Date: 30 May 2013 08:06 Title: Slipstream Jitters
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Captain Adele just makes me mad. I mean, Maren is sitting there staring at an awesomely designed engine (thanks, Maren) and Adele is criticizing her a few moments later because she’s shy. Man, come on captain, be a little nicer to the woman who got your ship slipstream. *sigh* But Adele’s observations about Maren are spot on when it comes to her engines and how she feels about it. A mixture of awe, wonder, and fear, Maren probably isn’t 100% sure that the entire thing won’t blow up in her face when it starts.
Knowing Maren, she’s probably thinking that would just be her luck. But Adele gets her to talk about that and the wall comes down. And then she brings up Icheb and Adele finds Maren … apprehensive. Very apprehensive. I mean, after all that happened, I can’t blame her, but man Adele has no idea what she’s getting into here.
Which kinda surprises me considering that Adele has access to her files, everything she was with, and more … she has access to Icheb’s files and she has access to all the people that recommended Maren to her but Adele just kinda takes it at face value. Maybe she doesn’t have time to investigate things, I don’t know, but we have just another reason Adele bugs me.
But, there’s Maren here to make me happy.
Yay Maren. Well done.
Author's Response:
This was the combination of a lot of stupid, small choices by a lot of different people adding up to one very large stupid decision. Basically, everyone assumed everyone else knew or would bring up the Icheb/Maren situation, if needed, but no one wanted to be the one to actually do it. At no point had either of their duties been compromised due to their relationship or breakup (that Starfleet knew of, at least), and since they broke up before they filed the paperwork announcing their impending marriage, there's nothing in the official record. While they did briefly work together at Utopia Planitia, that was a huge project. Lots of people worked on it. So Adele went in blind, and no one took her aside to say, "Hey, you know those two used to be a thing, right?" She had to unseal old disciplinary records to get more information about things that happened at the Academy after J.Q.'s little stunt in the beginning of Tesseract, and that's when she figured it out. She's actually pretty pissed at Janeway for not saying anything, but at the same time ... it was really none of Starfleet's business, and she respects that.
Date: 30 May 2013 07:55 Title: Night Terrors
Oh, Maren. This is a visceral and nasty Borg scene … these are the reasons why the Borg are the worst of the worst of the baddies (even with a Queen, bleh). The very atmosphere crawls with them and this dream sequence is just … goosebump inducing. Maren, walking through a Borg cube, is a far braver soul than I. I wouldn’t in a Borg and this just makes me want to agree all the more with you assertion that Maren is a B.A. She’s just strolling through there and taking it all in, all there to save Icheb.
Icheb, who’s not with her and she misses. Icheb, whom she is worried over and can’t sleep without. Icheb, who was once Borg and is horrifyingly still Borg in some ways … he can never come back to what he was. He can never really be that but what was he to begin with anyway? Icheb sure doesn’t know.
Maren is there to rescue him, true love being a stronger call than anything else in life, and she fails to do it. She is assimilated in creepy assed fashion (pardon the phrasing, but it is that) and the way you describe the tubules just burrowing their way into her skin … *shivers*
I shouldn’t have read this before bed.
Well, it was worth it. Well done.
Date: 30 May 2013 07:46 Title: Laundry
The Borg never leave anything nice behind, at least in the beginning. No, it takes work to make what’s left behind after the Borg decent again and Adele, poor soul she is, has little to work with here. She’s broken hearted, a soul missing a key piece, and she’s hurting. She’s hurting badly over every little thing she ever did to her husband but the laundry has become the big thing … and it’s so sad.
She only has a sweater left. Broken, and just hanging on, she only has a smelly old sweater left of her husband. The Borg killed him at least and didn’t assimilate him, as they did other crewmates significant others. It’s a tough thing to live on after your love is gone and this piece really drums up a feeling of sympathy in me with Adele. I don’t like her as a captain (I, alone, bear this burden, lol) but here we see exactly what she was before that. Before she got a little harder, a little tougher, a little more disillusioned with life. I can’t blame her because the Borg did royally screw her life over, but here we see the last part of her that’s still mourning, a part that’s not hardened yet.
Well done.
Date: 07 May 2013 22:45 Title: Slipstream Jitters
Nicely done. Especially enjoyed the awkwardness of this meeting which does pose the question if Maren truly was ready for this assignment, considering her youth and inexperience.
Maybe if it hadn't been for Icheb... oh well, I suppose that would have been a very different kind of story.
And an infinitely less interesting one.
[Report This]Date: 23 Jul 2011 01:26 Title: Fatal Error
Looking really good. I love the pre-launch idea so much I plan to use it myself. Thank you for sharing I'M moving on to check out the rest of this story.
Date: 30 Dec 2010 10:15 Title: Night Terrors
Another installment of Star Trek: Tortured Characters ... uhm ... Tesseract.
Very vivid and disturbing nightmare. Seems to me Maren's connection to Icheb is a lot closer than just being a couple in love.
Date: 27 Dec 2010 11:46 Title: Night Terrors
This is yet another reminder of the love, the bond, between Maren and Icheb - and indeed another reminder of how messed up it has gotten. Such is the depth of Maren's love for Icheb that even after he has 'rejected' her and walked away from their relationship, she is so pained as to be troubled and dreaming of him. Of course, given the messy nature of things and her fears for him, those dreams are expressed in nightmares of a truly horrific nature. The fear of assimilation is clear here as much as is the fear for Icheb's whereabouts. She seeks him desperately and yet she finds herself assimilated - the sense of violation, of identity being taken, the loss of control and the abuse of the body and mind thereafter has to be a truly frightening deal. And for Maren in her relationship with Icheb that had to be a niggling concern all along - not just that she could be assimilated but the horrors that visited her love. Also one wonders if she fears that she was losing herself to Icheb - allowing him to assimilate her - as in take over her life, losing control of it to him, such was her love and devotion to him. Perhaps. Or perhaps that is too Freudian in nature. I dunno but this piece is certainly very effective and the stream of consciousness thinking style of the writing is the best fit for the disorientating, disjointed, fearful feel for a nightmare.
Date: 31 Jul 2010 08:34 Title: Fatal Error
Not a lot of new surprises here but I love how you tied in Maren's and Icheb's background into their first awkward meeting on Teseract. Suddenly that short encounter is filled with so much more meaning and tension than I could have ever expected the first time I read it. And for Icheb it becomes the moment in which he comes to realize his perhaps greatest mistake, his fatal error. Nicely done.
Date: 31 Jul 2010 02:29 Title: Fatal Error
Icheb-dude-you've got it bad. I wish you'd have stayed with Maren, I wish you hadn't tried to be selfless here...because you hurt Maren in the end.
Heartwrenching story, Kes-boy it hurts, but you just hope these two get together in the end.
Date: 30 Jul 2010 23:42 Title: Fatal Error
Talk about a fatal error. It fits perfectly with the failing body thanks to malfunctioning Borg part and his stupid decision ot leave Maren. Icheb made what in his eyes was a noble and brave choice to go off and meet his fate alone, but he left Maren hanging and hurting, and after proposing to her. Damn, bad timing or choices all over the place here.
I could point out the absoliute hilarity of this first exchange propmpting Adele to say: “Officers. If there’s some kind of history here, I don’t want to know the details. All I can say is that this is a seven-year mission, and I won’t put up with interpersonal drama before we’re even underway. If there’s going to be a problem with you two serving together, one of you is going to be sent back to Deep Space 5" Ha ha ha. Boys those words come back to ahunt and bite now. But that's all an aside.
His decision is very analytical and even Borg like. Though there is a genuine emotion and care there to try and protect Maren too. All too bad it failed. Nice piece of history filling in the blanks in this troubled relationship.
Date: 14 Mar 2010 11:17 Title: Laundry
For as brief a story as this is, you’ve captured the gut-wrenching, yawning chasm of Adele’s profound loss with perfect clarity. Her husband, her Imzadi, is gone forever, and she’s left with nothing but memories and aching regrets for opportunities lost. I can only imagine how much more potent such a devastating loss of this nature must be for an empath who has grown accustomed to her spouse’s emotional presence, beyond the simple fact of their physical presence.
Very moving and especially well done.
Author's Response:
Great point re: the empathic side of her grief ... I didn't dwell on it much in this piece (though I suppose I could have and it would have lengthened the chapter), but yes, she misses him on a deeper level than someone without Betazoid blood would. There is a gaping hole in her life where a constant, comforting emotional presence used to be. I'm glad you found this story moving. Thanks so much for reading and commenting.
Date: 12 Mar 2010 22:21 Title: Laundry
Well I'd like to take the credit but when I gave the prompt for laundry I figured some light and fluff [not just the towels! Ha! I'm sooooooo witty!]. However, I hadn't expected something so beautiful and tender. An aching sadness in Adele that speaks of pure and simple human [albeit part Betazoid] emotion. The science fiction, the trek is forgotten in the emotion of her loss and grief. The sci-fi and the trek is back when one considers what is in store for Adele and how much more complicated the Borg are/were going to make her life. A great piece of writing. Fantastic kes.
Author's Response:
Well, you got the fluff with the cookie prompt. So this went the other way. Thanks for the idea, and the comments! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Date: 11 Mar 2010 21:54 Title: Laundry
Awww, this is just really sad. It always is when somebody loses someone they love but you've done such a great job conveying Adele's feelings and loss here.
What a painful coincidence that she's going to see a lot more Borg in her Starfleet career than she ever wanted. Wonder if this will affect her somehow down the line.
Author's Response:
Thanks for reading and reviewing, CeJay! Sorry about the downer of a chapter, but I'm glad you at least think I did a good job conveying the emotions around Adele's loss. It's definitely a good thing she had about eighteen years to heal after this experience before her journey to the Delta Quadrant with a Borg XO ... but I think this has already affected her in-story, and will continue to affect her in small ways. It's part of who she is as a woman and as a captain. Again, thanks for the comments!
Date: 06 Feb 2010 06:51 Title: Command Team
Interesting little vignette. I like Oyugo's reaction to advisory board. That's natural. I also like the idea that she was an outside candidate with not much hope to get this position. That adds an interesting dynamic to the character.
Author's Response:
Thanks for reading and commenting, CeJay!
Date: 04 Feb 2010 07:53 Title: Command Team
An eye-opening look at Adele's first reactions to being awarded the Tesseract commission, as well as her first meeting with Icheb. I've come to know these characters so well over the course of your story that sometimes I forget they've not yet completed their very first mission. The look back is both fascinating and informative.
Author's Response:
Thanks for the feedback, Gibraltar! I'm going to take it as a compliment that you feel you know them so well. But yes, in-story, Adele and Icheb have only known each other in person for a few weeks. They've barely started their mission! It's certainly been trial by fire so far. I'm glad you appreciated this little flashback. Thanks again!
Date: 02 Feb 2010 21:07 Title: Command Team
First off, I love getting the chance to see the guys before the mission. Stuff like this you say was written already and it is terrific character and world building stuff. It really helps to give a new and unique insight into the Tesseract characters.
Who else to kick things off with, than the dear old captain. Not that old actually and the fact she was a dark outsider for the job somewaht matches with many impressions we had at the start about Adele. She seemed too young and more importantly inexperienced for such a job and such a mission. However, Adele quickly dispelled such notions. Here you clearly demonstrate those virtues, qualities and job qualifications that got Adele the job. Her being a people person, a diplomat, good at diffusing tense and difficult situations navigating the turbulent currents of opposing parties, not to mention her ability to organise and orchestrate matters on such a large scale with the relief efforts. All of course, will be very useful to her in the DQ and command the Tesseract.
Great too to see her reaction to Icheb and the Advisory Board. Both items big news to - erm - assimilate - bad choice of words but true too. Excellent. Excellent.
And what I really liked was her perspective on her XO and the aspect she felt they could bring to her command. Be her balance and help her have a broader and more informed outlook. I love that she recognises her own areas of 'weakness' and is big enough to be self-reflective. Terrific.
Author's Response:
Thanks, Miranda Fave! I'm glad you liked the peek into the past, and I'm glad it helps you to understand what led Adele to the position she finds herself in now.
She's definitely self-reflective and more honest with herself than a lot of people. It's the Betazoid in her. ;-) And she really does want an XO who will push her when she needs to be pushed, and reel her in if for some reason, she's going too far. Of course, Command, in their infinite wisdom, has chosen to try and have the advisory board fill that role, rather than depend on a pair of officers to be the be-all-end-all of Federation decision making in the Delta Quadrant. We'll see how that pans out.
Thanks again for the review.
Date: 02 Feb 2010 20:30 Title: Command Team
That's pretty cool-nice to know where Adele stood with Starfleet before she got her big shot...I can understand her trepidation at having an ex-Borg on the ship, especially as her XO, but Icheb has many more advantages than disadvantages.
Nice work kes. :)
Author's Response:
Thanks, trekfan! Adele was less than enthused about the choice, that's for sure, but they've got seven years to get used to each other ... well, assuming the Resistance decides to return him, anyway. And Icheb's advantages may considerably outweigh his disadvantages, but the disadvantages have certainly taken center stage for the moment on their mission. We'll see what happens ... glad you enjoyed this peek into the recent past, though!