Welcome to another edition of SciFi Fantasy Saturday - our little web-ring of fab SciFi & Fantasy writers and posters. Check out snippets from other SFFS authors here: scififansat.blogspot.ca.
Posting from my WiP
THE GIRLS FROM ALCYONE: MERCHANTMAN
The Girls From Alcyone is the continuing story of two very special girls who find themselves at the heart of a conflict spanning more than forty worlds.
THIS WEEK: I had this chapter in Book II that just didn't fit. Rather than scrap it (cuz I love it), I realized it would make an awesome (I think) standalone prequel to Book II. So, here it is, the opening of my new short WiP, Merchantman.
Twisting, turning; arms spread out or tucked in, nothing Sigrid did made any difference; nothing could stop her as she tumbled out of control, moving deeper and deeper into the blackness of space. Stars spun by her fractured visor; every point-four-six seconds she saw the blinding binary stars of alpha Phoenicis flash past. It was only the fact of Sigrid's enhanced physiology that halted the rise of bile in her throat, kept her from losing consciousness completely. But she had greater worries to consider.
Debris from the explosion had penetrated her suit, damaged her oxygen feed; the mixture was far too rich. A quick calculation determined the weakened faceplate would soon succumb to the pressure, shatter in less than nine minutes.
A more stinging calculation vexed Sigrid; the Merchantmen had never intended to deliver their supplies; Sigrid doubted they ever even had them.
They were liars, thieves, and yet she hadn't seen it.
Another wave of debris blew past her; twisted bits of metal, body parts, all that was left of the Merchantman.
Small mercies, Sigrid thought.
This is a great hook that would make an excellent prequel because it definitely has me wanting more.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great snippet, Cary. I love the slow motion pace of floating in space while all these things are going on around her and the dangers and revelations keep mounting, both physically and emotionally. I'd definitely be turning the page right now.
ReplyDeleteYes! More!!! Love it...
ReplyDeleteHopefully, I'll finish it today or tomorrow. Although, it's already threatening to be bigger than I intended. *type type typing*
DeleteHoly Moley, Batman! I can see why you didn't want to let this go--it's riveting. She's pulling an Early out there with apparently no ship to return to? Ack!
ReplyDeleteI'm still not sure how she's getting out of this scrape. Gotta' keep writing.
DeleteAi, but she's in a pickle this time!! Yikes. I hope someone arrives out of the blue who can lock onto her position and perform an instantaneous transport to clean air! Oi oi.
ReplyDeleteNo such luck this time. O.o.
DeleteDammit. Invent one! LOL
DeletePerhaps a gravitational anomaly? No, wait. Too Star Trek.
DeleteWow, this is immediately absorbing. The details are both very engrossing and terrifying. She's calculating every nuance that can and will kill her if nothing else comes along. Fantastic.
ReplyDeleteShe sounds like she's being tossed around in a dryer. A dryer of death....
ReplyDeleteDryer of death. Sounds like something the bullies used to do to her when she was little.
DeleteSigrid seems very bad ass, though the situation makes me wonder how she's going to survive. Great start to a great prequel!
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff...we going to see this one available for sale in its entirety? :-)
ReplyDeleteDefinitely. And soon.
DeleteWow, fantastic snippet! I can't see how she's going to get out of this one.
ReplyDeleteActually, that's turned out to be the easy part. On the other hand, getting her INTO that situation...
DeleteLove the snippet! Great description, and there is obvious peril...and it's clear that Sigrid is figuring out how to get out of the situation.
ReplyDeleteAwesome visuals here! I'd make a place for this one, too. Why do I get the feeling that Sigrid had something to do with the destruction of the Merchantman?
ReplyDeleteIf something done got blowed up, I'd suspect her too.
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