So, we have a kind of détente, and “agree to disagree” situation as these two fight over Graf’s carcass. It was interesting to see Alix immediately start to help; it was also gracious of Pai to thank her for it.
See everyone next week. Another dinner! It’s a cliché! Then, I think, things shall get rather grim when Pai presents Graf to Reina. This gets odder and odder.
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Continue reading “Pai-Graf, 5/x”A rival appears. Never had something like this shown to me before. Plenty of romances, sure, but to have Alix come out of nowhere and immediately lay claim to the main character? Who is already spoken for? I’m on very unfamiliar ground, right now. This is either take the story places I have not imagined or will wreck it on the rocks in about a thousand words. We shall see.
In the background there is more I want to know about Ceres, and these two girls are not helping. And “my flesh needs to be fed” sailed right over the heads of both humans. That will definitely come up next.
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Continue reading “Pai-Graf, 4/x”A quiet segment. Having finally arrived for her meeting, Pai essentially ditches Graf, who spends some time on the lake. Trust me, things get very, very interesting in the next segment, so we all needed this breather. Her little bit of exposition about his demise gets him thinking; considering death usually does.
For those of you interested, yes, Faction: With the Crusaders is real. I internet-know the author and I very highly recommend it. His first book was not really my thing, but this is historical fiction and one hell of a story. When I’m able, I’ll need to write a review for him. People on “our side of the river” need all the support we can get.
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Continue reading “Pai-Graf, 3/x”It was a 17-hour drive, augmented by my GI tract bug. DIdn’t get home until 2347. I’m recovering today but very glad to have the day off. In fact, after this update, I’m laying down for at least rest if not a nap
“A walk in the woods,” is an old military metaphor for a failed commander to use his sidearm to blow his brains out to try to expiate his failure. Thankfully, this is just a walk between two cousins, more human than human, who are groping their way to an understanding and acceptance what their loss.
I do like how Aurie – she’s so down-to-earth in private! – immediately recognized where Min’s grief was leading her. And put a stop to it, instantly. That meeting with Reina has me a little worried, though. She’ll likely work on Min’s mind in the exactly opposite way.
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Continue reading “Iter, 3/x”This really is an emotional trainwreck for me. But necessary for Min to have some kind of closure to what she has suffered. I’ve been with my wife for 35 years, much of that we were off at our jobs, or traveling separately… Imagine being with someone every day for one hundred years. And now that someone is gone. The second to last line here is critical: machine does not mean emotionless; in fact, given their speed of thought, I suspect some of them are much more emotional than humans. For Min, that goes all the way back to the end of part three of Obligations of Rank, where she drops into Les’ lap and starts kissing him, to thank him for her asylum.
While I’ve mostly completed Iter (it should be five segments, I think), the end needs work. Tomorrow will be a 15-hour drive, so part three will not be until Thursday.
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Continue reading “Iter, 2/x”This will be the 11th and last addition to my 19th book, another short story collexion. It, unfortunately, again deals with death. And how the spouse of that person deals with their death. I again apologize for all these depressing stories, and will try to do something much more fun and entertaining, next.
All demi-humans have longer lifespans. Those who have lived in close physical proximity (which Laszlo has not) to Henge Hartmann even more so. But they still die and are smart enough to not deny that and thus can make plans for it. As an android, Minerva (please be polite when reading and pronounce it in your head correctly: mee-nur-wa) is effectively immortal. As a Model 12, she has living skin, which she feeds via something like a TPN every three days, which was replaced about fifty years ago.
Iter will be wall-to-wall grief and politics. If that’s not your thing, I’ll be back, later. Otherwise, here we go…
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Continue reading “Iter, 1/x”A couple of posts ago, I mentioned that getting back to Aurie’s innate aggression was the key to this story. Turns out I was correct.
The investigation and running the different terror cells to ground would turn this into a novella. I’m not saying that will not happen, but it is not happening here.
I’m still playing with some ideas about getting Ildi and Lem apart and hope to put some words down tomorrow. That will make for a Wednesday post. But, things are complicated in that story: not just the science part of science fiction, but the politics between the imperium, the rump state of Chu, and Dorina’s involvement, recalling that Dorina is of tribe Tohsaka – coded in Japan – which makes the Chinese not at all comfortable.
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Continue reading “Succession (6/5. End)”My wife, some months back, expressed an interest to know more about Henge. I’ve mentioned here before that what I saw was sort of an Arwen/Elessar moment: Gary was dead and Henge gave up her life. I did not want to have my next collection in on that note, so I’ve brought her into the picture here, showing a glimpse of what a completely different form of life can do.
I’m almost finished with part 6/5 (yea, me), and am trying to condense what brought all of this to a head, while still sounding reasonable. Yes, reasonable people don’t don suicide vests but fanaticism does strange things to the mind. Ultimately, there is either a person or central committee behind this carnage. Driven by hate, sure, but a cold, rational hate to plan and execute something like this.
In Berserker and Regent, we have seen what Aurie can physically do when she thinks her friends are threatened. I think internal matters of the imperium are going to get worse before they get better.
Happy weekend, all.
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Continue reading “Succession (5/5)”“When stuck or in doubt, blow shit up; kill people,” said an old friend of mine, Columbus’ best graphic artist. And that is where we are.
It’s interesting that whereas Ivan said there were two more, there are, as you’ll see, more than that. That’s how cells work: cut off from one another with only the bare information to get done whatever a central committee wants done.
Hindsight being 20/20, I think there will be six parts. The next deals with immediate aftermath of the terrorist attack – Aurie’s mom, Henge, gets a chance to literally shine. Part 6/5 will be several hours, perhaps a day, later, when the Hartmanns try to piece together what happen, and more importantly, why.
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Continue reading “Succession (4/5)”Allie now knows that Kira and those on the surface are aware of her predicament. It is a comfort to her, to know that, sooner or later, she shall be rescued. When? That remains to be seen. In the meantime, she goes to take a look about.
I mentioned to some other writers I am dangerously close to writing myself into the kind of cavern Allie finds herself in. My stories are driven by interaction. Alone in a cave negates that. So, I’m working on a way out for myself as hard as Kira is for Allie.
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Continue reading ““The Fallen” 4/21″
machciv 