Time Out - Writer At Work

I’ve been busy with other things that have pulled me in different directions and taken me away from writing.  I haven’t worked on my novel or any of my other incomplete WIPs. There aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything I need to do.  So, I will take a little time out to work on my writing.  Even if I only manage to write a little, I have to get back on the wagon. 

My neglect has been rampant and I must do something about it before my characters mutiny.  It’ll be a day or two, maybe a few days.  Just long enough but short enough that I can convince myself that I’m back on track.  That way I can believe myself to be a writer and not feel guilty about  my lapse or even worse feel like a poser.

  

Anyway, I’m stalling now so…later.

Phluvoighan Aggression - Episode Three

The Biogeometer’s signal bleeped in shorter intervals as they approached the mines on the left outermost edge of the mountains. Veudan, his shoulders hunched, led - his phaser rifle set on level three. He wasn’t taking any chances that a stun setting might not be enough to protect his commanding officer. Although the RBC suits protected them from the storm’s effects, the force of the winds slowed their approach through the rocky landscape. Drokkan pulled at the medi-beds to keep them from blowing away – the powerful winds made it difficult for the hover-mechanism of the medi-beds to remain steady. They had only managed 50 paces and were nearing a large mound of rock debris, when phaser fire erupted from different directions. Veudan returned fire with expert ease while Drokkan tied down the medi-beds to a large rock.

“How many do you see?” Drokkan asked as he shot down a Phluvoigh

“Too many sir - we’re surrounded! Veudan answered killing three Phluvoighans in a single pass. More Phluvoigh replaced their fallen comrades; most were perched above the cliffs ruthlessly targeting them while others faced them head on.

“Drastic measures Veudan! Fire the plasma grenades!” Drokkan commanded hunching down as more phaser fire rained down on them.

“Aye sir!” Veudan answered with glee and inserted the plasma grenade clip to his phaser rifle. A brazen group detached from the rest and charged forward.  Veudan targeted them in his sight and fired the grenade - the blast scattered the limbs and the Phluvoigh on the ground beat a hasty retreat.  But it didn't deter those on the cliffs, who increased their phaser fire.  Veudan counteracted with a few well placed plasma grenade shots - the giggle that escaped him evidence that he was thoroughly enjoying himself.

Inside the cave, Crewman Inertia was brought out of her deep healing meditation by the sound of explosions. She supposed that the sounds she heard meant that Commander Drokkan had sent another rescue party for them.  After communicating with Commander Drokkan, she cleared her mind of her initial trauma and relied on her training to speed up her healing. Memories of her youth in Cardia flashed behind her eyelids as she remembered the teachings of her mentor who had taught her the ancient forms of healing through meditation and energy work.  It was the focusing of this healing energy that she was now channeling into herself and Captain Faasha.  One hand supporting her ribs and the other resting lightly on Captain Faasha’s forehead; the thumb pressing against the temple. The dull pain of her throbbing ribs made it difficult to draw air and the intermittent coughing sent stabbing pain through her.  The Biogeometer indicated they were running out of air and the unbidden thought that they wouldn’t make it shook her confidence.   But she was a Cardian and Cardians were born stubborn; it was in their genetic makeup.  Looking down at her captain, she decided that she would do what it took to ensure that Captain Faasha survived.  After repositioning herself and placing both hands on the Captain’s forehead, thumbs at the temples, Crewman Inertia refocused her energies once more.

The onslaught of the Phluvoighans continued undeterred forcing Veudan and Drokkan back into the mines while tendrils of smoke rose from the molten lump that used to be a medi-bed.

“How many plasma grenades do we have left?” Drokkan asked limping backwards favoring his left leg as they sought shelter in the mines.

“Three grenades left, sir” Veudan responded. He had switched some time ago to standard phaser fire now set to level four.

“Acknowledged - the Biogeometer indicates that we’re thirty paces too far to the right. The only alternative left is to use the phasers to cut a section of the rock. I’ll provide cover while you work on it.” Drokkan leaned against the mine wall; the leg of his RBC suit had a large burn from when he was hit by the Phluvoighan’s illegally modified Type-1 phaser rifle.

“Sir, this section of the wall is too thick to cut through. I recommend using a plasma grenade to dislodge the fallen rocks that sealed the entrance to the cave.” Veudan asked

“The blast could cause more debris to fall and make it worse for the Captain and Crewman Inertia. Scan for a thinner section of the wall and create a passage wide enough for the medi-bed to get through.” Drokkan said noticing the sudden quiet. The Phluvoighans had ceased firing.

“I don’t like it sir. They’re up to something!” Veudan scanned the area, the rifle pointed and ready to fire at anything that moved.

“We don’t have much time, Veudan. Get to work on that opening!” Drokkan commanded

Phluvoighan Aggression - Episode Two

Amidst coughing and wheezing Crewman Inertia opened her eyes to a stream of dust particles that were illuminated by the track light of a Biogeometer. It took a moment to gather the strength to move her body – first her toes and legs and then progressing to her arms. They weren’t broken but her abdomen hurt and she suspected she may have a few fractured ribs. She felt a body next to her. It was obvious that this was the person whose Biogeometer provided the only light in the darkened cave. Slowly she turned her head and even though the person was turned away from her, she could recognize her Captain. Clearly, the captain tried to rescue her and had now been injured in the process. She needed to contact the ship for help immediately. Turning on her side was excruciatingly painful but slowly she managed to sit up.

Her own communicator had been damaged in the attack so she tapped her Captain’s communicator. “Crewman Inertia to Bridge” The hoarse whisper of the Crewman was barely audible through the distortion, but Drokkan’s heightened sense of hearing detected it. “Crewman report!” he braced the Comm. Station as if willing it to transmit clearly. She kept her face close to the floor trying to inhale what little air she could, amidst the coughing fits that drained her strength. “Crewman Inertia, I repeat, report!” It took a few breaths to be able to respond to Lieutenant Commander Drokkan. “Trapped in a cave - Situation: W.U.D.I.” She could taste the blood every time she coughed and knew she was bleeding internally; her hold on consciousness slipping.

Back on the bridge Drokkan paced back and forth from one control panel to another looking over the shoulders of the Bridge’s crew as if he could find answers they couldn’t. Spiky tufts of blue hair strayed from their military regulation coif and his usual nerves of titanium were stretched taut. The circumstances were worse than he thought as he heard Crewman Inertia report W.U.D.I. – Wounded, Unconscious and Death Imminent. He tried to get more information but the only response was static. With the storm in full force, transport was impossible. He would have to send a manned shuttle-craft to rescue them, but would he have enough time to get them out alive? Should he risk additional crew to save them?

Captain Faasha’s orders had been clear: assume command in 20 kelms. During their earlier briefing Faasha had planned to leave orbit, but he couldn’t bring himself to leave them behind. His decision made, he headed towards the lift doors “Loecus and Veudan, you’re with me!” Two crewmen immediately relinquished their posts and entered the lift with Drokkan.


As soon as the shuttle-craft bay doors opened, the shuttle-craft darted forward at full speed with Drokkan at the helm. Loecus manned the Science station while Veudan monitored the Tactical controls for hostile forces. The electromagnetic waves of the Red Dwarf Sun’s flares bombarded the shuttle-craft’s shields causing the shuttle-craft to buckle and shake. “Commander, the storm is concentrated at 64.4885 degrees North by 52.2327 degrees East. Based on the coordinates that the Captain was transported to, the cave would be somewhere in the eastern region of the planet.”

“What are your recommendations?” Drokkan asked never taking his eyes off the view screen.

“Sir, according to my calculations we have to veer further southeast to avoid the worst of the storm. I recommend a heading of 12.3552 degrees South by 45.2614 degrees East. That will bring us close enough to the caves without too much damage to the shuttle-craft.”


“Agreed - enter the new heading” said Drokkan turning to Veudan “Anything to report?”


“No sir. Besides the storm, all seems quiet on the planet. The Phluvoighans must have gone underground to the mines.”


“How are the shields holding?”


“We are at 87% and holding, sir.”


“Loecus, how long before we can land?”


“At the current velocity, we should be over the caves in 11 kelms, sir.”


“Good, I’m activating the auto pilot. Loecus put your suit on first I’ll cover your station, then Veudan will go next.”


“Yes, sir.” The young Crewman got up immediately to don the RBC (Radioactive, Biological, & Chemical Agents) suit.


Within 5 kelms all three men were back at their stations wearing the RBC suits ready to enter the planet’s atmosphere.


“Veudan, concentrate main shields to the shuttle-craft’s bow!” Drokkan worked the controls trying to steady the shuttle-craft.


“Maximum shields on forward bow, aye sir!”


The shuttle-craft entered the planet’s atmosphere engulfed in a maroon corona; its trajectory heading east towards the mining caves. As the shuttle-craft circumvented the mining camp, metal doors opened on the ground, phaser cannons lifted into position, aimed and targeted the shuttle-craft.


“Commander, phaser cannons have locked on us!” Veudan shouted


“Disable the cannons!” Drokkan shouted as he implemented evasive maneuvers. Phaser cannon shots disturbed the air around the shuttle-craft as it navigated closer to the mines. Crewman Veudan’s phaser shots damaging the cannon but not disabling it. The cannon repeatedly targeted the shuttle-craft, shooting along its trajectory.


“More power to aft shields!” Drokkan commanded as he maneuvered the shuttle-craft west.


“Aye, more power to Aft shields!” Veudan confirmed


“Commander!” Crewman Loecus called out “2.2125 degrees East! Life signs, sir!”


“Confirmed!” said Drokkan as he piloted the shuttle-craft in that direction. Crewman Veudan continued phaser fire on the cannon disabling it.


Drokkan looked for a safe place to land the shuttle-craft while Crewman Loecus kept monitoring for Captain Faasha and Crewman Inertia’s life signs.


“Veudan, are the Phluvoighans in pursuit?” Drokkan asked


“No signs of Phluvoighans within 30 meters sir. Being underground their life signs can be camouflaged until they’re upon us. We must hurry!” Veudan responded


“Acknowledged.” Drokkan left the helm and moved towards the back of the shuttle-craft getting the equipment ready. “Loecus, you will stay with the shuttle-craft and scan for the Phluvoigh. Keep the shields up until we contact you.”


“Aye sir.” Crewman Loecus moved from the navigational controls to the Tactical station while Drokkan and Veudan armed themselves with phasers and gathered the medi-beds. Loecus deactivated the shields to the shuttle-craft’s aft and Veudan opened the hatch. The incandescent heat of the winds bombarded them as they exited the shuttle-craft. Crewman Loecus immediately closed the hatch and reactivated shields to the shuttle-craft’s aft; monitoring all life signs as Drokkan and Veudan went in search.

E-Book Release News Flash!

New Yorker, Magaly Guerrero, released her E-Book titled “AlmaMia Cienfuegos: a Story of Blood, Scars and Nightmares" on May 15, 2012.  

Ms. Guerrero is also the author of Pagan-Culture, a blog that chronicles everyday life through the eyes of a dark fiction writer.  She can also be found at her writing blog, Magaly Guerrero, where her readers are entertained with snippets of fiction that are part of larger works in progress.

After serving in the United States Marine Corps for ten years, Ms. Guerrero pursued her dream to become a writer.  She is a delightfully entertaining blogger and author who has a loyal following.  Her easy disposition earns the affection of her readers and she demonstrates potential for a best seller in her genre.

AlmaMia Cienfuegos: a Story of Blood, Scars and Nightmares can be purchased through Amazon.com.  For an excerpt of the book click here.

You can learn more about Magaly at www.pagan-culture.blogspot.com and at www.magalyguerrero.com.

Phluvoighan Aggression - Episode One

“Faasha, are you sure you want to do this?” his hands hovered over the controls. She stood on the transporter pad - shoulders squared - phaser in hand. “Transport me to the programmed coordinates. If I’m not back in 20 kelms, assume command.”

“You’ll be outnumbered. The Phluvoigh will ambush you the moment you materialize!”

“Drokkan, send me now that’s an order!”

Faasha felt her body coalesce as her molecules came together. The process took seconds but felt arduously slow to her. A member of her crew was missing and possibly hurt; she didn’t have time to waste. She blinked several times to clear her vision as she glanced around the maroon landscape – her hand brushing away the fringe of blue hair from her indigo-colored eyes. The purple haze of the planet’s atmosphere allowed little light to filter in from the sun. The phaser set on stun, she scanned the area with the Biogeometer, hoping for signs of life. Scans showed that weather patterns were fluctuating and radiation emissions were at acceptable levels, but no signs of life. This meant there were no Phluvoigh in the immediate vicinity, but it also meant that Crewman Inertia was closer to the mining camps than Faasha had hoped.

Two kelms had passed since she materialized and Drokkan would leave orbit in 20 kelms whether she made it back or not. She ran towards the mining camp taking cover wherever she could, the Biogeometer scanning periodically for signs of Crewman Inertia. Twenty meters from the camp the chirping sounds of the Biogeometer alerted her of life signs ahead – twelve Phluvoigh and one Cardian. Her chronometer was set on a countdown; she had eight kelms to find her Crewman and get back on the ship. The Phluvoigh were a patriarchal mining warrior class that functioned in camps led by a Core Master. The only thing she could do was trade herself for her Crewman which she was willing to do knowing that the Phluvoigh treated females, regardless of species, no better than slaves. The fact that she was a Captain would bear no weight when she negotiated the trade and it was important that she didn’t encounter any of the others until she found the Core Master’s encampment.

The pungent smell of kroag roasting turned her stomach but it meant that except for the security detail, most of them would be at their dining hut. She crept forward hiding behind a bivouac scanning for Cardian life signs but finding none. How could this be? Either Crewman Inertia was being held prisoner elsewhere, or the Phluvoigh were employing cloaking technology. Footsteps nearby alerted her of the security patrol coming her way and she ran away from the camp acutely aware of the kelms ticking away; swallowing her frustration at not finding her Crewman. Shouts erupted from the top of the barracks where the Phluvoigh bunked. She turned to see the militant Phluvoigh fire his phaser rifle. Phluvoigh warriors swarmed out of the dining hut giving chase; their Core Master barking commands in the background.

Chunks of maroon and lavender rocks flew in the air around her from the impact of the phaser rifles firing, as she ran towards the mines looking for some place to hide. Her long legs enabled her to cover more distance as she continued her climb going east, the Biogeometer reporting Cardian life signs nearby. The Phluvoigh shouting war cries were gaining ground on her. She pushed herself harder feeling the fatigue of her earlier trek to the camp. A quick glance at the chronometer informed her that there were only two kelms left. But looking at her chronometer had cost her, a Phluvoigh jumped down in front of her – phaser rifle pointed – demanding her surrender. 

This Phluvoighan was more repulsive than most.  He stood a foot taller than she did, reeked of kroag and body odor, was missing his left fang and the overly long hairs of his pug nose were moist. There was nothing Faasha could do at this point but to give in, slowly she bent and placed her phaser on the ground while the Phluvoigh watched her with contempt; a little dribble escaping the side of his mouth where the fang was missing. She heard the others approaching and as she began to straighten up, she stabbed the Phluvoigh on his thigh snatching his rifle and shooting him. His scream enraged the others as they pursued and Faasha surged ahead directly to the cave where Crewman Inertia’s weak life signs had registered.

Phaser fire came from all directions and she was hit on the back of her shoulder as she entered the cave. She fell to her knees from the burning impact, grinding her teeth in pain but continuing forward using the Biogeometer’s track light to illuminate the inside of the cave. The Phluvoigh gathered outside the cave now, brawling with each other to determine who would go in after her but unwilling to act without the Core Master’s orders. Crewman Inertia lay motionless in a bloody heap on the floor; her usual mauve complexion was a pasty coral. The wound over her left ear had stopped bleeding but was encrusted with dried pink blood.

While Faasha scanned her, she signaled the ship “Drokkan, I found Crewman Inertia. We’re in a cave within the Phluvoigh mining camp. Transport us now!"

Drokkan paced the bridge trying to decipher the Captain’s message through the distortion that the planet’s weather was causing. “Faasha, we’re trying to lock on to your signal. The electromagnetic field being generated by the storm is disrupting our ability to transport you!”

Outside the cave the Core Master gave orders for the phaser cannons to be brought forward. Faasha tapped her communicator “Drokkan, transport for two. Drokkan, do you read?” The communicator emitted static sounds while the temperature dropped a couple of degrees. The Phluvoigh sang songs of carnage while the winds began to howl. Faasha scanned around her, the Biogeometer analysis showing a storm coming her way.  With no way to communicate with the ship and the Phluvoigh outside the cave, Faasha knew she was on her own.  Twenty kelms had passed and Drokkan should be leaving orbit.  She was trapped and cornered.  All she could do is continue her stand-off and if captured negotiate with the Core Master, but she feared that they would end up roasting like the kroag. The booming sound of the phaser cannon brought her back to focus as it sealed the entrance to the cave - rubble and detritus pummeling them.  Faasha, kneeling over Crewman Inertia, coughed through the thick dust and silt that covered them.  She tapped her communicator again managing a hoarse “Drokkan...” as she lost consciousness.

I'm Not A Trekker - Really, I'm Not

One of the genres that I enjoy is Sci-Fi.  Years ago, I was fascinated with Star Wars, Buck Rogers, and Battlestar Galactica.  But my favorite was Star Trek - both the original and The Next Generation.  After The Next Generation, I was glued to Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise.  I couldn’t get enough of space faring humans who encountered advanced alien civilizations.  So it stands to reason that when I write Sci-Fi stories there will be a strong Star Trek influence. 

Someone might say that I was a trekker, not that I would admit it.  My iPad has the Starfleet Personal Access Display Device (PADD), which is so cool!  This was the device the crew always walked around with and pressed digital buttons to access information.  And this App is the Official and Canon version so all the information pertains to the Star Trek TV series and the films.  

Now, before you say aha!  Let me explain that the iPad was given to me and it already had the PADD App installed.  On the other hand, the Tricorder App was mysteriously downloaded into my phone - those darned Nanites!  I might as well play with it, I don't believe in being wasteful.  Especially after those hard working Nanites went through all the trouble.

I must go now - my cats are chasing hair balls that look suspiciously like tribbles.