Well, we'd heard that Sun Wu Kung had got himself in trouble (is anyone surprised? Bueller? Beulller?); let's see how, and what kind of trouble it is... ----- Chapter 18. "Go enjoy yourself for a little bit, Wu. I'm heading back to the Embassy to give Ariane the good news." Part of him wanted to protest that he should probably go back, but… finally on my own in the Arena! So many things to see! So many things to do! "All right, DuQuesne! I am sure she'll be so excited to hear Simon's [ Continue reading... ]
Spheres of Influence: Chapter 17
July 19, 2013 By 5 Comments
And now, it's time to meet up again with another Faction we haven't seen in a while... ----- Chapter 17. "May the Minds show favor on this meeting," Sethrik said formally, as he seated himself before the conference table in one of the split-back seats designed for his species. "It is a pleasure to meet more of your people, Captain Austin." "It is a pleasure to meet with you as well, Sethrik of the Blessed," Oscar Naraj said, and Michelle Ni Deng echoed the sentiment. Oasis Abrams was [ Continue reading... ]
Spheres of Influence: Chapter 16
July 17, 2013 By 5 Comments
Time to be out and about a bit... ----- Chapter 16. "Are you sure this is okay, DuQuesne? I mean, I really really want to go with you, but you want me to guard Ariane, and—" "Relax, Wu," DuQuesne said, smiling. Already talking a mile a minute. "We all agreed you needed to be able to get out and about." "Quite so," agreed Simon absently, as they made their way along the broad corridor towards the elevator to the Outer Gateway. Low, flat tracks of shaped superconductor now lay [ Continue reading... ]
Spheres of Influence: Chapter 15
July 15, 2013 By 2 Comments
Both the reader, and our new arrivals, need a bit of a briefing... ----- Chapter 15. "Challenges," Carl Edlund said, "are the heart of Arena political maneuvering." The entire group was gathered in one of Humanity's briefing rooms. Well, DuQuesne thought to himself, everyone except Tom and Laila, who're on the Sphere because someone's got to stay there, and Simon, who thinks he's close to finishing his design so he's not letting anyone interrupt. Something else was bothering the physicist, [ Continue reading... ]
Spheres of Influence: Chapter 14
July 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Let's get out and about in the Arena, shall we? ----- Chapter 14. "I thank you for being so open-minded, Captain," Oscar Naraj said to her with a more genuine smile than he had given in the first few hours after learning the truth. A couple of days to look at things and mull it over has at least given him some perspective… I hope. "I won't say I'm open-minded on this subject, Ambassador – actually, I'm pretty certain I know exactly what's going to happen – but I'm willing to let you and Deputy Ambassador Ni [ Continue reading... ]
Spheres of Influence: Chapter 13
July 10, 2013 By 11 Comments
It's time to check back in with our party's head scientist and see how he's doing... ----- Chapter 13. The room stretched away in front of Simon, and to both sides, to such distances that he momentarily groped for a true sense of scale. Bakana, he thought. It simply cannot be this large. But it was. The ceilings, set with arched windows from which streamed beams of what seemed pure, natural sunlight (though, perhaps, by the tint, not Earth's sunlight), rose one hundred meters or more; yet it was low, [ Continue reading... ]
Spheres of Influence: Chapter 12
July 8, 2013 By 7 Comments
So, our expected... guests... from Earth system had arrived... ----- Chapter 12. DuQuesne grinned as he saw the three figures crowding together – just as he, Ariane, and Simon had the first time they'd stepped through to Transition. Nothing really prepares you for that. Not when it's real. Oh, sure, simgames have stuff just as impressive in its own way, but you always know in the back of your head it's just a game. Somehow I even knew, in the end, about Hyperion. But this is no [ Continue reading... ]
Spheres of Influence: Chapter 11
July 5, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Now Ariane has some difficult questions... ----- Chapter 11. "Arena," Ariane said to the empty air of her own room in the Embassy of Humanity, "I have serious questions with respect to the operation of a new Faction, and it would seem unwise to trust other Factions for the answers. Will you speak?" She knew from experience that the Arena – or whatever intelligence controlled it – would rarely speak on its own, and even if addressed directly would only speak if the request fit [ Continue reading... ]
Spheres of Influence: Chapter 10
July 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment
We haven't checked in with Simon's point of view in a while... ----- Chapter 10. "Doctor Sandrisson!" Relgof Nov'ne Knarph strode from one of the shining metal and glass doors opening from the immense silver-and-marble appearing lobby of the Embassy of the Analytic and embraced Simon, to the human scientist's momentary surprise. He returned the hug, however. Either they have similar gestures, or he has carefully studied ours and knows that to adopt them will make him seem closer to us. Not [ Continue reading... ]
Spheres of Influence: Chapter 9
July 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Orphan had a problem... ----- Chapter 9. DuQuesne studied Orphan carefully. He's good at playing the game. But I don't think he's doing much of that right now. He means it. "You can't do this yourself? A one-man ship or something like that?" As Orphan's hands flicked outward, Ariane answered. "I don't think that would be practical – not if he's going into the, what did they call it, Deeps, the areas away from settled Spheres." "Alas, exactly correct, Captain Austin." Orphan's [ Continue reading... ]
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