So-- I love that you open it with a quote from Eliot, and one of his heavier poems, too! Because it makes absolute perfect sense for this story and the themes herein, which fascinate the hell out of me for obvious reasons.
I love the map of Cor's career in this particular timeline. He's clearly still brilliant, still capable of amazing things (the medbay of a whole ass starship!!!!), and I love that he's still able to reach this potential even without Scotty. Because while I love the heights those two elevate one another to in any universe, I also love the acknowledgment that Cor's no slack himself. He doesn't need Scotty to live a fulfilling life where he does much good and helps many people, he can do that himself. But that makes it even better because he wants Scotty in his life, even many years past their first meeting (which !!!!!!!!).
I really adore the eeriness of everyone feeling the whole planet die twice. Like-- they don't actually remember it, but they do. They all feel it. That's just-- shiver-inducing in the best way. And it lends this odd kind of human camaraderie; the shuttle pilot and Cor. They might never have said a word to one another, but now they're all part of the same huge, terrifying thing, they remember being atomized, and that creates a kind of intimacy that otherwise wouldn't have been there.
I made an embarrassed squeaky noise when you kept that first lobster-roll fueled meeting in Maine. And probably much like your Scotty, felt a deep pang at the realization of how close they came here, especially knowing how beautiful it turned out for them over adjacent. I'm thrilled they're together now, Scotty's explanation about why he called Cor now and not later, but man.
It's also a strange and fun change-up, the differing ranks. In the normal timeline, Corry either is always parallel or always outranking Scotty; in this one, the opposite. That's fascinating!
And man, the kick in the soul of Scotty going, "Of course--" because like-- in the round robin, he's so achingly wistful when he realizes his dark-eyed otherself has this incredible relationship. And now, he realizes how close he'd gotten to having it himself, or something related to it. And thank everything he's alive now, but still, I felt that whew.
Oh my god, though. Corry and the hand. The layers of knots there. It really is a beautiful piece of engineering! And it really is a genuinely wonderful piece of adaptation. And-- it also caused Scotty incredible suffering when it was taken away, regardless of him volunteering. And it also makes him feel complicated and messed up in the RR. I wonder how much his view of it changes now that he knows the man who made it happen?
Man, the whole Earthdust thing. Whew. And Scotty's listing of everything that makes it. Beautiful writing on your part.
“He calls yeh his brother, but only because it’s a word that means ‘bound’ and ‘twined,’ and ‘beloved.’ It gets maybe halfway tae what he feels. And saying that aloud, I sound mad as all hell.” Like obviously words can't express how much I love this line because aye, exactly.
“That may be the most intense thing anyone has said to me in my life,” Corry managed. Aye, maybe, but the truth often is and the best truths always are.
I love every word of this. I hope they make something of it, whatever it is, because I think there's a hell of a lot of good that could/would maybe be there. I know eventually Scotty ends up in the future and never goes back to Earth, but man, do I hope he had a lot of years with this guy, in whatever form, where he was fiercely loved just for who he was, and not what he could do, or what math he could think in.
It’s a bjt of a ride to try to map out AOS Corry, and then also AOS without Scotty. It is important that, even without Scotty, Corry’s life is good. He makes a difference in people’s lives, he’s smart and kind. I think without Scotty he’s maybe a little less—fierce? Protective? But his life is still good.
I went back and forth on keeping that first early meeting, and then decided it made sense to keep in. In a completely aching way, of course. A life-changing opportunity missed. But there was no way of knowing that, of course. In retrospect, though, that’s absolutely a punch to the gut, especially for Scotty.
The rank difference was intentional. I figure Corry is about where his otherself would be at around the same time. He’s probably about ready for the bump in rank, but it’s not something he’s chasing. He’s content in his life. Scotty is a little ahead of where his otherself is. First, no early career court martial, of course. He got pushed by Starfleet enginneeing, who gave him the promotion for the construction of the second ship, and were also trying to tempt him back to the shipyards full time. The rank difference is interesting; it changes the dynamics of this meeting just a bit.
I think I’ve mentioned before that I totally headcannon the difference between TOS medbays and TNG medbays being like … 60% stuff Corry invented. He’s off doing it here too. The idea that he’s the designer of the artificial hand is an interesting one to me too. Especially because it is a struggle for Scotty. It’s beautiful tech; it’s wrapped up in agony. I can imagine that at some point, he tells Corry about all of it. And, I suspect, having Corry being the inventor may help settle some of that trauma, in a lot of the same ways that contact with his otherself settled him.
I can’t decide if this is mainline Higher Power, or if his is a half-click over in the dial. I’m not completely sure the epilogue fits with them finding each other. But it also could! I’m mulling it over, and haven’t decided. 😆 But however it is, I think whatever it is he is able to have with Corry has to be fiercely good.
Comment on When I Count, There are Only You and I Together
SLWalker Wed 03 Jan 2024 11:21PM UTC
Comment Actions
daraoakwise Thu 04 Jan 2024 04:50AM UTC
Comment Actions