Date: 23 Jul 2013 01:46 Title: San Francisco, 2254
Very nice short Story Mackenzie Calhorn.
a good AU use of Gary, glad that you made him find his calling by accident but it was the inner hero coming to the front in the right place.
Author's Response: I think Mitchell had a bit of hero to him :) Just not enough in the end. My thanks for reading.
Date: 26 May 2013 10:34 Title: San Francisco, 2254
Mitchell as a lifeguard? I'm assuming this is an AU? Well written piece either way, nice to see him having to face up to his mistakes and you captured his emotional state quite well.
Author's Response: yes, it is an AU. This precedes a larger piece of mine entitled "Good Vibrations". Tongue in cheek half the time.
I always liked Mitchell.
Date: 24 May 2013 03:28 Title: San Francisco, 2254
Great alternate take here on Gary Mitchell. I'd like to see where you take this because I think Gary Mitchell has a well of possibilities! Can't wait for the next one...Just tell me he isn't being played by Mr. Hasselhoff if you made this into a TV show.
Date: 23 May 2013 05:40 Title: San Francisco, 2254
Glad to see Gary Mitchell--lifeguard--revisited. I really enjoyed that alternate take on the character and it's wonderful to see what caused him to stray down that path. I agree - this might be a better fit for him than Starfleet ever was. At least I hope he'll have a more promising future than the hand Fate dealt him on the Enterprise.
Author's Response: thanks. I don't think this Gary will be going anywhere too soon. I hope not.
Date: 22 May 2013 22:52 Title: San Francisco, 2254
A nice lead-in to "Good Vibrations," and the anger he was showing in that story towards Starfleet. Pretty cool!
Author's Response: thanks indeedy. Fighting a great white shark probably helped channel his anger in GV :)
Date: 22 May 2013 00:30 Title: San Francisco, 2254
Damn Mack. Not only do you come up with an alternate history story you can also create prequels for them (you've a whole bunch of alternate universes crammed into that head of yours almost full realised)
Author's Response: You're most kind. Yes, I have far too many ideas but then I've always had an overactive imagination. You think this is bad, wait until I get the challenge story done :) IF I get it done.
Date: 22 May 2013 00:16 Title: San Francisco, 2254
Indeed, this seems the better thing. I like this particular path not taken.
Author's Response: Excellent. Gary Mitchell, Lifeguard will return.
Date: 22 May 2013 00:13 Title: San Francisco, 2254
You know, I can't honestly help but think this was a better fate for Gary. You don't excuse his many flaws, but you don't discount his good points, either -- like diving into the surf to save someone else. He might not be a hero quite, but he was to her, and he doubtless will be to others. And without turning into a murdering psycho, to boot. Well done!
Author's Response: Ha, yes this probably makes better sense for Mitchell. I think in a way he was Kirk writ large. The womanising and yet his sense of doing the right thing. As captain of the Enterprise he might well have been Pine's Kirk.
I don't think this one will go the way of the original, not unless he gets wound up :)
my thanks for the kind words.
Date: 22 May 2013 00:05 Title: San Francisco, 2254
Oh, and so the alternate take has an origin!
I like the action, very quickly, it pulls you from formal Starfleet and of course a low point to Gary doing the right thing immediately, without question and without even thinking about it.
Author's Response: I realised a little way in that I had no time to explain his rescue of the swimmer so sort of chopped about and accelerated :) Otherwise it seems right that Mitchell had had to have something happen for him to end up a lifeguard though originally I had this idea he just drifted into it. But this little piece gives reason in part for his dislike of Starfleet.