Making Headway

After several days of not really getting much done I’ve managed to write a fair amount today. I wrote 750 words last night after I put up the post. I wrote another 3,000 today. That’s twice the daily quota, but even with all that I’m still only a squeak ahead of the total number I should have by now. If I could only do 4,000 words for two days in a row, that would give me a nice, comfortable margin.

So now, my main characters – all four of them – are in the same place. They are all on board Deep Dark. I’m really enjoying writing Meghin, Pyotr and Riley all interacting with each other. I’ve also had fun designing the ships I’ve been talking about. Now I know what the marine ship and what Meghin’s patrol craft look like. I’ve got labeled diagrams! On the down side I need more action! I thought I would have it when they all got to the station, but it hasn’t happened yet. Maybe in chapter twelve…

Here’s the bit where Meghin and Pyotr first arrive and contact the station. They are told to wait for the mayor and while they wait…
(I claim all rights to my original characters and words. Other names, concepts and characters are the property of 20th Century Fox. Do not re-post this excerpt without consent.)

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“What do you make of this place.”

“Fascinating. I think I’ve got some of these optics figured out. This asteroid is covered in domes and towers, you can see if you zoom in. These designs aren’t like anything I’ve ever seen before. How could anyone miss this as alien?”

It was a good question. The asteroid was large and very dark. Type D asteroids were always dark, but this was the largest she had seen. It had a faint red tint, but it was really hard to be sure if that was actually from the asteroid or just the reflected light of distant Lalande. Switching her visuals to high-frequency ultraviolet the constructions on the surface popped out in brilliant contrast. There were at least four main domes that Meghin could see. They weren’t really domes, however. They were more pointed than that, but they were not true pyramids, either. She was reminded most strongly of the Mayan temple platforms near her childhood home. These were round, but had the same tiers and steep sides. From these temple-domes and from the surface of the asteroid itself protruded hundreds of small towers. Most were small, but some were large. They seemed to be built at many different and haphazard angels. The thought occurred to her that they could each be pointed at a different star, as if they were part of a navigation system. “What do you make of it?” she asked Pyotr again.

“Alien. Old. Can’t say any more at this time.” Meghin thought he sounded like someone who suspects something, but wanted to keep it to himself. She was about to press him for more, but her comms panel crackled with an in-coming message.

“This is Mayor Riley Mosley of Dark 163. Please state your name and purpose.” The voice was gruff and coldly formal. This was someone used to being charge, Meghin thought.

“I am Captain Meghin Estrella with CivCom, Security Section.” She hadn’t really expected to find a formal operation here lead by people with titles and using standard comms. It was all so official feeling, like these people lived here. Maybe they did. Maybe they were squatters holed up in this alien space base for whatever reason. Now that she was here, she wasn’t sure how to proceed. Did she come out and say “xenomorphs?” It such a word of terror they might just seize up. They were outside the law, even if they nothing to do with the xenos. These people had no reason to cooperate with Security Section. Well, she decided, let’s just see how the bones scatter. “I am investigating a possible infestation. I’ve tracked a ship here from Zadjel. I’d like to come aboard your…” what should she call it? “…facility and check for evidence of the infestation.”

Standoffish the voice came back, “What sort of infestation are you talking about?”

No reason to hedge anymore. “Xenomorph.” There it was, the “x-word.” The conversation killer and the word most likely to set the residents against her, whether they had anything to do with the monsters or not. She waited in the emptiness. Her tiny patrol ship, part transport and part fighter, facing a huge, alien station turned into human refugee camp across just a few kilometers. “Now we’ll see if they’re on our side or not,” she said to Pyotr. Behind her, he made some kind of non-committal noise.

Meghin was beginning to think that the conversation was over. She was already thinking about emergency docking procedures and cutting into their hull. She was weighing this option against going back for a larger ship (and some backup). Then, to her surprise, the gruff voice came again over the speakers. “Okay. Come aboard.” It was hard to be sure through the static, but Meghin thought the voice sounded tired. “Our docking bay is on our axis of rotation. We use military docking procedures. Do you know them, Captain?”

“I’m sure I’ll manage.”

“I’ll meet you at the dock.”
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By now I should have 30,006 words.
My current count is 30,718 words.