[Report This]Date: 24 Jan 2011 22:20 Title: One Question
Quite a disturbing tale thus far. Having read some read some of the related stories, Caitlyn Ryan is quite an interesting character with this particular incident having quite a major effect on her life. And she's very similar to some of my characters with less than an ideal childhood and family life but persevering through it.
Date: 10 Jan 2010 14:38 Title: An Admiral's Daughter
What an excellent chapter about the domestic life of two fairly different Starfleet officers. We don't get to see these kind of things very often which makes this so much more fascinating.
Samantha Ryan is a real task master alright and it's fascinating to see the woman in the role of the workaholic, super-ambitious professional for a change. It is clear who wears the Admiral pants in this family.
And yet while all the demands she puts on her husband and daughter seem excessive at some point, in the end we learn that under all her stern perfectionism she remains a caring and loving mother and wife.
Excellent stuff!
Date: 10 Jan 2010 14:34 Title: Day 88
So the Cardassian's reasons fot this ordeal he's putting Ryan through become clearer. He's not after torture or merely breaking a Starfleet officer, he's after revenge for Cardassian was casualties.
As if things weren't bad enough!
[Report This]Date: 08 Jan 2010 13:33 Title: An Admiral's Daughter
Ah, another slayer of Admirals then lol.
This was great, a lovely balance of humour, innocence mixed with the stresses and strains that come with two very driven people who have their own ideas of what they want in life.
Not sure if I want to run into the Squibbly Wibblies though. ;)
Author's Response:
This is a woman who only saw Starfleet as a means to an end in terms of her career and research. So yeah, actual Admirals don't actually feature into her thinking. She is driven and I can only but think that as a mother her influence on little Caitlyn is going to be great.
Glad the balance worked and it gave a little picture of Caitlyn's young life. Thank you for looking at the story. Be careful of the Squibbly Wibblies ... they're out there!
[Report This]Date: 08 Jan 2010 13:07 Title: Day 88
What an utterly chilling, sadistic little creep, especially now he's messing with her mind and not shocking her every time like he has been.
I don't like the sound of this 'instruction' very much *bites nails*
Author's Response:
He is completely sadistic and he enjoys the pain he inflicts and he enjoys the mindgames too. Simply put, he's evil.
Date: 08 Jan 2010 01:27 Title: An Admiral's Daughter
Brr...that STILL felt cold, even in the end. I dread to think what Caitlyn's torturer will come up with, after seeing this.
Author's Response:
Not an ideal childhood, no. However, Caitlyn doesn't think in those terms. She believes her parents helped to make her the person she is. And no, I don't like to think what the torturer is going to think up next.
Date: 07 Jan 2010 04:56 Title: Day 88
Wow. This is dark. I'm glad that you're giving us glimspes of her life outside of this hell to balance this, but it also makes it more poignant because we know her better than we otherwise would.
This Cardassian is a weapons-grade evil nutjob, and I wonder if he'll ever get what's coming to him.
Powerful stuff.
Author's Response:
This cardassian is indeed evil. Unlike other Cardie baddies there's no shades of grey. He is just a deluded, evil, twisted guy who gets a kick from this. As to how things turn out ... well stick with it and see. I'm glad the working of the story dark and the flip is working. When this story was originally a challenge entry, it only had the dark ordeal to fit the theme and timeframe. This allows for me to explore the character in a more rounded holistic approach and hopefully give the reader a better reading experience and not hammer them over the head with despair and gloom. Let's give a little happy and a little hope. Maybe. Thank you for reading and responding. Means a lot.
Date: 07 Jan 2010 00:41 Title: Day 88
Ohhhhhh boy. There is a character of mine (I can't say who, yet, unless you think you can guess, based on The Thirteenth Order who it is) who would REALLY love to "instruct" this torturer on Setlik III.
What a bastard. Man, I think I will have to make myself feel better by brainstorming all the different ways he could die.
Author's Response:
I'm thinking that character might be Gul Rebek as I remember that story quite well. Very powerful and emotional. I can only hope this goes a little way to that standard. Yes this torturer is a bastard. We can all dream up ways in which he gets his due service. Whether he will or not, remains to be seen. Thank you for reading Nerys.
Date: 05 Jan 2010 21:55 Title: A Doctor - Part One
This is a fine, detailed look at one of your most fascinating characters. It is also a hard story to read, as we have a good idea what will happen to this young, bright-eyed doctor. It's a bit like watching Titanic. You know how it's going to end.
And what is it with doctors being great tennis players, anyway?
Author's Response:
Maybe it is the early diagnosis of tennis elbow or something? Really don't know why I went for that in my 'pilot' episode. But a bit of in-canon continuity that no one else might have known. LOL.
Yes one of the greatest challenge to this is the whole Titanic aspect to it. But I guess we will just have to sit and wait for the iceberg and what exactly happens when the iceberg hits. I'm glad though that you find Caitlyn fascinating. She's certainly dark when you meet her later so at least I have a point to go to from this bright-eyed doctor. Thank you CeJay for reading and commenting.
Date: 05 Jan 2010 21:40 Title: Day 87
I remember this story. And I remember the doctor from 'Buried History'. Her experience as a captive here helps to explain her relative coldness in that story.
And while Picard seems to have dealt with his own Cardassian torture much better something tells me that your doctor had much worse to endure than he ever did.
Author's Response:
As yes, you are probably one of the few who remembers her from Buried History [or read it LOL], but you do get a pretty good idea of who she is afterwards from that . Cold is certainly one word to describe her afterwards. This should explain more why she has such a difficulty relating to others. From Buried History you would have garnered some details of what she endured. Some details that hopefully will be explored and fleshed out here. Including her escape and the method of it all. But yes I do intend to put her through more than what Picard went through.
Date: 05 Jan 2010 21:29 Title: One Question
I'm looking at this and wondering if you were trying to draw a figure with the shape of the formatting ... It's oddly symmetric. More importantly of course, it's really ominous.
Author's Response:
Well ominous is what I was aiming for. So that's good. But I did try to make it look right as well as read right. Dunno why though. But it seemed important.
[Report This]Date: 05 Jan 2010 20:58 Title: A Doctor - Part One
This is a very different approach to writing, style-wise and I'm enjoying it a lot. I do want to know more about who Daddy is/was, though.
Author's Response:
Well as much as the content of the story is a challenge to write, these parts in this style is certainly something very different for me. And difficult. But it felt like the right approach to take. Glad that you are enjoying it. You will learn more of Daddy's little girl and by virtue of that something about Daddy. You'll learn a bit about that in Day 88 though. Thanks for reading.
Date: 05 Jan 2010 20:51 Title: Day 87
Sadistic. Brutal. And yet, a glimmer of hope in her defiance.
Author's Response:
Good. That's everything I aimed for.
Date: 05 Jan 2010 20:49 Title: One Question
Very original intro, I'll give you that!
Author's Response:
Thank you. A different sort of story for me, so I wanted it to start different. Thanks for taking the time to read.
[Report This]Date: 05 Jan 2010 12:54 Title: A Doctor - Part One
A rather stern captain, mind you need to be a toughie to keep one of those old ships in one piece.
Shame the old pack mule's going to get whacked later on though.
Loved the background on Caitlyn, what makes her tick and so on. :)
Author's Response:
Thank you. More on her background coming as we build closer to how the crew get captured. Hope it does convey something of how she ticks.
And yes the poor old Constellation is going to go the way of the Dodo at some point [sorry] and certainly, it couldn't be commanded by just anyone. It ahs to be someone who can keep things in order.
[Report This]Date: 05 Jan 2010 12:38 Title: Day 87
Ooh, what an evil little so and so. He even makes Gul Madred look tame, unless this is him.
A very chilling start to affairs to say the least Miranda ;)
Author's Response:
Thank you Starfire. Yes, if I was going to do this story it needed someone truly evil and despicable. Not to mention that Cardassians do make for fantastic villians.
Date: 03 Jan 2010 01:02 Title: Day 87
I definitely remember this passage...very, very chilling, that. It certainly reminds me of Gul Madred and the way he tortured Picard, and yet you've put your own spin on it and managed not to make it a repeat of the same exact scenario.
Eighty-seven days of that...I'd say that she's an extremely brave and strong woman.
As for her torturer...well, all I can say she'd be surprised at some of the individuals who would be lining up to take their shots at him, for this!
Author's Response:
Sadly, this is only the beginning of her ordeal. And certainly our torturer is a henious character who is only one narrow aspect of the Cardassian people at this time. He is the epitome of the brutality of those who used state obedience and loyalty to their own nefarious ends and despoiled the rich culture and philosophy of the Cardassian world. Sadly, his actions are what came to be defining traits of the Cardassian people and certainly their military. I hope to show that he is indeed at the extreme end of things but alas this story will show the depths of Cardassian brutality. Likewise, it will show the depths of brutality others, yes even those in the Federation, are capable of. Thank you for reading. And your impressions of later stages in the story would mean the world to me. But it might be a while away yet.
Date: 03 Jan 2010 00:00 Title: Day 87
Wow, you weren't kidding ... this is dark stuff. Caitlin is strong, but how long can she hold out under that kind of abuse?
The Cardassian torturer is a sick, sadistic you-know-what. They exist in every society and often manage to find their way into such positions of power over those helpless to defend themselves.
Intrigued to see where this is going ... dark though it may be, you call her a survivor, so I'm going to remain optimistic.
Author's Response:
Yes this 'creature' is sick and he certainly enjoys it. I'll call him creature as it would probably not be fair to label him a Cardassian as Nerys has shown so many other facets to them. However, there is no denying that TNG and DS9 [heck Voyager too] showed some Cardassians as being some of the most truly henious enemies around. I'm intrigued where this is going myself as I want to explore some of the Cardassians we will meet in this story but I can't say for sure where it is going to go.
And always be optimistic. It is trek after all. Doesn't mean bad things can't happen though...
Thanks for the review. And hopefully, some lighter stuff coming next.
Date: 02 Jan 2010 23:50 Title: One Question
Well, this sounds thought-provoking and ominous ... I'm in!
Author's Response:
Ha! Then it did what it was supposed to do. That's good. Just gotta make the rest of it live up to that potential.