[Report This]Date: 28 May 2015 21:06 Title: Wake
An intriguing look into the MU, a glance through the mirror in the aftermath of the first encounter between the Primeverse and this one. Very well handled, the characterisation was top notch, with some very clever twists on the relationships we know from the Prime universe added along the way.
I really enjoyed the way you portrayed this seminal Star Trek relationship through the mirror. The McCoy/Spock/Kirk triumvirate still exists but very much darkly twisted. You managed to take the difficult friendship that McCoy and Spock enjoy in the Primeverse and turn it into something else, a much colder relationship, based on fear and loathing and calculation. A testament to what the mirror universe does to its people. You did the same with McCoy and Kirk - gone is the warmth and camaraderie. I thought one of the sentences was very telling in this regard, when McCoy says that Kirk was a good companion to have on a pleasure planet. The rest of the time, he was just a dangerous madman, one that McCoy was relieved to see put out of his misery. If it hadn't been for Spock getting his position.
This is a very different Spock to the one we meet in the "canon" continuation of the mirrorverse, through the novels. In those, Spock takes what Kirk reveals to him and uses it for a kind of good, in whatever twisted way people in the Mirrorverse have of doing good. Here, we get the feeling that Spock is much more of a danger, a man willing to go to any lengths to get what he wants. McCoy finds himself forced to make a choice and I thought it was very true to his character that he decides not to go along with it. For now, anyway.
An excellent character study, a good continuation of the TOS mirror episode. All in all, a super little story. Well done!
Date: 16 Jun 2014 17:28 Title: Wake
I feel deeply for this alternate McCoy.
You did a terrific job with this piece of writing.
Date: 27 May 2014 23:17 Title: Another Man's Treasure
I have only a very summary knowledge of this Mirror Scotty, but the story itself stands nicely on its own. You did a good job setting up the character - 16, strong, born and lives in space - in a very short snippet, giving us the readers everything we need to know as we follow Scotty through this junkyard. You did a good job of capturing his voice - it is easy to imagine a young, though slightly different, James Doohan in the role, as he climbs into the junkyard and begins to look through all of the things that have been left behind.
I especially enjoyed the theme that ran through the piece about the difference between space and ground - how Scotty struggles to adjust to the gravity, something that is omnipresent until right at the end when he kind of pushes all of that aside in his haste to get out of the junkyard. I also liked how you created a distinct sense of wrongness about this world - it is easy to imagine that this is not in the Trekverse we know but rather in the Mirrorverse. There is an omnipresent otherness that comes across nicely through very small, subtle cues: the junkyard itself, the signs announcing brute force and dogs, Scotty's fear as he runs. All of them add up to a world that is removed from the one the 'real' Scotty probably grew up in.
You did a good job of creating the fulcrum that leads to the story's end as Scotty brings the junk crashing down around him. The race to get out was extremely well written, creating a real sense of tension and fear, especially as from the note we knew where it was heading.
I was a little let down at the relative mundane way he gets the scar - though that may have been your intention - and there were a couple of spelling mistakes or nits throughout. Overall, though, this was a well written, nicely paced short piece that shows a good grasp of this character. Well done!
Date: 10 Feb 2014 21:11 Title: Timing
That gave me a chuckle. "Handling some quick repairs", indeed. Concise and well written. It's nice to know that Scotty has a life.
Date: 16 Dec 2013 10:30 Title: As We Are
I'm not sure why I keep riding this emotional roller coaster, but again...just beautiful and sad. Wonderful to see Andy getting these moments, after reading One Minute. Even if he is still somewhat taking it from Scotty, it's another moment he's there peacefully and (dare I think) willingly. He may not think himself human anymore, but I like to believe these years he spends with Andy helped keep him on the path to his goal of destroying everything, rather than spiraling downward into chaos. He could have hit the red button whenever he wanted, ready or not; I like to think Andy gave him that small sparkle of hope, not just in his cause but for himself as well.
Still...love this series all around. And this was a beautiful addition to that lore.
Author's Response: I think Andy did. Remember his program code, in the main mirror arc?
"Run AJC2254."
He never forgot. Andy never stopped haunting him, not even to his very last breath. Thank you; that you get it, and love it, even when it kills you, makes me feel like it was worth it.
Date: 28 Sep 2013 20:52 Title: Simplicity
Simplicity is the title and the beautiful simplicity of this piece shines through, I like how in less than ten paragraphs you sum up the value of simplicity is the assassin friend, how to relied on nothing but yourself.
How in those last three lines you’ve sum up the darkness of his revenge and how he kept going with a well-laid and simple plan to cripple each of the Constitution class ships and thus doom the Empire.
Interesting touch that Mirror Scott despite saying so little at the time seems to accept that killing Andy to keep his secrets was the end of his blackened soul.
Top notch work, as usual.
Author's Response: Thank you, very much.
Date: 28 Sep 2013 20:44 Title: Loyalties
O now that a dark follow up to shards.
Pike realising he is losing his old crew and they less and less of them left and how the pain and drugs means he should quiet command but knows that if he does he will lose everything, so he use violence against Scotty to try and sorth the inner pain, then justify by the Piper can heal the wounds and it won’t happen next time.
Still the way you underline that not true and next time will be worse and the way you show Jim Kirk has learn the importance of the twisted loyalty in the Mirror Universe Environment from his father lesions while fishing.
Another excellent piece.
Author's Response: Thank you, Bill. Nothing about this one was easy to write.
Date: 28 Sep 2013 20:33 Title: Shards
Now this is a very different Mirror Pike & Scotty story. It show the pain of losing Number one and just how much Mirror Scotty is indeed a collection of shards.
Flow smoothly this story and despite not been what I might normally read, I’m glad I did as you paint a clear picture of the mirror Pike rampaging ego control still by his high intelligence and how having lose number one, he just need a living machine to obey him and satisfactory his own needs.
The false logic as he start sharing dinner with Scotty and try to say he just been efficient shows that ever as twisted as this version of Pike is, he still has a hole in his soul from losing number one.
An excellent tie up ending with Pike realising the importance/meaning of the scars and realising the risk he took only after the event.
Author's Response: Thank you, Bill. And yes, Pike's justifications were definitely him as broken.
Date: 28 Sep 2013 20:20 Title: Stone
Poor Andy, he so mess up in the mirror universe and this story is another excellent piece of work by you, the darkness of what he done and had done to him in that room, and how his desired ice assassin don’t fit that world. So he flip between hate and desire, is a sign of this Andy mess up life and mind state.
I felt Andy thoughts of wanting some proper family out of the people in that room, despite knowing it’s a mess and then the flip thought that he doesn’t want to ever come back and yet know he will, rings with the painful truth of the Mirror Universe
Your prose is health as good as ever and ever word is needed.
Author's Response: Nailed it, Bill. Thank you.
Date: 28 Sep 2013 17:27 Title: Loyalties
What. The. Hell.
What in the world is Pike doing to Scott?! I realize where this is in the story but holy hell...what a stark contrast to the behavior in Shards. And how has Pike not gotten a dagger in the throat from Scott for all this? What is he doing that would do this kind of damage to him and still have him not go after the guy?
Very interesting seeing young Jimmy and his father. I had no doubt George Kirk was the kind of man who could leave work at work and be somewhat decent to his own family, but I forgot for a moment reading the flashback that we were in the Mirror Universe. Again, something I love about your MU and most of the MUs here; not everyone in the MU is evil and has a goatee. They're people with different things motivating them, with the usual chief among them being power. Otherwise, they are still human beings. So that was cool to read.
And your pre-insanity Mirror Kirk, like I mentioned in Morning (which I realize I read out of order...oops) comes across very similar to his prime counterpart. He's motivated by a drive for power, sure, but he still seems to have some shred of decency in him. Even if he's only seeing the waste of Scott because of the man's usefulness in his own plots, and not as another human being, he's showing Scott a small amount of compassion and loyalty in return. And he doesn't even question what it is that has been keeping Scott alive; he doesn't care what the man's motivations are, whether they fall in line with Kirk's or not. He seems to care that, whatever it is Scott is trying to achieve, won't happen if Pike isn't removed soon.
In any case...wow. This Kirk almost seems like he could be a likable guy, until I remember where we are. Even so...I like this characterization of him. It would have been too easy to just make him the same as he was in "Mirror, Mirror," instead of showing a slow progression towards that man, a progression you showed in Pike before him and then even Spock afterwards. Cool stuff.
Author's Response: I love your questions. Here's why Pike doesn't get a knife in the throat: Scott's trapped. Not by literal, physical constraint -- he can bodily attack. But because if he does, he breaks years and years worth of a pattern of behavior. Scott always follows orders. Always. Without hesitation, without protest. He established himself as unimpeachable because he was a former rebel, his records state this, and the only way to earn trust after that is by being consistent and showing his loyalty over and over and over. He can kill in self-defense, and does, but only when directly attacked. But this isn't quite direct. And if he killed Pike, he would have broken that pattern, and been scrutinized.
Thus, he's trapped. If he gives in and kills Pike, he likely ruins all his work. But he won't live through much more of this. I really like Jim Kirk in this universe. Because he does feel for Scott. And he does save Scott's life. It's the only time in the entire MU where Scott chooses to ally with someone, with Jim Kirk. To get out of the trap he's in, to survive Pike's abuse, to live long enough to complete his objective. Kirk is a likeable guy, until he loses it. Thank you so much.
Date: 28 Sep 2013 16:54 Title: Shards
I had to do a double take on the date...
Wow.
It makes sense to me, now, that Scott wouldn't have as large a problem following his Captain's orders and providing to him, but I can see the shift in him, just like Pike, as Pike starts to get more and more comfortable with him. And then I realized what Pike missed in that discomfort at the end. And then my heart just wrenched again. The warmth he thought he saw, then that realization it was just him shattered.
Windows to the soul. And after Andy, I imagine Scott's soul is even more shattered than before. Still the same silent shadow, but now detached almost completely. Not willing to feel the same thing he had felt with Andy, because of what had happened to him. Perhaps even haunted by Pike's very similar behavior in bed; starting off as nothing more than a game, and gradually turning into something softer, until he's now draping his arm over him like Andy did.
I got shivers seeing the similarities in the way Scott was treated by Pike with the way he was by Andy, and it just hurt to read that last line.
Author's Response: You basically got it. Pike shifting tactics and turning it into something more than just using his faithful lieutenant there really messed Scott up. Because of Andy. His body's just a body, and while it's still rape, he still functions as is because it is just a body, he doesn't care so much what happens to it, so long as he lives. But when Pike shifts tactics there, it's not just a body anymore; Pike's pushing on open wounds. This is a really, really layered story. Whatever Andy did to Scott, it was still consensual, even back in the beginning when sometimes that was violence. Because at any point, Scott could end their association. What Pike did wasn't consensual. And Scott has no escape from it. And Andy is always and forever the ghost at his shoulder.
Date: 28 Sep 2013 16:38 Title: Simplicity
That was awesome. So very in line with everything about your mirror Scott. Few words, actions only. Toothpicks. His bubble.
And yeah, insane bringing McCoy's role in his life to the front. We all know what he did to try and "help" Scotty, but he definitely drove the final nails in the coffin of the young man he had been. And for an assassin, the level of complexity for his whole plan is astonishing. Not just looking at it in this context, for that desire to be simple, but also in the context of...he did this alone. For thirty years, he was a one man conspiracy, laying the ground work for the destruction and murder of millions of people, hiding the tools in plain sight on the ships that he helped build.
I would love to just sit down one day and ask you how in the world you came up with the ideas you had for ESPG. This has been awesome all around.
Author's Response: I blogged about some of it on Ramblin'. But hey, anytime you'd like to chat about it, hit me up. I'll answer anything you want to know. Thank you so much for reading it.
Date: 28 Sep 2013 16:28 Title: Stone
Well, you weren't kidding. That was very...intense. And I guess I moved on to clean Andy and got so engrossed with that character that I forgot this is who he was at the start of One Minute. You hint at his life going on in the background, and at how empty he feels in that life, but here you very clearly show that emptiness. Just a scratch to the surface of the man, but enough to see that need, that desire, for something to change, for something different. That need and desire to know his shadow, that start for him trying to get his one minute with him.
And an interesting reversal for the character as well; with the incredibly fragile, he wants to be dominating and abusive...but with his stone-cut shadow, he wants to be gentle. Or, is he saying he'll be gentle because he hopes his obsession will be the dominating and abusive one? Throughout One Minute we see Andy, for the most part, stay very cautious with Scott. There's no danger of him ever hurting the man, not really; the true danger is in Scott hurting him. I feel like he knows this, and wants that to happen (again, this is still messed up Andy).
Or, is it he wants to be gentle because for the first time, and like we see in One Minute, he found someone who would be gentle with him as well? That desire for a change, that desire to not only know Scott as a human being but to rekindle that flame of life in him, does Andy want that tenderness of another human being he can love in his life?
But how very haunting the previous statement is. "I know it'll never come to be." For as much as he tries (and even succeeds) in bringing Scott back to humanity, One Minute ends with probably the most violent and hurtful thing he could do to Scott.
Scott actually cared about him, in the end, and had to kill him.
Uggh...I need more rainbows and puppies now. Still love this entire mini-series you made in the middle of ESPG. Thank you so much for this.
Author's Response: Andy's -- screwed up. He wants to MATTER. He's not actually abusive to his drug buddies in their fueled orgies, just really messed up and so are they. His attempted dominance over Scott early in One Minute, or in Conditioning, are because he wants to matter for something. Even if something bad. But he also wants to be something good, too, and can't quite reconcile the two. Hence here. Thanks so much for the incredibly thoughtful review!
Date: 28 Sep 2013 13:28 Title: One Minute
O what a final ending scene for those two as ISS Enterprise Scotty, give Andy one final minute before dispatching him, so he can’t reveal anything that compromise Scotty or the rebellion.
I like how someone burn to embers by the empire can inspires someone to change the course of there life and try to do more good.
The scenes on the Bearclaw that final happy time together is such a beautiful echo of the prime verse scene and I did just like Andy wanted to laugh at the ice-assassin been seasick on day one.
You were right it was worth reading this heart breaking story and it is deserving of it’s award winning status.
Author's Response: It wasn't actually the secrets they were protecting. It was Andy. Scott killed him because it was that or let him be tortured. "They can't take me from you now." "I know." But yes, it even broke its author's heart.
Date: 28 Sep 2013 13:10 Title: One Minute
The thing that matter in life are never easy, so true, it echo through this chapter and to open the sentiment to open and close the chapter and not feel forced in anyway is a testement to your prose work here.
I’m not sure I’ve got the words to describe how good I think this chapter is, you’ve built on the first chapter and you’ve manage to get more depth. So Mirror Andy/A-Jay has come to admire that young renegade engineer and understand the pain. They to realise that if that burnt out young engineer can become this super efficient assassin, then perhaps after his low point and de-tox scene, he can become some thing with his fisherman boat assistance scheme.
You broke both of then and then rebuilt them believable fashion, the staring at he drug kit or the booze store, feel so painful for the few words that you use to describe it.
Author's Response: If you want to know the truth, I never expected Andy to clean himself up and get himself on track. But at his core, the nature he shares with Cor is the same and I guess their innate humanity shines when it has a chance. Even if born in pain. Thank you very much.
Date: 28 Sep 2013 12:54 Title: One Minute
Well I can see why this is an award winning story, Mirror Corry still has hints of his prime verse self and yet he so clearly an creation of the brutal Mirror Universe Terran Empire. The way the get fascinated by the emotionless Scotty, and then start to take losses just to trade with him. Then the whole using him as a bodyguard thing than ends with him being the coward under the table. With a viewpoint of the brutal pub knife battle from under the table.
Then the breaking moment as he thinks about leaving him to die of the poison and then takes him to no questions ask motel. Then his emotional death as Scotty relives trying to break through the wall to save Jenna from George Kirk actions. Living his helplessness with him and been unable to do anything to help.
That last line brought a tear to my eye, a very well crafted opening chapter.
Author's Response: Thank you, Bill. Andy was an exceptionally strong narrator and One Minute sprang pretty much right from head to keys. And yet somehow I didn't know what would happen myself.
Date: 28 Sep 2013 07:23 Title: Morning
I guess coming off reading ESPG so recently, I've seen the transformation and the reasons behind it that brought us from this Kirk to the one seen in "Mirror, Mirror." The Kirk you wrote in ESPG seemed very much a dark reflection of our Kirk; still the same confidence, smoothness, ambition, but just with a darker shadow than ours. THAT Kirk could have easily fit in with our own Enterprise, much easier than the one that did finally crossover. The look into his personality and thoughts, how even just saying something so trivial was definitely unneeded...and yet was so much that reflection coming out and presenting itself to say "hi, I'm still Kirk." And once again, the portrayal of Scotty. Even with him not in charge, the fact that his presence offers no room for light; his own dark shadow is so great that it brings everyone into it with him. And it's awesome to see that Kirk respects Scott as a killer and as an ally; he doesn't invade his space, he doesn't try and talk to him more (unlike Andy, lol), he doesn't approach him or touch him, and he's already worked out where he's going to put Scott once he climbs to the top.
I have definitely fallen in love with your ESPG universe...this is just amazing with everything you've done here.
Date: 20 Sep 2013 20:10 Title: Conditioning
*blows out deep held breath*
Yes. Very haunting. I'm glad I did read "One Minute" before this...it makes so much sense, and adds so much more depth to that story. That one stands well alone, but it's still very cool and beautiful to see just what Scotty was thinking during those years with Andy.
Kinda disturbing, how at the start of their relationship Scott was still constantly on guard; the way you portray him always monitoring Andy as a threat, I'm just waiting for him to suddenly see that threat and finish Andy with the brutality he showed in ESPG. But then the transformation from "guarding against a threat" to where they stand, embracing, at the end of One Minute is...incredibly beautiful. And given the end of this one, with him waking from the dream...I can agree, that was certainly more of a threat than anything else that happened in the two stories, because not only had Andy gotten close to Scott, but Scott had let him get close, both physically and emotionally. Everything about this Scott hinged on his ability to remain detached from everything around him so that he could finish his job. To have someone be able to break into that seclusion and find the good in him, and to reignite that spark of the man he had once been...
Those last words just break my heart, knowing what happened to get to that point. Another very beautiful piece in this saga.
Author's Response: Thank you. I'm so glad you read One Minute. A lot of people seem to sort of miss this side arc, and even though you can read ESPG without it, I think it's so much the better with it. I'm honored you've read it.
Date: 18 Sep 2013 23:48 Title: Never and Always
Wow that is a nice bit of Mirror Scotty lore (and yes I must read one minute) how the memories of those adopt children that he got to know so well and care for give him strength and drive to survive the worst of George Kirk mind games and retain a sense of identity and his teeth.
The sadness and bitterness that fill this version of Scotty from his lost of his surrogate family is well written as always and you do your usual top job of making me sympathies and understand this version of twisted Scotty.
The harst truth of to love and lose seek into this story and it a very satisfactory short character piece on the mirror Scotty.
Author's Response: Thank you. He lost in the end, but he put up a Hell of a fight beforehand.
Date: 18 Sep 2013 23:39 Title: Wake
Now that is an interest tale of Mirror Spock and Mirror McCoy relationship in the aftermath of the crossover and Spock assassination of Mirror Kirk. I did like how McCoy and Kirk had a MU version of Friendship and how once Kirk got command that his paranoid turned him into a monster. The sarcastic slain lion note that got the nurse sent to the booth. The way that Spock is interest in giving McCoy a future because of what he discovered in the prime Trek verse McCoy mind. It was also interest to see that Mirror McCoy views of the android like shadow of prime verse Spock.
Date: 13 Sep 2013 02:40 Title: Never and Always
God what a scene...
I can remember in ESPG how defiant Scotty was, how much he didn't care what happened or even if he died, as long as he made George a failure and kept Jenna and the kids - his family - safe. I don't think it was ever apparent until that moment just how much they meant to him, but this shows just what they meant to him. I know all to well about walking for hours to get a baby to go to sleep...I couldn't imagine having to do it for one that wasn't mine, and at that age, too. Scotty really was more of a man than a teenager. How very noble and selfless of him to refuse to leave them in an orphanage.
And then Jenna, who up to now (in all the little shorts I'm reading now) had been so close to him she could have probably been his wife. This love, this strength, this passion.
ESPG has George saying he had a "conversation" with Jenna, and that that broke Scotty. I can only imagine the horrors he witnessed...and wonder if they involved the children at all as well. Certainly be traumatic enough to kill anyone inside.
But this...this fire, this defiance. Even in the shadow, this is burning, guiding everything he does to bring the empire down or die trying.
Author's Response: I don't know how noble or selfless it was, quite, but I do know it was heartfelt. I wrote this when my children were the ages of Josh and Kayla, so I was definitely in the moment when I did. And yes, he and Jenna were practically married. No, even George drew the line at touching the children, but yes, what he did to Jenna killed that boy. It took a week and it took Jenna -- George couldn't break him without her. Thanks so much for the review!
Date: 12 Sep 2013 08:53 Title: Timing
And...right out of left field! Was NOT expecting that at all. Granted, it makes some sense; there isn't really a whole lot of room on that ship, especially now. And Tabitha isn't dumb...I'm sure she knows what really happened. Really fun read.
Date: 12 Sep 2013 08:53 Title: Rust
Ooo...just like Terilynn, I picked up on that line. Perfect for the Empire's state of mind, but also perfect for what we all know happens later to Scotty. He gets so broken, so instead of fixing him (though Andy certainly tries, *squee*) McCoy Sr. turns him into a weapon. Such incredible foreshadowing (though...I realize, it was done after the fact, but still, chronologically this is first, so there.) And the relationship he and Jenna have is so cute, even if it is almost a little odd for that much of an age difference. Still, it was neat to see the start of that relationship that you showed in ESPG, and how very un-evil these people are in the Mirror Universe. A very nice follow-up to Teddog's little piece.
Author's Response: "Childhood was a short period in the rebellion." I think it probably always was, in places where life is hard. Thank you. Jenna breaks my heart, certainly, and he really did die with her name, that seventeen year old kid.
Date: 12 Sep 2013 08:42 Title: Another Man's Treasure
That was pretty good, definitely a nice addition to Steff's universe. It's odd a) seeing a young Scotty and b) seeing a young Scotty in this universe, just knowing in the end who this kid winds up becoming. It's like watching the prequel Star Wars and knowing the kid is going to be Darth Vader (though, thankfully, without Jar Jar). Nice and short, though I honestly sat through the whole story waiting...and waiting...and waiting for him to get hurt somehow and then...it was right there at the ending. I should have seen that coming, lol. Really fun read, and definitely a very...interesting foreshadowing of Scott's future life with the tricorder. Maybe I'm looking too deep, but the idea to throw something away when it's no longer useful (promotion by assassination) along with Scotty's constant struggle to remain useful for Starfleet so that he'll stay alive and continue his brutal work...and interesting way to introduce him and us to that mindset. Fun read, though!
Date: 12 Sep 2013 00:39 Title: Morning
Strange before this story, I never stop to wonder how Mirror Kirk had built/installed the Tantalus Device, yet this story seems right, the way the Mirror Scott even as assistant engineer can install silence on the engineering deck, how you hint at the inversion of Pike/Scott prime universe relationship.
I think your mirror universe remain consistant as all your verse do, how Kirk has learnt to stay outside Scott personal space, I do wonder what price Mirror Kirk paid to get Scott to the Tantalus Device programme.
Still it was an interesting choice of words from Kirk to Scotty to hint that this was indeed the start of his day.
Author's Response: The exceptionally dark answer to what Kirk did to win Scott's alliance are in Shards and Loyalties. And also in the main mirror arc. Thanks so much!