[Report This]Date: 02 Dec 2009 01:06 Title: Chapter 37
Sweet mother of all that is metal and unnerving...
You did a great job of reacquainting us with a new -- and hopefully more terrifying -- Borg Collective. Excellent work building the tension only to suddenly have it break with the "oh shit" arrival of those Swedish cyborgs in Engineering.
Oh, and look, that romantic entanglement sub-plot you had worried so much about blended in quite nicely in a cliffhanger.
Which means... we all want more... now... please?
Author's Response:
The first line of your review made me laugh out loud.
Thanks for the review, stars and compliments! Though, my poor characters are saying "HOPEFULLY more terrifying? Who is this guy and why does he want us to die?" Hehe.
Glad you liked the blending of the romantic stuff with the cliffhanger stuff.
More coming soon ... editing. Endless editing. It's written but it needs some work. It's coming, though! Soon! (I hope!)
Date: 01 Dec 2009 06:49 Title: Chapter 37
This is such a brilliantly paced chapter from start to finish. It kept me completely on the edge of my seat, and of course, I'm still there since I don't know what happens next!
I still can't believe it was any sort of coincidence that the ship dropped out of slipstream the moment they decoded that device. The Borg have always been a particularly menacing and disconcerting threat. You've done a great job staying true to that feeling. Awesome!
Author's Response:
Wow, thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
It may not be a coincidence that they fell out of slipstream next to the Borg, but they are using a secure workstation. So if there's a trap on that device, it's more likely to be a trap of the informational variety. Whether it is a trap, I won't say!
I'm happy you find the Borg threatening. I thought they lost some (okay, maybe all) of their scary during VOY's run, so I saw the events of Endgame as a chance to fix that. The Collective has changed quite a bit since we last saw them. They're leaner, meaner, and a little smarter now.
Thanks for the reviews!
Date: 01 Dec 2009 06:40 Title: Chapter 36
Beckley didn't disappoint. He handled both of them very well. I'll be very interested to find out exactly what intent he has for Maren. I think he knows he'll have a harder time manipulating or using Icheb. He's a jerk, but he's an interesting jerk.
Now I also find myself wondering about this device they've been given. Encrypted information, or a trap? This chapter was quite intriguing. Now I'm on to the next!
Author's Response:
Beckley's pretty impressed with Icheb. I think he's probably on the fence about Maren, but willing to keep exploring that avenue. He does know how to handle people when he wants to. Glad you find him interesting!
We'll see what happens with the device ... thanks for the review!
Date: 01 Dec 2009 06:30 Title: Chapter 35
Poor Marcus, but all of them had an excellent point. It wasn't his call to make to keep that to himself. Hopefully, it's something he can learn from that will make him a better officer in the future.
I'm always impressed with how you write Vulcans. T'Pring is one of my favorite secondary characters. I hope in time that there's some room to see some more personal development for her.
I have a feeling Icheb is fooling himself if he thinks he can pull one over on Dr. Bashir. This isn't the man's first dog and pony show. I liked this follow up chapter to the party quite a bit!
Author's Response:
Yeah, poor Marcus. He's just such a newbie. He'll probably learn and grow from this, but it will be a lot for the kid to live with if his poor judgment results in anything terrible happening.
Thanks re: Vulcans. T'Pring seems well loved across the board. She's senior staff, so I imagine she'll be showing up pretty often. She's not the most talkative person, though, so development could take a while compared to the chattier characters.
Icheb is quietly coming to terms with the fact that this isn't Federation space, and he doesn't have an endless supply of mediocre intellects around him anymore to help him follow Starfleet regs in letter, but not spirit. He's on a ship with some of the best and brightest, including Bashir. (Not to mention his ex-fiancee, who may not be willing to cover for him anymore.) He's going to have to take a good hard look at his own paranoia and distrust and examine whether it's really justified. Assuming he survives the next chapter. Dun Dun DUN! (Two can play that game ... only, who says it's a game? Dun dun DUNNNNNN!)
Date: 29 Nov 2009 18:47 Title: Chapter 37
Boy oh boy. Your story has from the start promised action because of the mission and the brief little snatches of Borg activity so far in the story has merely teased. Now here we are confronted with the mighty and very real presence of the Borg. Our Swedish friends have coem for a visit without an invitation and these are one party crashers no-one wants. So the build up to the Borg appearance somewhat had to have you under pressure to produce somehting epic in scale without being OTT or completely wrecking the possibility of escape or victory. It therefore should be categorically stated that you have suceeded in making the Borg Collective scary in how you've handled this big appearance. Their contact and behaviour [scanning and boarding to assess the technology] is very much in the mould of early TNG Borg - faceless and impersonnal. It makes them much more frightening and formiddable seeming. It also helps that you add multiple drama threads - with Icheb overwhelmed - eek how scary to be confronted with a personal nemesis and to hear the collective again - Adele trying to steer a path through the emotions of the bridge crew and face this daunting prospect that ahs to have filled her with dread from the very onset of the mission not to mention her own personal score with the Borg - to security John trapped outside Engineering helpless and wanting to do something at any time never mind when the person he kissed only the night before with a huge gumult of emotion and guilt attached trapped inside with four Borg drones. Scary and horrifying situations for all and then it comes to Maren!!!! Talk about a hangover from hell! I have a feeling after this she will either never drink again or decide to hit the bottle big time. Awesome drama. Oh and a little aside love the technical aspects of this [and before I forget - what did cause the slipstream to fail?? uh oh] from the slipstream failure and the pause before weapons and shields are operable - whilst a very vulnerable aspect to the Tesseract makes sense considering the huge power conserves it would require. We also get different persons using headsets to more readily access information and navigate the computers. Cool technology advancement in terms of the timeline development. OH and as much as a surprise as it is for the crew I imagine there ought to have been a few raised eyebrows aboard the Borg cude too when they meet a Borg cube of their own clad in Federation technology. So how will Adele manage with this emergency? How will John attempt to help Maren? What can Maren do? Her bravery has entrapped herself and doomed herself to a death or assimilation possibly? Are these Borg the same as the others we've met in the story? What is their score? What about Icheb? How did the slipstream fail? Was that the result of the bouy interference? So many questions! Agh!
Author's Response:
Wow, MF! Where to start? Thanks for the very thorough feedback on this chapter!
I guess I'll start with your assessment of the Borg. Their behavior is definitely meant to evoke that early TNG feeling. This is a very different Collective than the one we left behind in "Endgame." I'm glad you found them sufficiently frightening. They're an intimidating bunch of Swedes, that's for sure, and they've learned a few hard lessons since we last saw them.
Icheb hasn't been anywhere near the Collective for eight years now. No matter how firmly established in his "humanity" (he's not really human at all, obviously, but I suppose he's sort of adopted their culture in the ways that count) he is, it's got to be a powerful thing to hear the call of "perfection" after so long. On VOY, we saw Seven moved by it more than once, particularly in the episode "Drone." Of course, now he's not hearing them at all, because he's out cold on the deck of the bridge. There goes the insider advantage!
Adele definitely has some demons to contend with during this battle, both her own and those the crew is able to "share" with her thanks to her empathic abilities. That can't be fun. We'll see how she handles it ...
Oh, and yes, poor John, stuck outside while Maren's inside with a bunch of drones. If Adele thought he lost his objectivity during the away mission, she doesn't even want to know what's going through his head right now.
Maren is having the worst week ever, and it may get far, far worse before it gets better. You know, if she makes it through the next five minutes, that is.
I'm very glad you liked the technological aspects of this. I thought they'd have at least a few upgrades on a ship this advanced, this far after Endgame. But yeah, the slipstream drive takes a ton of power, and you can't just flip a switch and turn it off, either. It takes some time to make the transition. It's not a hugely long, drawn out time, just a couple of minutes, but every second counts when you're facing off with a Borg cube that somehow caught you by surprise just as your slipstream mysteriously ended ... wait, how did that happen? Hehe. We'll see.
The Borg ... they're definitely intrigued by the Tesseract. The similarities haven't escaped them, and neither have the differences.
As for all those great questions ... they'll be answered -- just not today! ;-) Thanks again for the awesome, awesome review.
Date: 29 Nov 2009 06:38 Title: Chapter 37
Wow, this went sideways very quickly with the arrival of the Borg. Implacable as ever, they've set about doing what they do best, and unfortunately for Maren, she's in their unwavering sights.
Icheb, Tesseract's resident Borg expert, is out of the fight already and the fun has barely even begun.
You've got me on the edge of my seat! 
Author's Response:
They definitely got taken by surprise. If they hadn't been pulled out of slipstream (How did that happen, anyway? Hmmm.), they'd have been much more prepared.
Maren is definitely having a crappy week that doesn't seem to be getting better. So is Icheb. If I were them, I'd probably be considering stealing a Saber-class and hightailing it back to Earth at slipstream speed, but that's why I'm not in Starfleet. (Well, that and the fact that it doesn't exist!)
I hope being on the edge of your seat is a good thing!
Date: 21 Nov 2009 15:59 Title: Chapter 36
Nice work! You did a great job of weaving the aftermath of the party in with the main plot -- and like real-life, made the real plot seem like an afterthought at times to Maren!
The walking, talking Mexican standoff between Icheb, Maren, and the Admiral was well done too.
Also, great description of a hang-over, reminds me of ST:6.
Kirk: "Anyone know anything about any abnormal neutrino emmisions?"
Chekov: "Only from the sides of my head."
Again, great stuff, and keep going!
Author's Response:
Yes, Maren's job was definitely in danger of becoming an afterthought to her as she was having her Chekov moment. Kind of hard to give the outside world your full attention when your head is pounding, your stomach is doing backflips, and you've just turned yourself into a bigger emotional wreck than you already were by making potentially unwise decisions while drunk.
Thanks for the review, I really appreciate it!
Date: 21 Nov 2009 13:10 Title: Chapter 36
Oh that's not a good feeling - the hangover, the guilt or the confused feelings about John and/or Icheb. And add to that a forgotten visit from the Admiral. Eek! Not a day to have a fuzzy day. Oh poor Maren. But again she continues to impress - even at this low point she rises above it and talks to Icheb amicably, she treats iwth the Admiral in her winning way and of course helps to crack a code. But I wonder how the kiss will affect things between her and John when they next meet.
But it seems with the ending as it is there's going to be higher concerns. What the devil have they discovered? Enough to cause concern and then we have the red alert all of a sudden and maybe the naswers are going to be all too apparent on the bridge. Damn this has gotten more and more fascinating. Terrific stuff. Mind you I had to read the last few paragraphs a number of times because the red alert alaram caught me out as I thought Icheb had called for it - but it turns out it was Adele on the bridge. Maybe my own fuzzy head explains my problem with that.
Then we have to dwell on our favourite Admiral. Interesting to get a little perspective from his POV. It gave a little glimpse into his thought processes. I love his reflection on his almost notorious standing among the crew as a highly visible Admiral aboard the ship and how that runs anathemato his SI training. It strikes as a very true and valid position for him but it's the fact that you follow up on it and actually mention it. Then there is how he weighs up how to approach Maren. It shows his keen mind and cool calculating nature. Fascinating. And of course our hero Icheb picks up on how the Admiral is chatting amicably and wins Maren over. Noted too Icheb's loyalty to Adele as he is keen to relay the information to the captain as he notes this behaviour.
All in all. Top notch stuff.
Author's Response:
Definitely not a good day to be fuzzy ... and it looks like it's about to get worse. We'll see how things go between John and Maren -- he did his best at damage control initially, but I think it might be hard for him to forget about what happened.
What have they discovered? You'll have to wait to find out. ;-)
The admiral is nothing if not cold and calculating. Icheb can be pretty cold and calculating when he needs to be, as well. His head is still full of Borg hardware, after all. His own analytical nature was working overtime in Beckley's presence once he noticed how different his behavior was in engineering than it had been at the advisory board meetings. He knows Adele is bothered by the admiral, and he's kind of curious as to why, considering Adele has insights he lacks, since she's an empath and he's most definitely not.
Thanks so much for the review!
Date: 21 Nov 2009 09:14 Title: Chapter 36
Beckley continues to be an intentional enigma to the crew as he spins his webs and forges relationships with others for the sole purpose of manipulation at some later date.
Wow, Maren's in a pinch with the John/kiss scenario. Though she's troubled by the fact that she enjoyed it, everyone involved in this equation should realize that the woman's been single for two years, and she's been assigned to a seven year mission. Unless she's planning on being a celibate shut-in for the duration of this mission, Maren's more-than-likely going to become involved with someone during the course of the assignment.
Her attraction to John is a natural extension of their existing friendship and the fact that he's always been there for her, whereas Icheb promised to marry her and then abruptly abandoned her without explanation.
Oh, yeah. This has the potential of getting ridiculously ugly, and fantastically entertaining. 
Author's Response:
Beckley is all about the manipulation, that's for sure.
I don't think Maren would feel half as guilty or worried about the situation if it wasn't John. She knows Icheb has very few real friends, very few people that he truly trusts. John is one of them. Moving on is one thing, but doing so with John would feel like a betrayal of someone she still loves very much (even though she's really angry at him and sort of hating him at the same time).
Thanks for the thoughtful review, Gibraltar!
Date: 13 Nov 2009 21:57 Title: Prologue
Passing a 100 - you should get a letter from the queen! Plus this means you are now the No.1 most reviewed story on the site. You beat me. That's it! No more reviews from me. [::goes off to sulk:: hee hee]
As for T'Pring, I am scratching my head on that one. But I'm determined to think up someone. But you've gone for some out there choices not normally picked by others. So hard to judge who'd fit your criteria. That, and who could pull off her awesome character. That would take some acting chops I think. Hmmm ... Meryl Strepp?? Ha Ha!
Date: 13 Nov 2009 20:16 Title: Chapter 35
Hiding things from the captain is not a good thing. Icheb should learn from Marcus' getting caught out. In this Marcus and icehb are not alone. Iden Nix for all her stormy words with Maren had also better catch the problem with the buoy or else there might be a big bite in the ass for the crew. Dear oh dear, Adele only has suspicions as to how bad things might be.
Loved the captain slapping the crew down. And T'Pring is just priceless. Love her style and approch. Monitoring the drunken antics of party revellers for a science report is just marvellous. You've elevated her from a mere cardboard cut out Vulcan, which can be a very difficult thing for fanfiction stories to do, by using her formal tones, logical approach and analytical skills to inject humour and wonderful interaction without being OTT or cliche or fake. It all comes off as plausible and real and not convoluted. P.S. just who do you imagine playing her part?
Good stuff all round kes7, as per usual and congrats on passing over 100 reviews for your story. Worthy stuff.
Author's Response:
Hiding things is not such a great idea. Of course, Icheb's been doing it so long now it's almost second nature. Iden isn't hiding anything, though -- she just doesn't know what happened with the buoy. She's not negligent, she's just been technologically outclassed. We'll see what happens there ...
Adele definitely smacked Marcus down, but it's for his own good. He's about as green as green gets, and needs to learn some lessons that the Academy couldn't teach him.
Oh, and I'm glad you like T'Pring. She's fun to write. I hadn't really thought about who could play her ... any suggestions? Dark hair, lighter complexion, early to mid 30s?
Thanks for the awesome review, MF! And thanks for the congrats, as well. I was excited about passing 100!
Date: 13 Nov 2009 19:42 Title: Chapter 34
Aw a little lovesick much? Bad pun I know but this was such a terrifically realised chapter that pushed the boundaries of Maren's and John's friendship.
Crikey, the frisson and the chemistry and the potential for things to get incredibly complicated and messy is just so huge. Yes the liquor was going to be trouble and alcohol was always going to lead to such a potentially troublesome scene but I never considered that the fireglowing lips would play into such a situation.
Really well written and really well done. The awkward scenes that are probably going to result from this are going to be excruciating and I hope their friendship will be ok. But they could make for a great couple - alas for the Icheb complication. Dear oh dear.
Author's Response:
Thank you for the kind words, MF!
I suppose glowing lips are a little distracting if one is trying very hard not to think about kissing someone.
We'll see what happens with John and Maren .... the potential for a Big Freaking Mess is definitely there, though.
Date: 11 Nov 2009 07:10 Title: Chapter 35
This was a terrific chapter on a lot of levels.
Nobody likes getting pulled in front of the captain on short notice, most especially right out of a party involving potent alien alcohol! 
Poor Lindley takes it on the chin here, after deciding to hold his tongue after the actual incident. But, it's been said that a person's career doesn't really begin until their first major screw-up. That's when their superiors learn what they're made of by whether they take responsibility for their mistake and learn from them.
But this sighting now makes whatever information is contained by the Borg encrypted memory card that much more important.
Author's Response:
Thanks, Gibraltar, glad you liked it!
Yeah, poor Lindley. His own fault, really, but you have to feel bad for the guy. He throws a party and gets hauled in to see the Captain by his guests.
The pressure's on for Maren and Icheb to figure out what's on that chip.
[Report This]Date: 02 Nov 2009 23:35 Title: Chapter 34
Oh, John, that may have been a wee bit of a mistake there...
Excellently written chapter that truly explores the depth of John and Maren's friendship. The added touch of John secretly desiring more only adds to the detail and believability.
I know very few guys who have never had some kind of romantic intention with their closest female friend, myself included. In fact, I married mine -- and yes, the friendship was merely a fallback position. Heck, we even started dating after I took care of her one night when she had had way too much drink.
So clearly, their relationship, the verbal banter and the awkwardness of being in close contact with each other struck a chord with me.
Others may disagree with me, but I think your ability to get to the heart of these interpersonal relationships are the most-rewarding parts of Tesseract thus far.
Great work!
Author's Response:
You're very fortunate to have married your best friend! It wasn't a mistake for you, so maybe it won't be a mistake for John. Then again, I'm guessing you were probably missing the whole Icheb half of the parallel. At least I hope you were! Way too messy!
I'm glad the interaction felt real to you. I definitely had to draw from my own experiences to get the chapter written and keep it grounded in reality. I get the sense from reading your work that you do the same thing, especially with your cadets out in the woods ... seems like you just might have been there before, yourself. I've definitely been the girl on the bathroom floor with the really good friend-or-is-it-more holding her hair back while she pukes. Nice to know all these years later that I can put such experiences to good use as inspiration for writing.
Thanks so much for the awesome review and comments. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story and that you find it worthwhile reading.
Date: 02 Nov 2009 18:30 Title: Chapter 33
A nice, relaxing wrap-up to Adele and Julian's pleasant evening. I've glad to see the captain letting her proverbial hair down a bit. Julian's right... if she doesn't find some friends and confidants, it's going to be a long, lonely, and dreary seven years in the Delta Quadrant for her.
Author's Response:
Thanks for the review, Gibraltar!
Date: 02 Nov 2009 18:29 Title: Chapter 34
Oh, yes, potent alien alcoholic beverage mixed with 20-something hormones. That is a recipe for trouble.
John's got it bad for Maren, though he does try to be a good friend to her and bring her out of her self-imposed shell. However, he may have just opened the proverbial Pandora's Box, and god forbid Icheb ever finds out about the kiss.
Great chapter, and some wonderful insights into the young men and women that comprise Tesseract's crew.
Author's Response:
Yes, shockingly strong alcohol plus a bunch of 20- and 30-something overworked single people is a recipe for disaster or entertainment, or a little of both.
John has had it bad for years. Of course, Maren was very obviously unavailable for most of that time. Now it's trickier. He really is trying to be her friend, though. He loves her as a person first, or he wouldn't have kept a close friendship going all these years despite her attachment to Icheb. Of course, he also cares about Icheb. I can't imagine John is going to be feeling great about himself when he thinks this one over ...
Icheb finding out could be interesting. We'll see how long that takes, if ever, and if he finds out, how he'll react to it.
Thanks for the comments and review. Very glad you liked the chapter.
[Report This]Date: 02 Nov 2009 07:50 Title: Chapter 34
This scene flowed really well. I especially enjoyed the interactions among John, Maren, Iden, and T'Pring. Of course, now some serious complications have arisen, and I doubt Maren will just forget what happened. The big question is what will she do?
Great job on this!
Author's Response:
I would never have finished it without your help, so THANK YOU. And thanks for the comment and stars.
Yes, what *will* Maren do? And how is she going to A) work with Icheb in the morning and B) Give a tour to the Admiral, while hung over and dealing with the consequences of her actions?
Date: 29 Oct 2009 23:53 Title: Chapter 33
A very tender little moment of reflection on Adele's part and nicely placed in the overall story fitting perfectly with the happy memories. Really well written bitter-sweet moments can be trciky and even tacky if not handled correctly. No such problem here. You neither lingered or hammered the point. Instead you gave us a careful and considered glimpse of one of Adele's most difficult moments in life. Deftly done. She impresses all the time - just like the author. Also the doctor too played his part in a very cool and subdued way. Nicely done kes7. A great scene and what an embarrassment for the poor captain. Hee hee.
Author's Response:
Thanks, Miranda Fave. I tried to convey the emotional craziness of that time period for everyone on the Endeavour without going over the line into hammering the point, like you said. It's part of who Adele is, and hopefully sheds a little light on her character. I'm glad you think I succeeded. I'm also trying to keep Julian fairly low-key at the moment, as he is much older and wiser now than he was even in season seven, by which point I think he had grown up a lot. The goal with him is to age him naturally from where we saw him last ... it's tricky, but I hope I'm pulling it off.
Date: 29 Oct 2009 23:45 Title: Chapter 32
Ouch! Poor John almost got slapped in the face for bringing up Icheb. A bad move really but I guess his guilt over his own feeelings towards Maren keeps steering him back in that direction. A bad case of deflection. Very raw and testy subject altogether - this could get combustive.
Great dinner scene. Lots of warmth and pleasantness in a friendly atmosphere. Just what the doctor ordered. A slight feeling of euphoria? Hmmmm ... That Fire Water is quite potent. I wonder how potent. At least Adele gets to make some 'friends'.
Lots of other little tidbits thrown in. Bashir revealling a little of his concern about Icheb. The talk about our amorous doctor - Oh! And Nix's buoy being located and all ebing well. Yeah right. Nicely slipped in there. Damn you know how to spin out a tale.
Author's Response:
Wow, you really nailed John's state of mind. He's all about the guilt and deflection right now. When he keeps bringing up their relationship, it's a distraction from his own feelings, a redirection of sorts, a reminder of the way things are 'supposed' to be. If he isn't allowed to bring it up, I wonder what might come out of his mouth instead.
Glad you enjoyed the dinner scene intro ... and yes, the drink is pretty potent. Adele knows how to handle herself, but we'll see how the younger crowd does with their little party ...
Yeah, Iden's buoy magically reappeared! I wonder how that happened. Oh, wait, we know what happened ... too bad she doesn't have a clue.
Thanks so much for the review!
Date: 29 Oct 2009 21:25 Title: Chapter 33
The Ferengi story had me laughing. I can imagine the little trolls all laughing uproariously at something like that. Of course, I would, too! Bashir is right. Adele (one "L"!) does need friends. She'll need them even more when Beckley's machinations come into play. Muahahahaha! Muahahahahaaha! Did I say that? :O
Author's Response:
And who better than Julian to step up to that particular challenge? ;-)
Glad you liked the Ferengi story. They do remind me of trolls.
Adele is disappointed that she can't add another L to her growing collection.
Thanks for the review!
Date: 26 Oct 2009 03:19 Title: Chapter 8
Jules is back in town, eh? Excellent!
[Report This]Date: 25 Oct 2009 22:28 Title: Chapter 5
Icheb, perhaps drowning in memories of the assimilated? Good and better!
[Report This]Date: 25 Oct 2009 22:24 Title: Chapter 4
The onliest ship syndrome? A good standby, and it makes sense that their baptism of fire may have nothing to do with their full-on mission.
Date: 25 Oct 2009 22:20 Title: Chapter 3
A dark secret to boot! Good thing I'm eating popcorn. Again, a strong entry.
Date: 25 Oct 2009 22:17 Title: Chapter 2
A little post-Endgame history to spice up the mix. Very good!