#aliens are so cool. I wish I was in Star Trek so I could meet aliens

[hobbithabits]

I haven’t watched Deep Space 9 yet, but I know when I do I’m going to love it so much. I love TOS, which I’m watching now, and my biggest note for it was that I wanted to see more variation in the aliens. I NEEDED some more fucked up looking guys, ya know? DS9 stuff started showing up for me and it immediately satisfied exactly what I needed in my life.

Man who isn’t actually a man and is a undefined pile of goo? Absolutely yes please. Capitalistic criminal bastard (who is goo guy’s foil (romantically???)) with a noggin that is humongous?? Love it, give me more. Lizard man who is totally a spy but he’s Not A Spy he is a Simple Tailor and is ASTRONOMICALLY GAY??? What more would I ever need in my life?

(It’s Julian Bashir. I need him. I NEED H- anyway.)

I’m contemplating skipping over TNG to watch DS9 first and then going back to it. I am so excited for queer aliens that ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE ALIENS you have NO idea.

[a-passing-storm]

hELLO I just watched Star Trek: The Motion Picture for the first time (of the movies, I’ve only watched 2, 3, 4, and the Reboot) and Oh My God Robot Sentience Always Gets Me!!

[mandatory-blog-stop-asking]

my favorite stand-alone star trek episodes

someone in bluesky asked around my sphere what are the best Star Trek stand alone episodes for each show and I thought it was a cool exercise. My list and specifications are below. Long post so click the button to check it out.

Rules: Can't be super dependent on other episodes of the show, can't be a two or multiple-parter, can't just be every season finale just because it made me cry or anything; it has to be something that showcases how the show works its own individual aspects in a relatively ideal stage. Think of it like the episode you could show someone to prime them to like any of these shows if they don't even know the show exists.

The Original Series - The Corbomite Manuever

It's one of the first times Star Trek talks about peacemaking and looking before shooting as something you're supposed to do even in a situation where an overwhelming power is bullying you. Kirk comes out of this as a genius who knew better than to take a situation at face value, and has one of my favorite lines in the show:

What's the mission of this vessel, Doctor? To seek out and contact alien life, and an opportunity to demonstrate what our high-sounding words mean.

Banger idea, banger execution, iconic alien, cool shit all around, 10/10

Runner ups: Balance of Terror, Court Martial, The City at the Edge of Forever. Didn't make it because I like this one more.

The Animated Series - The Magicks of Megas-tu

I think it's probably the wildest episode in TAS? Kirk & Crew meet the devil and he's like, a swell guy you should be friends with. Spock learns magic. The devil tells the audience of mostly children to not have prejudices against those oppressors have deemed unworthy of attention. There's a magic duel at the center of the galaxy that is then tailored after the Salem Witch trials. If you haven't watched TAS, it goes fucking crazy.

Runner ups: Yesteryear, The Lorelei Signal, The Time Trap. Overall just think Megas-tu is more interesting and more incredibly fucking wild, how did that air in the 80s, oh my god.

The Next Generation - The Measure of a Man

While it is pretty early on, I think it's a very good example of what TNG does best: single-issue stories using its main cast as a vehicle for drama. This has a little bit of everything people love TNG for: Data's struggles as an android, Picard's struggles as a reinassance man occasionally having to face the dumbest motherfuckers in the entire Federation who would be burning witches at the stake if they could, a Badmiral, Riker vs Picard, Guinan taking Picard by the hand and gently reminding him the human condition includes some unpleasant elements, a farcical trial...

it's not perfect but I do think it holds up, and whenever I recommend Star Trek to people, this is always an easy case study to check if they're interested in the project.

Runner ups: Elementary Dear Data, Yesterday's Enterprise, Sarek, and honestly a lot of other episodes that just don't quite work if you don't have all the context of watching more of the show. Either that or they have weird characterizations that I don't think work super well for the episode.

Deep Space Nine - The Ship

I think Deep Space Nine has a ton of great episodes, but I do believe that show shines brightest when everyone involved is stuck in a bottle episode having to fight their way out of it. In TNG they would talk, in VOY they would trick people, in DS9 they use violence!

I think The Ship is the best version of a good DS9 episode that doesn't need so much preamble to understand. You have a tight cast, a very clear drama point, and the slow build up into a horrific ending where nobody is happy and everyone wishes war wasn't such bullshit.

While there's literally better episodes, I think this works really well for this "challenge."

Runner ups: This list literally had Homefront/Paradise Lost as my pick, but I ended up deciding two-parters don't count. Other than that, The Wire, The House of Quark, Badda-Bing Badda-Bang and my favorite episode of Star Trek of all time, It's Only a Paper Moon, that unfortunately only works if you've spent 7 seasons watching Nog go from the worst character in Star Trek to the best character in Star Trek.

Voyager - One Small Step

I think Voyager is very flawed and that season 4 is the highest peak the show comes to, but even then, I think One Small Step is my favorite episode. It has the BIG VOYAGER THINGS: Seven of Nine trying to wrap her head around human emotions, an old-timey feel (literally, it's about an old Mars mission), it has the Delta Flyer, and it ends with an absolute emotional gut punch that I haven't really recovered from to this day. It's a love letter to space exploration that really fits a show named god damn Voyager a lot more than it would any of the others. I really love this episode.

Runner ups: The 37s, Living Witness, Death Wish, and DISTANT ORIGINS, OH MY GOD, THE LIZARD PEOPLE ARE REAL; all episodes i like but that either don't quite get me where I want to go, or I just personally feel aren't as strong.

Enterprise - Dead Stop

So like, this list is awful for Enterprise, because every single episode of that series builds on the previous ones somehow. Season 3 is impossible to watch out of context so I can't use any of it, and my no-multiple-parters rule means Season 4 (which I don't even like anyway so I guess it doesn't matter ) is mostly out. But I really do think Dead Stop excels at what Enterprise is good at: making the galaxy look fucking weird again.

Dead Stop feels like a really good sidemission from a game you've played a lot but never did 100%. It proposes some things about the state of the galaxy that you never really consider and never comes back, and it acts like this really interesting bottle episode that, while relatively predictable (this is Enterprise), is also effective. I think everyone shines in this and I think the situation is very unique. Worth a shot if you've never seen Enterprise.

Runner ups: E², The Catwalk (lol), it... look, I'll be real, Enterprise is not made for this.

Discovery - Unification III

Speaking of shows that aren't made for this, Discovery wouldn't have made it if it didn't get a soft-reboot halfway through. I'm one of the people who likes the second half of Discovery, sometimes a lot even. And while I think it should have gone way crazier with its own stuff instead of wasting its time with references (season 4 is probably the moment I was happy saying I like Discovery), I think Unification III is the first time I actually liked Michael's character.

It still has Discovery's major problems of being overly melodramatic in the wrong places, wasting a little too much time with dramatic camera shots and monologues that don't always hit, but I think Unification III is Discovery deciding it can stand side by side with other shows: it fundamentally changes the Romulan/Vulcan dichotomy, it takes something old and makes it new again, and it for the first time in years doesn't feel embarrassed of itself.

I don't know if it would make a Disco hater become a Disco enjoyer, but hey, I enjoy the episode, and it's my list.

Runner ups: Forget Me Not, and.... that's it actually. Don't watch Discovery on random, it doesn't work. Picard isn't in this list.

Lower Decks - wej Duj

Lower Decks rules and wej Duj is the best episode of Star Trek released in the year it came out. It takes its premise and allows it to breathe, shows you parts of the universe you'd never see, introduces great characters you could make a mini series about if you were crazy, and it looks and sounds great. Lower Decks was too good for this world and cancelling it characterizes cruel and unusual mistreatment of an audience.

Runner-ups: First First Contact, Empathological Fallacies, a couple more but Lower Decks is so referential in nature that it also makes it hard. But this wasn't really a contest. I wrote wej Duj without looking up other episodes.

Prodigy - Time Amok

Prodigy is a weird one because it's less "Star Trek" and more "Voyager 2". It has a different idea and execution for what it wants to do, so it doesn't really adhere to structures other shows have. That being said, I think Time Amok is the first time the crew really comes together and shows why they're a good cast, what their specialties are and why you should like them. I would probably not have continued the show without an episode like Time Amok, and genuinely, it goes great places. Season 2 is one of my favorite seasons of current Star Trek. It just, you know, isn't the same.

Runner-ups: Honestly for my specific rules, this is it. But I want you to know Prodigy fucking rules and you should watch it. "Now... go boldly" still gets to me every time I think about it.

Strange New Worlds - Ad Astra per Aspera

I like Season 1 of SNW a lot more than Season 2, but the S2 opener really is the show at its best. It doesn't pull any punches when exploring the subject of what's essentially Federation-approved apartheid, and it might have the best performances in the show so far. It would have probably interested me more if this wasn't another prequel that can't change things too much, but, still. If you've never seen SNW and don't want to just watch it from episode 1, give this one a try.

Runner-ups: Strange New Worlds the pilot! It's a very good pilot! Also "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow" and "Those Old Scientists", but like, a crossover wouldn't really fit here very well.

And there you go, that was a fun little exercise. How about you make your own? Add any of the shows you want, I just happen to be a freak who wanted to do it with all of them.

[sshbpodcast]

Don’t forget to remember these Star Trek memory wipes

By Ames

What did I start writing this blogpost for? I can’t seem to remember, so I might as well make a post about memory and how frequently our heroes in Star Trek seem to get theirs erased. We see enough tampering with people’s minds to give just about anyone an identity crisis, so this week A Star to Steer Her By will be focusing specifically on memory wipes.

Read on below and/or listen to this week’s episode (discussion at 1:03:36) for all the instances of memory wipes we could remember. And if I’ve forgotten any others, there’s an obvious reason for that… I didn’t feel like including them! Prepare to have your mind blown, and then reassembled again with some chunks missing.

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

“The Changeling”

An early instance of someone getting their mind erased happens when Nomad encounters Uhura and scrubs down her brain to try to understand why she was singing. It’s debatable how intentionally malicious this was but the results are the same: a vegetable for a comms officer. Somehow Nurse Chapel is able to teach Uhura how to be a person a little and we’re left to assume she’s relearned everything, though the implications are absolutely horrifying.

“The Paradise Syndrome”

Kirk ker-zaps his brain when snooping around an obelisk and manages to lose all his memories just in time to hook up with a hot native woman. As squicky as much of this episode is, Kirk’s not really at fault here because he literally has no idea what’s going on. If that’s not an effective way around the Prime Directive, as we discussed at length last week, then nothing is!

“Requiem for Methuselah”

Blink and you miss this one because it happens at the very end of the episode and doesn’t really get explained or lingered upon. After losing the love of his life of the week, Kirk is mourning Rayna the Robot and Spock doesn’t understand why. So when McCoy says it’d be nice if the captain could forget her, Spock (that cad!) decides on his own, entirely illogically, to go in and do something to Kirk’s memories without consent while he sleeps. It’s one of the most effed up things that Spock does, and many people won’t even notice it. Yikes.

“Pen Pals”

On the subject of our discussion of the Prime Directive from last week, here’s an episode that was pretty appropriate and has a memory wipe! It’s another sneaky way around lessening cultural contamination: just blank the relevant memories of the individual from the less developed society and it’s like we didn’t break our golden rule at all! Lucky for us, the Pulaski Method doesn’t work on all people or we could just use it in every episode and the show would never have any stakes at all.

“Transfigurations”

We’ve got an absolute ton of memory-related episodes in TNG, so let’s continue through with an amnesiac who’s evolving past his corporeal form and doesn’t even remember why. It’s kind of an interesting look at identity and a person’s potential, wrapped up in a kind of convoluted romance plot. But John Doe is a cool enough guy, especially when you look at memory loss episodes and how the individual still tends to shine through.

“Clues”

We brought up “Clues” recently when we discussed how Trek characters get possessed by entities quite a lot, so here’s a crossover in which they also lose their memories of meeting the Paxans. Like Pulaski performing a memory wipe on Sarjenka in “Pen Pals,” the reclusive aliens give a good brain cleaning to the Enterprise crew so that they don’t remember meeting them. Good for them!

“Conundrum”

Even better than the example in “Transfigurations” of amnesiac characters learning who they are is the episode “Conundrum.” The whole ship has lost their memories due to alien shenanigans, but the fascinating thing to watch is how the different crew members make assumptions about their identities through curiosity, logic, and wishful thinking while still acting fairly in character. They gravitate toward their natural personalities, which is kinda neat.

“Aquiel”

Trek doesn’t always nail mystery episodes, and “Aquiel” pulled out all the stops by including just about every red herring it could in this murder mystery in space. The top of those distractions was that the titular character couldn’t seem to remember anything about recent events for no good reason, except that there was a very good reason. Turns out nearly getting absorbed by a coalescent organism starts to wipe your memory. Who knew?

“Dark Page”

At some point (around, let’s say, “Half a Life”), TNG started writing Lwaxana Troi really well, and she gets a lot of really substantial character work in “Dark Page.” Lwaxana buried the memory of her deceased daughter somewhere in her mind. Maybe it’s a Betazoid thing. And in a much better memory-house adventure than catastrophes like “Distant Voices” and “Extreme Measures,” Deanna helps her through her trauma and it’s very sweet.

“Thine Own Self”

One more memory loss episode from TNG because there were just so many. With no memories of who he is or why he’s got so much radioactive material in his possession, Data makes himself comfortable on Barkon IV. Like the amnesia episodes discussed above, it’s very interesting to watch Data’s natural curiosity and intelligence pepper his actions even though he doesn’t know who he is as he saves the village from, well, himself.

“Equilibrium”

Moving on to other series, let’s trek over to Deep Space Nine and roll our eyes a whole bunch at how the Trill get retconned with just about every episode in which they’re the focus. It is from some big Trill conspiracy that the Dax symbiont had a whole past host’s memories removed so no one would know their big wormy secret. If it weren’t for Jadzia (or really, for Julian and Benjamin) uncovering the foul play, we’d have never learned about Joran. Oh no, big loss…

“Sons of Mogh”

Here’s another really unethical, rather uncomfortable one. If you can sort of shove Spock removing Kirk’s memories of Rayna under the rug, this one will be harder to justify. Bashir wipes Kurn’s memories with absolutely no consent because Klingon rituals seem barbaric and even less ethical to our soft Federation eyes. It’s a tough justification to make when you know that it goes against Kurn’s wishes. Ames wrote a whole fanfic about it. Frankly, he’s probably better off dead.

“The Killing Game”

Update 1/26/24: Apparently my memory got wiped at some point because I didn’t remember to include “The Killing Game” in this list when I first wrote it. But obviously the Hirogen blank the crew’s memories so they can play out their battle scenarios. And like in “Conundrum” and other amnesia episodes, it’s entertaining to see the similarities and differences between the French Resistance characters and their normal Starfleet personalities. No matter the circumstance, they will always fight for individuality.

“Unforgettable”

Moving on to our friends in the Delta Quadrant, let’s visit with the Ramurans for the very first time… every time we meet them! They’re a pretty neat race who naturally block memory engrams from forming in the people they interact with, and as a bonus they also have an instrument they can use on each other as well! So perhaps they can be blamed for how the romance between Kellin and Chakotay is adorable and yet perfectly forgettable.

“Latent Image”

On the podcast, we just covered “Latent Image,” which takes some of the squickier, nonconsensual memory wipe concepts we’ve just discussed, and actually brings the ethical debate to the forefront. It reminds me a bit of “Tuvix” which we liked so much because it explores the different sides of an equally impossible dilemma and puts a human face on it. Some may say Janeway makes a better decision here though.

“Workforce”

Update 1/26/24: Here’s one that we reviewed after this blogpost came out that I have to add since I never had these memories to begin with. When the whole crew gets abducted by the Quarren, they repress everyone’s memories so they’ll be docile, hardworking drones during their employment crisis. And like “The Killing Game,” it’s actually quite fascinating to watch how their personalities are reflected in their new characters, something I always love in memory wipe episodes. Tom loves B’Elanna no matter what, and it’s so cute.

“The Seventh”

Updated 1/26/24: Now that we’re finally doing our Enterprise watchthrough over on the podcast, I see I needed to add this T’Pol-centered episode to the memory wipes list. We learn that she underwent the fullara, a Vulcan mind-wiping technique that looks none too pleasant, because she was wracked with guilt for murdering a Vulcan defector to death. Apparently Vulcans aren’t logical enough to just get therapy.

“Observer Effect”

We brought up the Enterprise episode “Observer Effect” when we talked about possessions recently, so now I know to bring it up here too! Not only are the Organians possessing people’s bodies for periods of time, but they actively have a chat with a very pissed-off Phlox and wipe his recollection of it. Those guys’ definition of the Prime Directive has always been a little different.

“Despite Yourself”

Let’s jump ahead to Discovery. We didn’t mention this one on the podcast, but I wanted to bring it up here because it’s so messed up. L’Rell makes herself a sleeper agent when she crams Voq inside of Ash Tyler, turducken style, and blanks his memory, only to turn it back on later when it’s appropriate. And that happens to be in “Despite Yourself” when the poor guy is already having enough of an identity crisis.

“Reflections”

We here at SSHB (and I specifically) are quick to judgment of Lower Decks’s comedy, but it does also get a lot right, especially in the latest season! I’m particularly a big fan of Rutherford’s character arc, and the episode “Reflection” does some really great backstory building regarding his life before his implant, which is gone from his memory. He’s a fully different person from who he used to be, and I’m looking very forward to learning more as the show goes on! You never thought you’d hear me say that, didn’t you?

“A Moral Star” et alia

We give as much guff to Lower Decks as we heap praise onto Prodigy in its storytelling, characterizations, and pretty much everything else (opening title sequence, for instance). Somehow it’s still in season one as I write this so mild spoilers abound. I actually got chills when Gwyn lost her short-term memories by seeing Zero’s reflection outside their suit in “A Moral Star”. And then more chills later in the season as her and the Diviner’s memories are coming back! This plot development is still ongoing and I can’t encourage you more to check it out and see where they take it!

“Among the Lotus Eaters”

Update 1/26/24: Adding this one after the fact, so some spoilers for Strange New Worlds season two here. But this episode is just so clever in its use of memory to a very thought-provoking effect. The idea that memory is used as a way to control people and to exert power is so original and captivating that I just needed to come back and update this list. Knowledge of your own identity is literally power here on Rigel VII, and I’m such a fan of that kind of introspection.

—

My memories are returning, so let’s wrap this one up here. Let us know what other episodes you’ve remembered that have been purged from my mind somehow. Jot down a hand-written note to remind yourself to listen to the watch-along podcast over on SoundCloud or wherever you like to tune in, recall us on Facebook and Twitter, and remind me who you are again?

[deepspaceyikes]

discussion of DS9 and transgender subtext

TLDR: As a trans man I related to Odo building himself out of the men around him, and that's pretty cool!

The weird thing about DS9 is that, although the writers had no such intention, it's surprisingly good at offering LGBT+ rep. As a trans man, I found a lot of Jadzia and Odo moments to actually be incredible rep without any of the mishandling you might see a cis writer commit had they included this rep intentionally. Whether it be Jadzia correcting people who misgender her, or Odo mimicking the men around him, the amount of trans subtext in the show almost felt intentional at times. I think that's what made me connect with Odo so quickly. In the episode where we first meet Dr. Mora, it's made visually obvious to us as viewers that Odo copied Mora's hair style. I knew this was because he was a changeling and because of Mora's role in Odo's early life, but as a trans man it felt significant. He reminded me of the ways I've built myself out of the men around me over the years -- the way I've seen a man on the street's walk and tried to mimick it, or the way I've tried to mimick the wsy a man I admire dresses, or maybe the way he carries himself -- it was an episode that affirmed for me that Odo had undergone these experiences and knew what it was like. In a later episode, we see a younger Odo and younger Kira interacting on the station prior to the federation take over. He starts the conversation with her in a way he has seen other men do, and mistakenly makes her believe he is flirting with her. He's directly mimicking the mannerisms of men he's observed, which reasserted this feeling of transness for me.

A lot of people wish Odo had been romantically involved with Quark, or simply that he hadn't been involved with Kira at all, but leave his potential existence as a queer person at this. In fact, most of why I'm choosing to write this is because I've only ever seen people discuss Jadzia's transgender subtext.

It could be argued that Odo is poor representation because his transness, or lack thereof, is linked to his race. As a changeling he technically has no assigned gender -- if the star trek writers had declared all changelings as trans/enby rep I think many of us would be annoyed because of the commonness of claiming aliens, monsters, and the like as enby rep rather than providing human nonbinary characters. This being said, none of the other changelings seem to cling to gender like Odo does. He identifies as a man constantly in the show despite his race not seeming to have a gender binary. In this sense, I honestly don't think it would he unreasonable to argue him as canonically trans, but maybe that's taking it too far. The way he clings to gender could also be argued as just a piece of him clinging to solids' cultures. Regardless, as a trans man I connected with Odo very strongly throughout the series, and wanted to share a bit of my perspective because I've yet to see anyone else discuss this.

[grandtheftstarship]

Quietly (Spock x Wife!Reader) [Request!!]

“Hi! I’m a huge fan of Star Trek as well, and it’s funny that I’m close to your age! I’ll be sixteen very soon. I was wondering if perhaps you would write a Spock x Wife! Reader fic where Spock’s wife is generally very nervous and quiet, but very sweet, and she deals with a lot of Anxiety and Insomnia? And perhaps he tries to comfort her and aid her in sleep and being calmer? It would really be great bc I deal with both of those on the daily :) thx, LY! Live Long and Prosper, friend! ❤️ ~R”

Hiiii R!! This is so crazy because we are basically the same person omg. I’ve been meaning to write something like this for the longest time and then you requested!!! Stay strong sister!! Live Long and Prosper :D

p.s fun fact i wrote this entire thing and then ended up hating it so i rewrote it and now its so much better i really hope you like it

Warnings: a little angst, anxiety, basically 90% just fluff, short but sweet Word Count: 1571

request something!!

masterlist

You felt a warm hand on your shoulder, gently coaxing you awake. No, it couldn’t be morning already, could it? You had only just dipped your toes in the intoxicating pool that was sleep; how could it be over so soon? 

Your eyes peeked open and you were met with a lovely image of your husband leaning over you, the slightest smile on his lips. 

“Good morning,” Spock pressed a small kiss on your cheek before settling himself back down, head resting in the crook of your neck. You reached up to run your slender fingers through his soft hair, bliss soaring through your veins. Despite your lack of sleep, you would be happy to wake up like this any day. 

But, alas, it was all over so soon. Your fantasy of waking up on Earth to the sun shining through your bedroom window curled up next to Spock felt so close, yet so far. Space was your passion, but Spock was your home. You knew which one felt more important. 

Spock sat up and rolled out of the bed, stretching.

“Did you sleep?” He had learned that it wasn’t a question of if you slept ‘well’ anymore. He still asked every morning, but he always knew the answer. 

You frowned, shaking your head. Spock pulled his Starfleet shirt over his head before bending over the bed to kiss you quickly.

“I’m certain the doctor could prescribe some melatonin or a similar medical remedy to ease your situation.” And, every morning, he tried to offer help for your condition. It was endearing, truly, but you wished he would just quit mentioning it altogether.

“Thank you, but you know I don’t react well with medication,” you replied, yawning and dragging yourself up. You pulled off your sleep shirt and tugged your red dress over your head as you walked to the bathroom, giving Spock a kiss on the cheek as you strode past him. 

“Are you prepared for the away mission tomorrow?” he called from the bedroom. 

Shit. Your heart dropped with such force your knees felt weak. Shit shit shit!! Your mind immediately went into overdrive and suddenly you were spiraling down a rabbit hole of different scenarios - all ending with either your death, Spock’s death, or just death in general. What if you got attacked? What if you killed everyone else in a shuttle crash and you had to live with the guilt for the rest of your life? There were so many things that could go wrong; one misstep, one miscalculation -you shook your head violently, snapping yourself out of it. You gripped the counter tightly and started taking deep breaths. It's fine. You were going to be just fine. Yeah... fine. It’s nothing. You were only going to be operating a shuttlecraft with twelve people aboard for the first time, three of which were your best friends. Fine. Just fine. 

You had barely noticed your hairbrush slip from your other hand until the clatter shook you from your thoughts. Spock rushed in without missing a beat, placing a comforting hand on your back. Using his other hand, he brushed stray hairs from your eyes and lifted your chin up so he could meet your gaze. This wasn’t the first time he was there to ease you back down to reality. 

“Hey, Hey. You are going to be okay,” he cooed softly, rubbing circles on your back. You shut your eyes and took a long, deep breath. 

“I will be with you for the duration of the mission,” he reassured you. “I promise you, I will not leave your side.”

You felt relieved, but a lingering sense of unease remained. You threw your arms around your husband before pressing a quick kiss to his lips. 

“Thank you,” you beamed up at him. “Really, you don’t need to do this.”

“There is nothing I wouldn’t do to help you, [y/n],” the smallest of smiles danced on his lips. He gave you a quick kiss on your forehead before exiting the bathroom, letting you finish getting ready. You bent down, picking up the hairbrush, frowning at the cracked handle. You would have to put that on the list of things to grab at the next starbase. 

As you brushed your hair anyway, you thought hard about your schedule for the day, planning out things to do to avoid dwelling on the events tomorrow would hold too much. It worked, A little. 

As you were putting the finishing touches on your morning routine, Spock poked his head in. 

“Are you ready to leave?”

“Yep.” You sighed heavily, smoothing nonexistent wrinkles from your uniform. Before you could stop yourself, you turned away from the mirror and headed for the door, grabbing Spock’s hand and pulling him into the hallway.

                                                        ᓚᘏᗢ

After you and Spock ate breakfast, you went down to engineering for your job assignment. Unfortunately, Scotty didn’t have much for you to do, so you did ensign-level jobs for him to pass the time. Anything to quell the storm that was your anxiety.

You had tried so many times to find remedies for your condition; work, sleep, staying as busy as possible. Hell, Spock had quickly become a coping mechanism for you and was more successful than any of your other less-desirable options. Unfortunately, since he was a real person and an officer, he couldn’t be there for you all the time as you worked on opposing ends of the ship. This typically ended up with you spiraling and having to pull yourself out on your own. 

Out of your four options, work was probably the least effective. There was too much time to think; too much time for your demons to sink their claws into your brain. And, since the one person who was able to fully calm you down was unreachable, escape was sometimes impossible. 

Scotty had given you the small job of making sure the heating and cooling pipes on the starboard side of engineering and since the job was oh-so-simple, there was way too much time for your mind to wander. You tried so hard, you really did, to think about anything else, but the looming mission continued to push itself to the forefront of your mind. It wasn’t long before it would take over you once again. 

                                                        ᓚᘏᗢ

You didn’t know how long you had been lying awake. The minutes ticked by like days, seconds passed like hours. Spock was curled around you tightly, trying to make you feel safe enough to sleep and it had worked for a little while, but fear had wound itself into a tight knot in your stomach. You had never been assigned to an away mission before and you were absolutely terrified out of your mind. Horror stories of officers going missing, getting mauled or eaten by monstrous aliens, dying painful, horrific deaths in any way you could imagine plagued your thoughts. You remembered back to the instructional class about manning a shuttle, the sole reason you were going on the mission, and your stomach lurched at the thought of the graphic photos they had shown of shuttle crashes during the safety portion of the course. Panic started building in your chest, your legs began to shake and you knew what was coming. You tried not to wake Spock, but a sob you had tried to contain wrenched its way out of your mouth as some sort of strangled gasp and your husband was instantly awake and leaning over you. You heard him speaking to you, but the only sounds you were able to make were choked cries and before you knew it you were in the midst of a full-on breakdown. Panic set your body on fire, lightning-fast images of possible outcomes to the mission flashed across your eyes, tears streaming down your face as you bawled into Spock’s bare chest. 

“I can’t!” you sobbed over and over. “I can't!”

Spock had never held you so tightly, grasping across your back with one hand, the other tangled in your hair, clutching you into his chest. He rocked you softly as you started calming down, humming soft tunes in your ear as your wails turned to sniffles. Despite your trouble sleeping, mere minutes after you had stopped crying you had fallen asleep. 

Spock didn’t let go of you for the rest of the night. He leaned back down on the bed, curling back around you and holding you close. He contemplated canceling the away mission until you were more up for it, but he decided it would probably be best to discuss it with you in the morning. 

He eventually drifted off, only to wake a mere two hours later to the sound of your alarms. He quickly shut them off, not wanting to wake you since you had finally gotten the sleep you so desperately needed. Without moving too much as to wake you, Spock reached for his padd and canceled the mission anyway, as well as excusing himself and you from duty for the day. You needed your rest, especially after a night like the one you had just experienced and he knew he needed to be there for you. 

He set the padd back down on the bedside table before climbing back under the covers and wrapping his arms around you. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for you. He loved you, after all.  

[kinetic-elaboration]

April 25: 2x16 The Gamesters of Triskelion

Finally watched some more Star Trek. I feel like it’s been forever...

Today’s ep is The Gamesters of Triskelion, which is... okay. It’s not terrible but I think its best aspects are the most familiar: the type of alien, the moral values at play; and its weakest are its most unique.

I think Spock likes it when Kirk says “mind the store.” What a folksy human thing to say!

Plus now that he’s Captain he gets to sit in the chair.

This conversation between Spock and Scotty is hilarious. “I’m assuming you mean they disappeared in an unusual way??” “Uh, yeah?? Do you think I’m dumb?”

This alien looks like Lady Gaga c. 2010

Kirk is being very Dramatic today.

Come on, Spock, gotta get your man.

You know Spock is worried when he mentions hope. That is, as McCoy says, a human emotion.

“Collars of obedience.” Kinky.

Stylish pink jail.

I’m really feeling this Spock and Bones interaction today. That’s a great eyebrow lift.

If the random alien is leaving, Uhura must have been his ass down.

“Nourishment interval.” We need to bring this into our modern vocabulary.

Not one, but TWO ladies in command gold today (one at Communications, and one at Spock’s station).

Wild aquatic fowl.

I feel like this episode is another example of a writer putting her alien sex fantasy on television. Like, a hardcore alien sex fantasy. The obedience collars, the training harness, the whipping, the weird flirtation between Chekov and his “training thrall”--herself a very androgynous alien, just to throw some gender play in there.

Kirk turning up the charm again. I missed Charming!Kirk. I mean, picking up a silver platter to use as a mirror and saying “That’s beautiful”? This man has no shame.

I feel like this episode shows how Spock’s logic is actually a very effective life strategy. He’s facing a very mysterious situation with high stakes--literally his best friend/soulmate/captain lost, plus two more crewmen--but he isn’t defeatist like McCoy or defensive like Scotty. He just follows the evidence, even when the evidence seems wild. And he was right.

Detective Kirk time!

“Are they computers?” He’s hoping so, since he’s very good at defeating computerized enemies.

Could it be instead another example of aliens who have transcended their physical bodies?

He is really laying the charm offensive on thick here.

I get how people have vague memories of TOS and remember Kirk as slutty, because certainly there are lots of shots of him kissing ladies, but like... 90% of the time he's using charm as a weapon, like he doesn't like Lady Gaga, he just wants to get off this planet.

“Love, for one thing.” Time for Kirk to be a Romantic Nerd again. He sure does love love!!

See imo just as it’s ridiculous for him to limit love to being one of the most important things on Earth, since he barely even spends any time on Earth and his general thesis is about what all intelligent creatures can care about besides their basic needs being met by “Providers,” I think it’s silly to limit love to being between men and women. And just as he’s kinda lying about the Earth thing, I think he’s lying about the heterosexual thing.

People in love “live together, help each other, make each other happy.” I love his definitions of love!! Like with Edith, he center helping each other in the definition.

McCoy and Scotty think they can take on Spock lmao. The Captain’s life is at stake; he’s not fooling around. And he’s right too so y’all can shush!!

Honestly, that leaning down to talk quietly to them--I know it’s because he doesn’t want to say the word “mutiny” too loud where other people can hear him, but it really reads like he’s mocking them.

Shauhna is harassed at work.

Spock’s like ‘screw a landing party, I will retrieve my space husband by myself... and I guess McCoy can come too.’

McCoy’s voice was the one Kirk heard but he still calls out to Spock.

Mmm, yes, disembodied alien brains.

I like the painted background behind them, too. Which is apparently stolen from Devil in the Dark. S2 needs more painted backgrounds.

“You think YOU’RE competitive? A race that does nothing but gamble? Well you’ve never met humans lol.”

Since when has Kirk ever competed for a woman? Hardly a competition when he always wins.

“Fresh thrall” something so... ugh about that phrase.

Ah, yes, an Andorian.

I’m starting to feel like this is Spock’s Pre-Reform Vulcan Sex Fantasy.

I feel like Shauhna will eventually become the leader of the Triskellion people. My mom thinks it would be cool for Kirk to meet her again in the future. I feel like there’s a fanfic in there somewhere...

“I didn’t lie, I just...lied.”

Honestly, don’t bother leaving everything to these disembodied colorful brains, just take Shauhna with you and enlist her in Starfleet. Or at least, like, high school.

...And after all that she STILL has a crush on Kirk. The man is too powerful.

What, no return to the Enterprise? No Kirk appearing shirtless on the bridge? No everyone acknowledges that Spock was right the whole time? No awkward little joking time?

I guess perhaps Kirk is embarrassed.

So overall... again, B basically.

As far as commonly used tropes in Star Trek go, this one is actually one of my favorite ones. I like it more than “godlike man must be defeated” and probably even more than “computer runs society,” though not as much as “old Earth tech becomes sentient.” But generally speaking “aliens transcend corporeal bodies by becoming too smart” is a good trope and I like seeing the different spins on it: the Organians, who can choose corporeal bodies if they want and are incredibly peaceful; the aliens from Return to Tomorrow, who wish they still had bodies; the aliens from The Cage/The Menagerie, who do have bodies but can’t do much with them, who must rely on aliens they capture to do physical work on the planet’s surface for them; and these aliens, who are so bored they must rely on arbitrary wagers using enslaved aliens just to have something to do. There’s something sort of... sad but fitting about that fate. Understandable, awful, pathetic. Still, I wouldn’t call this my favorite take on the trope.

But the specifics of the story, outside the “brain-aliens trope,” I didn’t like so much. The BDSM kink stuff mixed in with like actual slavery made me super uncomfortable. I know it’s based on Ancient Rome but like... even though it was a clear bread and circuses situation, that was not what I was thinking of tbqh.

This is a good episode for showcasing Star Trek Values, which overall I would say are my values. I do see how some people today would criticize them for being a little... well. How to say it. Colonizer-savior. I completely disagree that this is the reading that should be given to them and in fact I think it’s a bad faith reading but people are the way they are and certain things are in vogue sometimes and not others, so. I just mean that when Kirk says that they (the Federation, one would assume) have helped other civilizations “progress” or whatever word he uses, it sounds a little like they came in and made alien societies better using their own values. But I would say that what we actually see, in specific examples throughout the series, is the Federation wanting the civilizations it interacts with to be free, in fact requiring members state to be free, and that is really the one value a free society can impose on others or require of others--choosing slavery or dominion is choosing to relinquish all future choices, and thus cannot be allowed by any society that values freedom. That catch-22 that we see so much now. So, my point is, I think the values Kirk epitomizes for the show are freedom, self-determination, and a certain conception of progress, too: the ability to grow and develop, the avoidance of stagnation. And certainly this episode shows a clear case: having everything provided for you in exchange for being the professional playthings of a bunch of disembodied brains is objectively bad! Surely we can all agree on that. But this obvious example is used as an excuse for Kirk to speechify on the topic of what a utopian future will look like, what the best of humans can be, and what the rest of the universe could be like if it learns from our best traits (and not our worst). Which is overall something I find very comforting.

I’d just been thinking, at the beginning of this episode, that I think S1 is a better Kirk season than S2. S2 has too many episodes that problematize his leadership or his heroism, or that barely even use him--even episodes like The Trouble With Tribbles that outright mischaracterize him imo. But this episode really was Classic Kirk and I appreciated that. We see him being charming, smart, selfless, strong, creative, romantic... coming in at the end to embody the utopian values of the series.

Spock was so well characterized and so smart and so heroic, too, that he kinda was the mvp for me, though... Don’t take away my Kirk stan card lol. Spock was just so In Command... You can see how he could become a captain later, even if being in command never really interested him much.

I don’t entirely get why Kirk bargained for the thralls to all stay and make their own government (or to be trained in self-governance by their enslavers... a whole different issue tbqh), given that it’s already been established that most/all of them have been kidnapped from other planets. Should they not be... returned?

And if most/all of them are 2nd or later generations, that’s a whole other complex issue that could perhaps use third party mediators or something...

I also wondered about Shahna's origins. Was she the descendant of another civilization that is native to the planet, or is it just that her people were kidnapped so much earlier that she herself, personally, has never lived anywhere else?

I think it both makes more sense and is a more fitting ending if it’s the first. It makes sense to me that the first peoples enslaved by the brains were natives of the planet: more convenient that way. Also, I think we need to see more alien planets with more than one humanoid or human-intelligence level species.

And, if her people are native to the planet, having them become leaders of their own right again and not just possessions of the glowing brains is more powerful. Otherwise it's kinda sad: yes, they can form their own government here, but they've still been robbed of their real history and their real homeland, which they don't even remember.

Also as my mom pointed out, it’s not clear the brains themselves are native to the planet. They could have been invaders--the last real thing they did before they started wagering fake money--and Shauhna’s people the natives.

I really did like Shahna a lot and I hope she becomes the leader of whatever government they set up and eventually does get to travel into space.

Imo this was one of those TOS eps where the potential back story and the hints of world building are more interesting than the actual story.

Also apparently the actor who played Galt was trying to walk in a gliding manner so it wouldn’t be clear what he was hiding under those robes and... I have to say, definitely wheels.

Next up is A Piece of the Action, one of my favorites. Great plot, great fun, great sci fi concept, great Kirk material!

[aenslem]

Doctor Who Tag Game

Tagged by: @thirteenstardisfam thank youu and i am so sorry it is so super long lmao i did not mean too, but somehow ended up with it, and also i think i will make fandom hate me for some stuff about 11, but i love him! don’t you dare to think otherwise :’D

im tagging: @tennant @luke-skywalker @panlyra @stupidape @buffyrosenbergs @expelliarmus idk who of you whovians wanna do it out there feel free to say i tagged you and go on ;)

Favourite Doctor:  still Ten, i love 12 and 13 almost as much, even if not harder atm, but if it comes to choosing 1 fav doctor then it’s always Ten, so far no one stepped higher for me :’D I loved his era, i loved so many episodes with him, his season arcs, his companions, his relationships with everyone, and this is the only Doctor whose regeneration was smooth for me, he was continuation of Ninth Doctor and it felt like that. I was not like ‘but he is so different in so many ways’ nope, never. Maybe it’s because companions were the same, everyone was still around which was great btw, and I fell in love with the show with Tenth Doctor, dare I say that I stopped watching back then when Matt Smitt became doctor? lmao, must be shock for some but yes, I dropped this show because of THAT lmao??now i laugh at my own self but yeah, i did. where’s everyone, why it feels so different? that was huge nope. Only years later I got back into it, thanks to amazing Michelle Gomez. Actually I was not even going to watch other doctors at that moment, but I watched episodes only with Missy, then i said well it’s not bad I like it and Missy and Twelve were?? OOOF LOVES OF MY LIFE FOR SURE because their relationship were so cool and of course i loved it, so i started a huge rewatch, the first since i dropped the show. Fell in love with Doctor/Master all over again, Ten was as amazing as I remembered, Nine was perfect and I love him too!!! and then... i got to s5... oh god, i was like, let’s give him a chance, what do i lose? but it still felt so weird, and the show was so different, and suddenly everyone else is so important but where are old characters? but i got into it because i have already seen some of 12′s episodes and i got used to the style?? i guess. and then River appeared, not because of her but around episode 5 or 6 i was into it already, not as much as i was before but anyway, maybe weeping angels helped because i loved them and it reminded me of Ten, i felt some kind of a connection to old doctor. I liked River with 10, i thought i will like her with 11 too... but alas, still felt like you know those boys who have never had sex but try to act like they know everything about it and hit on every moving thing and think they do it cool? :D i am sorry if i hurt someone’s feelings with it, but that’s how 11 was for me back then, and while I do understand river/11 it’s the least of all river ships for me, 11 is still the least fav doctor because of those feelings i had back then when i stopped watching, they are not rational i know that now but still feel them, but i love him now, and will protect that kid at all costs! i love ponds, i will kill if anyone says anything bad about Rory Williams! and Amy and Rory? quoting my favorite star trek couple? DUDE WE GO TOGETHER OR NOT AT ALL!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! and even if i was not into all river/11 relationship i loved the story, and of course i liked 12, but s8 still feels like what the hell for me, not because of the doctor but because they tried so hard to show clara as bossy, i mean, i liked her with 11 and then suddenly they turn her into some control freak, it was not so MUCH with 11... but i know now why they did it, so Missy’s words have an effect and all. but still, i love clara before and after s8 :’D s9 clara? i will kill for her too. it’s too long but idk  :’D and actually, this shows that if you give it a chance even if you don’t like actor/actress at first - you might love the show ;) so stop acting like jodie is miscast honestly, i am ready to fight anyone for saying that :D say whatever you want about plot choices, but do not fucking act like it’s Jodie’s fault! actors are not responsible for show runner choices. She acts amazing with the material she has. anyway, 10 is my fav idiot!

Favourite Master: Missy, always was and always shall be. My favorite character in general in the show, no one tops my girl!

Favourite Sonic: honestly? i don’t really remember any sonic but 12′s glasses :D so... glasses. I mean, i don’t really care how it looks like, it does its job... most of the time lmao, but i liked those glasses and the thing with browser history was my fav :D

Favourite Companion: oh it’s soooo hard!!! either Donna or Bill. I can’t choose. but yeah, those are both with whom there were no ‘romantic’ relationship implied, i love friends more than couples. and I just loved 10 and Donna as a team and Bill and 12, i still wish they had more time. also Martha, the smartest companion lol she was amazing.

Favourite Story: anything involving The Master :D all episodes with them are my favs, but i can’t just pick one story, i still remember the first episode i watched back when it was airing and are you my mummy stuck in my head for the rest of my life giving me brrrr feeling, like it was not scary but somehow made me super uncomfortable? also vashta nerada?? duuuuude, you can’t just look at the shadow the same way. and ten/river together were really great, i mean, he did not know who is she, the mystery, i love shit like that?? yeesss!!!!! there are so many great ones. I don’t want to choose.

Favourite Soundtrack: that unreleased tiny melody when the master dies in the last of the time lords T--T and this is gallifrey and clara’s theme! those are my favs. and I also really like 11′s theme, kinda ready for adventures and doing some weird but funny shit :D

Dream Actor for next Doctor: ooooof OOOOF dude! you know what, usually it is one actor for 3 seasons, that’s how it was for the last 3 doctors, i want Jodie to break that rule and stay with us for 4th season as well, i just want to see how pissed off those haters will be lmao i really really think the entire timeless child thing will not feel the same with someone else yet, and i don’t think they will reveal much in 13th season, that’s HUGE thing, or they should make it so good and the next doctor... aaah i don’t want to feel that change again, like i did with 10 to 11, and felt with the every next doctor, but i overcome that shit and just give them a chance, it’s the doctor after all and im sure loving all of them now. not sure it can disappoint me even if most of plot choices in the season are ... weak. idk who, there are so many great actors but whoever i choose will not be as great as someone they choose, because they always somehow cast amazing people, but i agree with emily it’s time for a doctor of color! tho, they can’t go back to white male actor right now, i just can imagine how it will look like, with all the hate Jodie received and how people still whine about female doctor, it will look like they tried and decided to go back to white male doctors, one half will be happy but the other one will eat them alive! so yeah, i am pretty sure it’s not gonna be white man again yet lol

Dream Composer: idk

Dream Story: well, considering 13 is in jail now, i would love to see someone “we know” rescuing her, because honestly if they just showed me jack and left it like that, i will not accept it!!! but also since yaz will be the only one left with the doctor, since bradley and tosin leave the show, i hope we will have some yaz and doctor relationship development without anyone else, maybe jack could stay because i love him, but jack’s presence did not hurt doctor and rose relationship development back then, so it should not hurt now also. but if they bring someone new, at least don’t make it right away, let yaz and 13 have an adventure at least 1 episode, some talk and stuff. so when yaz leaves also... (and i kind of had that stupid feeling that yaz will die in the end, because somehow everything hints on that for me? idk maybe it’s because i rewatched and giffed orphan 55 today and vilma (?) telling yaz to run and stay alive kinda felt like something that hints on yaz’s future... and yaz is always going somewhere without thinking, to random alien ship, to save the doctor, she steps into trouble like a doctor hoping everything will somehow be ok, but im not even sure she hopes, it’s more like i am as good as her so i can do it, not in clara’s way when everything hinted she is like the doctor, because let’s be honest she was and even got her own tardis, but she thinks she is, but she is not, i think some day that might end bad for her... so when she also leaves i don’t want it be like well yeah, what’s next? i mean, i still miss Bill, that was like NOOOOOO with tears and screams for me, i loved Bill! and we had 2 seasons with yaz and i still don’t feel the same connection to any of the current companions atm, so i would like the show to make me love them more, i do love them, just not as much as those i still miss, but im sure defending any of them lmao i love them anyway. you know what i mean...

A Companion You’d like to see back: oh OH. we cant bring them back for entire season right? but doctor can meet Donna at some point, which will have no point lmao cos she doesn’t remember and it will only hurt doctor and i don’t see how her appearance will help any plot, it will be just fanservice cameo. But Bill is out there with Heather, they are powerful creatures now, i think it could somehow fit into the story, I want Bill back. But also, Clara is still one heartbeat away from death, she can be out there, and she has tardis. tiny cameos will be fine for me :D and Martha, but also Madam Vastra and Jenny, Kate and Osgood, where they are??? bring them back and it can make sense, their appearances. I mean, imagine someone from UNIT in s11, not unit itself but osgood??? it would feel so much different. 

An Enemy/Alien/Creature you’d like to see again: weeping angels!!!! OOOF they were creepy, and i love them, like, DON’T BLINK!!! how can you not blink for so long? that is cool, i want them back. and also the most beautiful shots are always with angels so... :’D

If you could travel with one of the Doctors, which Doctor and why?: oooh, while 10 is my fav, and I totally would hit on 13 :D i will choose 12, 12 from season 10, because he was such a grandpa, no lovey dovey stuff, he would lecture me on thing i do, give me new info about something, we would explore shit together and he would be like a grandpa i never had. We would definitely have long discussions about stuff and have good laugh together and i would make references to movies and then we would watch those movies :D i would act like Bill lmao yess i want to travel with 12!!!

[jacquerel]

I played Fiasco with Sol and my two sisters today and we had a good time

We were playing with a Star Trek themed playbook, as it was something both my sisters would be familiar with (we decided not to go with Muppets or X-Files).

Sol was Security Chief Vi Quartro, star trek alien which is essentially a human with a prehensile tail I was First Officer Flash Branson, star trek alien which is essentially a human but they always wear sunglasses Carys was Captain Neurocognate, a human who graduated from “sunfleet” with flying colours Emma was Zolgo, Ambassador for the Zolgan Empire, a large furby with extendable arms

Vi Quartro and Zolgo had a relationship of Security Officer/Petty Criminal, as Zolgo's chief desire was to acquire additional wealth for the Zolgan empire, they met up occasionally in the gym Flash Branson and Vi Quartro were both contestants vying for the same job (Captain), who also shared a valuable alien fish who lives in their shared quarters Captain Neuro and First Officer Branson were Captain and First Officer, who collectively needed to make the profit of a lifetime Zolgo and Captain Neuro were "a blunderer and repairer", in that Captain Neuro is a very bad captain but Zolgo needs to help them maintain their position because they have influence over Neuro, in the form of a "mind-linking device"

The first scene is the Captain, Security Chief, and First Officer meeting to discuss the recent diplomatic talks with the Zolgans (which ended with Zolgo joining the crew as a permanent ambassador) where Vi mentions that some things have been going missing aboard ship lately, and both Vi and Flash notice that the Captain is acting erratically and begin thinking of personal advancement

Zolgo and the Captain meet privately, where it is revealed that Zolgo is sending weird visions to Neuro through an alien earpiece which Neuro believes are her own thoughts, in order to try to manipulate her into redirecting funds to the Zolgan empire. The Captain feels a "strange connection" to Zolgo and essentially believes that they are in love

Flash retires to his personal quarters and considers how much money he could sell he and Vi's rare fish for, in order to accomodate the Captain's sudden wishes for additional funds, but Vi walks in and the two have a tense conversation about what he was doing

Zolgo and Vi meet up coincidentally while they are working out in the gym, and Vi tries to wrestle with her suspicions that the alien ambassador might be behind some recent thefts (especially as this scene establishes their culture as being largely wealth-centric, in comparison to Vi’s culture which values physical performance and honour) but also wonders if maybe she’s just alien racist Zolgo is using the monkey bars under 12x gravity. Zolgo tries to probe Vi to find out where the crew keep the large stores of treasure they surely have, but Vi lies and says that it is kept in the Captain’s Office (while there actually isn’t any treasure at all) in hopes of tricking Zolgo into doing something obviously untoward.

We flash forward to Vi and Flash out on a mission (on a planet which looks suspiciously like a quarry in Wales) to track down information about a galactic fugitive known as “Onyxfinger”. Vi uses the opportunity for privacy to take Flash aside and try to ask if Flash agrees that Zolgo is supicious, but Flash believes that Vi is trying to manipulate him into making false accusations against the important diplomat so that Vi will replace the Captain when they convince the Captain to take a health break (she is complaining of regular headaches, induced by the mind-linking device)

also two redshirts die in the background while they’re talking

Flash meets up with Zolgo in the space bar (its spherical and has no gravity, run by a startender (star bartender) who is also spherical) where it is established that the ship is called the SES Cool Tapes, because all Sunfleet vessels are named by public poll and they tend to give frivolous answers Flash manages to offend Zolgo multiple times as he attempts to cozy up to Zolgo so that he can take over the captain’s diplomatic job later, but repairs relations by showing off his valuable fish and thus establishing himself as someone with wealth and power They establish a relationship, and Flash hints that if he had more power over the funding he might be able to set up a breeding program for his valuable fish

The Captain starts to misinterpret Zolgo’s mental conditioning, and rather than desiring “more wealth, for the Zolgans” begins desiring “more Zolgan wealth, for me, the captain”, and propositions that Zolgo and Flash both go on an expedition back to Zolgan space (which they only left about a week ago) to bring back some Zolgan wealth in order to improve the standing of the ship. Flash’s reluctance to leave the ship (and thus have less chance of becoming Captain) only earns suspicion from the increasingly paranoid Captain.

Zolgo and Flash, now on board one of the ship’s smaller landing vessels (The Runaway) alongside two disposable ensigns, decide to ignore their orders and divert course to return to the planet of the fugitive Onyxfinger, on account of the fact that Flash is an abysmal diplomat who is constantly offending Zolgan customs and that Onyxfinger has a valuable item (his Onyx Finger) which Zolgo wants, ostensibly as a bargaining chip with the Zolgans but actually because they just want it

The tilt introduces “A stupid plan, executed flawlessly”, and “A fantastic chase”

Vi and the Captain reconvene on the bridge, and oddly with Zolgo off the ship the Captain is feeling somewhat clearer of head. Vi is concerned with the direction they are heading and would rather continue to pursue their original mission with Onyxfinger, and the Captain reluctantly agrees (though takes rapid offence at Vi’s implication that her headaches began at the same moment that the Zolgan contingent arrives, because she still believes that they are a flawless people). The scene ends as they discover that The Runaway has diverted course back to Onyxfinger’s planet already.

Zolgo and Flash create a cunning plan mid-firefight, in which Zolgo will pretend to sell Flash to Onyxfinger as leverage and then they will use this opportunity to steal what they can and get out of there (Flash being more of an action hero kind of First Officer than one with particular dedication to Sunfleet’s diplomatic values), meanwhile both of their ensigns are disintegrated

We flash forward to Vi and the Captain, who have also landed on the planet, in negotiation with the criminal Onyxfinger, who claims that he only raids nearby space traffic because his quarry planet has little arable land and they have nothing to eat, his species’ intimidating look (with 12 mouths and 8 sets of barbed mandibles per mouth) makes people unwilling to deal with them, and besides they have little to trade except rocks. Stealing from nearby ships (mostly Zolgan) allows them to trade with the Zolgan empire for food in order to survive. This convinces Vi that they should show leniency, but the Captain is driven into a frenzy by the fact that Onyxfinger is badmouthing the Zolgans (with whom she has become re-infatuated, now that she is on the same planet as Zolgo again) and the scene ends as she pulls out a gun and shoots someone.

We flash backwards for a dream that the Captain had while napping off a headache in the SES Cool Tape’s second lander (the Starseeker) where she dreams about having a romantic dinner with Zolgo. During this conversation Zolgo is introduced to the concept of ice cream, and we learn that Zolgo is only a larval form and that when they reach full adulthood they  will look... mostly the same, but 1/3rd the size (the size of a real life furby). Zolgo finds it strange that humans actually get larger as they age, rather than smaller. The intention of this dream from Zolgo’s side is to instil in the Captain a sense that she should sacrifice herself for the Zolgan people (to make way for Flash, who is helping Zolgo more efficiently), and the dream ends as a gunman tries to shoot Zolgo, the Captain jumps in the way, and Zolgo reassures her as she dies (and the gunman dies of sudden cardiac arrest) that she made the right decision, leading to her frantic behaviour in the previous scene.

Vi and the Captain are in a frantic battle with Onyxfinger’s forces, as Vi fights with three swords (one in her tail) and tries to persuade Onyxfinger that they can still end this peacefully. Onyxfinger retorts that the Captain opened fire, and that he will happily negotiate in peace if only Vi shoots the Captain first. Vi cannot bring herself to do it and is gravely wounded by Onyxfinger, but Captain Neuro uses this opportunity to fatally shoot him, and due to Vi’s hesitation is now entirely trusting of her. The Captain drags Vi to the Starseeker, from which they see the Runaway already taking off back towards the SES Cool Tapes.

We flash backwards a little more to Zolgo and Flash also negotiating with Onyxfinger, but more successfully. Zolgo manages to convince Onyxfinger that having Flash will allow Onyxfinger to negotiate with Sunfleet for food, in exchange for stopping his raids on the Zolgans, which makes everyone happy. All that Onyxfinger has to do is help Zolgo replace Captain Neuro with Flash so that he can speak in Onyxfinger’s favour with Sunfleet, meaning that in the previous scene Onyxfinger was never negotiating in good faith and simply wanted Vi to shoot Captain Neuro so that Flash could become Captain in her place.

Now begins a chase to see who makes it back to the SES Cool Tapes first, with one ship containing Vi and Captain Neuro, while the other contains Zolgo, Flash, and a lot of treasure “liberated” from Onyxfinger. None of the other crew who accompanied either team survived, apart from Cyber-Worf, an android who is the only competent member of the bridge team and whose engineering work allows the Starseeker to keep pace even though the Runaway had a pretty big head start.

Unfortunately, Zolgo and Flash are the first to reach the mothership, and Flash announces over the ship communicator that Captain Neuro has executed someone without trial in clear breach of Sunfleet protocol and as a result, that he is taking command of the ship until an inquest can be performed into Neuro’s erratic behaviour.

While moving into his new office (and replacing the captain’s fish tank with his own), Flash finds Zolgo rooting around looking for the treasure that Vi promised would be in there but which obviously doesn’t actually exist. While trying to find out where the treasure actually is, Zolgo learns that there isn’t any, but also that Flash plans to just leave the treasure they took from Onyxfinger locked up in the Runaway, with the reasoning that “it’s pretty well locked up and barely anyone knows how to fly that thing anyway”.

Then it’s time for conclusions!

Chief Vi Quartro got a Black 9 (”Nothing to write home about”) Flash Branson got a White 8 (”Nothing to crow about”) Captain Neuro got a Black 2 (”Brutal”) Zolgo got a White 11 (”Pretty good”)

Chief Quartro spends some time recovering from her wounds in the med-bay, and is promoted to acting first officer by acting captain Flash, but finds herself wondering what would have gone differently if she had just shot the Captain herself. Eventually she requests transfer to a new ship, and aboard the SES Wyldstyle finds herself once again entangled with the machinations of the Zolgan empire. This time, if the situation comes up, she’s ready to kill her boss.

Flash Branson spends some time luxuriating in his new role of Captain, but is unable to enjoy it for too long as eventually Sunfleet bureaucracy catches up and he must return to his old role in favour of a new Captain, fresh-faced and straight out of the academy. He spends his last moments in the camera staring into his fish tank and musing about how he can possibly manage this a second time.

Zolgo absconds with all of the treasure in the Runaway, but the ship is blasted by gunfire and most of the loot is lost before they can make it back to Zolgan space. Nevertheless, they arrive in the capital with the Onyx Finger and also the new concept of “ice cream”, upon which they become powerful and important. Eventually Zolgo is reassigned as diplomat to another species (the same species as Vi Quartro) and lives to an old age there. The last shot of Zolgo is set far in the future, where they are now the size of your average Furby, and are sending back new culinary discoveries from the planet of Vi’s people to the Zolgan empire.

Captain Neuro is fired from Sunfleet and her life collapses entirely. She drinks and sleeps and does little else, apart from scratch the itch from the Zolgan earpiece she is still wearing. The visions she is receiving grow stronger and stronger and eventually she finds herself living entirely through Zolgo and experiencing their life instead of her own. Unfortunately, Zolgo’s feelings of achievement and satisfaction are not mirrored across their link, and Neuro is left alone and bereft.

We had a good time! I would do it again, maybe at Christmas.

[seeingdoublestans]

Roommate Swap: The Sequel

Stanford

Yesterday, as some of you might be aware, was the day of my interview with Lily about supernatural activity at Notanunnery. The information gained was priceless, and I will be sure to include it in a separate post, but for now, I will talk solely about my date. 

The interview took place on Notanunnery’s campus, so of course I met with Jasmine afterwards. We spent the night watching Star Trek, and discussed Knife Man in the morning. We have planned a cryptid hunt for tonight, and look forward to either meeting Knife Man or disproving Knife Man’s existence.

Dear Jasmine, I can’t wait to see you tonight. Whether we find Knife Man or not, it will have been time well-spent, because I will have spent it by your side.

Stanley

damn ford you didnt even talk about the roommate swap

what happened is lily went over to my dorm for the night and ford stayed at jasmines place. AND ALSO BELLA CAME. We did tons of stuff, like watcing Alien and eating pizza, and I lifted em both at the same time. My date mates know how to have a damn good time! 

Also, I’m Lily’s boyfriend now too! finally living the best poly life out there, with the best date mates love can find ya! ;) 

but just for the record these people went to dairy queen without me, just so you know. just ‘cause they’re perfect, doesn mean they dont make mistakes sometimes. Next time they go theyll get me a Reeses blizzard. maybe 2 of em to make up for last time. ;) they’re cool like that.

so ford made me go to the worst class of all time (don’t even ask, ugh) and after that we got lunch down at the shwarma place near the campus. Somehow the whole crew came, even Jasmine. Ford had to run off like a nerd to his next class, and the rest of us ate our schawrmas at my place. So that’s everything goin on today so far, and yesterday. I dont have the selfie Lily took but maybe I’ll upload it when she does, if thats cool with them. you wish you could look as good as us ;)

[aion-rsa]

Star Trek: Enterprise – An Oral History of Starfleet’s First Adventure

https://ift.tt/3C98oDS

Before Discovery or Strange New Worlds, the early days of the future as postulated by Star Trek were explored in the television series Star Trek: Enterprise. Celebrating its 20th anniversary at the end of the month, it was set roughly 75 years prior to The Original Series, during the fledgling days of Starfleet, when humanity was first venturing out into the cosmos. 

Scott Bakula as Jonathan Archer captained the first starship given the name Enterprise, leading a team consisting of humans, a Vulcan, and a Denobulan. The voyage wasn’t always a smooth one, but certainly an important part of the canon. What follows, presented in oral history format, is a look back at the show’s formative days.  

BRANNON BRAGA (executive producer/co-creator): Star Trek always needs fresh blood. I left the franchise before Enterprise; I just said, “I can’t do this anymore.” I remember where I was and what I was working on and where I was standing and at what point in time when I officially burnt out on Star Trek. I decided not to do the seventh season of Voyager and then I was asked to create Enterprise. Rick Berman had a really cool idea for it and I said, “You know what? I’m going to do this one more time.” One could argue maybe I shouldn’t have. Rick was a really good overlord, but even he needed fresh writers. One could argue maybe we both should have left earlier. 

RICK BERMAN (executive producer/co-creator): As Voyager was ending, the studio came and said, “Let’s get another one up and going.” I begged them to let the franchise have a few years’ rest. In fact, they wanted it to start before Voyager ended and I managed to get them to at least wait until Voyager went off the air. The question was, what could we do that was different? I’d been working a great deal with Brannon, and so I asked him to work with me on creating a new series. Our decision, and I still think it was a good one, was to change the time period. We had done three shows that took place in the 24th century, and I thought it was time to go to another century. To go forward meant spacesuits that were a little sleeker and ships that were a little shinier, but it wasn’t that much to invent what had come before. 

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BRANNON BRAGA: Rick called me and said, “What do you think about setting it between the film First Contact and Kirk’s time?” And I said I thought that was a great idea. We started talking about it and considered what it would give us, and it evolved from there. We never considered another concept. We thought that First Contact seemed to be more of a relatable film somehow, because it had characters from the near future versus the distant future, and it allowed a more non–Star Trek audience to embrace Star Trek. You didn’t really have to know much to enjoy that movie. 

RICK BERMAN: There was no Star Trek canon to respond to how Earth got from being in this post-apocalyptic nightmare to being in the world of Kirk and Spock with Starfleet Academy. So our feeling was to pick a time somewhere within that, when the first humans are going into space on warp-capable vessels, and they’re not as sure of themselves as Kirk or Picard were. They’re taking baby steps. We knew, with Enterprise, that we wanted to turn the ship [the franchise] around. We were dealing with the time when the first warp-drive ship was being developed for a crew of humans. There were no holodecks and people didn’t beam themselves anywhere, they just beamed cargo. It just seemed to be the right idea, so it’s the one we pursued. 

BRANNON BRAGA: The biggest challenge was that the studio wanted something, but they were dubious about the prequel idea when we went in to pitch it. I don’t think they liked it very much. They thought Star Trek should be about moving forward and not moving backward. We were asking questions like, “How did we end up building the first warp ship? What was it like to meet a Klingon for the first time?” People had ball caps and walked dogs and wore tennis shoes and are more identifiable as people than, say, a Captain Picard, who is more of an idyllic man of the future that you probably wouldn’t recognize as a person that you could ever meet today. 

RICK BERMAN: From the point of view of some fans, there’s the great sense of continuity that the shows have had, and they’re very, very particular about that. A lot of them were not happy about things that they felt were outside the canon of Star Trek. A lot of them felt that Brannon and I ignored that, which we absolutely didn’t. We tried to pay great attention to it and we had people who knew Star Trek backward and forward that helped us, but obviously there were things that had to be dealt with and adjusted.

SCOTT BAKULA (actor, “Captain Jonathan Archer”): Enterprise is The Right Stuff. That kind of energy of being the first ones out there and being a little scared sometimes and being a little overwhelmed by the experience, which I think is a great emotion to have to play with. Americans have explored our planet in a variety of different ways. Some successfully, some not. We have a wide history of exploration in this country. Certainly different experiences in Vietnam and places like that where we tried to impose our ideas or philosophies on different cultures, and still are in many places around this planet. Making it more about the experience and less about planting the flag. In other words, enjoying the experience and learning from it, rather than saying, “Now we’re here and we’re going to tell you how to do it. We’ve got good ideas and can do things better than you.” So if you’re someone out there looking to do good, and looking to explore in a healthy way, there’s a great responsibility to that. As well as a great temptation to change and alter and fix. Which became this very wonderful kind of play within the show, which is, how are we all going to deal with not only being out there, but the choices we make? 

BRANNON BRAGA: Archer is something between Chuck Yeager and Kirk. He’s anything but the fully enlightened man that Picard is.

RICK BERMAN: It was very important for us to have a captain who was not necessarily that sure of himself, because we wanted him to be different from all the other captains. The other captains got on a spaceship at warp five or warp seven, they never thought twice about it. They ran into aliens every week and they never thought twice about it. We wanted a captain who was taking those first steps out into the galaxy; we wanted him to be a little green, a leader of men and at the same time, somebody who was in awe of everything he saw. With Scott, it just seemed like the perfect fit. 

JAMES L. CONWAY (director, Enterprise pilot): Scott Bakula was the only actor ever discussed for Archer. Problem was, his deal wasn’t closed until the table read of the script three days before production began. In fact, there were rumors he was going to a CBS comedy pilot and we got very worried. We had never met him, talked to him, or heard him do the material. All during the casting process the casting director was the only one to read Archer’s dialogue. So it was a relief and pleasure to hear Scott brilliantly bring Archer to life at the table read. 

SCOTT BAKULA: I responded to the idea of it and this character, and then I got the script for the pilot and everything just fell into place. I liked the character and it was really a return, in many ways, to what the original Star Trek was all about.

JAMES L. CONWAY: Scott brought a humanity to Archer that’s hard to put on the printed page. Also, as an actor and star of the show, Scott brought a top-notch work ethic and professionalism to the production. As star of the show, he set a great example for everyone. 

BRANNON BRAGA: The funny thing about Scott’s take on the character was he spoke in kind of an unusual cadence when he was Archer and I could never figure it out. Someone told me he was a huge John Wayne fan. I’ve never talked to Scott about it, but I think he may have been doing a little bit of a John Wayne thing. He was our only choice. 

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SCOTT BAKULA: We had a different dynamic on our show, and I’ve thought about it since then, because basically I was the older captain compared to the younger guys on the crew. John Billingsley’s in the middle there somewhere. That’s why I think the stuff between him and me was always special, even though he was nonhuman. There was a different kind of distance between characters created by the casting. We were building those relationships, but it was still from a different place. 

RICK BERMAN: John Billingsley is a character actor and somebody else who’s in tremendous demand. He’s just a wonderful guy. We wanted sort of a wise, quirky alien to play that role of Phlox. Somebody who would be our doctor, and he did a marvelous job. He’s another actor I would do anything to work with again. 

JAMES L. CONWAY: We were having trouble finding an actress for T’Pol. We read a lot of actresses, looked at a lot of names on a wish list, but couldn’t find anyone we liked. The role was critical, because she was a Vulcan and had to be able to “be” a Vulcan, yet still have sex appeal. Thankfully we saw a demo of Jolene’s work, loved it, and then met and read and loved her. 

JOLENE BLALOCK (actress, “T’Pol”): I grew up on Star Trek. My favorite was Spock. I would sit there with my dad and my brother just watching the show, watching the relationship between Captain Kirk, Bones, and Spock. My favorite relationship was between Bones and Spock, because it was just this animosity and this love-hate relationship. But overall there was such utter loyalty between all three of them. I love the way they worked together, just the way Bones would be, like, “You green-blooded fool.” Somewhere in The Next Generation, I got lost. 

BRANNON BRAGA: We wanted a Vulcan babe like Saavik, and wanted a Vulcan on board because the Vulcans were very antagonistic toward humans and she was essentially a chaperone, which really rankled Archer. Their relationship worked kind of nicely, and we saw T’Pol, Archer, and Trip as our triumvirate of characters. 

JOLENE BLALOCK: I personally believed that T’Pol should have more of her Vulcan culture. I didn’t believe she should be so desperate to be like everyone else, because the original Star Trek, which I grew up with, had a very simple message that I took from it, and that is that not everyone is like me, and I’m not perfect, and nobody’s perfect, and that’s okay. That really helped me.

RICK BERMAN: Connor was the only actor in four television series that I had to fight for. I just love this guy. I think he’s a remarkable actor, and I saw four pieces of tape on various things that he had done, and there was just something about him; that this character, Trip, that we had written, he was just made for. 

CONNOR TRINNEER (actor, “Charles ‘Trip’ Tucker III”): I wanted this job a lot. It was a good, time-tested franchise with a good audience. It had so many different things happening in it and it gave me the opportunity to play kind of a space cowboy—it was a dream job. Plus, you got to use your imagination as you’re meeting new species and races. Since this was our first time out, everything was new and we weren’t used to anything. You, as the actor, got to take in something as the audience did for the very first time, which was my experience as both an actor and a character. 

ANTHONY MONTGOMERY: It was incredible. There was an electricity that just ran to my core, and it was because I was sitting at the helm of a show, being a part of a franchise that I grew up with and knew about. I’m not a Trekkie by any stretch of the imagination, but I still understand enough about the franchise that it made me say, “Wow, this is real!” That was even more exciting and intense than when I got the call saying I got the part. 

RICK BERMAN: We were looking for an African American actor. We wanted someone young—we wanted this whole cast to be a lot more approachable, in a way; we wanted the audience to be able to relate to them more than they could other shows. Anthony was gorgeous, a terrific actor, and pretty much talked himself into the role the first day we saw him. We also wanted an Asian actor to play the role of communications officer and go back to a little listening device like Uhura had had in The Original Series. We also wanted her to be a translator of almost magical abilities. And Linda nailed it. We wanted somebody very vulnerable and someone who was not into flying on spaceships. In the first audition she completely got it and did very well. 

LINDA PARK (actor, “Hoshi Sato”): There’s a lot of growth that happened for me, not only as an actor in front of the camera, but as a businesswoman. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that part of being an actor is that you are your own business, especially when you become successful at any level; you see how you work as a business and you can’t say, “I’m just an artist, and I don’t need to concern myself with the practical,” because it’s just as important to keep your artistic tools as sharp as your business tool. That’s the biggest thing I learned. In the end, it is my career and my life that these decisions are being made about. 

RICK BERMAN: I had met Dominic on the first day of the last season of Voyager. He had the role of an English character. We were still a year away from going into production on the new series, but we were already starting to write it. He came in and I said to him, “We’ve got a role for you in a series that we’re creating that’s not going to be going on the air for eight or nine months, whatever it is, but I don’t want to use you up here.” This guy looked at me and said, “You’re right.” 

DOMINIC KEATING: I had a chat with Brannon and Rick where I said, “I’m quite excited, and honestly, I’ll say whatever you put in front of me, but I would like it that he isn’t just the talking head Brit on an American spaceship.” Brannon said, “You won’t be saying lines like ‘My dear old mum.’” When I read the breakdown, he’s described as “buttoned-down, by the book, wry, dry, shy around women.” I’m like, “Oh, crap, I’ve got to act this.” 

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JAMES L. CONWAY: The pilot of Enterprise was terrific. But then the first season was very repetitive and it felt like it was written by people who were burned out. And Brannon copped to this, saying he had made some bad choices in hiring staff and he was burned out from finishing up on Voyager. So I think that first season suffered and it took him awhile to re-steer that ship.

BRANNON BRAGA: When we were shooting the pilot and it was time for me to start writing episodes, I had a lot of things that I wanted to do. But once the ship officially set sail, I felt constrained. I felt, “Here we go again,” and I felt very challenged. Also, it was the first time I wasn’t working with people I’d worked with before. It was a large staff of ten people, and Star Trek was notoriously difficult to find writers for, because it was a hard show to write. I don’t even want to say hard; it’s unique. It just had a specific voice, and I had this writing staff that was new to the genre. Out of ten people, I think just a couple survived that first year. 

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[wetwellie]

Backstory on Lardo (’s Parents) from my Star Trek AU

Read if you care about the story of Romulan exiles finding a place and family on Earth

Lardo’s so cool in every universe im so gay 

i had to get that out of my system

ok

now

Her parents are Romulan. ...or rather. they were born on in the Romulan star system, refused to let paranoia and shitty xenophobic behaviors police their lives, and escaped to the Neutral Zone where they sought sanctuary with the Federation.  The Federation was actually chill (for once) and settles them first in Vietnam, on Earth. Oh my goodness they fall in love with Earth while there. The family that volunteers to take them in and settle is just...so nice? and kind? The family is large and abundant, yet they welcome these two strangers with open arms.  They share all of their food with them, and teach them how to cook them. They also ask so many questions about their lives. Not really, anything of import, the two thought. Truly trivial things. They’ve spent entire afternoons talking about favorite colors, or their favorite type of animal and tree. They really seem to care about what they have to say. No ulterior motives, no mutual spying, just unabashed trust and kindness. 

The years pass with no sense of urgency. 

It really impacts the lives. When this young couple finds a job working in America, they find that this is much more emotional than leaving Romulus. For them, Romulus wasn’t a place that could sustain a fulfilling lifestyle. It was a place for escape. But...Earth’s Vietnam. Leaving that was hard. The only language Earth language that they could speak without a translator was Vietnamese. The main languages in America were abundant--and that was just the Human ones. It was too foreign. 

The week before their departure, the young couple --- one very pregnant, is greeted by the large family and other close friends.  “We’re going into the city” “Why?” “You’ll see” They had both expected parties. Lots of drinking and merriment and well wishes. A sendoff to never forget.   Instead, they find themselves cramped in a small cubicle in a government building. 

The official comes in holding a thin PADD with what looks like to be several tabs of documents open in the file.  “I assume that since you will be working for an Earth-based business, you have taken all standardized knowledge and aptitude tests required?” They both nod. “And you have passed them?” “With flying colors” The oldest family member says.  “Well. Those tests transfer over well for Earth Citizenship documentation. The only thing that we’d need is a sponsor.” The official looks over the couple’s shoulder to the six adults squished behind them. And out the open door where teens and children and friends all stand awkwardly.  “You seem to have several” “What is this?” Lardo’s father, Hanaj, asks the elder.  “It’s a gift from us. To show that you are ours and that you belong wherever you go” “To put it clearly, they are adding each of your names to their family registry. This effectively grants you citizenship in Vietnam, but also on Earth as a whole. All you have to do is change your...uh...third name? Whichever one indicates family or clan associations” “That’s it?” “Well. There’s a small fee for the rush, and you’ll have to sign a few things. But yes. That’s it” The two look at each other, and then the family--their family who loves them so much.  “Of course we will do this” And this is how Jaeih i-Rammau t’Llhweiir and Hanaj ir-Ra'tleihfi tr’Llhweiir become Jaeih i-Rammau t’Duan and Hanaj ir Ra’tleihfi t’Duan. Also, in this moment, they simultaneously discover their fourth name--a name by which the Elements know you. It is meant to be secret. Unspoken.  Instead, later when they were sitting at home with their family. They let each of them toast to their new lives. The lives of My-Anh and Sinh.  Jaeih, or My-Anh(We’ll call her Jaeih since that is what everyone in America calls her. ) Arrives in Philadelphia very pregnant. Like, only half of the things are unpacked in their new apartment when she goes into labor.  Romulan labor is not pleasant. Human Medicine does not Help. 

On top of this, she doesn’t even know what to name the child. Her first name is supposed to be an ideal. A wish for her life. That’s a lot of pressure, and apparently naming a child “relative comfort” is frowned upon. 

But, by the Elements she couldn’t think about anything with this little ryak'na trying to come out of her. 

Not that Hanaj is any help. He’s trying his best, but the Humans just keep giving him Ice Chips to feed her. She already has three melted bowls of ice chips beside her bed.  “I don’t need any more ice chips my love” she says, hissing out my love like an unspeakable curse. “I need a name”

“We are supposed to decide on that together” is what Hanaj tries to say. But Jaeih interrupts him with a guttural scream and he bolts out of the room. 

30 minutes later, he’s sitting outside the room, with his head between his legs. What kind of name would be fitting for his daughter? A name that is shared by any of her aunts back home? A Romulan name? Both would be a good option, but it wouldn’t be right. It wouldn’t fit. 

He slumped from his slightly upright position onto his side, still curled up into himself. This behavior should be beneath him. He shouldn’t be showing his vulnerability. Or, rather, that is what his mind is thinking. But this isn’t Romulus. Showing weakness will not lead to enemies trying to tear you down. It’s not a danger to be open, he reminds himself. Hanaj had to worry about keeping his guard up. He is Sinh now. Sinh can allow himself to rely on the kindness of others.  Almost like clockwork, he feels a hand on his shoulder. Hanaj springs back into his upward position in shock, and finds that the person belonging to that hand has a mutual expression. She is tall, with long curly hair. She’s wearing the hospital uniform. An employee.  “You’ll have to apologize my behavior,” Hanaj starts “My wife is in there delivering our child. I cannot even fathom the pain she is in, yet I cannot be of any comfort”

She smiles sympathetically. “I understand completely. Your emotions speak so loud that they could be heard from around the hall”

“You’re a Betazoid” “Half Betazoid, actually.” “Still can read emotions, though.” “Only a few. Unless they are screaming it--like yours” Hanaj flushes. “Again, I apologize. My feelings are not meant to burden others” “No burden. I just want to help” She says as she slides down the wall to sit next to him. “It’s actually my job. To soothe those that are stressed out here” “So. Are you going to touch me and change my feelings? If that is the case, then I’ll have to decline” She shakes her head. “No psionics are needed. I did bring this, though.” She shows him what is in her other hand--an Osol Twist  “I hope it’s not presumptuous” 

He takes it into his hands. He hasn’t had one of these in--at least a decade. “It’s not presumptuous of you. It was one of my favorite foods as a child”

“You Romulans really have weird taste in food. We replicate ourselves come of that if we want to see someone’s face pucker up because of the sourness. “ “I always thought that Earth had strange food. At least America does. Everything is too sweet.”  He takes a bite. It’s replicated, of course, so the taste is a bit off. But the tartness greets him like an old friend. He looks at her and she has this look of comfort. She Knows that everything will be all right. Not just with the baby, but his entire life. His wife’s life. His daughter’s life.  “Thank you. I can’t tell you how grateful I am”

“Don’t worry. I don’t need to read your feelings to know that you are.” she says “I mean, I am. But I don’t need to. You’re welcome” She gets up. “I have gotta go. A lot of other worried and stressed and lost souls here. I assume that if we ever meet again, I’ll be find you eating lemons or something like that.” She begins to walk away, but Hanaj rushes up. “Wait!” He calls out. 

She turns around, looking at him patiently.  “What’s your name?”

Two hours and eighteen minutes later, Hanaj gives her daughter a name that represents the kind of person that she prays she becomes--but also the kind of person that he wishes that will surround her. Those that are kind and willing to go the extra mile just for a stranger. An alien. 

She is 9 pounds 2 ounces. Her brow ridges are slight, like her father’s. Her ears curl up a bit more than usual, like her mother’s. 

Their sister in Vietnam video calls and boasts that all babies in their family came with the very same mop of long black hair. “She’s one of ours, all right. We can let her meet us during New Years ok?”

 She curls her tiny hands around her father’s finger. Her hand can’t even cover all of it, but she squeezes it with all her might. She’s strong. And she is beautiful. She is what they have fought to have. She is loved. She is safe. She will have a beautiful life that will be whatever she makes of it.  She is Larissa i-Philadelphia t’Duan. 

[majorkirastan]

hi i posted about this a while back but i’ve edited it a bit and this time i’m uploading it properly!

Hopes and Dreams (Kiradax, 1,612 words)

Summary: Jadzia wishes that Kira would notice her obvious crush.  Kira wishes that Bajor could be returned to its former glory.  Both of them get their wish. 

No content warnings apply.

The runabout is quiet, but comfortably so. The engines hum, low and throbbing, but they are so constant that they are almost unnoticed. Jadzia leans over in her chair and keys in coordinates, pushing her seat backwards to check the navigational array. Beside her, Kira is curled up on a standard-issue cot; her breathing is slow and steady, and Dax is going through her routines just a little bit slower than usual, in an attempt not to wake up her sleeping friend. Jadzia frowns at the monitor - there's an anomaly of some kind up ahead. She halts the runabout, and the hum of the engine shifts to a whine. Kira stirs, just a little, her breath jolting as she shifts in her sleep.

Kira is beautiful in the dim light of the runabout, Jadzia thinks. Her hair is ruffled, ever so slightly, and her face is perhaps the most tranquil it’s been since she first transferred to the station. Jadzia stares at the sleeping woman for just a beat too long, contemplating the arc of the Bajoran nose as a faint blush spreads over her cheeks, the tips of her ears. She's lost in thought when the console beeps, and she turns back to the viewscreen, biting her cheek and silently cursing herself for getting distracted. There is the anomaly, up ahead, and it is much more incongruent than it ought to have been. It is a planet where there should be empty space. There is no sun, no other planets in the vicinity, but there is a single, lonely planet. Jadzia scans the surface, nose wrinkling as she notes the familiar concentrations of elements. She reluctantly reaches a hand over to shake Kira awake. Kira’s eyes fly open, panic crossing her face for the briefest moment, and then she blinks a few times, sitting up as her eyes adjust to the harsh light of the runabout.

“Where are we?”

Her words are slurred, just a little, and Dax laughs, raising her eyebrows.

“We’re in the Gamma Quadrant, remember? Delivering supplies to the Tellarians?”

She points at the screen, flourishing for dramatic effect.

“And that, my friend, is a planet that seems to have gone rogue.”

Kira frowns, considering the planet. “Looks kind of like Bajor. It could be from another dimension, or maybe it was under some kind of cloak, or maybe our sensors couldn’t read it?” She yawns, swinging her legs over the edge of the cot, and walks over to the replicator - perhaps ‘stumbles’ would be a better synonym - leaning against the wall as she orders a raktajino. The machine whirrs to life, and the coffee materializes. Kira rapidly picks up the mug, blowing on the coffee to cool it down. Jadzia watches, smiling at the way Kira puffs out her cheeks. It’s familiar, endearing, even. It makes her heart swell, not that she’d admit it. She'd be perfectly content to stay here forever, in this moment, watching one of her closest friends burn her tongue on a scalding hot drink.

“You gonna beam down?”

Kira’s voice interrupts the string of thoughts racing around Dax’s head; the Trill quickly wipes the smile from her face, chewing on her lip in a way that she hopes looks thoughtful and not thirsty.

“It could be dangerous.” She ponders for a beat longer. “Although, when has that ever stopped me in the past?”

This time, Kira is the one to smile. “I’ll come with you,” she says. “Don’t want you running off with any more random citizens.”

It’s a joke, of course - a dig at Jadzia’s habit of romancing any alien she can find - but somehow, it feels a bit more meaningful, perhaps a touch of….jealousy? Jadzia internally smacks herself. She’s projecting again. She gives her head an imperceptible shake, as if to rid it of the rapturous blush she can feel creeping across her cheeks again. She turns her head in a movement she's hoping looks natural and waggles her eyebrows at Kira.

“Well, as long as you’re with me, how could I possibly do such a ridiculous thing?”

Her mouth quirks into a smile as she delivers the line. She knows that Kira can hear the jest in her voice; she can only hope that she’s not broadcasting anything more personal in her tone. It's a friendly rapport, banter, says the voice in the back of her head. Nothing more. But Kira laughs, a real laugh, and Jadzia’s heart beats just a little bit faster. She quickly turns away and begins pressing buttons on the control panel, guiding their runabout to safety, programming it to tell the Captain where they are, checking the atmosphere and the coordinates and the power they’ll need to make it to the planet’s surface. It's not unwarranted - it's protocol, and it's a necessary step before they transport to a foreign planet.  But still, the timing is just a touch off, and it's clear that she's using the console as an excuse to hide her face. She steps back, giving the screen another once-over, before stepping onto the transporter pad. Kira hops up next to her, sighing reluctantly as she puts her coffee back into the replicator. Dax is the one to give the command, her voice suddenly loud in the near-silence of the runabout.

“Two to beam down.”

They flicker out of existence.

Somewhere, on the planet below them, they shimmer into creation, born anew of atoms and molecules and sudden desert heat. They blink, the two of them, in the harsh light. There shouldn’t be such brightness, Jadzia thinks confusedly, because there is no star; but it doesn’t seem important, not right now. Kira’s hand flies up to her forehead, trying and failing in shielding her eyes, while Dax simply squints into the sun, her brow wrinkling. She is genetically predisposed to adapt quickly to the bright conditions, she supposes, and it is only a few seconds before her eyes adjust. And then - she is not quite sure if they have in fact adjusted, because she is staring out at the city in front of them, a metropolis of impossible size that seems to go on for forever. Rounded buildings and tall spires and houses built into hills are covering every inch of land in view. They are on a hill, and as Jadzia turns her head, she takes in the city upon city upon city that spreads over the horizon. It seems impossible.  

A moment later, she hears Kira gasp as she finally begins to take in the landscape before her. She spins, slowly, eyes wandering over the jumble of metal and stone and unidentifiable building material. She is smiling, faintly, and Jadzia has to do everything in her power to keep from staring, because in the daylight, the Major’s hair is golden and radiant and soft, and it frames her face in something that is almost a halo. She looks like an angel, and for some reason, there are tears forming in her eyes, threatening to spill down her cheeks, and her hands go up to her chest. Dax doesn’t understand the emotions spreading over the Bajoran's face, until she hears Kira whisper, softly, “It’s home.” And then she remembers, all in a rush, that this is what Bajor looked like, before the occupation and the strip mining, before the slave camps, before it was left a hollow shell. Kira is sobbing now, quietly, hands clutched to her chest, her face an inscrutable blend of joy and loss, and Jadzia doesn’t know what to do. Seven lifetimes, and she has no idea what to say. So she doesn’t say anything. She puts a hand out, tentatively, and rests it on Kira’s arm, and Kira smiles at her, angelic, beautiful, and her face is streaked with tears but she’s beaming, the happiest that perhaps she’s ever been. The sun is bright, but her smile is brighter, and she throws herself forward, pulling Jadzia into a hug. They stand there, holding tight to each other, and the galaxy seems to slow around them.

They pull apart, after a long, hesitant moment, and then they look at each other. Both of them are golden in the light, the joy, they are transcendent and Kira reaches up a hand to Dax’s cheek to wipe away tears that Jadzia hadn’t realized that she had been crying.

“Kira. Nerys. I—”

“I know,” Kira whispers, and as Jadzia stares into the eyes of the woman she cares about more than anything else in the quadrant she finds them staring back, damp with tears, glistening in the light, and she understands everything.

"You're beautiful," says Jadzia, the words falling from her lips without her even needing to think them. It's the truth. It's always been the truth. "You're so beautiful."

Kira smiles, covering her mouth with one hand, embarrassed at the compliment, and if Jadzia didn't know better she'd think the woman was giggling.

"Thank you," she breathes.  "You're beautiful too. You've always been so, so beautiful."

And then Kira leans in, and Jadzia's heart is racing, and they meet in the middle, their lips saying everything that their voices could not. It's soft at first, tentative, and Jadzia isn't quite sure whether the giddiness is Kira's or her own. This isn’t how she had imagined their first kiss, not at all, but it’s perfect, and as she traces the outline of Kira’s cheek with the tips of her fingers she knows that this moment will stay with her always, no matter how many lives will come after this, because she has never felt more in love in any of her many lives.

[verdigrisprowl]

Dec 14 Odothon Part 2 - Star Trek DS9 - S3E1, S3E2, S3E14, S3E20

Prowl's figured out why Soundwave wanted him to watch stories about the life of an alien constable.

Initially, he thought it was because Soundwave thinks Odo is just like Prowl: a law enforcement officer who—for all practical purposes—came into existence in a laboratory; who is sneered down upon by others as cold and soulless because he struggles to express his emotions in ways that other people can comprehend, and because at many times he recognizes the benefit of not bothering to express those emotions at all; who is shockingly brilliant but (as Prowl once was) untrained in how to correctly use that brilliance; who finds himself slightly outside of the culture he's spent all his life inside.

Now, Prowl has discovered it's because Soundwave thinks Odo is just like Prowl: he's dedicated himself to law and order and justice and the protection of as many of the people of the galaxy as he can reach... and he's just realized the greatest threat to the galaxy is his own warmongering, conquering, genocidal home planet.

So. Where do you go from there, Odo?

Where can you go from there?

ItsyBitsySpyers 8:16 pm *Today, Soundwave makes his preparations ahead of time. They've much to get through and few moments to waste. If Prowl is unable to attend, so be it; Soundwave will call Ravage down and watch Earth nature documentaries. Personally, though, he's hoping his comm will be well-received.*

(txt): Free shift. Story continues, if Prowl: prepared. FakeProwl 8:31 pm ... Be there in about fifteen minutes.

*And in about fifteen minutes, he is.* ItsyBitsySpyers 8:40 pm *Soundwave stretches a feeler across the back of their couch and curls it, waving the end in a 'come here' gesture.*

(txt): Prowl remembers stop point? FakeProwl 8:42 pm *will absolutely come there.*

Yes. DS9 has had some contact with the Dominion, and have met both their infiltrators and their soldiers. They're currently heading through the wormhole to... try to talk them into playing nice. Odo has been invited along out of pity because he's being punished. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:43 pm *Will absolutely coil it twice around his waist. Loosely, so it's easily shed if Prowl stands up. Just an embrace, not a prison.*

(txt): Good. Soundwave plays. FakeProwl 8:44 pm *he's going to see if he can lace his fingers with the tendrils.*

{{S3E1 The Search I}}

... Sisko looked... pleased, that Odo is coming? Did he object to Odo's punishment? If so, who issued it? ItsyBitsySpyers 8:46 pm *He can. They're not much thicker than Soundwave's fingers, honestly. They weave more intricately though.*

[[Higher ranking officers ordered it. He understood their objections to his failure to follow protocols but disapproved of the punishment. And his treatment as a shapeshifter.]] [[That is, Sisko understood.]] FakeProwl 8:47 pm Mm. He's still threatening people, I see. ... Granted, it's Quark. I'm beginning to get the impression that it's difficult NOT to threaten him. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:48 pm [[He is in pain and he dislikes Quark. A foul mood is not unexpected.]] FakeProwl 8:49 pm That doesn't make such threats acceptable, but understandable. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:49 pm *Nods. He'll concede that. Though he still makes those himself, when people irritate him too far.* *But he knows he doesn't obey the rules and has no intention of being in law enforcement as a career, so... yes.* FakeProwl 8:51 pm The Romulan didn't give them important information about the cloaking device until after it had endangered them, and didn't know important information about what sort of sweeps are effective against it. Are any of the Dominion's known member species part of the Vulcan-Romulan cluster of races? ItsyBitsySpyers 8:52 pm [[No. They are in an entirely different sector of the galaxy. One it would take decades to centuries to reach even at highest speeds.]] FakeProwl 8:53 pm Even with the known wormholes? ItsyBitsySpyers 8:53 pm [[The Federation are based in the Alpha Quadrant. The Dominion is based in the Gamma Quadrant.]]

[[No. The wormholes reduce the time to a little longer than a space bridge.]] [[...Wormhole. There is only the one.]] FakeProwl 8:54 pm Hm. FakeProwl 8:56 pm It certainly sounds like Odo's punishment was perfectly deserved. ... We didn't watch the episode of Odo's punishment. ItsyBitsySpyers 8:57 pm [[It was within this one, and a passing statement made while replacements were being arranged.]] [[Removed from office and replaced. No more than that, for now.]] FakeProwl 8:59 pm We skipped the scene where it happened. Even though this viewing is supposed to be about his development? ItsyBitsySpyers 8:59 pm [[As he said - it was a brief statement in a scene concerning a much larger event. He felt the summary was all that was needed.]] FakeProwl 8:59 pm Hmm. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:00 pm [[We can rewind afterward, if you wish.]] FakeProwl 9:00 pm No, it's fine. *just thought it was curious that soundwave's plans don't think that part is important.* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:01 pm *If he thought it wasn't important, he wouldn't have summarized it.* FakeProwl 9:02 pm *oh, odo's talking about instinct drawing him to a location. he's already discussed having some sort of species memories, and the changlings are from this part of the galaxy...* FakeProwl 9:04 pm *... If the Dominion is as bad as Prowl's been told, and if Odo's "racial memories"—an automatic attraction toward justice and order—are held by the others of his race; and if changlings are now only known of in mythology now, mythology that writes them as fools and villains...* *History—and mythology—is written by the winners. And the Dominion certainly sounds like the winners.* You ABANDONED them?! How is that just! Go back! ItsyBitsySpyers 9:06 pm [[They do not have the power to battle multiple Jem'Hadar ships with only an escape shuttle.]] FakeProwl 9:07 pm He should have gone back to DS9, for help. The— the O-whatever nebula will be there any time. His /crewmates/ won't. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:07 pm [[That is a better point, and one he will accept.]] FakeProwl 9:08 pm *oh never mind it's odo's people prowl's full attention is on the show*

{{S3E2 The Search II}}

FakeProwl 9:11 pm ... So Odo's people are stuck deep in Dominion territory. At the heart of it, if Quark's source is to be believed. They have no star. They're a myth to nearby planets that know very well about the Dominion. FakeProwl 9:13 pm If they're as instinctively drawn to justice as Odo believes they must be—and if they have his inclination toward ignoring authority—their star was probably put out as punishment for rebellion. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:14 pm [[How vicious. It would be a cruel punishment for most organic species.]] FakeProwl 9:14 pm The Dominion certainly appears vicious. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:15 pm [[They do, at that.]] FakeProwl 9:17 pm Don't speak for him. Let him meet his people in his own way. If they don't want to be interrogated they can say so. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:17 pm [[He often thinks that sounds pleasant. Or would, if he did not have so many secrets.]] FakeProwl 9:17 pm Merging in a big psychological puddle with everyone else? FakeProwl 9:18 pm ((his happy face is so awkward i love it)) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:19 pm [[Yes, and no. Not everyone else. Not against his will. But... if there were more telepaths, perhaps, and he were someone else. Conversations could be so much different.]] FakeProwl 9:19 pm ... I don't recommend the experience. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:20 pm ((it is!))

((rabbit i swear to god if i've fixed the bubble problem only for you to have connectivity problems tonight)) *Pulls the feeler tighter just a touch. He did clarify that it be not against his will, but...*

[[No. He supposes you wouldn't.]] FakeProwl 9:24 pm It's not a means of—communication. Boundaries between individuals doesn't exist. That sounds like an idealistic fantasy relationship, "we have no boundaries," but I don't mean it that way. I mean the very thing that separates individual identities no longer exists. If you join something like that—as long as you're joined, you're no longer Soundwave. Soundwave doesn't exist. That might work for some people. I can't—can't quite picture it working for you. FakeProwl 9:26 pm ... Oh good, the captain and doctor survived. ... Temporarily. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:27 pm *The feeler's claws spin while he watches the credits roll and thinks.*

[[In the memory he gave you - of the song - many were connected, but they did not lose themselves. He liked that.]] *Spin. Spin.* [[And he would like to feel the free flow of feeling and information, if it did not harm him in the process.]]

[[...But no. Not if he did not exist as himself.]] FakeProwl 9:29 pm ... Pff. "Solids." ItsyBitsySpyers 9:29 pm [[He wonders what they call liquid monoforms.]] [[Almost-Solids. Somewhat Solids. Solid-ishes.]] FakeProwl 9:30 pm ... I assume if they're liquid, by definition they're not monoforms. Even if they can't shapeshift, they can certainly be poured into different containers. ... I wonder what they call /solid/ multi-formers. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:31 pm [[Sixshot.]] FakeProwl 9:31 pm Pff. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:32 pm ((for the record: this is adult eddie kaspbrak from the old IT series)) FakeProwl 9:32 pm I mean us in general. Are we in a different category from other solids? Or does "solid pieces that just move into different positions" not count to them? Who's "Eris"? ItsyBitsySpyers 9:33 pm [[Ah. Eris was the Vorta who tried to plant herself as a spy.]] [[He assumes we would not count, as we are still more limited than them.]] FakeProwl 9:34 pm Ah. So the Vorta aren't just their diplomatic race, they're the ruling race. ((I could watch garak and bashir flirt while talking about something completely different forever.)) ItsyBitsySpyers 9:35 pm ((i'm glad you have said that. it gives me license to show more with those two on main movie nights.)) FakeProwl 9:35 pm (( 😎 )) ((that wasn't the mood i was going for but okay, smilie, let's go with Cool Shades)) FakeProwl 9:37 pm The changelings have a jamming frequency? No wonder the Dominion hasn't tracked down the rest of them. FakeProwl 9:38 pm *... even among his own people, Odo isn't on the same wavelength as the rest of them.* *"they meant is as an insult, but in defiance we took it and made it our own."* ... Like "Autobots." ItsyBitsySpyers 9:39 pm [[Hm?]] FakeProwl 9:39 pm They took a term that was meant as an insult and made it their own. FakeProwl 9:41 pm ... Was "Autobot" not an alien insult in your world? ((omg, kira talking to random inanimate objects)) ((is that u odo)) FakeProwl 9:43 pm *OBVIOUSLY shapeshifters would need a door to keep out solid invaders. they've obviously had a hard time before.* ItsyBitsySpyers 9:44 pm [[No. Orion Pax created it as a shortened form of "autonomous robots" during his speech to the Council, speaking to the idea of reforming away from the caste system.]] FakeProwl 9:45 pm ... Heh. FakeProwl 9:46 pm During his speech to the Senate, Orion Pax told them that aliens look down on us as Autobots, "automaton-robots," redefined it on the spot to mean "autonomous robots," and claimed it. Speaking to the idea of reforming away from Functionism, of course. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:48 pm [[It was before Alpha Trion's interference resulted in him being made a puppet Prime the Council believed they could control. Not long before... but before.]]

[[Then it is settled. Should he advise any pre-war planets in the future... he will suggest they find someone more creative to name the faction.]] FakeProwl 9:48 pm Heh. I shudder to think how many recruits we lost to the Decepticons just because they didn't want to be called "robots." ... the Great Cybertronian War, fought between the Drones and the Liars. No wonder nobody trusts us. I mean—besides the genocides. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:51 pm *He knows that wasn't what he was supposed to be taking from that, but he hasn't figured out what the greater significance of the reversal is.*

[[Words have greater power than most know.]] FakeProwl 9:51 pm Unfortunately. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:52 pm *He tilts his helm back and pokes through old memories, searching for Megatron's speech.*

[[The supposed idea behind "Decepticon" was that deception is sometimes necessary to force those who refuse the truth to see and confront their own lies.]] FakeProwl 9:53 pm Oh? So your Decepticons admitted they were lying. FakeProwl 9:54 pm In my universe, "you are being deceived" was the Decepticons' motto. Their name derived from it. I don't know if they made it or if it was put on them. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:55 pm [[You simplify. But in some sense, yes.]]

[[And that is not so different from our claim.]] FakeProwl 9:57 pm Mm. Different direction, same sentiment, I suppose. Although the Decepticons in my universe never claimed that they were using deception, for a good cause or not. ItsyBitsySpyers 9:58 pm *Huffs loudly at Garak.* FakeProwl 9:58 pm ... Odo, you just said the door is to keep something in, and now you're unlocking it without bothering to find out what's behind it. FakeProwl 10:00 pm *right. now to the question of this suspicious alliance. granted, Prowl knows very little about how Starfleet operates, but the suggestion that they've simply "gone insane"...* Wh—? They're—? They aren't even on the—? WHAT. *hold on while Prowl gapes at the screen* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:02 pm *Oh, he IS enjoying that.* FakeProwl 10:04 pm *the changelings were persecuted by solids, and now slaughter and conquer them. They call it imposing order on a chaotic universe.* *... Just like Nova Prime. Just like the Decepticons.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:07 pm *Actually twists to see Prowl now while he checks his records for the next tapes.*

[[You were not expecting that.]] FakeProwl 10:07 pm *And Odo, who is one of them, stands against them, for the same reason they stand together. Because their definition of "order" is myopic and doesn't reach beyond their own race. And unlike them, Odo has learned to see what they do to other races—and would willingly stand against his own species in defense of all the other species out there. Just like...* *a sideways glance at Soundwave.* ... No. I wasn't. I think I should have.

{{S3E14 Heart Of Stone}}

ItsyBitsySpyers 10:11 pm [[Perhaps.]] *He already said his side's claim was that they would expose the truth through deception, after all, and there are a few sprinkled here and there in these tapes.* [[That is all right.]] [[Now. There is one he does not have time to show you tonight, though it is important. He will give you that file. Watch it when you can. We will move forward.]] FakeProwl 10:12 pm *nods* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:12 pm [[But before then - the priest, Winn Adami. You recall him mentioning her?]] FakeProwl 10:13 pm Yes. The one who is... opposed to Sisko? *there were two priests and both of them have funky alien names with too many vowels and double consonants.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:13 pm [[Yes. Between the file he will give you and the one we watch next, she will have negotiated a peace treaty with the Cardassians... while intentionally working her sick former rival turned assistant to death in the process.]] [[We will proceed.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 10:17 pm [[He must also note that Kira and Odo have spoken and undergone irrelevant missions too many times for him to c--]] *Ha. Peregrine-class.* [[To cover.]] FakeProwl 10:19 pm They're friends again? ItsyBitsySpyers 10:20 pm [[Yes.]] FakeProwl 10:22 pm ((i like that the ferengi have "bylaws" instead of "laws" or "traditions" or whatever)) ItsyBitsySpyers 10:23 pm ((heehee)) ItsyBitsySpyers 10:24 pm [[Consumed by food.]] FakeProwl 10:25 pm That's an incredibly fast-growing crystal. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:25 pm [[Perhaps she's unusually nutritious.]] FakeProwl 10:26 pm Hff. ... They could dig a hole in the ground around the crystal and drag it along with them. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:27 pm [[What if it attempts to root itself deeper?]] FakeProwl 10:27 pm ... Dig deeper? It depends on how deep it roots itself. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:29 pm [[That might waste time, if they cannot reach deep enough fast enough.]] *He flicks a hand.* [[They could remove the leg.]] FakeProwl 10:29 pm ... As a last resort— yes. That. Most spacefaring organic species are physically durable enough to survive amputation. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:30 pm [[They would have to work quickly. To keep ahead of it before it could make a head of her.]] FakeProwl 10:31 pm *gives Soundwave a sideways look* ... How do you THINK puns? ((eeey, it's pran!)) ItsyBitsySpyers 10:32 pm [[It involves quickly juggling both expectations of the phrase while maintaining a sense of amusement. How well others catch and interpret that vary.]] FakeProwl 10:36 pm ... They're using sound waves to break the crystal. *and by reading criminal activity reports. BEAM* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:37 pm [[It's a worthy solution.]] FakeProwl 10:37 pm Indeed. *and obtained from a worthy source.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:39 pm *Soft huffing.* [[Music to keep a smooth paddling rhythm. He'll have to remember that.]] FakeProwl 10:39 pm Mhmm. FakeProwl 10:43 pm *... and odo uses readings to build up scripts of stock phrases to use on other people and doesn't know what to do when they diverge from the expected replies.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:45 pm *He really must ask Ravage if that's how it felt.* FakeProwl 10:46 pm *leans more on Soundwave. that's—a touching story.* ItsyBitsySpyers 10:46 pm *Leans into and squeezes the tendrils.* FakeProwl 10:53 pm *... well she can't die now, they just confessed romantic feelings to each other.* FakeProwl 10:58 pm ... They can imitate other people that well? He spoke to her for hours before figuring it out. FakeProwl 10:59 pm Well. Okay. Great. From now on anyone can be a changeling at any point. ItsyBitsySpyers 10:59 pm [[They are well-informed, and far, far more familiar than Odo with their abilities and how to mimic someone.]]

[[And yes. Yes, they can.]] FakeProwl 10:59 pm ((i would like to say, personally, for the record, i figured it out the first time the crystal grew.)) ((admittedly, i also know you're shwoing me odo-as-related-to-changelings episodes)) ItsyBitsySpyers 11:00 pm ((LOL yes, tiny bit of advantage)) FakeProwl 11:02 pm ((of course, in Search II, i also thought that the changelings replaced dax, o'brien, and the starfleet lady))

{{S3E20 Improbable Cause}}

FakeProwl 11:03 pm ((ALSO I WANT TO POINT OUT garak was totally going to bring bashir chocolates in whatever the cardassian equivalent of a heart-shaped box is)) ItsyBitsySpyers 11:03 pm (( 😄 )) ItsyBitsySpyers 11:06 pm [[He does admire Garak's ability to continue making witty remarks in the face of death.]] [[That is a level of self-control most will never have.]] FakeProwl 11:09 pm Or self-deprecation. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:10 pm *HUFF* FakeProwl 11:11 pm Maybe he just isn't terribly opposed to the thought of his own death. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:11 pm [[Yes. Or that. Though it is hard for anyone sobbing in hysterics to crack jokes.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 11:13 pm *Side glance.* FakeProwl 11:14 pm ... Is "floral" a similar scent across species? ItsyBitsySpyers 11:15 pm [[He doubts it. Unlike you and Odo, he has a sense of smell, but he cannot pick up the scent of most organic flowers.]] FakeProwl 11:15 pm ... So how do you know they DON'T smell the same? Maybe it's like species with two arms and legs and a head and hands. Convergent evolution. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:16 pm [[If he can't smell organic flowers, but he smells the plants of his own planet, then the scents are probably not the same. Or so he assumes.]] FakeProwl 11:16 pm Hm. Fair. ... Although I expect when organics talk about "floral," they mean "organic floral." If they didn't, after all, that would mean they're considering mechanical species equal to their own. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:18 pm [[Also fair.]] FakeProwl 11:21 pm Good job, you just told the people who are supposedly trying to kill Garak that he's still alive. Unless you're luring them into a trap, that's stupid. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:23 pm [[It is. Then again, he has little faith in the capabilities of any organization that can't get knowledge as basic and readily available as Garak's occupation correct.]] FakeProwl 11:23 pm Is that Gold Docket? *doesn't remember his voice* *(or his name)* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:24 pm [[No. We do not discover their identity, but it is not Gul Dukat.]] FakeProwl 11:27 pm *Huh. Odo's better at playing politics than Prowl expected.* FakeProwl 11:32 pm *and guessing based on nothing but an understanding of assassins' modus operandis... a risky jump without solid evidence, but since no arrests were on the line, a fair one to make.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:34 pm *There was the Cardassian tissue found in the pheromone explosive. Easiest to get from himself. And how unlikely it is for a suspected former spy of his caliber to not know when others have intruded into their space or modified something.* FakeProwl 11:34 pm ((sometimes i wonder how cold do they have to keep star trek sets so all the people in elaborate makeup and masks don't sweat to death)) ItsyBitsySpyers 11:35 pm ((same!! that greasepaint stuff melts so quick)) FakeProwl 11:36 pm *grimaces. prowl's been on the receiving end of quite a few accusations like that.* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:36 pm *Tendril squeeze. Such accusations are obviously nonsense.* [[How delightful.]] ItsyBitsySpyers 11:43 pm *Gently nudges Prowl.*

[[If you were wondering, he has no intention of destroying this building any time soon.]] FakeProwl 11:43 pm Good to know. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:44 pm *And a stretch.*

[[More next time.]] FakeProwl 11:45 pm ... I'm free tomorrow. *HE WANTS TO KNOW* ItsyBitsySpyers 11:46 pm *And that is why creative writers everywhere invented cliffhangers.*

[[So is he. We will do what we can then.]] [[For now, rest, and let the stories process. They will only grow more complex.]] FakeProwl 11:48 pm Mm. Rest comes after work. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:48 pm *Checks his chronometer.*

[[So it must. When you have returned, then.]] FakeProwl 11:49 pm *And, honestly, it's too close to work for him to watch another episode, anyway.* You'll send me the file of the one we skipped? I can watch it during my break. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:50 pm [[Of course.]] FakeProwl 11:52 pm Then I'll see you next time. ItsyBitsySpyers 11:52 pm *Nod.* [[Goodnight.]] FakeProwl 11:53 pm Goodnight. *He leans in for a crest tap, then disappears.*

[pendragonfics]

Life Can Only Be Understood Backwards

Guilt Is a Rope That Wears Thin: Chapter One | Chapter Two

Paring: Peter Quill/Reader

Tags: female reader, female pronouns, alien abductions, set after Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 1 but before Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, baby Groot, mentions of fandoms, outer space, angst, fluff.

Summary: Abducted by aliens, traded between Ravager factions, and taken in by The Guardians of the Galaxy. Now that's something that you can add to your resume.

Or, alternatively, you make friends with a guy who also was abducted by aliens, and become Team Mom™ to everyone on The Milano.

Word Count: 2,044

Posting Date:  2017-04-25

Current Date: 2017-06-12

Your heart is racing even before you open your eyes. It’s like you know you’re not in your bed, surrounded by your nerd paraphernalia in the college dorms, hell, it’s like you know you’re not even on the same planet as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Maybe that’s because you can smell something that’s completely not of Earth, and can hear chatter that sounds just so alien. When you do open your eyes, it’s like you’ve woken up somewhere amidst a Star Trek convention – standing above you are figures that look like masterpieces of an over-timing makeup department and CGI. But they’re all real, because the blue man with a metal headpiece is staring deep into your soul, his mouth agape to show jagged teeth.

“She’s awake,” His voice sounds like it’s from the south, but his body just reminds you of frat boys who paint themselves for big games. Your heart hasn’t stopped it’s thumping, and almost whimpering, he sees how afraid he is. “Damn, someone get Quill before this Terran frightens herself to death.”

You swallow, wondering what a quill was, and if by ‘Terran’, he meant you, because honestly, you felt like this was a major drug dream. Wondering if your roommate had dosed you on acid, you see a human-looking guy appear, slightly older than you.

“Hey, hey, don’t freak out,” he bends, kneeling to your height, his hands raised. “I’m Peter. Peter Quill. You’re probably –,” He pauses, and shoots the aliens and creatures around him a glare, “Can we have some space? Yondu?”

The blue man, Yondu, nods. “C’mon boys, fun’s over. Leave these Terran’s to their talk.”

The crowd dissipates, leaving you and the guy named Peter there on the floor of what seems to be a real clunker of an area. “Where am I?” You ask him. “I – I was at college yesterday, I went to sleep in my bed, but –,” you catch your breath, eyes flittering over the area you’re in. “This is a dream. A prank. Did Lincoln put you up to this?” You demand, sitting up.

Peter shakes his head. “I don’t know anyone who’s called Lincoln, unless you’re talking about Abraham,” he cracks a little smile. “We intercepted a ship who had, ah, abducted you. You’re not on Earth anymore.”

Your heart skips a beat. Well, that was confirmed, then. “If I’m not on Earth, where am I?” You ask him. “Don’t tell me I’m on the moon. I’m not up for any Doctor Who crap.”

The little smile on his face widens. “I remember that show! It’s still running?” He asks you.

You blink. “I’ve just been abducted, by aliens, am currently at pissing-my-pants scared, and you, are asking me if a British TV show is still running?” You state the facts. “Yeah, it’s still running. They’re up to the twelfth doctor now.” You take a shaky breath, and add, “I’m _________. We’re in a spaceship, aren’t we?”

He grins, and extending a hand, adds, “Great to meet you, _______. If you’d like to come with me, I’m going to take you to a, ah, less crowded place.” Standing, you follow him on unsteady legs from the place you had woken up, traversing the halls of the spaceship behind his footfall. “I was abducted, back when I was a kid. I grew up out here, with Yondu and everyone. I guess that’s a terrible way to relate to another person, but, hey, it’s all we’ve got to go on.” He flashes you a sad smile over his shoulder. “Ah! Here we are. Gamora, she’s awake!”

As if you’d not had a terrible enough day already, you had to be introduced to more aliens. In the room, were the most rag-tag band of people – well, two of them looked like people. One looked like one of the trash pandas who’d rummage through your mother’s garbage at home, and the other like a little sprout…like a tree man. Baby. The lady with green skin, and purple hair eyes you, almost inspecting every molecule you’re made of before she strides forward to shake your hand.

“I am Gamora,” she nods, “It’s not like we needed another mouth to feed, but you look like you are a fighter, and are welcome here.”

You feel your face pale, your hand slackening in her grip. “Fighter? I did not sign up for this shit, I’m terrible at fighting!” You turn to Peter, a panic falling over you. “I’m studying theoretic physics, not intergalactic Fight Club!”

“Ha!” The man the colour of a pale chalk board covered in red markings belted out a laugh which almost made you pee a little in fright. “This is a woman of honour, revealing her strengths! I like her.”

The raccoon gave him a side-eye glare. “Shut it, Drax.”

You take a deep breath, but Peter Quill interrupts you, butting in. “Will everyone just take a breath, and maybe give _______ some space?” He turns to you, and gives a sad smile. “We’re leaving Yondu’s ship in the morning, but before we can drop you back home, we’ve got a mission that needs completing.”

The little tree person nods. “I am Groot.”

The racoon rolls his eyes. “What do you mean, if she even wants to go home? Of course she does, she’s quaking in her bunny slippers.”

You can’t help but glance down at that, but you’re not wearing bunny slippers. You’re not even wearing shoes. Just fluffy bed socks, and the oversized Stevie Wonder shirt you wear to bed. How on Earth did you get abducted by aliens and all that shit in your pyjamas?

“I am Groot!” He intones.

“It doesn’t matter if she looks like a good place for a nap,” He translates, sounding irritated. “Oh, so now I’m not the person you like napping on now. Fine. Nap on someone your own size.”

The pair of them walk off, leaving you, Quill, Gamora and Drax standing there. “By fighter, you didn’t mean like, a hero for hire sort of thing, did you?” you ask Gamora, breaking the silence that was left without the bickering twig and raccoon. “I’m sorry I overreacted, I’m just, like, really scared right now. Wish I had my iPod.” You add, thinking of the 250 tracks on your laptop back in the dorm room.

“iPod? Sounds like an escape mechanism.” Drax muses. “I should like to get one of those. Then I will be able to escape all danger with it.”

You clear your throat. “No – it’s more like, ah, portable music. A Walkman?” Under your breath, you add, “These guys are from outer space, nobody has a Walkman out here.”

Peter grins. “I do! I have two tapes.”

---

It’s eight months later when you realise that you still haven’t been delivered back to your boring old life back on Earth. But you’ve been busy, flying around outer space with the guys who everyone calls The Guardians of The Galaxy (pretty bomb-ass name, - better than The Avengers, but that was you probably being biased because they’d destroyed your favourite café in the Battle of New York), kicking ass, taking names.

You’re more like the planner for their missions – while they’re just doing hero stuff, you’re organising their schedules, making sure The Milano doesn’t run out of fuel, cleaning Drax’s knives after battles, putting all the bombs and doodads Rocket leaves out away in their place. You even take care of Gamora, making sure she’s okay with all the nightmares of Thanos, and eating right.

It’s a long shot from theoretical physics, but when you’re not the Team Mom™ you’re working out equations with textbooks you find at junker stops, and papers that alien academics had written on the subject (thank goodness someone invented translation devices, because otherwise you’d be left staring at scribbles all day). If you ever make it back to Earth, you’re sure going to give the scientists Dr Banner and Stark a run for their money.

But at the moment, the team are between missions, and you’re lying on the lounge with Quill, sharing an earbud each to listen to his tunes. They’re old, but you’re not complaining. It’s not like you miss modern music, it’s all just the same riffs anyways.

“Sorry we never got around to bring you back home to Earth,” he turns to you just as the song Mr. Blue Sky ends. “Not to brag or anything, but the team is much better with you around.”

You can’t help but laugh. “‘Not to brag’ ... dude, you realise that every time you start a sentence with that, you’re bragging?”

Peter chuckles at that. “Yeah, I guess so.” He glances to the tape, and pausing the next track before it begins, he sits up a little. “Don’t like, deck me, but it’s great having you out here with us, and youdon’teverhavetoleaveifyoudon’twantto.”

You frown. “What? I didn’t catch that.”

He sighs. “_______, you don’t ever have to leave if you don’t want to. I’d miss you a heap if you left, and that’s saying something because a butt-load of people I know have left me and I didn’t really miss them until too late. And you’re cool and stuff, and make jokes and you’re like, super smart.”

“Is this you coming onto me, Peter?” You’re half incredulous, because you’ve seen how smooth he is with other people and flirtation. “Or are you just listing all my good attributes like, like a job offer, or something?”

He nods. “Something like that.”

You can’t help but laugh. “I don’t think there was ever really a place for me back on Earth. I had to fight for everything as best as I could to get where I needed to be, and even then, I couldn’t stop fighting until I got it. Hell, even my own parents decided my brother was better than me, and so I did all I could to beat him and get into the best college in the country, get the best marks. But no, he was still the golden boy.” You grit out. It’s been a while since you’ve dwelled about life before you were abducted, but once you’re starting, you can’t seem to stop. “If anything, I’ve really found something worth it out here. And I don’t have to compete. I’m just … me.”

Peter looks almost relieved at your words. “That’s rough, buddy.”

You laugh. “Nice Avatar reference, Star-Lord. But I still want to go to Earth. Just, you know, grab a fresh change of clothes, give my parents the middle-finger, pick up my limited-edition comics.” You skip a beat, and add, “You can even get some more tunes!”

He hesitates. “I…I never told you how I was abducted, did I?”

You shake your head. “I took it as a no-go zone.”

Peter takes a deep breath. “Yondu picked me up on Earth on the day that my mother died. Ever since, I’ve just thought of it as the place where she died, but … if I go back there, I know I’m going to be disappointed.”

You frown, your hand seeking out his to hold it. “How so?”

“Because … nobody will remember her like I do. She’ll just be, you know … another grave in the ground.” Your hand tightens around his, and he squeezes back. “I know, sounds pathetic.”

You shake your head. “No, it doesn’t. It’s like … I know how it feels. When my brother drowned, everyone mourned like they’d lost the moon, like it was gone, no more moon. I realised that when he died, that I was the asshole because all he’d done was existed, and I’d done all I could to one-up him. It never worked, Peter,” you tell him. “If I could go back in time, I’d just once sit down with him, and give him the biggest goddamned hug. It wasn’t his fault he was loved. It wasn’t my fault I wasn’t.”

You feel a tear fall from your eye, but before it can hit the lounge, Peter wipes it away. “Let’s go back to Earth.” He whispers. His face is so close to yours, you can count ever freckle, see every line on his face. “It’s about damn time we get closure.”

You sniffle, leaning your forehead against his, “Hear, hear.”

>> NEXT CHAPTER

[templeofgeek]

Artist Caleb King, sat down with us and spoke about art, cons, books, and all things Geek!

  When did you first realize you had a talent for art? 

My father wanted to be an illustrator. Growing up, I would see him draw and paint tanks, and airplanes, and World War II vehicles. I thought it was awesome watching him draw an paint. Around 1993, I met with a friend who introduced me to comics for the first time. I had heard of characters like Batman and Superman, but had never read a comic. Suddenly, I wanted to draw like that. I wanted to make characters as cool as the ones I saw on the pages of these comics. Combine that with the wonder I felt watching my father paint in watercolors for a little project he had to do, and the spark was lit. I started sketching all the time. I rarely went anywhere without a sketchbook and pencils. I would copy panels out of comics, or trading cards I collected. I started devouring anything I could find that was in the comic book realm. Flash forward several years, and I had been touring with my band for a number of years, and we were beginning to wind down our touring schedule. We had been playing 200+ shows a year, and were burning out. But through all that time on the road, all those tours, I had been sketching, and drawing. I began making up stories and creating characters, and wanting to bring them to life. I decided to use the down time from touring to go study at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Four years later, I walked away with a BFA in Illustration, and began sketching the characters, and writing the story that would become Surreality, my first comic. So, long answer to a simple question. Ha! I guess I never really thought I had a talent for art, but I had a determination to make it happen. I work hard at my craft, and I desire to be better. I’m always chasing that elusive image in my head. Hopefully I never catch it.

  When did you realize you could take you talent and turn it into a career?

I learned in school that we need to be driven to succeed at being an illustrator. We needed to go out in search of clients, as they were extremely unlikely to come to us, especially as new artists in a market like Chicago. I had mentioned my travels with my band. I spent the years between 1998-2005 on the road with them. It started slowly, with maybe 25 gigs in a year, and then blew up into a full blown 220+ days on the road for 3-4 years solid. It was nuts. We had a tour bus with beds, television, fridge, the works. We would drive to a gig, load in and set up, play, tear down, and drive to the next gig. We slept in the bus, and had hotels for the down days between gigs. It was awesome and terrible. I saw so much of the country in those years. Met a lot of cool people. I figured out who I was on the road. Part of the gig was hanging out at our merchandise table after the show to meet fans and sign autographs. I learned how to interact with people, how to talk to them. I learned how to be a real person, and still be a professional. I learned the ropes of making a merchandise display, and a bit of retail flair. When I graduated from the Academy, I took those same skills and applied them to my convention display. I had to learn the ropes of the convention circuit, but that was easy enough. Selling CDs and t-shirts at gigs was essentially the same thing as selling illustrations at a comic con.

Were you always into geeky things?

As far as I can remember, I’ve always had a love affair with Star Wars. I’ve never known a time when I didn’t love it. My father introduced me to all kinds of things growing up. Star Wars, Star Trek, George Romero’s movies, Mad Max. The list goes on and on. I’m grateful for those things.

Which Characters/Universe do you prefer painting the most?

I tend towards drawing Star Wars characters, and the Endless from The Sandman comic series, my all time favorite comic series, by the way. I can always find something new and exciting to draw from these sources. It usually sparks my creativity to work on something original.

You’re also working on a couple books, like Verse/Chorus and Cradle, which comes more naturally for you writing or painting?

I’ve always been a natural storyteller. I’ve been making up stories since I was a kid. In a way, it’s my first artistic language, though I have had no real training as a writer. I’ve read a lot, and I still read a lot, so I feel I’ve learned by absorbing the work of other storytellers. Hopefully it informs my writing on a subconscious level as well as in a tangible way. Drawing and painting is another natural language, but one that came from more work and focus. Music/Writing/Painting, they all seem to have chosen me.

illustrated by Nicolas R. Giacondino

Tell us more about Verse/Chorus and Cradle, where did it all start, where did the vision for each come from?

Verse/Chorus is a collaboration between myself, and my good friend Nicolas R. Giacondino. Nic and I met several years before while he was working on a creator owned project with fellow creator David Pauwels called Free Mars. David and I met at a comic con in Chicago, and he had asked me to do some work on Free Mars, though that never came to fruition. What did come of that, however, was a collaboration between Nic and myself that eventually led to him being the full time artist on Surreality, and the beginning of our first creator owned project, Verse/Chorus. Nic had posted an image he created on Facebook one night that was inspired by the Guns N’ Roses song “Estranged.” I loved the image, but also loved that he and I had a common musical interest. The chatted about bands for an hour or more, and Nic then made the comment that we should make a story about a rock band in that late 80’s, early 90’s period. Almost immediately, I came up with the concept of the book: A rock band that sells their soul to the devil for fame and fortune, only to lose it, and their lives, as fast as they got it. It is slated to come out in early 2018 from Source Point Press.

Cradle is a collaboration between myself and fellow creator Andrew Day. We both love outer space. We can talk stars, planets, black holes, and all manner of heavenly objects for hours. I had this concept that is based partly upon Fermi’s Paradox, which simply asks that if the universe is teeming with life, then why can’t we see evidence of it in space? Where are the colonies? Where are the structures? We could argue about the “evidence” of alien life, but that’s not the point. I like that question. I like that concept. I also had been reading about the concept of The Great Filter: a moment in the evolution of life/a species/a civilization whereby said life/species/civilization must pass through this filter and come out on the other side, or else perish. This filter can be many things, but it is a theoretical moment that all must pass through. The reason that we don’t see evidence of life in space, as one theory states, is that the have all failed to pass through this great filter. They all died out before they could become anything. Life failed the test. Cradle takes place in the far distant future, where humanity has colonized a majority of the Milky Way. They have long forgotten Earth, and out little part of the galaxy is empty. Cradle details the last days of mankind in a universe devoid of all other life forms, save humans. They only wish they could have seen it coming.

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illustrated by Nicolas R. Giacondino

illustrated by Nicolas R. Giacondino

illustrated by Nicolas R. Giacondino

You also have “Surreality” your on going web-comic, about a daydreaming slacker.  Did the inspiration for Sydney come from someone you know?

Surreality is the most personal story I’ve ever told. It is based on life experiences, fears, situations, and hopes I’ve had. All of the characters are based on aspects of my personality. Each of them are true parts of myself. When telling a story, you have to selectively edit reality, and distill it into something meaningful. It needs to flow better than reality does. I a very real and tangible manner, Surreality is my life. It’s also your life, and the lives of the readers. That. To me, is the essence of telling a tale based in reality. Most of the time I am selling copies of Surreality to people who have never heard of it before, and they are taking a chance on it. Often, they come back to me, or email me later, and tell me how personal the story seems to them. They feel like I’m writing their life. That, to me, is the power of storytelling. The power of story.

You are on the road going to a lot of cons, what do you love about con life? 

Con life is awesome. I love traveling and meeting new people, and fans. The road never truly leaves you. The community, the fellow artists, the crowd, this things are always good. I love it, even when it’s bad.

And what do you hate about it?

Con life is terrible. Con life is a lot of work. Booking shows, booking hotels, flights, managing expenses, renting cars, or arranging for transportation, etc. The actual exhibiting and selling your work is always a work in progress. I’m never truly satisfied with how my table is set up, so I’m always tweaking and re-working how I set it up. All of this distracts from, and often plays too big a role in, the development of my work. I am often basing what I’m creating around a con tour schedule, and that even dictated the content on some level. The two sides need each other, however. Without the pressure of having shows to have new work for, I might not be creating or working as hard as I am. It’s good to have pressure like that. I thrive on it, even when I dislike it.

Is there a con that you look forward to more than the others?

There are a few conventions I love attending. WonderCon in Anaheim, California is a personal favorite. The atmosphere, the crowd, the people, Disneyland (I’m a HUGE Disney nerd). It’s hard to beat. New York Comic Con, C2E2 in Chicago, and the New Orleans Comic Con, but I must confess, I go more for New Orleans than for the convention itself. Ha!

Are there any other projects you have lined up?

I’m currently finishing up some work on the Star Wars Masterwork trading card set for Topps, and continuing to work on Verse/Chorus, Surreality, and Cradle. It’s a lot of juggling, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Check out Caleb’s work and all updates here and Caleb’s Patreon. 

  Artist Spotlight: Caleb King Artist Caleb King, sat down with us and spoke about art, cons, books, and all things Geek!