For the first time ever, the Empress’ second husband gets a speaking role. I don’t – yet – get into his background or why Faustina picked him, but I’m sure I’ll find out. Also, from Regent (now with a 5-star review), Eloise meets Aurie’s husband, too. Like El, he’s recently of Canada.
So, we have something of a meet-and-greet right now. I’m curious to see how all this develops.
Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!
Continue reading “Book 17. Part Three. 2”Starting part three with the focus on Eloise Patel. We pick up the story just where Bob literally vanishes out of her arms. While Aurelia is in this scene, most of this part will involve humans, both in the imperium and in Canada. I know that sort of flies in the face of the whole “Machine Civilization” theme, but I like to mix things up now and again.
There’s not exactly tension in the plot as we already know Faustina and Edward are back safe, albeit six months from now. And we know that Eloise gets herself into trouble back home. Now we just need to find out what happened.
Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!
Continue reading “Book 17. Part Three. 1”This is the end of Part Two. I’ve mentioned Part Three, currently underway, will be from Lt. Eloise Patel’s POV as she has been arrested by a faction of the Canadian government.
They, the Canadians, are realizing that things have turned against them. Riding high from occupying the former US Midwest ten years ago, they thought their problems of access to resources and – more importantly – a place to move as the ice and snow of the Maunder Minimum continues to come south, were over and it seemed to be champaign and roses. For a few years.
Then Yukon and British Columbia fell to the Russian Empire. A couple of meeting engagements around Winnipeg. Then Winnipeg under the ice; Edmonton under the ice and road and rail lines to their western provinces cut just as a Russian brigade shows up to claim it all. At the same time, with Canadians on the Ohio River, Empress Faustina incorporates Kentucky into a new imperial province. A few months later, she sends her niece, Aurelia, at the head of an army to bring the Northern Federation of Maine, New Hampshire, and surrounding communities into Friend & Ally status; Aurie goes even further, prompting the Archbishop of Montreal to reopen the matter of Quebec’s independence.
All of this, plus the imperium and the Russians have reactionless motors and fusion weapons. Factions of the Canadian government are now scared and scared governments do stupid things. How stupid? We’ll find out in Part Three.
Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!
Continue reading “Book 17. Part Two. 13 (end p2)”Back home. Aurie has a surprise and Bob chastises his older brother regarding his wife. We get only a tiny look at what’s been going on for six months. More tomorrow, when Aurie starts talking, I’m sure.
Tomorrow will mark the end of Part Two. I’m making progress on Part Three but may wait to get ahead a bit more, in case I hit a block.
Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!
Continue reading “Bool 17. Part Two. 12”Had another interview this weekend. Once it’s edited I’ll post a link. We were supposed to talk about AIs; current development and what’s in my books. We wandered a bit.
Speaking of, pictures being worth what they are, Bob shows El a glimpse into a Machine’s construct. This is a shorter segment but her reaction to it, tomorrow, is telling.
Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!
Continue reading “Book 17. Part Two. 8”Interesting to learn that the imperium has factions in it, as well. Makes sense: any politics leads to factions. However, without any electoral system, would that scale up into parties or remain dissident cells?
Also, I think for the first time ever, there is a mention of India in my future history. I know Europe and China, and Mexico has annexed Southern California, southern Arizona, and western New Mexico, but India and South America are a blank to me. Perhaps Eloise can tell us more in Part Three.
Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!
Continue reading “Book 17. Part Two. 7”Filling in some details about who is who and where they are. While I’m a “pantser” not a “plotter,” I do like to know where the pieces are on the board before all the action breaks out.
The line, “Did you just make that up right now?” is precious. And, yes, I run with it. Full credit goes to my wife; when I was musing about where take the story, she said: “they stumbled into a stargate. Happens all the time.”
Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!
Continue reading “Book 17. Part Two. 6”A new day brings new surprises. Aurie literally drills down into Eloise’s head to get better intel on where the two missing persons are. Hopefully Kalí was listening.
Otherwise, I do wrap up one hanging thread from the end of “Regent,” formalization of Aurie’s and Jimmy’s relationship.
Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!
Continue reading “Book 17. Part Two. 5”Bit of a longer section but I wanted to get the Canadian stuff over so I can return to the Mars/Missing Family conundrum.
Bob really does not seem to like the life he was born into. I think he knows that his “legionary career” is not long for the world; even now, he should be in Manitoba but is instead neck-deep in “the family business.” Eloise certainly seems to like him but I’ve never had an Indian (dot-not-feather) in my books before and don’t want to take a month off bringing myself up to speed on their culture. I know that China has broken up into a redo of the “Era of the Warring States,” but I think India has held together somehow. *sighs* A question I’ll have to answer at some point…
Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!
Continue reading “Book 17. Part Two. 4”Here I begin to go down a rabbit hole I had no intention of ever – ever – exploring. Time travel stories are not hard science fiction and also very dangerous from a causality standpoint. Time travel into the past is boring and stupid; as Larry Niven once noted, it is just a child’s wish fulfillment of “make it didn’t happen!” Into the future, with a presumed return to the present? Similar “Sound of Thunder” problems.
My work-around is my faith. As a Catholic, I believe God sees everything in His “unbounded now.” Past, present, future, to a mortal mind is just NOW to Him. So long as I keep close track of what I’m writing over the next few installments, I should make it out of this without sounding like a complete idiot.
BTW, “Lest Darkness Fall” is a spectacular book.
Enjoy my content? Buy me a beer!
Continue reading “Book 17. Part Two. 3”
machciv 