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Date: 22 Jun 2021 18:29 Title: 049 - "What's It All About, Mech?"
Definitely a setup for a series - with a few unanswered questions, most cogently Whren and Grayson. And of course Helcon, who may have appeared earlier in this chapter. The whole operation seems tailor made to create a new mech force arms race. And whoever builds the things already has a jumpstart on a huge market.
34th Rule of Acquisition..
Hopefully there's more of this over on either your site or on TrekBBS.
Thanks!! rbs
Author's Response: Hey man, really appreciate your ongoing effort to go through my collected works here on AdAstra. And this one is truly a blast from the past for me. Regretfully, this is the only entry and as you were able to tell, it was meant to be the first book of a series that got ultimately shelved in favor of more Star Eagle. I'll be going through your great feedback over the coming weeks. And who knows, maybe that'll inspire me to go back and continue the story of Mech and her intrepid team. Never say never.
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Date: 21 Jun 2021 18:45 Title: 048 - "South Of the Border."
I had to look up the tequila - not that I can stomach the stuff. Just tastes - queasy to me. But then, I'm more of a scotch snob.
So Masamune has an answer to the classic ghost question...
It looks like this story might be setting up a series.
Thanks!! rbs
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Date: 18 Jun 2021 14:03 Title: 047 - "No Time To Lose Your Head"
23rd Century Elevator music... Beastie Boys?
Okay - Mech shooting the Graysondroid - that was an unexpected development. Always nice to get a surprise this late in the game.
Nice political pickle for Star Fleet - WHy am I suspecting it was a deliberate attempt to bring the Federation into a civil conflict with a major committment of force?
Thanks!! rbs
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Date: 17 Jun 2021 14:59 Title: 046 - "For Every Action, A Consequence."
Total ghost in the shell question - is there a way of transferring not only sufficient data but the connectivity and operational aspect of our consciousness from meat into silicone? That's probably higher tech than anything we're likely to invent very soon - but it will be a perennial question.
And the question about Whren is still open...
Interesting the semi-secret codicil involved (e.g. WWI) and government by opinion polling - the Achellis heel of modern democracy (e.g. Brexit.)
Thanks!! rbs
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Date: 16 Jun 2021 15:09 Title: 045 - "And Down It All Goes."
Nothing like saving the damsel in distress. But not the dress...
Really cinematic scene - which is not an easy trick.
Looks like we're heading into the wrap.
Thanks!! rbs
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Date: 15 Jun 2021 14:48 Title: 044 - "Not In Kansas Anymore."
Another exploration of inner space in a mileau about outer space.. Inner space stories are always difficult to depict, but so much fun when you manage it.
Interesting that mother appears on television - that's a new wrinkle..
Thanks!! rbs
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Date: 11 Jun 2021 13:36 Title: 043 - "The Hard Way Out."
We were bound to get another literal cliff-hanger in this story...
I had thought maybe the android was temporarily frozen by Mech's hack - but evidently not. Nice deception!
Thanks! rbs
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Date: 10 Jun 2021 15:16 Title: 042 - "Everything Ends Eventually."
The secret to writing good superhero stuff comes from Joss Whedon - you can be as strong as you can be and it's still barely enough...
Reminds me of the preacher's exhortation to Mal in Serenity (a Joss Whedon production) "you don't need to believe IN something... Just believe..."
Thanks!! rbs
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Date: 09 Jun 2021 15:58 Title: 041 - "All Together Now."
I am amused by the number of Beatles songs that appear as chapter titles... Oddly echoes the number of song titles in STH Ep.25
The cross play between several different agencies is reminiscent of some of the best moments of Law & Order, Ghost, Mentalist and several other programs. I'm not certain law enforcement actually works that way on the ground, but it makes for riviting storytelling.
Thanks!! rbs
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Date: 08 Jun 2021 14:56 Title: 040 - "With A Little Help From My Friends."
Again - interesting to see a Trek story in which Star Fleet is not the hero, but an antagonist and the main characters come from another organization.
The good old overloading romulan disrupter trick... None the worse for wear...
Thanks!! rbs
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Date: 07 Jun 2021 15:49 Title: 039 - "And That's How You Crash A Party."
One action sequence after another... I'm enjoying Tank's relating to Katanagi and Mech reminds me more and more of Motoko - almost making this story a crossover. Fun to see it in the Trek setting. Good, tightly written action sequence.
Thanks!! rbs
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Date: 04 Jun 2021 18:14 Title: 038 - "The She-Wolf In Sheep's Clothing"
Fun little setup around the dress and the heels. And a good detail that the hardest part of Mech's plan is not the terrorists but the hostages.
Very quick moving setup.
Thanks!! rbs
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Date: 03 Jun 2021 13:33 Title: 037 - "Getting In Is The Easy Part."
Interesting to have a Star Trek fanfic in which Star Fleet is largely an antagonist to be sidelined. I can't say I've seen this approach in any other fanfic - something I'm liking about this one.
Thanks!! rbs
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Date: 02 Jun 2021 15:05 Title: 036 - "The Most Dangerous Animal In The World Is A Politician."
Big fan of political speeches... It looks like this one might have borne fruit.
This story really does have a nice, expansive feel to it. And again - kudos on the Nyuchiban Confederacy. That's a fairly creative twist. Interested to get more insight into that culture.
Thanks!!! rbs
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Date: 01 Jun 2021 14:38 Title: 035 - "Gotta Go Up In Order To Go Down."
Just good stright up action with lots of fun banter. The scene does have a familiar feel, but none the worse for wear and well written for a visual sequence that is generally much easier to put on screen than on the page.
Thanks!! rbs
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Date: 28 May 2021 16:24 Title: 034 - "The Buck Stops Here."
Nice character building on President Kentii'la - a competent politician. I also appreciated the admiral requesting the order in writing.
Of course, this is likely to cause as many problems as it solves... But neither the Federation nor Star Fleet are likely to see it that way..
Thanks!! rbs
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Date: 27 May 2021 12:36 Title: 033 - "It's A Long Way Down."
Good hero moment for Tank. I appreciate the storytelling that he cannot save all of the hostages. Interestingly dedicated terrorists - their like are in the news all the time. People who will sacrifice their own lives without hesitation to kill.
Thanks!! rbs
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Date: 26 May 2021 17:40 Title: 032 - "A Little Bit of Resistance."
Sounds to me like someone's trying to start a war...
Another action-packed, suspense-filled chapter. It really does have a feeling of a Ghost/Trek crossover.
Thanks!! rbs
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Date: 25 May 2021 16:40 Title: 030 - "Please Stand By For A Special News Alert!"
Boy is that an old argument - and a current one. Grayson is making a classic case for Social Darwinism which is pretty much the antithesis of western democratic traditions and norms. And an argument that will almost certainly persist in some form.
I am amused by the 20th Century style news and commentary program - which, surprisingly, will also probably persist far into the future. Current commentary podcasts look very much like this with platforms and followers designed to attract increasingly notorious pundits.
Thanks!! rbs
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Date: 21 May 2021 10:08 Title: 029 - "Stuck In The Middle With You."
This story is nothing if not action-packed. It's actually one of the most original ST stories I've encountered. Especially for action-adventure / spy thriller.
Thanks! rbs
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Date: 20 May 2021 14:11 Title: 028 - "Not the Kind Of Evening You Were Hoping For."
Nothing like the big guy taking care of a few frightened escapees... Assuming Katanagi isn't more than she appears. But she seems genuine enough...
Quite enjoying Tank.
Thanks!! rbs
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Date: 19 May 2021 12:52 Title: 026 - "Trouble Brewing Above And Below."
Au contrare.. this is going to be a lot of fun...
Looks like we're about to see what Tank and Slade are capable of. Nice set-up.
And nice of Tank to put Katanagi out of the way of it. Possibly a tactical error..
Thanks!! rbs
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Date: 18 May 2021 12:53 Title: 025 - "Nothing Like A Trip Into The Countryside."
Nice detail about the Federation logo glowing in the night skyline. Touches like that bring a story visually to life. Also enjoying the inclusion of Gavin's family.
Also good character exposition through conversation. That is often really tricky and I've seen attempts that completely killed the narrative flow and were totally not the way people gossip. The moment between Gavin and Hot Rod was handled well.
Also very much liking Hot Rod's closing response about only being a driver.
Thanks!! rbs
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Date: 14 May 2021 12:41 Title: 024 - "The Japanese Lady In The Chinese Dress."
Nicely put together scene and entirely unexpected - from the party to the flirtatious Katanagi, who is almost certainly more than she seems.
And Bobbi's infuriating tendency to wander off point so that Slade and Tank don't get the information they so desperately need...
Classic - Thanks!! rbs
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Date: 13 May 2021 14:05 Title: 023 - "It's A Stab In The Dark."
Nice character development with Gavin in this chapter - particularly keeping his cool to not fire on Mech when she startled him. The competing investigations gag is always great for these kinds of stories and played out well here with a satisfactory level of bargaining.
If someone appears to be in two locations at once... you might be dealing with twins... or an army of androids? Seems if they could put a trace on those androids one of them might lead them somewhere interesting...
Thanks!! rbs