I am posting here because this is more analysis than comment.
Choices is a fascinating story, thank you for writing it. Because of its ambiguous structural set-up the actions of all the characters are open to a wide range of interpretations which makes this story subtly different (I think) for each reader. In fact each time I read it my feelings toward it changed.
As this story starts we are not party to the full communication between Beckett and Sheppard where Beckett explains what has happened, we only see the emotional fallout from it. So the reader must fill in that conversation, based upon his or her own conception (no pun intended) of the character of Beckett and Sheppard.
For me this quickly became an alien parasite story, because I don’t think Beckett could give Sheppard any conclusive information about what had been deposited in the Colonel's abdominal cavity. Even and especially if the information was based upon Ancient tech medical scanners, I’m not sure Beckett would have trusted the information. Beckett’s overriding concern, I think, would have been the same as Sheppard's to get the blastocyst out of the Colonel as soon as possible. Even if Beckett, quickly, had access to ancient texts explaining how the implanting process worked I don’t think the Doctor would be convinced that it would work the same in a human. The possibility of a genetic monster being created or serious medical problem could not be ignored.
Sheppard is not an Ancient. The only reason Carson might have delayed Sheppard’s surgery/abortion was so he could analyze the ancient implantation data to make sure that removal wouldn’t cause other problems. Both of them would acknowledge that the implantation was in theory a male pregnancy, but I think other medical fears would vastly over-shadow issues of pregnancy termination. So for me at this point the story ceased to be or never became a story about abortion.
I assumed when Beckett said that Rodney should be consulted about John’s situation--that had more to do with the Doctor’s understanding that Rodney would do his own research on what the machine had done to John, and that Sheppard needed to be prepared for dealing with an informed Rodney. So the whole confidentiality argument between Beckett and Sheppard about, telling Rodney didn’t make much sense to me, because Rodney (with his ability to scour the ancient database) might have known what was going on before Beckett or John did.
I know this is an alternative reading of your story, but it is closer to how I see all three characters’s acting this out. This doesn’t nullify the emotional complications and nuances that you wove into your story of Rodney, John and Carson’s ultimate dealing with their decisions.
I was deeply moved by the scene where Rodney imagines what his and john's child could have been like. It was a door opening into a possibility that Rodney had never considered, and it is a reflection of his deep love for John that he closed that door and focused on what John needed.
And John’s understanding that the imagined fatherhood was a deep grief for Rodney, that Rodney wanted children with him, and John’s offer to go back to the machine and have it work the impregnation on a willing Rodney was an incredible offer considering where John had just been. This is my only logic complaint with your story, that offer seemed inconsistent with one of your later lines where John’s perspective is shown that he’s never wanted to be a father. This anti-fatherhood take on John Sheppard’s character is certainly valid, in fact canon probably supports it, but it hurt me to hear it said none-the-less. Not because having children is inherently superior to not having children, but because John’s retreat from personal bondings (of which fatherhood is only one example) is emblematic of his character. I think John’s lifestyle choices, suspends John and Rodney in a kind of ‘fast-planes’, danger-junkie, limbo; two wild men out on the galactic frontier, in full escape mode from earth’s comforting but also controlling culture.
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My Comments on Your Story Choices (part 1)
Date: 2009-12-06 04:21 am (UTC)I am posting here because this is more analysis than comment.
Choices is a fascinating story, thank you for writing it. Because of its ambiguous structural set-up the actions of all the characters are open to a wide range of interpretations which makes this story subtly different (I think) for each reader. In fact each time I read it my feelings toward it changed.
As this story starts we are not party to the full communication between Beckett and Sheppard where Beckett explains what has happened, we only see the emotional fallout from it. So the reader must fill in that conversation, based upon his or her own conception (no pun intended) of the character of Beckett and Sheppard.
For me this quickly became an alien parasite story, because I don’t think Beckett could give Sheppard any conclusive information about what had been deposited in the Colonel's abdominal cavity. Even and especially if the information was based upon Ancient tech medical scanners, I’m not sure Beckett would have trusted the information. Beckett’s overriding concern, I think, would have been the same as Sheppard's to get the blastocyst out of the Colonel as soon as possible. Even if Beckett, quickly, had access to ancient texts explaining how the implanting process worked I don’t think the Doctor would be convinced that it would work the same in a human. The possibility of a genetic monster being created or serious medical problem could not be ignored.
Sheppard is not an Ancient. The only reason Carson might have delayed Sheppard’s surgery/abortion was so he could analyze the ancient implantation data to make sure that removal wouldn’t cause other problems. Both of them would acknowledge that the implantation was in theory a male pregnancy, but I think other medical fears would vastly over-shadow issues of pregnancy termination. So for me at this point the story ceased to be or never became a story about abortion.
I assumed when Beckett said that Rodney should be consulted about John’s situation--that had more to do with the Doctor’s understanding that Rodney would do his own research on what the machine had done to John, and that Sheppard needed to be prepared for dealing with an informed Rodney. So the whole confidentiality argument between Beckett and Sheppard about, telling Rodney didn’t make much sense to me, because Rodney (with his ability to scour the ancient database) might have known what was going on before Beckett or John did.
I know this is an alternative reading of your story, but it is closer to how I see all three characters’s acting this out. This doesn’t nullify the emotional complications and nuances that you wove into your story of Rodney, John and Carson’s ultimate dealing with their decisions.
I was deeply moved by the scene where Rodney imagines what his and john's child could have been like. It was a door opening into a possibility that Rodney had never considered, and it is a reflection of his deep love for John that he closed that door and focused on what John needed.
And John’s understanding that the imagined fatherhood was a deep grief for Rodney, that Rodney wanted children with him, and John’s offer to go back to the machine and have it work the impregnation on a willing Rodney was an incredible offer considering where John had just been. This is my only logic complaint with your story, that offer seemed inconsistent with one of your later lines where John’s perspective is shown that he’s never wanted to be a father. This anti-fatherhood take on John Sheppard’s character is certainly valid, in fact canon probably supports it, but it hurt me to hear it said none-the-less. Not because having children is inherently superior to not having children, but because John’s retreat from personal bondings (of which fatherhood is only one example) is emblematic of his character. I think John’s lifestyle choices, suspends John and Rodney in a kind of ‘fast-planes’, danger-junkie, limbo; two wild men out on the galactic frontier, in full escape mode from earth’s comforting but also controlling culture.
see part 2