Network: A Blake's 7 Zine of Sorts

Zine
Title:	Network: A Blake's 7 Zine of Sorts
Publisher:
Editor(s):
Date(s):	published as a zine in August 1992 (the earliest story was written in June 1991)
Series?:
Medium:	print, zine
Size:
Genre:
Fandom:	Blake’s 7
Language:	English
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Network: A Blake's 7 Zine of Sorts is a 247-page slash, adult het, and gen anthology of Blake's 7 fiction by Cetel Hansen.

The author of these stories, using a different pseud (Candra Danesen) and divided the contents into a gen zine called Network and a slash and het zine called Network Encounters.

From the Lengthy Preface

Welcome to the first issue of Network - A Blake’s 7 Zine of Sorts. This publication arises from an intense interest in the Blake’s 7 television series, a love of science fiction and writing, and a desire to share my thoughts with others.

The zine came together as a way to present my friends with an organized collection of updated versions of all my completed stories, as well as story sketches (as outlined in the synopses for stories other than the completed ones) for stories in-progress. You can use the Table of Contents along with the story synopses to navigate your way to the stories you want to read first. The zine is divided into categories of Preface, Synopses, General and Adult stories. The stories in each category are in alphabetical order.

The name of the zine has many sources. The word "network" brings up images of relationships between friends and associates, personal strength through such relationships, bonding, computers, exploration, etc. All these images appear in the original television series and in the stories in this zine. And I liked the sound of it, too.

Most of the stories in Network are real stories, that is, they have plots, although the occasional PWP (Plot? What Plot?) can be found. The stories develop gradually over time, as is evidenced by the numerous revision dates found at the top of most of the stories. Usually, they start with an idea or concept as expressed or hinted at in the series. This concept becomes a scene in my mind, and dialogue starts to form (in voice, of course). It isn’t long after that I find myself leaping toward the nearest computer or scrap of paper to put the thought down. The story grows outward from the scene to find a beginning and an end. It is a circular or spiral development.

The central theme in all the stories is friendship - a very important concept to me. For me, the quintessential friendship in the Blake’s 7 universe is that which I believe exists between Blake and Avon. Thus, the majority of the stories center on Blake and Avon, providing a vehicle for the examination of their relationship.

[...]

So far, the adult stories have been rather short. Some represent only scenes, not complete stories, but a background knowledge of the series will fill in the before and after details. One story deals with a relationship between Avon and Cally, the rest are all Blake/Avon. Slash is an interesting sub-genre to me. About a year ago, someone handed me two B/A zines and said, read these, you’ll like them. What are they I asked? Slash. Slash? More than professional relationships between members of the same sex. Oh. Well I read. I liked. I found that the slash stories provided a depth of emotional examination far deeper than the general stories. Yes, there was a bed scene, but there was an quite a lot of friendship, love and characterization as well. It was also my first exposure to erotica. I admit I found that interesting also. Eventually, I had to try my hand at these stories, and so came the adult stories in this zine.

The other interesting aspect of slash fiction is that it challenged my traditional thinking. In order to read and write slash, I had to come to terms with my understanding of personal relationships. I did quite a lot of reading and thinking on the subject outside of fanfic. It changed my views on what we now call alternative lifestyles. My horizons were broadened. For the better, I think.

To those who find slash fiction unpalatable, please feel free to skip those stories. My intention is not to offend anyone, but rather to explore the concepts of friendship and love on different levels.

Most of the adult stories are dealing with the same concepts as the general stories - friendship and love - but on a deeper level. In most of the stories, the sex is suggested, rather than explicit. However, I will admit there are a few rather hot stories as well, including a PWP, which originated in one of my, shall we say, more distracted moments. What can I say. I’m human too.

Story Summaries for some WIP

The author also includes some story summaries for stories that do not appear in this zine.

Gen stories that do not appear in any zine: Decision, Fever, Flashpoint, Form and Function, Illusion, Impulse, Kidnapped, Prelude to Sarcophagus, Rescue, Revival, Set Up, Shock, Spectre, Symbiosis, Vengeance

Slash stories that appeared in Network Encounters but not in this zine: The Bonding Ceremony, Probes

Gen Contents

• Abandoned ("Avon is accidentally left on a primitive planet, is injured and must fight for survival until the others return for him but do they really intend to return? Wild animals, lack of food and water, and Federation patrols make life especially trying for him. But his most difficult challenge is his mental anguish over whether or not Blake and the others have betrayed and abandoned him. An Avon's inner soul, Blake-Avon friendship, Avon-everyone friendship story.") (sequel to "A Meeting of the Minds;" S2, post-Horizon, pre-Pressure Point; A-hc, A-C) (13)
• Avon's Word, or, The Price of Friendship ("Blake becomes seriously ill on a remote planet. His only chance for life lies with a mysterious being who controls a cure. The creature will release the cure, but demands a high price in exchange. Avon pays the price -the surrender of his own soul/life energy to the creature -to obtain the cure for Blake. Once cured, Blake must find away to win the return of his friend's soul. A Blake-Avon friendship story.") ("Author's note: The opening premise for this story was inspired by the B7 short story, Rest and Recreation, by April Giordano and Mary Gerstner, as published in "SYZYGY, Issue II," by S.T.A.R. Press, San Diego, 1987.") (S2; B-hc, A-B) (39)
• Bargain ("Blake and the crew are on a remote planet to establish contact with the local primitive tribal/early feudal societies. Unfortunately they arrive at the time of a great theft and are so accused. Avon is kept as hostage while the others are sent to retrieve the stolen artifact. This is all very much to the delight of the chieftain's little daughter, Annisah, and her dog, who have both taken a liking to Avon, much to Avon's chagrin. Avon finds himself playing tutor to Annisah, answering her endless questions about the stars and geometry. Ever cheerful Annisah has a few things to teach the gloomy Avon as well. Their budding friendship is threatened, however, when Blake and the others fail to return within the proscribed time limit. Can bright little Annisah and her faithful Hound find a way to save Avon from ritual execution? What will Blake do to save his friend? An Avon-other, Avon-Blake friendship story.") (S1; A-ocf child, A-B) (64)
• Caught ("Blake and Avon are on a mission to blow up a Fed industrial complex. They separate and Avon is trapped by some machinery which suddenly activates. Avon desperately tries to free himself as he is slowly dragged to his death. Finally facing his own inability to help himself, he calls for Blake, even though he believes the other man is well out of hearing range. But Blake does hear, manages to rescue him, and promptly upbraids him for not calling sooner. A resolution follows. A Blake-Avon friendship story.") (S2; A-B) (78)
• Cliffwalk ("The crew are involved in extensive talks with an assembly of local chieftains on a primitive planet. Unknown to the others, a bored and tired Avon sets out on along walk alone along the cliffs overlooking the sea. Concerned for his safety, Blake searches for him and follows him up the cliff trail. A confrontation and resolution result. A Blake-Avon friendship story.") (S2, post-Pressure Point; A-B) (83)
• Debts ("Vila is feeling guilty about having left Avon at the mercy of Federation thugs during a mission together on a planet. Avon had eventually managed to escape anyway and does not blame Vila, compounding Vila's guilt feelings. Cally explains Vila's sulking to Avon and suggests he find away to make Vila feel better. Avon comes up with a scheme to give Vila a chance to "be the hero" for Crossfire the Feds. When things don't go as planned, Vila does, in fact, become the hero for once, much to everyone's surprise, saving Avon's life in the process. An Avon-Vila friendship story.") (S2, post-Hostage; A-V, A-hc) (90)

• Follower ("Avon has been trapped in a Fed complex about to explode by a Fed agent with a personal grudge against him. Blake comes to rescue him, finding him handcuffed to a railing, Both cuffs and railing are made of a material Blake can not cut through with equipment on hand, so he sets about trying to pick the lock with some Vila-taught skills. Avon insists there is no time for Blake to open the cuffs and that he should save himself. Of course, Blake refuses to leave, no matter how close the countdown gets. Blake is determined to free Avon or die with him. Did Vila teach Blake well enough? A Blake-Avon friendship story.") (S2; A-B) (105)
• Friends and Allergies ("Blake startles Avon at work on the computers and Avon cuts his hand on a device containing a fluid to which he is severely allergic. Avon persuades Orac to drop what it is doing and direct the medical computers to produce an antitoxin. Orac complies, but will they be able to deliver the medication into Avon's system in time? Avon isn't looking too healthy ... A Blake-Avon, Avon-Orac friendship story.") (early S2; A-hc)
• Hereafter ("Blake and Avon face death together at the hands of a squad of Fed troopers. Humor and dignity highlight the last moments of their friendship together in this life, as they consider what might lie beyond. A Blake-Avon friendship story.") (alt-S2; A-B) (112)
• A Meeting of the Minds ("After Zondar, Cally realizes she must have continued contact with another intelligence in order to survive. The moondisks broke the hold of the creature, but they can not provide the support she needs. Only one person aboard the Liberator possesses a mind disciplined enough to help her - only one person with whom she could successfully establish the required empathetic link, will Avon agree? And if he does, will he be able to cope with the violation of his intensely private nature? An Avon-Cally friendship story.") (S2, post-Shadow; A-C) (116)
• Nightmare ("Blake has aterrible premonition of Avon's death and then seems helpless to prevent the unfolding of events as they occurred in his dream. Will Blake be able to prevent the conclusion of the dream from becoming reality? A Blake-Avon friendship story.") (S2; A-B, A-hc) (122)
• Pilot ("On a mission on a Fed controlled planet. Avon and Jenna encounter, Devon, a former lover of Jenna's, now leader of a secret resistance movement on the planet. When Avon is mistakenly shot by one of Devon's men, Jenna must decide how much she is willing to risk to save the life of a man she often despises, Avon finds a way to return the favor later on. An Avon-Jenna friendship, Jenna development story.") (S1; past J/ocm, A-hc, A-J) (135)
• The Promise ("Just what did Blake say or do to get Avon to give Blake his word to stand and fight off the alien invasion at the end of Star One?" Avon isn't the type to agree easily to throwing away his life. A Blake-Avon friendship story.") (S2, Star One; A-B) (147)
• Reluctant Ally ("Avon enlists the aid of a monstrous creature, an Artak named Nebron, to assist him in rescuing Blake and the crew, who have fallen into villainous hands. Avon has acquired possession of the zerfir, a strange crystal which gives its holder power to control the Artak. The catch is that the power exists only when the crystal is actually held in one's hand. At every opportunity, Nebron attempts to force Avon to drop the crystal, thus giving Nebron a chance to kill him and be free (until the next person finds the crystal). Avon attempts to bargain with the Artak, giving his word that once Blake and the others are rescued, he will give the zerfir to Nebron. According to legend, this free giving of the crystal to the Artak will free it. However, Nebron, used to having highly unscrupulous individuals seeking to gain control of him, finds it difficult to trust, a sentiment with which Avon sympathizes. An uneasy truce eventually develops. But Avon doesn't know the complete legend, and Nebron isn't bothering to enlighten him. What will really happen if Avon hands over the crystal? An Avon-Other friendship story.") (S2; A-ocm alien) (149)
• Sink or Swim ("Blake, Avon and Vila are aboard a shuttle which crashes into the sea on a remote planet, half a kilometer from shore. The shuttle is sinking in rough water. Blake is unconscious and Vila reveals he doesn't know how to swim. Avon himself has ahead injury and knows he won't be able to make the swim more than once. What will Avon do? A Blake-Avon-Vila friendship story.") (S1; A-B-V) (160)
• The Soul of the Machine (sequel to "Friends and Allergies") ("Avon and Orac are on a remote planet attempting to communicate with a supercomputer they have discovered there, a computer even more powerful than Orac. Blake and the others are off exploring an adjacent planet, thinking computer and computer expert safe in the abandoned underground complex. Avon and Orac establish contact with the computer, Doran. Doran takes a liking to Orac and Orac is completely taken with Doran. However, Doran soon reveals its hostile intentions toward organic lifeforms -including Avon, Orac must make a choice. An Avon-Orac friendship story.") (sequel to "Friends and Allergies;" S2; A-O)
• Therapy ("Avon dislocates a shoulder during a mission on an alien planet with Blake. Can he get over his natural mistrust and allow Blake to help ease his pain? Or will he be a twit as usual? A Blake-Avon friendship story. (S2; A-B, A-hc) (168)
• Traitor ("Avon has helped Servalan and her mutoids gain access to the Liberator. Has he finally shown himself to be the traitor some would call him? Or is there another explanation? Jenna is all for killing him on the spot. As always, Blake wants to know why. But it may be too late anyway - in the battle with Servalan, Avon was wounded. Blake wants desperately to believe in Avon's loyalty. Will Avon live long enough to set the record straight - one way or the other? A Blake-Avon friendship story.") (S1; A-hc) (177)
• What Are Friends For ("Avon is near-fatally injured on a mission with Blake when the roof of an underground cavern collapses on them, draining a reservoir above. Unable to budge the beam pinning Avon to the floor, Blake can do little but hold his friend's head above the water and give what comfort and words of support he can for the three and a half hours it takes the others to find and rescue them. During this time, the agony of intense pain drives Avon to reveal some of his fragile inner self to Blake, including his desperate fear of dying alone, Once Avon is recovered, Blake sets out to find that "inner" Avon again. A Blake-Avon friendship story.") (S2; A-B-hc) (181)

Slash and Het Contents

• Admission ("Returning from a mission on which he nearly died, Avon has retired to his cabin to rest. Blake, troubled by his near-loss, follows him to his cabin, trying to gather the courage to reveal his true feelings for the computer tech. How will a tired Avon react to Blake's admission? Meanwhile, Cally knows something is going on; the emotions emanating from Avon's cabin are quite strong. How will she respond? A Blake/Avon first time love story, with a little contemplation by Cally.") (B/A) (203)

• Encounter ("Avon goes to the medical unit to get some muscle relaxant for his troublesome back. Cally attempts to persuade him to allow her to try physical therapy, instead of his resorting regularly to drugs. Cally is about to expand on the offer when Blake blunders in and interrupts. Avon escapes before Cally has a chance to express her feelings for him. Having hoped for some sign of affection from Avon for so long, Cally later pursues him to his cabin in hopes of continuing their discussion. Things proceed rather rapidly from there. An Avon/Cally first time love story.") (A/C) (206)
• Fantasy ("Blake has had a secret fantasy about Avon for some time. Will the computer tech cooperate in bringing it to realization? A lighthearted Blake/Avon friendship-love story.") (B/A) (216)
• Fit to Be Tied ("Avon, previously captured and bound helpless by Feds, is found by a frantically searching Blake. Relieved at finding his friend unharmed, and with the Fed base secure, Blake decides to engage in a little lighthearted bondage scene, taking advantage of Avon's predicament. But Avon doesn't see it the same way. Will Blake be able to recover from his mistake? Will Avon be able to get over his fear? A Blake/Avon love-friendship-trust story.") (B/A) (224)

• Reunion -- Alternatives ("Two alternative endings to the Gauda Prime confrontation - one horrible, one pleasant. A Blake/Avon story.") (A/B) (230)
• Sight to the Blind ("An alternate ending to None So Blind" by Jennifer Hurley, by Jennifer Hurley, as published in Avon Calling #1, 1990, by Up the Rebels Press. Shortly before "Star One", Cally is concerned over Blake's depression, and persuades Avon to give Blake a sexual experience with another man, without Blake's knowing his identity. Avon carries out his plan by posing as a companion for hire on Pronach III. Avon finds himself caught in his own scheme, however, when Blake falls helplessly in love with his hired companion. In the original story, Blake is furious when he figures out the true identity of his companion. I think Blake would have behaved differently, and that difference is this story. A Blake/Avon love story.") (A/B) (233)
• Surprise ("Blake wants Avon. Bad. Will Avon survive the intensity of the experience? A Blake/Avon love story with a physical emphasis." (B/A) (239)
• Unexpected Visitor ("Based on the Susan Lovett artwork of the same name. Concerned about Avon after returning from a difficult mission, Blake seeks the computer tech out in his cabin. He finds himself face to face with Avon's unknowing nakedness in the cabin wash room. But Avon doesn't remain unaware for long. How will he react to Blake's stare? Let alone Blake's words which follow? A Blake/Avon first time love story.") (B/A) (241)
• Why ("Blake has finally consummated his love for Avon. But as the passion fades, he watches the doubts and fears creep into Avon's eyes and expression. Will Blake be able to find the words to reassure his computer tech friend and lover? When he tells Avon he loves him, will he be able to respond to Avon's simple one-word question? A Blake/Avon first time love story.") (B/A) (246)