Star Trek: Course Corrections, Parts 2 & 3 (of 10)

Continuing my unpublished Star Trek short story and  below are parts two and three. If you haven't read the first part you can read it here: Part 1  Unfortunately still haven't figured out how to fix the spacing issues for that segment.

STAR TREK: COURSE CORRECTIONS, PART 2

            McCoy worried about his friend as he wandered the simulated night of the Enterprise corridors.  He knew Jim was always harder on himself than he needed to be. That personality quirk helped him rise to his current position, but it put way too much stress on him. Damnit, being a ship captain is stressful enough, why in the world would someone like Jim want to pile on with unnecessary guilt, he wondered. Because he's a good man, came a counterpoint from somewhere in the back of his brain. Over the last half decade, McCoy figured he had been on perhaps eighty percent of the landing parties. Spock had probably been on even more, and could probably calculate to the last decimal the percentage when neither he nor McCoy had accompanied the captain. That was the mistake, McCoy thought, between the two of us Spock would give him logical options and I would give him the correct ones, and he would make his decisions and known they were right. He wouldn't be torturing himself like this if one or both of us had been with him this time. He paused at the irony. Now he was doing it. Blaming himself for the fact that space exploration was a dangerous job.

            He found himself at Scotty's cabin and rang the chime. There was no answer. He continued on down to Main Engineering. Scotty was never really off duty. Sure, he was only on the schedule for a standard eight hour shift but, if his belly was full and his technical journals read, he always found a reason to go to Engineering. It was a struggle in the early days of McCoy's assignment to the Enterprise to get the Scotsman to take a break. It was only when McCoy realized that Scotty so loved his job and so loved tweaking the machine they called home, that McCoy gave up. He worried about Scotty being a workaholic who would burn himself out, but then when he saw how the egineer relished shore leave, he realized the concerns were unfounded. Scotty worked hard and played hard and in between he tinkered to relax. McCoy mistakenly mistook tinkering with work.

            When McCoy entered Main Engineering, he heard Montgomery Scott before he saw him.

            "Blast it! That shoulda worked."

            McCoy looked around and saw a skinny young Ensign kneeling in front of an open panel.

            "But sir, efficiency ratings are well above accepted parameters."

            Scotty worked himself out of the mechanical hole.

            "Efficiency ratings," Scotty repeated as if something sour had found its way into his mouth. "Feh, those ratings are established by planet bound desk jockeys. They do nae have to give the captain all she's got when he needs it. We do."

            The ensign blanched as Scotty rose to his feet and continued, "Ye dinae need worry about their parameters, ye need to worry about my parameters, understand lad?

            With a gulp, the ensign nodded. McCoy decided he would rescue the kid.

            "Scotty," he called out, his voice echoing in the large chamber, "care to take a break for a nip of the true?"

            Scotty dismissed the junior officer through pursed lips that underscored his displeasure before turning to the doctor and allowing a smile to split his face at the sight of the curved bottle and duo of glasses.

            "Aye, that sounds like just the prescription this engineer needs," Scotty said, "Let's go into my office."

STAR TREK: COURSE CORRECTIONS, PART 3

            Scotty escorted the doctor into his private office, and noticed the doctor looking around.

            "You know, I don't think I have ever been in here."  McCoy said.

            "Aye, I dinae use it much. It's more of a storage place for, well, all o' this," Scotty said with a wave of his arm.

            Scott was amused as McCoy took in the piles of papers and blueprints.

            "Is all this the Enterprise?" McCoy asked.

            "Aye."

            "Scotty, you, ah, you do realize it's all available on the ship's computer?"

            "Aye, but what if the computer is down and ah need the information?"

            Without missing a beat. McCoy scrunched up his face. "Never mind, I don't want to think about it," he said has he took a seat in the chair in front of Scotty's desk.

            "We'd be up the proverbial creek and ah good engineer always needs ah paddle."

            "Here's my paddle," McCoy said hefting the brandy bottle.

            "What creek are ye up doctor, did Ensign Perez not pull through?"

            "We're at a wait and see point. Dr. M'Benga is keeping an eye on him, if he makes it through the night..."

            "I'm sure ye did all ye could, doctor," Scotty said pulling a bottle of scotch and a glass more than twice the size of McCoy's from beneath his desk.

            Scotty filled it almost to the brim and held it high.

            "Ta makin' it though the night."

            Scotty emptied the glass in three gulps and took a seat as McCoy replied in kind.

            "How's the captain doin'?"

            "I don't want to speak out of turn. I'll just say the usual and leave it at that," McCoy said as he shifted uncomfortably, probably worried about stepping over a confidentiality line.

            Scotty knew Captain Kirk always fretted about his crew but there were so many random encounters that no amount of planning could account for. That's why Scotty loved machines, the math was simple. If X doesn't work then do Y to fix it. The idea of the captain blaming himself for the actions of a bloody Klingon caused a flash of anger.

            "Bloody hell, I hope ye nipped that in the bud. There was not a bloody thing he could do."

            "You saw it?"

            "No. I was trying to get the Vendresi defense system up with Lieutenant Washburn. But I heard when the Klingons beamed aboard they just started firing. Poor Ensign Takahashi was vaporized before anyone could react. The captain, Chekov, and Perez were lucky they made it."

            "How is Chekov?" McCoy asked, realizing he had yet to check in on the young Ensign.

            "Och, he's just as bad as the captain. Blames himself."

            "Figures, I don't know who has corrupted the boy more, Jim or Spock."

            "Today, ah'd say it was the captain," Scotty said as he poured another drink.

            "I guess I should stop by and check on him. Self blame is no doubt a Russian invention," McCoy said trying, and failing, to get his southern mouth to emulate the young navigator's thick accent.

            "Ye might want to talk to Uhura as well," Scotty said. "Sub-space chatter is that a new head o' Starfleet was appointed. It may effect assignments when we get home."

            That stopped McCoy cold in his tracks. Scotty figured it would.

            "Who?"

            "Nogura."

            "Awe, hell," McCoy said.

            McCoy's reaction was what Scotty suspected it would be. Nogura was one of the few thoughtful Admirals in Scotty's opinion. Most didn't know their elbow from a anti-matter pod. However, Nogura was big on "rewarding" success. So far, both Morrow and Cartwright had been promoted to Admiral when they got back to Earth after their missions. Both were heavily advocated by Nogura and now that he was in charge of the fleet he would push Captain Kirk hard to take an Admiral's position. Most assumed he would be offered another deep space mission after getting the Enterprise a proper refit and most of the crew, Scotty included, wanted to sign on again under the captain. But now, one could only assume Nogura would want the captain at Starfleet Command. Now that he was the top dog, Nogura would get what he wanted by hook or by crook.

            "If Nogura catches Jim at the wrong time..."

            "Aye, the Enterprise would lose the best captain in the fleet."

            Scotty could see the wheels turning behind McCoy's eyes and tried to console him.

            "We're still ah few months from home, the captain will nae make a rash decision, there is still time to sway him, if'n we think he's about to make a poor decision"

            "I'll talk to Chekov, then see what Uhura has heard," McCoy said as he paused at the door, "However, if Jim takes a desk job, I swear, I'll leave the fleet."

            Scotty filled his glass again and hoisted it in the air.

            "Then good luck to ya, Doctor McCoy cause I would hate to lose the best captain and the best doctor in the fleet."

Star Trek: Course Corrections, Part 1 (of 10)

        So I worked up a short story submission recently for the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds anthology. It didn't get selected and, to tell the truth, I'm not surprised.  When I started, I had a story planned about post traumatic stress disorder and took a look at the original series crew in the aftermath of a horrifying battle, while flashing back to the action beats that involved first contact with an alien race and an attack by Klingons. I would gradually dish out the events but, as I got into it, I felt the action beats were too familiar and the PTSD was just a little too cloying and disingenuous. At that point, I realized the story I REALLY wanted to tell was not about "out there" but an internal one that was completely character driven.  I wanted to see a character make a life altering decision and how he comes to that decision over the course of an evening. It's not the action story you might get when you pick up their book (which I'm sure will be very good) but I think it's a great character piece. If you really love the classic characters (particularly McCoy) and would like to spend some time just hanging out with them, this little tale might be for you.  I made a few changes (to include continuity from the animated series which was not allowed in the original submission) and I will release it in ten parts/eight entries. For some reason the conversion keeps putting extra spaces in the published version that are not visible in the draft version I hope I can eventually figure out how to fix it. Until then, I hope you enjoy the story.

STAR TREK: COURSE CORRECTIONS, PART 1

            Jim Kirk opened his mouth to speak, then paused. He slowly closed his mouth and worked his chin back and forth in frustration. Finally, he mercifully ended the recording by giving a button below the monitor an angry jab with his thumb. With a heavy sigh, he sank back into the chair contemplating his next avenue of attack. For a brief moment the smiling face on the monitor seemed to mock him. The door to his cabin chimed and, for a moment, a flash of irritation shot through his body. It quickly subsided when he realized he really didn't mind a distraction from his current duty.

            "Come."

            The door parted with a soft shush of air to reveal Leonard McCoy. The doctor looked tired and took long slow strides across the captain's quarters and dropped into the seat on the other side of the desk. As he sank back, he deposited a curved bottle of brandy and two small gasses on the work surface between them.

            "I know that look," Jim said. "Is he..."

            "Alive, for now," McCoy said. "I've done all I can. If he makes it though the night..."

            McCoy allowed his thought to trail off before snatching the bottle back up and pouring two fingers worth of liquid into each glass. Without pause, in what appeared to be a single motion, McCoy had returned the bottle to the desktop, hefted the small glass, drained it's contents and was already pouring a refill. Jim would have been impressed with the surgeon's dexterity, if he hadn't seen his Chief Medical Officer's "disappearing" act multiple times of the last four and three quarter years.

            Jim picked up his glass and contemplated it.

            "Damnit, Jim," the doctor said slowly, "I'm getting tired of having to remind you that everyone on this ship volunteered for duty knowing the risks."

            "I'm responsible..."

            "Yea, yea, yea, you're responsible for your crew, but this is a dangerous job. I've been on enough landing parties to know, if anyone dies or gets injured it's usually in spite of your efforts, never because of them."

            "You weren't there, Bones."

            "I wish I were, for your sake, but I don't have to be there to know you did all you could."

            Jim stood up and carefully poured his drink back into the bottle.

            "I have paper work." Jim said, "I need a clear head."

            McCoy's eyebrows knitted in confusion.

            "The computer said you uploaded your log and incident report to Starfleet command over an hour ago."

            "I have," Jim paused briefly searching for the right words before continuing, "a more important report to send."

            McCoy, clearly still not understanding, moved to the corner of the desk and gathered the bottle and glasses. Jim noticed him sneaking a glance at the monitor. A look of understanding then washed over the older man's face.

            "I, ah, guess, I'll leave you to it then, Jim," McCoy said in a softer tone as he walked toward the cabin exit.

            The door swished open and McCoy paused and looked at the captain.

            "If you want to talk later," McCoy hefted the bottle slightly and put on a half smile, "The bar is always open."

            Jim, for the first time in two days, felt the corner of his mouth quirk up briefly.

            "Doctor's orders?"

            "Friend's request. Doctor's orders would require I waste the good stuff on you," McCoy said has he exited to the corridor, "Can't have that, can we?"

            With that the door slid shut, leaving him trapped with the absolute worst duty suffered by a starship captain. Jim thumbed the recording back to life.

            "Mister Takahashi, it is my unfortunate duty to inform you that your daughter gave her life in service of the Starfleet..."

A Prisoner to Recommended Reading and An End to Adventure

The Prisoner star Patric McGoohan from the opening credits.

First, a cheap but sincere plug for a buddy:
Fans of the cult television series The Prisoner, starring Patrick McGoohan, should check out an article by my old friend, Tom Mayer. Tom recently wrote the liner notes book that came out with the Blu-Ray of McGoohan's sole feature film directorial effort, Catch My Soul. You can read his piece at the Unmutual website here. The site is a fantastic resource for fans of the show and its multi-talented star. Tom got me into the show back in college when we were living in the same dorm and it was running on (then named) The Sci-Fi Channel.

A sad quick update:
As many of my twitter followers already know, the Adventures in Pulp website, for which I created and wrote five stories, is no more. You can still purchase digital downloads of my four short stories ("Dick Ruby and the Case of the Little Green Men," "Hawk and a Handsaw," "The Four Horsemen," and "Ashes of the Immortals") at Comixology here for the extremely low price of 99 cents each. Currently, 100% of the Comixology profits go to the artist. Unfortunately, Jigsaw World which was scheduled to run 88 pages (four 22 page chapters, all of which were scripted), will not be completed with only 30-ish pages finished. I've been encouraged to get another artist to finish the story, but the logistics are more of a hassle than I am willing to commit to right now with three television pilot scripts circulating with production companies both up north and out west and three comic projects (one I'm on deadline for getting a revision in and two others that I will speak more on after the contracts are worked out). Right now, I would rather work with artists as partners on either submissions or self publishing digitally via Comixology rather than do free writing for someone else and their webcomic again. However, for fans of Jigsaw World there is very slim hope. Before I completed the comic script, I adapted the story to a television pilot (one of the three currently making the rounds). At this point I cannot say anything more, but as soon as I can I will. Remember to give me a follow on twitter at @BrettTHarris.

The Art of Collaboration (or When Did You Stop Beating Your Wife?)

My Adventures in Pulp partner, Matthew Childers, recently decided to do a video series showing the process of illustrating a page in our comic, Jigsaw World. He posted part 1 "Thumbnails" here: http://adventuresinpulp.com/process

Not long afterwards, I was asked on Twitter if I minded that he changed my script. I've wrestled with a response for about a day now. Why didn't he ask me something easier like that old trick political question: "When did you stop beating your wife?"

One reason I do Twitter and my blog (beyond shameless self promotion) is to discuss writing and things I like (I probably spend way too much time discussing my son, but I'm a proud poppa, so I ain't quittin' any time soon). In several of my writer's commentaries I have mentioned changes in scripts-to-page. Not every time, because when we started I told Matt he could change things and to use the script as a guideline when it came to panel descriptions. I try really hard to mention when things will be important later on. Most of the time when he makes a change the overall product is better, but I would be lying if I didn't admit there have been some times when it broke my heart to see things changed.You gotta give a little to get a little, especially in  a collaborative medium like comics.

I know what you are thinking, "Did the answer to the question just become BOTH yes and no?"

You betcha!

Let me dive into the "NO" side of the answer in general terms:

No, I'm not mad because, as I said, this is a collaborative medium. There are some writers who HATE when artists deviate from the script. Normally, I'm not one of them as long as the plot points are met. Artists need to be able to have creative freedom and you tend to get better artwork if the artist feels they are contributing creatively and not just looked at like a monkey with a pencil. Sometimes a writer might not like the change and my suggestion to writers is GET OVER IT as long as a plot point is not changed or missed that will affect the story later on. Everyone brings something to the party.  If a writer can't accept that, then they need to be a novelist.  Sometimes I will have a panel that just says "Medium shot of Dan and Cass" to give Matt the maximum amount of freedom. I love the synergy between a writer and artist. In creator owned independent press and webcomics you see more of it. However, once a writer gets to the big boys like DC and Marvel, he or she is playing with other people's toys in someone else's sandbox. You get to go to the dance but editorial sets the tune. They pay you to write a specific story.  Once it's done they will change it to fit their vision (with or without you). Writers should get used to change now, because it will only be worse later. In other words, SUCK IT UP, Princess.

And now let's address the "YES" side of the answer in general terms.

Sometimes artists can take advantage of the creative freedom. Artists need to be VERY selective when they deviate.  Writers tend to have material a certain way for reasons that an artist may not realize. An artist may have a script for a single issue, but the writer will have the whole plot for several issues ahead. It's a big faux pas to change a writer's words. The artist is slapping the writer in the face when they do it. If you are an artist and you make the call to do this, don't just consider why YOU want to make the change but consider WHY the writer had it that way to start with. If an artist can't answer that question, then I HIGHLY RECOMMEND they check with the writer before they change anything too drastically. As I said above, in creator owned independent press and webcomics, you see more synergy between artist and writer because of creative freedoms. However, once an artist gets to the big boys like DC and Marvel, a lot of artists (unless they are super stars) get a script that is set. It has been edited, re-written and agreed upon by an editorial staff. If you change it, you risk future work or going back and redoing panels or entire pages. If an artist changes an editorially set script he/she better have a REALLY good reason.

So all of that has been in general. Let's get specific. I was asked about a single panel in general. Page 7 panel 1 of Jigsaw World #2. Here is the script from the panel in question:

PANEL 1

Dan looking exasperated, his arms outstretched.

DAN

OK, assume I was living on the Moon for the last --

CASSANDRA (OP)

Twenty years.

DAN (new balloon)

Twenty years? OK, hit the high points.

In the video Matt's change is pretty minor. Instead of a shot of Dan, he added in Cass so that they both appear. No big deal. The main reason I wrote it to focus on Dan is because I wanted a panel that focused on his exasperation since his confusion/frustration should, logically, be at a boiling point. I felt Dan needed to be the sole focus without the distraction of having anyone else in the panel so that this emotional moment could be felt by the reader. Without that focus, his frustration might not be noticed by the reader who comes away with the erroneous feeling that "Dan seems to be taking all this in very easily." Matt disagreed and made the change. Sure, it would have been nice to have been consulted about it, but (and this is very important), we are discussing a thumbnail. He may very well have a vision that includes both characters AND conveys Dan's feelings of exasperation. We can't judge until we see the final page. He says in the video he has read the script several times, so he knows Dan is exasperated and while Matt appeared very cavalier about making the change and dismissing what was scripted very casually (which I think may have prompted the original question on Twitter) we don't know what his thought processes are. He may not have verbalized them very well by simply saying he "disagreed" in the video (keep in mind this is his first one) but he may have a good reason, artistically, for making the change.

Bottom line, it's too early to tell. Don't prejudge. I for one am looking forward to future videos in the series.

I know what you are thinking, again: "But he didn't answer if he was mad about the change."

Damn straight, I didn't and I'm not answering any questions about when I stopped beating my wife either.

My Webcomic Wins Digital Comic of the Year 2015!

Pipedream Comics website named the webcomic I write, Adventures in Pulp, "Digital Comic of the Year 2015!"

You can read the announcement here:
Pipedream DCOY

First and foremost, I would like to thank all the fans who threw their lot in with me and illustrator Matthew Childers and voted for Adventures in Pulp. I know it was a difficult choice considering some of the tremendous talent (both established, like Alan Moore, and the up-and-coming indy talent), amazing story variety and popular characters (has anyone heard of Batman and the X-Men?) that were also in the running. I know it's a cliché to say it but, just making the list, much less winning, is a huge honor.

Next, I have to thank Alex Thomas. The support we have gotten this year from Pipedream has been a true gift. As creators, we work away in solitude, so the one-two-punch of the kind words from his great review and the enthusiasm of Keith Callbeck and Chris Beck over at We Talk Comics Podcast back in August really came at a great time and kept us going when we were on the verge of giving up. Putting us in *two* of their Top 10 of the Year lists (Pipedream also named us #5 of the best 30 comics in Comixology Submit) was the icing on the cake. But now, to actually win, voted on by readers, on top of everything has just left me shocked, thrilled and humbled.

It will definitely put the pressure on us to keep the bar high In the coming year as we veer from our weekly cliffhanger short stories to continue our "Flash Gordon" homage with our long form epic, "Jigsaw World." We are only 26 pages into the 88 page story and I certainly hope the fans continue to enjoy reading our particular brand of pulp adventure storytelling as much as we enjoy producing it. Over the course of the remaining story, we will see Dan, Cass and Stein face off with zombie/alien plant creatures, fight the Dinosaur Men in an arena, battle a giant spider, meet a race of bird-people from a city in the sky, and introduce a race of insect-like cyborg creatures. In other words: loads of pulpy sci-fi fun, I hope everyone reading stops by and checks us out.

Chapter Two and Top Ten: Great ways to End and Begin the Year!

I have let my blog slide recently with an onslaught of writing and a very busy schedule. I have been buried in television screenplays, prose short stories and, of course, comic book scripts. In fact, as I write this I'm technically supposed to be scripting a done-in-one for Top Cow's annual talent hunt which is due in just two weeks. But I had to take a break to point out some big things.

Pipedream Comics: Best of 2015 Top 10 Digital Comics of 2015

TOP TEN OF OF 2015
First Adventures in Pulp made Pipedream Comic's list of Top Ten Digital Comics for 2015 and fans will get to vote based on those selections over the next two weeks. I know it's a cliche to say it was an honor just to make the top ten list, but when I see my characters and stories next to Batman and the X-Men, it really is. Please take a few moments to see the list and vote: Pipedream's Top Ten

The promo for Jigsaw World Chapter 2. Art by Matthew Childers

NEW JIGSAW WORLD UP
Next, after a long delay (and sadly a failed Kickstarter), new pages have gone up at Adventures in Pulp. The complete prologue to chapter two of Jigsaw World went up in time for Christmas. So you can dive into the second part of our epic if you go here: http://adventuresinpulp.com/jigsaw-world-issue-2. If everything goes as planned the arc on Jigsaw World will be 88 total story pages (four 22 page chapters). Still up and available to read for free is Jigsaw World Chapter One: http://adventuresinpulp.com/jigsaw-world
And our four short stories are still up as well: 
Dick Ruby and the Case of the Little Green Men: http://adventuresinpulp.com/dickruby 
Hawk and a Handsaw: http://adventuresinpulp.com/hawk-and-a-handsaw-2 
The Four Horsemen: http://adventuresinpulp.com/the-four-horsemen 
Ashes of the Immortals: http://adventuresinpulp.com/ashes-of-the-immortals 
You can also purchase downloads of your own copies of those first three shorts at Comixology.com (with the fourth being available soon). Just go here!

ARTIST SEARCH
In a few weeks I hope to be starting a search for artists who might be interested in teaming up to do submissions for the major and minor publishers. If you are an artist and want to collaborate on a pitch, please contact me via e-mail at brettharriscomics@gmail.com or via twitter @bretttharris I have eight pitches in various stages of development and five of those that need an artist attached. My Adventures in Pulp partner Matthew Childers and I have also discussed the idea of an internship for artists at AIP. But that is VERY preliminary. Hopefully, I will have more on that in a few months.


I promise with a brief break coming soon in my deadline schedule I will do a 2015 year in review where I brag about my awesome son, share a few photos and hopefully make a few announcements and gush about how spectacular it is to be a geek right now with tv shows like The Flash, the return of Star Wars to the cinema and other scifi and comic book greatness taking the center stage in pop culture.

Don't Let My Kickstarter Turn to Ashes, These Stories Are My Ticket to Immortality.

Below are the first three pages of my story, Ashes of the Immortals, the fourth of *FIVE* short stories in my Adventures in Pulp Collected Edition Kickstarter that I desperately need your help to make happen! This story was based on a concept by artist Matthew Childers. From his idea, I developed the plot and eventually scripted it, but it was the height of experimental writing. I wrote about it at length here: Ashes of Experimentation Requires a Phoenix. In spite of the stress, I think it came out pretty well. You can support publication of this story and the others here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/adventuresinpulp/adventures-in-pulp-collected-edition There are tons of great rewards and it would make a great holiday season gift for a loved one who digs pulp, noir, sci-fi, fantasy, horror or super-hero genres. This collected edition also includes: Dick Ruby and the Case of the Little Green Men, Hawk and a Handsaw, and The Four Horsemen as well as an exclusive story not available anywhere else: Split Second featuring the character Blue Quiver! In fact, Blue Quiver is the only story that is not yet completed because we want YOU as our super villain. That's right, you get to be part of the adventure because Matt will be drawing you into the Blue Quiver story with the purchase of one of our FOUR Cosmic Packages. First Cosmic Package snagged will nab you a starring role as the villain. The other three will be supporting roles. This is your chance to be the BAD GUY  by being MY HERO and supporting this Kickstarter.