Date: 07 Jun 2014 15:21 Title: Epilogue
A beautiful, tragic, fitting ending for this tale. Weaved with your usual deft and absolute respect for the characters, you gave us a wild ride, from one universe to the next and back again. I'm with Maren: I have no idea how Icheb could have become such a monster in the MU, but then again it's the MU ... so, perhaps, that is the ultimate fate of everything and everyone there.
The thoughts and concerns cited by Maren here, the way she reaches out to JQ, the feelings she still has for the one she's lost ... yes, all of it true ringing.
Loved this from beginning to end. You, sir, win the day. :)
Author's Response: Thank you so much! Seriously, a little choked up reading your comment, means a lot coming from such a Tesseract fan! So glad it met with your approval, I wanted the epilogue to wrap things up but still leave it open ended, glad that seems to have worked for you.
Date: 07 Jun 2014 15:15 Title: Chapter 5
Oh wow! She pulled an Admiral Janeway (Endgame style) and did it! God!
Author's Response: Didn't think of the Janeway parallel, but yeah definitely. Thanks for the comment!
Date: 06 Jun 2014 22:17 Title: Chapter 5
Oh my freaking God. This keeps getting more intense. Poor JQ! Poor Maren (both of them)! And wow, Icheb is a stone cold jerk in this universe. Now I want to know his MU backstory!
You dispatched Adele and Janeway quickly and unexpectedly. Well played. And as for Maren's final act of self-sacrifice and aggression against Mirror Icheb ... God, that was wrenching.
So now, what's Maren going to do? How's she going to get unborgified and back to her own universe? Will JQ let her? Will JQ destroy the command cube? Will Maren let him?
So many questions, once again. I cannot wait to see how you end this. I read it on my phone earlier today and haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. Such a relief to get back to my computer and review it.
Author's Response: If you insist, I'm sure I can find a way of writing a few little scenelets about this MU Icheb... If you insist :) Yeah, time running out for them and me so the dispatching had to be sudden and quick! So glad you enjoyed this so much, no matter what happens with the challenge, I feel so cool that you feel I did justice to these characters I love so much!
Date: 06 Jun 2014 18:08 Title: Chapter 5
Eek! Okay, I would like to thank you right now for the brand-new nightmare inspirations. Showing up naked to final exams was just not cutting it any more.
And, well, this had to be a one-way ticket, of course. And so it is.
Author's Response: You're most welcome... :D Nightmares R' Us, providing your nightly terrors since 1743 :)
Date: 05 Jun 2014 22:24 Title: Chapter 4
Wow. The Borg are some nasty SOBs in this universe. You describe the process of assimilation and the atmosphere of it all with such deft, CS. You just sucked me into the scene and I loved every minute of it. I can't wait to see how this ends.
Author's Response: Thanks so much! Glad you liked it, hope the Maren on Maren scene wasn't too confusing! Yay Vampire Borg! :D
Date: 05 Jun 2014 21:47 Title: Chapter 4
Well, this has taken a rather nasty turn. Of course, vampire Borg, very, very scary. Certainly the stuff of nightmares, but this is the Mirror Universe, after all.
It is a little confusing to follow which Maren is which. I realized in the end that it was the MU Maren who was still standing. I am not certain exactly how you could make things clearer, though. Hairstyle? Darkness in one and not the other? More Borg tech? I don't know, just throwing things out here.
Author's Response: Yeah, I wanted to differentiate the Borg in this universe from the ones in ours and what is scarier than regular Borg? Vampire Borg! Ha ha ha! (evil laugh) :) Sorry about the confusing, not sure either how to make it clearer beyond calling one of them MU Maren! :D Basically in the scene where they are both there, the Maren whose POV we are in is the MU Maren, shown by the fact that she remembers being in this universe's version of UZ. Thanks for the comment!
Date: 05 Jun 2014 21:07 Title: Chapter 4
So ... PU Maren's device IS working? Both Marens seem pretty with-it. Or did PU Maren fix MU Maren's device before she woke up from regeneration?
And holy confusing mental images, Batman. Two Marens, both Borg, arguing over a screwdriver and the fate of the Hive. I think my brain is broken. (Maybe next they'll be duking it out over Icheb.)
I cannot imagine how this is going to end. Does MU Maren even know how to make the virus work? Did Maren just get assimilated for nothing? What is she going to DO?AHHHHH so many questions. I hope I don't have to wait long for answers!
PS Seeing Janeway all MU badass and Annika Hansen having never been assimilated was a cool treat. I wonder how Harry Kim gets along on her ship, what with all the treachery and sex.
Continued awesomeness.
Author's Response: Sooo... Yeah, MU Maren repaired it, we just didn't see it. I would have liked to have developed this chapter more, included some intermediary scenes and expanded on their recovery but with the Saturday deadline, I had to cut some stuff! Same for the two Marens, more of a needs must. I was worried it might be confusing, but beyond calling MU Maren MU Maren not sure how to make it clearer. Maybe I'll go back and rework it one day, hopefully it is not too confusing? Glad this has left you with questions!!! Ha Ha Ha! Answers coming up later today. Thanks for the continued comments!
Date: 05 Jun 2014 00:08 Title: Chapter 3
Damn, man. What a great way to turn everything on its head here with Unimatrix Zero, which is just as nasty as the rest of the MU. The Maren there meets the Icheb there and he rescues her (savior that he is). Way to go!
Author's Response: Thanks. Yeah, I needed a way for MU Maren and MU Icheb to meet and UZ seemed like the way to go. Plus, vampire Borg. I had to go there! :)
Date: 04 Jun 2014 20:26 Title: Chapter 3
Okay, now you're getting her onto the cube, and of course with the MU counterpart in Unimatrix Zero, that tags her as being someone who the MU Icheb would be even more interested in. Curiouser and curiouser.
Author's Response: Thanks! Of course, the best laid plans, etc, etc... :)
Date: 04 Jun 2014 19:50 Title: Chapter 3
Wow, I was NOT expecting that! So, the Borg King is part of Unimatrix Zero? Or did we all guess wrong about who the Borg King is? Does he know he's the Borg King? Does the Borg King know he's Icheb? SO MANY QUESTIONS! Damn. You have my mind racing, here. Well played. Very interested to see how Mirror Maren takes to Icheb, especially since she's married to JQ.
And that last line ... OMG. Maren Siobhan O'Connor. This is a terrible idea. You know better than this. What would Prime Universe Icheb say about this plan? And are you really going to help your mirror kill all the drones?!
This is so much fun! Keep up the fantastic work, CS.
Author's Response: Thanks so much! Glad I was able to throw you a little with this one, the surprises are not done yet. Remember, this is an MU, so the origin of certain races may not be the ones we know... *hint**hint* I'll leave you hanging for now as to whether the King is Icheb or not. As to how MU Maren and MU Icheb will work out... Wait and see. Come on, PU Maren has to live up to MU Maren's badassness now. What else could she do?! :) As to how PU Icheb would react... if a Maren, any Maren, was assimilated, what do you think he would do? Thanks so much for the kind words!!!
Date: 03 Jun 2014 21:27 Title: Chapter 2
The stakes have been set and Adele is a cold, cold woman. I like it. You got Maren's voice down, JQ's voice down ... just pure win.
Author's Response: Thanks so much TF! Means a lot!
Date: 03 Jun 2014 21:03 Title: Chapter 2
*bounce bounce bounce* SQUEEEE. This is exciting!
Maren almost made me cry thinking about Icheb and imagining him safe and happy. Oh, Maren. You know that's not how we play things around here. (Although, as Borg King, I guess he just may be safer and happier than he's ever been in his life. Mind screw, much?)
JQ also tugged at the heartstrings with his love for what was apparently his wife?! Aw, Maren Quigley. She sounds like a stone cold badass, though, knocking JQ out like that. Not that PU Maren doesn't have some badass in her, but she hasn't got as much opportunity to use it in the primeverse (YET!). Interesting that MU Maren was more than willing to annihilate the Borg. PU Maren may not be nearly as willing, particularly if she catches sight of Icheb ... we all know she's got a soft spot for the ex-drones.
Interesting to see Adele using her powers for evil instead of good (she's manipulative as hell in both universes, but this is way more vicious and intentional). Although this is a pretty interesting crew in that they seem sort of stable for the MU. JQ and Adele seem to be on okay terms in that neither is plotting the other's demise or anything like that. Guess the Borg have softed the ol' Empire up a bit?
MOAAAARRRRRR! (Please.)
Author's Response: So glad you're enjoying this so much!!!! :) Who said that Icheb was the Borg King? :) (now that's a mind screw, I hope... :) ) I hope PU Maren gets to show her badassness going forward then. Yes, MU Maren and JQ are married. You know that one this is finished, we've got to get PU JQ over there to see what could have been, right? Ok, too cruel perhaps? Yeah, this is post Empire, post Alliance so I thought the crews would be a bit more stable. Doesn't mean that there is not some backstabbing going on though. And so glad that MU Adele met with your approval - she is probably the darkest version of your characters I've done so far, so I was afraid that might not work for you. Ooof! :D
Date: 03 Jun 2014 20:24 Title: Chapter 2
Smart man, that JQ. Of course the MU Maren's plan is a reflection (see what I did there?) of the Prime Universe plan that Icheb's parents had had for him. Introduce a virus, infect the hive/collective and be done with it. Individual as magic bullet weapon, essentially.
I am thinking we're going to see MU Maren as a drone soon.
Author's Response: Really? You went the "reflection" route? :) LOL Yeah, Maren's plan does have links to Icheb's parents one, though I can't remember the exact details of that plan off the top of my head. As for seeing MU Maren... Check out Chapter 3! :D
Date: 03 Jun 2014 15:33 Title: Chapter 1
Oh, absolutely delicious. I love the way this worked out, from JQ and Maren to the hint of the Borg King's identity. Can't wait to see where you take this.
Author's Response: Thanks man! I know you're as big a fan as Tesseract as i am, so I'm glad this meets with your approval so far.
Date: 03 Jun 2014 05:38 Title: Chapter 1
Oh, this is freaking epic. I'm grinning from ear to ear, here. Nicely done! I can't wait to see where you're taking this!
Mirror Universe ... only bad things can happen. Maren, honey, your life sucks. At least this time I'm not the one torturing you. Loved the interplay between her and mirror JQ -- and how interesting that they're together in that universe. I can't imagine that will get complicated at all ...
Nice to see Telek front and center for once! And resisting the Borg King ... with a small ridge in the middle of his forehead.
Oh, Maren. You are so, so screwed.
Author's Response: Hope the direction this goes in will meet with your approval, after all this is supposed to be a (twisted) homage to the greatness that is Tesseract! :) Yes, I thought I would give you a break from the torturing. I almost had a different character in that scene but then thought I'd quickly scroll through Tesseract and look for Andorians and lo and behold: Telek! Glad you like him.
Date: 02 Jun 2014 21:50 Title: Chapter 1
Oh ho ho, this promises to be a fun and wild ride!
Author's Response: Hope so! Thanks for the review!
Date: 02 Jun 2014 21:50 Title: Chapter 1
Ho. Wow. Yowzers. Now way. Jaw dropping. Really? Could it be?! No way.
All of the above are the different possible openers to this review. In a short space there was a lot you threw at us. From a JQ declaring action on Maren to the reveal of his being his mirror universe counterpart, to his kidnapping Maren to save said Mirror Universe - from the Borg - and me thinks from the Borg King in particular. Hmm, would he be anyone we know? Could you really go there. Damned intriguing that much is for sure. This could be wild and fun and scary as shit. Bring it.
Author's Response: Yay! Yay! Yay! The only way to start this response to your review :) So glad you liked this, I hope I can do justice to Kes' fantastic characters, even if most of them will be their mirror universe counterparts. Can't wait to see what you think of the continuation. :D