Novus' Plummet
Marcus let his eyes drop to the vast array of sensors for the colonization ship. He had gone through these checks numerous times before, and they were always the same when the ship was coming to a new planet. When the great ship entered the system, the long-range sensors had registered five planets in this system. Of those five planets, one was too close to the sun to support life, while three were gas giants. But the second sphere from the sun was the only suitable planet for colonization, so the ship automatically set a course for the world. When they got close enough the ship’s sensors indicated that the surface wouldn’t need to be terraformed, which was a pleasant change from the last three planets.
Now that the ship was entering planetary orbit, the loneliness of the bridge was being erased with a vengeance. The ship’s automation was only designed to operate during the long stretches of space between planets...
Departure
Rylan looked at everyone around him, they were preparing for the launch of the ship. They had been training vigorously for the last three weeks since no one had any idea what to expect, so those who had been volunteered for the mission were being readied for anything. Those in charge had even decided to alter the purpose of the mission, slightly. Their primary goal was still to discover what had happened on Laria but it was decided that to help prepare those on the mission that they should investigate two planets that were on the way to the Larian system.
So two worlds were chosen, Latria and Medicia. Thanks to the comprehensive Larian library they were able to plot to each planet. Also thanks to the library they knew where each platform was located just in case the lack of communication was more than just an inherent system failure. Which was a thought that Rylan was being forced to abandon with each passing day...
Jonathin Quackup, Issue 2
After reading the first issue of Jonathin Quackup of the Planet Weralt, I was eager to pick up the next book in the series. But I wanted to wait and savor these books like an excellent steak. So I waited to read the second book and instead thumbed through the first book multiple times to extract all the beauty and depth of that book. Yet it was time to move onto the second book in the series. So I opened the book on my Surface Book and found a comfortable place to consume the story and artwork.
Just like the first book, the second one was intriguing, and it captured my attention. Letting my eyes soak up the cover my mind was ready for action and my mind was prepared for the promise of knightly action...
The Grave Countdown
Pausing backstage Ryan pulled the bagged letter out of his coat. Forensics had examined the thing already, but he never wanted to contaminate evidence. He quickly reread the mismatched letters, yearning for some new insight. Unfortunately, it revealed nothing new. Ryan thought about how it had been delivered to the station earlier that morning by a private courier. Yet it was just another dead end, that another detective already found.
Though even with the dead end it wasn’t the end of his investigation, not when there was a bomb threat. These investigations were always a high priority, and with this one, it felt like the entire precinct had been pulled into the frantic search. By the time he arrived, the initial search had already been done, finding nothing. But the note detailed everything from the address to the time of detonation. There was one other thing on the letter expressly forbidding the police to try and evacuate either the location and surrounding blocks, or the explosion would be earlier...
Path of the Willow
Once upon a time, a young girl woke up on Christmas morning, and with a grin running across her face, she raced from her room. She flew down the stairs as quietly as she could to the living and adorned Christmas tree. She ignored the presents under the tree, choosing to lock her gaze upon the hanging stockings packed with wonderous goodies. She picked her stocking up and found a thread running from the edge of her stocking into a nearby closet. Opening the door, she followed the thread into the closet. Instinctively she knew she should have reached the wall across the door, yet it never came. Her mind was further befuddled when her foot stepped into a puddle. She knelt and confirmed the presence of water with her free hand. Turning around she couldn’t find the door, though she felt fabric brushing against her. Keeping the fiber in her grasp, she found a coat, pants, and boots that would fit her...