Difference (Star Trek: TOS story)

Fanfiction
Title:	Difference
Author(s):	Theresa Holmes
Date(s):	1980
Length:
Genre(s):	gen
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):
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Difference is a Star Trek: TOS story by Theresa Holmes.

It was published in the print zine Fesarius #5.

Part of a Challenge

This story was published as part of a two-story challenge: "What would be the effect of the ST universe if Christ were not an influence?"

The other story was by Leslie Fish and called Sunset and Evening Star.

Author's Note

For those who are interested in following the Delphian Chronicles, DIFFERENCE is the first story in the universe, though not the first to see print. It takes place during the brief hiatus between the end of the third season adventures and the beginning of Kraith. In as much as the Delphian Chronicles are at root a protest against the Kraithian tendency to glamorize the Vulcans at the expense of the Humans, and are therefore built around the major events and turning points in Kraith, it has been necessary to take Kraithian characterizations into account, particularly in the matter of Spock. Also, although the story is intended to stand on its own merit, when one is dealing with an entire universe of stories, it is inevitable that strings will be left hanging. Bear with me; I do intend to develop some of those strings in greater detail in future stories. Finally, I feel it is necessary to emphasize that this story was never intended to be the Great American ST Novel. If it entertains, that is sufficient. If it succeeds in capturing at least a little of the flavor of the original Star Trek, so much the better. If it gives you, the reader, something to think about, that would be best of all. Either way, I hope you have enjoyed it. -- Theresa Holmes

Art from the Print Zine: By the Author

A selection from a much bigger offering.

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Reactions and Reviews

NOTE: for a much more robust view of the complexities of some of these fan opinions, see comments at Fesarius.

1982

[The two stories] are "the 'rival' stories... on the general theme of just where did the Roman Empire go wrong, specifically in regard to the impact of Christianity. Their answers are about as opposite as it's possible to be. Holmes, in her 'Difference' claims that without the 'moderating, unifying influences of Christianity, ' the Empire of Rome would have centralized into a totalitarian state that managed to withstand the periodic invasions from the east (Goths, Huns, Turks), developing into a sort of precursor to the German Third Reich, only much longer lived... Holmes gets 10 out of 10 for her sincerity, but minus several million for her Mary Sue character, Elanor MacPhail. Granted, 'Difference' was written five years ago when the syndrome was more prevalent, but here she is again, calling her superior officers, 'Spock' and 'Penda' (while they rather humbly say 'Ms. McPhail'),... dragging around an ill-tempered reptile that only she can control, and telling Kirk, Spock, and Scotty their business. Unnaturally, everyone is thrilled with her performance... Where 'Difference' says everybody should have a god, preferably the same one, Leslie Fish in 'Sunset and Evening Star' is all for celestial-free enterprise. Christianity laid the Empire low. Not only that, it proposes a conspiracy of truly cosmic -- or paranoid -- dimensions. Yeshua ben David, see, is this super-version of Rev. Sun Yung Moon, a Being on the same order as Apollo and Kulkukan, as was Yahweh before Him; they are like these soulsuckers who entrap humans with the Beatific Vision and occasionally instigate religious wars to skim off a load for some theocentric purpose... Her presentation of the early Empire will indeed upset notions some readers may have formed from Sunday School... a must-read for anyone whose personal beliefs, religious, atheist, or agnostic, can withstand probing.

1983

One complaint about the editorial handling of this event [the story challenge]: I don't think there was enough clarity concerning the fact that this was a writers' challenge and that the writers involved represent two differing world views. Since the gap between issues four and five was so long, I'm sure that there were those who did not remember what this issue was going to be about. And neos, or fans who have never read FES until now, were probably a little confused. This is very minor and it doesn't require a great deal of intelligence to figure out what's going on here.

Anyway, "Difference," by Holmes, is the first story, and concerns the Big E's encounter with an alternate earth. Our heroes get caught up in the ensuing conflict between ancient Celtic druids and Romans (who are, by the way, supported by the Klingons). The Enterprise people expend a lot of effort to get these Celts on the right track of overthrowing the evil Roman empire — including have Spock appear as a messiah to them (to compensate for the fact that, on this earth, there is no prophet Jesus Christ who founds a philosophy that spreads throughout the known world). The main character is a female Scottish officer, Elanor MacPhail, a native of some Christian colony of the Federation (Delphi). Unfortunately, she comes forth as a blatant MarySue. She knows everything — what's right and what's wrong — does all the things on the ship Spock should be doing, and, of course, saves the ship through her miraculous, god-given mystical powers. She's also rather sanctimonious. The only thing missing from the MarySue stereotype is that none of the principal officers is madly in love with this woman. Holmes writes Elanor's speech in a very wooden, messy, and incomprehensible Scottish accent. Later on, though, Elanor speaks in perfect American English. This lapse of dialogue serves only to confuse. Finally, Holmes does not even answer the BIG question. We never learn, from her point of view, just what the ST universe would be like had Christ died an unknown. The story comes off being very dogmatic and shallow.

The Enterprise and a pursuing Klingon ship go into the galactic barrier and come out in an alternate universe in which Christianity never developed. They also go back in time to 24 3 A.D. to Roman occupied Britain. The Klingons back the Romans, and the Enterprise crew backs the local Celts who are trying to drive them out and regain their land. The author introduces several new members of the crew, the most important being El-anor MacPhail, a telepath and a super-Christian from a space colony called Delphi. She is instrumental in effecting the resolution of the plot which saves the Enterprise and brings a Christian-type message to the Celts while violating the Prime Directive in almost every way possible.

Fan writers, by and large, have trouble thinking up interesting and believable alien sociology. The last thing I'm willing to waste my time or money on is "My Jesus is better than yours and I've got a Vulcan Master to prove it" kinds of nonsense. If you want good fan fiction on religious themes, try Fesarius V which finally came out this fall, in my opinion a story can say more of a truly religious nature by how its characters treat each other and do their jobs than any number of religious ceremonies, sermons or pious invocations of this or that god will ever provide. After you've read the stories in Fesarius V, disconnect your prejudices and judge both stories on the basis of plot, characterization, motivation and style and then give an honest judgment on which is the more truly "religious" tale.

'Fesarius 5' is basically a two-story zine, containing what the advertisement in 'Universal Translator' calls the "writers' battle" between Theresa Holmes and Leslie Fish. The source of the authors' contention is what would have happened on Earth had Christ not existed. Theresa's solution in 'Difference' is that the Celts would have overcome the Romans and (with a little ethical help from Spock) set out on a course of wise government and ultimate freedom. The prediction seems perfectly reasonable but as far as the "writers' battle" is concerned it's a 'no contest'. 'Difference' is a good enough gen zine story but ultimately unmemorable against Leslie's long (159 pages reduced type) and powerful narrative.

1984

Theresa Holmes' Difference was my favorite story in the issue. I particularly liked Jery, and Elanor MacPhail's culture sounds fascinating. I was a bit frustrated at only being given a brief glimpse of it. I'd also like to know more about Spock's relationship with Jeremy, and, of course, whether Sss'Char ever caught up with her father, and if that's the only reason why she hates men ... This is beginning to sound like a spiel for a soap opera, but I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for any sequels.

Ms. Holmes, despite the decapitated heads, wrote the more "cheerful" story. I was fascinated by the character of Elanor MacPhail and would like to delve further into the Delphian chronicles ... And of course, fond of our favorite hybrid Vulcan as I obviously am, I was left eager to discover whether, if as hinted, when Spock and Jeremy Branfield were roomies, did the singjoy indeed sing? (Poor Spock — not only do we have him queer for his captain, but now he's gadding about with his roommates! Well, I suppose if one ascribes that leaning to him, it would be ... excuse the expression ... logical.) I could picture Spock so well, petting and being nuzzled by the little dragonet, debating the merits and morality of "playing God." The part at the end, about Elanor growing her own ship to see for her, reminded me of that Anne McCaffrey story a bit.

The writing contest didn't turn out to be the duel I'd expected. Theresa Holmes tackled the issue in an entirely different way from Leslie Fish.

In fact, until I got through two-thirds of the story, I thought Theresa had ignored the question entirely:" What would be the effect be on the Star Trek universe if Christ were not an influence?" Her story touched on an incidental aspect —the effect on the Celt-Roman conflict. Spock was right to have misgivings on violating the Prime Directive but under those circumstances, it was the least of all the evils. I was a bit dissatisfied because the ending seemed to trail off. At least Theresa was thoughtful enough to provide an explanatory note at the ending. I wasn't too pleased with the artwork of the regular Enterprise characters —they didn't look like Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. But I did like the fold-out artwork.

One aspect I did like about the story was that for once we were shown, in a fan story that devout Christians could still be intelligent, open-minded, and adventurous enough to venture into space. The first two qualities were sorely needed to balance the shabby image of the believer as presented in Leslie Fish's story.

Both Sunset and Difference are bound to stir up much controversy in fandom. Both take a firm stand on (opposing sides of) deeply personal, metaphysical issues, ones which most people would prefer to ignore and/or take the safe middle road on (the fact that both tales are as entertaining as all heck is pure bonus). Ah, something to offend everyone!

Difference is a nice, reliable ST story -- no surprises, but a consistent and enjoyable adventure. Elanor MacPhail, however, strikes me as a Mary Sue-in-disguise; she's too perfect, too much the scene-stealer. I sense that she is a result of an author's fantasies spilling over ....

A few annoyances in the Holmes story —

1) The dialectical "thought passages. Come on! Nobody thinks with an accent. You think in concepts and ideas, and rarely in words — but to you, the thinker, those words are perfectly normal and carry no accent. In the mind of MacPhail there's no way she'd chink "nae mon's pairfect" —in her mind it says It no man's perfect" —it's just the way her mouth was trained ... to articulate those words that gives an accent.

2) Call it a "singjoy" or a "dragonet" or whatever you will, but a firelizard is still a firelizard and they are a big enough pain in the butt on Pern and at SF conventions — DON'T put them in Star Trek too! Please!

3) Christ was never born here in the past universe of the story — are we actually supposed to believe that by Spock giving the Celts a lecture on a few moral ideas that history will turn out exactly the same? The entire Fish novel showed how much impact the Christian Church had on the development of man without it, how in the hell is the 23rd century going to emerge unchanged? But then I've always been a firm adherent to the Ray Bradbury school of time travel and history —go back far enough and kill a fly, thereby wiping out all future generations of that fly, affecting all the spiders, birds, etc. which fed on those generations, which in turn .... That's why I can't buy a lot of Star Trek, with the Enterprise crew mucking around in time, making all sorts of subtle changes...

Difference by Theresa Holmes ... is definitely a well written ST story (novella). The structure is well-formed; however, the character development of Elanor MacPhail appeared to me to be a little confusing/awkward especially up to the point where Elanor gains control of the Enterprise, Additionally, the attempted use of italic text to represent thoughts ... tended to confuse more ... than gain in favor of language accent. I personally ended up glossing over the italic representations

of Elanor's thoughts in order to maintain continuity within the story ... Overall, I rate Difference as FAIR to GOOD. A little more character development in future stories by Theresa Holmes and I would say she will quickly rise to becoming a first rate writer —possibly professional in time.

Theresa Holmes' Difference is a great story but somehow I felt like I had jumped into the middle of a much bigger story. Her characters and illustrations were very well done, and I'm looking forward to more.

1998

Telepathic like all Delphians, she becomes the chief navigator on the Enterprise; she is accompanied by her Delphian singjoy, an eight-legged creature resembling a little dragon. Only she can control it. Elanor is descended from engineers and thinks -- and sometimes speaks -- in impenetrable Delphian Common -- which seems very like a thick Scots accent. She also is the ship's expert in several languages. She has many of the good ideas during the story, so many that Spock relies on her advice.