Tales from the Captain’s Table (42 page)

Louisa M. Swann
is currently on leave of absence from an alternate dimension. Born on an Indian reservation in northern California almost forty-nine years ago, Louisa spent her first six months of life bundled up and carried around in a papoose basket. She spent the remainder of her growing years at Lake Tahoe, California. At one time or another she participated in, made a living as, or halfheartedly attempted the following: student, maid, waitress, receptionist, flight attendant, secretary, teacher’s aid (unofficial), ski instructor, ski patrol (volunteer), and engineering assistant. Louisa now lives on eighty acres in northern California with her husband (Jim), twenty-something son (Brandon), two horses, dog, cat, a varying population of rabbits, deer, coyotes, bobcats, cougars, snakes, frogs, birds, bugs, and no electricity. She insists on calling herself a writer, a dementia that is consistently fed by her burgeoning
Star Trek
publications in
Strange New Worlds V, VI
, and
VII
, as well as other science-fiction venues. The human members of the family manage to put up with her eccentricities with only a few minor squabbles. On the other hand, the horses, dog, cat, and miscellaneous wildlife understand her perfectly. She often goes to them for grooming when the rest of this dimension becomes a bit too difficult to handle. While on trips to other dimensions, Louisa enjoys skiing, sailing, hiking, and swimming; however, most of her spare time is currently spent laying bricks, a therapy recommended by her dimensional psychologist.