lizardbeth (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lizardbeth) wrote2008-06-10 03:45 pm
lizardbeth) wrote2008-06-10 03:45 pm
Notes for 'Not all that we are"
Or, how the Plot!Kraken Ate My BRAAAAIIIIINNNN!
Please go Read the story first . This will still be here and will make more sense.
But if you're interested in my mutterings about where this story came from and my strange writerly brain and things like that, read on!
In Season 4, when Leoben is talking to Sam on the Demetrius, he repeats the phrase he told Kara back in 'Flesh and Bone': "This is not all that we are."
Now, obviously Sam took that as a possible dig at his Cylonicity, but I started to wonder whether Leoben had told him the same thing back on Caprica; either because Leoben knew Sam had a destiny too, or because it's just his schtick and he says it to everybody, trying to get under their skin. This idea started out merely as Sam and Leoben on Caprica - wondering how Sam and Leoben met back on Caprica which was really the exact same story I still would like to do for the BSG Slashathon.
Then the question shifted to: what if it was like S4, and Sam already knew he was a Cylon? Then what?
"THEN WHAT?" is the most dangerous writing question in my brain. It gets me into SO much trouble. Because I can't resist it. And the instant I start a deliberate What if? Au of this type, I am constitutionally INCAPABLE of not following it out as far as I can. I have done it in every single fandom I get into deeply enough -- B5 (I have two), LotR, SG-1, Jeremiah, and now this one. I don't always finish (because I am lazy and distracted by shiny things, which explains also why I don't write original fic anymore), but I always know where it's going to go. I think it feeds both the creative, world-building part of my brain as well as the logical part that likes examining consequence.
But this isn't just a 'What if?" AU. No, it decided very quickly to get tangled up into another hobby-horse of mine: Cylons and specifically Cylon Cosmology and Metaphysics.
Now, anyone reading this will know that I'm all over the idea of the Five (Sam in particular, because I have a big crush he's the one I focus on) having mystical/supernatural powers. We have so far less than a penny's worth of evidence of such a thing but I don't care - it fascinates me. I've written it at least twice already, in abbreviated forms that sort of longed for a fuller treatment. I'm also very taken with the idea of destiny/deities/"all this has happened before.." cycles of time, etc. I don't know how far the show will go (though there was quite a lot of it in RDM's previous projects as he tested it out) but I sure love playing with it too. So that's the second strand that came into this AU idea. Then, I asked myself a question: assuming Sam's 'awakening' was much earlier, what might he have learned, how might his destiny have been different with that awareness. Or, in other words, why - in this 'verse - would he awaken that early as a Fiver? What would he have to do? And when he starts changing things, how do those changes ripple out to change the people he encounters?
Those things have combined to make what I affectionately call the Plot Kraken because it's not a bunny anymore - it's a whole lot bigger and more aggressive than that. I wrote the draft in about a week, which given my usual glacial pace is something akin to a frenzy. I spent some time checking transcripts and rewatching things to get details - particularly 'Downloaded' because that meeting in the basement garage is the foundation for everything that follows. (Sidenote: I really should've done that full rewatch last hiatus. Well, it looks like I'll have plenty of time THIS hiatus...) Not just for this particularly story but to make sure I didn't drop anything for later.
There are a couple of events that happen in the story where their effects may not be obvious now, but will be felt later. For example, Sam kills Cavil in camp, before Kara comes with the rescue. So Cavil's not there to see his twin when they get back to Galactica. What ramifications might that have? One simple result is that Helo gets to take Sharon back to her cell, and she doesn't have to wear restraints. This doesn't make her all better or anything, but it's a layer of distrust from the humans that's now gone. (Cavil is still outed btw; I've always believed that the C-Bucs sat down with Adama and Co and outed D'Anna and Simon, if Kara already hadn't; and this Sam would definitely make sure that all seven were found). I don't pretend that I caught ALL the things that would change, but I did try to think through as many as I could.
One of the scary things about extended AU's like this is the risk that the changes I make will go too far from canon and lose people. This is NOT the Sam we know in canon. It's just not. Hopefully he's still similar, and the characters around him are enough themselves that it balances the strange, but even they aren't going to be untouched by the changes. I think it's the right choice (and it's the story I'm telling, anyway), but still. How far can I go and stlll bring people with me? so, that's what I think about while trying not to let it paralyze me.
Perhaps this is a good place to inform/warn, in terms of the cosmology of this 'verse, in case it hasn't already been clear - that there ARE unambiguous higher powers at work. They are not especially fluffy. *g* I know what the Five are and where they came from (at least for the purposes for my 'verse - I am just as clueless as anyone else when it comes to canon!). I'm not contradicted so far! YAY! ;) I have yet to get over my unnatural fear of looking stupid by picking (the wrong) Final Cylon - but I also don't want unnatural contortions to get out of it, either, so. I'll have to see how it develops -- I may need one. ETA: Just goes to show when you plan this stuff out, sometimes you figure it out. I know who my final is. Heh. We'll see if my guess is right, since you're all gonna find out mine before you find out Ron's...
The next story will widen the focus and pick up Kara's POV also as we head into the equivalent of Season 3. She's still Special Destiny Girl - so even though Sam has muscled in on her territory, she's going to have to find her own path.
Sam learns a bit more about his destiny, too, of course, and some answers to Very Important Questions about what he is and who he is, as well as not so very important questions like how Cylons take showers. Oh, and if you're wondering what happens when Sam sticks his hand in the goo... *g*
That's probably enough teasing for now, right? ;)
Um, if you have any questions about the AU 'verse, like what happened to X in the mostly missing year or whatever, feel free. I'm happy to answer them if I can, since the style I used didn't lend itself to too much discussion of outside characters.
Speaking of BSG,
PLEASE friends, if you read and discuss the 'Revelations' spoilers from the Wed screening, keep 'em behind a cut. I will do the same on Friday after I watch the finale sometime during the day. Thanks!
Please go Read the story first . This will still be here and will make more sense.
But if you're interested in my mutterings about where this story came from and my strange writerly brain and things like that, read on!
In Season 4, when Leoben is talking to Sam on the Demetrius, he repeats the phrase he told Kara back in 'Flesh and Bone': "This is not all that we are."
Now, obviously Sam took that as a possible dig at his Cylonicity, but I started to wonder whether Leoben had told him the same thing back on Caprica; either because Leoben knew Sam had a destiny too, or because it's just his schtick and he says it to everybody, trying to get under their skin. This idea started out merely as Sam and Leoben on Caprica - wondering how Sam and Leoben met back on Caprica which was really the exact same story I still would like to do for the BSG Slashathon.
Then the question shifted to: what if it was like S4, and Sam already knew he was a Cylon? Then what?
"THEN WHAT?" is the most dangerous writing question in my brain. It gets me into SO much trouble. Because I can't resist it. And the instant I start a deliberate What if? Au of this type, I am constitutionally INCAPABLE of not following it out as far as I can. I have done it in every single fandom I get into deeply enough -- B5 (I have two), LotR, SG-1, Jeremiah, and now this one. I don't always finish (because I am lazy and distracted by shiny things, which explains also why I don't write original fic anymore), but I always know where it's going to go. I think it feeds both the creative, world-building part of my brain as well as the logical part that likes examining consequence.
But this isn't just a 'What if?" AU. No, it decided very quickly to get tangled up into another hobby-horse of mine: Cylons and specifically Cylon Cosmology and Metaphysics.
Now, anyone reading this will know that I'm all over the idea of the Five (Sam in particular, because
Those things have combined to make what I affectionately call the Plot Kraken because it's not a bunny anymore - it's a whole lot bigger and more aggressive than that. I wrote the draft in about a week, which given my usual glacial pace is something akin to a frenzy. I spent some time checking transcripts and rewatching things to get details - particularly 'Downloaded' because that meeting in the basement garage is the foundation for everything that follows. (Sidenote: I really should've done that full rewatch last hiatus. Well, it looks like I'll have plenty of time THIS hiatus...) Not just for this particularly story but to make sure I didn't drop anything for later.
There are a couple of events that happen in the story where their effects may not be obvious now, but will be felt later. For example, Sam kills Cavil in camp, before Kara comes with the rescue. So Cavil's not there to see his twin when they get back to Galactica. What ramifications might that have? One simple result is that Helo gets to take Sharon back to her cell, and she doesn't have to wear restraints. This doesn't make her all better or anything, but it's a layer of distrust from the humans that's now gone. (Cavil is still outed btw; I've always believed that the C-Bucs sat down with Adama and Co and outed D'Anna and Simon, if Kara already hadn't; and this Sam would definitely make sure that all seven were found). I don't pretend that I caught ALL the things that would change, but I did try to think through as many as I could.
One of the scary things about extended AU's like this is the risk that the changes I make will go too far from canon and lose people. This is NOT the Sam we know in canon. It's just not. Hopefully he's still similar, and the characters around him are enough themselves that it balances the strange, but even they aren't going to be untouched by the changes. I think it's the right choice (and it's the story I'm telling, anyway), but still. How far can I go and stlll bring people with me? so, that's what I think about while trying not to let it paralyze me.
Perhaps this is a good place to inform/warn, in terms of the cosmology of this 'verse, in case it hasn't already been clear - that there ARE unambiguous higher powers at work. They are not especially fluffy. *g* I know what the Five are and where they came from (at least for the purposes for my 'verse - I am just as clueless as anyone else when it comes to canon!). I'm not contradicted so far! YAY! ;) I have yet to get over my unnatural fear of looking stupid by picking (the wrong) Final Cylon - but I also don't want unnatural contortions to get out of it, either, so. I'll have to see how it develops -- I may need one. ETA: Just goes to show when you plan this stuff out, sometimes you figure it out. I know who my final is. Heh. We'll see if my guess is right, since you're all gonna find out mine before you find out Ron's...
The next story will widen the focus and pick up Kara's POV also as we head into the equivalent of Season 3. She's still Special Destiny Girl - so even though Sam has muscled in on her territory, she's going to have to find her own path.
Sam learns a bit more about his destiny, too, of course, and some answers to Very Important Questions about what he is and who he is, as well as not so very important questions like how Cylons take showers. Oh, and if you're wondering what happens when Sam sticks his hand in the goo... *g*
That's probably enough teasing for now, right? ;)
Um, if you have any questions about the AU 'verse, like what happened to X in the mostly missing year or whatever, feel free. I'm happy to answer them if I can, since the style I used didn't lend itself to too much discussion of outside characters.
Speaking of BSG,
PLEASE friends, if you read and discuss the 'Revelations' spoilers from the Wed screening, keep 'em behind a cut. I will do the same on Friday after I watch the finale sometime during the day. Thanks!