Spock

Apr

2017

Review – Advice from My Universes to Yours

Advice for all! Well, kinda.

Advice From My Universes to Yours

Background

As a holiday gift, I decided to put together a number of disparate characters. Since these are characters of my own invention, I could and did have them say nearly anything. The idea would be to act as a kind of helpful team but with the same quirkiness a reader might have come to expect.

Plot

Six characters land in some odd place. And for sharp-eyed readers, they might recognize a similarity to The Puzzle. This was deliberate, as I wanted a storyline similar to Travis‘s. Furthermore, I have far better writing skills than I did then. Hence I felt this would be a better story, and I believe that to be the case.

Background

When Jay and Lili (in the prime timeline), Dratha, Eriecho, Levi, and Branch land, they have no idea what is in store for them. Because this takes place more or less right after Penicillin, Jay is still rather gruff but he’s trying. For Levi and Branch, this is later in their timelines. Eriecho is already on Mars. And Dratha’s husband, Arnis, is already incarcerated.

Serious Help

The characters then proceed to help out ten characters created by others. The first is kes7’s John Quigley, who gets help (sort of) in his love triangle. Then Bethany Reeves (trekfan’s character) is up, and the characters talk to her about her parents separating in one of the few serious vignettes. The next caller is Jessica St. Peter (Templar Sora’s character), and the so-called experts kind of, sort of, help her with asserting authority.

Not So Serious Help

For Andrew Corrigan (SLWalker’s character), it’s all about how to spend his first date with Abby (I managed to get in a sushi as bait joke). Aurellan Markalis (Enterprise1981’s character) also has a problem with a date but it was probably, the advisers agree, for the best that it ended early. Srena (CeJay’s character) comes up next. She is told how to create a calming ritual to help her get to sleep at night.

Mysterious Help

Then Jasto Dax (CaptainSarine’s character) calls. While most of the group doesn’t even know what a Trill is, Dratha provides good information about how to essentially pick your battles. She tells him not to answer every single summons. The next caller is Dr. Veronica West (thebluesman’s character); she learns she should become more creative. Then Spock calls (while this is a canon character, the gift was for littleblackdog) about a canon situation, the end of the TOS episode, Requiem for Methuselah. The last caller is Emmylou Galyaski (FalseBill’s character). She talks about mourning her late husband and, in their own odd ways, the so-called experts help, at least a bit.

Departures

Then it’s time to leave. Dratha volunteers to go first as it looks dangerous. Eriecho leaves next. Jay and Lili leave together and she touches his arm. Then Branch and Levi depart, and the following graffiti is shown:

As the last of the reluctant travelers/advisors departs, the room disappears and is swallowed into the vast vacuum of space, leaving but one final thought.

Happy holidays across all galaxies, all timelines, all universes and all realities.

Story Postings

Advice on Ad Astra

Rating

The story is Rated K.

Upshot

I liked showing off the weird characters and trying to get them to work together. As a bonus, I was able to cross over just a little bit with others’ works.

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Mar

2017

Portrait of a Character – T’Pring

T’Pring is a cypher and a blank slate. Everybody seems to want to put their own spin on her. I have seen her portrayed as a Federation traitor and as a lesbian. I like the idea of a different take on her.

T’Pring Origins

Arlene Martel as T’Pring (image is provided for educational purposes only).

Portrayal

As in canon, T’Pring is played by actress Arlene Martel. I have no idea who would play her as a young girl; it would have to be someone with similar exotic looks and ice queen appeal.

Personality

Emotionless and perhaps cold, T’Pring is a classic Vulcan woman. She knows what she wants and she is not afraid to go out and get it. This is her plan, no matter the cost.

Relationships

Spock

As in canon, T’Pring and Spock are promised to each other. They barely know each other. For a half-human, that should be intolerable, but it is not Spock who initially objects to their union; it’s T’Pring. And so she carries on what is essentially an affair until she can be freed from her obligation.

Stonn

In These Are the Destinations, T’Pring and Stonn know each other earlier. As a part of that story line, they are to get together (except I have not yet finished that story!).

One question I have about canon is – just how complicit was Stonn in the Amok Time scheme to either kill Spock or Kirk? Is she just evil, or was he her willing co-conspirator?

Mirror Universe

T’Pring could, I feel, exist in the Mirror Universe.

Arlene Martel as Mirror Universe T’Pring (image is provided for educational purposes only).

I write Mirror Universe women as being as ruthless as she seems to be in the prime universe. She would be in need of someone like Stonn. Or maybe she really does become Spock’s bride in the MU. That is an intriguing idea, and I just might write it.

Quote

“This is going to be so dull.”

Upshot

T’Pring would be an especially interesting character to explore in the Eriecho/JJ Abrams universe. I have tried to stay away from ‘small universe’ syndrome there, where everyone is related or close or there are far too many coincidences to be believable. Hence it might be a little much for T’Pring to exist there. Then again, if I pair her up with Sybok, that could really get things rollicking.

Now that is one hell of a plot bunny.

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Feb

2017

Portrait of a Character – Spock

Spock Origins

Spock (Zachary Quinto version)

Spock. The character is, of course, canon.

Portrayal

As in canon, the character is played by Zachary Quinto when younger and by Leonard Nimoy when more mature.

Spock (Leonard Nimoy version)

Personality

Aloof and seemingly afflicted with a superiority complex, it is easy to see why he vexed McCoy so much, in both timelines.

I write both versions in the Eriecho series and try to reconcile the two. The elder version tells Uhura that she was an important person to him but not a lover. The younger version is a bit baffled by the prime version and even more baffled by Sybok.

Relationships

Nyota Uhura

This relationship, in the JJ Abrams universe, is canon. I kind of like the idea of this happening, that two highly intelligent people might have something in common. Nyota is a particularly gentling and calming influence as Amanda Grayson, in this timeline, is dead.

T’Pring

There is not much to tell, although this is a canon relationship from the Original Series.

Mirror Universe

The Mirror Universe version is canon. Ruthlessly efficient and as intelligence as he is here, I write the MU version before the canon episode. As Kirk’s chief henchman, he just wants to stay out of the way while the dirty work is done.

Mirror Universe Spock (Leonard Nimoy)

Quote

“I spoke with Spock Prime, and he asked whether Sybok lived. It brought a memory to the surface. Sybok visited us once, when I was about three years of age. I have the slightest of memories of him. Father says that Sybok only visited that one time. And Father also says that he believes Sybok remains among the living. Nyota, he may be a living Vulcan who has not yet been accounted for.”

Upshot

I like this character but I suspect I don’t do him justice. Then again, that is hard for anyone to do.
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Sep

2016

Portrait of a Character – Alice Trent

Alice Trent is a time traveler.

Origins

This character was originally going to be a regular cast member but I didn’t really have room for her. Hence she showed up during The Point is Probably Moot in an alternate timeline.

Portrayal

Alice Eve as Alice Trent (image is for educational purposes only)

Alice is played by Star Trek: Into Darkness actress Alice Eve. Of course she has Star Trek cred from that.

Personality

Personable and polite, Alice in the regular timeline is a manners and protocols specialist. She is interviewed by the Temporal Integrity Commission as a possible companion agent for Rick Daniels. Paired together, they could conceivably cover historic state dinners, which is exactly what they end up doing.

In the alternate timeline, she is also an Islamophobe.

Relationships

Alice has no known relationships. Rick does not hit on her as he is already realizing that he’s in love with Milena Chelenska.

Mirror Universe

There are no impediments to a Mirror Alice existing, however as time goes on, all true counterparts have smaller chances of existing.

Alice Eve as MU Alice Trent (picture is for educational purposes only)

This is due to the passage of time and the addition of more generations (and, therefore, more variables).

Regardless of what she’d be doing in the Mirror Universe, it would have nothing to do with manners and fish forks.

Quote

“Why would you want to help those infidels? Are you all nonbelievers?”

Upshot

I have no place for this character, and I wish I did, as she could potentially be compelling. Maybe Carmen hires her after the events of He Stays a Stranger.

Now there’s an idea. And maybe I’ll see if I can explore it one of these days.

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Aug

2016

Review – Timeless

Timeless is where I just wanted to put right what I felt had gone wrong. But of course you can’t really do that. Hence it serves as almost (almost!) my own personal Quantum Leap episode, much like Theorizing.

Background

When actor Leonard Nimoy passed away, there was a special free write and the idea of ‘saving’ him was an irresistible one. Add in the crew from the Temporal Integrity Commission, and a little bit of silliness got to creep in as well.

Plot

Clockworks – Deep Future

Therefore, in 3115, the Human Unit at the Temporal Integrity Commission decides to save one special Vulcan.

I wanted Spock (a character I have always had something of a love/hate relationship with – I tend to see Dr. McCoy’s point of view more than Spock’s in the old TOS arguments) to have a kind of ethereal quality. Plus I wanted the TIC to occasionally bend their own rules. The action takes place after they have done just that, and saved Milena Chelenska on her deathbed. Hence there is a precedent for this behavior, and the precedent even winds back to First Born and saving Jun Daniels Sato.

Because Spock Prime is also a part of the Eriecho stories (and the Kelvin timeline in canon, of course), this act affects numerous timelines. Megaotric? Maybe not exactly, but it’s definitely a pariotric change.

Story Postings

Rating

The story is rated K.

Upshot

In some ways, I may have overdone things. Spock gets his resurrection and, in a way, so does Leonard Nimoy. Yet some of it feels like I was forcing a square peg into a round hole.

Yet in addition, it also feels almost unfair that this cannot really happen. Science, get on this, stat!

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Dec

2015

Review – D’Storlin

D’Storlin is a story where people ask if it has a basis in true events. Except, it does not. Yet it certainly could be. The events are (in my opinion) realistic and downright frightening. Many people lash out exactly like this. And kids can’t always bounce back or have someone wipe their records. Some things are just plain permanent. Like the scarlet letter or the mark of Cain.

Background

So I recall discussions about Xindi Reptilians, and how we had never seen any younger ones in canon. At the same time, there were also discussions about how well Spock and other hybrids seemed to get along in canon Star Trek society. And all I could think of was – that’s unrealistic.

D’Storlin

Plot

For a hybrid child, teenaged life is even more fraught with embarrassment, mood swings, and bullying. I cannot conceive of that not being true, ever. This put-upon human-Xindi Reptilian hybrid, attends a primarily human school on Earth. Much like Rayna Montgomery, he has to try to get along with the human majority. However, in Rayna’s case, she acted out by sleeping around at a young age, and occasionally growling. But for the most part, Rayna’s actions are peaceful ones.

Not so with the title character, when this friendless, bullied child is pushed too far one day. And the results are not pretty. Plus, they are all too permanent for both him and one of his tormentors.

Story Postings

Rating

The story is rated K+.

Upshot

So when this story was originally posted on Ad Astra, readers asked me whether it was taken from real life. I consider that to be an exceptionally generous compliment. Because it was not.

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Nov

2015

Focus – Vulcans in Star Trek Fan Fiction

Focus on Vulcans

Vulcans are the backbone aliens of Star Trek.

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 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

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

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

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

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.

Lorian

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.

Ben Cross as Sarek

Sollastek

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

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.

Spock

Sybok

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

T’Les Elizabeth

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.

Kara Zedicker as T’Pau

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.

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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Nov

2015

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

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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May

2015

Review – Release

. Review – Release

Release constitutes another play on words. Hence it represents both an end to bondage and a sexual act. And Saddik himself considers the latter before the former.

Background

With the destruction of Vulcan, Vulcans are sought in all sorts of remote places. And this includes prisons.

Plot

This was in response to a prompt requiring that we write in the Kelvin timeline (sometimes also called nuTrek or the JJ Abrams universe). I made a decision to write about how the creation of a sentient endangered species would be handled.

Barking Up the Muse Tree | jespah | Janet Gershen-Siegel | Release

Eriecho and Saddik’s Release from Canamar Prison

Hence the story opens with a pair of Vulcan convicts. They are being called into a commandant’s office at Canamar Prison, a canon institution.

They are about to be freed, yet they scarcely know why. All that Commandant Kerig will tell them is that Vulcans are endangered, and the home world is no more. This unsettles Saddik, the elder of the two.

But not so Eriecho, who barely knows anything about Vulcans, or what it means to be one. So as the story continues, her backstory comes to the fore, of her birth on a prison transport. Hence this is the only life she has ever known. Furthermore, the only mother she has ever known was a deceased Suliban woman, H’Shema.

The action follows Eriecho and Saddik off Canamar and to their new home, a sanctuary on Mars. Colonel Jack Shaw is in charge, and he’s ecstatic. Partly it’s because it was his idea to try to find Vulcans in prisons. But it’s also because the rebuilding of the population involves surrogate mothers and as much genetic diversity as possible with the limited remnants of a once-thriving species. Therefore, taking note of the Law of Supply and Demand, Shaw has something that others want. Hence he (and the administrators of the other sanctuaries, on places like Andoria) engages in a barely legal practice – gamete trading.

Story Postings

Rating

The story has a K rating.

Upshot

I loved being able to introduce these new characters. People love Eriecho, and it’s been a joy to find her voice and follow her life as she adjusts to life on the outside.

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Apr

2015

Portrait of a Character – Sollastek

Sollastek is more than just a love interest in the Kelvin timeline.

Origins

I wanted Eriecho to eventually have a love interest, so that she could have a silver lining from the horrible tragedy that is the destruction of Vulcan in the new timeline. This man would be markedly younger than her, and not too terribly well-educated. Enter Sollastek.

Portrayal

Sollastek is a purely romantic character so I have him played by Justin Timberlake.

Justin Timberlake as Sollastek

I think Timberlake (who is a better actor than a lot of people seem to give him credit for) would make a pretty interesting Vulcan.

I like the idea of him being a bit guilt-ridden, partly with survivor guilt, but also because he is a witness to a canon event, when Amanda Grayson, Spock’s mother, is killed.

Personality

A bit troubled but trying very hard, Sollastek is attempting to make the best of a bad situation. But the truth is, if Eriecho and Saddik had not arrived at the Martian Sanctuary, it’s likely that he would have been the subject of the matrons’ none too subtle shunning. He is working class and barely on their side of logical and meditative. After all, even on Vulcan, someone has to be a day laborer.

Relationships

Eriecho

Sollastek’s sole known relationship is with Eriecho. In Across the Universe, she learns that he made a deal with Colonel Shaw to change his space in the community garden so that he could be closer to her. He is a calming influence on Eriecho, and grounds her. He’s patient with her when she runs off to Earth with Sybok, too.

Mirror Universe

Justin Timberlake as Mirror Sollastek

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

I do not feel that he would be any brighter, but he would probably have more confidence. As for survivor guilt, much like a lot of denizens of the Mirror, he just wouldn’t care all that much.

Quote

“Many of us have seen truly horrible things. I was there when our home world was destroyed, as was Valeris. It was a day I will never forget. Many of the others, I am certain, have suffered their own personal traumas.”

Upshot

As Eriecho goes, so goes Sollastek. He will return.

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Review – Advice from My Universes to Yours

Background

Plot

Background

Serious Help

Not So Serious Help

Mysterious Help

Departures

Story Postings

Rating

Upshot

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Portrait of a Character – T’Pring

T’Pring Origins

Portrayal

Personality

Relationships

Spock

Stonn

Mirror Universe

Quote

Upshot

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Portrait of a Character – Spock

Spock Origins

Portrayal

Personality

Relationships

Nyota Uhura

T’Pring

Mirror Universe

Quote

Upshot

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Portrait of a Character – Alice Trent

Origins

Portrayal

Personality

Relationships

Mirror Universe

Quote

Upshot

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Review – Timeless

Background

Plot

Story Postings

Rating

Upshot

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Review – D’Storlin

Background

Plot

Story Postings

Rating

Upshot

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Focus on Vulcans

Focus

Vulcans – Background

Occurrences

Aviri

Charles Tucker IV

Eriecho

Kefris

Lorian

Saddik

Sarek

Sollastek

Soval

Spock

Sybok

T’Les Elizabeth

T’Pau