Mosaic image of Mars as seen by Viking 1, 22 February 1980 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
There’s a game going around Facebook today, wherein someone tags you to share a passage from page 7 of your current work in progress. I was tagged, but I had a little trouble deciding what to post – I’m working on three things at the moment (well, sort of). I’m still working on that short sci-fi piece that I started back in May, in addition to mulling over revision possibilities for The Lokana Chronicles, and since my short been getting a lot of my time lately, I finally decided to go with that.
And now, because I’m too tired to come up with something better, I’m going to post it here. (It was a long weekend; I’m still in recovery.) From my story, The Colony, I give you a conversation between Lynn Treadwell, the protagonist, and Mr. Edward Barrington III, an executive with the Company, who’ve sent Lynn’s husband to Mars as part of a colony expedition:
“Yes. Well, thank you for your time, sir. I’m sorry to have bothered you.”
“Oh, no bother at all, my dear! But, about those dreams…”
“Yes…?”
“When you said they were strange…what exactly did you mean?”
“He was warning me,” she said, struck by the man’s sudden change in tone. “He said, ‘They’re coming. Prepare yourself.’ But when I asked who and for what, he wouldn’t say. Do you know what any of this might mean?”
There was silence on the line for a long moment. “In these dreams, did your husband-did he look any different?”
“How did you know?”
“Never you mind that,” Mr. Barrington replied, his voice once more crisp and commanding. “I’m sure these dreams are nothing. Everything at the colony is fine, Mrs. Treadwell. You have nothing to fear – I mean worry about, nothing to worry about. Your husband and the other colonists reached Mars safely, everything is going according to plan, and the first resupply mission will leave on schedule. Now, if that’s all, I am a very busy man and I must bid you good day.”
The suddenness of their disconnection caught her off guard for a moment and she stared at the phone in her hand as if it had suddenly sprouted wings before finally hanging up. There had been fear in his voice at the end, she realized, growing more worried. If this was all just a figment of her imagination, he would have no reason to be afraid. And how did he know Allen looked different?
The more I write of this story, the more I think it has the potential to be something bigger; a novella, maybe. It’s already longer than I thought it would be when I started writing it. I’m excited to see where it will go, but also frustrated because some of the things I want to work into the story aren’t cooperating. So, you know, the usual writer complaints.
Also, between working on this story and doing the appropriate research and marathoning the one and only season of Defying Gravity, I’m back to being one honked-off fangirl. Yet another show that was cancelled far too early in its run.
So, how’s Monday treatin’ ya? What did you think of my excerpt? Shout it out in the comments! Have a great week!
(c) 2014. All rights reserved.
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Suddenly they all died. The end. 
Loved it! This really sounds like an interesting story, can’t wait to read the entire book when it’s complete. 🙂
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Thanks, Lisa! It’s fun trying on a different genre. I’m a huge Trekkie, but I’ve never written sci-fi before I started this, and aside from the Star Trek books, I really haven’t read a lot of it, either. The logic part is always the hardest thing for me to wrap my head around, but I have that problem regardless of genre. 🙂
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Great excerpt Kay! Really exciting, compelling, intriguing. I want more! 🙂
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Yay! Glad you liked it. I’m working on the more part. 😀
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Great start, Kay. Very interesting story line. Looking forward to reading some more excerpts.
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Thank you! I had planned to post it in its entirety when I finished it, but now I’m thinking it’s gonna be too long for a blog post. I’m glad you liked it! 🙂
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Great excerpt, Kay! Now I want to read it! it sounds like the story may grow on you. My first one was supposed to be a single novel, but it made me know there was too much story there and it was actually a trilogy. The story always knows! Happy Writing 🙂
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That’s how my last book was supposed to be – a standalone novel. But then I kept thinking about it, and decided that it really needed a sequel. And then I continued thinking about it and decided that the first book really should be two books, making the one I’d just started the third book instead of the second…And people think writing is easy! 😀
Thanks for stopping by. I’m glad you liked the excerpt!
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I’d definitely like to read the rest of that.
Cheers
MTM
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Glad you liked it! The general consensus seems to be that I need to finish this ASAP. Guess I know what I’m doing at lunch today… 😀
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Very nice! Whatever happened with this piece? (Thanks for linking up with Throwback Thursday, FYI)
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Actually, I just started working on it again. I left it half finished back in 2014, and I hope to finish it in the next month (or maybe two). Since it’s been on my mind this week, I thought I’d share. 🙂
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This is a fine-looking page 7, Kay. 😀 Glad I got a chance to read it. 🙂
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Thanks, Ra! I hope the rest of the story will turn out as well. I can’t believe I let it sit so long. 🙂
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I don’t trust that Mr. Barrington one bit! This definitely creates tension.
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Yay! I was thinking snake oil in a suit when I dreamed him up. 🙂
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