I have been up writing. I'm trying to get all my ideas down. I'll post my uncut work. One of the reasons I like to post raw material is because I want you to understand how the process of creating flows. You will notice each revision starts to tell a little more. On this one you will see a set of question marks...that is meant for me. I use markings to give me an idea of where I left off . I go through many revisions before I move to the next chapter. Sometimes it helps, and other times it drives me crazy. Right now I feel like I'm losing my mind. I don't know what I want to do next. I want to show Adversity as being a grieving daughter. She needs to deal with the death of her mother, and the fact that her planet is gone. I know what it feels like to be in a different country for the first time. So, I can give her that emotion that comes with being homesick. I know what it is like to lose a mother. Whenever she talks about her mother's death in many ways it is how I felt. I recall waking up wanting to call her, and it was a horrible feeling to know she wasn't there. My mother has been dead for about 8 or 9 years. I know it's bad...I don't know the amount. I try not to think about it. I know what day she died on. She died on July 11 which was her birthday. Maybe I shouldn't be giving my character my emotions. I just want her to feel real. Anyway....
Adversity opened her eyes and looked into the darkness. Words weren’t enough to explain the feeling of despair that seemed to creep into her room every night. She raised her head from her pillow, and turned towards the window. Without thinking she grabbed an altered tea shirt and pulled it over her head. Three nights in a row, and she was still seeing her mother in her dreams. Each dream was different, yet the outcome was still the same. Her mother always ended up being a victim. No matter the dream or the situation her mother would always be amongst the dead.
“Why didn’t you come with me?” asked Adversity as she looked into the darkness.
“I wish I could do something about your dreams, or whatever you call them,” stated Norrie as she handed Adversity a pair of black boots.
“You are doing enough. You have stayed with me the last two nights.”
“You scared everyone the first night the dreams started. The other guard members said they could hear you yelling and throwing things inside your room.”
“I know. I broke my thumb, and fractured my pinky because of it.”
“Adversity, why do you think you are having these visions?”
“I really don’t know. I keep seeing her. I don’t like reliving her death. It makes me miss her that much more.”
“Try walking outside and taking a look at the improvements to our base. Maybe that will make you tired.”
“Maybe, it will help. Are you going back to your room now?”
“Yes, I have a lot of work to do. Plus I’m meeting with some of the tribe’s elders soon. If we are lucky we will be able to talk them into relocating near our base. I would feel so much better if they were closer. We can’t protect them if the Viderians come back.”
“Do you think they will come back?”
“I know they will. This planet has to be ready for them. With our new technology and weapons we should be able to hold off an attack. I have been sending out signals again. I’m trying to see if there are any survivors on any of the other planets.”
“Maybe we will get lucky. I wish Earth could have been saved like Phidern.”
Without waiting for a reply Adversity opened the door to her room, and noticed a few engineers working tirelessly on the newly built enlisted quarters.?????
Adversity slid her small web like fingers around the darkened rail as she moved closer to the enlisted soldier’s quarters. Each step gave birth to a streak of light as her feet brushed across the blackened floor. It was still hard to believe how high tech the base had become after the Lingering was digested into the atmosphere Adversity thought as she paused and waited for the light to rise within the rails.
“Adversity, how long are you going to stand in the hallway?” Dilbin asked as he held his white luminescent hands near Adversity’s face.
“I don’t know. I can’t help it! This base looks so different. I still can’t believe we are finished with the renovations for a whole base and we are working on plans for other bases. While you were working I created a calendar , and I think I have come up with a plan to chart the days,” said Adversity as she pulled out a small hologram.
“What is a calendar and how do you chart the days?” asked Dilbin.
“On Earth we had this form almost like your blueprints, or your designs. That form dictated everything we did. It had each of our months and days printed on it. My mom used it all the time to plan for holidays. I don’t think our time on Phidern is equivalent to our time on Earth. I started looking for signs that gave off any indication of difference. I noticed after we went to lunch, we would come back to our quarters and work in the Language Station. After we returned from the Language Station everyone went to their rooms. I figured out the schedule and I tracked the time. In some ways it is like tracking cycles. When we first came here the two suns were able to reach the base and give off light. After the Lingering crashed into Phidern the suns separated. Now that we no longer get sunlight I knew I needed something to differentiate time. Every time I got up to dress for work I would see a golden flare flash across the sky. I used that as my starting gate. I still don‘t know the number of hours in a day here on Phidern, but I have narrowed down the days. I started keeping count of the days after I realized the flare was the start of a new day. ”
“I’m not surprised. We all know Phidern is a great planet. This planet doesn’t leave anything out. After I first came here I noticed a fruit from my planet that started to grow outside my sleeping quarters.”
“I think this planet does more than rejuvenate and take in organisms. I think Phidern takes something from us, and incorporates it with the environment. In many ways Phidern is trying to make us feel at home.”
“I have been here about nine months in Earth days. Every ninety days equals three months and I figure by my calculations I have been here at least two-hundred and seventy days.”
“More than likely, Phidern’s time is different that Earth days. You know it could be that your nine months equals much more than the nine months you understand.”
“I have been thinking about that too. I want to see Earth. After we finish the next rotation I plan to ask Norie for a exploration pod. I don’t want to go by myself. I know it is asking a lot of you, but do you think you could come with me?”
“It depends on what we are working on, Adversity. I am the overseer of most of the projects here on base. We are about to start building the civilian quarters soon. This base is made for soldiers and most of us have never been anything other than soldiers. I was hoping you would help us build the civilian town the way you helped with Iciest.”
“Really?” Adversity asked.
“Yes, Norrie and I have been talking about it a lot lately. We want to make this planet a real planet. We need females, and males to repopulate Phidern. You can tell us what you did on Earth for entertainment, and maybe we can try to duplicate it here on Phidern to some degree. It will not be the same, but maybe it will give our citizens hope. You have already helped us with forming models of living quarters. We can make small dwelling units that sit above the ground. They don’t have to live underground anymore. The ice can be controlled by the heating flowers that grow below our base.”
“ I will help, but I have a small favor to ask. I want you to fly me to Earth just once. I want to see what Earth looks like. I know you all want me to feel like I belong here. I think that is the reason Norie let me name our base Iciest. However, I need to know if anyone survived from my planet. If they did, we might be able to recruit them and bring them back to Phidern.”
“I give you my word, after we build the city structure and gather the displaced Phiderians I will help you,” Dilbin stated as he bent down and kissed Adversity on the head.
“What was that for?”
“I’m just so glad you are here with us..Toni from Earth!” Dilbin laughed as he continued walking down the hall.”
“I’m not Toni anymore!” Adversity yelled as she ran behind him.
Adversity opened her eyes and looked into the darkness. Words weren’t enough to explain the feeling of despair that seemed to creep into her room every night. She raised her head from her pillow, and turned towards the window. Without thinking she grabbed an altered tea shirt and pulled it over her head. Three nights in a row, and she was still seeing her mother in her dreams. Each dream was different, yet the outcome was still the same. Her mother always ended up being a victim. No matter the dream or the situation her mother would always be amongst the dead.
“Why didn’t you come with me?” asked Adversity as she looked into the darkness.
“I wish I could do something about your dreams, or whatever you call them,” stated Norrie as she handed Adversity a pair of black boots.
“You are doing enough. You have stayed with me the last two nights.”
“You scared everyone the first night the dreams started. The other guard members said they could hear you yelling and throwing things inside your room.”
“I know. I broke my thumb, and fractured my pinky because of it.”
“Adversity, why do you think you are having these visions?”
“I really don’t know. I keep seeing her. I don’t like reliving her death. It makes me miss her that much more.”
“Try walking outside and taking a look at the improvements to our base. Maybe that will make you tired.”
“Maybe, it will help. Are you going back to your room now?”
“Yes, I have a lot of work to do. Plus I’m meeting with some of the tribe’s elders soon. If we are lucky we will be able to talk them into relocating near our base. I would feel so much better if they were closer. We can’t protect them if the Viderians come back.”
“Do you think they will come back?”
“I know they will. This planet has to be ready for them. With our new technology and weapons we should be able to hold off an attack. I have been sending out signals again. I’m trying to see if there are any survivors on any of the other planets.”
“Maybe we will get lucky. I wish Earth could have been saved like Phidern.”
Without waiting for a reply Adversity opened the door to her room, and noticed a few engineers working tirelessly on the newly built enlisted quarters.?????
Adversity slid her small web like fingers around the darkened rail as she moved closer to the enlisted soldier’s quarters. Each step gave birth to a streak of light as her feet brushed across the blackened floor. It was still hard to believe how high tech the base had become after the Lingering was digested into the atmosphere Adversity thought as she paused and waited for the light to rise within the rails.
“Adversity, how long are you going to stand in the hallway?” Dilbin asked as he held his white luminescent hands near Adversity’s face.
“I don’t know. I can’t help it! This base looks so different. I still can’t believe we are finished with the renovations for a whole base and we are working on plans for other bases. While you were working I created a calendar , and I think I have come up with a plan to chart the days,” said Adversity as she pulled out a small hologram.
“What is a calendar and how do you chart the days?” asked Dilbin.
“On Earth we had this form almost like your blueprints, or your designs. That form dictated everything we did. It had each of our months and days printed on it. My mom used it all the time to plan for holidays. I don’t think our time on Phidern is equivalent to our time on Earth. I started looking for signs that gave off any indication of difference. I noticed after we went to lunch, we would come back to our quarters and work in the Language Station. After we returned from the Language Station everyone went to their rooms. I figured out the schedule and I tracked the time. In some ways it is like tracking cycles. When we first came here the two suns were able to reach the base and give off light. After the Lingering crashed into Phidern the suns separated. Now that we no longer get sunlight I knew I needed something to differentiate time. Every time I got up to dress for work I would see a golden flare flash across the sky. I used that as my starting gate. I still don‘t know the number of hours in a day here on Phidern, but I have narrowed down the days. I started keeping count of the days after I realized the flare was the start of a new day. ”
“I’m not surprised. We all know Phidern is a great planet. This planet doesn’t leave anything out. After I first came here I noticed a fruit from my planet that started to grow outside my sleeping quarters.”
“I think this planet does more than rejuvenate and take in organisms. I think Phidern takes something from us, and incorporates it with the environment. In many ways Phidern is trying to make us feel at home.”
“I have been here about nine months in Earth days. Every ninety days equals three months and I figure by my calculations I have been here at least two-hundred and seventy days.”
“More than likely, Phidern’s time is different that Earth days. You know it could be that your nine months equals much more than the nine months you understand.”
“I have been thinking about that too. I want to see Earth. After we finish the next rotation I plan to ask Norie for a exploration pod. I don’t want to go by myself. I know it is asking a lot of you, but do you think you could come with me?”
“It depends on what we are working on, Adversity. I am the overseer of most of the projects here on base. We are about to start building the civilian quarters soon. This base is made for soldiers and most of us have never been anything other than soldiers. I was hoping you would help us build the civilian town the way you helped with Iciest.”
“Really?” Adversity asked.
“Yes, Norrie and I have been talking about it a lot lately. We want to make this planet a real planet. We need females, and males to repopulate Phidern. You can tell us what you did on Earth for entertainment, and maybe we can try to duplicate it here on Phidern to some degree. It will not be the same, but maybe it will give our citizens hope. You have already helped us with forming models of living quarters. We can make small dwelling units that sit above the ground. They don’t have to live underground anymore. The ice can be controlled by the heating flowers that grow below our base.”
“ I will help, but I have a small favor to ask. I want you to fly me to Earth just once. I want to see what Earth looks like. I know you all want me to feel like I belong here. I think that is the reason Norie let me name our base Iciest. However, I need to know if anyone survived from my planet. If they did, we might be able to recruit them and bring them back to Phidern.”
“I give you my word, after we build the city structure and gather the displaced Phiderians I will help you,” Dilbin stated as he bent down and kissed Adversity on the head.
“What was that for?”
“I’m just so glad you are here with us..Toni from Earth!” Dilbin laughed as he continued walking down the hall.”
“I’m not Toni anymore!” Adversity yelled as she ran behind him.
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