Author: Clayton Barnett

Former engineer, current husband and father, layabout Pharmacy Technician, aspiring writer.

Colour’s Dirty Friend

This is certainly R-rated for any of your sensitive types out there. If that’s a problem, skip this and the next for cat pics on Facebook. If not, I think that if Jimmy were thinking with his upper head a little better (and I turn that into a joke tomorrow), he’d notice that, once again, Aurie is effectively reading his mind. Of course, troll a hottie like her across the field of view of a 27-year-old, it’s going to be pretty obvious what’s on their mind.

Looking a few installments ahead, I brought productive work at DayJob pharmacy to a halt today when asking both pharmacists, “what the best drug to turn a demi-human into a temporary super-soldier without killing them?” They settled on either PCP or high-dose epinephrine. I’ve given them 48 hours to pick one or the other.

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Fast Colours

What’s the old quote? “Well, that escalated quickly.” I really didn’t expect Aurie to come on so strong.

Per what I said yesterday, we shift perspectives here. Mech tech Jimmy Burns of Nova Scotia Rocketry is now the “main character” for a while. And if you missed the foreshadowing in this segment, you should be beaten with a stick.

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Colour of the Future

My pause to think over the weekends is working. After this segment, below, there will be a chapter break in the published book. I will then change perspective. That is, we will not have Aurie as the main character (MC) for a little bit. Instead, we’ll have Jimmy Burns; we shall see the world, and Aurie, through his eyes. I did something similar in “Empress’ Crusade,” where for three chapters the MC became President John Dysart of the Gulf Shore States, rather than Empress Faustina. It’s a fun exercise for me and I think it allows the reader a totally new view of the world. Whenever Aurelia is finished in Nova Scotia, the MC shall again be her.

Aside: had a DayJob colleague read my short story “Cadets,” today. She was going on about “what a bitch that Faustina is!” I laughed. “Wait until you meet Reina.”

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Flustered Colour

Getting a little used to taking things slower over the weekend. The guys at the other table in Val’s, as you’ll read below, are significant to the story and I need to understand them.

Anyone who thinks post-menopausal women are not very interested in sex does not know any post-menopausal women. I’m the first to admit my sex life in my 50s is 10x better than in my 30s. I think it’s just a matter that Colour has been alone so long, she doesn’t even recognize her own feelings.

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Ice Colour

So, who wants to see Aurie in the nude?

Well, you’re not going to here. This is a written story, not ecchi manga, you pervs.

I know that the Thinking Machines do not plan, certainly not in our sense, as they think too fast; while we open the fridge to wonder about dinner they’ve completed a schedule to terraform Mars. I think there is something a little similar with demi-humans. Not speed… just some difference I do not fully get, yet. I’ve seen a little of that with Faustina both in combat and with her sons. So when Aurie nonchalantly says, “I’m hoping to get laid,” it is apparent she’s given this some thought.

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White Colour

Wrist is still hurting and likely will for at least another week. Lovely. At least I can type with the brace off.

Here we get a glimpse into the imperium’s ethnic policies after Colour makes the mistake of thinking the world before the Change still exists. Diversity is no one’s strength. And then Aurie says yet another startling thing.

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Spark of Colour

Wrist was hurting too much to write yesterday. Trying to make up for it now. Unfortunately, in an hour I’ve an appt to get the stitches out. If that re-traumatizes me I might have to look into something like Dragon s/w for voice-to-text. I’m horrified by the idea of not being able to tell stories.

It’s been pointed about to me that while I did okay describing Colour when she was introduced, I glossed Aurie too much. Part of that is the nature of these raw, unedited installments; to get a story out in the most bare-bones way possible. Still, I’ve seen the young-ish man Aurie is about to meet in Canso. I can use him to talk about her. Given the free-wheeling, wide-open natures of Demis, esp. in the imperium, I have certain doubts about the princess’ ability to keep her light under a bushel basket.

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Colour: White

Not going to lie, frens, but this is some of my best writing and I am very proud of it.

A salutary example of the raw power of nature is bracing for anyone. Anyone no matter how they were made. I think Aurie will be a little different after this. Interesting to see how it plays out with her men, her legates, and the Empress.

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Phased-array Colour

Another 1000-word day, even with my hand hurting. My new DOP (Director of Pharmacy) broke the news to me that it likely will for 10-14 days. Minimum. Oh, joy.

Still, I didn’t want to throw all that at everyone at once. So, I got through the mention of young Crown Princess Ildi, currently in Japan, first child of Empress Faustina’s second marriage. After that, next time, Aurie puts the pedal down, so to speak.

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Reactionless Colour

Yes, it’s short. I’m still writing. I didn’t want anyone thinking Aurie killed her friend. I mean, she’s quite capable of doing it if she thought she had a valid reason. But given how much loyalty is treasured in the imperium, Colour would have to do something like shoot one of the imperial family. If she, say, betrayed Aurie’s secrets to the Canadian government? I imagine the princess would just shrug and end their friendship.

In the next installment, I hope y’all enjoy Aurie’s reaxion when she first sees the ice with her own eyes. It’s a bit like the Grand Canyon; you can look at pictures or even go to an IMAX, but until you stand there and look at the big hole in the ground, you will not “get it.”

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