Civil Wars 2, 10

The thing about tampered genes is you never know when they might show up. A majority of Faustina’s descendents are human. A majority of Gary & Henge’s are Demis; the difference is that Fussy’s two husbands were human, and there was no way to create a breeding program without first cousins marrying. Very bad form. In G & H’s case, not only is Gary a Demi, his wife is a former Machine with a manifested physical body. That makes for some very interesting genetic permutations over the generations.

Saying all that, Pai sits their hosts down and tells them about their son’s gift. She graciously mentions her old self, version 1 (and I bet Suza and Tér will go nuts to see her again; the twins had not been born when Pai went to version 2.) as a temporary bridge until the rest of the Hartmann clan is informed and some kind of tutor system set up; given the wars – which will be back on in the next segment – this temporary bridge might be at least a year.

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Civil Wars 2, 9

Fairly significant reveal about the infant son of their Hartmann hosts. Wonder where it will go? Once we get all this settled, it’s back to the fighting and politics.

Apologies for the no Wednesday post. Sick again; wife and I had food poisoning. I’ve not really slept in three days or eaten in one-and-a-half. A couple of people at DayJob echoed similar problems for them of their kids. Food quality, not to say safety, is dropping fast.

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Iter, 1/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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Knoxville Shopping Trip, 4/x

Keeping house, seeing to your children and man, feeding them and keeping them healthy and happy, there is no better job in the world. I know many will find this idea outdated if not hateful. That does not mean it is not true.

A Machine-turned-human, made of “diamond dust and star-stuff,” Henge could be any thing she want to be. And, so, she did. A quiet little transition; I bet Aurie will be bursting through their front door like a bomb in the next segment.

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Knoxville Shopping Trip, 3/x

Henge gets a little testy and reminds the visitors that “good manners don’t cost nuthin’.” In her appearances in my books, she is unfailingly polite but a ferocious defender of her family. I was curious to see if she would “act up” just for herself. And she answered me.

The story looks to broaden a bit this weekend, what with their fam together. I’ll have to sit on Aurie to make sure she does not hijack the story. Something which will be interesting is all four of them are demis; over dinner, they can cover more material in fifteen minutes than humans could in hours. That, also, will be very tricky for me to write. But, that’s why I do this: to let them push me.

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Knoxville Shopping Trip, 2/x

“Out of the mouths of babes,” and all that gives a little exposition into Henge’s substance. I think, but do not know, that she was so focused on her love of Gary that she never fully considered the extent of what someone such as her would do to a recovering community. She’s obviously welcome, but I suspect there is still an undercurrent of “what is that?”

Which is precisely the last line of this installment. Next one will be tricky, so likely out late tomorrow. Cheers, all.

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Knoxville Shopping Trip, 1/x

After all the drama around Bright Eyes, I honestly wanted something banal if not boring. So, turning back about twenty years, we have Henge Hartmann going to the market. She’s already had her two children and is a housewife who wants nothing more than to be a good wife and mother. Given what she is, her immediate family, and married into the imperial family, it is a bit more complicated that it first seems. I am looking forward to seeing where she takes me with this story.

The idea behind this is very, very loosely based upon Yokohama Shopping Trip. The lead there is also not human and their world is also changed. It is a brilliant but sometimes confusing manga and a warm, soothing anime. Five stars.

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Bright Eyes, 1/?

A short story about the first child of Empress Faustina. Demi-human, she considers herself a scientist and engineer, most recently working for the Thinking Machine, Ninon, of tribe Tohsaka, on a radar search array on the other side of the moon. While there, a human man, a few years older, catches her eyes, her bright yellow eyes. They have much work to do, so she says nothing. Until it is time to go back to Earth.

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“The Fallen” 4/21

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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“The Fallen” 4/20

Glad for another Friday as I’ll need a couple of days to see where the story is going; probably when I’m early to church. Having Allie wander around in the cavern is going to get really old fast. And there’s no way a teen girl is going to physically fight her way out of anything.

Speaking of church, I’ve said in other places and interviews that my Catholic faith informs my works but does not drive them. Many of the Hartmanns are Catholic; some more than others. The Empress’ father doesn’t have any faith at all (and finds his daughter’s politics to be a constant source of contention).

Oh, yes: in this segment I finally catch up to that image which started all of this a few months ago. Hope to see everyone on Monday.

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