Composing Sir Dinadan the Foolish Knight: Form and Inspiration
Dan WildI occasionally think about death. Being paganistic in a world dominated by the ego-centred Abrahamic faiths, my entrance into hell troubles me. May I request one thing: my arrival is accompanied by an orchestra playing my music. This should prepare me for the transition from the pangs of life to the pains of the inferno. …
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Rocket Science: Chapter 9 – In denial
Dan WildPrevious Chapter The VT was playing hits of the 2670s. Chuck Marley had fallen asleep. Gaston Dimble was relishing the opportunity to study a rare historical document. The closest he had come to anything like this was when the curator of the Cretan Museum allowed him to glance at Harvard Akbar’s geological survey, Asteroidal Tendencies, …
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Rocket Science: Chapter 8 – Man of perfect proportions
Dan WildPrevious Chapter When Gaston Dimble stumbled into Marley’s condo, he immediately began tucking into the leftover popcorn chicken. Marley had ordered a bowl of all varieties to entice the historian. He could never work out what Dimble loved more, food or books. Gaston’s first degree was in very ancient history. But if one was to …
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Rocket Science: Chapter 7 – No sleeping in the library
Dan WildPrevious Chapter He climbed the stairs, two at a time and hovered within the lobby. From here he could see the backs of people on the endless steps. Others stood with hand above head, blocking out the artificial sunlight. The Great Library claimed to house the biggest collection of databases in the Orion Arm. Marley …
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Rocket Science: Chapter 6 – A short history of the Orion Arm
Dan WildPrevious Chapter He preferred to think he’d consulted a prophet, not a psychiatrist. That’s what he told Elysia in Server Assembly. She had been quite surprised how quickly he wired cords to their correct patch panels. He asked her about the final message from his psychological readout. “It means what it says. There is no …
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Rocket Science: Chapter 5 – A candle and the shadow
Dan WildPrevious Chapter A rising hum passed through his entire range of hearing, like the proposed Ravel-Class Dreamliner lulling passengers to sleep. He had a sudden vision that maybe he should have done Flight Attendancy. Bags flashed through his mind: leather bags, suitcases, knapsacks, pouches, rucksacks, backpacks, bumbags, plastic bags, swags, beanbags, handbags. He saw every …
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Rocket Science: Chapter 4 – Update the PriMate
Dan WildPrevious Chapter The PriMate tried its best analysing Chuck Marley, but he hadn’t installed the recent updates. In fact he hadn’t updated it in quite some time. His room was stuffy, and dietary feedback had been deactivated. Marley’s attempt at biophysical independence had backfired. His shower sprayed him with a bodywash that was perfect for …
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Rocket Science: Chapter 3 – Procrastinating at the bar
Dan WildPrevious chapter Marley lifted his head from the desk and looked around the library. It was mid-evening and buzzing with students. He collected his laser stylus and fold-up tablet, or flablet, and headed to the Quasar Bar to spend money and time. Marley didn’t drink unless there was someone to drink with him. At the …
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Rocket Science: Chapter 2 – A haircut, red dust and Octomaids
Dan WildPrevious Chapter Marley had not taken Interspecies Liaison seriously. Presentation was important, so the first requirement – have a haircut. He recalled his visit to the Shabbylands. The hairdresser had asked, “Do you want to look like him?” He pointed to a picture of Frisky Benjamin, the famous C-grade actor. And the haircut was good. …
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Rocket Science: Tales from the Orion Arm
Dan WildChapter 1 – The Omniverse The Multiverse was in a particularly bad mood when it first noticed Chuck Marley. It had just snacked on Y77, a small test universe on the fringes of imagination. Y77 was a failed universe and the Multiverse decided to eat it and start again. However, the ingestion of Y77 left …