"He took another sip and once again shared the contents of the flask. He stared at the dirt. “I’ll watch over her. Carrick also.” He thought for a moment. “Hell, I’ll even keep one eye on Dane, if I don’t kill him first.” He laughed.
“He just might be salvageable.” He smiled at the memory of Dane carrying Carrick to safety.
“I’ll watch them and keep them safe. You have my word.”
"Welcome aboard the USS Serendipity. Lt. Commander Zander Blakeslee, at your service..." he paused, noting that at the back of the transporter stood a woman with gray hair twisted into a bun on top of her head...and Admiral's bars on her collar.
He didn't know her so he couldn't be certain, but judging by the expression on her face it seemed that she was not having a good day.
She quickly analyzed he surroundings, folded her arms and gave an impatient sigh as she stepped down and to the front of her team. "Where is Captain Zanh?"
"I believe she's in Sickbay..."
"She hasn't been talking to anyone has she? I hope that you're following strict isolation protocols for all who were aboard the ships that interacted with the Sylph?"
"Yes, we are-" Zander tried to explain that Salvek had instituted the order awhile ago, but she wouldn't let him get a word in edgewise.
"And who, pray tell me, are you?"
“Lt. Commander Blakeslee.” Zander restated in the very best friendly voice he could muster.
She sized him up from head to toe. "Blakeslee, is it. Chief Tactical Officer?"
"...and Chief of Security, Sir. The departments were combined after..."
The Admiral scoffed and raised her hand. "Where the hell is Commander Salvek?"
Zander paused as he thought about the proper way to respond. Suddenly he wished he had stayed on the bridge and dispatched Lt. Dengar to handle this.
“Sir, The Commander is personally overseeing the 'strict isolation protocols’ that the Admiral herself has previously inquired about.” He smiled. “I have been assigned to liaison with you and your team until the Commander is available.”
“I hope that this is OK with you?” He added.
She snorted.
"Come along, Mister Blakeslee." She instructed, leaving him and the rest of the team in her wake as she marched out of the transporter room doors.
She grabbed his arms, suddenly sharing in his excitement. “So when the kids got sick their bodies produced antibodies similar to the ones in our white cells and protects them from infection!”
Lance clapped his hands. “Yes! Granted they are still carriers as their white cells only attack cells that have been mutated by the virus while our attach the virus itself. But like I said earlier our hematology is so similar that I think we can have a cure within hours!”
Suddenly with a move that swiftly graceful he gently grabbed her by the cheeks and planted a passionate kiss on her lips.
“I love my job!” He exclaimed, after he finished the kiss.
Releasing the shocked doctor Adams, he winked and jogged over to the terminal to begin the process of cell replication and modification needed to make a working cure.
-=/\=-
100124.00
USS Serendipity Crew Interview
2010 Edition
Commander TC Blane
USS Serendipity Crew Interview
2010 Edition
Commander TC Blane
1: Okay, so this might be a personally motivated question but I'm curious nonetheless. Say, for some reason, you found yourself sightless for a week (I couldn’t stand the thought of inflicting it on any of you for longer than that, believe me.) You can't read, write, drive, do any of the things that you would normally do for that week. What would you do to pass the time?
TCB: Wow. This is a tough one. I guess I would spend most of my time sleeping and listening to tunes, books on tape, etc. I would be hard for me to cope since the majority of my life is visually connected. Most of my hobbies and my job all require visual interaction of some kind.
2. The Enterprise-D crew bonded by playing poker. Is there a "tradition" for bonding you would like to see our crew adopt? (We have discussed Euchre in the past but it has yet to be written.)
TCB: I always thought that it would be fun to have each of the PC’s take turns hosting a casual dinner for their crew mates. Personally I always found that sharing time with family and friends over a home cooked meal to be the best way to learn about each other. Plus you get to sample different cuisines and cooking styles from other planets and cultures.
ZL: I love this idea, Mister Blane, but just don't let Lair Kellyn cook. Anyone who has ever read the turkey post from years back knows why.
3. Uh oh! The cops are at the door and looking for your character. If your character ever got arrested, what would they most likely have done?
TCB: OK. I’ll break this down by PC.
TC – Assault and Battery – TC can’t stand seeing the help less or weak being abused by the strong and powerful. Would probably entail someone being abusive to someone smaller then themselves and TC stepping in to give them the chance to pick on someone their own size. i.e. A righteous beat down.
Lance – Public Indecency – Need I say more
Zander – Trespassing – Zander is a avid outdoorsman. Loves to hike even if the location is off limits. Sign Sign everywhere a sign, clogging up the scenery…Well you get the idea.
Paxton – Breaking and Entering – Pax is a die hard animal lover. I can see him breaking into a lab somewhere to free all of the test animals.
ZL: Hey, you know, I think Gira Lassiter and Paxton Briggs will have to do that on some planet at some point- she has just informed me that she would totally get arrested for that...
4. I've often heard the question "what piece of Star Trek technology would you most want?" I'd like to know what alien ability you would most like to have, and why... and NO Saying Q-omnipotence.... that's too easy. (Examples: Betazoid telepathy, Founder shape-shifting, Vulcan mild meld, Vulcan nerve pinch, Borg hive mind, be a "living ship" like Gomtuu, exist as a hologram like The Doctor, exist with the wisdom of others inside of you as a joined Trill.)
TCB: Good question. This is hard for me to answer because I am a firm believer in the belief that there is a down side to every upside. Plus it is hard to fathom being anything other then I am. Having said that if I was to choose I guess it would be a longer life span like the Vulcans. I love experiencing life and I am a student of history so to have the chance to live into the next century intrigues me.
5. What is the most important thing you have learned in the last year?
TCB: That it is not what you do for your kids but what you do with them that they will remember.
6. What is the passage of prose or dialog you've written in the past year here on the Sera that you're proudest of? Why is it your favorite?
TCB: Wow. Another hard one to answer. But I think this would be it.
From the JP “The Only Option.”
“No, Captain. You need to convince in this case.” Lance sighed. “As much as I hate to admit it, I can’t save her from whatever this is.”
He glanced again at Wren with a helpless expression on his normally optimistic face that shocked Liis as she looked back. A grave stare that drove home his next words of warning.
“I’m convinced that if we don’t do this the only benefit will be that someone will be able to hold her hand in her final moment.” His eyes returned to Zanh. “Captain, she will die.”
He sighed again and rubbed his eyes. “You must convince him. You have to.”
7. What is your earliest memory related to Star Trek?
TCB: This one is easy. Watching Star Trek TOS with my father on Saturday afternoons. One of the few good memories of time spent with my Dad.
8. How did you first get involved in Star Trek online role-playing?
TCB: I’ve always loved to write stories and have been involved in role playing games for the better part of my adult life. When I first starting working at my current job (6 years ago) I worked overnights. There was a lot of downtime so I was looking for something to pass the time and I stumbled across it. I signed up and the rest is evolving history.
9. When you are not writing for this game (or bothering the captain with something inane), what is it that you actually do for a living?
TCB: Network Operations. I monitor the network for a major northeast utility company.
10. What is your dream vacation? (Both a real one and one set in the Star Trek world)
TCB: I would love to go visit Wales, Ireland, and Germany. That is where my grandparents are from but I would any white sanded tropical island also.
As far as in the Star Trek universe I would have to say Risa. If I have to tell you why then we should not be having this discussion.
ZL: ROFL! Way to make the Captain choke on her coffee, Mister Blane. I think Lance Hartcort is responsible for that particular answer *laugh*. This is why I love these interviews so much
11. For those of you who write more than one character in this game: how do you get in the mindset of each character and how do you differentiate each one?
TCB: Believe it or not there is nothing that I do out of the ordinary to write. I am very inspired by other writers and often others posts prompt me to write for one particular PC over another. I love JP and I think I write far better when I have the chance to bounce ideas off of another person.
12. Who would win in the following grudge match: Star Trek Federation fleet versus Star Wars Imperial fleet?
TCB: I love Star Trek but I would have to say that it would not be able to hold up against the Imperials. The numbers would be insurmountable. For example.
The stats for a single Imperial Class Star destroyer are as follows. (From the Star Wars Website)
The Imperial-class Star Destroyer bristles with 60 turbolaser batteries, 60 ion cannon batteries, and 10 tractor beam projectors. It carries a full stormtrooper division, 20 AT-ATs, 30 AT-STs, eight Lambda-class shuttles, 12 landing barges, and six TIE squadrons (72 Fighters).
The Super Star Destroyer stats are as follows.
The surface of the Executor Class is dotted with all sorts of weaponry, bristling with more than 5,000 turbolasers and ion cannons. The Executor Class carries wings of various starfighters (Tie Fighters, Tie Bombers, Gunboats, Tie Advanced, Etc) and two pre-assembled garrison bases ready for deployment.
And according to Wikipedia the imperial fleet boasts close to 25000 ships.
As much as I love Star Trek…It would be a losing battle.
13. By this time everyone here has a fair few written words under their belt. What and when was the first thing you remember writing as a writer (as in a short story, a post or even a poem)?
TCB: It was a book expansion on the Hobbit. We had to write a continuation of a book for English class in 9th grade. It sucked but I really enjoyed doing it.
14. For those of you who can remember that far back, what was the first post you wrote for an RPG? For those of you who can’t, what was your earliest that you can remember?
TCB: I do not remember the very first post but I do remember writing Zander’s entry onto his first ship. It was bland and boring because I had not gotten a feel for what was going on with the storyline. I remember being very unhappy with how it turned out.
15. It’s easy enough when you first start writing for a character to have a set idea in your mind of what you’re going to do with them but it’s often not nearly as easy to make them actually go along with it. Have you ever had a character you’d written for taking a direction you hadn’t intended? If so, what happened?
TCB: I don’t think I’ve ever had any of any PC dragged down a unintended path. Probably because I never have a preset plans for them. I let them live in the various story lines that pop-up. Just like life.
16. I imagine theme parks in the future will be a lot more high-tech and that the rides will be so far advanced that they surpass any imagination possessed by one from the 21st Century. Be that as it may, if you character(s) were set loose upon one of today's theme parks, which ride do you think they would do first? Teacups? Water slide? Haunted House? Rollercoaster of DEATH? Any reason you can elaborate upon?
TCB: TC – The Hulk Roller Coaster @ Universal Studios – I can just see him having a blast as he gets shot out of the tunnel at the beginning of the ride.
Lance – Lazy River @ Any water park – Suntan, Sunglasses, tube, like of girl in bikinis, need I say more.
Zander – Swinging Chairs @ any park – Zander, Samthia, and the kids having a blast together.
Paxton – Sea World – With his bad back and all of the animals around. Right up his alley.
17. In Star Trek: The Next Generation, Data had Spot. Worf was briefly seen with a warthog (a Targ I believe, m’dear. ~ZL) of sorts, and Tasha also had a pet cat. Besides our famous dog owned by the O'Sullivans, there are no other pets that I'm aware of. Do you think your character would murder any living thing, or have you considered giving them a pet? If the latter, what and why?
TCB: TC has his dog Sunshine which he rescued from Bajor. TC is a black and white kind of guy. Kill or be killed. Such as his training and conditioning. TC would kill (and has) if he has to.
Lance would only have an animal if it helped him in his personal life. He would never hurt any thing if it could be helped.
Zander – Loved animal but with his kids he will not have one for sometime, although they spend quite a bit of time babysitting Sunshine. He would not harm anyone or anything if it can be avoided.
Paxton – Loves animals. He still has not moved in completely, once he does his collection of animals will arrive.
18. From my own personal experience, characters are predominantly facets of ourselves, at least in the beginning. The longer our characters live, the more distant they become and the more they begin to form their own traits. In many ways, I guess, they're like real life children in this sense. Has there ever been a character you played that started off wonderful, but turned into a strained relationship? Such as something abhorrent developing in the character that you strongly disagreed with? If not, is there a character in your past or present that you respectfully disagree with on some matter?
TCB: I can not say that I’ve ever had this problem. I have PC’s that I am more fond of but because I never really care where they go I do not run into this issue.
19. You’re the star: Is there a plot arc that you’d like to specifically see any/all of your/our characters involved in this year?
TCB: I’d like to see TC get more of a personal life in the upcoming year. It is one aspect of the man we have not seen. I think it could be interesting.
20. Recently, Lair Kellyn was forced to rely on the seemingly least likely member of the crew to save her life, Jamie Halliday. (By the way, thanks, Jamie for that *laugh *) If your character had to rely on one other member of the crew to save their life, who would be your first and last choice and why? (To make it interesting, I'm immediately disqualifying the captain as an answer to this question- it's my question so I can do that- and also no fair just defaulting to Ashton cause nobody wants to be saved by Ashton *laugh* ~ZL).
TCB: I would have to say. February Grace. She has grown so much that I think she is more then strong enough to save any one of my characters.
ZL: And a bonus question just cause I feel like it, I’m the Captain, and I can do that too…
21: Through the miracle of time travel (My TARDIS is double parked) transporter or Infinite Improbability Drive (your choice) our entire crew of writers shows up unannounced on your doorstep (yep, all seven of us in one place... imagine that…) We’re starving and ready for a good time. Where in your local geographical area would you take us to eat dinner, why would you choose that particular location and what would you recommend from the menu?
TCB: First of all what the heck are you doing in the Western New York area in winter. ARE YOU NUTS!!
After I defrosted everyone I would take everyone out to the Dinosaur Bar-b-que and order up the Barbeque pull pork. Excellent!!
It is a great laid back place where you are expected to have a good time, eat good food, and drink. In the summer it is a biker hangout and you get to meet some great people.
-=/\=-
90208.18
The Captain Interviews...2009 Edition
(a series of articles spotlighting our writers, in all their brilliant, quirky, and entertaining glory)
Episode Two: TC Blane
ZL: Tell us a little about the writer behind TC Blane. (anything you want to include or you can evade the question entirely but fair warning: if you do I'll pout *LOL*. Kidding.)
TCB: Well where to start. I work in the IT industry for a company that owns several utility companies in the Northeastern US. Funny thing about that is I went to school for commercial art. I have one kid (who is growing up way too fast). I am a football nut (GO STEELERS!!) I like cars, Motorcycles.
ZL: Congratulations on the Steelers taking the Super Bowl, btw. So tell me, how did you first get interested in Star Trek?
TCB: I am a Sci-fi freak. Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica (old and new), Babylon 5, etc etc etc. I guess I first started watching it with my father. They would play it in reruns in the early evening and we would hang out before my bedtime watching it. The appeal of the show to me was the hope of what we could become. In a lot of ways I still carry that, tempered of course with the knowledge of truth gained via experience.
ZL: You've been writing Star Trek RPG for a good while now. How did you get your start and who was your first Trek RPG character?
TCB: I stumbled onto Trek RPG when working the night shift about maybe 7 years ago. Being a big D&D fan and a short story writer it was a perfect match for me. The long hours on the very uneventful night shift gave birth to the one and only Zander Blakeslee. Which I am happy to say has been reborn and is still kicking around on the Sera.
Zander is special to me because there is a part of me written into his rocky emotional past. My Father had not long passed away when I started writing Zander. He was a victim of alcohol abuse and cancer (from years of smoking). We had been estranged from each other for about 5 years by the time he past away. He fought in Vietnam and the demons of what he saw there had never really left him. But it was the treatment here at home that had stung him worst. So he drank to escape. I have never truly been able to forgive those who hurt him so badly so a lot of my rage went into writing Zander. I have to credit Debb D. and her writing of Samthia that truly put Zander into a class of his own. It is one of my grandest wishes that she will return to write on again.
ZL: It's been fascinating to watch TC Blane evolve since his inception. As his writer, what do you feel has been the biggest change in his character as time has gone on? What has surprised you the most, if anything, about his evolution?
TCB: I think his biggest change has been his movement from a loner to a father figure. His belief in what Starfleet can be, should be, has been restored by the crew around him. He would easily lay down his life for any of them, but now it would not be out of duty, but out of love.
ZL: What would you like to see him accomplish in the future?
TCB: LOL. Get a relationship. The man has no life. LOL
ZL: Hear that ladies? *laugh* You also write the very different Dr. Lance Hartcort and Zander Blakeslee as well. Is each one representative of any part of your real life personality?
TCB: Lance is more my everyday personality, minus all of the vices. Zander is my darker side; he represents a lot of my demons but he also shows my hope for things as I overcome them. (Jeeze that is deep, I'm depressing myself.)
ZL: What do you enjoy the most about writing for Star Trek: Alchemy?
TCB: The variety. Something different every time. Plus character development is allowed as well as freelancing on the story line.
ZL: The schematics and the bio pictures you've worked up for the Sera and her crew are incredible, thank you again for those by the way. Is art a passion for you?
TCB: It used to be. It's more of a hobby now.
ZL: What do you like to do for entertainment besides writing? Any other hobbies or interests?
TCB: Hobbies are scale plastic model building and writing (go figure.) Traveling would have to rank up there, any excuse to get away.
ZL: What is your favorite book/author of all time?
TCB: Margaret Wiess and Tracy Hickman, any of the books in the Dragonlance series is gold to me.
ZL: Do you have a favorite quote or saying that you live by in real life?
TCB: "Wherever you go, there you are." But I just picked up one from a commercial during the Conference Championship game and I have been repeating it non-stop. "No destination is the destination of the undestinated." I think that is great!
ZL: That is so deep, I don't think I can fathom it. Still, somehow I believe it has changed me forever. It's up there with "Be Excellent to Everyone." and "Don't Panic." Can I get that on a coffee mug?
This is turning out to be a question I'm asking everyone on the crew (thanks to a brilliant post written by Tryst and Dengar where they got stuck in a lift)
If you could choose any person, living or dead, to be trapped in a turbolift with for an hour- who would you pick and what would you talk to them about while you had them as a captive audience?
TCB: Salma Hayek...ummm...oh wait! You say talk to. Hee hee My bad. General George S. Patton. Man just to listen to how he lived his life. No nonsense. 'Do what you say, say what you do' kind of guy. Way ahead of the curve, a little nuts sure , but way above the rest of his peers. There is a lot of him in TC. I would most likely listen most of the time.
ZL: Ah! I almost forgot...which is your favorite Trek series/character?
TCB: Chief O'Brien. The man went from a transporter chief to a CEO. Name someone else that made that big of a leap over the course of a series.
ZL: Great choice! O'Brien has always been a favorite of mine too, now that I think about it. I loved his friendship with Bashir- how it evolved.
Lastly, your favorite Trek series Captain and why?
TCB: Gonna throw you for a loop here. Captain Hikaru Sulu! I mean here is another guy advancing through the ranks, plus how can you not love this exchange:
Captain Hikaru Sulu: In range?
Helmsman Lojur: Not yet sir.
Captain Hikaru Sulu: Come on, come on.
Helmsman Lojur: She'll fly apart!
Captain Hikaru Sulu: Fly her apart then!
-=/\=-
