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Jan. 23rd, 2007 09:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pensnestWe discovered last night that Unspeakable Mould has taken hold of our living room carpet. Ick. Beast and I were trying to spread out a mattress-sized plastic bag on the floor (never mind why, it's dull) and moved aside the stack of cardboard boxes containing the Chinese dinner service my dad gave us several, cough, months ago. Whether 'twas the bottom box that had mould, or there was some vileness in the carpet, or maybe the cat peed in there (I think, I hope, we would have noticed that), we cannot tell. But, badness.
However, that's not really why I'm posting. The thing is, as we were hastily removing possibly vulnerable/useful stuff from the vicinity of the Great Mouldy Waste, my Beast handed me an attaché case that turned out to contain (a) several pretty cards etc I had obviously saved for years, and which may, when I can be bothered to get the scanner going, be turned into icons one day; and (b) the copious notes I made several years ago for my ST:TNG Magnum Opus. Which never got written, but when would haveneeded an extremely dedicated beta been a fabulous story. Trust me!
Shame it never got written, really.
Family Circles (the Saga!)
1. Bad Connections
A Starfleet employee's conscience is troubling her. She is persuaded to join with a small Action Group and contrive to free the android, Lore, who is being examined in the Starfleet Cybernetics Laboratory. (Probably by Commander - now Captain - Bruce Maddox.)
The Starfleet employee does not live to discover that Lore was 'liberated' not by idealists who believe in the inviolability of sentient life, but on the orders of a renegade half-Romulan with a desire to avenge herself on the Federation, Starfleet, and Captain Picard of the Enterprise-D in particular. This programme appeals to Lore, who joins forces with Sela.
2. Lost Generations
There is a celebration on the holodeck for Worf's promotion to Lieutenant Commander, during which Data makes a satisfactory discovery about the nature of Fun. (He pushes Dr Crusher into the ocean, and after a stunned moment, everybody aboard bursts out laughing, and everybody except Picard ends up in the water.)
Riker has finally accepted a promotion, and will be leaving soon to take command of his own ship.
News arrives from the Amargosa Laboratory, which has been tracking a rogue planetoid: the planetoid is heading towards a Federation colony planet with 98.87% probability of collision in three years' time, and 100% certainty that even a near miss will cause irreparable damage to the colony.
The Enterprise-D is sent to investigate, and if possible to destroy the planetoid. However, the crew detect signs of life on its surface, and conclude that it must not be destroyed. There may be an opportunity to divert the rogue from its course if action is taken immediately; measures are set in hand to attempt to destroy a nearby star, and thus alter the flight path of the planetoid.
During the mission, Picard receives dreadful news from Earth: his nephew René has been killed in an accident, and his brother Robert died two days later of injuries received at the same time. He becomes very depressed, and retreats to the holodeck, where Data discovers him reliving his alternate life as father and grandfather (cf Inner Light).
The ship is separated: the drive section, together with other starships, will attempt to explode the star and divert the planetoid. Their mission is faultlessly successful, and preliminary readings indicate that the rogue planetoid is now following a safe course. Riker transfers to one of the other ships in order to rendezvous with his new command.
The saucer section, commanded by Troi, is left in orbit around an uninhabited planet in a system four light years away. It is attacked without provocation by a Klingon bird of prey commanded by the Duras sisters. The Enterprise manages to fight back to some extent, though without the drive section it has limited weaponry; the Klingon ship is destroyed, but battle damage and the subsequent explosion cause the saucer to enter the planetary atmosphere and crash.
When the stardrive section arrives, it is attacked by an unknown craft with a cloak. The newcomer seems to have the ability to override the Enterprise's command protocols, and lowers the shields. As the ship is boarded, Picard sets the auto-destruct, and sends a message to Starfleet. The crew disembark via escape pods; Worf has captured one of the boarding party. Then the drive section explodes.
The lone prisoner informs Picard that Sela, who had intended to take over the Enterprise-D and return with it to Romulus as proof of her worth, was among the first to board and is therefore dead. However, he is not aware of the identity of her 'associate', who is presumed to have escaped aboard the cloaked ship.
The story ends with the crew picking up their possessions from the wreckage of the saucer section, and awaiting rescue by Starfleet.
3.
After the destruction of the Enterprise-D, the crew take a long leave of absence before taking up subsequent postings. Data visits his 'mother' Juliana, and after a somewhat uncomfortable stay is returning to Earth aboard a luxury cruise ship when he initiates the rescue of an unknown human who is stranded on a primitive planet, but apparently equipped with advanced technology.
There ensues a mostly lighthearted love-and-nookie story involving the rescued human (Genevieve, known as Gen), with minor complications resulting from the fact that Data has unwittingly upset one of the ship's entertainers (Data is better at juggling), and the entertainments officer wishes to hire him. Gen, however, gives Data a memento, an avowal of love, and a warning to be ready for the Borg, because they will want to destroy his work. Data promises to remember her every day, and sets an internal alarm to remind him to think of her regularly. She is collected by her brother's starship. Data recognises certain unexpected patterns in that ship, but declines to share his observations with the cruise ship's captain.
There is a scheduling mix-up at the final port of call, and the ship is delayed for three days before it can take on the fresh provender it needs. The cruise ship captain blames Data, whose rescue of Gen had caused them to be behind late getting there.
4. Where Furnaces Burn
The Enterprise-Dcrew has split into many groups. Will now has his own ship; Crusher and LaForge are working with Utopia Planetia on the design of specialist medical ships; Worf has been assigned to Deep Space Nine.
While awaiting completion of the Enterprise-E, Picard accepts a special diplomatic mission, taking Troi and Data as his assistants. Both will also be assigned to the Enterprise-E.
The aliens they have to deal with are extremely unusual beings who appear to inhabit pillars of flame. They do not trust the ambassadorial mission. There is a flare-up, and although Picard and Data manage to get to safety, Troi is caught in the fire.
Data arrives on Earth three days later than expected, due to the cruise ship's delay, and is surprised to find there is no mission waiting for him. He contacts LaForge, and discovers that Picard, Troi, and - obviously - Lore left on the mission as scheduled. He contacts Riker's ship, which collects him and follows Picard.
Riker's ship meets Picard's mission orbiting the aliens' planet. Data manages to force Lore into a shuttlecraft, where they confront one another. The shuttle is set on course to fall into the nearest star. Lore deplores Data's devotion to the humans instead of to his own brother. Data is able to escape from the doomed shuttlecraft, by beaming himself into space, having locked the transporter controls to a key of his own devising. He is beamed back aboard Picard's ship, and positively identified by his cat.
There is communication with the aliens, and Picard, Riker and Data beam down to recover Troi's body. The aliens examine Data and discover him to be innocent of deception. Troi is revealed to be alive, although badly scarred. Riker has been too much shocked by her apparent death, and declares his love. She is borne up to Sick Bay, but it soon becomes clear that Picard will have to find a new counselor for his ship.
Data subsequently examines the recording of Lore's last moments and the descent of the shuttlecraft into the star. It appears that there were some very strange energy signatures around the shuttlecraft, and he suspects that Lore was in fact rescued.
[Alt ending, depending on how the story plays out: cut to Lore aboard shuttlecraft, and his rescuer.]
5. Loss
Some years later, Data is now captain of a science vessel. Light comedy, not really worked out, involving the advantages of being an android.
At the end of the story, a message is received: Jean-Luc Picard has been found dead, in a cave where he was enjoying an archaeological expedition of his own. Data and all past crewmembers, ambassadors, etc, attend Picard's funeral.
After the service, Data is arrested for the murder of Captain Picard.
* * *
6. Gone Fishin'
Data, who is terraforming solo, has reactivated Lal and is working on perfecting her in the quiet isolation of his current very long-term project. He decides his planet requires moons, and goes to 'fish' for asteroids. Lal is somewhat bewildered by the number of cats aboard the terraforming station, and Data recounts some tales of his first pet, Spot. He also explains that he left Starfleet after being accused of murder; although he was exonerated due to there being plenty of witnesses to swear he was far, far away at the time, there is too much suspicion around and he prefers to make a fresh start. He does not explain why he takes care to make sure that roses will grow. Meanwhile, his exocomps are reproducing.
7. Nemesis
Many more years have passed, and the planet is ready for humans, who are delighted. Data makes friends with them. They are more than willing to accept him, Lal, and the exocomps, who establish a treaty of mutual respect with the humans.
A sub-group of the colonists are scientists who have been working on the production of a working time machine. They have chosen to live on this planet because it is remote, and particularly stable.
The Borg arrive. It is imperative that they do not obtain access to the time machine, which was about to be tested for the first time. Data has been preparing for the Borg for many years, and is able to destroy the invading cubes. However, he is trapped in the leading cube when its systems overload and it explodes.
8. Phoenix
Data wakes to find himself rotating in space, and moments later is picked up by a ship. He recognises the ship. He has flashed back in time, and it is Gen's brother's ship, which picked him up in response (he discovers) to the signal/time device embedded in the memento she gave him.
Gen's brother is very much surprised by who he has found. Data directs him to the cruise ship, to collect Gen. He learns that her transgression of the temporal code is punishable by death, but exerts his considerable influence on the colony to have this transmuted, and she is exiled from the planet.
9. Gifts
(a) Seeds
Data travels back in time to find Picard in the cave, and obtains from him human sperm (!). He cannot rescue Picard, but in order to spare him a lingering and unpleasant death from starvation, kills him.
(b) Blossoms
Yellow roses. Gen is permitted to return to her home planet, and is reunited with Data.
(c) Fruits
Data and Gen visit Picard, who is trapped in a cave with no hope of escape. He is delighted at the prospect of rescue, but understands that it must not be. They introduce him to their children - human and android - including Lal, and Lore. Lore, now calmer and more inclined to reason (although also somewhat cynical), explains that Data had rescued him from a fiery death in the doomed shuttlecraft, with seconds to spare. Picard is left alone to await Data's arrival (in Seeds), happy in the knowledge that something of himself will continue in Data's children.
* * *
In my mind, this all makes perfect sense and is much better than canon!. But I'm never going to write the story.
However, that's not really why I'm posting. The thing is, as we were hastily removing possibly vulnerable/useful stuff from the vicinity of the Great Mouldy Waste, my Beast handed me an attaché case that turned out to contain (a) several pretty cards etc I had obviously saved for years, and which may, when I can be bothered to get the scanner going, be turned into icons one day; and (b) the copious notes I made several years ago for my ST:TNG Magnum Opus. Which never got written, but when would have
Shame it never got written, really.
Family Circles (the Saga!)
1. Bad Connections
A Starfleet employee's conscience is troubling her. She is persuaded to join with a small Action Group and contrive to free the android, Lore, who is being examined in the Starfleet Cybernetics Laboratory. (Probably by Commander - now Captain - Bruce Maddox.)
The Starfleet employee does not live to discover that Lore was 'liberated' not by idealists who believe in the inviolability of sentient life, but on the orders of a renegade half-Romulan with a desire to avenge herself on the Federation, Starfleet, and Captain Picard of the Enterprise-D in particular. This programme appeals to Lore, who joins forces with Sela.
2. Lost Generations
There is a celebration on the holodeck for Worf's promotion to Lieutenant Commander, during which Data makes a satisfactory discovery about the nature of Fun. (He pushes Dr Crusher into the ocean, and after a stunned moment, everybody aboard bursts out laughing, and everybody except Picard ends up in the water.)
Riker has finally accepted a promotion, and will be leaving soon to take command of his own ship.
News arrives from the Amargosa Laboratory, which has been tracking a rogue planetoid: the planetoid is heading towards a Federation colony planet with 98.87% probability of collision in three years' time, and 100% certainty that even a near miss will cause irreparable damage to the colony.
The Enterprise-D is sent to investigate, and if possible to destroy the planetoid. However, the crew detect signs of life on its surface, and conclude that it must not be destroyed. There may be an opportunity to divert the rogue from its course if action is taken immediately; measures are set in hand to attempt to destroy a nearby star, and thus alter the flight path of the planetoid.
During the mission, Picard receives dreadful news from Earth: his nephew René has been killed in an accident, and his brother Robert died two days later of injuries received at the same time. He becomes very depressed, and retreats to the holodeck, where Data discovers him reliving his alternate life as father and grandfather (cf Inner Light).
The ship is separated: the drive section, together with other starships, will attempt to explode the star and divert the planetoid. Their mission is faultlessly successful, and preliminary readings indicate that the rogue planetoid is now following a safe course. Riker transfers to one of the other ships in order to rendezvous with his new command.
The saucer section, commanded by Troi, is left in orbit around an uninhabited planet in a system four light years away. It is attacked without provocation by a Klingon bird of prey commanded by the Duras sisters. The Enterprise manages to fight back to some extent, though without the drive section it has limited weaponry; the Klingon ship is destroyed, but battle damage and the subsequent explosion cause the saucer to enter the planetary atmosphere and crash.
When the stardrive section arrives, it is attacked by an unknown craft with a cloak. The newcomer seems to have the ability to override the Enterprise's command protocols, and lowers the shields. As the ship is boarded, Picard sets the auto-destruct, and sends a message to Starfleet. The crew disembark via escape pods; Worf has captured one of the boarding party. Then the drive section explodes.
The lone prisoner informs Picard that Sela, who had intended to take over the Enterprise-D and return with it to Romulus as proof of her worth, was among the first to board and is therefore dead. However, he is not aware of the identity of her 'associate', who is presumed to have escaped aboard the cloaked ship.
The story ends with the crew picking up their possessions from the wreckage of the saucer section, and awaiting rescue by Starfleet.
3.
After the destruction of the Enterprise-D, the crew take a long leave of absence before taking up subsequent postings. Data visits his 'mother' Juliana, and after a somewhat uncomfortable stay is returning to Earth aboard a luxury cruise ship when he initiates the rescue of an unknown human who is stranded on a primitive planet, but apparently equipped with advanced technology.
There ensues a mostly lighthearted love-and-nookie story involving the rescued human (Genevieve, known as Gen), with minor complications resulting from the fact that Data has unwittingly upset one of the ship's entertainers (Data is better at juggling), and the entertainments officer wishes to hire him. Gen, however, gives Data a memento, an avowal of love, and a warning to be ready for the Borg, because they will want to destroy his work. Data promises to remember her every day, and sets an internal alarm to remind him to think of her regularly. She is collected by her brother's starship. Data recognises certain unexpected patterns in that ship, but declines to share his observations with the cruise ship's captain.
There is a scheduling mix-up at the final port of call, and the ship is delayed for three days before it can take on the fresh provender it needs. The cruise ship captain blames Data, whose rescue of Gen had caused them to be behind late getting there.
4. Where Furnaces Burn
The Enterprise-Dcrew has split into many groups. Will now has his own ship; Crusher and LaForge are working with Utopia Planetia on the design of specialist medical ships; Worf has been assigned to Deep Space Nine.
While awaiting completion of the Enterprise-E, Picard accepts a special diplomatic mission, taking Troi and Data as his assistants. Both will also be assigned to the Enterprise-E.
The aliens they have to deal with are extremely unusual beings who appear to inhabit pillars of flame. They do not trust the ambassadorial mission. There is a flare-up, and although Picard and Data manage to get to safety, Troi is caught in the fire.
Data arrives on Earth three days later than expected, due to the cruise ship's delay, and is surprised to find there is no mission waiting for him. He contacts LaForge, and discovers that Picard, Troi, and - obviously - Lore left on the mission as scheduled. He contacts Riker's ship, which collects him and follows Picard.
Riker's ship meets Picard's mission orbiting the aliens' planet. Data manages to force Lore into a shuttlecraft, where they confront one another. The shuttle is set on course to fall into the nearest star. Lore deplores Data's devotion to the humans instead of to his own brother. Data is able to escape from the doomed shuttlecraft, by beaming himself into space, having locked the transporter controls to a key of his own devising. He is beamed back aboard Picard's ship, and positively identified by his cat.
There is communication with the aliens, and Picard, Riker and Data beam down to recover Troi's body. The aliens examine Data and discover him to be innocent of deception. Troi is revealed to be alive, although badly scarred. Riker has been too much shocked by her apparent death, and declares his love. She is borne up to Sick Bay, but it soon becomes clear that Picard will have to find a new counselor for his ship.
Data subsequently examines the recording of Lore's last moments and the descent of the shuttlecraft into the star. It appears that there were some very strange energy signatures around the shuttlecraft, and he suspects that Lore was in fact rescued.
[Alt ending, depending on how the story plays out: cut to Lore aboard shuttlecraft, and his rescuer.]
5. Loss
Some years later, Data is now captain of a science vessel. Light comedy, not really worked out, involving the advantages of being an android.
At the end of the story, a message is received: Jean-Luc Picard has been found dead, in a cave where he was enjoying an archaeological expedition of his own. Data and all past crewmembers, ambassadors, etc, attend Picard's funeral.
After the service, Data is arrested for the murder of Captain Picard.
* * *
6. Gone Fishin'
Data, who is terraforming solo, has reactivated Lal and is working on perfecting her in the quiet isolation of his current very long-term project. He decides his planet requires moons, and goes to 'fish' for asteroids. Lal is somewhat bewildered by the number of cats aboard the terraforming station, and Data recounts some tales of his first pet, Spot. He also explains that he left Starfleet after being accused of murder; although he was exonerated due to there being plenty of witnesses to swear he was far, far away at the time, there is too much suspicion around and he prefers to make a fresh start. He does not explain why he takes care to make sure that roses will grow. Meanwhile, his exocomps are reproducing.
7. Nemesis
Many more years have passed, and the planet is ready for humans, who are delighted. Data makes friends with them. They are more than willing to accept him, Lal, and the exocomps, who establish a treaty of mutual respect with the humans.
A sub-group of the colonists are scientists who have been working on the production of a working time machine. They have chosen to live on this planet because it is remote, and particularly stable.
The Borg arrive. It is imperative that they do not obtain access to the time machine, which was about to be tested for the first time. Data has been preparing for the Borg for many years, and is able to destroy the invading cubes. However, he is trapped in the leading cube when its systems overload and it explodes.
8. Phoenix
Data wakes to find himself rotating in space, and moments later is picked up by a ship. He recognises the ship. He has flashed back in time, and it is Gen's brother's ship, which picked him up in response (he discovers) to the signal/time device embedded in the memento she gave him.
Gen's brother is very much surprised by who he has found. Data directs him to the cruise ship, to collect Gen. He learns that her transgression of the temporal code is punishable by death, but exerts his considerable influence on the colony to have this transmuted, and she is exiled from the planet.
9. Gifts
(a) Seeds
Data travels back in time to find Picard in the cave, and obtains from him human sperm (!). He cannot rescue Picard, but in order to spare him a lingering and unpleasant death from starvation, kills him.
(b) Blossoms
Yellow roses. Gen is permitted to return to her home planet, and is reunited with Data.
(c) Fruits
Data and Gen visit Picard, who is trapped in a cave with no hope of escape. He is delighted at the prospect of rescue, but understands that it must not be. They introduce him to their children - human and android - including Lal, and Lore. Lore, now calmer and more inclined to reason (although also somewhat cynical), explains that Data had rescued him from a fiery death in the doomed shuttlecraft, with seconds to spare. Picard is left alone to await Data's arrival (in Seeds), happy in the knowledge that something of himself will continue in Data's children.
* * *
In my mind, this all makes perfect sense and is much better than canon!. But I'm never going to write the story.
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no subject
Date: 2007-01-24 12:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-24 09:51 am (UTC)