This weekend, I am roving at MisCon 30, Montana’s oldest science fiction fantasy convention.
This marks the end of rough draft material for the second book prologue, eighteen parts of it. The Enfolding Abyss, Book 2 of the Bones of Starlight series, now featured on the website header. That’s what I was doing with all those “rough releases,” given an embarassingly phrased title because that’s a little what it’s like showing rough draft, that you know you intend to change. I hope it was sufficiently entertaining, early or scholarly readers alone shall remember.
Start here if you want to read from the “beginning:”
https://bonesofstarlight.com/2016/03/08/rough-release-1/
[[ From Bones of Starlight: The Enfolding Abyss, Book 2 – Prologue]]
Stretches first, of course. A big step to launch into the movement, heading partly upside down, involving limbs with the floor. From one movement to another. Rotating in a controlled tumble, she enjoyed the rhythm defined by her body.
From a small plane of light, a bright beam burst into the room. The woman noticed it as she danced, and passed her hands through it. This seemed the natural thing to do. Three sparks emerged, expanding to glowing wire frames that floated to position. One spoke. “Is it exactly what you were looking for?”
“I’m unsure as to its importance, but I am enjoying what you brought me. In that sense, perhaps yes.” The wireframes nodded. “I do wonder where you found it.” The wire frames shook their heads. “For some reason I haven’t asked anyone to learn this with me. Do the Vedani dance?”
The wireframes stopped moving. “Not exactly.”
“Not like you’re thinking.”
“It’s not for the sake of a good time.”
“Unless they’re having a good time doing it.”
“It’s scary,” said Rosy Glow, though a laugh issued forth.
“If you see it, something terrible may be occurring.”
“Terrible!”
“The answer is no…” Dragon Food smothered his chuckles, “but yes. They’re very good at it.”
“If they teach you, you should try it.”
“Try it!”
(Nebula Awards Mass Autographing tonight 8pm Red Lacquer Room, Palmer House Hilton, Chicago)
[[ From Bones of Starlight: The Enfolding Abyss, book 2 – Prologue ]]
This Vedani transport was familiar enough in form that Soleil could stand on it correctly by guessing. A handle-grip platform encased with an interactive field.
The gloves they gave her to control the machine were wearable without modification. They explained that she would lack certain degrees of interface, but she had enough inherent skin conductivity to enable control. They showed her how to make settings for her human accomodations.
And it moved. She was in space, with others in space. Soleil thought she knew all about space, before. Standing in it, fielded, with the rest standing somewhere nearby while they rotated the stars around their solid footings, felt like something she’d wanted for a long time but didn’t know existed.
Bones of Starlight 3 : Greater Beyond 