[Report This]Date: 09 Feb 2011 03:41 Title: Chapter 12
Julian and Icheb are developing a chemistry in their interactions. Meanwhile, Adele seemed to have caved awfully quickly. Unless she was just wanting to see how emphatic the acting chief engineer would be about not wanting to take such a big risk.
Date: 29 Dec 2010 18:41 Title: Chapter 11
You’ve really upped the ante here, kes7, and to wonderful effect! Your characters are coming into sharp focus as the readers come to know them better with each passing chapter.
Adele’s in one hell of a situation. What remains of her senior staff is riddled with competing loyalties, either to one-another as in the case of Icheb and Maren, or to an outside source as Icheb struggles with the seductive pull and potential life-saving promise of Borg technology.
Though this mission is barely underway, they’ve already lost one and possibly both of their auxiliary starships, not to mention having suffered dozens of casualties among irreplaceable crew. How fraught with danger will this mission be, seeing as they’ve barely set foot into the Delta Quadrant and the crew of Tesseract has not only already been savaged, but they’re now playing fast and loose with some of Starfleet’s most inviolable tenants? 
[Report This]Date: 20 Dec 2010 20:55 Title: Chapter 11
A classic Trek development. They've located their wayward ships, but don't know how to get to it. Icheb had some good suggestions, but too risky all the same. The captain seems adamant about not defying the Omega Directive, while hasn't exactly enforced it either. One can understand not wanting to risk one man for the missing crew without any concrete information about that ship's predicament. But I can see Adele being frustrated into taking a bigger risk for the missing officers and civilians. And even the most risky of plans always seem to work out for the best in the Trek universe.
"You can't break the laws of physics, but you can bend them" and "Things are only impossible until they're not."
Date: 19 Dec 2010 20:35 Title: Chapter 11
So they finally locate the Sol and Luna - only they don't they only detect one! Things should be looking up but they still remain desperate as they are a long way being able to get to them because of the subspace damage.
The solution to getting to them quicker as given by Icheb seems a bit extreme from the normally reserved and restrained XO. However, the startling development of how the connection to the neural interface is affecting Icheb is subtle but clear. And it bodes not well for things for him. I can only suspect that the effects are akin to a drug. He is to degrees a relapsed addict given his past connection to the Collective. This taste of what he could process as a super intelligent person has to be stimulating and overwhelming. And then there is the chance to know Omega as well. Damn. Frightening temptations for Icheb and could cloud his future judgements re: offers from the RBorg.
However, for Adele the options forwards are limited. Trust the RBorg; use Omega; allow partial assimilation of Tesseract. WTF? I doubt any of those options appeal to her. And now she cannot be sure of her XO.
Damned fascinating developments.
[Report This]Date: 06 Dec 2010 18:19 Title: Prologue
I would to say first of all before i start that i'm loving this story. Your characters are fleshed out and believeable, the plot thickens which each new chapter. When i first started reading it, i thought it might go off on a fantasy ride in relation the ship itself (a borg cube design inspired starfleet ship). But you tied it in well with the story and any questions or criticisms i had were ignored in favour of this engaging tale. I can't wait till the next chapter is published, keep up the excellent work.
As a side note, i also just signed up to the site to give you my thoughts and appreciation for your hard work.
Author's Response:
Wow, thank you so much for this awesome comment. It really made my day. I'm so glad to know you like Tesseract, and I promise to have more for you soon. (Real-life holiday craziness is slowing me down a bit, but there's a lot left to tell. :) ) Thank you, thank you, thank you for signing up and sharing your thoughts.
[Report This]Date: 01 Dec 2010 14:34 Title: Chapter 9
I love these scenes. Ever since the beginning of this adventure, I have loved your handling of Adele. She is the sort of person I would love to serve under, and she makes for a great boss. As anyone, she has her faults, many of which stem from her qualities, but her way of handling the people who serve under her is absolutely amazing!
Which makes Icheb and Maren's actions that much harder to condone. I know they feel they have their reasons, but I hope that the crises they are finding themselves in will see them grow up a little. I would imagine that Adele is the best captain to help them do it, but both of them are going to have to take the chances they are being given.
[Report This]Date: 01 Dec 2010 14:20 Title: Chapter 8
A terrifying dilemma for Adele here, one that may come back to haunt her. This may turn out to be a Pandora's box going forward, with the Federation struggling to play catch up with the Borg Resistance and the other powers in the DQ.
JQ's problems are just as intriguing, dramatic and captivating to read. It was interesting to see him struggle with both his instincts as a tactical officer and his new responsibilities. Of course having a Vulcan giving him orders based entirely on logic, with someone as emotional as JQ, was bound to create sparks. I wonder, though, whether he has made the right decision.
Look forward to the next chapter!
[Report This]Date: 01 Dec 2010 13:51 Title: Chapter 6
Woah! an intense ending to the chapter after the revelation of the key element behind the rebel Borg's brand new powers. I love Maren taking Icheb hostage - what a way to up the ante! Great job!
Date: 30 Nov 2010 12:45 Title: Chapter 9
Suffice to say I loved the interaction here. Adele 'slapping' Icheb around the face for how she has little reason to trust him is striking. The fact that she can trust Lakwa more than Icheb is startling. However, when we consider the facts she has more to base her trust on Lakwa than she does Icheb. However, poor Icheb and Maren have had a conspiracy of events to thwart their opportunities to prove themselves to Adele. Yes, the lying about dying is a circumstance of their own making but still things have not exactly gone their way. I do feel that Icheb is ready to make up for his actions. He has a lot to prove and to try and win back the trust he had seemed to be forming with Adele. I liked too the insight we get of Adele's thoughts here. As usual she is reflective, smart and interesting to read about. Can't wait for more.
Date: 30 Nov 2010 12:43 Title: Chapter 10
After all of the crap, angst and difficulties that has been thrown at Icheb and Maren since the Tesseract's journey has begun, it is easy to forget that the two of them did have happier times and they had a love they thought unbreakable. We see here that Icheb remembers it, he remembers Maren staying by his bedside and he would like to sit in vigil by hers. But he recognises that he cannot do that. He feels he does not have the right to do so. I think he can be admired for recognising that. It seems as if he is trying now to make ammends for his past poor decisions. Lying to the Admiralty and leaving Maren all seemed good ideas at the time, and he had good reason for believing he was making the right choices. Alas it all coming back on him.
But he is beginning to make the changes needed. He is opening to Bashir about his condition, and opened in other ways to reveal a little of his heartache to the good doctor too. One wonders about Bashir's words and how much he is speaking about his own situation. But we also see that Icheb goes to Lakwa and seeks a solution to his condition. But he does so with the condition of not sacrificing the Borg free part of himself. What that means for his future chances of survival, I don't know.
Then the stuff from Lakwa's pov. Wow. Really impressive and insightful. We see her think about the Borg, about Malik, her own decisions in betraying him, the future of the RBorg faction, her own life and how changed/mutilated/brutalised it has been because of the Borg. In amongst all of this she can recognise that Icheb loves and is loved by Maren. She sees the way in which he has been accepted and is a part of something. And that gives her pause, gives her hope, that she may also be a part of something and have a life, a love, a future, a home.
And on the topic of home ... Icheb's. How much more bad news can he be delivered? And how will he react to the news when he does hear it? All this while out there JQ is fighting a desperate fight to survive and one imagines that the call to the bridge will reveal how that struggle has played out for all concerned. Continued excellence.
[Report This]Date: 29 Nov 2010 22:10 Title: Chapter 10
Nice little chat between Icheb and Bashir, especially this bit:
I suggest you learn to accept it. People take risks for the people they care about all the time – especially in our line of work. You can’t control the way she feels about you. You can’t force her not to love you … least of all when it’s so obvious you feel the same way.
He's sure speaking from his own experience. And that was his major character flaw: becoming too emotionally involved, not that there's anything entirely wrong with that. As chief medical officer, he can get away with making promises he can't keep. When a first day intern on "Grey's Anatomy" did that, the lesson was never promise a patient anything.
And speaking of a patient with whom Julian became too emotionally involved, it's a good segue into Lakwa's internal conflicts between having to betray a friend and doing the right thing.
Author's Response:
Thanks, E1981! Julian is speaking from his own experiences for sure, but he's also conflicted about the advice he's giving. Yes, he's an idealist and yes, he has a history of getting emotionally involved, but he's also had to learn to cut some ties he would rather not have cut because of circumstances beyond his control. So Icheb's situation strikes a chord with him, even though it's quite different from his own. We'll see more of his past in later chapters, though. Thanks for the comment.
Date: 29 Nov 2010 05:06 Title: Chapter 10
Oh man...Icheb again passing on that much needed part for him and then asking for an alternative solution. I can understand his feelings-certainly the less Borg in him the better-but he kinda needs it to live. I hope an alternative solution can be found.
I also wonder when the news that his homeworld is gone will be told-I forsee it having an effect on him...not sure what though.
Great chapter, good stuff.
Author's Response:
Oh, you think Icheb might have a reaction to his homeworld being gone? ;-) We'll see. We'll also see what kind of alternatives can be found for his survival, if any. Maybe none. Decisions, decisions, for our poor friend Icheb.
Thanks for reading and reviewing. :)
[Report This]Date: 29 Nov 2010 04:35 Title: Chapter 10
Finally Icheb starts to see that turning on his heel and leaving Maren without a word of explanation was not exactly the best solution. He didn't want her to worry and watch him slowly die, but those feelings not only didn't disappear from her heart, he added worry where he was, what was happening to him and why he left her like that. From bad to worse.
Borg enhanced intellingence or not, he still needs to learn a lot about feelings and relations with other people, especially people who are close to us.
Can't at least some of implants be removed from Lakwa's body? It could help her with her emotional turmoil and constant reminder of what she was, what had been done to her and what she lost (and how!). It could be like drawing a line and maybe a little help in healing of her soul.
Author's Response:
Yeah, Icheb's starting to get it. Maren always knew exactly why he left, but it was harder on her for the knowing. If you read "Triangle Theory," one of my shorter pieces, you'll see what she thought about it (and maybe understand her a little bit better, as I know you're not a fan).
Icheb really does have a lot to learn. That's a major part of this story -- Icheb growing into the person he will be. He's not there yet, and has a long way to go. But he's taking some steps here.
As for Lakwa, wait and see. She may yet go down that path, but it's one she's been prevented from taking until now.
Thanks so much for the review. :)
Date: 23 Nov 2010 19:20 Title: Chapter 9
Captain Oyugo doesn’t pull any punches, considering she has a lot with the Borg resistance and trust issues in the command structure. With the first officer, it’s certainly not as simple as throwing him in the brig when Icheb is still the best choice for XO. Maren, on the other hand, has put herself in a lot of trouble putting her future as a department head in jeopardy, though not at the extremes of Janeway warning B’Elana she would be stripped of rank for any additional transgressions.
Author's Response:
Yeah, Maren's only had a week or so to distinguish herself as the problem child. Give her time. ;-)
Totally kidding. She's actually a "good kid" ... she's just found herself in an impossible series of situations recently, and has handled them sort of badly. So yes, she's in trouble, but she's not B'Elanna. I mean, she's not punching crewmembers in the face and trying to kill herself in the holodeck. (Oh, wait. She's pointing phasers at her superiors and trying to kill herself in engineering. Maybe she learned more from her old boss than she thought.)
Date: 22 Nov 2010 21:29 Title: Chapter 9
Wow. Adele had some words for good old Icheb there. I can understand her anger, for sure, and I'm glad she didn't drop the hammer on him as hard as I was expecting her too.
I guess now the question is what's Icheb gonna do? I guess aplogize to everyone first, but then what about his situation with Maren? How is he going to help her out with her Starfleet issues?
Good chapter, nice discussion; I'm looking forward to more. :)
Author's Response:
Thanks for the review, trekfan. Adele's pissed, but she's also stuck -- all she knows about the Borg is her own personal loss plus what she's read in LCARS files. Icheb was one of them. If she's going to be in the middle of a Borg conflict, she'd be foolish to lock her "inside mind" in the brig ...
As for your questions, now how can I answer all that without spoiling the fun? You have to read. :)
[Report This]Date: 11 Nov 2010 13:21 Title: Chapter 8
Seems like J.Q. had to pass the "commander exam" without a holodeck simulation--just pure life brutality. Something tells me it's going to hunt him for long, maybe forever. If his career develops and he makes it a captain some day, I think he'd still remember Herk--the first person he had to sacrifice to the good of many--most vividly.
I in fact cried reading about Herk and the engineering situation. You described it so graphically that I could not only "see" it, but also feel it!
So the Resistance Borg and the Tesseract alliance was forged. I wonder where it takes them.
And th Omega Particle? Adele faces a big decision. I can't wait to see what it's going to be and what kind of consequences they will have to deal with in the result.
Author's Response:
Wow, I don't know whether to apologize or thank you, so I'll do both -- sorry for making you cry, and thank you for being invested enough in the story to have such a strong emotional reaction to it!
You're right, Herk's death was something JQ will remember for the rest of his life as a Starfleet officer, and beyond. It was definitely a defining moment for him, for better or worse. He may have a few more of those in the coming chapters, too.
As for Omega, the Resistance and the Tesseract ... we'll see where it all goes. ;-) Now I just have to write it.
Thanks for the great review.
[Report This]Date: 30 Oct 2010 06:52 Title: Chapter 8
Would you defy the Omega Directive???
It's a pretty big decision all right. I would say that the devastating of Omega would make the decision obvious. But we'll just have to wait and see how this plays. And I can understand JQ's line of thinking in not wanting to scrap the Sol. Makes one wonder how the Voyager replaced lost shuttles, especially since they practically gave shuttle-craft away in "Counterpoint".
Author's Response:
Would *I* defy it? Let's just say that no one in the Trek universe would ever let me near the command chair, so I would not be making that decision. That said, I think Adele's choice has merit. We'll see if the advisory board agrees. As for the shuttles ... have you ever seen that animated .gif of the Voyager "Shuttle-O-Matic?" Hee hee.
Date: 28 Oct 2010 22:22 Title: Chapter 8
Decisions, decisions, decisions. All of them hard to make for all concerned. JQ has already stepped up to the plate and made quite a number of hard calls. Yet again he is making a call here, that of trying to shore up the Sol in order to keep it together and indeed hold together for the evac. However, how compromised is he by the radiation? Should he in fact sought medical help? Maybe, but JQ shows his flaw yet again - is a damned fine flaw but a flaw nevertheless, of caring too much, wanting to spare the others the sight of engineering and its loss of life. At some point, this is going to bite him in the ass. Indeed from other vignettes we know that it has in fact hurt his career before. However, I do worry about him making a call on this basis that will have long term effects. That said, this mission already is going to hurt him - asides from the radiation! From Herk to the Kellers it has taken a certain toll on the guy who has been very impressive with his command calls in the face of danger. It makes you root for the guy all the more. Top stuff.
Then we have Adele taking control of the chaos on the RBorg ship. She somehow has inspired Lakwa to trust her and the Tesseract crew. Lakwa has mutined against Malik but for his and all of their sakes. I wonder now what this will mean for our allied RBorg friends? I Lakwa to become their leader?
But now Adele is faced with a terrible decision. To do as she should and destroy Omega or allow for its harnessed power to come onboard the Tesseract, a very viable danger, so that she and the Federation by default can wield Omega's might as a weapon against the Borg. The decision to take it onboard is a bold move and in light of the Borg threat a sensible move. But what ramifications will this have, for Adele in front of the Advisory Board, for the future of the Federation, will it spur a race for Omega weapons/power systems in the Alpha Quadrant ala the cold war and nuclear power/weapons? And what will the Admiral make of it all?
Oh my, so much to come of all of this! So much to look forwards to.
Author's Response:
John could definitely use a dose or two of whatever magic hypospray potion Sheila has been using to treat the others. But from his perspective, if she's treating him, she's not treating someone else. Besides, they were down to the last few minutes on the cell ... he figures he'll just get his shot when he gets back, when everyone's evacuating anyway. We'll see if that works out for him. As for the rBorg mutiny ... we'll see how it pans out. Lakwa has already had a leadership role of a weird sort, in that the crew trusts her to rein in Malik's excesses -- which is essentially what she's done here. But she's never been "in command." We'll see how she takes to it. Much more to come from them.
Your question about what Omega will mean for the AQ, and Adele, is a good one. It can't not have repercussions, and those repercussions are hard to predict. Guess you'll just have to wait and see how it plays out. ;-)
Thanks for the awesome review.
Date: 28 Oct 2010 20:12 Title: Chapter 8
So, the omega particle rule...violated. Sounds good to me. I hope everyone on the Sol can get off in time.
Good stuff, look forward to more.
Author's Response:
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Date: 28 Oct 2010 20:05 Title: Chapter 7
Ryzal to the rescue! Saurians for the win!
Goodness gracious about the poor keller family. I'm hoping they all make it out alive...but I have a distinct feeling someone dies there.
Good stuff as always.
Author's Response:
Glad you liked. We'll see what happens with the Kellers. Keep reading ... ;-)
Date: 28 Oct 2010 19:57 Title: Chapter 6
Wow. A mutiny in the making and Maren about to fire a phaser, point blank, at Icheb's head...while she's about to almost pass out.
Drama, much-I love it. :)
[Report This]Date: 28 Oct 2010 11:21 Title: Chapter 8
I feel for John’s dilemma. No one wants to have to scuttle a valuable ship, most especially in circumstances where such resources are now thousands of light-years behind them. Nevertheless, J.Q.’s decision to remain behind with a skeleton crew until Sol can either be stabilized or must be abandoned is a solid one.
Like a good commander, John is stepping up to do what needs to be done, despite the obvious fact that he is slowly succumbing to radiation exposure. I hope he and the others can get the treatment they so desperately need in order to survive before it becomes too late for them.
I don’t envy Adele the decision she must now make. It would be difficult enough without the immediacy of the advisory board hanging over whatever choice she makes like the Sword of Damocles. Violate the most potent Starfleet directive aside from the Prime Directive, or risk throwing away the only viable defense against the Borg anyone has yet to discover.
Difficult, heart wrenching decisions seem to be the order of the day. Let’s just hope our heroes can live with those they’re forced to make on this day.
Author's Response:
Thanks for the review and stars, Gibraltar. I appreciate it.
Glad you think John's making solid choices here. For the good of the crew, I think he is too, at least on the surface. But he's also ignoring his own limitations right now, and that could come back to bite not only him, but everyone else if he doesn't seek the help he needs in time. We'll see what happens.
As for Adele ... yeah, she's got a choice between crap and more crap. Which actually sounds about right for the Delta Quadrant. It's not the nicest neighborhood, as one of your own characters is well aware. ;-) Bad things happen there.
I hope they can live with their choices, too.
[Report This]Date: 12 Oct 2010 22:12 Title: Chapter 7
John gets another dose of command reality as he struggles valiantly to save more lives, only to discover those trapped in the radiation are the most vulnerable of his charges… civilians.
Unfortunately, I have the sinking feeling that he may soon discover that you can’t save everyone all the time. 
Gritty stuff here, kes7, and brilliantly executed.
Good on Ryzal for keeping a cool head in a tense situation and knowing both how and when to act. Icheb, on the other hand, was so preoccupied with Maren's condition that he dropped his guard and now one or both of them may end up paying the price.
John's tactic with the grav-plating was inspired, and I hope the civilian victims can be saved from their injuries and radiation exposure. They've still yet to discover who attacked them, and why, but first things first...
The excellence continues! 
Author's Response:
Thanks for the very kind praise, Gibraltar. I'm blushing over here. We'll see what happens with the Kellers.
Ryzal is an experienced officer who had his mettle tested in the Dominion War. He also had the distinct advantage of not having a loved one there to distract him. Icheb and Maren both are going to have to figure out how to deal with the realities of being in a dangerous situation together. Now, we'll see if they do that by growing up/maturing ... or some other means.
And indeed ... first things first. Before JQ or anyone else can try and figure out what happened to the Sol and Luna, they have to deal with the fact that it DID happen.
Thanks again.
Date: 12 Oct 2010 20:09 Title: Chapter 7
From TBBS: "It is cruel to put children in danger by bringing them aboard a starship in the first place." DaiMon Lurin in "Rascals" (TNG)
So much for getting the civilians out of harm's way. That was kind of my rub with having families aboard the Enterprise-D even if they did separate the saucer section every time they went into battle. But I guess separating crew from their families would also be cruel seeing as they'll be spending the next seven years in the Delta Quadrant. And sometimes it can't be helped, which Benjamin Sisko has to tell himself in the latest chapter of my story being reminded of all the times Jake was in serious danger.
And talk about taking big risks: Ryzal throwing himself against the forcefield and JQ going into a danger zone to rescue civilians. Either way, he made the right choice in the face of huge danger despite T'Pring's urgings. It would make for an interesting case study on just how literally Vulcans interpret, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."
Author's Response:
You're right, this is one of those "can't be helped" situations. Even if they sent nothing but single people into the DQ for seven years, given Starfleet's lack of a fraternization policy, there would probably be families on board by a year or so into it. They were so hoping this would be a straightforward exploration and diplomacy mission, given the lack of Borg contact for eight years prior ... alas, it was not to be.
I like your analysis of T'Pring's feelings as a case study on Vulcan decision making. JQ is about as far from Vulcan as it gets. It's a good thing, I think, that they are on two separate vessels right now.
Date: 11 Oct 2010 21:52 Title: Chapter 7
Yay JQ! He is again pulling off risky moves and taking decisions that could back fire. For which, you gotta admire his ... ahem ... but seriously, he is a clever guy trying to be very practical and calm in a bad situation. Part of that, is telling a certain Vulcan to go to hell - which let's remember Kirk use t do all the time - so it must be a plus in his favour! LOL! But as pointed out, his decisions may yet backfire, not everyone is out of this alive yet, there's so much potential for this to go wrong, and the Sol is still very heavily damaged - who knows if it can hold up long enough for John to effect a rescue. Damn. It hits home when kids are involved. Now it is going to be really difficult for John.
Despite the hiccups all along the way so very early on for the crew of the Tesseract, it seems quite a few of them display the skills and qualities that marked them out as the best for the seven year job. Both Ryzal and JQ so far showing the security department in a good light for good thinking and using skills beyond their security brief to best the different situations they are in.
The anti-grav thing is so obvious is seems stupid that it hasn't been used before. But it shows the young JQ is a real thinker and problem solver. He is quickly garnering real command presence and strength, from effing off his superior officer in the previous segment to now using his brains to shift the heavy wreckage. He is also wise enough to know that he is far from out of the woods and that he still has to figure out a way of bringing this whole disaster to an end and the people to safety.
Likewise, Ryzal demonstrates some mad bravery - which he has displayed before. Go the Dominion War hero. I love the usage of his Saurian background to pull his stunt off as well as tying it into personal experience of his from the war. That is really impressive. Even the long description of his arduous task of trying to push through the field with the details about his skin under his scales, etc.
Then we come to Icheb and Maren. Man oh man. That seems like a moment of truth or a great big deal the way Icheb tells Maren that he wishes she wasn't there. He is speaking of so much more. He is hinting at things in the future. He shows he wants to protect her. he shows that he cares for her. What it means for after this - if they get out of it - is still undecided. But I like the potential set up for so much after this. Great stuff.
Author's Response:
Thanks for the awesome review, mirandafave. Glad you approve of JQ and Ryzal's actions so far. As for the anti-grav thing ... well, the gravity is artificial. It stands to reason that if it can be "lost," then it can also be manipulated or turned off, right (like they did for Mellora in DS9)? If JQ had been thinking more clearly, he might have just reduced it a lot to avoid the big crash at the end ... but he's pretty much flying by the seat of his pants, here.
Oh, and can I just say, you are the CHAMPION of reading romantic subtext into things! From shipping Julian and Adele before they'd ever spoken to each other to calling the whole JQ/Maren thing, and now reading a whole possible future in one little line between Icheb and Maren. I love it. I'd also say you're pretty spot-on, at least this time.
Thanks again.