First Alachin Encounters P1

A cinematic science-fiction illustration of a vast colony ship passing through deep space, with a long, elegant generation ship illuminated by cool blue and warm amber lights, stars and colorful nebulae in the background, a sense of immense scale and quiet awe, detailed concept art, no text or logos.

The following are extracts from Elizabeth Moore’s diary from the year 70000 EY. She was on the colony ship Eurbus sent to the fringes of the Empire at the time.

Time cycle 1

Still feeling sore after leaving the cryonic chamber. It’s hard to believe fifteen years have passed; I looked in a mirror and saw the same person staring back at me.

They warned us about the headaches, and they are every bit as severe as they said. Feels like explosions going off inside my head.

The other thing I’ve noticed is my heightened sense of smell. It’s like an olfactory overload. The first thing I noticed on waking was the smell of cleaning fluid, then the pungent smell of my fellow passengers. In fairness, none had washed in years.

Still, some of the men smelled good. It must be instinct or something. I hope the algorithm pairs me with one of them.

It should take two days before we disembark. I hope it is as beautiful and habitable as they projected. The largest telescopes indicated a thriving, lush world after all. I’d love a nice farmstead beside the sea.

Captain Peterson said there will be more than enough prime estate for everyone. I like him; he seems to care about everybody. His second in command, Ham, not so much.

My thoughts turned to what I’ve left behind. All of my brothers and sisters that I’ll never see again. My parents. I wonder what has happened in their lives since.

Wheelchair Wars: First Tark Encounters – Etreides 451 P3

A cinematic science-fiction illustration inspired by a tense military intelligence interview: inside a dark imperial command chamber, a stern alien general in futuristic armor sits across from a covert agent at a metallic table, holographic star maps and a vast hostile armada glowing in the background. The mood is ominous and strategic, suggesting an interstellar religious war and the threat of an insectoid species. Dramatic blue and crimson lighting, detailed space-opera concept art, no text, no logos.

Agent: What’s the capability of their weapons?

General: Every bit as good as ours. The problem was they underestimated us. They thought that our military strength would be similar to that of our colony worlds. We learned so much from those that we captured. It was my express order that at least a handful of prisoners be taken.

Agent: And what did you learn?

General: A great deal. This species is unlike anything we’ve come across before, and is a threat to the Empire. It sees us as food. They smell horrendous and reproduce through the laying of eggs. This armada that attacked us is what they consider to be a war band. It’s from one world amongst possibly millions. They have no central authority like the Empire, and are as likely to fight amongst themselves as anybody else.

Apparently, though, in their past many worlds have banded together to fight together against a common enemy. A religious war with them, of this nature, could cause major problems throughout the quadrant.

Agent: What do you recommend?

General: For the best armies of the Empire to be sent. We must immediately wage war. Pick off their worlds one by one.

Agent: Thank you for your time. Your thoughts will be forwarded, and a transcript of this interview will be archived. For The Emperor.

General: For The Emperor.

Wheelchair Wars: First Tark Encounters – Etreides 451 P2

Agent: What did this involve?

General: Plans for future colonies or any civic programmes were halted. Money was transferred to fortifications, a space force and the creation of a space marine unit, as well as armies to defend each city.

You have to remember that this played out over decades. I awakened from my cryonic chamber every few years to check on progress.

Agent: When did it become clear an attack was imminent?

General: Our orbital spy satellites picked up communications between their ships. It was indecipherable till after the battle, but it was clear that they were approaching. Our lead scientist indicated that their language was incredibly complex, more ancient than that of humans.

Agent: Tell me about the battle. Take your time to go through every relative detail.

General: I was wakened and informed that the Tarks had entered the atmosphere. That’s what the people had taken to calling them due to the sound of their speech. I immediately ordered the anti-aircraft batteries to fire, to limited success. Most managed to land.

They were ferocious fighters, especially in close hand to hand combat. I received many reports of them literally tearing soldiers apart.

But we were well prepared. Mines and artillery cut through them like a knife.

To be continued –

Wheelchair Wars: First Tark Encounters – Etreides 451

A cinematic science-fiction illustration inspired by a tense military interview about Etreides 451: a vast alien planet under Imperial militarization, an ominous chain of distant colony worlds going dark, heavily armed futuristic forces preparing for an unknown threat, and a bleak monumental command outpost beneath a dramatic star-filled sky. Dark, serious, atmospheric, mysterious, epic scale, detailed concept art, no text, no logos, no recognizable existing franchises.

The following is a further transcript submitted by the ISS. It is from an interview with Supreme General Malthus Oppenheimer in 75823 EY.

Agent: Thank you for meeting me. The Service believes that the information you provide will prove invaluable to the Empire.

General: Anything for the glory of The Emperor.

Agent: Please begin from the start.

General: I was assigned to planet Etreides 451 to protect what was envisaged to be a rapidly expanding part of the Empire. Colony ships had been set to many of its surrounding systems. All seemed to be going well at first, and each colony ship gave an update every few years. Then, the most distant stopped. This can happen. Perhaps due to faulty equipment or a local disease that wipes everyone out.

Agent: And when did you become aware that it was something more than that?

General: When over a number of years communications stopped abruptly from two further colonies. A sequence leading to Etreides 451 had formed.

Agent: What action did you take?

General: I invoked Imperial Decree Number Five, of course!

Agent: Indeed General. But for people who will review this interview in future, perhaps tens of thousands of years in the future, please detail what this involved.

General: All resources are transferred to the militarization of the planet. The Governor became subordinate to my command.

(To be continued)

Wheelchair Wars: First Tark Encounters P3

Agent: Then what?

AC: Life carried on. On the third day everything changed. It was early morning. The first thing to hit me was the noise. Then I saw lights that seemed to land in the distance. All hell broke lose in the camp. There was much chatter but then they went back to their routine. I decided to wait where I was.

About two hours the monsters appeared without warning. They had formed a circle around the camp. It was..

Agent: Take a moment. Then continue.

AC: They were humanoid in form, at least six foot, but their skin was thick and grey like that of a lizard. No attempt at communication. They just set about tearing each person apart with their teeth, usually starting with their faces. It was all over quickly, but then settled down to eat the remainder.

Agent: Did they notice you?

AC: No. I could watch no more and fled. I came across our ship. Honestly, what are the odds? I inputted the coordinates for the Empire and here I am. They must be stopped.

Agent: Your testimony has been noted and will be archived appropriately. By your own admission, you are a traitor to the Emperor and you will now receive punishment under Edict 671 (a).

AC: No. Please don’t. Not after everything.

Wheelchair Wars: First Tark Encounters P2

AC: Yes, that’s correct. All we’d to do was show up.

Agent: Tell me about the planet.

AC: It was tropical. Our settlement was in one of the rare expanses not covered by swamps. There was about three hundred of us. Thinking back, we were so happy to finally leave that ship.

We found local edible plants and brought grain and pea seeds. But life was hard in the heat. And the local fauna proved difficult too. Our leader, sympathetic at first, grew increasingly erratic and demanding.

Agent: In what way?

AC: It started with requests to spend more time working and listening to his sermons. By the end, every second moment was either working or listening to him proselytizing. Then he wanted turns with each of the women, even some of the younger ones. That was when the first instance of dissent occurred. They were banished. Never heard from again. One day, he got in the ship and left us, before returning hours later.

Agent: Tell me about the monsters.

AC: Eventually, I could take no more. Told him to shove his sermons. Well, I was thrown out. What they didn’t know, was that I’m somewhat of a survival specialist. I climbed one of the trees near the settlement and made a little hut up in the sky.

To be continued.

Wheelchair Wars: First Tark Encounters P1

A cinematic science-fiction illustration for a story titled “Wheelchair Wars: First Tark Encounters.” Depict a tense first-contact interview in a dim Imperial interrogation room: a human man named Alan Chirac seated in a wheelchair on one side of a metal table, facing a stern Imperial Secret Service interviewer, with a subtle holographic star map of the distant Tark World T456782 and the planet Gaia glowing in the background. Add hints of an underground religious movement: a mysterious figure in a white robe with long black hair appearing on a poster or holographic projection, watched by curious followers in a shadowy tavern. Atmosphere of authoritarian space empire, forbidden belief, conspiracy, and impending danger. Detailed, moody, realistic cinematic concept art, deep blue and charcoal tones with warm amber light, no readable text, no logos.

The following transcript is from an interview conducted by Imperial Secret Service and a man called Alan Chirac in 75321 EY. It is the first documented encounter between humans and Tarks. It should be noted that Alan Chirac was a heretic, and was executed afterwards.

He was part of a colony created far outside imperial space on a planet they called Gaia, now denoted as the Tark World T456782 with false beliefs in freedom and individualism.

Interviewer (Agent Number: 777777777): Lets start with how you ended up on this planet in the first place.

AC: I’m from the planet Vesuvious, the capital city Dubba in particular. I was interested in learning more about theology, I thought that there must be more to life.

Agent: More to life than the Emperor?

AC: Yes, and I’m not expecting you to understand. I saw a poster for a man called Hen Hui. It posed a series of questions such as –

Do you long for something more?

Do you feel worthless at times

Do you wish you were more confident?

It all seemed so innocuous at first. There was a date and time for a meeting in a tavern. I went out of curiosity as much as anything.

About eight people showed up, mostly women in their twenties. Being about thirty myself, this increased my increased.

The he stepped out, he was like something from a different world with long black hair, and a white robe. He had these big, brown eyes. They just swept you in. I went week after week then. The crowd grew bigger and bigger.

Interviewer: And why go to this planet?

AC: Local enforcement officers started breaking up our meetings. He said that we needed to find somewhere free of the Emperor. That the Universe was huge. He had a ship and would we go with him to the Promised Land? Most of us said yes.

Agent: So he chose the planet to go to?

(To be continued)

Wheelchair Wars: Appendum

A cinematic science-fiction archival illustration for a novel appendix: an imposing sapient bipedal reptilian warrior resembling a Komodo dragon stands on the alien world Tarkonia, surrounded by ancient clan-world architecture and a vast starfield. The atmosphere is ominous and imperial, suggesting a classified Emperor's Archives dossier about a hostile enemy species. Include subtle hints of countless worlds and orbital warfare in the distant sky. Dramatic moonlight, muted bronze, deep red and black palette, highly detailed, serious literary sci-fi cover-art style. No text, no labels, no logos.

Hi guys, this is an extract of the appendum I’m thing of putting at the end of the novel. Any thoughts?

You have been granted privileged, exclusive access to the Emperor’s Archives on the planet Libricus. A world of one billion subjects filled with records of the Empire. Care must be always taken with these sensitive materials.

The material in the archives may contain passages that contain chaotic thoughts. These should be treated with caution and must not be repeated to the general populace.

Long Live the Emperor!

The Tarks

Status: Hostile – Enemy of the Empire. To be Eliminated.

Homeworld: Tarkonia

Number of systems: Exact number unknown but estimated to be in the region of four million.

Biology: The closest similar creature in the Empire is the Komodo Dragon on Earth. A sapient bipedal reptilian species. Reproduction is through internal fertilization and waterproof amniotic eggs.

The eggs are usua

Politics: No overall government. Instead, each world is a clan world. Kin is everything. They may join at times; nit it will only be a matter of time before the alliance fractures.

Armies: Excellent Warriors with elite weaponry, never surrenders. Little care for their wounded, considered shameful to return mutilated from the battlefield.

Weakness: Lack coordinated action on a grand scale. Their eggs are very vulnerable to destruction from orbital fire.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 Review

Starship bridge crew operating controls during warp speed travel

My regular readers will know how much I love Star Trek. And my favorite series is the Strange New Worlds one.

So, I was ecstatic to see that Season 4 is now available on Paramount+. Happy days. So far, the first three episodes have dropped.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 is a vibrant, inventive, and deeply satisfying return that captures the spirit of classic Trek while delivering bold genre swings, strong character work, and pure adventure. Premiering on Paramount+ on July 23, 2026, the 10-episode season (releasing weekly through a September 24 finale) picks up with Captain Christopher Pike and the USS Enterprise crew continuing their exploratory missions in the years before The Original Series. Showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers double down on the series’ episodic strengths—each outing offering a distinct tone and style—while deepening the ensemble and leaning into hope, ethics, friendship, and wonder. Early critical reception has been strong (including an initial perfect Rotten Tomatoes score that settled into Certified Fresh territory), with many calling it reinvigorated and among the show’s best work.

The season opens with “Valles Marineris,” a thrilling time-travel adventure that flings the Enterprise 65 million years into the past amid a stellar storm. What follows mixes dinosaurs (with impressive effects and practical elements), first-contact diplomacy with a warrior culture, moral dilemmas about interfering with history, and Pike confronting his own path and predetermined future. Anson Mount anchors it with quiet intensity and moral clarity, while guest star Saffron Burrows delivers a memorable counterpart. It’s ambitious, bittersweet, philosophically rich in classic Trek fashion (echoing themes from episodes like “The City on the Edge of Forever”), and a fun, high-concept kickoff that balances action, wonder, and character.

“The Griffin Incident,” shifts hard into psychological horror and body horror as Spock, La’an, and a returning young James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) investigate a derelict Federation ship. It’s tense, visually striking, and unflinching, using the isolated setting and escalating hallucinations to probe the characters’ deepest fears and conflicts (including Spock’s dual nature and Kirk’s emerging sense of responsibility). Christina Chong, Ethan Peck, and Wesley shine in the high-stakes intensity, delivering one of the franchise’s more visceral standalone tales while advancing relationships. This is one of the best episodes of Star Trek every, right up there with Picard’s interactions with the Borg.

“Human Best Friend” provides welcome levity as a shore-leave comedy (with clear nods to TOS “Shore Leave” and hangover-style antics). The crew’s overworked bridge officers hit a pleasure planet whose atmosphere has intoxicating effects, leading to chaotic, character-revealing hijinks. It centers a delightful buddy dynamic between Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia) and Montgomery Scott (Martin Quinn), turning prior friction into mutual respect and growth, while giving Spock and Kirk further bonding moments. Silly by design yet grounded in friendship, teamwork, and the crew’s need to blow off steam, it’s pure Strange New Worlds charm.

What elevates Season 4 is the consistent excellence of the cast and the freedom to experiment. Mount’s Pike remains a standout—reflective, principled, and human—while Rebecca Romijn’s Number One, Peck’s Spock, Jess Bush’s Chapel, Celia Rose Gooding’s Uhura, Babs Olusanmokun’s M’Benga, and the rest of the ensemble get meaningful moments and pairings. Wesley’s Kirk continues to integrate naturally, and returning guests like Carol Kane’s Pelia add texture. The showrunners emphasize pure episodic storytelling without a single overarching “big bad,” allowing for cowboys, black holes, dinosaurs, haunted ships, comedy, and more (including a planned Jim Henson’s Creature Shop puppet episode). Production values remain high, the writing mixes sincerity with playful genre pastiche, and the hopeful, exploratory ethos feels reenergized.

It ranks among the more lively and memorable runs, giving every performer room to shine across adventure, horror, drama, and comedy. Minor notes about tonal shifts or underdeveloped threads in a highly episodic structure don’t overshadow the overall joy and quality.

As the penultimate season (with a shortened final Season 5 already ordered to bridge toward TOS), Season 4 feels like a celebration of what makes Strange New Worlds special: a crew worth spending time with, strange new worlds and ideas, ethical questions, and the enduring optimism of Starfleet. It’s peak modern Trek—entertaining, thoughtful, and endlessly rewatchable.

Five stars out of five from me.

Distant Love (Part 89)

Glowing digital neuron structure emitting blue and orange energy in a server room

Maeve waves for Derek to follow her into the ship and then to the bridge. It is much cooler inside.

She holds his hand. “Are you sure about this?” She rubs his face. “You are risking so much for me, for the cause.”

Derek gazes into her eyes. “Anything for you, my love.” He takes her hand. “We can do this.”

She nods. “Do we need to go over the plan again?”

“No, everything is okay. The computer virus has already begun its infection. We will attack from the air while they plant the explosives.”

She flicks her hair. “I wish I could share your optimism.”

“Trust me, I got you out of jail, didn’t I?”

“You did.” They kissed. For

“Actually, I’m looking forward to trying out some of these new weapons on the ship,” Derek says with a smile.”They should do a lot of damage.”

They hear a loud clanging.

A few moments Aaron enters, sweat dripping from his brow. “That’s everything sorted now. Try to rest. Save your energy for later.” A wide grin appears on his face.

Maeve slams his back. “None of your business what we get up to, isn’t it, Derek?

“Definitely, Maeve.” A burst of laughter breaks out.

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