Archive
Among Bright Stars… (Neo-human #2)
Humanity’s future, isn’t human…
Nadia Korelia, Falcanian queen, has spent the last three years assembling together her sibling Morningstars. Artificial people, who are in every way stronger, smarter and more beautiful. Among these Morningstars are Temujin Sardur, a Mongolian buccaneer, who raided pleasure boats in the Andaman Sea, Guillaume LaSalle, a Gascony spaceship Commander, who participated in bringing alien life to Earth, and Darius Noorani, the 12th Imam foretold by Islamic religion. Can Nadia unite her fellow Morningstars, even as the Falcanians use war, to broker for peace?
It’s finally here, Neo-human book 2!
A few thoughts. The book here is very different from the draft I began with, though the plot is largely the same, how it gets to where its going is somewhat different. Many of the changes came about because these first three Neo-human books were written as a single unit, not unlike LoTR, and the second book behaved too much like “the middle” of the novel than a story on its own. To be sure, the larger story arc needed to be, and is served here, though I made a point to connect the grander arc to the micro focus on Mornngstars and what they are. In fact doing so added another layer of meaning which I didn’t intend to touch on until further down the road in the series.
If “Starblade” was the story of Frederika learning about who, and what she is, then “Among Bright Stars…” is Nadia‘s story exploring she and Frederika‘s common Morningstar origins.
I’m going to forewarn you, there’s a little something for everyone to HATE in this book. It could be the whole Muslim messiah presented as both a Robot and a fierce Westernizer/reformer. After Benghazi, I made a special effort to tick up that plot a bit… Or, it could end up being Princess Sitara‘s life choice – Which will only seem radical depending upon your point of view on the matter – Though its sure to annoy some contingent who think science fiction‘s job is to support one particular party line. On that same note, I’m sure the whole Annunaki riff will grate a few people the wrong way as well. But, I don’t try to please everyone, or anyone but myself first and foremost when I write.
*A sharp eye will note, the Table of Contents (TOC) is different in the Amazon version compared to the Smashwords (aka all other retailers) TOC. That couldn’t be avoided. Kindle was being a pain and wouldn’t read the Table of Contents as it was formatted for Smashwords (which was odd as it had every other time) so I needed to build it a different way. Which is why the epigraph is displayed as it is on the Amazon book.
Bullets & Gynoids…
Blood warmed, respiration returned, pulse hummed, and emerald eyes fluttered open. Bright overhead light shone down and caused her enhanced eyesight to compensate for the white brilliance. Death sucks! Most of the bullets bounced off, but impact hurts like a bitch! Thought the woman as she sat up, naked on the autopsy slab. The redundant positronic clusters, free from bullet obstructions were at last able to cycle her restoration program. Her now fully functioning body could absorb any leftover bullet fragments and very soon she would be back to ace condition.
Another peek at Neo-human #2 “Among Bright Stars…“. Who is this new Morningstar?
Related articles
- TuesdayTales 66 – Gynoid (glitterword.wordpress.com)
- Thursday Poem (3quarksdaily.com)
Gorgeous Gynoids
“Guess that explains 12th Daughter of Kobol…”
Nadia groaned. “I love Tanis Rao, as I do all my Valküri,” she licked her maroon lips and exhaled. “Just, she can’t write herself out of a paper bag.” Reconsidered. “Maybe that’s too harsh? Rao’s bodice rippers get the job done.” Nadia’s blue eyes twinkled. “I probably shouldn’t have shared my complete origins with the Sisterhood. Though I thought it my duty to keep my Valküri Order knowledgeable, to better let them think in the long-range view.” She sighed heavily. “However, Tanis Rao allowed her speculations to roam wild.”
Arshira giggled. “I think that particular Sci-Fi novel, is Sharr’s favorite example of popular Falcanian literature.”
“Furious, gorgeous gynoids,” Nadia joined in the laughter. “Who plot to dominate the Earth,” mock sarcasm, hand on hip. “Yeah,” she flipped her brunette mane. “I can’t imagine why that would appeal to our husband or anything…”
— Nadia, and Frederika, From Falco Invictus: Under A Raptor’s Wings
I should probably post more, but I’ve been intently editing as you can see from the above block quote. Yes, that is a shameless BSG reference (and a Superman one too!) in fact its a Battlestar Galatica reference wrapped in bacon, in the full context of the novel… where I flirt with the 4th wall (wait until the third book…) and get really meta…
Related articles
- GREEN LANTERN: NEW GUARDIANS #12 Review (worldofblackheroes.com)
- Arshira, Hatched (Censored) (raptorsclaw.wordpress.com)
- Arshira, Out Of Her Shell (NSFW) (raptorsclaw.wordpress.com)
- New Battlestar Galactica series (geeknative.com)
- Scientists build the real C-3PO to fight fires on board warships (thetruthseeker.co.uk)
- 3 Laws of Robotics poster (coming soon) (adafruit.com)
Taurus Yards
[Taurus Yards, Stronghold Of The Ran Crime Syndicate]
Rust, where Atlas City proper stood bright, clean, and white, the Taurus Yards were rusted, in disintegration, and disrepair. It was here the first newcomers to Fountainhead came to colonize before the city of Atlas had grown to reach skyward. In time the Yards had become slums, riddled with old spacecraft which had been permanently grounded, and reconstructed to serve as homes for the new arrivals. As people moved into Atlas in order to take advantage of the city’s high-end technological, egalitarian lifestyle, the rebuilt vessels were left to crumble.
In the Taurus Yards very little remained automated – Which brought an advantage to the crime lords who could go about their business dealings without constant surveillance from Fountainhead’s busybody government, ‘just trying to help out’. Here the crime lords knew there to be true freedom, even if they had to manage it with muscle, as well as savvy.
Dashscare Ran was a Falcanian. Typical of his kind, he was winged, a great armored Garuda mounted to his back supported translucent teal, mammalian style wings, and tapered into a flat, plated pincer-claw. He was very proud to be a Falcanian. Given that Falcanians had been fashioned from out of human genetic stock, they generally resembled their cousins, but for oval pointed ears. Like many males of his kind, Dashscare wore facial hair, in his case, a simple handlebar mustache.
“Keshla!” Spat Dashscare. “That flying freak,” he exclaimed not concealing his ironic tone. Only Falcanians were supposed to rule the skies he believed. Yes, it was a prejudice on Ran’s part. “Arrested Esai.”
“Esai Anthropos won’t spill boss.” Assured Kiraader Dak, Dashscare’s flat faced henchmen. “Our lawyers will have him out by sundown. Even the police don’t officially recognize Javelin’s authority – they only tolerate his interference… good connections. Javelin’s still a vigilante.” He sneered. The Skatha were an offshoot of Falcanians, hideous and broken things. Gargoyle creatures, who, unlike their bright cousins, were considered feral. Grotesque bone colored flesh concealed a dark fire. Flat nostrils, and red slit eyes peered out at the world from cockatrice crested heads that functioned to mark clutch brothers, each born from out of a kidnapped Falcanian maiden, for no females could be found among the Skatha Horde.
Dashscare grinned at Kiraader, slapped his shoulder fondly. “Of course he won’t. We’re going to bring that city to its knees. They claim within Atlas’s walls everyone is equal, but they are not, they are but cogs serving others whims. Therein rests perverse wealth, and concentrated power. If it truly were such a noble place, I would never have so easily been able to purchase Martin Wellington’s election. Yes, that cost us much. Though the result will give us Atlas City’s wealth.” Joyful at that thought, he envisioned the bringing low of the wealthy. “We’ll break this Corporatocracy which rules this planet, and regulates our lives.”
“I believe you will Dashscare.”
“It is the same elitism that keeps our kind at war, Falcanian, and Skatha – You my poor hunted cousins. In good time we shall see to your liberation as well.” Dashscare sighed, looked out over the necropolis of rusted ships, which were once homes. “This place should have been a historic district, instead the rich, and powerful leave it to decay as though it were mere junk.”
Related articles
- Javelin: Guardian of Future City – My Superhero Project (raptorsclaw.wordpress.com)
- Nadia – NSFW!!! (raptorsclaw.wordpress.com)
- LAPD, Occupy movement face new friction (latimes.com)
- Occupier charged with terroristic felony for protesting in front of bank (rt.com)
- White House told authorities not to crack down on ‘Occupy’ protesters, documents show (foxnews.com)
- Occupy Unmasked (frontpagemag.com)
- DNA links Occupy protest scene to 2004 murder (usnews.msnbc.msn.com)
Javelin: Guardian of Future City – My Superhero Project
Chapter 1. City Of The Future
Very nearly lost in the wake of Earth’s destruction, while overthrowing alien overlords who had for generations enslaved Earth, the remnants of humanity at last had been provided an opportunity to remake itself. A project was launched by the three great powers: The Falcanian Khanate, Terran Triumvirate, and provided oversight by the newly minted, neutral Commonwealth of Allied Worlds to unite fractured mankind, and that of their fellow sapients under a common goal, and in galactic brotherhood. Chosen for this great experiment: FOUNTAINHEAD, a lush planet filled with resources, located beyond any of the three great powers dominion. For its Capital, an ideal city was to be constructed by a genius industrialist, who installed into its workings every luxury, and current technology. He hoped that with the populace’s creature comforts provided for, that this future city, ATLAS should become a Utopia…
— Atlas’s Stumble
[Atlas City, Fountainhead. 2130]
Contrails of distorted, shimmering space were left in his backwash, as if they were some kind of wispy silver wings that thrust him across the clear blue sky of Fountainhead, into the heart, and bustle of Atlas City during rush hour.
Skycars nearly rammed into the crimson vested flying man as he casually dodged the oncoming traffic that seemed to transverse in every direction. Carried aloft by what the press neatly termed a ‘wing-pack’, which in truth was a one of a kind anti-gravity flyer, righted himself among the vehicles, to get a bearing on his prey. Hovering on his flyer, the man known to Atlas City as Javelin scanned with his wedged golden mask-helmet’s singular roving eye, affixed in the blacked out visor. The bluish probe moved back and forth, peeled back the cars, and buildings until it discovered its target.
There, among the art deco buildings hid the gangster, huddled alone, flayer gun clutched close, ready to fire and in a corner, warily searching the sky for his pursuer that crimson annoyance, all concealed in his military style gear. The mob referred to him as ‘Captain Javelin’ on account of his vests eye-catching epaulettes. To be sure, he preferred simply Javelin. He plunged downward in free fall, aerodynamic armor conformed to his body, studded with metallic ornaments and Khaki jodhpurs decorated by a red racing stripe only added to his military flare.
The gangster opened fire, but the flayer gun’s rounds only bounced off Javelin’s armor.
“Surrender!” Ordered Javelin, his voice boomed, distorted by a vocator in the mask. Like so many before him, the mobster did not heed Javelin. Instead he kept firing until his weapon was spent. Once out of ammo, he broke into a run. A nearly calamitous mistake, as he charged right in the direction of a sky truck about to lurch upward. Luckily for him, Javelin was there to snatch him out of danger. “Now, we can talk about your boss, Dashscare Ran.”
==============================================
My latest project, as you can see it fits into my overlapping universe. I finally came up with my superhero. As you can see this is meant to invoke the golden age of comics. I hope this will be fun for everyone!
Related articles
- Minimalist Superhero Wallpapers for Windows Phone (latestwpnews.wordpress.com)
- Brace yourself for the kick-ass superhero illustrations of Michael Cho (itsnicethat.com)
- In Hong Kong, Superheroes Live Very Normal And Somewhat Bittersweet Lives (kotaku.com.au)
- Preview: Monkeybrain’s MASKS & MOBSTERS #1 (comicsbeat.com)
- Superhero Week: 10 superhero RPGs battle it out (geeknative.com)
- Top Ten Comic Book Superhero Movies (fogsmoviereviews.com)
- Superheroes: Here’s How To Boost Your Superpowers! (psychologytoday.com)
- ‘Strong Female Protagonist’ Takes on Superhero Comics – and Occupy Wall Street (thinkprogress.org)
- Marvel creates superhero for deaf boy (cbsnews.com)
- Iron Man By The Numbers: Tony Stark’s Superheroics Are Super Expensive (splashpage.mtv.com)
- Grant Morrison Leaving ‘Action Comics’ And ‘Batman Inc’ In 2013, No Longterm Superhero Work Planned Afterward (comicsalliance.com)
- Superheroes in Iconic 20th Century Photographs (retrenders.com)
Faster – Final Scene…
=============================================================
“Faster…”
It all rushed forward, darkness that encompassed the stars became albescent. Complete white space fractured, turned into fiber-optic streams, infinite points of colored light, the rainbow overcame her and Arshira sighed under its soothing warmth.
Guyrin’Rla vanished, to leave Arshira alone, afloat in the ocean of streaming color.
“Welcome home Frederika.”
Arshira’s lips parted, before her stood a figure enshrouded in a robe of light vestments. The luminescent outline removed its hood, she beheld a bearded Sharr. “Are you… are you Sharr?”
The being smiled, shook its head and said: “No, this avatar is just one I’m very fond of, and I knew you would enjoy seeing it one final time.”
“So, I’m dead.” Arshira fanned her opalescent wings, angelic and airy, for the first time in her life she felt unburdened, at rest. “Are you God?”
A twinkle in the figures blue-grey right eye became a starburst, the being of light mirthfully roared, all around the two individuals, Wyrd’s candescent threads sung a song that resounded across space-time.
Related articles
- Valküri Strikes! (raptorsclaw.wordpress.com)
- Nadia – NSFW!!! (raptorsclaw.wordpress.com)
- Quantum computing: The light at the end of the tunnel may be a single photon (phys.org)
- Dark matter – a thing that goes bump in the light tunnel (smh.com.au)
- Quantum Tunneling Across The Zero-Point Field (deretornoacasa.wordpress.com)
- Let There Be Light… (jodiashbrook.typepad.com)
