Fledgling Teasers

Saltation Chapter 29

2008-10-06T22:47:00Z

She'd signed always have a back-up plan to Asu there at their shared table, and when Asu left the table Theo realized that she'd never really had back-up plan when it came to next session, or even to what she'd do over the break. She had one plan, to graduate, and graduate as soon as she could. She knew she would have a spot at Huggelans since she was on already on their lists, she knew she'd have Asu in the other bunk in the fall, she knew -- well, but it turned out she didn't know.

Asu knew that, too.

Saltation Chapter 28

2008-09-29T17:05:56Z

Saltation Chapter 28

Her anticipated target moved, shaking the dump-lid, but staying out of sight. She wasn't going to trust a sound shot or try a ricochet; she needed a clear view and time ...
The dark one she'd thought she'd taken already taken care of moved, standing with a lurch, arm swinging toward her, wild shot singing somewhere else. Without compunction she took him down with a three shot volley, twisting in time to get off a shot at the other one, at the gun itself in desperation --
A flash of blue filled space, and she jerked, sighed, stood carefully.

Saltation Chapter 27

2008-09-22T13:44:41Z

"Brine Batzer."
Theo's hand moved on their own say again repeat.
Arndy Slayn laughed.
"It is an Eylot sounding name, isn't it? Brine Batzer; I can't say this behind the desk, but he's one of the most active of the cheap pod-breaking ship agents. It's a wonder that he'd move two whole pods at the same time, but I guess he got lucky. Anyway, that's who'd you'd have to start with if you wanted to pursue something against Drosslemare as a ship – well look at that!"

Saltation Chapter 26

2008-09-15T13:18:51Z

The norbear was sitting quietly beside the pool, on a mat of vegetation, gently chewing a long green plant with a bulb at the end. It looked shyly up at Theo and made a sort of chuckling noise, its thick brown-and-orange fur making it a match for the rocks of the waterfall.

"Hello," she told the norbear, and the guy at the desk said, "Hello Pilot, how may we assist you?"

Saltation: Chapter 25

2008-09-08T00:03:28Z

Saltation Chapter 25
by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

.... a tease

The place that was Codrescu wasn't pretty, and it wasn't a neat and tidy approach like bringing the shuttle into one of the three shuttle-only bays at the the so-called "big orbit" a full planetary diameter higher.

While the basics of matching orbits might be the same, the fact was that this was crowded space: ships and satellites, work-crews, stock-piled supplies all netted with warn-aways, and then more of the same, all in vague joint revolution around Eylot with the amalgamation that was Codrescu Station proper. Theo was glad of something concrete to do, still thinking of the security walk-around, the kind words for Father, the silly politics... and too, the pilot's card she'd have soon enough along with her degree, if the stupid planet didn't close the school down first.

Saltation: Chapter 24

2008-09-01T14:44:10Z

Saltation Chapter 24

Yberna was more than just tired, she was ill. Theo didn't think she'd ever seen anyone that exact shade of yellow, especially considering how pale the girl usually was, and the color didn't go well at all with scrapes and bruises. With yos'Senchul gone DCCT was acting like a team, indeed – someone had broken out extra oxygen and there were a couple first aid kits circulating among the combatants.
"I'll be fine, she was saying, her hands trembling and her lips going blue, "I just need a little oxygen."

Saltation Chapter 23

2008-08-25T17:48:42Z

"Sweetest of mysteries, alas, I am not able to convince any of the routing computers, nor my supervisors, of any route wherein Anlingdin Academy is a way-point for my journey to the assembly point. As your own location and routing is still based on the needs of tuition, and as I am not at liberty to disclose my routing nor destinations, immediate, intermediate, or final, there seems little likelihood that we shall each other in the near term, as dear as that thought has been to me since we last parted."

Saltation Chapter 22 (arriving later on Monday)

2008-08-18T14:27:45Z

"Sweetest of Mysteries," started the missive, in a surprisingly angular Terran script, hand-written in ink on the prettiest, most elegant paper Theo'd ever seen. The fibers nearly glowed with warmth and the scent of it was subtle and charming, with undertones not unlike Vaya, but not nearly as challenging to the comfortable nose. The touch of it was sensuous; her fingers caressed it as she read.

Saltation Chapter 21

2008-07-28T16:28:51Z

... from the chapter in progress...

Pressing the meter's probe against the tie-strap she knew there was a problem even before the complaining YEEP YEEP YEEP broke the relative quiet. The strap looked soft, and then yielded easily to her push... and it shouldn't. The meteorologists were calling for more of the seasonal lake-effect storms late in the day and it wouldn't do for something this light to lift and flip in a downpour, or worse, go sliding out into a taxi-way to endanger traffic.

Derryman sighed noisily, calling out "Do the right wing gear and I'll do the left..., but it's Batzer's Bat and I guarantee they'll all be forty percent light and using last year's recycled cable!"

Danger, Theo Waitley!

2008-07-11T18:18:19Z

"Once you've sat first or second seat on orbit around an inhabited planet you'll see that being Pilot in Charge of a space vessel makes being PIC on a two or four seat air-sucking cloud-hopper is an order of magnitude less dangerous to all concerned."

The casual dismissal of their progress to date shocked the room; the palpable intake of breath became a uniform glance over shoulder in her direction from the front -- and Theo imagined those behind her staring at the back of her head. As far as she knew there were exactly two people in the room who met that criteria: Instructor yos' Senchul and herself.

Read the rest of Saltation Chapter Twenty at: http://www.korval.com/saltation/ch20web.html

Saltation: Chapter Nineteen

2008-06-29T15:38:06Z

"A pleasant evening to the house." He bowed slightly to Asu, who'd been closest to the door. "I am Win Ton yo'Vala, come to call upon Theo Waitley, if she will see me."

"I see you," Theo said softly, feeling kind of fluttery and light in the chest. Win Ton, she noticed, had changed out of what must've been his dress uniform, into a dark sweater and pants -- and his jacket. He looked over Asu's shoulder with a smile.

"I see you, also, Sweet Mystery. Is this everything that will be allowed us?"

She laughed. "Asu, you're not my aunt! Let him in."

"Certainly," the taller girl said. She took a fluid step back, and swept her arm out, head inclined in a very slight bow, indeed. "I am Asu diamon Dayez. Be welcome, Pilot yo'Vala."

"My thanks." Win Ton stepped inside, brown eyes flicking to Chelly, who gave him a matter-of-fact nod.

"Chelly Frosher, Pilot Admin trainee." He paused, and added, thoughtfully. "Friend of Theo's."

"I am pleased to meet you, Admin Frosher," Win Ton assured him gravely.

He turned slightly, and Theo felt her stomach tighten, which was silly. This was Win Ton, not some stranger, or --

"Pilot yo'Vala!" Asu said, sharply.

Win Ton's eyebrows rose, and he turned, perhaps faster than he had intended. Asu went back a step, and he became very still, hands belt high, palms out, fingers spread in the sign for "I'm no threat."

Read the rest of this week's exciting installment at noon, Monday, June 30, at:
http://www.korval.com/saltation/ch19web.html

Saltation: Chapter Eighteen

2008-06-23T14:58:17Z

"Theo, just in time! You're going the wrong way!"

Cara stopping halted the whole team, familiar faces and unfamiliar together.

Theo signed blankly none there, pointing toward the dorm parapet rising above the trees in the distance.

"Might be, but there's a ship coming in, and we're going to go down to see it."

"There's always a ship coming in ..." Theo pointed out, a Star King IV obligingly dropping down through the clouds toward the main landing strip with practiced efficiency.

The hand-sign was flip – overlooked obvious.

"I mean a spaceship." Cara's hand said new info just in.

"The shuttle is still parked...."

A shake of heads, and from the back....

"Spaceship. You know, interstellar. We got a call from the field, they thought we might want to see this."

"Here? Where will it fit? What is it?"

"Right. That's what we want to see ... come on down with us! DCCT is on the move!"

Saltation Chapter 17

2008-06-16T14:40:07Z

Saltation Chapter 1t, a preview:

At one point, in fact, she turned head to pointedly look at him, since his level of discussion had gone from active to agitated, and the motion was distracting. She'd caught what might have been inadequate preparatory curriculum but, given the syntax and motion of the single hand doing the work of two, could just as well have been weakly unbaked circles.

Saltation Chapter Sixteen

2008-06-09T14:43:53Z

"And there's a problem worth a grimace?" Pilot yos'Senchul's voice was not concerned, but interested.

Theo knew she probably blushed, but the instrument lighting wouldn't betray her.
Theo reduced throttle, let the craft slow, watched for the runway ahead to take on a green stripe, to the left, and she followed the green stripe, toward those bright lights ...

"According to the chronometer I was seventeen seconds late on touchdown," she admitted. " I can't figure..."

Read the rest of this week's exciting installment at noon, today, Monday, June 9, at:
http://www.korval.com/saltation/ch16web.html

Apologies - No Saltation today

2008-06-02T14:59:52Z

Being the bearer of slow tidings, let me point out that the Winter issue of the SFWA Bulletin arrived last week, and we have seen promises that the Spring/Nebula issue will be out RSN. The Nebula issue is isusally distributed *at* the Nebula Awards event... sigh.

No Salation today.

The Nebula issue the Bulletin being late didn't materially affect us this year, and probably not you either. Theo being late may. This was not our plan. Forgive us.

We are diligently working to get back in schedule. We miss Theo, too.

No Chapter on May 26

2008-05-23T19:46:25Z

Due to the fact that Longeye is due at Baen on June 1, no excuses, and is still thirty grand from the finish line, that is where the efforts and so-called talents of both authors will be focused this weekend.

There will be no new chapter of Saltation posted on May 26.

Steve and I apologize profusely, and thank you once again for your patience.

Now hear this, now hear this

2008-05-19T13:08:58Z

While we're concentrating on Longeye (and hence delaying Saltation and the Theo Waitley timeline)...others have been busy.

Yes, that means you can now listen from start to finish to the complete Fledgling online rough draft, as read by long-time Liaden Universe® fan Sam Chupp, of Fireheart Foundry.

To do so, visit:
http://fledgling.fireheartfoundry.com/ ....

and go all the way to the bottom of the page to find Chapter 1, downloadable in audio MP3 format. Sam's a volunteer in this project and we much admire the hours and effort he's invested in making this happen.

And by the way, please feel free to share this news...

Steve and Sharon

Distant Early Warning .. Chapter Sixteen to be delayed

2008-05-13T14:50:23Z

There will be no new Chapter on May 19.

Sorry, but we will be adding at least a week to the schedule as we get to the real push-shove portion of Longeye. We've got a tremendous number of words to go/go over in a very short time; the unexpected house refi cost us an unfair amount of time and the Longeye work is something we can't let slide.

There will be no new Chapter on May 19.

Chapter 15 coming, just a bit late

2008-05-12T16:20:31Z

Theo was calmer than she'd expected to be, all things considered. She was glad for the tea she'd composed herself with back at the room. Good tea, Father had always told her, was worth more than its weight in fire gems. She didn't have fire gems, but she had nerves, and the tea she used from her private hoard of Father's favorite evening blend made her feel better. Sometimes thinking about Father had a similar effect, since he always seemed so in sync with the world, like his sure handling of the pushy Simple back on Delgado, when she'd been a kid.

Pilot, that's what it was. Pilots had inner calm.

Read the rest of today's thrilling chapter Real Soon Now at http://www.korval.com/saltation/ch15web.html

Saltation Chapter Fourteen

2008-05-04T19:30:05Z

Here, the floor did not merely meet the walls, it curled and became the wall seamlessly. No errant dirt allowed, no build-up of dust, no collection point for contagion, no dimming of the beautiful floor of Sturtevan Hall's dispensary.

So for a few moments she sat in the chair, sorb-pad held to the side of her face, tension singing from her shoulders, studying the pattern of the tile, doing her best not to think too much about how she'd managed to get into a fight. She never got into fights. Well, not all that often... and that made the tile much more interesting until the attendant had come back with the med-techs.

They'd shaved her left sideburns and a patch little higher to get at the cut, the slender grad student med-tech soothing her with his quiet voice and gentle fingers in her hair as the other wielded a shave wand with dexterity.

"We have permission then, to heal these problems?"

When he said that he pulled back so she could see his startling grey eyes and serious face, and he drew his hand down the side of her face in front of her ear.

*-------------------------------*----------------------------------*

Special note: Things here at the Lee-Miller Cat Farm and Confusion Factory^(TM) are hectic today, what with work ongoing on two websites (see the beta at http://www.korval.com/fledgling/index.php, if you dare), not to mention doing the laundry and other such ordinary things, all the while prepping for a morning appointment which may well keep us away from the noon launch button for awhile... so the usual Monday Saltation may be late by a few or up to 24 hours. Patience, please, we're working on it.

Saltation, Chapter 13 ... Gear down and locked.

2008-04-28T11:47:59Z

Gear down and locked. The gear down part she felt in the touch of the controls, and the locked part Theo felt firmly through her seat as the well-used and surely misnamed Star King Mark II settled into landing mode. The instruments confirmed it, and she sang out to traffic, who acknowledged visual politely, and gave her permission to do what she was going to anyway, which was touch-and-go number nine.

For luck, she signed and then touched her key, plugged in and counting her PIC – Pilot in Command time that was – with each passing second. The hand-talk shorthand go good was sufficient, really, even if not as satisfying as saying it, but she was learning not to talk to herself so much, and this time she managed not to say anything at all, except what was business. The PIC timer showed 35.5. Not so long to go, after all.

Saltation: Chapter Twelve

2008-04-19T17:17:57Z

"She needs to lose altitude, and quickly -- Ground had said it was an emergency," he said, keeping his voice soothing. "She is being perfectly safe."

Safe, but aggressive. His fingers twitched when she hit the standing wave, the slip string snapping and the variometer beginning to squeal.

"The nose..." he murmured, but there, she had it; the nose was down, and she was on course. The wings thrummed, protesting the service she required of them, and the radar telling stories to frighten children --

*

Note:

we're working behind the scenes in Fledgling and Saltation; it is possible that ordinary Monday schedules and locations will change. If you cannot locate Saltation or Fledgling on Monday afternoon, please refer to http://kinzel.livejournal.com or http://rolanni.livejournal.com for more information.

*

Read the rest of the chapter Monday, April 21, noon Eastern Time at: http://www.korval.com/saltation/ch12web.html

Visit the new srmpublisher.com ... genre fiction with universal appeal

Saltation: Chapter Eleven

2008-04-07T12:28:14Z

Saltation: Chapter Eleven

"I see your work, Theo Waitley, and I see thought. That is good in a student and in a pilot. The opportunity in this proposition that flight-space is unstatic, that I'm not clear on."

Theo sat even straighter, looking up at the apparition, as who could not when faced with someone so straight-backed and firm, so immaculately balanced despite the near-aching spareness of her frame, and skin so pale it bordered on a translucent blue. Theo doubted she had ever met a woman so old before.

This was Veradantha, who had found seven minutes in her schedule. The counselor had pointedly started the timer on her desk when Theo arrived, and now, it counted down relentlessly.

"These are not so novel, these ideas you have here; the tables tell the tale, pilots of experience are familiar with these facts.

*

Read the rest of the chapter Monday, April 7, noon Eastern Time at: http://www.korval.com/saltation/ch11web.html

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Saltation: Chapter Ten

2008-03-31T13:44:24Z

The needles moved as Theo looked at the screen intently, trying to gauge
what would happen if she moved her supposed craft from Chora to Klisko while ... sigh.

The tables – the original ven'Tura Tables themselves – were just lists: numbered lists of numbers, lettered lists of numbers, cross-listed lists of numbers and dates, and more lists of numbers. They weren't nearly as interesting as their history, and for once Theo was glad she'd been more than a little attentive during some of her mother's informal get-togethers where the always-fluid topic of "the history of history" was under discussion. You could always count on someone saying that "you can't judge entirely by today; you have to look at things from the perspective of the times." And, Father would add if he was there, "the culture."

So she'd done more than the required reading, trying to place the need into context. Culture didn't seem to matter, unless you thought of piloting as a culture, but the times -- there'd been an urgent need for clarifying the gravity effects and string constants once the natural expansion of trade and commerce had brought ships more than a few hundred light years from home.

Ships had been lost, or found far too late for the crew to be rescued, because no one had formalized what the problems were. One ship in a thousand was lost routinely. And all people said -- even pilots! -- was that piloting was dangerous. Which it was. But what nobody looked at was why it was dangerous, and if the odds couldn't be leveled a little, in favor of pilots surviving and ships winning through.
Nobody, that was, until Master Pilot ven'Tura had dared to not only log, but share with Terrans, the information he and his clan had gathered over dozens of years.

Eventually he'd become the clearing house and editor for the monumental and necessary task, and his tables became rote companion to thousands of pilots over generations.

Then, over time, the loss of pilots and ships trended upward again. Most assumed it was because there were more ships and more pilots, less training, and... all kinds of things. It had taken someone with keen insight to see that there were tiny and fundamental flaws in the way the ven'Tura Tables were being applied, in the way they were being read by modern equipment....

And so, the Tables had been revised. Recently, within the lifetime of pilots still flying. And they were making a difference. Had already made a difference. The number of ships lost was down again, in a statistically meaningful way. The person who had done the revision -- Scholar Caylon -- had been a statistician, it said in the text, and it said she had tracked the trends of her work, right up until she died.

Theo looked at the screen, stopping work for a moment, looking from her hands to the screen. She considered a minute, before pressing the process button, importing the familiar "standard cluster" the class, indeed, the whole school seemed to depend on for training, into the second set of assumptions. How concrete were the numbers when applied to a tiny, sanitary, best-case situation?

But there, the work in her hands was concrete, and she was trying to consider ...

A noise sounded in the hall,a thump – she shook her head. The kids – she felt like she could call them that even though some were several years older than her – the local kids had been all agog over a sporting event and charging all around the building cheering all day long. This was getting to be a bit --

The noise repeated; and resolved: someone was at her door. Theo sighed, reached out and locked the screen, gathering her lace into one hand.

The click came before she was on her feet, and a tired-looking Chelly smiled up at her as he lifted several large bags into the entry, where they thunked solidly on the floor.

"Chelly, they let you come back!"

*********************************************

Read the rest of the chapter Monday, March 31, noon Eastern Time at: http://www.korval.com/saltation/ch10web.html
Tags: chapter 10

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Saltation: Chapter Nine

2008-03-23T21:51:08Z

"Perhaps Cadet Waitley would like to relate the history of the ven'Tura Tables to the class."

Theo started. She hadn't been dozing, exactly, though Instructor Johansen's voice did tend to put her to sleep, even when she wasn't working with a short night behind her. But -- the ven'Tura Tables? She had done her reading, she thought, her stomach tightening in panic. What -- She sent a quick glance at her screen, but if she'd read anything about these tables -- whatever they were -- she hadn't thought them worthy of even a note, much less a history.

"Well, Cadet Waitley?" Johansen purred in that nasty-sweet voice that meant she was about to shave an inch off of somebody -- and Theo was apparently today's chosen victim. "I'd think that someone who was sponsored into this Academy by the Liaden Scouts would be fully conversant with the ven'Tura Tables."

Read the rest of the chapter Monday, March 24, noon Eastern Time at: http://www.korval.com/saltation/ch09web.html