Date: 03 Mar 2015 21:15 Title: Regula One
Every time I read this I like it more. Once again, you've proven that you're the master of taking the one-off character and breathing life into them - a life that not only fits the character, but seems natural and oh-so believable, like we've always known and felt this about this character.
The stages you put Carol through seem so true to life - trepidation warring with a desire to revisit the last place she worked with her son; her sorrow not only for David but for her other colleagues and friends who lost their lives there; the snippets of memories certain places and things evoked, and most importantly, her love-hate relationship with Jim Kirk.
We saw glimpses of that in the movie ("He killed everyone we left behind." "Of course he didn't." "You had your world and I had mine, and I wanted him in mine." "Please, tell me what you're feeling.") and you took those subtle references and brought them to the fore, fully realized them and made us ache along with her. My hat's off to you once again, sir.
Author's Response: You make me dizzy with your praise. I don't know, I've always liked the 'minor' little explored facets of Trek. As a kid I filled in gaps or wrote endlessly about bits in the movies. I once did a non fiction thing about all the characters encountered in Star Trek IV and what happened to them. Anyway, yes, Carol. Part of me wanted to do justice to Bibi Besch. In such a short role she did quite a bit, the scenes with Kirk and then even the look she gives him as he breaks up at Spock's funeral. My idea just stemmed from an image of Carol grabbing a mop and literally just getting over it by cleaning. I figured she loved Kirk but just as much hated him sometimes. I also figure that when she saw him after that time on Regula she wished she had told him about David sooner (though I always assumed he knew, hence his "Is that David?" line as if to say "My God, look at him!" and there's a TRek book where David ends up in Spock's care as Klingons attack a colony where Carol is based). I can but thank you a thousand times. You're as much to thank for this and other pieces than I am.
Date: 17 Feb 2015 15:01 Title: Regula One
Sometimes surviving is all you can do. Well done.
Date: 17 Feb 2015 14:19 Title: Regula One
Bibi Besch died? I didn't know.
You really capture Carol's brooding here as she works through her grief aboard the science station. I love it when she grabs that mop and gets to work. Having Jim Kirk arrive was a nice touch. Intruder alert. But this intruder is someone who can help her, if she gives him a chance. She has so much bitterness to overcome, but Jim is hurting, too.
Author's Response: Yes, she died of cancer unfortunately. Very sad, remember reading about it in Star Trek Monthly. Hard to believe it's almost twenty years. I'm glad the mop bit was okay. That was the whole starting point. Carol landing and just cleaning up. Maybe Gary Mitchell would've been a fun story to do but mood dictated.