Lafa II

12
Jul
2016

Review – A Lesson

Review – A Lesson

A lesson in history, and in how time travel can change it.

Background

For a prompt about a lesson, I took the matter quite literally and went with Eleanor Daniels lecturing. I was pleased to be able to dovetail the story well with Rick meeting Tina and the Temper story beginning.

Plot

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

Clockworks

In January of 3109, Eleanor Daniels lectures young students on the ways of the Mirror Universe.

Furthermore, Eleanor’s lecture includes information on the Empress Hoshi Sato‘s children and their putative and known fathers. For Eleanor, this is a bit of information that she has to get across as a part of her job. However, for Rick, it’s real life, and yet another reminder of his son, Jun.

In addition, there is a sly allusion to Tina April.  This happens because she is Eleanor’s friend, and Eleanor introduces her to Richard. Furthermore, we see the same kids mentioned in First Born and, possibly, Where the Wind Comes Sweepin’ Down the Plain. And usually when Eleanor lectures (at least, in print), history changes. However, this story is one of the few times when that does not happen. Hence history is secure, more or less, during the events of this story.

Story Postings

Rating

The story is Rated K.

Upshot

For a small story, I think it works pretty well. Here is the part where, if a reader has not yet read through Temper, the story provides an entrée into that aspect of the overall timeline. If the reader has read Temper, then the story slides the reader more or less directly into A Long, Long Time Ago. And I love how neatly and easily it does that.

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, Review, Times of the HG Wells series, 0 comments
02
Feb
2016

Review – About Nine Months

Review – About Nine Months

About Nine Months captures a lost cause. From October of 2176 to June of 2177, the short life of Kevin Madden-Beckett.

Background

So after writing Fortune, I had wanted to expand on Kevin Madden-Beckett‘s story for a while, but the opportunity kept failing to present itself. It did scream out for some more detail, not only about his existence, but also about how the family felt about him. At the end of Fortune, the siblings make it clear they love him. And in Seven Women, Tommy sees Kevin as a kind of spiritual guide to the other side in his (Tommy’s) last living moments.  As a result, Kevin matters a great deal, even though Q dismisses Kevin’s tragic and short existence as being somewhat like a mayfly’s short life (mayflies live for twenty-four hours). But the family sees more; I felt the need to honor and express that.

Plot

Barking up the Muse Tree | Jespah | Janet Gershen-Siegel | Later Days | About Nine Months

Later Days

It is later in everyone’s life. The kids are nearly all grown. Doug and Lili have settled into comfortable married life. Malcolm is busy fighting a cold war, but otherwise things have fallen into an established pattern. Norri is writing her book. Melissa gets some small piloting assignments, as their nest isn’t quite empty yet. Joss is already at Cornell.

Then comes Kevin.

Story Postings

Rating

The story is Rated K.

Upshot

Kevin is a child with no chance, but he has a place, as both Lili’s spirit guide in Fortune and Tommy’s in Seven Women. For someone with such a short time among the living, Kevin proved to have what I feel is a compelling story.

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, In Between Days series, Review, 0 comments
26
Jan
2016

Review – Colleagues

Review – Colleagues

Colleagues brings together a doctor and a not quite yet veterinarian.

Background

For a monthly prompt about mentors, I decided to visit and put together two characters who had met before, but not under these individual circumstances. Joss and Dr. Morgan had met in Fortune,  but Joss was a rather young child at the time, and Morgan was just settling on Lafa II for his retirement. I was pleased to have the opportunity to trot out Dr. Pamela Hudson as well.

Plot

Barking up the Muse Tree | Jespah | Janet Gershen-Siegel | Later Days | Colleagues

Later Days

As much a story of identity as it is of growing up and imparting wisdom to a new generation, the story opens with Joss asking Pamela if he can interview her.

She acknowledges that her life has gotten busy since she married (Treve). Plus she has a plastic surgery conference to attend. She instead suggests her Uncle Cyril, noting that he is a retired orthopedic surgeon and would probably love the company and welcome any questions Joss might have. Joss agrees, but not before accidentally calling her ‘Pam’.

When Joss gets to Cyril’s, he’s got a cake baked by Lili. The elder gentleman welcomes him in and they have cake while the doctor’s cat, Mimi, does figure eights. Joss asks about practicing medicine. He allows that veterinary medicine is different, but he is still looking for some guidance and advice.

Cyril, who asks Joss to call him by a childhood nickname of Skip, tells of a time when he failed to help a patient. It was not due to a lack of education or supplies or time. Instead, it was a treatment during the Earth-Romulan War, when a Xindi ally was injured. Morgan did not treat him as expeditiously as he should have, and the Xindi lost an arm. Morgan instructs Joss to be fair and as impartial as possible, and to not just treat cute animals or those where the owner is pleasant or wealthy.

Story Postings

Rating

The story is rated K.

Upshot

I like this story. It gave me a chance to shout out to some characters that I like, and to provide some more depth for Morgan. There is even a brief shoutout to Tommy Digiorno-Madden and his on-again, off-again relationship with Cyril’s granddaughter, Cindy. My peers agreed, and they liked the story enough that it won the monthly challenge at Ad Astra.

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, In Between Days series, Review, 1 comment
12
Jan
2016

Review – Linfep Linfep Linfep

Review – Linfep Linfep Linfep

Linfep Linfep what? They are a lot like rabbits. Hence the title, and the subject matter. Once again, a play on words saves the day.

Background

I can’t recall the prompt for this one, but it was the first day of the month. This made for a good bit of backhanded inspiration.

I decided on a play on “Rabbit rabbit rabbit.” On Lafa II, linfep are the closest thing. Hence the story was not only about near-rabbits, but also about what rabbits do best.

Plot

Barking up the Muse Tree | Jespah | Janet Gershen-Siegel | Later Days | Linfep Linfep

Later Days

It’s the first of the month, and so Lili mutters the phrase as her kids get her up way too early and she stumbles in the general direction of the coffee.

She has been tasked with taking care of all five children as Malcolm is defending the Neutral Zone (so Declan is around). Melissa and Norri are on Earth for an occasion, and so Tommy and Neil are staying over. Doug is working with his recruits. Of course Doug and Lili’s two children together, Joss and Marie Patrice are there as they live there.

Lili and the kids all notice a number of linfep scampering around the yard, and she realizes they are going to get holes in the yard. She asks Doug to bring home tofflin leaves when he comes back, as those repel the cute but destructive invaders.

Then the kids notice that two of the linfep are ‘telling secrets’.

Story Postings

Rating

The story is rated K.

Upshot

For a little story about the ramp up to telling children the facts of life, I think this amusing little story works pretty well.

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, In Between Days series, Review, 1 comment
08
May
2015

Review – Remembrance

Review – Remembrance

Remembrance serves as a look ahead to a younger character’s eventual fate.

Pamela Hudson’s eulogy, in 2232.

Background

For a Star Trek fan fiction prompt about memory, I decided to write about a memorial service.

Barking up the Muse Tree | Jespah | Janet Gershen-Siegel | Later Days | Remembrance

Later Days

At the time, I had written very little of anyone’s later years. Pamela in particular was young and vibrant in my stories.

Plot

The story begins with a young man going to a podium. But the speech he is giving is a eulogy. And he isn’t even human. He’s Treve, but he’s not Pamela’s husband. Instead, he is her nephew, named after the first Treve, who is long dead.

Review – Remembrance

Pamela as drawn by Declan (actual image is by Deviant Artist zindy)

As the eulogy is delivered, the action pans around to the younger generation. Joss and Jia are there with Jay (who is there with his own wife and children) and Shaoqing.

Neil is with both Ines and Yinora, and it is established that Treve is Yinora’s son. Tommy is there, in uniform. As always, Tommy is by himself. Marie Patrice is there, too, as is Declan with Rebecca and their two boys.

As the panning continues, the reader is shown a large image of Pamela in younger years, as drawn by Declan. I really love this drawing of Kaley Cuoco and think is captures the essence of both the character and the actress.

As the younger Treve speaks, he reveals a bit about Pamela’s later life. He reveals to the family that she had been abused as a child by her father, but that the elder Treve had accepted and loved her and helped her to heal. As a middle-aged widow, Pamela essentially half-adopted the younger Treve, as she had no children of her own. She would take him skiing on Charon or to her old stomping grounds in New Hampshire. I saw her as being a bit like Auntie Mame. Treve even reveals her last word, which was his name. He believes she was referring to the elder, but it’s possible she was talking about him. The matter has never been resolved, and I like it that way.

Story Postings

Rating

The story is rated K.

Upshot

For a character who was originally a one-shot bad girl, Pamela the character has had a full life in my Star Trek fan fiction and, I feel, her eulogy in particular makes her seem real.

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, In Between Days series, Review, 0 comments
19
Feb
2013

Review – Local Flavor

Background

Local Flavor solves a few problems for me.

First of all, the Trek BBS held a Star Trek fanfiction challenge called “Out of Uniform“. So the idea was to show people not in typical starship settings. I seized upon the opportunity to show Lili and Doug first moving to Lafa II. Hence this is the morning after the end of Reversal; Local Flavor is the very beginning of “happily ever after”.

Plot

Review – Local Flavor

Happily Ever After – Kinsale (Photo credit: Sonia Luna)

Travis flies Doug and Lili to the surface. Also, he makes a point of telling Lili that Captain Archer and Malcolm both expressed regrets at not being able to personally see her off. For the captain, it’s because he was busy with other duties. However for Malcolm, it’s because he’s beginning to realize that he cares for her. But he can’t say anything; she’s off to marry someone else. As he confides to her in Together, her life is just zooming along and away from him, and he can’t do anything to stop it.

Upon landing, they are picked up by Treve, who drives them to their new apartment, which is later seen in A Kind of Blue and The Gift. On the way, Doug asks about changing his surname. Treve reiterates that Calafans don’t have last names, so the only people on Lafa II who would care are him and Lili. Doug ends up simply declaring his new surname to be Beckett.

Barking Up the Muse Tree | jespah | Janet Gershen-Siegel | Local Flavor

Local Flavor

They see the apartment and then the action moves to an open-air market, where a number of Calafan delicacies are to be had, including linfep, tofflin and elekai. Even prako (procul) show up, but they are too expensive, as they have been brought to the market by Eska hunters, from Archer’s Planet (in my fan fiction, during the E2 stories, that world is called Amity). Plus the idea of the Calafans always being on the make comes out, as does Doug’s temper. Even some of the alien gesturing is explained, and the cake made at the end has a blueberry filling. Because that is a shoutout to my portrayal of Jay Hayes as loving blueberries.

Story Postings

Rating

The story is rated K.

Upshot

A lot happens in a short amount of time. Doug and Lili are exposed to Calafan society through a fire hose. And the reader, in some ways, gets that same sort of treatment. In some ways, this story is like another “elevator pitch” tale (like The Light). This is because it serves as an introduction to a lot of disparate aspects of my universe.

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Posted by jespah in In Between Days series, Review, 6 comments