Production Code: 1x00
Episode Title: "Ab Initio"
Writer: Grizz
Production Code: 1x01
Episode Title: "Our Little Corner"
Writer: Grizz
Production Code: 1x02
Episode Title: "Off the Deep End"
Writer: Grizz
"Asteroid Base: Alpha welcomes you back to the Accobar System"
Introduction: AB: Alpha. Lexi Etis. Amber Munro. James Wright. David Rush. Denara Clarke. But a few of the names thrown about over the past three episodes, serving as reminders that Asteroid Field was conceived as a spin off to the original Asteroid Base series. If we needed any more of a reminder, we have Daniel Thrace, Jack Willis and Tim Rogan along for the ride. On top of which, the slow-burning Accobar arc has come back to the surface and wasted no time in taking it's first major leap forward. It may be a new station with a new team, but the same mysterious civilisation continues to elude us.
"Accobarians? Is that what you call us?"
Writer Comments: My opening episodes were designed to introduce a number of recurring features in to the Asteroid Field series - some to distinguish AF from AB and others to continue several threads from the latter. Amidst the list of new features, we have the civilian commander in the form of Renee Hampton - a scientist turned politician - Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, no less. This was my answer to having more of President Taylor's administration involved in the Accobar System given the events of 2384 (G'rath, Illuminati). As with most of my characters, her life hasn't been entirely straight-forward. This is something to be explored in the season ahead.
Speaking of wasting no time, the science team and other members of the crew may come face to face with Denara Clarke (at least, Hampton speculates as much). For those of you not taking meticulous notes, here's a quick summary of when and where we have heard (or seen / implied) that name before in Asteroid Base:
S01E04 - Reflections - A distorted female voice introduced herself as Denara Clarke, heading up one of the many variations of Asteroid Base: Alpha which appeared during temporal and spacial experiments by Commander James Robertson.
S01E07 - Contagion - One of the final victims of the nanovirus uttered the name 'Clarke' when asked about the origins of the artificially enhanced disease.
S01E08 - Treasures from Accobar - General Walter Pierce cited that Denara Clarke had failed in her attempts to prevent the use of the Accobar Bracelet in his Universe.
S02E02 - Life Extinct - The events of 'Contagion' were remembered during an outbreak of the nanovirus aboard Asteroid Base: Alpha and at the excavation site on Accobar III.
S02E06 - The Two Doctors - David Rush first speculated that the Cult of Romulus were not the original designers and buiders of the asteroid-situation outpost.
S02E08 - 2394 - Ten years in the future, Rush recruited Daniel Thrace from the past in order to change the course of history. This was done via the device buried beneath the surface of Accobar III and controlled via the Control Bracelet. This change in the timeline was referenced by the female figure in 'Off the Deep End.'
S02E10 - Swan Song - Roxanne Swan referenced Clarke's 'original work' when utilising a Starfleet-version of the Accobar Control Bracelet.
S03E03 - Day of the Prospectors - The Halkonian Mining Agreement was seemingly formed with the original inhabitants of the Accobar System. Amber Munro also referenced materials she retrieved during the undercover operation with the Cult of Romulus - she supported Rush's theory that somebody else built the original outpost. On top of this, David Rush and Daniel Thrace uncovered a hidden computer system buried within the old programming code.
S05E05 - I Spy, Genocide - Denara Clarke was mentioned by the crew during a second (simulated) outbreak of the nanovirus on the station. Although, they did not know it was simulated at the time.
So, there you have it. Believe it or not, I am working with a plan and despite changing to a new SRP, I intend to stick with it. For the meantime, however, it's going to slip in to the background. Compared to Asteroid Base we now have a thriving science team - which makes it all too easy to ignore the main focus of the episode and deal entirely with Accobar III. But, as you may have spotted, steps were taken by 'Clarke' to ensure the team is hindered in their progress. This will stall the team's main project - and allow the scicene department to partake in the upcoming episodes' main features.
"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about."
Rest assured that we will be revisiting Accobar III again, and in style, but that's in the future for now. Because Asteroid Field is designed to be so much more than having the entire cast cooped up in the Science Lab for two hours a week. We're going to be dealing with the upcoming peace negotiations, the rebel factions on both sides, spacial anomalies, murder mysteries, policial scandals and a growing rift between Pioneer and AB: Alpha in the weeks (and months) ahead. Anyhow, I digress.
I am already very pleased with the way our characters are developing and interacting with each-other. We have also seen a few secondary characters pop in - who we will be seeing again in the future. These interactions are vital in what is going to be a character-driven series. As promised in the original brief, everybody has a story, and there's going to be plenty of time to tell them.
For now, we look forward to Griffiths' first instalments, long overdue since his intended participation in Asteroid Base's third season. Thank you all for making the start of Asteroid Field a success.