I'm impatiently awaiting edits for The Long Goodbye from Dr. Vonda and I am on a trip today! Hope everyone but Australia is enjoying the cooler weather. Australia, hope you're enjoying the warmer weather. And...just Australia...I have good news coming for you soon.
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The Long Goodbye - Graham's Resolution, Book 7
Progress Report - The Drone Keeper - Chapter 2
Progress Report - In the Meantime
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Chapter 2
Rough Draft - Subject to change - All Rights Reserved
The bright white lights looked like the overhead beams heâd once seen at a baseball game when he was a kid. Even approaching the field from the road felt as if he was walking into a stadium and found himself anticipating a whiff of beer and sausages soon. Instead, he saw a short man in cadet blue overalls and a white hard hat standing in the middle of several raised beds, some crop lush and green growing all around him. And oddly, there was something like bird netting enclosing the crops, but Steven wasnât sure if the mesh was to keep something out or something in. He might ask that question if he ever got the audience he was trying for, for days. Instead, heâd decided to take an evening stroll and meet them for himself.
âHello,â Steve yelled, but the man did not turn around. Then finally, Steve realized he was moving oddly. The guy began swaying his blocky hips one way and then the other in an odd gyration. Finally, his right arm raised above his head, and he twirled it around in the open air keeping an awkward rhythm with his lower half.
âWhatâŚsir, can you hear me?â Steve said a little louder with his hands cupping his mouth.
The movement ceased abruptly, and then the little man turned around, pulling something from his right ear with his right hand, and with his left hand, he held a meter.
âOh, I guess you didnât hear me. IâmâŚSteve from the observatoryâŚdown the roadâŚI thought we could meet since weâre neighbors?â
But the man stood there, his mouth a straight line, not unlike those Lego men his nephew once played with when he was young. Blocky and poignantly unemotional.
Steve was pointing behind himâŚindicating the position heâd come from, but then, the mood had yet to change, and he wasnât sure if he should just walk away orâŚmaybe try again?
Deciding instead to split hairs, he said, âWell, I see youâre working. Perhaps I should come back another time?â he turned, his hands buried deep in his jacket pockets.
Then he heard, âKevin, my nameâs Robert Kevin.â
Steve turned around again, his eyebrows raised because he could swear the voice he just heard did not come from the stocky man in the blue overalls and white hard hat before him. Instead, he was convinced someone else had said those words. A man with the voice box of a giant. So he looked around, staring but trying not to be too obvious about it.
âDo you want to come in?â Robert Kevin said.
âIâŚsure. I canât stay longâŚ.â
âThe net opens up over there,â Kevin said.
Steve nodded and pulled the black netting back at a Velcroed edge and slipped inside. Then, without warning, something gassy that smelled suspiciously like raspberries but wasnât raspberries at all sprayed his shoes and lower legs.
âItâs decontaminate. It triggers every time someone enters. To keep any viruses or molds away.â
âAh,â Steve managed and confirmed that indeed, the voice was coming from Kevinâs mouth, though it was still challenging to get used to and more so, he wasnât sure why it bothered him.
âYouâre the new guy down the road at the old observatory. We were wondering when theyâd utilize that space. So much wasted there.â
With his hands remaining in his pockets, Steve followed Kevin when he waved him through the beds of growing things. âYes, weâve finally settled in. And youâŚhow uh, long have you been here?â
âOh, only a few years now. So youâre the Drone Keeper,â Kevin said and lifted one corner of his mouth when he said it.
With a chuckle, Steve said, âYesâŚthatâs my job. They keep me busy.â
With a little more animation than before, Kevin said, âI can see why. But, tell me, are they going to fix up the old place? I got to take a tour of the facility about six months ago, and itâs in pretty bad shape. The tiles were falling inâŚruble everywhere.â
Steve nodded. He knew Kevinâs concern precisely. âYes, actually, itâs mostly restored. Weâre still awaiting approval for some repairs. The missing shield glass, however, works in our favor. Living quarters are sufficient. The rest is delivered as Iâm sure it is the same for you these days?
âOf courseâŚeverythingâs delivered by the company.â
âTell me, Iâm curious, what is the netting for?â
Kevin looked beyond him and then back and said, âBirds. We canât have them carting off secret crops.â
Steve tilted his head one way as if he didnât understand the joke.
Kevin suddenly laughed then, âCome on, follow me. Iâve got a few coveted beverages in the back. ShhâŚdonât tell anyone.â
They left the outside enclosure and headed into what looked like a lab. The lights flicked on before them and off as they walked farther along. They went through and down another hallway where Steve saw the glow of what looked like the ambient blue light of a computer screen. Still, when they rounded the corner, he saw that it was actually a tank of water embedded into the side of the wall. The blue light cast waves against the far wall.
âWhat is this? Itâs beautiful.â
âAquatic experiments. Of course, Iâm under NDAâs as you likely are and canât share all the exciting research,â he said with raised amber eyebrows.
It was true for Steve as well. So much going on and nary a soul to tell.
Steve only nodded.
Kevin put something cold in his hand that stung, and Steve said, âSeriously? Beer? Whereâd did they get the hops?â
Kevin tilted his head to one side and shrugged his shoulder, âItâs simulated, but it still tastes great. I have QD rations, so Iâve been saving them up for occasions like this.â
Steve marveled at the cold steam pouring out the top of the bottle. âSmells like beer.â
âWell, letâs toast to neighbors. May we get along in this lonely world without fencing.â They tapped the metal bottoms together and took a swig.
Ignoring the double entendre, Steve focused on the cold faux beer. Too hard to enjoy the first sip, but Steve smiled anyway like it was perfect. He leaned against the counter as the metal stung the inside of his hand. âIs this the dining facility or a lab?â Steve said, looking around.
âItâs ah, both,â Kevin said and began closing screens on the wall in a rush.
âDonât worry, I wasnâtâŚ.â
Kevin made a noise, âAhhâŚbest to shut those down anyway. No need to startle the gods.â
âThe godsâŚyeah, thatâs one way of putting it,â and to change direction, Steve asked, âSo youâve been here forâŚ?â
âFive years now.â He nodded.
âThatâs a long time for deployment? Do you take vacations?â
Steve made a laugh shaking his head, and took another chug of beer. It was a joke. No one took vacations. âI was supposed to transfer out about six months ago, but my replacement needs a replacement.â He said with raised eyebrows. âSo Iâm here indefinitely. I donât mind it, though. You know? Not too many people around. The company is good. You canât beat that. It could be a lot worse. We could be there.â
Steve looked out the window at the place Kevin pointed. The simulated world. He nodded, his mouth a straight line.
He tried to keep his opinions to himself. And when it came to the new world, he was indifferent.
âI know weâre not supposed to talk about it,â Kevin said. âItâs okay.â He took another swig.
âNo. I donât have a problem talking about it. Itâs controversial.â This time Steve took a sip of the frosty brew. It didnât taste any better the second time.
âSo since I brought it up. Are youâŚgoing?â
This conversation just went from inappropriate to dangerous. Steve looked around and put his beer on the counter that he wasnât sure was either a kitchen or a lab, and it did make a difference.
âI really canât say.â
âHey, donât worry. We can change the subject. Take your beer, come on. I can show you what Iâm working on,â Kevin waved him through to another room, moving his beer in a circle as they went.
âMostly what I do here, I can talk about. Weâre regenerating lost plant species. Like the broad beans, you saw coming in. And these little guys are carrots.â
âButâŚdonât they need bee pollinators?â
âThey do, but weâre able to simulate some of that action. But, honestly, itâs not going well, even with recent advances. Itâs like, weâve studied them all these years and reenacted the exact same pattern, and still, we get poor results. Half an acre takes off great, and yet the other half is a total crop failure. I donât know what theyâre thinking. You canât build a world on half-ass results. But they factor in their loss percentage.â
Steve ignored that last part and took another swig of his beer, and this time he thought it tasted better than the last time.
âSo, what are you working on that you can share? You gotta give a little too, mate.â
Steve nodded. âWell, Iâm sure you can guess most of my job. I receive the orders and complete the tasks. Thatâs pretty much the bulk of it. Nothing too exciting.â
âA lot of package deliveries, huh?â
Steve laughed. His shoulders went up and down an odd number. A smile on his face. He knew how to fake it. âSomething like that.â
They each took another swig but kept their eyes on one another.
âAny ah, new projects?â
âAhâŚitâs more of a hobby, actually.â
âYeah?â
âThis areaâŚthere used to be an ocean here a long, long time ago, but not so long ago there were a lot of bats in this area too.â
âThose were the mammal bird-like creatures, right. Kind of creepy.â
âYeah, something like that. They were cool, though. Mammals flying through the air.â
âWasnât it more like controlled falling? They didnât actually fly.â
âThey did. They actually flew. Youâre thinking of flying squirrels,â he smiled. âIâve studied bats because of the drones and used some techniques they used. For instance, bats used echolocation to determine distance, speed, and direction to hunt for prey. They ate their weight in insects and other pests every day.â
âBut carried rabies,â Kevin pointed a finger.
Nodding. âOnly about ten percent.â
âWhat happened to them? What wiped them out?â
âSame story, different species. They had sensitive colonies. One bat infected with a virus, and the whole colony died off. No one really knows. But I honestly think itâs just evolution. You know?â
âSo, what does that have to do with your hobbies?â
âOh, yeah. I get sidetracked. I think a few of them might still be around. I havenât seen clear signs, but the habitat here indicates itâs possible. You havenât seen any signs of life?â
He was laughing under his breath as he took another sip. âYouâre kidding me, right? I canât even find cactus in the cliffs. This place is dead, just like the rest of it.â He pointed again at the new world in the window. âItâs what theyâre after, right? Only we donât get a ticket.â
Steve knew the beer took down some inhabitations. He waved his hand and nodded briskly.
Kevin shook his head and waved him away. âTheyâre notâŚtheyâre not concerned about us. SoâŚwe can say whatever the hell we want to say,â his voice becoming louder with each word.
âWell, I think I should get going,â Steve said and began walking back to the kitchen.
âSo wait, you should really be careful walking around here by yourself. Iâm serious. It could get dangerous. Thereâs hardly any light anymore. And we donât really know whatâs out there. Donât be a stranger. Come back again!â heâd yelled as Steve kept walking.
Heâd waved goodbye but didnât turn around. Heâd only drank half the beer but felt the effects too much as he neared the crop room, bright lights, and the odd bird netting enclosure. Stopping for a second, he looked around and remembered the exact spot where the Velcro door was hidden. It was best not to ask questions. He still could not get out of his mind why there was bird netting surrounding the place. But as the gravel crunched under his shoes and he walked from the light into the dark, he realizedâŚthe net wasnât for birds exactlyâŚbut perhaps something else with wings.
PreSale Series - Times of Trouble, Book 1, In the Meantime
Progress Report
Starting this soon! I'm receiving a lot of great feedback on this series and it's not even begun. That's great news because I'm very excited to get started as well!
This will be a break from the hardcore post-apocalyptic genre. It's a series of stories that I think are very valid in our current situation. And I'm eager for a lighter take on this genre. Some will call it a Clean Post-apocalyptic, but I'm generally not fond of that term. It implies arrogance or superiority in some ways to me. And that's just not how I feel. Cozy Apocalypse is a better term in my opinion.
Universal Deal - Only $0.99 Forever!Graham's Resolution, Book 1
The China Pandemic is at $0.99. This is a great way to start the series. And book 7 will release soon! This was the first series I've ever written and can tell you I had no idea what I was getting myself into when it was published in 2013. đ
US and Canada Only. $0.99 for the Month of OctoberDawn of Deception, Book 1
It doesn't happen often but Unbound, Book 1 of the Dawn of Deception series has been selected by Amazon for a Kindle Deal in the United States and Canada. You can pick it up for only .99 for the entire month of October. Be sure to share this with all of your reader friends and groups. Apologies to everyone else! (Again, not my fault).
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