Date: 28 Feb 2014 00:08 Title: One Small Step
Clearly love at first sight. Poor Christine, but who can blame her?
Date: 08 Sep 2013 19:59 Title: One Small Step
LBD nice to see you’ve put those two very good Christine WFW short stories into a very enjoyable and excellent story that shows day one for everybodies favourite space nurse (well bar JJ AOS movie writers). I like how you view McCoy walking contradictions, the appeal of Mister Spock and Kirk Charm. Then you top it off with Uhura warmth.
Nice idea that you built on her back-story with Roger, but also show why after the truth of “what our little girls made of†she stayed and became part of the core of enterprise core team.
Author's Response:
Yes. I thought Chapel deserved some real face time. The series did way too much of her hand-wringing and pining for Spock when she was a talented, intelligent woman in her own right. Besides, it was fun to see K&S&M through someone else's eyes for a change. ;-)
Date: 02 Jul 2013 20:37 Title: One Small Step
Awww. Ok, so much to love here. It is almost as though this could be used as an introductory story to the Enterprise and the crew of TOS. One could easily imagine with the characterisation here of making Chapel a larger character in her own right the way you handle it and the way you wove this story.
I was always going to love a story that expanded on a minor character and I was always going to love a story written by you lil black dog. In no way did you disappoint. The story had heart and yet fitted so well with canon and your canon. Some wonderful character stuff - from McCoy warnings, Scotty warmth, Kirk charm, Spock alien aura and Uhura proving she communicates in so many ways to Chapel herself, made into an intriguing and I would venture compelling character.
I don't know whether the weekly free writes alone inspired this piece or whether something of Mack's mission to bring Crusher proper to the masses has rubbed off on you. The reason being I could easily imagine this as not a one shot but the beginning of a story, chapter one to Chapel's Chronicles.
Wonderful character stuff that hints to so much of the path that lies ahead of Chapel (meeting Roger, her relationship with Spock and with McCoy) and I loved the simple act of finding a friend in Uhura. So, so much to enjoy here. Super job.
Author's Response:
As always, MF thanks for a detailed and thoughtful review. :D Yes, I think Mac is rubbing off on me, but more to the point, I think Chapel should be given a chance to shine in her own right. She's definitely a talented, smart, compassionate and savvy woman who deserves more than just being thought of as 'that chick who moons over Spock.' Yes, that's certainly an aspect of who she is, but her identity runs so much deeper; there is so much more to her than just that.
You're not the first one to encourage me to add to this, and it's definitely given me pause. I've done other free writes with her as the star, as well as stories where she had a prominent role. Maybe flesh those out, or retell some of those things from her POV. You never know, there are always alternatives. ;-)
Date: 30 Jun 2013 04:47 Title: One Small Step
A new assignment! And new friends! And ... someone interesting.
Roger seems a bit like an afterthought, Christine!
Author's Response:
Well after all, she hasn't seen Roger in five years, and Spock is *right there*. ;-)
Date: 30 Jun 2013 04:37 Title: One Small Step
I really love that this is from Christine's point of view. She's a painfully underutilized character, and that you show her here grappling with nerves and giving an outside perspective on our much loved crew is a special kind of treat. She seems very human, and far more than just her infatuation with Spock, and I particularly love her trying to figure out the enigma that is Leonard McCoy.
My favorite part, though, is that she took up with Uhura right off, and I can't think of a better dynamic duo there. It's sweet, and well-done. Great work!
Author's Response:
My first love is The Big Three, but of late I've been trying to flesh out some of the secondary characters, Chapel included. To me, it's such a shame that they didn't tap into her potential beyond her infatuation with Spock. She is a gifted scientist in her own right, and quite savvy about some things - in some cases moreso than McCoy.
Yes. From what we saw in 'The Changeling' it seemed to me there was something beyond the nurse-patient relationship. It seemed quite apparent that these two were friends, and that Uhura's condition was particularly distressing to Christine. I just ran with that idea. :D