Pavel Andreievich Chekov

20-21; My Good Side?
Some citizens have experienced becoming a different version of themselves but has anyone experienced meeting a different version? Not just any version either, supposedly the best version they want to be. She's smarter, he's prettier, she tells the truth, he has a heart. This other version arrives at midnight maybe with a polite knock on the door or they've already crawled into bed because it's their home too. What's a citizen to do?

While Chekov is fairly pleased with who he is (sometimes more pleased than he has any reason to be) and wouldn't change anything significant about himself if given the choice (aside from his height, perhaps), he certainly has an idealized sort of dream-self who will be making an appearance during this curse. The significant differences between Chekov and Other!Chekov don't reflect insecurities on Pavel's part; it's nothing more than wishful thinking and what-ifs.

It should come as no surprise that Chekov occasionally resents his physical appearance and age. He's short, young, a bit gangly, and generally adorable (which does have its advantages); to make matters worse, he takes largely after his mother. Pavel is from a society where the ideal male is traditionally masculine--tall and strong, not small and waifish. Therefore, Other!Chekov will look wholly different. He's the epitome of Russian maleness as Chekov sees it and, as far as the kid is concerned, that basically means Other!Chekov will look not unlike a younger version of his father, who is quite masculine in appearance.

I've chosen Walter Koenig (the original Chekov) as the PB for Other!Chekov because he has the right look and it amused me to do so. For the sake of this curse, let's pretend that Koenig is considerably taller than five-foot-five.

Other!Chekov looks somewhat older--mid-twenties, perhaps--and is a good six inches taller than his five-foot-seven (not Anton's real height, but he plays short) counterpart. He's broad-shouldered, sturdy, and has what Chekov would consider a very Russian face and complexion. He's boyish, but not adorable; his hair is not curly and fluffy.

As far as conduct goes, they're not too different: both are polite, have a penchant for drama, and balance a sense of futility with wry optimism. Both are undeniably Good and dedicated (perhaps to their detriment, but Chekov doesn't realize that), honest, and loyal. What Other!Chekov has that Pavel doesn't is a slightly more dignified and reserved air (as befits a soldier) and more social know-how. Better yet, he has a way with the ladies. (Chekov flirts almost unconsciously, but hasn't mastered the art of doing it on purpose; seduction isn't something he knows much about.) Other!Chekov is gentlemanly and respectful, but also a master of seduction.

(NOTE: By "master of seduction," I mean "master of seduction as Pavel understands it," which is probably not very... ah, seductive.)

Other!Chekov isn't as goofy or as easily distracted (although humor is still a prominent characteristic, since Pavel likes a good sense of humor), as he must maintain a dour Russian countenance at most times. His posture is military-perfect, he's composed, he's both brilliant and a more than capable fighter, and he is stubborn because that is also a desirable Russian trait. He's quicker to stand up for himself than Chekov is and more aware of the fact that one must be careful around certain people because certain people are dangerous.

What I'm saying is Other!Chekov is the most manly, the best at all of the things that Pavel is good at as well as the things he is not so good at, the finest soldier Starfleet could ask for, and the most Russian Russian of all time. I'm already annoyed by him.

Other!Chekov will not have certain qualities that Chekov doesn't mind in himself, but would exclude from a magical idealized version of himself: a willingness to engage in less-than-manly activities, puppy-like eagerness, a tendency to be less Russian or less himself to put others at ease and fit in, relentless forgiveness, a deficient ability to feel shame, and no desire to wear a false mustache.

It's important to note that Other!Chekov will be readily understandable instead of just-barely-speaking-something-that-sounds-like-English Chekov. He will still have an accent, but it will be a muted one. There will also be no 'v'/'w' transposition, making it possible for Other!Chekov to say words like invisible, vessel, Vulcan, and evacuation without sounding silly.

[There is a rather impressive—and impressively accurate—cross-section of the U.S.S. Enterprise, made wholly of Lego, directly in front of the device’s camera lens. This charming view is quickly replaced by Chekov as he picks the device up and sets it on a (remarkably tidy, for those few who have had the misfortune of experiencing Pavel in his natural habitat) desk, adjusting it for a moment before addressing the network.

He looks quite grim.]

One thing I will miss about that curse, I think, will be the horses.

The dirt, the guns and bullets—I am happy without those. Projectile weapons are clumsy and messy and not so kind as a simple phaser blast. But the horses! I was on a horse, once, in the City, and I did little more than fall off of it. Riding one without falling off was good. Better, maybe, than piloting a personal shuttlecraft, although I would not tell Sulu so.

I like machines, but I like animals better. Yes, ships have their personalities and attitudes and you need to learn what your ship is like before you can be very good at knowing what she needs, but they are not so affectionate as animals. I would be happy if I had a good horse—just like the one that I had when the curse was here—instead of a good ship. [After saying this out loud, he amends:] Only, of course, if I could take that horse to space in a ship. I miss space already and I have been gone from it for only 115 days. Being a cowboy—as much as I would like the horse, I would miss space too much.

[He’s not addressing the network anymore. If fact, he’s not addressing anyone. This doesn’t seem to bother him.] Maybe if I were to find a captain who would let me have a horse onboard… I think that that would be ideal, although there are rules regarding nonhuman lifeforms that would be hard to get around…

[And back to the network on a wholly different subject.]

I was thinking of things that science typically takes for granted today and wondering if they apply in the City. The law of conservation of mass… how would that work, here, in a place where new settings can appear overnight and new animals can show for a day and then be gone again? Settings, I understand; maybe the deities can alter what is already present to make their curse landscapes. Animals, though, cannot appear in a dimension and then—

[He pauses, train of thought apparently switching directions.]

There is the uncertainty principle. I usually think of it only as it relates to quantum physics… very small things. Not an entire horse, or entire people. Perhaps the City is a large experiment—Schrodinger’s paradox, that is what Mr. Laszlow mentioned not so long ago. It is not the same, of course, because all of this—all of what we are perceiving—is macroscopic, and it is very difficult to bring quantum theory to bear on such a scale.

Anyway, I do not feel like a collapsed wave function. That surely counts for something.

Also, I would like to have the horse that I had during the curse. I liked her, and I think that she liked me.


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