy to have such beautiful company.”

Upshot

Pike, like the main character in Johnny Got His Gun, deserves to return.

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Nov

2016

Review – A Gathering

A gathering can be an occasion for all sorts of meaningful activities.

Background

So many holiday Star Trek fanfiction stories are about Christmas. I wanted one to be about Thanksgiving. And who would be more grateful than Eriecho and Saddik, the ex-convicts from Canamar Prison?

Plot

Eriecho Series

At the Martian sanctuary, Jack Shaw hosts a massive Thanksgiving dinner. However, more importantly, gets to spend some time with Juliet Parker. And Shaw wants everything to be perfect.

I was pleased to be able to follow their romance a little, particularly as I had only briefly mentioned her in Release. So in A Gathering, I show just how Jack is utterly jumping the gun in their relationship, which isn’t really a relationship at all. She barely remembers him, whereas he had actually been considering putting money down on a house. But she is a generous soul, and sees that he might not be a terribly romantic guy. However, she could not possibly ask for a more loyal and invested partner. Julie, to her credit, accepts his invitation to a private dinner.

As for Eriecho, she and Sollastek make sure to meet some of the surrogate mother volunteers. And there’s also a very special guest ….

Story Postings

- A Gathering on Ad Astra
- In addition, A Gathering on Wattpad
- A Gathering on the G & T Show forums
- Also, A Gathering on Fanfiction.net

Rating

This story is rated K.

Upshot

So I will have to get back to Jack and Julie at some point. I have not yet decided whether they work in the prime timeline. Should they? The idea is an odd one, seeing what the Kelvin timeline does to the Star Trek universe overall. However, wholly original characters such as Jack and Julie might be something that could work. Furthermore, given that the Vulcan sanctuaries are also a wholly original situation, that might also help.

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Oct

2016

Review – Across the Universe

Across the Universe starts off as a way to push the Kelvin timeline along but also to bring in a weird character from left field.

Background

In order to continue the saga of Eriecho and Sollastek (and Saddik and Valeris), I decided to bring a canon character into the JJ Abrams timeline. At the very least, Spock Prime had to have been wondering about this. Did Sybok exist? I decided that he would, and he would be a difficult person but not as far gone as in the canon prime timeline. Hence, he would be redeemable.

Plot

Eriecho Series

Eriecho’s relationship with Sollastek is tested when an emotional Vulcan is brought to the sanctuary, a man who rattles everyone he meets.

Eriecho is getting tired of trying to get along with the other Vulcans and suppress her emotions. Sollastek has not been asking her to, but she has been doing this anyway, thinking that this is the kind of wife he will want.

For Sybok, a far more carefree Vulcan, the rigidity of Vulcan sanctuary life feels oppressive. Yet he sees something in the undisciplined ex-con, and seems to feel a bit of a kinship with her. Eriecho, to be sure, is a lot more like Sybok than Spock is in any timeline.

Music

The story is filled with Beatles music, culminating in the song of the title.

Story Postings

- Across the Universe on Ad Astra
- In addition, Across the Universe on Wattpad
- Across the Universe on G & T Show forums
- Also, Across the Universe on Fanfiction.net

Rating

The story has a K rating.

Upshot

So this doesn’t quite wrap up the Eriecho series, as she and Sollastek still have to wed. In addition, I might do something more with Jack Shaw and Juliet Parker. And Sybok! I’m sure there are a few more stories lurking within him.

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Sep

2016

Review – Beats

Beats came about partly as a play on words. In addition, I wanted to fill in a gap in Eriecho’s saga. And this would be her memories of incarceration.

Background

For a prompt about dreams, I imagine my fellow Star Trek fanfiction writers thought I would write about Lili. Instead, my thoughts turned to Eriecho. Because I wanted the night of her and Saddik‘s release to bring on a nightmare, where she would, in her subconscious, show her fear of being returned to Canamar Prison. In addition, the dream would showcase just what sorts of abuses she and Saddik would have suffered. Darkness into light.

Plot

Eriecho Series

The night of their arrival on Mars brings a nightmare for Eriecho.

The idea behind the dream, which is wholly without dialogue, was to show the regimentation of prison life. It would be a festival of tramping feet and the same awful food, over and over again, mixed in with occasional gropings and other indignities.

I had not really explored what had happened to Eriecho at Canamar, but she had to have been raped, and probably repeatedly. I had already hinted at her adoptive mother, H’Shema, having probably traded sexual favors in order to get food and clothing for Eriecho. Upon Eriecho’s maturation, and H’Shema’s eventual death, the attacks on her person had to have become worse and increased in frequency.

Story Postings

Rating

The story has a K+rating.

Upshot

This story (which is also a part of Recessive) is the only exploration of Eriecho’s prison life on any day other than her last day there. I may revisit this at some time although it is certainly a troubling scenario to explore.

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Sep

2016

Review – The Mundane World

The Mundane World brings a garden to space. In addition, I saw it as an opportunity to carry over some of Eriecho’s prison behaviors to the sanctuary on Mars. After all, prisoners often tend gardens and I wanted for Eriecho to have a similar experience. A garden could be, potentially, her only solace on Canamar. As a familiar and comforting thing, and as a memory of H’Shema, Eriecho would want to carry on and continue.

Background

For a prompt about ordinary life, I decided to make Eriecho an amateur gardener. This made some sense, as prisoners these days and in the past have certainly tended gardens, either as a part of their rehabilitation or as trusty work or even to just get better food by growing it themselves.

Plot

Eriecho Series

At the Martian sanctuary, Eriecho tends her garden.

At the next plot, the youth Sollastek does the same. When he accidentally touches her hand, she senses his attraction to her.

As a result, they trade some of their produce and agree to meet and discuss gardening, even as the Martian sanctuary’s contingent of Vulcan matrons look on disapprovingly. This is the start of true romantic affection for Eriecho, a new experience.

Story Postings

Rating

The story is rated K.

Upshot

Sollastek did not exist before this story was written. He was a great, defiant character to introduce, an unexpected ally for Eriecho and Saddik. In addition, this story introduced the beginning of the Eriecho-Sollastek romance. I had considered a character like him in Release, but that character had no name. So the young male Vulcan in that story is not necessarily Sollastek. He does not have to be.

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Sep

2016

Focus on the Destruction of Vulcan

The destruction of Vulcan is a huge event in the Kelvin timeline.

Focus

A focus (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 this is instead a window into how a single canon concept can color fan fiction.

Background

This canon concept is one of the cornerstones of the JJ Abrams universe and timeline. To change a founding species into an endangered one is a hell of an idea.

When I responded to a prompt about writing in the nuTrek universe and timeline, I had not yet seen the 2009 film and clutched the idea like a life preserver. It was an irresistible idea for me, that their allies would keep Vulcans in sanctuaries for their own protection, much like we put pandas into zoos today.

This also led to the idea of pulling in Vulcans from everywhere imaginable, and that led directly to the concept of grabbing convicts. Hence Eriecho, Saddik, and their clan were all developed.

Occurrences

Beginning with Release, Eriecho and Saddik are pulled from Canamar Prison where they leave H’Shema’s grave behind and are sent to Jack Shaw‘s Martian sanctuary.

I recount a dream from that night in Beats. Eriecho and Saddik are allowed to go to a Suliban helix where they meet H’Shema’s mother, L’Cultura, in Double Helix.

In The Mundane World, Eriecho meets Sollastek while gardening, and in A Gathering, they and others meet Sarek.

In Recessive, Eriecho tries to change herself to please Sollastek. Then, in Across the Universe, she meets Sybok.

At some point, I will probably write the Eriecho-Sollastek wedding.

At the same time, another canon character showing up in the sanctuary system is Valeris.

Upshot

The story of the destruction of Vulcan ended up being the story of this character. But readers love Eriecho, so I feel it was a good way to focus this canon condition.

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Sep

2016

Review – Recessive

Recessive grew out of not just the concept of rare blond and blue-eyed Vulcans (and humans, for that matter), but also from the concept of the rare emotional Vulcan. Of course, that is Eriecho. The term also works as a measure of her reticence.

Background

Continuing Eriecho‘s story, I had a few shorter stories which I wanted to combine into something more. This story proved to be a great vehicle for doing that. It was also a way to comment on some Vulcan snobbishness seen in the Enterprise series. I had always liked that bit of canon, as that species had often seemed, to me, to be overly perfect.

Plot

Eriecho Series

Connections of genetics and memory bring a silver lining to a horrible tragedy.

Eriecho and Saddik have been living at the Martian sanctuary for a few months.

Jack Shaw has been doing his best to accommodate them. Eriecho even has, sort of, a beau, the youth Sollastek. Saddik has even met someone, Valeris.

But all is not right, as snooty matrons dismiss Eriecho as being overly emotional and too much like a human. Hence Eriecho and Saddik seek solace with the only real family they can truly relate to – H’Shema’s. H’Shema, the late Suliban, served as mother to Eriecho and lover to Sollastek. So upon their release from Canamar, it makes sense to them to meet the Sulibans and see if they are amenable to becoming family.

Story Postings

- Recessive on Ad Astra
- Recessive on G & T Show Forums
- Also, Recessive on Fanfiction.net
- Finally, Recessive on Wattpad

Rating

The story has a K rating.

Upshot

So I like the interplay, and I think readers appreciate the shout out to the canon character Valeris and certainly sympathize with the put-upon Eriecho, who is only trying to make her way.

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Sep

2016

Review – Double Helix

The double helix of DNA also refers to the double bond of Eriecho to both Vulcan and Suliban culture.

Background

So after posting Release, there was a call for a sequel. Readers wanted to know what had happened to Eriecho and Saddik. And I was only too glad to oblige. The characters had grown on me, too, and I wanted to give them something beyond just a bewildered start on a new life out of the hell of Canamar prison.

Plot

Eriecho Series

Therefore, a couple of months after arriving at the Martian sanctuary, Saddik and Eriecho visit people who are, in a way, their family.

They meet up with Enkir and his mother, L’Cultura. And these Suliban are the brother and mother, respectively, of Eriecho’s adoptive mother, H’Shema. Hence, by extension, she was also Saddik’s lover while they were in prison at Canamar. H’Shema held great importance for both of these emotionally damaged ex-convict Vulcans. All they want to do is show their appreciation but also to latch onto someone who can be family to them. Eriecho, in particular, could use some gentle taming.

Enkir is a little reserved, but L’Cultura seems overly fragile. It is Eriecho who perks her up and, ultimately, gives her a reason to go on. For L’Cultura, Eriecho gives her the opportunity to be a grandmother and to embrace the good which H’Shema has done in the universe. For a disappointing addict and convict of a daughter, to know that H’Shema did so many kindnesses and was so resourceful, is a source of great wonder to the Sulibans. And some pride as well.

Story Postings

- Double Helix on Ad Astra
- Double Helix on the G & T Show forums
- Also, Double Helix on Fanfiction.net
- Finally, Double Helix on Wattpad

Rating

The story has a K rating.

Upshot

I enjoyed revisiting these characters so much that they got their own series!

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Mar

2016

Review – Seven Women

Seven Women in memory, love, and loss.

Background

In Fortune, I established that Tommy Digiorno-Madden dies in the service of his captain. In Seven Women, I show exactly how that happens.

Plot

Seven Women

The story (which was written as a one a day ficlet challenge) opens with Tommy making it clear that there is a fireball coming, and it’s got his name on it.

The fire door is closed, he’s trapped, and there is no getting out of this one. Except he says this with no fear, no regrets, and no sorrow. It is just a simple fact. Since he sees his fate, he knows he is about to die.

In order to pass what little time he has left, he has visions. But he does not see his life pass before his eyes. Rather, he sees seven influential women from his life.

Melissa Madden

The first woman he remembers, naturally, is his mother, Melissa Madden. As he talks about her in the initial chapter, and he mentions her descent into Irumodic Syndrome dementia, he mentions Doug Beckett, too. While he recognizes that his half-brother, Joss, looks the most like Doug, it is he, Tommy, who is the most like their shared father. Because Tommy is a soldier.

Leonora Digiorno

The second woman he recalls is Norri, who he reveals he had a crush on. He remembers her teaching him to read and that, at her death, she said she saw a bridge and the doomed Kevin. And then he reveals that he’s seeing Kevin, too, and feels the brother who never had a chance is somehow there for him and is acting as a kind of spirit guide.

Cindy Morgan

His next memory is of Cindy Morgan, who he reveals (this was my own first inkling of this) was his first girlfriend. Unlike Joss and Jia, they did not work out.

Takara Masterson Sato

Fourth on his list is Takara Masterson Sato Tucker. In Fortune, I established that they made dream contact as children, but didn’t know if they had pursued it after that. However, the character spoke to me, and so dreaming with Takara became something that Tommy had done for his entire life.

Lili O’Day

Then his next revelation is about Lili O’Day, and he remembers her not only as Doug’s wife, but also her singing Arroz con Leche to him (a scene from Temper) and making empanadas, a detail that is also from Temper.

Erika Hernandez

The sixth woman is his old boss, Erika Hernandez. While Tommy is too young for Flight of the Bluebird, he is definitely there with Erika during later voyages, and is probably a part of patrolling the Neutral Zone.

The Last Woman

I won’t reveal the seventh woman. So you’ll just have to see for yourself.

Story Postings

Rating

The story is rated K.

Upshot

I really loved giving Tommy some dimension, as he really didn’t have much beforehand. Joss and Neil and Empy and Dec (and even Kevin) seemed to have had more screen time.

But it’s Tommy who ends up becoming the most important person, ever, to the new timeline. And no one but the reader knows.

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Portrait of a Character – Sarek

Sarek Origins

Sarek Portrayal

Personality

Relationships

Perrin

Quote

Upshot

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Portrait of a Character – Christopher Pike

Christopher Pike Origins

Portrayal

Personality

Relationships

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Review – A Gathering

Background

Plot

Story Postings

Rating

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Review – Across the Universe

Background

Plot

Music

Story Postings

Rating

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Review – Beats

Background

Plot

Story Postings

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Review – The Mundane World

Background

Plot

Story Postings

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Focus on the Destruction of Vulcan

Focus

Background

Occurrences

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Review – Recessive

Background

Plot

Story Postings

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Review – Double Helix

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Plot

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Review – Seven Women

Background

Plot

Melissa Madden

Leonora Digiorno