Latest Updates from the Keyboard
Well, today has been a productive day. Woke up, heated some chilled takeaway for breakfast, made some black Moccona Hazelnut Coffee, and rewrote and deleted swathes of The Andromeda Effect. Filled in some plot holes, fixed some dialogue, added some thoughts, and made sure a new character had a motive for her actions. (Well, actually, multiple motives, but we’ll see.)
10 minute lunch was some more cheap takeaway that I’d bought as a job lot the night before, and then it was back to writing again.
Then a couple of glasses of Aldi Shiraz, the pleasant alcohol effects extending the length of time I can remain seated, and several more pages poured from my fingers.
7 hours of writing. I don’t think my back will be the same tomorrow!
The sad thing is, I’d love to be able to just write and write and write, and come up with some fantastic chapters straight from brain to board, but what usually happens is I’ll get a 1000 words in and go ‘this aint workin’ and delete it all and start again.
So, I thought, why delete it all? Why not put some of my thoughts out there. At least it won’t be wasted. I think I’ve written 150,000 words so far of this 50,000 word novella, and some of that could have been used, if the story had taken a different path.
Here are a few outtakes. Perhaps I’ll use some lines later. Not sure yet.
Alternate Prologue (too slow)
Admiral Victoria Heartness peered through her office window at the slowly turning rings of Saturn, and sighed. Six more were to die on the next mission, and there was nothing she could do about it. Her stomach was churning, just thinking about it.
Her poor night sleep, and repeated dreams of mind controlling aliens, had not helped her disposition either. She shook herself and took a deep breath. Focus.
There was a faint knock behind her and the door opened, quietly. A dark figure appeared in the reflection, not as lit as she was by the glow of the planet. “There’s been an incident,” he said.
Victoria indicated with her left hand, and the figure disappeared to take a seat.
For a moment longer, she drank in the colors of the gas giant, a massive planet that was there long before the human race had evolved, and would probably be there long after they had become extinct. Then she turned and faced the scientist, and secret services agent, Doctor John Patel, to discover what insignificant human disaster had befallen her space station this time.
Alternate Dinosauroid Family revelation (too much exposition)
“Brother,” began the lead dinosauroid scientist. “I have found the hole in space time that allowed our ship through. The blue star that the plant orbits will explode in the future, turning into an actual one. A black hole. This transformation breaks the gravity cage.”
“Impossible. It’s not a black hole yet!”
“We have long suspected that black holes exist with their own set of rules regarding time. It’s possible we are receiving its influence from the future.”
“Understood. When is it likely to happen in our timeline?”
“It could be hundreds of years, but according to my computer’s calculations, it requires a unique set of circumstances to set it off. A massive disruption to the gravity field will change the normal turbulence of various gases, and set up a chain reaction within the core, generating the explosion. The star will vaporize the plant-planet, and the web of consciousness will fold in on itself, the gravity cage will collapse, and the resulting time waves will create the opportunity.”
The commander looked incredulously at his chief scientist. “Cause and effect? Our presence here creates the situation that enables us to be present here?”
“Yes.”
“Then everything is predetermined.”
“Not exactly. Analyzing these readings suggests that if we attack the planet and explode it, the black hole may not happen, and the plant will simply regenerate, starting the cycle over again, until another opportunity presents itself, or the star simply ages enough that it happens anyway.”
The commander scratched a claw across the wall in frustration. “But it is the only plan we have. Diving into the middle of the blue sun won’t make the slightest bit of difference either.”
“We need to figure out what specifically causes the star to go supernova. Then success is assured.”
The commander grunted his assent. “Do what you have to do. I put my life in your hands.”
“Thank you, brother.”
Alternate Dinosauroid welcome (too friendly)
…and down towards the food area. He quickly showed them the food synthesizers that created sustenance for particular physiognomies, and briefly discussed the system with the lead scientist. The scientist tested the food and was first to eat it, then distributed it to the rest.
Hogart noticed that they were all wearing metal collars, with minerals implanted at various points. He asked politely what they were for.
“This is how we protect our minds from the creature. We have been able to harvest these mineral stones that the creature releases. They are spread throughout the entire galaxy and act like linking points for its gravity cage, and conduits for its consciousness. We have been able to reverse their effects so that they reflect rather than absorb.”
The dinosauroid then looked at Hogart, its lizard head turned sideways. “You are not wearing anything like them. How are you not taken over?”
Hogart pointed to his head. “A mindview system installed in my frontal lobe connected to other points in my brain. It is currently broadcasting a frequency wavelength that is disrupting the signal. Unfortunately, many others on my ship do not have this.” Hogart pointed to a chair in the corner where two of his alien crew were unconscious.
The alien dinosaur understood, then scratched a line in the table in front of him. The army around him fell silent.
“It is time, Hogart. We thank you for your sustanence. We are now ready to fight. What is your suggestion?”
More as I delete them!