I’m all settled again vacation and it’s time to get back to reviews, so kicking off with the sequel to the one I “informally” reviewed just before I left – “Convergence.” It was actually reading the first couple chapters of reading this that made me aware the first one existed. (How did I miss it?)
Anyway, I love this. The writer has done a great job, not only following up on the earlier work* but creating a post-Canon Cardassian tale that doesn’t feel like a retread. The situation is different – Julian is put to work in a volunteer center with a bunch of misfits and he only meets up with Garak later, and even then he is kept guessing about exactly what is in their future (together?). Lots of good character development, including original characters
* As far as whether you need to read the earlier story first, I would say that you don’t have to, as you can just assume there was a ridiculous amount of miscommunication and “almosts,” but I would certainly recommend the earlier and longer work, as it’s fantastic and covers their entire time together on DS9.
Excerpt
“You moved to the Doctor’s homeworld. You followed him here,” Julian pointed out. “One would think that unto itself, would be suggestive enough.”
Radak closed his eyes and sagged back against the wall behind him. Julian smiled a bit wryly to himself. The Vulcan’s body language was indeed expressive.
“One would think that,” Radak replied somewhat dejectedly, “But not Arjun.”
“Then wouldn’t it be logical to tell him?” Julian asked, tamping down the sudden emergence of his own past hypocrisies.
“I surmise the reason you are here, Doctor, and not with your friend, is for likely the same reason I am here and not with mine,” Radak shrewdly remarked.
Julian sighed. Caught red-handed. Feeling sympathetically defeated, he too leaned back against the wall.
“You’re observant,” he admitted. “But, it’s not precisely the same situation. I’m trying to mend a vestige of a possibility that once existed during a different time and the fact is, I neither know quite where to start nor do I even know where he is. The latter of which, is clearly the exigent priority.”
Radak scooted toward the edge of his cot, propped his elbows on his knees and steepled his fingers under his chin. It was a very Cardassian-like affectation.
“I do not mention this to boast,” Radak prefaced, “But, suffice it to say, I am both extremely skilled at sifting through large quantities of data to extract the information I require, and having lived in the Cardassian world for some time, I have a passing familiarity with its databasing systems. Thus, I would be willing to provide you some assistance in this pursuit of yours if you will decline any mention to anyone of mine.”
“What makes you think I wouldn’t respect your wishes regardless?”
“You are what I have heard referred to as a ‘busybody’. I suspect if you thought you could help, you would interfere. I would prefer to prevent that potential,” Radak replied with a thin, knowing smile.
Julian grinned to himself. He wasn’t wrong.
“Alright,” he conceded. “We have a deal.”
Metadata
Title: Impact
Author: sfumatosoup
Year Posted: 2017
Approx. Word Count: 41,000
Chapters: 7
GB - Slash or Platonic: Slash
My Rating (1-5): 5
Keywords: Post-Canon Cardassia, Communications Issues, Angst, Epistolary, Idiots in Love