Monday, August 27, 2012

Braided Wire - Part 1.

The following is the first in a piece of a story born from a single submitted seed.
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One glance up at the afternoon sky was all the reminder Pax needed that it was nearing shift change. He could of referenced his own internal chronometer, even called on his systems to calculate a precise time based on his given position relative to any number of variables. But marking the sun's descent from the sky was enough. A small joy he had grown to treasure. Even so, Pax had work to finish. The dock's were a lifeline for the young colony and one single fact he had come to hold absolute was that it was not going to fix itself.

From atop his over-patched perch he directed the sun bleached yellow freight sled to glide over the pebble strew dirt towards a makeshift wall formed from old storage containers. As he adjusted the throttle he could both feel the inertia negators as they kicked in to slow the sled just as he marked the change in octave of the vessel's whisper like hum. About 3.42 hertz off he noted, probably a sign the old work horse would fail in about 4, perhaps midway through 4 shifts from now. Best he make sure to trade shifts with O'Bannon and ensure he was on hand to overhaul it.

Pax had no doubt in his peers capability to handle such repairs. But for him it was a matter of pride, if it was something he could handle he always felt better knowing it was taken care of. Much like the pressing matter of his current task; the cargo lift for this storage bay was out and sorely needed to handle some supplies arriving in a few hours. Didn't take more than a moment to observe the problem - some loose wiring had gotten snagged and become shredded. A routine enough repair, he would just have to run some new wire and splice it in. It was something Pax had done a million times but as he reached for a spool of wire he could hear an old familiar voice.

"Your new here," began the small bearded figure crouched over a length of wires. "So I will give you a piece of advice - always braid your wires. It'll save you some headaches later on," he continued. "But why braid the wire?" Pax replied not aware of the complete lack of understanding written on his face. "Well, son," he began without even looking up from his work, "by braiding the wire we strengthen it. Those single strands, once woven together form something far stronger and durable than their individual parts. Much like people," he added as he stood up to double check his handiwork. "Name's Jerry," he proclaimed, wiping his hands on a scrap of blue checkered cloth before holding one out in greeting.

"Pax, you can call me Pax," he remembered nervously informing Jerry as they shook hands for the first time. And just as sudden as the memory had gripped him, Pax now found himself looking on as he finished braiding the strand of new wire. The thoughts of Jerry had brought to mind so many other things - chiefly the regret that he was no longer around. Something that should of been little more than a footnote in his internal logs, and yet it still hurt deep down in his core.

Only a single spark took his mind off matters and reminded him there was still things to look forward too. Things like as soon as his shift ended he could pick up his pay and visit a little piece of joy in his life. Her name was Vass, and while she worked at the local nightclub, Dusk, she alone could always manage to make him smile. The  thought of seeing her always sustained him.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Tending To The Creative Fields.

I'll be honest here, I haven't written a single scrap of fiction in a decent bit. Now, I could cite various explanations, giving detailed reasons even. But, the truth of it all is that those would just be exscuses - exscuses for not doing something for which there shouldn't be.
I have tried several times to start another story or two, but as you can see nothing ever came out of it. It has left me feeling quite guilty, I do admit. Especially with the advent of having a Nook now where I can literally write from anywhere. A dear friend recently posted a interesting notion himself, one that both looks fun and brought to mind a old project of my own.
My Requiem setting has been a delight to write about for a long time now, one that I constantly strive to share with others. The setting itself though has grown over time and been shaped by more hands than just my own. For example there are some planets and other locations that would never have been without the afore mentioned project. About ten or so years back I decided to implement a form on an old site whereby readers could submit details for a planet or other place of interest. Now, the end result wasn't a flood of submissions, but there was enough material that gave birth to some of what has become landmarks of Requiem.
So, in an effort to kick start the creative cogs I have decided to undertake a little endeavor. It is one though, that I cannot do alone. The idea, as it stands is this; starting today I am accepting two types of submissions for my fiction. The first can be any ideas for a planet or other place of interest, as detailed as you like. The second, can be a story seed for anything you'd like to see more about or just simply want to challenge me to attempt. If it is the later, however, my only request is that it be limited to a single phrase or a few topics/words.
Each week I will select a submission to attempt that will be posted on Monday morning. If your submission is selected I will credit you as inspiration, email you a copy and if it is a location allow you to preview the work before it is posted.
My goal is not only to get back to regularly writing, but to also expand upon Requiem.
Submissions can be emailed to me Here, or tweeted to me @SilverPenScribe.