Space Boots: the Audiobook!

 My publisher Immortal Works, my brain who has no name, and voice actor Will Carter are teaming up!

Recording is underway for an end product that will be available on Audible and Amazon. I got a sneak ear peek of the first six chapters, and love how Will is interpreting the voices and characters. Now that more of us are commuting again, we'll help you turn the drive into an adventure.

Stay alert and I'll keep you apprised of YA sci-fi news!

Happy 2020, everyone!

Is it me, or does 2020 look too sci-fi to be taken seriously on my calendar? Now I have to exercise suspension of disbelief to plan my week.

But here's what's happening in some of those weeks:

Lone Wilderlands has another expansion! More than a booklet like Orion's Hoard, Adara's Atlas is a full box of cards. These cards still create the adventuring world as in Lone Wilderlands, but around an extended quest on a partially completed map with settlements and NPCs.

There's also a new addition: Treasure cards!

Take a look at the full game!


                             

In other news, I'll be attending the Life, the Universe, and Everything symposium February 13-15 in Provo, Utah. We're at the Marriott. I'll be in the vendor room or the gaming room with dice, character sheets, and a certain solo sandbox RPG in a cardbox.

In other OTHER news, I got a sneak peek at the first draft of the cover for SpaceBoots, my sci-fi novel that will be published in May 2020. No, this photo isn't it. That's me playing with my LEGOs and my iPhone camera. It does show three main characters, though. Four if you count the kid with the yellow shirt. Anxiously awaiting the final version, you'll all get to see it soon after me.

And you heard me correctly. Not my kids' LEGOs, mine. My own. My preciouses.

Cheers!

Shelly gets upstaged by a mammal: SpaceBoots to be published by Immortal Works

Mr. Dalton has kept me out of the creativity loop for a while now. The most obvious sign being Lone Wilderlands doesn't have a Shelly-inspired, green-shelled, hero-devouring monster lurking in a coin-glittered lair. I suggest you all inundate him with excessively-hyphenated ideas to correct such a travesty.

What's more, he cut me out of the sci-fi editing process. Some publishing company flashes a contract and he ditches me like he does kids on date night. After slaving away for naught but worms on two novels and a short story collection, too.

Warm-blooded ingrate.

This is the depth of my abandonment: My editing genius will molder unused for the next twelve months. Twelve, because he passed it off to a human to muddle up with an overly thoughtful, caring, kind, make the world a better place mentality. Where's the drama in that? And the book cover? Grr. I mean, Hiss. I wasn't invited to that brainstorming session either, so I don't even have any art spoilers to dish out.

If any readers are not incensed at this partnership of reptilian neglect, watch for SpaceBoots in May 2020 from the probably awesome but right now infuriating humans at

P.S.   Hi all. DWD here. Shelly didn't hibernate this winter, and she's a little cranky. I'd edit her post to reduce the caustic effect, but that would only make it worse next time. But what am I supposed to do? Immortal Works doesn't hire reptiles.

Roger that, Houston

Have I mentioned the Life, The Universe, and Everything Symposium in Provo, Utah is awesome? I've met pros and NYT bestsellers and artists and editors. 

And friends. BK Hewett is one, a NASA program analyst who wrote the fantasy series Darts, Rings, and Swords. He interviewed me and put it on his blog. Nice guy,eh?

INTERVIEW WITH DERICK WILLIAM DALTON

“It is unfortunate you can’t separate your useful observations from your insults.”

— Judge from Houses of Common

Back in April of 2015, one of my author friends offered to put me in touch with her agent. She’d read the first two chapters of Plaguerunners and said it reminded her a little bit of Houses of Common.

Hmm. This Derick William Dalton guy sounds pretty cool. Maybe I ought to look him up.

Cut to February 2017. I’m in Utah for Life, The Universe, and Everything and I keep running into this guy on panels and in the halls. Funny, NASA-smart, and on the “multi-career” track, just like me.  When we finally sat down to talk, I realized it was Derick. After our talk, he caught me in the hall and handed me a copy of Houses of Common, which I probably would have bought anyway. “Hope you like it!”

I did. And I had questions. Let’s start with that “multi-career” track.

Derick:   By “multi-career” track, what you mean is “doesn’t know what he wants to be when he grows up.”

Ben: Well, yes.

Derick: I’ve ruled out biophysics researcher. Twelve hour days analyzing sheep urine in a basement lab through a dark Canadian winter converted my smooth, Baroque circadian rhythm to a syncopated cacophony.

I really miss high school sophomores. Teaching them biology meant spending more time with them than some of their parents. Helping fight scientific illiteracy in America and mentoring teens was the most important job I’ve ever done.

My current day job is an urgent care physician assistant. Mostly I treat sinus infections, but I get to fix a laceration or two every day. If I’m really lucky, I get to remove an ingrown toenail. Those days, the only difference between me and a mob goon doing some enforcing is that I inject a syringe full of lidocaine first. Gross equals awesome.

Ben: Your book assumes the reader knows something about a great many things. It assumes the reader can string together prior knowledge and bits of narrative data. The jokes and culture references come fast and quick. I love it. Are you worried that readers won’t be able to follow the breadcrumbs? I know I missed a few.

Derick: A little bit. But if you’ve ever read a book and felt like the author dumbed it down, you understand why I was fine with overcompensating. Not catching everything the first time? It’s fun. I’ve had to rewatch every episode of BBC’s Sherlock for the same reason, and it made me love them all the more.

Ben: That’s one of the reasons I loved Houses of Common. I felt like a kid again, swimming in the deep end with Clarke and Heinlein.

So. . .there was an a IKEA joke.  What possessed you to put an IKEA joke in Houses of Common? Or did you just take guilty pleasure in having a bombed out IKEA in your story. How many husbands do you think have had that same fantasy?

Derick: No clue, as I really don’t hang around many husbands. Not to imply I’m hanging around their wives, mind you…

If I had my way, my house would be a smorgasbord of Swedish design and quality. IKEA’s up there with the bikeshop and bookstore in my world. When I found there is in reality an IKEA right next to the Belfast airport, I knew my Irish terraformer/refugee group had found a home.

Ben: Not judging, but your experiences at IKEA . . . and with husbands and wives in general. . . may be a little different than mine.

But this is my case-in-point: there was something funny and slightly offensive on every page of your book. Is the sarcasm intuitive, or did Ranyk’s character develop over several drafts?

Derick: Meds ran out.

Ben: Aren’t you a Physician Assistant? You know what, nevermind. The sarcasm worked. I particularly liked how Ranyk puts himself at risk in the courtroom by pointing out the flaws in his own attorney’s arguments. The bit about ratios was especially funny.

Derick: I’m not a fan of court drama. Less a fan of learning enough to write one. So I thought to myself, WWRD? What would Ranyk do? I feel like I plagiarized that scene from my own brain.

Ben: I think we talked about this in February, but I’ve forgotten by now. Which end of the spectrum do you lean towards, discovery or outliner?

Derick: I make a solid outline, lots of diagrams and flowcharts. Some pencil or ink sketches of spaceships and faces, too. But if I get ideas while I write, I see where they go. Captain Gill, for example, had a half-chapter cameo in the original outline. Now he’s some readers’ favorite character with his patched vacsuit, self-maintained spaceship, and oblivion to social cues.

Ben: I loved Gill. Creepy and competent.

What about the focus on parental figures? I haven’t read many stories in the sci-fi or fantasy genre with parents as viewpoint characters. I especially liked the lacrosse practice scene and watching Inig process his son’s performance.  Why did you include that in your novel?

Derick: Purely a marketing ploy. Gotta squeeze in every demographic, yeah? I’m also creating a new genre. There’s young adult and new adult fiction, so what about new parent fiction? It’s about children who sleep through the night and don’t tease their siblings and empty the dishwasher without being asked.

Less flippantly, Orson Scott Card’s Homecoming Saga had a scene that stuck in my psyche. In a sequel, previously heroic protagonists were completely shackled from making attempts to right wrongs, because they couldn’t put their children at risk. It was a clever plot device in that story, but I wondered about results if they had tried.

I haven’t seen many great dads in sci-fi either. I enjoyed adding one.

Ben: Ok. My biggest question. Why the cliffhanger? Honestly. I mean, I know Ranyk’s future is looking up, but we still don’t know nearly enough about his political enemies or why the pirates sabatoged his project. I’d hoped for a little more closure!

Derick: Yeah. . . Um, sorry?

You don’t want to hear excuses, neither do all the Amazon reviewers who told me the same thing. But here’s a reason, then you all can forgive me, or not, at your whimsy: A friend put me in touch with an agent, whose first comment was, “Cut it in half.” So I shuffled scenes and reworked plot and finally put together the best ending I could without rewriting the second half of the book. After all that, the agent took a look and made a polite pass.

When I decided to self-publish, I debated whether to stitch the story back together, and left it separated. About a year after I published the second half as the sequel Meaner Sort, I read a fantastic article by David Farland on that very topic:

“Never split a story,” he said.

Never.

Ben: So you weren’t just being a jerk author?

Derick: Lesson learned a little late. Maybe I’ll recombine the two when books three and four of the series are done. But right now I’m distracted by my YA sci-fi, which is being considered by an editor. SpaceBoots is in the same universe as Houses of Common and Meaner Sort, but occurs seventy years earlier.

Ben: No harm done. I’m looking forward to reading Meaner Sort. And let us know when SpaceBoots comes out.

Derick: I disagree slightly with that first sentence, I’m glad to hear the second one, and swear I’m not checking my email multiple times a day to see if a certain editor has news about the third.

But yes, yes I will.

Indie Authors. Local Libraries. Life Imitating Video Game Art.

October 8^th was Indie Author Day. I don’t know who decided that, but I’m glad they did. I and other eastern Washington and northern Idaho authors (Pamela Aidan, A.R. Shaw, J.L. Parsons, David Mogen) helped my local library set up a day of presentations, workshops, and a panel. I guided a 16.67 Ideas Per Minute brainstorming session. (We didn’t have a full hour for an Orson Scott Card Thousand Ideas in an Hour session, and I didn’t want to falsely advertise.) We came up with a historical fiction book idea about a Civil War doctor for the Confederacy who’s having second thoughts about his allegiance while treating Union soldiers at a prison camp. I’m not a historical fiction fan, but it came together so fast I was hooked and wish someone would write it so I can devour the whole story.

In addition to DWD and J.L. Parsons, pictured are the alien Sckiik from the circa 2109 Virgina State Police (#housesofcommon), and Penelope Skye, resident dragon of the Kingly College Knight Classes and Dainty Damsel University of Distress (#aroyalmessbook). 

Those in attendance also watched a nationwide podcast from self-published authors and librarians. That was the new thing I learned I’ll be putting into place soon. Self-e.

Self-e is a free platform connecting self-published authors to libraries within their states. Here’s a link so you can check it out. Submissions are also sent for a national review, and if accepted are available nationwide. No cost to enroll, no royalties are paid out, but what an exposure platform! There’s also a category for books published outside the US. That's for my European and Canadian friends.  Happy Thanksgiving, by the way.

And the other Link, because he’s a trail running superstar, my video game hero, and I haven’t ever honored him in prose. He's taking donations for a shield upgrade. Anyone have 90 rupies to spare?

Which reminds me, the Hyrule triathlon jersey rides again next week. Well, runs again. Shelly missed me while I was gone on those long bikes rides, so no Ironman this year. Just a marathon.

Just.

Cheers!

DWD

Shelly Interviews Two Humans At Once

Male humans, what’s worse more. But one of them keeps the delicious earthworms coming, so let’s begin.

My name’s Shelly. I’m a box turtle and the writing partner of a science fiction author. But today isn’t about me. With me are authors Kevin Nielsen and Derick William Dalton. Mr. Nielsen is the author of Sands, a fantasy novel recently released by Future House Publishing. I devoured the plot summary about giant desert reptiles ruling an entire planet, causing mammals to live in abject terror. Had someone at last made an attempt to pander to the female terrapin demographic!? My breath caught in my throat. I started to cheer. Until I came to the part about reptiles being the bad guys. Mr. Nielsen, you’d better tell me right now there’s at least one smoking crater scene of a lizard-pillaged village or this interview is over.

KN – Well Shelly, you’re in luck, and may I say, you’re looking lovely today.  There are several scenes where the reptilian hordes reign supreme.  Now, I’m not going to give anything away, but the more you learn about these reptilian bad-guys, the more you’ll like.  They fly, they have metal bones, some of them even have poisonous spines, what’s not to love?

STBT – For one, flattery works on me. I am looking lovely. And metal bones? Poisonous spines? How come the males I find most interesting are either extinct or fictional? I wonder if human women have the same frustrations. Consider my interest renewed, Mr. Nielsen, and welcome to my this blog.

So. The other guest. Frankly, I’m a little peeved at Mr. Dalton just now. Last contract negotiation left me feeling manipulated. You’ll pardon me if can’t refrain from references to a higher quality of nightcrawler. Nonetheless, for those unacquainted, he’s the author of the science fiction novel Houses of Common, the sequel to which, Meaner Sort, will be available October 31st.

DWD – Yep. That’s book bomb day. But you forgot the short story collec-

STBT – Yes. A pleasure.

Mr. Nielsen, as I’m inundated with science fiction, your genre is refreshing. I’d really like to hear why that’s your mug of mead.

KN – Well, fantasy is my mug of mead for, most likely, the same reason that Mr. Dalton enjoys science fiction so much.  In essence, I like the way an author can tell a story that teaches a lesson in a way that keeps the reader entertained.  It’s not some boring, lecture hall, but an interactive, fun, and dynamic system which allows for everyone to come away both entertained and a little thoughtful.  It’s like how Houses of Common teaches you that you can do what’s right regardless of who you are, it is a choice rather than a destiny, and yet still gets you interested in terraforming and the cool new technologies in the world at the time the novel takes place.  But, Shelly, I’m curious, maybe Mr. Dalton can help us understand what the difference between fantasy and science fiction is and why science fiction is his personal beverage of choice.

DWD – In large part, it stems from my inability to restrain a desire to teach bio-

STBT – He was talking to me, Derick. In large part, it stems from his inability to restrain his inner geek. He devours Lord of the Rings annually, but when he writes, he can’t help showing off. You should see the piles of technojargon his editors and I make him cut. Leaving the mechanics of magic to the imagination is a fine art Mr. Tolkien mastered. Brevity, it seems, is also the soul of speculative fiction.

DWD – True, but I can’t be the only one who finds the biochemistry of genetic engineering interesting. Like Kevin’s entertaining lessons, I think fiction sparks interest in reality. And vice versa. Textbooks are where I’ve found many of my favorite ideas. Back me up here, Mr. Nielsen. Don’t you wish one of Tolkien’s appendices was a peek into Gandalf’s training? Or a pupil of his discovering how exactly one severs stone with a stick and casts an evil wizard’s influence out of an equestrian king?

KN – Of course I do – I will totally back you up on that one.  I would love to see the mechanics behind some of that magic.  That’s why I like “hard magic” systems where the magic is a function of the physical realm and is explained well.  Brandon Sanderson does this very well in many of his books, most notably the Mistborn books. 

As Derick will no doubt tell you, technology and magic are only distinguishable by how we designate them.  If we can quantify, manipulate, and understand it to some extent, enough to lump it into an already known category, it is called science.  If it defies the known laws or understandings of the universe, we call it magic.

STBT – So Mr. Nielsen, you suggest the real difference between magic and science is only an explanation of how it works, and Mr. Dalton is comparing himself to J.R.R. Tolkien?

DWD – What? No! To the second part, anyway. As to the first, Kevin’s in good company. In 1961 Arthur C. Clarke said, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” I love the mystery of magic when I read, but I can’t bring myself to leave out an explanation when I write. My iPhone is better than Captain Kirk’s tricorder. 1905 magic became 1966 science fiction became 2015 science fact.

STBT – Restrain the nerd! You can’t even use half the functions on your iPhone, and now you’re comparing Mr. Nielsen to Arthur C. Clarke? You’re mixing up the genres, pal. You’ve also got a thing for 20^th century Brits, which makes this entire conversation a little too machismo for my taste. So let’s talk about Mr. Nielsen’s protagonist. Unleash some girl power. What lessons or ideas were you trying to convey that only a female character could wield?

KN – Well, for one thing, that girls are just as strong as boys (or women as strong as men) though they have different strengths.  It is hard to see in the first book, but as the series progresses, you’ll see more of how both gender roles are separate and distinct, yet both strong, both fulfilling, and – in many cases – overlap quite well with one another.  Strength comes in many forms and there are several female characters in the book which typify various aspects of it.

In all honesty, I started writing this book with a female protagonist simply because I had never had a female protagonist in one of my books before and it evolved from there.

Oh, and Shelly – if Mr. Dalton were to give you some tasty worms, would you cut him any slack?  He’s a good guy, you know.

STBT – See Mr. Dalton? Your friend gets it after a five minute conversation. Tell us about Sckiik.

DWD – Shelly’s favorite, the alien security officer in Houses of Common.  A former cop, she takes out assassins and flies starships and puts up with obnoxious male family members. In discussing women in literature with my wife, she pointed out a common mistake writers make in creating strong female leads: They just put lipstick and a skirt on a tough guy. She hates that, and after pointing out examples, I saw how poorly it works. Aggression, brutality, not a fit without context. Have you noticed that Kevin? How do you avoid it?

KN – Well, there are many sides of every individual.  The best advice I ever heard about a character who is the opposite gender from the writer was at an LTUE Symposium.  I can’t remember the speaker, but the gist of it was “write them as a person first, and the gender will work itself out.”  There is no “one-size fits all” definition of what a “strong woman” entails.  Some of them are aggressive and brutal, though they will often demonstrate it in different ways than a man would.  I think the way to avoid taking a man and simply “putting them in lipstick and skirt” (or taking a woman and putting them in men’s clothing) is to make sure you have a real character – if they seem like a real person, the way they express their strengths (and weaknesses) will come naturally and fit both the story and the character arc.  Shelly, you’re a girl, though of a different species – do you have any thoughts?

STBT – Part of me thinks you two are just reading marketing reports and pandering.

DWD – Yeah, Insurgent and Hunger Games fans are bored of that strong female stuff. Our books will never fly, Kevin. Maybe I should write an alternate history where Governor George Wallace was an alien in disguise. He tries to protect his species from the deadly human pheromones he thinks are most potently exuded by Alabama women of African descent.

STBT – What’s that burning smell, Mr. Dalton? Oh. Your writing career.

Mr. Nielsen and Mr. Dalton can be followed on their Amazon.com author pages (Kevin, DWD).

An Almost Super Interview with Marion Jensen

Well, here I go again. Another mix of author, answer-girl, and interview. But the good news is my attitude. After doing a few of these now, I realize I don't hate talking to writers. Probably because they aren't normal human beings. 

Today's guest is author Marion Jensen, the imagination behind Almost Super. So, Mr. Jensen, give us the teaser.

MJ:

A teaser . . . it's like Harry Potter meets Lord of the Rings meets the Bible . . . what other bestsellers am I leaving out? Ha ha, only teasing. Get it? Teasing? Teaser? I crack myself up.

StBT:

The main character actually or metaphorically dies and comes back to life? That's both morbid and fantastic!

MJ:

Kidding aside, Almost Super is about two brothers who are born into a Superhero family. They have it all. Cool gadgets. Action and adventure at every turn. And the chance to be heroes by saving the day. But on the day they are supposed to receive their powers, something terrible happens. They receive worthless powers, and they are left with the horrible fact that they are normal in a family of heroes. How the brothers react makes up the rest of the story. The tagline in Publishers Weekly called it Savvy meets The Incredibles.

StBT:

I like that conflict. I like the Incredibles. I like, have to look up Savvy.

What's the deal with humans and superheroes? Is it a desire to be better? To have life easy and carefree? Take no offense, but I wonder if it's compensation for your terrible evolutionary outcome. No claws, fangs, prehensile tail, or wings. No shell!

But normal protagonists in a superhero setting? That gets me interested. If it weren't for brains and opposable thumbs, humans would be long extinct. So how do the brothers compensate in their survival of the fittest?

MJ:

Well . . . no claws, fangs, or wings that you can see. I have to fit in, don't I?

StBT:

Good point. (backing away slowly)

MJ:

I had one editor tell me that I should have the kids save the day by using their worthless powers. But that actually goes against the message of the book. Without giving anything away, the boys' powers are just given to them. They don't have to do earn them. Granted, they're worthless powers, but I didn't want some easy-to-earn power that allowed the boys to save the day. In the end, what saves the day is boys who decide they aren't going to let the rest of the world peg them as worthless.

As far as finding use in their lame powers . . . there are no redeeming qualities to these powers. Really. They're completely worthless.

StBT:

A book with a moral? Implying one is in charge of one's situation by the decisions made? What are you trying to do, make kids feel guilty about laziness and irresponsibility? That's harsh.

You said the boys save the day.

MJ:

Well, they save the day, but I've said nothing about whether or not they save the week. Or the month. And as far as the fortnight goes . . . it's anybody's guess.

StBT:

That means no clues about a Harry-Potter-time-skip-to-the-train-station scene? You're holding the cards pretty close, Mr. Jensen.

What sparked the first idea for the book? Then, as you wrote, what influences were most helpful in rounding out your prehensile tale?

MJ:

You know, I honestly can't say what sparked the idea for the book. I was in bed one night and I had the idea of two brothers who had rotten superpowers. In just a few hours I had the story, the characters, the arcs, the idea for powers . . . it all just seemed to flow into me. It was a very fun experience. Of course, then it took me four years to write and polish the thing. I spent a lot of time learning the craft of writing.

As far as influences, I love a good parody. My favorite comic book hero is The Tick. The Tick universe pretty much makes fun of, in a loving way, the world of superheroes. The Incredibles did this to some extent. I think my book does this as well. It's not your normal superhero story. It pokes fun of these heroes, makes them not quite as heroic, but in the end you still can't help but love them.

StBT:

Bed and relaxing. See? Mammals think of us ectotherms and pondering types like Mr. Jensen as a bunch of lazies, while they run around crazy, eating in cars and not sleeping enough. A parody begs to be written. Now, cats are an exception. They get it, their naps in sunshine and all. Speaking of which, any spunky sidekick almost super-pets? I promise I won't take offense if none are reptiles.

MJ:

Nope, sorry. No sidekicks, reptilian or otherwise. You see, the problem with sidekicks is that they're always popping up behind you in the publicity photos. And you can't have that.

StBT:

No. Not at all. DWD keeps sneaking posts into this blog. Drives me crazy.

I'm sure everyone here wants to know when they can storm the stores for it. And your fellow writers want to know your publisher and agent. But I want to know what the cover looks like.

MJ:

Certainly. My book will be published by HarperCollins. The tentative date is Fall of 2013. We're very early on in the process, so still a lot to do. Of course, it's never too early to go stand in line.

StBT:

Or hibernate in line. My door-buster endurance is legendary.

MJ:

My agent is the very wonderful Sara Crowe with Harvey Klinger. Sara is really great. I can't say enough about her.

As far as the cover . . . I'd kind of like to know what it looks like too. All in good time, I guess. All in good time.

StBT:

My curiosity prods me to ask – who's the audience you hope to entertain?

MJ:

That is a great question. C. S. Lewis once said, "A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest."

I think a good story can mean different things to different people. Look at The Incredibles. It's probably my favorite Pixar movie. My kids love it because of the action, the characters, and the jokes. I love it because I can relate to the father and the fears he struggles with throughout the movie. If a story carries real emotion, then I think it can appeal to a broad audience.

I know it's a lofty goal, but I like to think that Almost Super isn't just for kids. I think it will be enjoyed by anybody who has had dreams of being somebody special.

StBT:

That would be me. Shelly the Grassland Ankylosaurus. But that dream was severed by a taxonomical split and then shattered by an asteroid. Stupid space gravel.

Well, Mr. Jensen, thanks for the preview of Almost Super. I look forward to it. In fact, I'm swiping DWD's credit card as soon as I hear whisperings of pre-orders.

Houses of Common excerpt. Brought to you by Turtle Wax: that sexy shine ain't just for cars.

I finished some editing for DWD. Not interested in promoting his work, I just wanted everyone to see what I have to put up with. With what I have to put up? With up what I have to put? Also, so you could admire my fantastic editing. The awe of which that last sentence just destroyed. Here it is, a sample selected for it's lack of mammals.


Sckiik was disappointed the courier drone had no viewport, but it would be a giveaway it held a pilot. Unable to see out, she was missing the light-hearted excitement of the launch; the Earth rocketing away beneath her, the familiar Washington, D.C. landmarks collapsing into a point too small to see, the atmosphere darkening to black, and the winking of the stars in an accelerated twilight.

Her courier drone jolted violently as the reactor detonated a small volume of helium-3, the hull creaking as the explosion was contained and directed. Being so small, there had been no room for inertial dampers in the vessel, one of the reasons no human could undertake this mission. Sckiik felt her internal fluids rush from her head and thorax, but flexing the diaphragmatic muscles at her joints and bending the flexible portions of her exoskeleton to reduce volume, she rode comfortably through what would be nearly fatal to the best of human pilots. Achieving a typical drone speed, she took a course close enough to a usual northerly route away from Earth, but cheating toward the moon as much as she dared. Several hundred other courier drones appeared on sensors, all heading far enough out of Earth’s gravity to Bend, delivering messages to some exotic location, or more likely, a homely homestead colony.

Now, she thought, several hours of nothing at all. An assassin won’t try anything until we’re at least halfway to the moon – then is the smallest chance of being seen by orbital surveillance. But why bother with a powerless Ambassador? I’ve sensed no anti-Rildj sentiment in Congress or business or industry. We have no technological or military superiority that would threaten anyone.

So flowed Sckiik’s thoughts for several hours, but she could not come to any satisfying conclusions. Then she saw the speck on her sensors, angling from lunar orbit on a direct course to the Ambassador’s vessel. Zooming in visual display, she could see the new ship was a bulky affair, constructed around a clustered-sphere arrangement of compartments, not of recent design, but one she recognized.

The Kashmir Liberation Front? she wondered. What do they care about Rildj? At least I’m dealing with small-time terrorists instead of a state-sponsored act of war.

Venting nose thrusters, she changed course to come at the vessel from the side, hoping their attention was so riveted on the Ambassador she’d go unnoticed. The grapple claw and hull-welding charges were set, she’d slide up next to the ship, punch a hole in, and do her job before the assassins could do theirs. She checked her pistol, making sure the airtight rounds were loaded, each holding oxygen with the powder so she could still fire when the assassin ship depressurized.

Sckiik closed on the assassin ship long before it could reach the Ambassador’s vessel. The mass of a drone being insignificant compared to the power of the helium reactors, no ship could outrun them in standard flight.

I’ll get there in plenty of time, she decided. As long as they don’t see me.

A metallic clang and then a detonation vibrated the drone, Sckiik’s harness cutting into her from the jolt. Warnings blared as systems reset and diagnostic readouts flashed. Internal temperature rose significantly, and Sckiik tried to get more speed from another reactor detonation.

I only needed nine more seconds!

She was considering the masterful targeting needed to hit such a small object as the drone while moving at an oblique angle at enormous speed, when a second missile scored right on the nose of Sckiik’s craft. She braced for the worst, but was pleasantly surprised.

Sensors still online, she realized, and I’m not being sucked out a gaping hole! Charlotte, you are a hull construction genius!

The braking thrusters on the other hand, were vaporized.

Sckiik tried to flip the drone around and re-ignite the reactor to decelerate, but the guidance thrusters had been disintegrated also.

One more hit like that and I’m dust.

A few moments were hers as a third missile approached. She tried venting some of the compressed cockpit oxygen to alter her course, but the valve wouldn't respond. She hit the emergency fire suppression system in the instrument panel, hoping the argon foam might leak out the damaged nosecone and push her out of the way. Instead, the panel shorted out right in her face with a flash of sparks and smoke. With two seconds to spare, Sckiik set off one more reactor burn to increase speed. Then she punched out, the ejection charge blowing her clear of the drone-turned-missile. The assassins’ shot was on course, but Charlotte’s energy plating held again despite the missile's detonation.

Sckiik had a spectacular view of the collision between her drone and the assassin's ship. The ejection had started the drone in a slow end-over-end rotation. It was perpendicular to the ship when they met, and Sckiik watched as it neatly bisected the assassins’ entire vessel, atmosphere pouring and crystallizing out the halves that now spun in opposite directions. The drone was reduced to metal droplets, melted or vaporized on impact and creating a cone of sparkles along what would have been its path.

“Beautiful. This is my art. Wish I had a brush to sign it.”

Sckiik looked as long as she could before the destructive beauty of high-speed collision shrank into the distance. Her victory would have to be fully celebrated later. Her next concern was traveling bodily through space at nearly a hundred kilometers per second, with only a thin vacsuit and her exoskeleton protecting her. Glancing to the equipment at her belt, she grabbed for her vectoring gun, but realized its uselessness. Its emission of compressed air could alter her direction or double as an emergency respiration supply, but it would not be enough to stop her. A few silent blue explosions erupted from the assassin’s vessel, but it all shrank into the distance before she could find the Ambassador's ship. Glancing over her shoulder, she was grateful for the initial heading she’d taken, as she would be more likely to orbit the moon than to collide with it or shoot past.

Has anyone ever made a lunar orbit in a vacsuit? she wondered. I’m making history. Except that this is a classified mission and I was never here.

The novelty of her accomplishment wore off as the seriousness of her predicament sunk in. If the Ambassador's ship didn't come for her, her only hope was to be detected in lunar orbit. That wasn't likely. She was in a higher orbit than the satellites, and their sensors would be pointed at the surface. The few facing out to track incoming ships were probably not calibrated for an object as small and cold and non-metallic as a female Rildj flailing through the void.