Monthly Archives: March 2014

Boldly Reading – February Review – Matters Of The Heart

Well I’m trying to get on top of the various outstanding Admiral orders, so I’m work through them in chronically order, which makes my next task to tackle this outstanding review of the Matters of the Heart by M C Pehrson.

Further details of Admiral Jespah orders can be viewed at:

http://boldlyreading.com/2014/02/18/boldly-reading-book-club-6-matters-of-the-heart/

While Admiral Jespah interview with the Author can be viewed at: –

http://boldlyreading.com/2014/02/25/book-club-choice-6-author-q-a/

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So onto the questions themselves: –

Q1. Lauren holds back because of what, exactly? Pride? Jealousy of Gillian Taylor?

A1. Having not had time to go back and read the early stories as recommended by the author I can’t be 100% sure of Lauren reasons but I have to say I think it’s fear.

As her main drivers seem to me to be a mix of: –

  • A fear of rejection,
  • A fear of finding the restore Spock isn’t the older Spock and she truly has lost him,
  • A fear of reopening all her old emotional wounds from their previous relationship.
  • An all to human fear of change, she wants to stay in the broken present (as sub-consciously represented by the damaged beach house).

While Lauren does seem to be slightly Jealous of Gillian it seems to me to be more because she closer to Spock as a friend than she is as an ex-lover.

Q2. Did her reasons make sense?

A2. Yes, most Humans do strange things because of their feelings and what people do because of fear of love is the strangest of all and this story does a good job of conveying Lauren (and Spock’s) inner turmoil.

Q3. What about Spock’s reasons for holding back?

A3. It seems to me that he still feels removed from who he was before his death and doesn’t quiet know how to reconnect to those who were important to him. I guess perhaps he afraid of showing how much the experience has effecting him and what he lost like his emotional discipline and especially the increase use of 20th century rude vocabulary. Maybe he worries his old friends will reject him if they think he isn’t the same man as before.

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Q4. How has he changed, post-resurrection?

A4. He seems to have lost some of his Vulcan emotional control and began to let his human behavior creep in, hence why he seems in public to be to trying to act more Vulcan, as demonstrate by wearing his Vulcan formal (desert) robes during his visit to the cold Minneapolis and his Aunt Doris. Which isn’t a logical action like he seems to be trying to tell him self that it is.

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Q4a. Were his changes believable?

A4a. Having not died and being brought back I can’t say for sure, but they do seem logical steps on the road back to balance after resurrection.

Q5. What should happen to T’Beth?

Q5a. Do you think Spock should hand his child over to his aunt?

A5. Honestly based upon this story alone I’m not sure what the base course of action for T’Beth is. Family links are important and the fact that both Amanda and Spock can see some merit in the idea means it might not be a bad idea. I still feel she be better off with her father more than anyone else.

Q6. Can Doris be trusted not to just turn T’Beth into a full-blown human type of person? Or will T’Beth’s Vulcan heritage be respected?

A6. I have Insignificant evidence to answer that one, I think Doris feels some guilt over past actions towards Spock and for that reason I think she would try to respect T’Beth Vulcan Heritage, I’ve just doubts about her being able to do it long term. After all I can’t foresee many Vulcan’s living Minneapolis.

Q7. What was the climax of the story?

A7. The accidentally meeting in the Park between Lauren and Spock, and both of them are force to try and deal with their hidden feelings, the climax is then drawn out till the honest phone call between them, which stills leaves the unanswered personal questions hanging in the air.

Q7a. Did it devolve to a satisfactory conclusion?

A7a. In the sense that it wasn’t a happy ending no, it didn’t reach a satisfactory conclusion. However in the sense that Spock and Lauren are speaking again and setting up the next chapter it was a pitch perfect conclusion.

Q8. What happens right after the curtain comes down on the story?

A8. Lauren and Spock get a good night sleep.

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Q9. Where would you take these characters – and this ship – next?

A9. As I’ve said before there not my characters, so I wouldn’t take them anywhere.

If I did have control of them, I think I be tempt to having Spock visit Lauren at the beach house after speaking with McCoy or Kirk about the matter.

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Final Comments

Despite having not read M C Pehrson earlier stories in the series, this was an enjoyable read and only required a basic understanding of the aftermath of Star Trek III and IV. The prose was solid and easy to read, to the extent I was able to focus on the story itself. That was well though out piece.

Spock and the other known cannon character all seem to be in keeping with the movies portrayal.

I would recommend it but I might suggest you follow the author advice and start at the beginning rather than jump straight in.

As always all Blog pictures are courtesy of www.Trekcore.com

Till next time safe Trekking.

 

False Bill

The Trek Letter List – No. 6 Write A Letter To A Stranger

This is my latest effort to response to MirandaFave Homework challenge of a series of thirty Trek verse letters.  Anyway this is Number six a letter from one of my character to a stranger. Which I’ve got to say at first glance to seems even bit as weird as to write a letter to your dreams but when one thinks about it a lot less strange. Captain needs to send sad letters to families when they need to tell them a love one won’t be returning home.

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So without further ado, here is Captain Emmylou Galyaski writing to a stranger, to tell them their child has fallen in the line duty.

 

To Mrs J. Tarkio,

Titan Boulevard,

New Lima, Enceladus,

Sol,

 

From: Captain E. Galyaski

USS Trireme, 

Starfleet

 

Mrs Tarkio, 

I write with greatest sympathy to sadly inform you that your son Lieutenant Vicente Tarkio has died in the line of duty.

 

While for tactile reasons I can’t tell you much, what I can tell you is that his sacrifice did allowed the rest of his team to completed their mission and return safety.

While I suspect it will be of little comfort to you, I can tell you that his actions have won him posthumous the Shran Cluster for valour in the line of duty. 

What I can tell you is that he was a well like officer with a very promising future ahead of him. His practical experience of living on Enceladus and working with K-class world colony domes and terra-forming technology has been invaluable to the crew as we provide aid to new colonies.

 

He was the leading light of the ship’s theatrical company and his updated adaptations of classic plays were always well received by the crew. I understand the ship theatrical company are planning to stage a special memorial play I’ve asked when they do perform it that they record it and forward you a copy.

We have made arrangements for his belongs to be transfer back from the Trireme to you.  I understand his department head Lt. Commander P’kyrr will also be writing to you separately to pass on his own condolence.

I understand Starfleet Command has being in touch to offer counselling support, if they is anything more the service or I can do to help you through this difficult time, please don’t hesitate to get in touch via Enceladus Station.

We are all poor for his passing and I regret that there is so little I can do but offer you my personal condolence. 

 

With Deepest sympathies

Captain Emmylou Galyaski

 

As Always all pictures are from Trekcore.

Feedback is welcome as always 😉 Till next time, Trek safe this day.

False Bill

The Trek Letter List – No. 5 Write a Letter to Dreams

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This is my latest effort to response to MirandaFave Homework challenge of a series of thirty Trek verse letters.  Anyway this is my fifth challenge answer. Which is a letter from one of my character to their dreams. Which I’ve got to say seems a weird thing to write a letter to but let see where this one goes.

So without further ado, Here my AOS or NuTrek Version of James T. Kirk writing to his dreams.

 

Hello,

You might wonder why I’m writing you this letter, given this isn’t my normal type of thing but Bones reckon it might do me some good, given my recent lack of sleep to work out what is playing on my mind by studying what my dreams are about.

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I don’t have the heart to tell him that the reason I’m not sleeping is the nightmares. I’m the Captain of the Federation’s flagship, and I can’t afford to be weak in front of the crew and especially not in front of Bones.

 

It just of late my dreams have started to featured friends and family in unfamiliar settings and I’m worried that it might some kind of delay leak from when I shared a mind meld with the older Spock from the pre-Nero timeline.

 

For some of them I can cope with it, as all I see is myself sitting in the centre seat on the bridge of the Enterprise but it not my bridge. The crew are all there and are the same and yet they’re not. They all seem to be doing the same sort of things but strangely Scotty has black hair not red.

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Those dreams are bizarre but not bothersome, it’s the other ones, the ones where I see that other me facing hardships that are getting to me.

 

The first bothersome dream is the one is the one that seems to echo my recent trip to the heart of the warp core. Where I’m looking out from inside the chamber again but rather than see Spock like I did. I see an older me having to watching me die and unable to help, struggling to say the words that need saying. It hurts but the question that dream leaves me when I wake is how can that be? Did McCoy use Khan Blood to bring Spock back like he did for me or did some other miracle save the other Spock life?

 

Then there is the one when I standing on a hill of a burning planet and with the crew as we watched the Enterprise burn up in the atmosphere and I hear McCoy voice telling that other me, I’ve done what I’ve always done turn death into a fighting chance to live. Yet despite those words all I can feel is pain and despair as my true home burns up leaving a trail of fire across the sky.

How did they get out of that situation and how was losing the ship, turning death into a fight chance to live? I wish I could find the other Spock to ask him more of that incident perhaps with a little foreknowledge I could save the ship this time around.

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The most haunting dream is the one where I’m Spock and I’m sitting at Thanksgiving dinner in the Kirk family farm and Mum is fussing over Peter while Bones and I help her in the Kitchen to prepare the food, despite the age on that other Kirk face, Mum’s face somehow looks a lot less weary than I’ve every recall seeing. Then my (Spock’s) eyes fall on a family portrait that shows Mum and Dad attending my alternative self’s Starfleet graduation ceremony, and I feel envious of that Kirk.

Then I see next to it a picture of Sam with a black border and feel Spock’s pain as I recall Deneva, then the dream changes and I can see an younger Kirk kneeling over the dead body of Sam, the clear look of pain on that Kirk faces as he tries to carry on.

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It’s part of the reason I changed the Enterprise patrol route to be closer to Deneva, when we were in that sector last month.

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Hence the reason we got to Deneva in the nick of time to save Sam and some of the other colonists it shows that with a little foreknowledge, I can fulfil my promise to Christopher Pike and do better. Still I wonder if by reacting to the dream and saving Sam what other changes I’ve set into flow for this timeline. The worse thing is I can’t shake the feeling that without Dad I’ve hurt Mum in ways that I can’t explain and I don’t know how to fix that, as some flowers on Mothering Sunday and the Federation day of the women, doesn’t seem enough, I can only hope by saving Sam and his family that will take some of the weight off her shoulders.

 

The final bothersome dream is the one that wakes me and leaves me with questions I don’t know how to tackle, It starts with me, as Spock, standing in a hospital with Bones and I enter a private room, when I enter I see an older Carol, I mean Doctor Marcus sleeping in a bed with that other older me holding her hand, but it obvious from the medical read outs and her half frozen face that she has had a serious stroke and the outlook is very bleak.

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I find myself in Spock’s voice saying I’m sorry Jim, but we need to go now, if the peace treaty is to happen; we much reach the rendezvous on time to greet their Flagship. I can see the pain look on that other Kirk Face as he nods his understanding stands and put Carol hand back on the bed. As we leave I see the look of regret cross that other James Kirk face. What did he do or not do in relation to Carol that leaves him with such regrets, can I find an alternative and better path in this new timeline and what is it?

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Why do you torment me so dreams? I do want to do better to keep my promise to Christopher and yet I’m left wondering what butterfly paths have already been change beyond any power to put right and with what I lost without Dad in my life, can I still be the hero that the alternative Spock and Indeed Nero said I was originally destiny to be?

 

So dreams please be kind this night and just give me a simply ‘save the day’ dream, and stop with the alternative timeline memories because I don’t want to play the second guessing game anymore.

 

Cheers.

 

Captain Kirk.

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As Always all pictures are from Trekcore.

Feedback is welcome as always 😉 Till next time Trek safe this day.

 

False Bill

The Trek Letter List – No. 4 Write a Letter to Sibling

This is my latest effort to response to MirandaFave Homework challenge of a series of thirty Trek verse letters.  Anyway this is my fourth challenge attempt a letter from one of my character to one of their siblings.

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After a bit of inner debate, I was going to do one from Schick the Xindi-Insectoid as she has lots of siblings but then I realize a letter full of clicks wouldn’t work, nor doing it in English, as it would spoil the fun of the character.

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So Instead here is Captain Douglas Gorrim of the Ariane NX-04 letter to one of his Brothers.

To: Carl Gorrim,

1063 Arndtstraße

Hanover District

New Berlin

 

From: Douglas Gorrim

Hotel Liieri, Florin City, Andoria, C/O NX-04, Ariane

Date: March 30, 2158 

OPENED BY THE EARTH WAR-OFFICE

REMEMBER YOU MIGHT BE TALKING TO A ROMULAN

 

Carl,

 

Cheers bro for the update in your recent letter, sorry I couldn’t respond sooner but the Ariane had a minor run in with some Romulan Warbirds; but on the bright side you can tell Katie to sleep safe and not to worry uncle Douglas is keeping them away.

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I’ve got to admit I’ve current nursing a few bruises as well in the aftermath but nothing you need to worry mum about. 

Well while I’m recovering and overseeing the repairs of the Ariane at this Andorian shipyard, I’m getting a little chance to learn more about our Andorian allies. From their various music styles to dance to their entertainment arts. Certainly I’m learning to appreciated Andorian Brandy, if the fates are kind I’ll bring you a bottle back as I’m sure Brigitte and you would appreciate on a quiet night, once you’ve put the girls to bed.

 

Tell Gabrielle that the crew and I appreciated her Kinder-garden class drawings they were good for ship morale, though I’m not sure how Naurr would take being called my big kitty chef to his face though knowing him maybe he would see the funny side.

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From recent family letters I get the feeling that Sis and Junior have fallen out again, Any idea what was the cause was this time? Has she dye her head an interesting colour again?

 

Anyway I’ve got to go, but here hoping the war is over by Christmas and I can catch up with you and your extended family and maybe I’ll be able to remembers a bit of German this time.

All the best,

 

Douglas

As Always all pictures are from Trekcore.

The Trek Letter List – No. 3 Write a Letter to Parents

 Well it being a bit of a bad week which has seen me fall a bit behind on these but here is my latest effort to response to MirandaFave Homework challenge of a series of thirty Trek verse letters.  Anyway this is my third challenge answer which is to post is a letter from one of my character to their parents.

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After a bit of inner debate, this turned out to be a job for Captain Jolene (Red) Lallason.

To: Martin Lallason

Deyosma Colony,

Red Reality

Home.

 

Dear Dad,

 

Hello. 

You might be wonder why I’m bothering to writing to you, when I’m currently stuck in an alternative timeline and no way to send you this letter, I know I am.

Well it because Starfleet Councillor Luxani, felt following the events that land me here that I might be able to get my head around it better if I wrote my thoughts all down in a letter.

 

So here is that letter, any way as an ex-Starfleet officer I suppose you be interested to knowing what this alternative timeline is like. While this new reality is much the same as ours just further along in history, the local year is 2409, and you’ve been dead for over a century, but then so has the alternative of me.  I can’t see any real historical difference up to the moment my ship and crew were thrown into this timeline.

 

Starfleet have taken us in and looked after us. Sadly even the best of their science diversion say there is no way we’re ever going to get home. 

So I’m trying to do my best to adept to this reality and lead my crew in a different reality. It’s not easy but while the USS Boadicea is being retrofit, we’ve been post to a nearby Starbase called USS Ganges where the station Councillor Luxani has being a help me to adept, hence this letter.

 

I guess it seem weird to realised that I never going to taste your home cooking again, hear your bad jokes, or witness those little touches of love. That I can no longer visit the family house that you built with Mum that hold such dear childhood memories for me, since here it has long fallen into ruins. The worse thing is that you gone and I’ve not got a chance to say goodbye properly and from your view you likely never know what happen to me. I hope you met someone new or did something to enjoy your retirement and didn’t just stay in the local pub drinking ale and playing dominos.

 

Funny thing is, I always thought of Mum as my main driver in life, she was my first heroine and the real reason I want into Starfleet, you were just my Dad. The one who was there when I need someone to see me as the second Shepard on the left in the school Christmas play. The one who read me bedtime stories when Mum was away on duty.

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Mum said I took you for granted and I guess it wasn’t till I got to the Academy that I began to understand that you were her and mine rock and now in the blink of a temporal anomaly I find myself beginning to realising how much I relied on you and how I’m missed you as much as Mum.

 

Well the other strange thing is in this new reality I’ve met the older sister I never had who is also called Jolene, but in her reality I’m called Abby it seems being a bit of a weird thing I know. However while mum’s path seems different, yours seems much the same. It weird how both her and me our similar seem to start with both of us recall your daft little jokes or taking us to lacrosse practice, encouraging our passions and skills.

 

The other Jolene (we take to calling her Blue) for the colour of her ship’s nacelles saw that Abby was very much a Daddy girl and didn’t feel the need to follow so close in Mum footsteps as her, the older sister was already doing that.

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I’m worried that perhaps Abby was better version of me and that she gave her version of you all the appreciation and respect that maybe I didn’t because I want to be Mum Mark II.

 

In hindsight I realise I never said this enough but Thank you for everything and that I do love you Dad every bit as Mum, I hope that I never gave you reason to doubt that.

 

I missed you but I’ll adept and go on from the wonderful foundation you gave me.

Yours loving daughter,

 

Jolene

Xxx & Ooo’s 

PS: My crew and I, play my alternate sister and her crew. We won 4-3 last night Go Reality Red 😉

All the Pictures are from Trekcore.