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Joined: Jan 2007
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Top Banana
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OP
Top Banana
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,069 |
Tank, you are a brilliant writer. Your story had everything: crippling angst, an unsolvable dilemma, our favorite couple being stronger together than alone, a villainous villain, irony and ... holovision.
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Joined: Sep 2006
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
Joined: Sep 2006
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Tank, it's fockin' brill - as usual for you.
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Beat Reporter
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Beat Reporter
Joined: Apr 2008
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just what i needed, awesome
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Joined: Jun 2010
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Top Banana
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Top Banana
Joined: Jun 2010
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Wow, Tank! I'll have to explore more of your stories. I understand you're a bit of a legend around here, and I'm beginning to see why! As someone already said, you had it all in this plot! Really awesome!!
Reach for the moon, for even if you fail, you'll still land among the stars... and who knows? Maybe you'll meet Superman along the way.
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Kerth
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Kerth
Joined: Sep 2006
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I don't know why, but this ending sure made me It was not only totally unexpected, but also contained this weird sense of humor you're (in)famous for. Just... will we see more of this universe? I'd still love to know how Utopia will come about in this setting.
The only known quantity that moves faster than light is the office grapevine. (from Nan's fabulous Home series)
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Joined: Aug 2005
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Aug 2005
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Didn't I tell you there was something insidious about men wearing bowler hats?
What? I didn't?
Ann
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Columnist
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Columnist
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 4,058 |
Quite an interesting twist! Good job. Laura
Clark: “If we can be born in an instant, and die in an instant, why can’t we fall in love in an instant?”
Caroline's "Stardust"
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Pulitzer
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Pulitzer
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 3,147 Likes: 3 |
Very cool twist! Does this mean that in your universe, Wells and Tempus were always working together, or did Tempus always love the irony of Wells appearing to work for the future of Utopia while really working against it? Does that also mean that Wells was always on Tempus' side, or that he turned his coat later? (With time travel, of course, "later" has a much different meaning than without it.)
Maybe you could show us a few more events in this universe. I'd love to see Wells and Tempus working together to thwart Utopia while the Time Cops work to frustrate him while Lois and Clark don't know who to believe.
More, Tank, more!
Life isn't a support system for writing. It's the other way around.
- Stephen King, from On Writing
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 9,066 Likes: 31
Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 9,066 Likes: 31 |
Now that's what you call Tank-fic. And you know, I fully expected the rational explanation being that Lois was never supposed to die during the first time and only the time-travel created Utopia. Self-fulfilling prophecy and all that. On a different note. Herb and Tempus felt quite like a couple practicing an alternative lifestyle in this last bit. Which I never saw coming, btw. Michael
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Merriwether
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Merriwether
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,999 |
Thanks to all the gentle readers who partook in this little vignette.
I've long been one of those who don't think that a Kryptonian and a Terran can have children together. They are after all, of different species. Coupled with that fact that I don't particularly like children, I've stayed away from Lois pregnancy and Lois and Clark and kids stories. I think I've only had Lois pregnant in maybe two stories in the past.
Given the 'FACT' that they can't have children, how could Utopia come about?
I've always contended that the descendants that supposedly founded Utopia were idealogical descendants and not actual family. Perhaps there was a group, cult, or quasi-religious organization that called themselves 'The Children of Superman'. They could be the ones who were responsible.
Also, one has to wonder what a 'perfect' society this Utopia actually was when you consider that we're getting our information from a man from a very prim and uptight Victorian England. I tend to side with Tempus and think that this so-called Utopia was probably a crashing bore of a place to live.
The idea to 'team' Wells and Tempus together at the end came as a means to give the somber tone of the story a bit of a lighter ending.
Thanks to all who read, and commented.
Tank (who occasionally feels the need to throw out stuff just to remind the gentle readers that he's still alive)
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Kerth
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Kerth
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,181 Likes: 29 |
Great fic, Tank. I loved how you build the story with the interplay between Lois and Wells and then suddenly Clark steps in ... "Lois, I know this is a terrible thing I'm asking, and believe me when I tell you that if there were any other way I wouldn't be here. But for the sake of the future; for the sake of Utopia, you have a decision to make."
"The answer is no."
Both Wells and Lois turned in surprise at the sound of his voice. "Clark?" He was standing next to her bed; his hand reached out and took hers in a firm grip. "How much did you hear?"
"Enough." He kills the speculation with four words. Great stuff. And I like how both Wells and Tempus know that their only chance to win is to separate Lois and Clark. Together, they can't be beaten! Corrina.
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Kerth
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Kerth
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That's pretty much my impression of Wells - he's caused all of the problems he's trying to get Lois and Clark to solve, without his interference Tempus wouldn't be a problem, none of them would have ever travelled in time, and Utopia would be a lot safer than it is, if it ever existed outside Wells' imagination.
The only way that Lois and Clark being able to have children can work is common ancestry at some point in the comparatively recent past, no earlier than say Neanderthal man, and probably a good deal more recent than that. I made it a 150,000 years ago in my Superman Returns crossover, but even that is pushing it.
Marcus L. Rowland Forgotten Futures, The Scientific Romance Role Playing Game
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Beat Reporter
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Beat Reporter
Joined: Feb 2007
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Brilliant! Wells is in league with Tempus, why did I not see it before?
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Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 9,066 Likes: 31
Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
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Boards Chief Administrator Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 9,066 Likes: 31 |
Originally posted by Marcus Rowland: That's pretty much my impression of Wells - he's caused all of the problems he's trying to get Lois and Clark to solve, without his interference Tempus wouldn't be a problem, none of them would have ever travelled in time, and Utopia would be a lot safer than it is, if it ever existed outside Wells' imagination. Actually, according to canon, Lois would have died 24 hours after consummating her marriage because of the ancient curse commissioned by Baron Tempos. And this happened without known interference of good ol' Herb. Of course, it is possible that a previous incarnation of herb caused this mess. Or maybe Herb traveled back first, caused the curse to happen, then learned about it's effects, etc. etc. etc. But the easiest explanation is, that Herb is only responsible for the stuff directly linked to Tempus's present, well, future incarnation. Michael
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Beat Reporter
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Beat Reporter
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But Michael, maybe Marcus is right. What if Tempos would never even have become involved in L&C even in time, if Wells hadn't brought him back to their present; maybe after that he went back and made the other trouble and caused the "time rippy thingys" (can't remember whose story that's from but it's so cute with Lois saying it!). Ha-ha, I think the idea of Wells being behind all the trouble is kind of fun -- I never thought of blaming him for everything before, but for some reason I'm enjoying the thought alot
EvelynC
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