Harrisons Discovery in the Walls

  Discovery in Star Labs

“What is this place?” Harrison Wells asked as he turned in place. The room in which he should not have been able to stand was about 30 meters long and 12 meters wide. There was no obvious source of light, nor was there a shortage of it.

“Unknown individual, please identify yourself.”

The lack of pause between the first two words and the rest of the statement struck Wells as odd, as if the 'unknown individual' was being addressed rather than recognized. “Uh...Harrison Wells.”

“Greetings Dr. Wells. How may I be of assistance?”

“Tell me who you are.” Wells answered, bemused.

“I am Gideon; an interactive artificial consciousness.”

“What is your manufacturing origin, Gideon?”

“I was first activated on March 22^nd 2044. I was commissioned 7 years prior by the Central City Police Department CSI divi...”

“Disregard Gideon. It's never a good idea to peer into the window of the future.” Harrison waited for a confused sound or an objection. None came. “Are you still there Gideon?”

“Of course Dr. Wells.”

“Are you...aware of when you are?”

“Current transmissions and chronometric reading indicate Central City October 7^th 2004. Is this correct?”

Wells couldn't fight a smile. “Yes it is correct Gideon. I take it you are from, well that you were functioning for sometime after your activation?”

“My last memory in my recorded present was in the year 2166.”

“And then you ended up in my time?”

“Affirmative Dr. Wells.”

“I hope you'll forgive me for saying it is fortunate for me that you arrived when you did. Not that I intend to take particular advantage of you Gideon. I've just been feeling pretty adrift lately. I could use someone to talk to, let me know I am on the right path...If I am.”

“Likewise I hope you'll forgive this but I do not believe it was fortuitous for you that I arrived 'when I did'.”

Harrison felt his stomach seize up at that. “Explain.” silence. “When did you arrive in my time Gideon?”

“December 20^th 2002.”

The day before Tess died. “Gideon, do I infer correctly that the individual with whom you arrived had absolutely no intention of preventing my wife's murder?”

“You surmise correctly, Dr. Wells.”

“Gideon, who invented you?”

“Barry Allen, director of Central City Police, CSI division. Also known as The Flash.”

Explain the term please Gideon.”

“The Flash is the alias assumed by the hero of Central City, a meta-human who later gave his life defending the city.”

“I realize I shouldn't be asking this Gideon, but what is the origin of the Flash.” A newspaper article appeared at the far wall, dated October 17^th 2004. “I don't understand Gideon. I asked for the origin of the Flash. Barry Allen would be at most 12 years old right now.”

“Correct. However although the incident which grants him meta-human abilities will not happen for another 15 years, this is the event which allows him to become The Flash.”

“Elaborate Gideon.”

“When Star Labs accelerator gives various resident of Central City meta-human abilities, one individual thus affected is Barry Allen. Many such individuals seek either humanitarian or criminal futures for themselves. The Flash is recognized as a different sort of hero. He is frequently described as more relatable, more hopeful, a beacon of hope doing the impossible for the people of the city he loves. The vigilante team in Starling City is cited declaring the Flash as 'watching over his city like a guardian angel'. This incident led to his initial encounters with the Arrow and his other allies, leading to a 'golden age' of heroism. Barry Allen himself would describe this moment as what inspired him to truly become a hero, in spite of adversity or circumstance. Therefor this incident is the origin of The Flash.”

“...And unfortunately I can understand why.

Nora Allen murdered. Husband Charged.

Local Doctor Charged in horrific Crime.

“As a youth, Barry Allen always protested his father's innocence. But he was 12 years old and no one believed his account.”

“Because it was something impossible. Like a man who can move through solid matter and wore a yellow suit that looked like it had been designed by a speedster?”

“He frequently described a 'man in yellow' and a 'ball of lightning in his house that night, yes.”

“And did the truth eventually come out?”

“Within a year of The Flash's appearance, when Barry Allen himself becomes the impossible, Henry Allen is cleared of all charges, yes.”

“Then why doesn't the man in Yellow do his job?”

“Professor Thawne is...quite literally nowhere to be found in this time.”

Wells stared at the newspaper article. His mind was confused and clear at the same time. “Do you have a spare yellow suit Gideon?”

“Yes Doctor Wells. Although if I am correct in what you intend, you will need something else as well.”

(7 hours later)

“Harrison Wells, are you now set on your course?”

“You've calibrated the velocity-9, yes?”

“Yes Dr. Wells.”

“And the newspapers contemporaneous with The Flash and this 'age of superheroes' you spoke of will record this 'man in yellow' as the murderer, as originally recorded?”

“Affirmative Dr. Wells.”

“Then let's get this over-with before anything could possibly change my mind.”

“Agreed Doctor Wells.”

(Once Wells returns)

“I will not say 'congratulations'. However I will say you did the right thing Doctor Wells.”

“Really Gideon? Funny, I always thought NOT committing murder was generally 'the right thing'.”

“Defending his father's innocence, maintain his 'impossible' story until the time the impossible is born, is a crucial part of Barry Allen's developmental years.”

“He searches for the impossible until the day he becomes the impossible. Am I right?”

“Do you truthfully need a confirmation of this Dr. Wells?”

“Well, to confirm it as fact no. For the purposes of reassuring me this was all worth it, yes.”

“I understand Dr. Wells.”

“How do you know who I am anyway? I mean, obviously your from like 200 years in the future from me, so you would know who I am, but I couldn't help noticing that for an Artificial intelligence you were almost eager to help me, to offer me your assistance, why is that?”

“Because Doctor Wells...you invented Star Labs.”

“I create meta-humans...I create the Flash?”

“I can only speak to my own creation Dr. Wells. At some point Barry Allen and his team perform a through inspection of Star Labs and discover a room which technically should not exist. Within it they discover purely theoretical plans for an interactive artificial consciousness. Within 10 years Barry Allen creates me. In a way I create myself.”

"How long until Star Labs becomes Flash headquarters? How long until Barry Allen and I first meet?”

“You instructed me not to tell you the future Dr. Wells.”

“No specific dates. Approximately how long until I have a chance to tell him who he is...or what I did?”

“It is in approximately 15 years that Barry Allen becomes a speedster.”

“Then I will see you in approximately 15 years Gideon.”

“I understand Doctor Wells. I feel I should tell you it is possible to access this room without activating me. I sincerely hope the resources of future technology will be useful to you.”

“I think I will take advantage of the technology. And I want to thank you Gideon. You know I am not actually angry with you, right?”

“Of course Doctor Wells. I look forward to working with you more directly...when the future begins.”

“As do I Gideon....As do I.”

Expectations Ruined the Movie, not the Film

 This is not Batman anymore. This is not Superman...yet.

"Calling Superman a hypocrite is because you're coming in with all the expectations and action of Past Supermans. THIS version of Superman is actually completely justified in his critisism of Batman."

"You mom's name is Martha, my mom's name is Martha too. Did we jsut become best friends?"

-- No I just realized you are as human as they come. That you care about someone other than yourself and that if I had killed you I would have been letting *another* Martha die. So right now I'm going to work with you to stop the psychopath who's been pushing us to fight each-other and the first step to that is to Save Martha...like you asked with what you accepted as your dying breath.

People actually complain that Supes should have tried harder to explain. It's a criticism I anticipated the first time I watched the movie. And I was right that is one of the 3 BIG things people complain about as far as the main thrust of the movie. People are idiots. Superman did try to explain. He wasted 10 minutes of the fight trying to explain what was really going on to someone who wasn't having any of that. And this is not directly from this video but Batman does not spare Superman because thier mothers have the same name. He has spent 18 months obsessing over killing this alien who could destroy the Earth. Superman needed to be humanized before Bats could come to his senses. And when, with potentially his last breath he asks his *Killer* to save someone else. that's when the damn bell finally goes off in Batman's head that he was about to destroy a Good man. NOT an evil alien'.

YES thank you. Superman is not a hypocrite here. It's confusing how anyone could think that. I watched Chris Reeve Superman for the first time after seeing this film and I thought he was more of a vigilante then. Supposedly Batman hates Superman for clear obvious reasons but Superman has no reason to hate Batman. Clark Kent has a pretty clear reason for hating or at least mistrusting a vigilante who tramples on the law and civil liberties. People see this movie fail thier own expectations and completely fail to see this movie in the context of this universe. Where as you say (thank you again) their expectations do not and should not apply.

Most of the hate for this film comes from people sitting down with a set view of expectations and those expectations not being met. From Superman not being the man we know yet to Batman no longer being 'Batman'. Once the two heroes actually are thrown together Superman tries everything to get Batman to listen, and Batman just isn't having any of that. Until finally he pleads not for his own life but for the life of his mother. And he calls her 'Martha' not 'my mother' because Batman has already made it abundantly clear he doesn't care for Superman or his parents. It wouldn't help. Batman didn't know and didn't need to know Martha was Clark's mothers name. That this alien, even after everything cared more for a human than his own life is what woke him the hell up.

From Everything Great About Batman V Superman Author: I'm sure this won't stop this comment from constantly coming up, but the reason Superman says "Martha" and not "Mom" is because he wasn't currently being Clark Kent. He was Superman. As unbelievable as it may be for Bruce to not know Superman's secret identity, he didn't at that point. So he was still protecting his secret identity. I thought that was obvious. That's why I didn't mention it. And if I had to defend the reasoning behind Bruce not knowing Superman was Clark, why would he assume he'd need an alter ego? He sees him as an evil god alien, why would he ever pretend to be human?

Sideways Stories from Earth 21

  Not Ella but Alia

(I'm using that note as a title because I erased this story mistaking it for one I had an insane number of copies of that was self-contained, wasn't much good beyond itself but started with similar lines and in a very similar situation. I ask myself now, how many times did I erase this thinking it was a different story)

“I'm flattered you've asked for my assistance. I'm just not sure how much help I can be.”

“We figured fresh eyes could help. This is not a species, or an issue we've dealt with before.”

“You say she tries to communicate, but clearly can't speak?”

“She understands us, she speaks with her hands and other things. Unfortunately frustration usually wins out. It's not like she doesn't speak English she just doesn't speak.”

At which point the woman they were observing sits bolt upright on her sofa. And clearly agitated mouths these words: Just because you can't hear me doesn't mean I can't speak.

“You can talk, we just can't hear you?”

Pantomiming as well as trying to enunciate. “And since none of you can read my lips.” holds up hand in a 'wait' gesture. “It's hard, I know, getting so many letters confused. That's why I try to talk like this.” Makes motions and sweeping gestures with her hands. “Movement and language of the body.” coughs painfully. “It hurts. Talking even this loud...hurts.” She caught her breath and started chanting something. There was clearly a rhythm to it. But she had given up trying to speak loud enough for us to hear. Still I got the feeling that whatever she was saying was important.

“Uhh...okay we are getting somewhere. Let's keep going?” I said mildly.

“We shouldn't.” J'onn Jo'nzz said. “Not without additional assistance. I think we need to call in an alien friend of ours. Someone who could hear her without so much effort on her part. And another soul not worn down from trying to understand her. You're welcome to stay if you want Doctor Stein.”

“Thank you, I think I will.” Martin Stein said distractedly.

About a minute later Superman flew into the DEO. He walked through the facility until he found the observation room and the three observers. “What's the matter?” Superman said professionally.

“We have an alien here we can't hear. She can understand us but her voice is...beyond our audible range. And we actually just now figured that much out.” J'onn said mildly. “She's been in this room for weeks. It was clear she could understand us, and wanted to talk to us but she stayed silent...or what we thought was silent until now. I'd like you to try to talk to her. She knows we're friends, well enough. I mean she knows we are closer to friends than enemies. I hope you can help figure out not only what is happening that keeps her 'silent' to our ears, but why it is so.

“You hope for an open dialogue without so much trouble. I see how it can get exhausting.”

Superman or Kal'el walked into the observation room with me at his heels. The woman, who we all called 'Ella' smiled softly at him. 'L' she whispered. Making the shape of an 'L' with her left hand she pointed at the emblem on his chest.

“That's right, the house of El.'” Superman said with a faint smile. “I was hoping you and I could talk for a while. J'onn thinks it might be easier for you to talk to me...physically speaking.”

Ella made a 'C' with her hand, pointed at superman, pointed to her right ear and pointed to herself. At the same time she verbally asked 'can you hear me'. “Yes...yes I can hear you. But J'onn says it actually hurts you, even to talk this loud or at least this clearly. He says you can write English, o maybe just do that? For your sake I mean. It's less exhausting I bet.” Ella got up, picked up 3 pens from the floor and grabbed a notepad. When she held it up, we read:

“ 'Do you remember how you became who you are now? Do you remember how it felt to breathe without gasping With all your might?' ”

“What does that mean?” Superman asked.

Once I realized he was asking me not her I answered. “Earlier she was repeating something, a chant or a song. It seemed like she was trying to tell us something important. And she is. This lyric must have something...” I realized a possible application of her terms and said it aloud. “You can breathe but the air is too thin for you. It hurts to talk...because you run out of air?”

Not thin__Contaminated.

Superman looked like someone had just slapped him in the head with a lead 2x4. “There is something in our air that literally hurts you. You gag on our atmosphere. Which is why we can't hear you...or they can't. But why would that...” She held up her hand to tell him 'wait' and started writing.

“The resonance of my voice with your air. The 'air' resonates differently with my vocal cords. You can hear me...kryptonian powers here on Earth and all of that. But while not my native state, in these conditions my voice is sub-sonic...Or might as well be. Yet giving others super-hearing isn't the only answer.”

“Figuring out what it is about Earth's air that hurts you? So we can give your room atmospheric conditions that don't hurt you so badly?” Superman guessed.

“What IS the composure of your air?” She wrote. Meaning by it 'composition'. I picked up another pen and wrote '97% nitrogen and oxygen. 0.9% argon. 1% everything else.' She looked down, read what I'd wrote and bent over the paper, scribbling furiously. When I saw what she had written, I understood why.

ARGON! Gas. Poison. Chamber. Smothered.

“Uhh, we should go tell the others about this.” I told Superman. “Excuse us Ella we...really need to report our findings.” I tuned and left the room.

“By Rao.” Superman said as soon as we were out of the room. Without a word he handed J'onn the notepad we'd been using. “I know you were watching, so you saw the reactions on each of our faces. Here's what we were reacting too.” J'onn and Martin Stein read over the paper.

“So there is something in our air that is literally smothering her. It's not even that there isn't enough air in the room...although I imagine the effect is much the same.”

“Obviously.” J'onn said curtly. “She's reacting exactly like there isn't enough air in the room. If we adjust the atmospheric settings in her room to .6 not .9 argon things would sound weird for us. Clark and I could probably handle it no problem but everyone else would sound and feel like they were on helium.” Superman looked up sharply, but didn't say anything. In fact if anything he looked pleased. I didn't say anything either. It was definitely a discussion for another time. Martin Stein of course simply nodded. He knew Superman was being mentioned and realized we probably weren't supposed to know. But the name itself meant nothing particular to him. Even so I felt I should try to redirect the conversation.

“But it's an easy enough adjustment to make isn't it?” I asked. “I don't know about anyone else but I'm more concerned with her being able to talk to us without needing painkillers than sounding like Mickey Mouse when I talk to her.”

“Can't argue with you there.” J'onn and Superman said at once.

“Is 0.6 Argon the only adjustment that would need to be made?” Martin quipped. J'onn nodded. “I'll come up with a portable chamber for her use outside these walls. In the meantime, can someone who has access to the DEO servers help me adjust the conditions of this chamber so she's...more at ease?”

“Yes, I can definitely help with that.” J'onn said “You two, tell Ella what we've figured out...and what we plan to do about it.” The instant Superman and I entered her room the first thing I hear was 'Elana'. But from Superman. “Sorry?” I asked confused.

“She said her name isn't 'Ella' it's 'Alia' She thought you'd want to know.”

“It certainly helps.” I quipped.

(Alternate Take: After learning that argon is literally poisonous to their alien guest)

“She's reacting exactly like there isn't enough air in the room. If we adjust the atmospheric settings in her room to .6 not .9 argon things would sound weird for us. Clark and I could probably handle it no problem but everyone else would sound and feel like they were on helium.”

“But it's an easy enough adjustment to make isn't it?” I asked. “I don't know about anyone else but I'm more concerned with her being able to talk to us without needing painkillers than sounding like Mickey Mouse when I talk to her.”

“Can't argue with you there.” J'onn and Superman said at once.

“You've been and are amazing. What I am asking is – will you stand with me at my wedding?”

“Allen, I...for the first time in my life I'm not sure what to say.”

“You've been by my side, lock-step with me, almost like a second father since I became the Flash. And Joe...I know he would have approved...because he asked you to look after me.”

“Barry, I accept of course but, you know it'll look...extremely awkward.”

“It'll be weird to some people sure. But our lives ARE weird...Caitlin's and mine. Weird isn't something to be advertised. But this is one time it's wrong to hide who we are, weird is in our job description. And it is because of you that I don't care what people think who can't bring themselves to understand that we ARE different than them.”

“Actually, I just meant I'll probably still be in a wheelchair but that's a point too.”

“Felicity came up with a solution. They invented an implantable bio-stimulant to be used for vets and Paralysis victims. Oliver says they want to 'surprise us with a gift' so act surprised okay?”

“In that spirit, may I seek your counsel on a similar matter?”

“Okay color me intrigued.” Barry said uncertainly but wholeheartedly.

“I want to ask my partner to marry me, that is to make our partnership official. Do you think Martin would say yes, if I asked him?”

“I didn't know the two of you were that serious. I think you are meant for each-other, as much as two people can be. Just don't ask him at our wedding. His regard for lack of another word of me is such I don't think he'd want either of us in the other's spotlight. Not that you need me to tell you.”

“Very, VERY true. I am, beyond honored you've offered this to me...I accept.”

“I might actually start calling you 'Harrison' after a while.” Barry Allen joked.

“I think I'd like that.” Dr. Harrison Wells said affably. “By the way, who is your best man?”

“That's an easy one: Oliver Queen.” Barry Allen answered with a chuckle.

“The Green Arrow, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.” Harrison said with a broad smile.

“You knew who he was.”

“Barry, you're a hero always have been, not just to me and the team, to the entire city. It makes sense another hero would be in your life, closer to your age. Someone we wouldn't necessarily know. Yes I knew he was the Green Arrow. He made rather a point of it at one time.”

“ 'If you hurt Barry, I'll hurt you' type of a message?” Barry prompted. Wells nodded quickly. “Yeah, sounds like something he would have done.”

"Can't say I blame him." Harrison said amiably. "Protecting *you from people you're not sure can be trusted...It's not hard to understand."

"...I think that's the first time I've ever heard you actually SAY something like that."

"It's the first time I've admitted to it."

"And that is why I want you at my side at my wedding."

Camelot's Clean Slate

 A Clean Slate

 (Note Arthur is known by another word Kris-taan; it means 'noble heart)

“What is it Arthur?”

“Why do you think something is wrong Merlin?”

“Normally you only look that pensive contemplating how to deal with an enemy or whether or not you're being an idiot.” Arthur tensed and looked at me as if I'd insulted him. “You have the biggest heart of anyone I've ever known Arthur. And sometimes you wonder if someone is using that to led you into chaos...into disaster. You are NOT an idiot and no one would ever think that of you. It's...actually one of 2 thoughts that would never cross anyone's mind. When you do get that look on your face; thoughtful, searching, wondering if you're being an easily misled fool....I...I know what it looks like.”

“Well you are quite right Merlin, I am wondering if I'm being an easily misled fool. And I'm wondering if you're the one who's been misleading me.” Slowly Arthur stood up. He lifted his sword to my chest. I froze in place. “In the name of anything that means something to you, answer me honestly: Are you Emrys?”

“How do you even know that name?!” I said quickly. “I mean, I am, I don't deny it but...How?”

“Then I am taking you to stand trial. But first tell me, why keep yourself to these parlor tricks?”

Suddenly I had the feeling Arthur had gotten something very wrong.  "Arthur, you are vulnerable right now, in this state and it is easy to  put the pieces of your life together in order to make sense of this. I do not believe you could have come to this conclusion...put the pieces together and come up with this picture on your own. Arthur, please consider..at least the possibility that someone has put the pieces together for you...in all the wrong places. Without your memory, you can't tell friend from foe, you can-not tell the difference. Something I honestly just now saw for myself.”

“Stop playing games!” Arthur actually barked at me. “Stop talking in circles. Tell me what's going on. And start making sense for the first time since I've know you!”

“Arthur, 'the first time I knew you' was six years ago. And we started out merely tolerating and just being there for each-other as we should. Over time I became as close to you as your knights, and you have been...You mean more to me than words or thoughts could express. It took four years of us being by each-other's sides before you called me a friend. And not wanting to ruin that, I kept my powers a secret. I didn't want you to think of me...how you apparently think of me right now, as a traitor and a liar. We mean more to each-other than reason or position would dictate. You're not furious that I'm a sorcerer...it isn't that I have magic, I've shown you my abilities since the accident. You hate me because I am Emrys. I mean...that's what you're accusing me of, nto being a sorcerer but being Emrys. What do you mean? What, or who do you think Emrys is?”

“The most powerful Sorcerer in the five kingdoms, and one of the darkest souls in this kingdom. A life hidden, shrouded in mystery and loneliness, trying to bring down the kingdom.”

“You're describing Morgana Arthur, not me..”

“..You know her?” Arthur cocked his head. He seemed thoroughly caught off guard.

“And so do you Arthur, you were raised side by side with her. She was your father's ward. No one knew at the time but she was also...IS also your half-sister. She has powerful magic...and is consumed with darkness. She took revenge on your father, dethroned him and seized the throne of camelot for herself once. Ever since the two of us and 5 of our closest friends dethroned her, she is obsessed with 'taking back what is rightfully hers'. She won't accept kindness, only help. She even told me once that she understands loyalty, even though she has no one left to be loyal to. But I think she's a little off the mark on that. She understands what friends will do for each-other and how people can make the wrong choice for loyalty...

...But she's forgotten what it feels like to have a friend you hold so dear you would kill or die for. She only wants people to be loyal to her...And doesn't remember the feeling.” Arthur's hand gripped the hilt tighter and shoved the tip of his sword to my throat. I started shaking, I started weeping. But I decided if I was going to die anyway, not to hold back, so I kept going. “She doesn't know what it feels like to hold someone else as more important than yourself. Which is a part of my life I enjoy every day: Friends, people who care about me, who I'd run into a burning building or a knowing trap for. We all would for each-other. Sir Leon, Sir Percival, Sir Elyan. Gwaine you and I.  That's what makes us friends, it's what makes us strong. Arthur, you have three great friends who would march into the mouth of hell for you. Lancelot and Gwaine are warriors and friends you gave the title and honor of knighthood, though the law of the land said they could never achieve that honor, they earned it anyway. knights. You've never called on me for that kind of bravery...but that's what makes it beautiful: you've never had to. Believe me when I say I would die for you Arthur. And I will if I have to. Even if it is at your hand I will happily die for you!”

A Human Guest

  DEO Daily Log; recorded and encoded by Agent Dox.

She slowly came to her senses. Literally she was awake the entire time, but only started to become aware of her surroundings. I was in my human appearance at the time so as not to completely disquiet her. Winn was standing right next to me and no one else was present, except the woman herself that is.

“Do not be alarmed.” I told her simply. “You are quite safe here.”

“That is all that matters to me.” She replied in a tone of which I could make nothing. “I mean that sincerely. I'm in the DEO so be it. As long as it's closer to a barracks than the lab-or-atory, I AM alright with that. It really doesn't surprise me.”

“You've been here before?” Winn said in a surprised voice.

“Almost 30 years ago I gather. Or is it 'I estimate'. Learning English is easy. Using it like a native...confusing.” She looked between the two of us, smiling slightly. “I'm a Xavallen. My people are low-level empaths. Not reading thoughts more, sensing a persons motives and intentions...*way more keyed into the emotions in a room than most humans. Naturally my use of language is...proportionately based on the emotion or sensation it invokes. Most people think I'm damaged or TESOL. It's...hard to fit in completely, even were I from San Francisco or whatever.”

“You're not a telepath?” Win said, as if to reassure himself his thoughts weren't being invaded.

“No, I'm just paying attention really. I'm not an intentional security risk. If you can tell me truthfully that I'm more of a prisoner than a science experiment and I won't want to leave anyway.”

“I think we can assure you of that.” I told the woman in what I hoped would be a kindly voice.

“You're Coluan aren't you?” She asked me bluntly. I started; I couldn't help it. “I know of no other species as soft-spoken nd matter of fact as you have presented yourself. And yet, you seem more... sincere, I guess, than most I've heard of?”

“I've never heard of your kind.” I told her...I honestly couldn't think of anything to say.

“My home planet is 'fifty miles past nowhere' relative to the rest of the galaxy. Only explorers and conquerors go out that far. And only settlers and vacationers ever find us. We are quite literally shielded from the rest of the cosmos.”

“Then how did you get here?” Winn and I asked almost precisely in unison.

“Every thirty-two years we take the shield down and those of us who want to leave, can. And in case I'm making things more muddled than I should, it's relative isolation not deliberate obfuscation... We're out of reach not out of touch. What are you called, as an individual?”

“My name is Querl Dox. My friends just call me 'Brainy'.”

“Most people who know me call me 'Sasha'. Only the closest friends and most distant strangers call me 'Nikita'. As a matter of course, does that mean I am right...you are...bio-mechanical?”

“I use the term 'techno-organic'...But essentially yes.”

“I take it you're not using a personal image inducer.” J'onn said as he walked into the room. If I believed in any particular God I could have sworn to God that all color completely drained out of Sasha's face at that moment. She looked some mixture of revolted and horrified.

“As if you would even need to ask.” She said bitingly. “Great tactical thinking. Not that it matters to you I bet.” There was what I could only call contempt in her voice and she said nothing else for several seconds. Then again, neither did anyone else in the room.

“Uh...Am I missing something here?” Winn said in a voice no less confused than my thoughts.

“I'm sorry, I honestly thought things could have changed that much in thirty years. Whether this is a 'second in command' thing or 'false sense of security you did it.” Her voice seemed to slow. “Do you not...You don't know what I'm talking about?”

“Not really.”

“Thirty years ago I was a lab-rat at the DEO...at your hand. At least... under the watchful eye of someone with your face.”

“The original Hank Henshaw.” I said aloud.

“You are...you and I have more in common than you think.” J'onn Jonzz said solemnly. He transformed into his natural green form. Which of course made him a good foot taller than he had been a moment ago. “Hank Henshaw , saw me as a threat and did everything he could to take me out, including hunting me like a deer to the middle of the amazon jungle. He died that day. I assumed his identity to try to reform the DEO closer to...well defense than the equivalent of ethnic-profiling. I do not need to ask if you believe me...I am sorry I scared you.”

“You couldn't have known how I'd react, without knowing I'd been here before. Anymore than I could have known there were still green Martians about. I am glad some of us still work for peace without turning ourselves into...I'm trying to describe a' valor without renown' situation. Those of us who help without fighting on the extreme front lines of everything.”

“ 'Us'?” Winn queried.

“Non-terrestrials. People who live here but are not from here.”

“How old are you?” I asked her. Winn and J'onn both turned to look at me. “How long have you been on Earth and how old are you?”

“My people become older adolescents at 20, legal adults and self-determinate at the dawn, literally the rising of the sun, on our 32nd anniversary of life. I came to Earth almost 60 years ago..at the age of 42.” A shadow passed over her face. “Listen I don't...I'm going to need some spinach pretty soon.”

“That's pretty specific.” I said in an attempt at humor.

“Other than having a cardio organ where you have your left kidney...physiologically we're not that different from humans, not even with our digestive system. Nutrition is another matter. My people don't need iron and protein as much as we need magnesium and tryptophan. Being an emotion-centered race what we NEED are emotional stabilizers. Physical fitness matters even less than physical attractiveness.”

“You know Star Trek.” Winn said out of nowhere.

“40 of those 70 years were spent in this county. And It is nice to see if the 'other team' is getting anywhere close to right.” Sasha said with a smile. “I made references to Space Seed; and episode of the original Star Trek where they meet a tyrannical but tactical genius from a darker time in Earth's past.” She looked around, tilted her head to one side and quoted as if in a dramatic performance 'you are an excellent tactician Captain: you let your second in command attack...while you sit and watch for weakness.' “ She smiled warmly and resumed her normal intonation. “I'm rather delighted any-one could pick up on that intent with so oblique a reference.”

“Agent Schott, see about getting Sasha a salad and bread sticks. Brainy...take our guest to a more private room, make sure she is comfortable.” He morphed back into his human state. “I'll let Kara and Alex know what's going on and keep things on alert.”

“He plays things just as close to the vest...but he inspires loyalty instead of demanding obedience. It is a HELL of a lot easier to respect a leader one naturally trusts.” Sasha said in a thoughtful voice.

“I'll show you to your room.” I said in a bantering tone. Something Sasha apparently appreciated as she gave me a soft smile and a 'lead the way' gesture with her right hand. We made our way into one of the more empty but expansive rooms in the DEO. The instant she got inside Sasha went to one of the windows and gazed out. She stood there for a full minute and a half before turning back to face me.

“What did you mean when you said I was...kindlier...than the rest of my race?”

“Why haven't you heard of mine?” She responded equally bluntly. I asked her to elaborate. “My people are not xenophobic. We know of Martians and Xerilians and they know of us. You're people are supposedly the fount of all knowledge, living memory machines of the galaxy. Why do those records apparently not include my kind.”

“Because those records...have a lot of gaps, when I'm from.”

“...And by your time my people might actually have faded into obscurity.”

“Do you...always take people at their word?”

“I take things as I see them, yes. I live and react according to what I sense, not what I see. And what I see in front of my face not what I'm told by...anyone really. If I see a liar, I take what they say with a grain of proverbial salt. I have no reason not to trust what *you say Brainy.”

“You've learned to tell who you can trust...and you trust your own intuition.”

“...Yes essentially.”

“I believe J'onn intended me to informally debrief you.”

“I'm glad it's a fellow non-terrestrial to do so. Not against their intelligence, just their experience. Also the more curious ones are SO busy interrupting the interviewee with more questions, they never hear the answer. I can't even get angry at them for being that inconsiderate, because they are simply being curious. Let's find a place to sit and I'll tell what I can.” She sat cross-legged on the floor where she was and I followed her movements, sitting across from her.

Alt Tapestry of Next Generation

 Data is a blue eyes gold skinned officer. His relationship with Lt. Tasha Yar lasts almost three years, until Ishara boards and raids the ship.

Worf stays aboard their ship, even after the Defiant is christened in order to remain close to his son Alexander. Commander William Thomas Riker takes that command.

Geordi LaForge is less Don Juan and more like Claudio from Much Ado about Nothing: Shy poet. He works at the Conn side by side with either one or the other of the 2 people most important to him: His friend Data and Lt. Ro Laren.

Ro Laren is crazy about Geordi. Geordi only pursues romantic relationships in holodeck programs, with RoLaren and Tasha as the main characters. He hasn't decided between the woman he desires [Tasha] or the woman he feels an actual very real, not quite a romantic bond bond with [Ro]. He and RoLaren are friends and fellow officers. Their duty shifts on the bridge frequently coincide and thier posts ARE right next to each-other. (In this story Geordi was never transferred off of helm to engineering)

After 5 years on the ship Dr Crusher and Captain Picard develop feelings for each-other. But neither says anything about it. Picard finally confronts his feelings for Beverly after being captured by the Cardassians. Gul Madred tortures him for weeks on end.
“You know what I want from you.” Madred says menacingly. “Your submission for her freedom.”

Picard willfully drops to his knees. “Five lights. I see...Five lights.”

Madred keeps his word and releases Dr. Crusher. Who finds her way to the Enterprise. After about 5 proverbial minutes Captains Jellico, Riker, Shelby and Ross bearing down on the outpost to free Jean-Luc Picard.

Captain Picard has yet to overcome his feeling about being Locutus. His Ahab-like feelings about the Borg themselves. Q, wanting to help him move on shows him a Tapestry-like scenario in which he never survived being Locutus. Captain Riker tries to deal with the Cardassians; fails completely. A bit earlier, they went looking for Ambassador Spock. But Riker couldn't connect with the man so Spock told him to leave and he did. No one knows what happened to Spock after that. One thing we know is that Unification itself could not have happened the same way, in the vision Q shows him.

It is in every way 'the fiction of the what if of what was'. After which Picard accepts himself as he is. But also that maybe he was missing the point of what happened. Even to the point of saying aloud “Q, if you can hear me, and I assume you can. I understand. And I thank you.”

Why Movie critics make me laugh (and weep)

I don't actually mean professional movie critics. I mean swarms of people being blindly critical of a given movie to the point where they cannot understand why anyone could like this movie. And don't pay enough attention to anything in the movie that spells out literally every criticism they have.

Batman V Superman is the best example of this. When I finally saw the movie for myself it made me sad how much people would be so completely ignorant and what they would complain about. Literally everything that I have ever heard against this movie is spelled out in the movie itself. And it really must have been in front of thier eyes but gone in one of their ears and out the other without ever making contact with thier brain. It was an awesome movie that I couldn't enjoy watching, because only someone paying as much attention as I do -- something I have gotten made fun of and talked down to for doing. I have literally been insulted and shredded for paying this much attention to a movie as often as I am recognized and appreciated for noticing (recognizing) things about the movie others miss.

But in this case most of these are just breezing past what they see because it doesn't line up with what they come into the theater EXPECTING to see. What they see in this movie that's actually there and what they see in when they watch the movie are too wildly different things...mostly because people are not paying enough attention to see anything they don't' already know is there.

So I get kind of proud at my own... not so much analytical abilities but my observant abilities. Strangely enough this was the first time, the confusion in which I learned I actually have an Above par not a Sub-par attention span, like I was always told. So this is me agreeing with everyone who ever laughs at people who shred Batman V. Superman Dawn of Justice.

To quote Christopher Reeve in Smallville "Humanity is not only about biology." Batman Vs Superman is best way and possibly the only way Superman fans who are not Smallville fans to learn that. I think the biggest theme of this movie is this: humanity is a choice. Batman in this version seems to have given up his humanity years ago, but Superman, despite not being a human in his DNA, is the most human of this movie’s big three.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oz2IcD28FHg&t=474s 

Why you're wrong about Batman V Superman The Martha controversy.

7:54 actually contains 3 different criticisms that have never made sense to me. Superman has every reason to be suspicious of Batman. As mentioned in the previous section, Clark Kent the reporter has reasons to be concerned about the bat vigilante in Gotham. And Superman goes into the battle to save his mom's life. And there usually is a battle of ideologies between these two, for the sake of the fans. But that doesn't exist here. When I first heard of this movie I wondered how it was supposed to work. As you say, If Superman's heart is actually in the battle, the battle will be over in 2 seconds. If you look at it from the Perspective of BRUCE hating Superman and CLARK fearing Batman the entire movie makes a lot more sense.

'who refers to there mother by thier first name' -- literally anyone with both a birth mother and a step-mother. Who was raised by a woman who did not give birth to them. Or whose father remarried after their mother died/they got divorced. I seriously laugh at that one every single time. And of all the 'save Martha' critics I have ever heard, that is the absolute stupidest.

"Superman can't be into it wholeheartedly. Because if Superman wants you dead, you're gonna die. If it is a heartfelt fight from Superman's side, you will lose."

When I first heard of the movie Batman Vs Superman I wondered how the heck this movie could ever work for this exact reason. Batman would have to be into wholeheartedly and he could be easily misled to think Superman was a villain. But if Superman believes the same, if Superman is trying to rid the world of the menace of the dark knight, the fight would be over in 2 seconds.

"How many Good guys are left how many stayed that way" not only spells his motivations out perfectly but also explains why he didn't go through with killing Superman later. He finally realized that Superman was a good guy. And that he probably should have been asking that question about himself, not the strange visitor from another planet. Also Superman said 'Martha' not 'mom' because Batman had made it abundantly clear he didn't care about Superman's parents. And since he obviously wasn't *being Clark Kent at the time, Batman would have heard 'Save Jor-el's wife' not "Save a human woman who is in danger".

This is not Batman anymore. This is not Superman...yet.

"Calling Superman a hypocrite is because you're coming in with all the expectations and action of Past Supermans. THIS version of Superman is actually completely justified in his critisism of Batman."

"You mom's name is Martha, my mom's name is Martha too. Did we jsut become best friends?"

-- No I just realized you are as human as they come. That you care about someone other than yourself and that if I had killed you I would have been letting *another* Martha die. So right now I'm going to work with you to stop the psychopath who's been pushing us to fight each-other and the first step to that is to Save Martha...like you asked with what you accepted as your dying breath.

People actually complain that Supes should have tried harder to explain. It's a criticism I anticipated the first time I watched the movie. And I was right that is one of the 3 BIG things people complain about as far as the main thrust of the movie. People are idiots. Superman did try to explain. He wasted 10 minutes of the fight trying to explain what was really going on to someone who wasn't having any of that. And this is not directly from this video but Batman does not spare Superman because thier mothers have the same name. He has spent 18 months obsessing over killing this alien who could destroy the Earth. Superman needed to be humanized before Bats could come to his senses. And when, with potentially his last breath he asks his *Killer* to save someone else. that's when the damn bell finally goes off in Batman's head that he was about to destroy a Good man. NOT an evil alien'.

Superman is not a hypocrite here. It's confusing how anyone could think that. I watched Chris Reeve Superman for the first time after seeing this film and I thought he was more of a vigilante then. Supposedly Batman hates Superman for clear obvious reasons but that Superman has no reason to hate Batman. Clark Kent has a pretty clear reason for hating or at least mistrusting a vigilante who tramples on the law and civil liberties. People see this movie fail thier own expectations and completely fail to see this movie in the context of this universe. Where as you say (thank you again) their expectations do not and should not apply.

Most of the hate for this film comes from people sitting down with a set view of expectations and those expectations not being met. From Superman not being the man we know yet to Batman no longer being 'Batman'. Once the two heroes actually are thrown together Superman tries everything to get Batman to listen, and Batman just isn't having any of that. Until finally he pleads not for his own life but for the life of his mother. And he calls her 'Martha' not 'my mother' because Batman has already made it abundantly clear he doesn't care for Superman or his parents. It wouldn't help. Batman didn't know and didn't need to know Martha was Clark's mothers name. That this alien, even after everything cared more for a human than his own life is what woke him the hell up.

I'm sure this won't stop this comment from constantly coming up, but the reason Superman says "Martha" and not "Mom" is because he wasn't currently being Clark Kent. He was Superman. As unbelievable as it may be for Bruce to not know Superman's secret identity, he didn't at that point. So he was still protecting his secret identity. I thought that was obvious. That's why I didn't mention it. And if I had to defend the reasoning behind Bruce not knowing Superman was Clark, why would he assume he'd need an alter ego? He sees him as an evil god alien, why would he ever pretend to be human?

Wholeheartedly agree this is an awesome Batman solo movie trapped inside a boring convoluted Superman sequel withy characters written the way literally no one expected. But 'Save Martha' is not lazy writing for plot convenience. It's true to life. 'who refers to there mother by thier first name' -- literally anyone with both a birth mother and a step-mother. Who was raised by a woman who did not give birth to them. Martha is his Adopted mother. Or whose father remarried after their mother died/they got divorced. I seriously laugh at that one every single time. And of all the 'save Martha' criticisms I have ever heard, this is the most dismissive overly simplified ever. He was speaking as Superman. Superman's mother was another alien who had been dead for 20 years. But making her a person, with a name Batman happened to care about, would have and DID change Batman's mind.