October 2012
2 posts
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September 2012
8 posts
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Chapter 6 Part 3
The particular species they were after were called Vawerps. They were not one of the semi-sentient natives of Element, but they tended to cause trouble. They usually tunneled into human subterranean structures by accident, but once they had breached a tunnel, they began raiding at every opportunity. Miles suspected the boss had sent him here to deal with a small raiding party in the subway.
The...
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The History of Element - Part 5
The Continents Continued
Continent 3 is the largest landmass on Element. It is the northern Pole continent, and not surprisingly contains a great deal of snow and ice. Oddly enough, the continent is almost perfectly divided into 3 areas. The southernmost edge of the continent is a perfectly habitable strip of forest and taiga. Some of Element’s largest trees grow here, and can reach more than 500...
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Chapter 6 Part 2
They left the ship in a docking station Jonesy had a membership to. Shielded from the wind, Jonesy and Miles stepped into the dark cavern. They were alone; most people stayed in the safety of their apartments during storms. A long row of exit signs marked the route to the next building.
All of the buildings in New Chicago’s downtown were connected underground by pedestrian walkways. Not many...
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The History of Element
((writer’s note: I am impossibly impossibly behind in this project. In an effort to catch up and resume normal weekly posting, I am repurposing and continuing a serial fiction I had started in the previous Year in Prose project. This story will begin with my June 1st post, and will consist of both re-posted material and new material. If you want to catch up on the entire story, click the...
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August 2012
13 posts
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Chapter 6 - A Seed in the Wind
Chapter 6 - A Seed in the Wind
The storm roared, and the tiny ship bounced wildly through the sky. The wind was deafening, yet through the terrible howling a voice could almost be heard.
“…aaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!”
Miles’ scream was certainly audible from inside the ship, the unfortunate place that Jonesy now found himself.
“Miles! Shut the fuck up, man! I’ve gotta focus on this shit...
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Chapter 5 Part 2
With a deft flick of his wrist, Vito tossed the bag of coins in the air. At the same time, he flicked the knife on his wrist into his hand and underhanded it at the guard captain. Brakus ducked in time, but the guard behind him wasn’t so lucky. The coins slammed into the second guard, distracting him. Vito whipped around and dove towards the kitchen.
“DAMMIT!” Brakus roared. He raced towards the...
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Already Drunk
I am already drunk when I am dropped off at the party. My roommate has benevolently agreed to deliver me to the spot. Presumably he knows I have been drinking, at the very least by scent, but I imagine he has underestimated the volume I have consumed. Many hours earlier, through my bedroom door I hear him return from work, plodding in his thick-soled boots past my door, pausing just long enough to...
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The History of Element - Part 2
Part of the reason rumors were so abundant was that no one had come back from Element. Even in most modern deep space qualified ships, the travel time to Element was slightly over one year. Dimensional jumping had been refined to a safe point, but the only coordinates near enough to Earth and Element that had been officially cleared for a jump were about 6 months space travel from each planet....
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She sat in her armchair, wringing the letter she’d...
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Chapter 5 - Dangerous Situations
Chapter 5 - Dangerous Situations
Vito twirled with the rough hand and slid to the opposite end of his corner bench, his hands raised. He smiled his most winning grin.
“Brakus, so nice to see you,” he drawled, “I really thought we were past all this…” Vito made a pouch of gold materialize and dangled it enticingly at the guards. He stood.
Brakus scowled deeper and advanced towards Vito, moving...
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I have this snapshot in my mind of us, from a long time ago. Not that long ago in time, really, but in us. We’ve grown into new lives, completely new people from those sitting in that snapshot. And it’s not like it’s dear to me; it’s not something I miss. It’s just a summary, a single image of exactly what was wrong with us.
We were at a party, well, we called it a party. It wasn’t like a...
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The History of Element - Part 1
Myths and Rumors
Element wasn’t really a coincidence. The similarities between it and Earth were just too convenient to ignore. The similar ratio of landmass to water, the odd lack of a major range of native bio-forms, and the sudden “discovery” of the planet were all subjects of numerous and wild conspiracy theories. The newscasts on Element contained very little of the truth, and consisted of...
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The world was melting, it seemed. Eli had no idea such heat could exist anywhere on earth, or that people could live in this heat. He looked at the others on the shit bus that was taking them from one village to the next, could not understand how they could bear it. They talked to one another, casually wiping some damp moisture from their brows, smiling and laughing. His window was as open as it...
July 2012
17 posts
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The city looks different at night, slower somehow and more livable. The sun has set but we are washed in the ever changing colors of lit billboards and company logos; the fireworks of a modern city.
The city catches light everywhere but holds it loosely, a child approaching fireflies with open hands. The hood of taxis reflect and distort traffic light. On sunglasses’ lenses and the puddles...
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Chapter 4 Part 3
The ship itself was a gleaming shard of metal in the hangar. Odd fins and wings stuck out all across the hull, giving the overall impression of a rather unbalanced puffer fish. There were no visible windows, exhaust, or breaks in the metal exterior, but as Miles approached, a door in the side slid open with a hiss.
Jonesy gave one last sigh and darted into the dark portal. Miles shrugged and...
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Chapter 4 Part 2
Jonesy knew this was the end of the discussion. With a reluctant sigh he punched the button for the lift on the wall. It arrived a few moments later, and the pair began their descent.
Most of the buildings in New Chicago had large underground facilities, as very little could be built at ground level without risk to it being blown down. The parking garage was one such facility. It spanned a rough...
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I’m sorry I called you a jackass. That doesn’t...
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Chapter 4 - Mission
Chapter 4 - Mission
In the hall of Building A, there was an argument. The argument was not over leaving, simply when. Miles was in favor of leaving immediately, but Jonesy wanted to wait for a break in the storm.
Miles knew he didn’t have that much time; the mission had to be started soon, before the moon had risen too far. Of course there was no moon with the cloud cover of the storm, but if it...
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I started writing letters to myself when I was...
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I planned on painting my bedroom brown. A rich,...
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Chapter 3 Part 2
Vito sighed and slouched into a small chair in a corner of the Shelter. As his breathing returned to normal, he took stock of the crowd. A group of soldiers playing dice to his right. Some elderly men smoking at the bar. The usual scattering of traders. A few local youth. He relaxed slightly.
Most people only stayed in Pompeii II for a week or two. Vito had grown up here. He had watched as more...
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It was just a cup of coffee, he said. Just a cup...
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June 2012
15 posts
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Chapter 3 - Fire
Pompeii II.
Tick.
Sweat ran down Vito’s face, arms, and legs. He was reasonably certain sweat was running down his sweat.
Tick.
Vito knew he had seconds to find a Shelter, before the eruption caught him, or the ashy air choked him. He was bolting at breakneck speed down the streets of Pompeii II.
Tick.
It was getting harder to see. Vito knew the city’s layout better than most, but even that...
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Chapter 2 Part 3
Miles resumed pacing his apartment. The TV resumed its silent display. The storm continued raging outside.
How am I supposed to get out of here? Miles thought, it’s over ten miles to the office, and God only knows how much further after that…
Miles had a vehicle, but driving out into a storm on Element was suicide. Only certain high-end EMG ships and governmental vehicles had the tech...
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From January With Love
I found this little chunk of prose tucked away from January. Thought I’d post it.
It’s the fear of the call, more than anything else, that keeps her up waiting for him to return. She knows what would happen once he did stumble through the door, defeated and drunk, the bruises of doubt fingerpainting his face and shoulders and back. Sometimes she’d yell and thrash, put on a show of disgust for...
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Chapter 2 Part 2
A screen came to life on the wall. It was muted; Miles usually kept his TV this way. He was just reclining on his couch to relax when a loud tone sounded. The sudden noise startled Miles, and he tumbled off the couch, upsetting the remote, which un-muted. As the tone sounded again, Miles touched a button on his left ear and answered the phone.
“Hello?”
A deep voice, “Miles.”
“Yes?”
“You have a...
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The strangest part, the most beautiful part, was...
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