Well, it's time to convene the emergency beating...er, MEETing... ----- Chapter 20. "What the living hell is wrong with you, Sun Wu Kung?" Despite her anger, Ariane found it difficult to maintain the grim expression; the Hyperion Monkey King looked so utterly hangdog that part of her wanted to laugh, and another wanted to give him a hug. But I can't. This is far too important. I have to make this point. None of the others looked like they were laughing. DuQuesne's [ Continue reading... ]
Spheres of Influence: Chapter 19
July 24, 2013 By 13 Comments
And it was DuQuesne who'd left Wu alone, wasn't it? Where was *he* when all this went south? ------ Chapter 19. One Sky Gate located,DuQuesne thought in satisfaction. And if we didn't just get lucky at the opening gun, we might have quite a few Sky Gates leading to a bunch of places. It was true that there was some danger inherent in that, but overall it was probably a good thing; more options, more possible places to explore. As long as one of them doesn't lead to the Molothos homeworld [ Continue reading... ]
Spheres of Influence: Chapter 18
July 22, 2013 By 23 Comments
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 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 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 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... ]
Spheres of Influence: Chapter 8
June 28, 2013 By 19 Comments
Well, they'd gotten a call from Orphan, who made a most interesting statement... ----- Chapter 8. "Welcome back, Captain Austin, Dr. DuQuesne," Orphan said expansively as she and Marc entered, Wu Kung just behind her. Simon was visiting Relgof and the Analytic, starting discussions to find out about the Sky Gates, while Gabrielle and Carl were moving their merchandise from the Grail to the Embassy; Laila Canning was currently at the Embassy in case others came to call. Orphan's hard, [ Continue reading... ]
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