Date: 18 Sep 2013 23:17 Title: A Dark Creation Tale
Well this is a well thought out attempt to explain how the Prophet Orbs could backfire and create a much worse reality. The explanation on how Sisko own faults and flaws reflect by the Orb of Possibilities lead to devastation to Bajor and how that feed out to the other worlds. The irony that the last hope as the species is the Ferengi and how to have any hope for that reality need the good Dukat to accept the pain of a reduce memories of the orb powers.
On whole it was well written and does give food for thought on the Mirror Universe.
Date: 18 Sep 2013 23:04 Title: A Dark Creation Tale
Hmm now this is an interest scene setter between Sisko on the prime potentially and this alternative Dukat. Interesting that Sisko is still the Prophet liaison even to alternative potentially Dukat, that he understands how badly he would react to a mind wipe, the fact that he prepare to offer the compromise of reduce the memories to a dream state.
It interest that the alternative Dukat was prepared to bring the orb back to the Prophet and despite seeming to be a more reasonable person, the idea of memory lose is still repulsive to the Cardassian. Still I’m thought the self-analysis ending does make me want to read on.
Date: 17 Sep 2013 01:32 Title: A Dark Creation Tale
First of all...I love Sisko's reaction to using the words "Dukat" and "gentle" in the same sentence. That was trippy enough for me to see.
Awesome idea behind the creation and perversion of the mirror universe. The whole idea of "Great power comes great responsibility" I think applies aptly to the Bajorans and the Prophets; you even mention that, it wasn't until all history of this incident had been erased from time that the Prophets sent more orbs to Bajor. They waited until Bajor was ready for the power of the orbs before trying again with them.
You also raise an insane idea to contemplate - the infinite universe theory doesn't just apply to our universe and the decisions of each of us. It also applies to every other universe. You liken it to a virus, and that's so very disturbingly true - this one misguided act creates a multitude of "infected" universes. It's nice to imagine just the mirror and just us; we're all good, they all have goatees...but no, you present us with an idea that I think gets lost among most of us. There isn't just one mirror universe, there are billions to choose from.
I also liked that you included warping of the other races' histories as well, not just Earth's. Another problem I see often in Star Trek; the MU seems to be a look at just an alternate Earth. They acknowledge everything is different (even show it on screen), but you never seem to get an idea for how differently the other cultures were affected in the mirror, other than their interactions with Earth.
And how very ironic that the fate of universes lies with one man that so many people hate. Hooray for (good) Dukat.
Date: 07 Jan 2012 17:52 Title: A Dark Creation Tale
It's interesting how you put the divergence from us to the MU as happening at the time of George Washington (instead of him refusing a third term and riding off into the sunset). It's somewhat unclear in canon. In ENT, Phlox notes that both universes have the same Shakespeare but that other works of literature differ. It's unknown whether he goes as far back as the Bible, Plato's Republic or even just to Samuel Richardson's Pamela, Or Virtue Rewarded (1740). Perhaps he doesn't go even as far back as that.
In TOS, Marlena Moreau (Kirk's woman) refers to him as a Caesar, so there is some convergence with Ancient Rome, but that doesn't necessarily pinpoint the moment of divergence one way or the other (personally, I use the Roman Republic, 450 BCE).
The MU is, as you know, one of many possible variants (see the TNG episode Parallels), but it's the one that we see the most, and has the most fully-realized canon history. Small wonder that it can prove irresistible to fan fiction writers!
In your story, what I'm seeing is that an idea for good becomes corrupted and twisted by circumstances. What you have is the kai - an imperfect being - attempting to instill perfection. And that's - as you noted - never going to work, or at least it won't work as expected, or hoped for.
Once again, good intentions with disastrous results. Now, where have I heard that before?
Author's Response:
MU George Washington was the one who founded what you might call the American Empire, which I think then became the Terran Empire. But it started earlier...in my universe, you might notice alterations, though more subtle, in the Bible--or if not the Bible, then perhaps in extrabibilical works. I'd be a little worried, for instance, about the Talmud or the Kabbalah (sp?).
And you're exactly right about what the kai tried to do. He thought he could create perfection--and forgot that only God can lay claim to perfection. Even the Prophets cannot; they are mere "angels," and flawed too, though it's less obvious than the kind of flaws we see in beings like ourselves.
Date: 07 Jan 2012 17:45 Title: A Dark Creation Tale
Mysterious ... and I like the idea of a choice being offered, with some measure of consent for Dukat. Sounds a little like Faust.
Author's Response:
Haven't read Faust, I'm afraid. But he's got a difficult choice to make, for sure.
Date: 31 Dec 2011 02:31 Title: The Nature of the Beast
This was very dark, but still full of hope. Almost like predicted by Bashir and those other "enhanced "ones.
It might work as a horror-story as well; humans and cardassians turned into a new kind of Vorta-race...
Author's Response:
It was partly inspired by that prediction.
The Cardassians weren't affected by the Graft, though--only the humans. But the Vorta and such mistakenly thought they could use Cardassians and the...well, I guess you could call them Cardassiohumans...in the same way. Except they were wrong. Their supposed servants actually did still have their free will, even though they thought differently.
Glad you liked it, and thanks for the review!
[Report This]Date: 03 Oct 2011 20:57 Title: Shared Practices
Wow Nerys - a very interesting look at how dealing with a myriad of unfamiliar alien physiologies would affect even the most savvy, or gifted physician. You touched on a lot of areas I wouldn't have considered - from difficulties with food allergies, to climate issues, to severe cultural differences which can make diagnosing and treating patients difficult at best and harrowing at worst. An insightful look into the mind of Dr. Istep. Thank you for this.
Author's Response:
Thanks. :-) Coming from someone who seems to have a medical background based on her comments on other stories, that really means a lot.
I didn't think Cardassians would be used to the kinds of logistics that would be involved in treating diverse patients, and we never really saw it touched on in the show, either. I tend to draw my inspiration from Diane Duane on that--and it really makes Starfleet doctors look like miracle workers! Poor Istep...he's trying his damnedest, though. :-)
[Report This]Date: 23 Sep 2011 14:24 Title: The Spark in Yartek's Eye
Oh! Oh! Oh!
They're like the Curies and kind of HG Wells and wife (if she had been as into writing as he was)! How fab!
And it makes a boatload of sense. You start to think about how things might go, and you work on trying to make them reasonable and convincing (you're a writer; you know what I'm talking about) and then, lo and behold, they ARE reasonable and it actually might be the germ of an invention. And then someone with mechanical or similar knowledge either reads about what you have written, or they go through a similar thought process, and, all of a sudden, you've got an invention!
I also like the time period that elapsed. I think it's very convincing and real, as we had a similar one here during the twentieth century, where you go from people traveling in horses and possibly a few electric streetcars to, eventually, the space shuttle. If Mars was as habitable as Yarte’krinek, then we would, likely, be working on going there and not just sending a few probes. Also, I suspect your Hebetians don't have Challenger and Columbia accidents like we did, which set our programs back for a while and took away a lot of the funding and enthusiasm for manned space travel.
Outstanding - I don't give out a lot of 10s but here you go.
Author's Response:
Thank you so much for reading! :)
Since I am not the best scientific mind, what really helped me with that was the fact that I know what's going to happen scientifically on Earth, but they didn't know certain things that we can find in textbooks for children. ;-)
I'm not sure what Tehir's level of scientific knowledge was, but I get the feeling that he and Miti are no slouches. Not professional scientists, but they have a pretty good idea of the world around them as was known at that time.
I'm thinking this story started around the Hebitian equivalent of the 1880s or 1890s. It's interesting that you mention the shuttle accidents, and other accidents we had...but I would point out that we were far less deterred by the accident leading to the death of Virgil Grissom because we were fixed on a goal, which was defeating the Soviets. While it's not due to international hostilities, I get the feeling that even though the Hebitians did have accidents, the promise of a habitable world kept them pursuing the goal aggressively. They may have even felt it would dishonor the dead to give up. So I think that overall, the presence of an inhabited world influenced their attitudes even towards accidents.
[Report This]Date: 20 Sep 2011 13:45 Title: The Spark in Yartek's Eye
This is a great, worldbuilding story. A lurk into Cardassia's past, so deep into that past that Cardassians didn't call themselves Cardassians, yet.
A lot of different--and difficult--matters are discussed in this story. We see prejudice related to gender: Tehir must pretend he is a woman, because as a man he is believed not to be imaginative enough to wrote stories. Obviously, this is a wrong assumption, since that's exactly what he does. Then we have the terrible situation of the Hăzăkda, who are being exterminated in the name of some twisted science with blessing or not-less-twisted minds. And complete inaction of probably most respected person on Habitia--Ăstraya. I guess her word and her protest would mean a lot, but she doesn't offer anything in defence of the slaughtered race.
Hebitia is in trouble, but there's hope for them. It would appear that discovering another habitable planet in their system helped to change something. At least we see that Tehir doesn't have to hide behind his female pseudonym and his name is known to public.
After all tragic and sad things we learnt about Tehir's Hebitia, we have a chance to see one of the greatest achievements of the Hebitians: their colonisation of the planet. It's just the beginning and a lot of work is ahead of them, but it's a great step for their society. I can only hope that discovering how great the universe is--they had known it before, but had they really understood and experienced it?--would help them overcome their racial and gender prejudice and see that they have more in common and not that much divides them.
Author's Response:
Thanks again for reading. :-)
Bad science and bad religion are an ugly combination, aren't they? And you're so right that it's both in the mix.
I can guarantee you that a clear, official combination from Ăstraya would bring the slaughter to a halt. It might not stop the discrimination, but I am sure it would stop the killings.
Indeed there was some progress. I suspect that progress came while Tehir and Miti were still alive, but I'm sure their old fears remained a motivator and they probably did not want their identities revealed until both of them passed away. They probably could've done it sooner, though, and been hailed as cultural heroes.
About that racial prejudice...there's a big question: will they overcome their prejudices, or only think they have and just push their sense of "other" a little further outward?
Date: 17 Sep 2011 00:02 Title: Sigils and Unions Writing Prompt Responses
Ah Speros making trouble yet again. Quite a frustrating character altogether for all those around him. I wonder does Speros come with a warning label: 'powder keg of trouble no naked flames'.
Great seeing how protective Rebek was towards Berat but also to see the affirmation of Macet's faith in him. That gave me a smile.
Author's Response:
He should come with a warning label indeed. ;-)
Date: 16 Sep 2011 23:43 Title: Sigils and Unions Writing Prompt Responses
Hee, hee. Great to see these little snippets giving a wonderful little window into these three character's private downtime. Particularly liked seeing Iymender discovering that his computer programme cheating on him! Ha!
Author's Response:
Iymender programmed that thing to cheat. If you're not watching it like a hawk (I think there's some kind of opportunity to stop it from cheating), then it will indeed cheat. It keeps the player on his or her toes. ;-)
Date: 16 Sep 2011 23:39 Title: Sigils and Unions Writing Prompt Responses
He has made the brave choice of weighing up what is true disloyalty and what is truly serving Cardassia. The fact that he puts himself and his crew on a dangerous path shows the faith of his convictions and the spirit and degree of his loyalty and duty to Cardassia.
Author's Response:
If there's one thing Berat is not, he's not a blind follower. I suspect some Cardassians would consider him defective. Maybe his hierarchical instinct really IS weaker. But all of his experiences have broken him of any notion that the Union is Cardassia. And I suspect he will never entirely trust any government.
He's one of the few Cardassians who would probably get a kick out of this shirt.
Date: 16 Sep 2011 23:36 Title: Sigils and Unions Writing Prompt Responses
Well strange as it might be, Speros had some sort of role in shaping Macet. A model of how not to be! Disengaged from his commanding officer has to be especially galling given the hierarchial instinct of a Cardassian. It doesn't stop Macet being loyal but I imagine he wants to be a type of leader who inspires loyalty rather simply expecting it. And as usual Speros makes for a curious and always potentially dangerous enigma.
Author's Response:
Ever see the show Hell's Kitchen? I imagine that's what it's like on Speros' bridge. I actually had a boss like that once, though not as violent as Speros can be. Realllly capable, but incredibly strict and temperamental, the kind of person who can upset you to the point of wanting to cry or break things.
But yeah, I'd say Macet learned both what's good AND what's bad from Speros.
Date: 16 Sep 2011 23:31 Title: Sigils and Unions Writing Prompt Responses
LOL!
I was tempted to leave out the rest of the short review and do a Berat but figured I might be the only one who found that funny. But here of course, very simple humour but wrapped in a situation and a reveal that comes at the end making it seem as if there was something else going on until the last moment. Hee, hee.
Author's Response:
Glad you enjoyed it! You may be figuring out by now that Berat's got Cardassian ADHD. In a disciplined society he can't let that show too much, but he does. ;-)
Date: 16 Sep 2011 23:29 Title: Sigils and Unions Writing Prompt Responses
Oh I know the focus of this piece should be the vile and horrible things that spill out of Ocett's mouth and how Berat and Rebek defend one another but it is really the opening paragraphs that stick with me, this simple coming together, shairng, understanding between two friends who recognise the depth of feeling and loyalty between each other. So much so that one really wonders at why they don't make any invite to court, but of course they both have so much going on in their lives at this time it would not seem appropriate. My only shipping concern for Berat and Rebek is that I wonder if either would recognise when it might be appropriate to court the other - I imagine them forever finding a reason to hedge any feelings, any potential for feelins, for a relationship and kick the possibilities down the road like a tin can. It is in little pieces like this that I see that potential in Berat and Rebek yet in the larger story I tend to think of them both as being very professional and having a deep rooted friendship but no more than that. I guess here I just become a potentially hopeless romantic. Aw.
Author's Response:
I'm so glad you enjoyed seeing Berat and Rebek interact. :-) They are indeed very close friends, and it began when Berat found out a secret that would literally get her killed, and possibly even get him killed because he didn't report it.
Date: 16 Sep 2011 23:22 Title: Sigils and Unions Writing Prompt Responses
Love the tradition and routine of new service and rank here. Simple yet dignified - and amid it Berat! about to lose it and laugh! Who is this Gul? Ha! :shakes head: Nice to see this side of Berat. He is often so solid and grounded one can easily forget his much more genial and good humoured side. He comes across like a giddy kid with his internal glee and pride for his great accomplishment and promotion.
But we also see the bond between Berat and Macet here, one giving the other the promotion and showing belief in Berat's abilities. Macet also seems to believe greater awaits the crew and it must be that he believes Berat will be able to eke out this potential in the crew. That says alot about Macet but it must also say a lot about the confidence Berat engenders in others too.
And it has to be said, working in a position of authority as in having the care, happiness and safety of others in your care you really do feel an obligation, a burden, a duty, that feels as tangible as the weight of the sigil settle on you. That was a great touch.
Author's Response:
Berat's got a lot of different facets, for sure. He's definitely not your stereotypical stick-up-the-ass Cardassian that you saw on the show. A giddy kid is exactly what he felt like! :-D
The Sherouk has been something of a troubled ship under Gul Zarvat. I haven't really shared it yet, but suffice it to say I know why this change of command happened with so little warning; normally I think an incoming gul would've been given more time. But one thing I can tell you Berat's been known for throughout his career is his ability to connect with people. Even as an engineer he was the kind that actually liked and was good at training people.
He's excited...but you're right, he's definitely feeling the weight. Thanks for reading!
Date: 16 Sep 2011 23:12 Title: Sigils and Unions Writing Prompt Responses
I was confused for a second reading this again in the same night! LOL! Then I copped to it and reread the blurb. Again, it is a moment of great national/planetary pride for the Cardassians. The beginnings of so much space opera.
Date: 14 Sep 2011 19:10 Title: And Tomorrow I Shall Light the Flame
I enjoy conspiracies and writings about them. And you can see a slow, steady progression forming here. The sign language to the unthinkable word, to the memory of the state broadcasts that everyone is forced to watch to the request for a clandestine meeting to the meeting itself to moving from wondering if Yejain would come in with a weapon to beginning to work together.
The smallest bits of a revolt like this are going to come during these kinds of meetings and reflections.
The imagery of the broadcasts, and of making everyone watch - that you cannot simply look away, or keep it on as background noise, but you must watch - it is a government engaging in brain washing. It is very reminiscent of 1984, the dumb witnessing of whatever the hell is on the viewer, and being spoon-fed what are supposed to be your own thoughts, beliefs, loyalties and, eventually, dreams.
Well done indeed.
Author's Response:
You are so right about what Central Command and the Obsidian Order--especially the Obsidian Order--want to accomplish. The fortunate thing is that their dictatorship is not quite as ironclad as the one in 1984. There are gaps in the system and leaks, if you know where to find them.
As for the sign language, that is actually a much larger part of my two Cardassian cultures (the main Sigils universe and the SigCat AU), because of the fact that they don't hear as well as humans. I figured given that, the way they regarded sign language might be different and it might be a more "normal" part of the experience of some hearing people, depending on their occupation. (The interesting side effect is that a deaf or mute person is less likely to be cut out of their society because of a larger pool of signers...it also means that "Deaf culture" does not exist in the *same* way as it does on Earth. The interaction between deaf and hearing populations is fundamentally different.)
Date: 12 Sep 2011 22:05 Title: Shared Practices
"I am NOT having luck with blue people today."
Oh, that line is absolutely priceless. I liked the grunt work, the sameness, the fatigue, the personality conflicts. All felt very real and very immediate. You can feel the doctor's exhaustion as he drags himself from one crisis to the next. Tote that barge, lift that bale.
Author's Response:
Thank you so much for reading. :-) I rarely get new readers lately, so it really warms my heart to see someone try more than one of my stories.
I'm glad you liked that line. :-)
Yeah, there's a lot of "grunt work," but in the end, it has deep meaning to him.
[Report This]Date: 12 Sep 2011 03:09 Title: Shared Practices
The first thing we learn about Istep is his dedication to his work and patient; he doesn't even go to his quarters to sleep at the time of emergency, but instead stays as near to his patients as possible and naps (I wouldn't call that 'sleeping').
And then we listen to a long list of his current patients.
An interesting glance at how he would deal with a Cardassian patient who ends up in the infirmary not due to an accident or fight, but one's own recklessness. It reminds me of a parent scolding their child to teach them that some things shall not be done.
He's lucky that the Obsidian Order and gone and not lurking in people's heads. In the privacy of his own thoughts he can think that, but saying it out loud a few years earlier would have disasterous consequences. I even wonder if he would dare to think that back then, since who's to say that the Order didn't lurk into people's minds.
And then the misunderstanding with the Andorian. Istep certainly didn't expect such a reaction, but he doesn't seem that surprised by it--he understands where it comes from, but I think he felt offended by putting him into the same bag as those who worked for that "reputation." He doesn't like being accussed of an attempt such a despicable act. He doesn't seem to hold it against the Andorian, though, he doesn't blame her. I suppose it saddens him.
I also have an impression that he gets a bit tired and irritated by constant discussions with Federation officers. He's used to issuing instructions and order, not to arguing about them. He knows that he can't expect the aliens to be exactly like Cardassians and he tried hard not to take it personally or hold against them, but it grates on his instincts.
In the end, it doesn't weaken his need to bringing help to those who need it. He might be tired, but he's not giving up.
Author's Response:
"Tired" is definitely the word for Istep in these trying days. He's working himself to the bone, and you're right--he can't make himself disengage or step back until his body forces him to.
I figured that a Cardassian doctor might be allowed to be more "scolding" when his or her patients are reckless. They are medical *authorities* because of their education and position, and ought to be obeyed...thus, after a patient has been healed (he would not chew out someone who was still ill or still suffering), he would feel entitled to lecture that person if it was their own recklessness that got them in there.
I can't say what Istep would and wouldn't think...a good doctor seems like he'd be one of the first people to hate what the Order did, and to recognize it as wrong.
I don't think Istep says it all in that particular mental "log," but the accusation definitely upset him. Doubly so because he knows where it comes from. Yet he also knows himself and knows he is *not* that kind of monster.
As for the pushback he gets from the Starfleet officers, yeah, that definitely grates on his nerves. Even though he's trying to hold his tongue (I think as a doctor, he's in a good position to really know that not all species have the same instincts), he's definitely got a sense of dissonance.
[Report This]Date: 01 Sep 2011 00:55 Title: The Thirteenth Order
Very nice start to your story. I liked how equally divided it is between the Cardassian and Starfleet POVs. I also liked the strong dislike Macet has for his Vorta counterpart.
Also caught the USS Petraeus. I had once considered naming a base after the general, but I wasn't sure if he'd still be remembered in the future as significant as someone like Rommel.
Overall, I look forward to reading more.
Author's Response:
Hey, welcome to The Thirteenth Order and thank you very much for reading! Glad you like it! :-)
Putting aside the fact that I don't think a dictator's general would or should get a ship named after them in the Federation (though granted, we've seen some rather undeserving individuals, like Hernando Cortez, get ships named after them in canon), I did not see any reason a ship should not be named after Petraeus. As for the Petraeus, it's a Sabre-class starship...not a massive one, but certainly a ship capable of handling itself in combat. :-)
[Report This]Date: 28 Aug 2011 00:05 Title: Flash
Very good story. I liked how Berat quietly questioned if the Cardassians were treating the colonists equably. Another thing I liked was how the boy assassin was not named. Not sure if he shows up again, but that was pretty interesting.
Author's Response:
Thank you so much for reading! :-)
[Report This]Date: 21 Aug 2011 00:16 Title: The Hephaestic Oath
Good luck at the utter nastiness and horror of warfare, and how battlefield triage sometimes stimulates impressive creativity. The play on Hephaestic versus Hippocratic was good (e. g. Vulcan, the forge, the heat but also a kind of a perversion of the old "First, do no harm").
Also, a really great means of pulling the reader into the narrative and keeping him/her there. I am very glad that you did not cut away (heh, sorry, bad puns today) to some sterile scene on the Bridge of a starship or the like. You stayed there, and that keeps the pressure up, akin to how pressure needs to be applied to an open wound.
Author's Response:
Thanks for catching the darkest undertones of the title! These aren't doctors...and they definitely did harm to save a life. It's as if they swore a different oath that said, "First, do WHATEVER it takes."
It's also good to know that I didn't revolt you to the point that you would've wanted me to cut away. I definitely worried about crossing that line into gratuitous detail, so that helps to reassure me that didn't happen.
I appreciate your taking the time to review. I left you a review as well...think you'll be happy. :-)
Date: 20 Aug 2011 22:17 Title: The Hephaestic Oath
Sorry, I knew I shouldn't have made some of those points as I thought they might be seen as critising. The point of the cell phone was to point out how good you are at description and indeed mood/tone setting. The cell detracted from the great picture you had created but did not ruin it. So I don't see in some great bad light.
And I know he did say about only the profanity of taking the Lord's name would offend him now after all this time, but the highlightling of it and the detailing of how he would not react to it that took me out of the scene. If he doesn't react to it then it would be redundant to mention it.
Worry or fret are perhaps the wrong word choices, especially as he did indeed say screw it, I simply meant that it felt like a foreshadoing of his later concerns in The Thirteenth Order and that took me out of it because his later concerns you can understand why he has them, here not so much and again reduntant and takes me out. But simply my view, sorry if an honest review offended.
Author's Response:
It wasn't the issue of honesty; it is simply the issue that I felt a few things were mis-read.
Date: 20 Aug 2011 21:45 Title: The Hephaestic Oath
As always an atmosheric piece of writing Nerys, which the story really needed to set the grim scene of trench warfare and for the brutality of what happens to Saan and Folani's treatment for the Vulcan. I liked lots of the little technical aspects to this, from the walking Houndinis to the explanation of how the tricorder could detect shrouded Jem'Hadar. And of course, the main feature of Folani's method of stemming the blood loss. And of course, I generally just like seeing our Bajoran in action anyway! :)
If you'll forgive me, there were several bits that did take me out of the story and the mood you created/were creating. The first was when Spirodopoulos reacted to the curse of one of his fellow officers, considering the degrees of profanity I would have doubted it would have struck him so much. The other was the reference to a 21st century cell, I know it was a way of explaining the tricorder warning but I didn't think your description required the Star Trek tactic of using 20th/21st century to explain things to a viewer. Description is often your forte and you don't need it as a crutch.
The other moment was when they were giving out about Starfleet and the lack of armour. Not because they were making complaints about Starfleet - many valid points are made - but Spirodopoulus worrying that he was betraying Starfleet by having the mere thought took me out. Kind of a foreshadowing of his 'apparent' treason hefrets over in the 13th Order.
I like the whole different approach to battle story telling here. The major fighting has just happened and the rest is mostly restrained to offscreen, the real action is the fight to save Saan's life and the team working together to beat another Dominion weapon with the vampire gun. The focus on that is grim but adds a real dimsension to the story telling and of course made for a truly interesting response to the challenge theme not withstanding being an interesting piece of writing in and of itself.
Author's Response:
Thanks for reading; I'm glad to know the description of the battle and the technical
Your point about the cell phone is well taken...I'm not sure I see it in as badly of a light as you do, but I can understand the thought process behind it.
It looks to me as though you misread or misunderstood a few of the other sections, though, so I would like to take the time to set the record straight.
It is specifically mentioned that he did not react to it as he would have in the past given the extreme situation he was in, rather than the opposite case that you suggest.
As for Spirodopoulos' "worry" about betraying Starfleet, I think you might've missed the fact that he's not fretting over his thoughts--he has a very clear "screw it" mentality ("then so be it!"). It's foreshadowing of The Thirteenth Order, in a way, but he is well past the stage of worry.