Speak to Me by Hafren (PG)

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Fandom: BLAKE'S 7
Pairing: none
Author on LJ: hafren
Author Website: Hafren's Gloomy Patch of the Forest
Why this must be read:

It's always interesting to read a story written from an unusual, non-human POV, and the computer characters on B7 really aren't explored nearly often enough in fic (or, for that matter, in canon). So finding a believable, insightful story written from Zen's point-of-view is a real pleasure. And finding a believable, insightful Zen-POV story that rips your heart out and leaves you wanting to cry for the poor machine is beyond amazing.

It's very short, and quoting the best bits would, I think, be a mistake, but here's how it starts:

It is the voice of command. At last. The tone, the pitch I was made to respond to, that lets me in. The voice of reason and thought. Since I was quiet, there has been nothing for so long. Then voices again, but dark voices, the voices of guards or slaves. Now, at last, a light voice.

I want to respond. But I was left silent. Active: I am here, I am conscious of you. But I cannot answer you, obey you, until you engage me.

Speak to Me

Comments

[hafren.livejournal.com]

Gee, thanks! It's always interesting to see how different people handle the "classification" side of recs; I am never sure myself whether that fic, though it's certainly gen, is "no pairing" or Z/J cybernookie. I think the trouble is how would Zen differentiate between "sex" and "love".

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

I thought about designating it Jenna/Zen, but figured in that case perhaps people would be expecting freaky computersex that isn't there, and I didn't want to mislead anyone. :)

I have a devil of a time classifying stories, whether my own or other people's. Ratings in particular give me a big headache. My impulse, which I find very difficult to resist, is simply to give everything that's neither hard-core porn nor the equivalent of a Disney cartoon a PG rating.

[hafren.livejournal.com]

Mine too, on the ground that I let my kids see most things and it didn't seem to corrupt them...