Christian. Husband. Dad. Educator. Published in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (2016). I tweet #StarTrek, #MicroTreks, #polltrek, and co-host @FirstFlightPod!
A little girl climbs the limbs of a tree that hang over a cliff. A kite struggles in the breeze against the branches.
“Mica, get down!” a boy shouts.
She climbs. The limb arcs downward.
Snap! The boy races to the edge.
“Hello, up there!” Ben shouts. 1/4
Both the girl and the limb hang free in the air. The man stands beside the thin river below. His hand waves the girl and branch onto the land.
“Are you a Jedi?” the boy shouts, intrigued.
“I’m just a—helpful neighbor,” Ben says. 2/4
“Yeah—I did,” Reno says. “And it was fucking grueling to engineer my friends like some—cannibalized, engine parts.”
“But—again—you got to do something to save them,” Shaw says. 1/8
“You didn’t have to see hopelessness in their eyes as you crouched into the escape pod,” Shaw says.
“You tough enough for some straight talk, Captain Dirge?” Reno asks.
Shaw shrugs.
Reno leans forward. “Your friends died—frozen debris forever floating at Wolf 359.” 2/8
Bashir and Miles are led down a dark corridor by two security officers.
“Fleet formation?” Bashir asks.
“It’s this new protocol that allows any starship hooked into the system to operate as one,” Miles says.
“Sounds—dangerous,” Bashir says. 1/5
“You’re bloody right it’s dangerous,” Miles says. “It’s supposed to protect the fleet from being compromised by outside influence.”
“Like what happened with that Living Construct years ago,” Bashir says.
Jakira looks up from a console. Worf stands. O’Brien sets his hypospanner down and stands up from an open conduit. Odo folds his arms across his chest.
“Doctor Bashir is waiting for us,” Sisko says.
1/14
“Benjamin,” Jakira says. “You’re not going to do this.”
Sisko steps forward. “You know—I am.”
“You forget that I’ve known you for so long—I know you better than you know yourself,” Jakira claims.
Picard walks resolutely from his Ready Room onto the bridge and up to the Engineering station.
“Mister Georley,” Picard says quietly. Georley turns from the console. “Yes, Captain?”
“Will you accompany me to Sickbay?” Picard asks.
Georley’s eyes widen.
1/14
“I think—sir—that everyone should know what you’re about to do,” Georley announces to the bridge. Worf, Data, and the other bridge crew look back at him.
Georley approaches Worf. “Worf—my safety is being threatened. As Chief of Security, are you going to let—”
2/14
Twin logs glow orange in the heart of a fire which warms the skin of Spock’s face.
His eyes, closed.
The edges of his cheeks, soft.
Tree leaves soothe the night with their companion: the wind.
“Spock,” a voice calls.
Spock’s eyes open. “It is you.”
1/17
The man smiles and sits across from Spock. The heat distorts the air between them, playfully warping the reality of the other.
“You expected me?” the man asks.
“I accepted your eventual arrival as,” Spock says. “A possibility.”
The man’s brow raises.
2/17
Mar 21, 2023 • 10 tweets • 6 min read
As I rewatch #StarTrekDiscovery’s second season, here are my mini-reviews! I love a lot of this season!
(Warning: I struggle with the coherence of the Red Angel plot. The nature of it seems to shift mid-way through the season—likely due to showrunner changes.) #StarTrek
“Brother” is gorgeously shot. Production design is intricate and artful. The background of Michael’s beginnings with the Sarek family is intriguing, especially the strange Spock dragon.
Pike quickly commands the screen with ease and integrity and Reno is a quippy addition!
“Our influence wanes with each passing moment!” shouts an elderly Klingon man. He tosses bloodwine against the wall of his dark study.
A single window colors the floor with a bluish square.
“Father,” the old man’s son says, reviewing a computer.
1/11
“Do not speak to me unless your words will win back our fortunes and influence within the Empire,” the old Klingon growls.
“We are bleeding out finances like a whimpering—tohzah upon the battlefield,” the son says.
The old man’s eyes widens. “How?”
2/11
Mar 8, 2022 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
It’s time to watch “Extinction” as part of my Enterprise season 3 rewatch. #StarTrek
Ugh. I really don’t care for “the crew transforms” or is taken over episodes. 🙄
“I’m all for the personnel serving with me to express what they’re feeling, but,” begins Jellico. “There’s a time and place for it. And that time and place is not on my bridge during a crisis.”
Kovich sits still, peering at Jellico through his glasses.
1/10
“If we’re thrust into a chaotic situation, the survival of my ship and crew depends on the orderly implementation of my commands by my bridge crew,” Jellico explains. “I would expect the same of my own child during a crisis.”
“Did you have a specific program in mind?” Saru asks.
“Perhaps, you might show me Kaminar?” T’Rina replies.
“It would bring me great joy to show you my home,” Saru replies, excited. “Uh, Zora. Please run program Saru 1.” 1/5
Simulated grains of sand vibrated into form beneath Saru and T’Rina’s feet. The hush of the tide streaking the beach conspires with the whisper of the trees to pull their anxious minds.
“In here, it is almost possible to forget about the danger the DMA poses,” T’Rina says. 2/5
Mar 7, 2022 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
#StarTrek has always explored human nature through Scifi conceits. Humans are emotional beings by nature.
Effective storytelling relates the emotional, internal conflicts of characters.
#StarTrek has 50+ years of effective storytelling.
1/5
Because modern Trek tells stories in compressed serialized seasons, the emotional density of these stories—episode by episode—is greater.
Sometimes the emotional content is over-relied upon. Sometimes older Trek didn’t explore the emotional lives of characters enough.
2/5
Mar 7, 2022 • 24 tweets • 5 min read
Episodes of #StarTrek with emotion, mental health, and self-reflection at the center of the narrative, a thread…
“Faces”
“No, go for it,” Jurati says. “Ask me anything.”
“Anything?” Soji asks.
“That’s what I said,” Jurati replies.
Soji leans forward, her face incredibly still, her eyes wide. “Do you—regret what you did?”
Jurati tilts her head, confused.
“To Bruce,” Soji adds. 1/8
Jurati’s lungs stiffen as if a lightning strike rattled through them.
“You—you don’t have to answer that,” Soji says. “I—I just sometimes blame myself for Picard’s—well, I’m so thankful you and Dr. Soong could give him a second chance.”
Jurati stood up and left the table. 2/8
Mar 7, 2022 • 24 tweets • 16 min read
I’m starting a new series of #MicroTreks called #SwapTreks which feature an existing #StarTrek story swapped and re-imagined in a different series from the franchise.
Original Episode: “Rosetta”
Swapped from Discovery to TOS
“Rosetta Stone”
1/24
Kirk, Spock, and McCoy shimmer into place at the base of a great gray-blue spire.
“Sensor readings, Mister Spock,” Kirk says.
Spock opens his tricorder, scanning the area.
Kirk rests is palm upon the gray spire. “Bones, what do you think?” Blue dust coat his palm.
2/24
“Isn’t that why we’re out here?” Sol asks.
“She’s got a point,” Rios says. “Sir.”
Vandermeer shot Rios a side-eye glance, accompanied by a smirk. “Look, I don’t want a mutiny on my hands, but you all know our duty.”
“Patrol the Vayt System,” Rios says. 1/5
“Right,” Vandermeer says. “I know patrol duty isn’t exactly why we joined Starfleet, but it’s our duty. And the ibn Majid damn well will do it’s duty.”