Upon completion of New Roads, I turned my attention completely over to the second genre of the month, a sci-fi tale. When I stopped to think about this one, my mind flashed to Firefly. While it was a short-lived television show, it boasted a unique premise and a wonderful cast of actors. Unfortunately, it lived a single season, but that blend of spaghetti western and science fiction made for some quality diversions. As I sat thinking about which crew to focus on, my mind latched onto Selina of the Drifter and the kernel of this tale flooded through my mind.
Despite entrenching my crew firmly in the sci-fi genre, I’ve tethered enough mystery around Selina to blend a handful of genres together. While there are plenty of mysteries left for Selina, enough have been revealed to explain the Drifter’s jaunt to gather the ingredients for Selina’s concoctions. When I combined that idea with my inspiration, the entire tale flowed through my fingers effortlessly.
Find a comfortable patch of earth and curl up as we follow Selina and Charles, as they’re foraging for important ingredients for Selina’s work.
With her stock of exotic components depleted, Selina encourages her captain to make a slight detour for these needed supplies…
Charles tossed a rock out into the pond. As the resulting ripples raced toward them, he turned to Selina, shaking his head. “What are we looking for?”
“These alone justify our trip,” Selina said as she slid next to him, brandishing a handful of roots. With a sly smile, she dropped them into her sack as she plucked an ornate blossom. “However, the actual prize is the world’s flowers.”
Activating his com, Charles leaned forward and took a whiff of the plant. However, instead of a pleasant aroma, its bitterness assaulted him, prompting a cough. “Lucille, are the locals still ignoring us?”
“Everything looks clear,” Lucille said, “but why are you down there instead of Tia?”
Charles pinched the bridge of his nose as he released a heavy sigh. “Selina mentioned something about Tia’s lack of understanding. However, focus on my questions. How close are the locals?”
“Though that’s not a knock on her eagerness to learn,” Selina said, pulling out and activating her scanner. After a brief search, she deactivated the device and smiled at her captain. “They’re closer than I’d like, but they shouldn’t bother us.”
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