Date: 01 Oct 2014 00:08 Title: A Question of Survival
This is what happens when you poke your nose into Cardassian space. I like it very much.
Date: 18 Sep 2014 19:27 Title: A Question of Survival
Wow, this was extremely well written! Some times torture stories border on torture porn, where it seems as though the writer gets tremendous joy out of writing it. Others, the torture isn't quite realistic enough; Cardassians aren't nice people when they're interrogating or punishing prisoners. It's a very hard line to walk, and you've walked it well.
I really enjoyed the read, and Ryan's little "twist" of a surprise at the end. :-D
Date: 13 Mar 2014 22:52 Title: A Question of Survival
To say that was "hard to read" is an understatement. Very gripping and well-written, but I couldn't quite finish.
Author's Response:
Thank you for taking the time to read it and the comments M C Pehrson. It is hard to read. Since you couldn't finish it, rest assured, our Caitlyn did survive. More than, she managed to best her torturer by his own devices.
Date: 06 Jul 2013 11:30 Title: A Question of Survival
Wow a very Dark Piece,
The fierceness burns, a good prose as usually, clear a hard piece to write and read, but worth it for the twist at the end.
Author's Response:
Thank you FalseBill. It is indeed dark and it was hard to write but it was also a frantic blur moment of writing it has to be admitted. The story came surging at the time. I'm glad the twist at the end was worth the reading. I quite liked the moment of win, even if it isn't the end of Caitlyn's troubles she begins to start taking proactive steps towards securing her freedom from this point onward.
Date: 04 Jul 2013 02:36 Title: A Question of Survival
Ouch, MF! That was extremely difficult to read (in terms of content; the prose was beautiful and haunting and quite evocative of the grim picture you were painting). You did forewarn, so I knew what I was in for, but couldn't stop once I started, so compelling did I find it.
It makes me want to know more about Caitlyn - who she was before, and who she became after this incident. I sincerely hope you do continue to expand on her story.
I love how she turned the tables at the end, and I think the theme of 'what are you?' ran very well throughout the piece. She kept trying to figure out what her captor wanted to hear at first, but then started questioning herself, and I think the answer surprised not only her, but her tormentor as well, for the answer was 'the victor' - not at all what he expected to hear, I'm sure.
Very well done.
Author's Response:
Wow, thank you so much for the review and kind words Cuppy. It means a lot to hear you found it haunting and compelling. I did in fact expand some on the story as had always been the intention. Here is the expanded but as yet unfinished story: A Question of Survival It of course has more of the hard aspects to read but we also get flashbacks telling us something of who she was before hand and how Caityln was formed by her parents quite early on.
Then there are the stories of Cyste Ryaenn who works as a re-imagined Caitlyn Ryan post-freedom and post-Dominion War.
Aegolius Harrier - Forged In Ice - Part One and Aegolius Harrier - Forged In Ice - Part Two -- Duels
She's a slightly different take on the Caitlyn character - for one she's Andorian/Aenar and gets her own command. In my mind almost AU in that one lives and the other dies in their respective stories. Here we see Cyste Ryaenn take command of her own ship but of all things gets assigned to the relief missions to a post war Cardassia - if she can get her weathered and down on its luck crew and ship out of spacedock that is.
Date: 03 Jul 2013 23:54 Title: A Question of Survival
Since I rec'd it, I read it again. And again I am gobsmacked. It's no easy thing to read: In fact, it's really damned hard and ugly and real and painful. It's every bad thing I've ever heard of governments doing, and Caitlyn Ryan is right in the worst kind of hell, with everything torn from her.
Except, not. Because again, and again, she keeps this thread of rationality, of courage, of determination and willpower and guts, and at the very end, she turns it all around. I remember feeling fierce then, and it makes me feel that way now years later. Brilliant writing, Kev. Just brilliant.
Date: 30 Jan 2012 22:59 Title: A Question of Survival
Whoa.
I was wondering how it would be resolved. A harsh story, extremely well told.
[Report This]Date: 23 Nov 2011 18:22 Title: A Question of Survival
Wow...I remember reading this sometime back and didn't remember reviewing it in the past...but this was a great read again!!!
Date: 26 Feb 2009 21:55 Title: A Question of Survival
A great compainion piece to the episode where Picard was tortured. You pulled this off quite well. I even found myself seeing the images in my brain as it progressed.
Who do you see in the two roles if this were an episode? I see CHRIS PLUMMER as your cardassian.
Anyway,I was active in the military for many years. I was never a POW, but a friend of mine was. He was only a POW for three weeks, but according to him, it was hell. Caitlyn is there nearly a 150 days. You do a good job, in a short story like this, coveying two different times of her being in captivity.
As someone said in the other review, great story, and at time, very raw indeed. She must be a strong person in her regular stories you feature her in.
Rob
scorpio
Date: 05 Feb 2009 21:15 Title: A Question of Survival
As I told you over at TrekBBS, I thought this was an incredible, intense piece of writing--and one that I DEFINITELY want to see more material from.
Date: 01 Feb 2009 18:44 Title: A Question of Survival
I remember the first time I read this, last month or so, and it made me feel quite fierce. Well-written, though very disturbing at times, it's definitely a lot of punch in a relatively small amount of words.
Author's Response: Thanks Nerys and SLWatson for your reviews.
It was a bit raw for me too upon writing because it is a tale I need to write for the character of Caitlyn Ryan to explain just how driven she is. So when I sat down to write this for the challenge it was done in one sitting. It just came out in a furious rage.
Thanks for reading and commenting.