Exodus Earth

   We thought we could escape all our problems if we could just reach the stars. Interstellar flight was the key to our future. It would bring us closer together as a whole; provide us with endless potential, and the brightest of futures.

   The first Generation Ship launched to a staccato of cheers and verbalized fears for the loved ones being lost to Earth forevermore. That was a hundred and sixty years ago. Twenty years later, Earth was entering the final stages of a massive climate change. A new ice age had begun to encase the equator to the dismay of scientists and theorists alike. They couldn't understand how they could have been so wrong about how the Earth works after so many centuries of constant study. To me, that's the beauty of life in this universe. For everything we think we know, there are ten things that surprise us.

   A massive exodus from Earth was inevitable. There simply wouldn't be enough space for the remaining populace to relocate to the polar circles and although the technology to build subterranean living shelters was advanced enough, no preparation had been made to counter nature's wrath.

   Of the nearly eight billion people that called Earth home, seven remained surface side. Best estimates for the remaining ships already built or being built in orbit, could house another five hundred million people. The Mars and Moon colonies could take another two hundred and fifty million each if they put all their efforts into expanding living and agriculture domes. That left nearly six billion souls to fight for survival as the remaining population attempted to cram as many as they could into the polar circles while maintaining adequate sustainable food, water, and waste management systems. To say it was ugly would be putting it in the most positive light possible.

   Nearly half of the remaining Earthers died of exposure or in the fighting that broke out over who would get to live in the polar circles over the next ten years. Fanatical groups that were pro-apocalypse sprung up in ever increasing numbers and frequency. By the time the last seven generation ships were ready to leave orbit, only two billion people remained surface side. My grandparents were two of them, and they were the remaining leaders of the southern polar circle.

Seven Days To Dead

   It all went to hell on a Monday. It was nothing like the zombie apocalypse or post nuclear fallout stories and tv shows we were oh so familiar with, nor was it an alien invasion. It was more like the Earth simply had enough of our bullshit.

   The ground shook like mad. City streets ripped open swallowing houses, cars, and anything else that occupied the same space as its wrath. The sea rose like bile in an upset stomach, and once dormant volcanoes erupted with fury. Their tops exploded or simply slid aside as the bowels of our once mystical world vomited up raw vengeance for all the years of ignorance and neglect brought on by our greed and laziness. The skies were aflame with a torrent of molten slag that descended like a rainstorm straight out of hell.

   Maybe that's what this is, hell. God knows we deserve a reckoning. Time and again we've displayed that we never learn from our mistakes. We like to think of ourselves as a sophisticated and intelligent species, and we definitely like to think that we've evolved into this majestic race of beings that have come so far in our short existence. The truth is, we never really learned a damn thing. We mock faith, we squabble and fight over existential things that really don't matter, and we go to war over resources we really don't need instead of moving beyond them when we discover an alternative that is better for our health and the world as a whole all because the one percenters hold sway over the decision makers of whole countries with their wallets.

   Truth hurts when it really boils down to it. I guess that's why I'm writing about it now instead of explaining what happened to us. Hell, what I really wish is that I could just lay back on my pillow at night and fall asleep without thinking about it all again and having to get back out of bed to empty it all out onto paper until I can't physically keep going anymore and essentially pass out instead. Can't always get what you want I guess.

   The worst of the first day wasn't all the shit the Earth threw at us at once, it was the chaos that ensued after. Our complacency became so apparent that day. We had become so blinded by the technologies we created to make the day to day easier that we literally had no idea how to react to a total cut off. All of the infrastructures for communication lasted about fifteen minutes tops. By mid-afternoon the skies were dark enough with smoke and ash clouds that it could have been dusk. All the extra energy in the air manifested into electrical storms without the thunder. Definitely not the pleasant summer storm one might enjoy witnessing in the countryside while visiting a family farm. The discharged electricity nuked most electronics within fifty miles of the storms wherever they occurred. Not like an EMP though. Some things still worked after. This just added an extra layer to the panic of course. You see, people tend to go completely mental when the world breaks as it turns out. Some have a primal survival instinct that kicks in while maintaing their humanity, but the rest just sort of crack. They instantly give into the fight or flight instincts that seem to be present in most species. More into the fight than the later.

   There was no time for anyone in the governing body or in the military to respond to anything. No emergency broadcasts, no emergency responses or aid teams, no, nothing like that. Everything just seemed to happen all at once, everywhere. The only thoughts anyone had was to save themselves. Of all the things that happened that first day, far and above it all was the very hard lesson that in the end of all things the thing to fear the most is people. We're bloody animals.

Day One

   There's nothing better than the smell of fresh brewing coffee and bacon in the morning for me. It epitomizes relaxation for me. It's the only routine I have at the end of a long week dredging through society to earn a living. Friday ends and I hit the road home forgetting all about everything that occurred over the past five days, and I let it all melt away as I pull into my driveway outside of the city. This is my fortress of solitude and peace. For two full days and nights I am the only one in charge of my destiny. I know it won't last forever, but I don't care. The door clicks shut behind me as I enter the house and that's the last I think about any of it for those two days.

   "Honey, I'm home," I shout down the hall as I wrestle out of my coat and shoes.

   "Daddy," my seven year old son shouts as he runs out of the living room to my right and jumps into my arms, wrapping his arms around my neck. My wife pokes her head out of her office halfway down the hall towards the kitchen with a smile from ear to ear and glow on her face that melts my heart every time I set eyes on her.

   "Hi there," she says as she steps out into the hall and leans against the doorframe waiting for me to close the remaining five feet of distance between us. I'm smiling like a goof as I bend around our son who's still in my arms to give her a passionate kiss as she hugs us both. All is right in the world for another two days.

   Friday evening fades away with the family and quickly gives way to Saturday morning, my favourite time of the week. No alarm clock forcing me to wake up and get out of bed before I'm ready to, the smell of fresh ground coffee and frying bacon greet me when I do. This Saturday is sunshine and blue skies. Not a cloud in sight. We eat our breakfast and sip our coffee on the wood patio in the back yard, soaking it all in, simply enjoying each other's company.

The Man With A Thousand Names

The man with a hundred faces, skald, wanderer, minstrel, heretic. These are but a few of the names collected over the many years Ahngvar had been journeying across the world. Each place he visited seemed to posit a new name, sometimes more than one. He had never been able to stay for long in one place, the longest stretch no more than a few years, to which he vowed never to do again. He had fallen into an illusion of the heart, and his mind had become weak. He allowed himself to feel safe, worse, he had allowed himself to believe that those around him could be safe.
It had been many years and many places since his first event. To think it would never happen again was folly. It all ended badly, his only recollection of the second event was that of flames licking at his cloak as he walked from the rubble of the humble little cabin he had made his home. As his awareness returned he looked about the village in horror. It had been completely leveled. Not a single wall remained intact. Shattered skeletons of homes and friends alike were strewn everywhere, burning. Acrid smoke burned his eyes and throat. He was often reminded of the second event anytime he was around a fire or caught scent of wood smoke. He had buried those he could find amongst the ruins of the village or had been flung through the air landing in various places on the outskirts. Most had simply evaporated or burned to ash. The worst of it was not finding any remains of his beloved with which to say goodbye.
He had traveled hard after that, stopping for no more than a few days to do whatever odd job he could to earn a few coins or more commonly in exchange for food for the road. His only constant companions were a simple lute, his bow, a bedroll, a backpack with a few meager belongings, and a finely forged axe.

~*~

During the onset of summer a few years later Ahngvar sat on a large flat rock that jutted out over the shore of a lake somewhere in the hinterlands. The glassy surface reflected the deep blue sky above and the sun warmed his face as he leaned back, hands propping him up as he took in the serenity of it all. Birds sung their songs as they fluttered about in the trees behind him. Somehow he had found a moment of peace once again. All of his haunts and worries melted away for a brief moment while every muscle in his body relaxed. He laid back on the rock and let it all wash over him. He wished this euphoric moment would last forever. There he slumbered.
It was dark when he awoke to the scent of smoke on the wind. A full moon danced in the reflection of the night sky off the water as a slight breeze lapped water against the shore. A flicker of firelight pulled his gaze towards the north end of the lake and his belly grumbled. He realized he had not eaten since breakfast. He rummaged through his pack for a heel of bread, his last, and a strip of dried meat. He contemplated whether to forage for food or hunt on the morrow as he chewed on his food.
The firelight which at first seemed small was now much brighter. He couldn't tell if it was one campfire or a few, or something else entirely from this distance. His curiosity got the better of him as he finished eating the last of his food. Resigned to the fact that he would most likely not get much sleep this evening due to his long sunny nap, he gathered up his belongings and trudged off into the woods heading north towards the firelight.

Rise of the Phoenix King - Part One

I wrote this first part as a writing prompt piece for a group I am a part of on Facebook. We were challenged to come up with a 750 word piece to describe the events of the following picture:

Here's what I ended up with.

Rise of the Phoenix King - Part One

   Three kingdoms came together to crush one. Like a flash flood, the blood lust washed over the eastern kingdom. In less than a day the once beautiful eastern landscape was razed to nothing more than stone and ash. No greater tragedy had ever been recorded in the annals of history. The skies wept over the land for months after the slaughter and during this time the three leaders of the remaining kingdoms came together to vow a pact of peace for evermore. The shock of the devastation surprised them beyond their wildest imaginings. They repented against their actions, and vowed never again to have such action be taken against men or otherwise.

   But as they sat in their palaces brooding, the second son of the eastern king whom none had known about began to realize his lineage in a small village on the furthest fringes of the eastern kingdom. He was the only living heir of the bloodline of the phoenix, and his vengeance would be all consuming.

   A great fog rose to shroud the borders of his kingdom from the rest of the world, and behind its veil he began to rally his scattered people. He sent forth a number of his Shadow Watchers to infiltrate each of the three kingdoms and to gather information about the plot that had brought about the destruction of the family he had never known, and why three kingdoms feared his bloodline so much that they would sooner wipe it from history than attempt to meet in peace.

   To Izikithin it mattered little. Their actions had awakened him, and he would avenge his family at all cost. His people, having been ruthlessly attacked without warning would back him fully without question. Theirs was now a life dedicated to war and revenge. Driven by hate, the engine of destruction churned behind the great veil for decades, preparing, growing, and waiting for its chance to spew forth.

A new capital city was forged out of the ruins of the old, carved of stone. At its heart, a twin spire rose from the peak of a mountain, crowned at the top with a palace of Obsidian trimmed with gold and alabaster. A natural spring broke forth from the earth between the spires, spilling over the sides of the mountain, carving out a lake all around the base of the mountain, and a river that ran north and south to form a new border along the edge of the veil. It seemed even the earth sought to avenge the wrongs wrought upon it.

   Izikithin’s resolve was only strengthened further by this, seeing it as a sign that he was destined to take up the fallen mantle of his family. The evening of the twentieth year since the attack, Izikithin dreamt he was flying over his land. It was lush and vibrant once more. He had no body, at least not a human one.  As he flew over all corners of his realm and back to his palace, he caught a glimpse of his reflection in the lake surrounding his home. It was that of a phoenix. He woke the next morning to find that the veil was beginning to thin. The time had come.

   In less than a week, the entire might of the rebuilt kingdom had gathered on the western border. The sands of the north and the windswept mountains of the west would be sundered first. Lastly, seeing their end coming, the mists to the south would boil under the full gaze of the phoenix.

   On the eighth morning of the campaign, Izikithin stood on the precipice of a hill overlooking the desert capital of Shan-Um-Drah, his leather and chain armor draped about him, billowing slightly in the risings winds from the west. He planted one sandaled foot upon a boulder, gripped the hilt of the sword at his side with his right hand, and raised his war lance towards the city with his left. The sun danced across his sinewy muscles as he raised his head to the sky and bellowed at the top of his lungs. His army fell upon the walls of the city in a great rush. What happened next none would believe for a thousand years as possible, for it had never been witnessed before nor again since.

   A great serpent rose from the sands beyond the city, another appeared in the sky from the west gliding on the winds, and most dazzling of all, a great phoenix rose up from where Izikithin stood. The three came together above the northern capital to convene.

Yambik's Multi-Tool Mining Harness

Multi-tool Mining Harness (MMH) with Eye Protection and Head Lantern!

The MMH is a highly sought after utility harness used by many explorers for various harvesting purposes. Whether you are in need of a saw for cutting a swath through the forest, or a pick/drill for mining through the various layers of Norrath for ore, this device is for you. Despite its questionable reliability and efficiency, the MMH is the first of its kind. It was invented by Yambik Torquesprocket as an alternative to digging and chopping by hand.

Power Sources

The MMH runs on plain wood or coal depending on the version. The more advanced models of the harness are more fuel efficient. They consume fewer resources while becoming more efficient at mining/harvesting.

Many of the tools in the earlier models are prone to overheating, such as the drill bit, and the saw.

The MMH can be equipped with different utilities such as an axe head, saw blade, drill bit, hammer, pick, and a sickle. The more advanced harness units were fitted with an attachment called The Multi-Grappler. This tool was made for suspended mining especially while deep underground. This device aloud the wearer to fire two grapple hooks attached to a pulley system that would allow them to suspend themselves over an open area or closer to the roof of a cavern.

The MMH comes in a variety of wood framing options and metal finishes, the newest of which is Burled Wood with a Rubicite finish.

Upgrades

The MMH can be retrofitted with a variety of upgrades from the base model as the user sees fit over its lifespan. The basic model comes with a pick axe, chopping axe and sickle attachments.

Upgrades could include:

• Blasting Launcher
• Saw Arm
• Shears
• Drill Bit
• Dual Grappler Pulley System
• Variety of Head Lantern options
• Variety of Banner mount options (Settler, Explorer, Trailblazer, other.)

Yambik is also proud to announce the new MHP (Multi-Harness Pack) which is suited more for the traditional explorer that just needs extra carrying capacity. It’s a harness mounted square framed pack with multiple storage pockets along the harness as well. It comes in a variety of colors and cloth/leather options.

DISCLAIMER: We are not accountable for any thefts of harness units for precious resource salvaging. By reading this, the end user agrees to the terms, conditions and risks associated with purchasing the flashier options.

The Ever Evolving Art of The Writing Life

   The art of brainstorming and developing an idea is an ever evolving one. I often find myself sifting through old notes, hastily scrawled lists, or scouring a plethora of writing sites for prompts and suggestions. What is it about the blank page that both mesmerizes us writers and yet terrifies us half to death at the same time as the cursor sits there, blinking ominously at us on the screen, waiting to leave a trail of narrative behind it as it blazes down the page towards the infinite empty space?
   I'm still trying to find the system that works best for me, and so far what I find myself doing regularly when the writing actually gets done is:

• Listen to instrumental music (no lyrics)
• Sit in the back of a coffee shop with a cup of coffee close at hand
• Routinely read various writing blogs or writing prompt pages before starting to write
• Leave the cell phone on silent
• Stay logged out of instant messenger apps

   I've been reading through the Writer's Digest 2014 Writer's Market (this is a top notch tool that I highly recommend all writers have) book and studying all facets of the writing/publishing industry, and no matter how much research I do, I find it impossible to figure out whether the best course of action for my writing is to self publish or to get a literary agent. There are many positives and negatives with both choices.

   In the interim of this decision making process I've decided that I will try my hand at some short stories/novelettes for various writing magazines such as Analog, Asimov's, and S&SF, to hopefully help pay the bills. If you know of others that could be worthwhile I would love to hear about it.

My reading list for writing currently consists of:

1. 2014 Writer's Market
2. Writing Fantasy & Science Fiction: How to create Out-of-This-World Novels and Short Stories
3. Write That Book Already!

   For those of you that know me, or have been following me for a while, you know that I've been trying to make writing a part of my daily life, and that I've been working towards turning it into my full time career. Until that time comes, I have to take on work to pay the bills. I've done a number of contracts with gaming companies in the past as a tester, designer, producer, narrative designer and various combinations of all three. I'm extremely passionate about both creative career paths, and would love nothing more than to mesh the two into a full time job. This work search digs into the time I get to spend on my writing craft, and fills my head with a lot of non-creative clutter which can stifle my creative drive at times. This too is something I'm still trying to perfect.

The Collector - Part 1 - Jan. 15th

   I hated the feeling left behind in my body after a teleport. Despite what the engineers and the docs said about the safety of tele-travel, it didn't feel the least bit normal. They definitely were making a killing off of the travel network. Thirty percent of every job payout went towards my trips back and forth, and another ten percent towards tools of the trade. It's a good thing my line of work was so lucrative, but I couldn't help but wonder what it was doing to me every time I was forced to use the stupid thing. I would have been happier never seeing other parts of the world, but in my line of work, that wasn't a possibility. I couldn't just walk away from my career either. Not then. The thought was 'Maybe after this last job.'
   You see, I specialized in collections of a sort. Not the kind you might be thinking. I didn't hunt down people for a few measly coins they forgot to pay to a loaner, but rather, I searched for and collect special ingredients from around the world. Rare types of wood, fungi, foods, paints, metals, artifacts etc. If you could name it, I could find it.
   Not many collectors learned the tele-network after it was discovered, and even fewer had kept on the new places being discovered. Our world had changed forever when scientists had figured out that there were other lands and how to travel to them. It had been twenty years since the first successful discovery, and since then the world was in a slipstream of discovery and exploration. New technolgies were being invented all the time, known botanical and animal species had more than double in count, and business was booming.
   This trip was the most lucrative one I had ever had the pleasure of contracting out for. Jove Mot, a local metallurgist and somewhat of a mad scientist, required an ultra rare metal that had only ever been seen around the Great Pillar, a giant rocky formation that jutted from the center of the ocean, ringed with a narrow strip of land at its base, covered in exotic trees and fauna. It's was the most dangerous place known to exist, at least that had been discovered so far. It was a blind science exploring the unknown corners of our world. Some researcher would get it in their head that something may be exist at a set of random co-ordinates in their computer, they would prepare supplies complete with an emergency return beacon, then they would set the teleporter to this location and do a blind jump. If it turned out there was only water there, they dropped a mapping buoy and hit their return beacon, but if there was land, they setup a new camp with a telepad, and began researching. That's how the Great Pillar was found.
   The heat was almost unbearable, the critters were surly, and the Great Pillar rumbled regularly, shaking the ground beneath your feet. Sometimes it spit balls of fire and spewed columns of smoke and ash from its peak. I didn't like going there at all. I didn't trust the place. Lucky for me, I knew the best spot to look for the requested material, a cave I discovered on one of my few previous trips. It was near the foot of the pillar on the south end of the island. The telepad in was located on the east side, so it should only have been a half day journey south west. In most climates, I wouldn't mind a camp out for a day or two, but not here. My plan was to get in and get out in under a day. I packed a burrow capsule just in case though. It's a cool little device that laser cuts a pre-set depth and temporary living quarters shape into the ground. It melts all the surface material to create solid walls, and gathers scrap material to etch a natural door or hatch. It can be adjusted for flat or vertical cutting, depending on whether you want a cliff entrance or man-hole style entrance. Personally, I liked a normal doorway as opposed to a sewer grate. To each their own though.
   Thankfully the weather was good that day, at least I wouldn't have to worry about any electrical storms or hurricanes. Both are relatively common near the island apparently. The water lapped against the shore, the sound soothed my mind as I walked the beach. It was the path of least resistance. I'd have enough fun hacking my way through the underbrush of the jungle when I reached my destination. A blue bellied beach turtle was digging out a hole to lay eggs in I assume. It's a magnificent creature about three feet long, and about a foot and a half tall. A flock of cliff gulls were diving for fish just off the shore, returning to their nests to feed squawking infants when they had caught one.
   About halfway through the hike the tingling in my body had mostly subsided, and I had started to relax a little. No sooner had I thought that perhaps my chills about this place had been childish, a tremor shook the ground beneath my feet, turning my legs to jello, and dropping my heart into my guts. The trees sway violently back and forth as I fell to the sandy ground, the beach undulating beneath me. My mind raced to comprehend what was happening. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. I became dizzy and felt sick to my stomach. The ground became still once again as I retched into the sand. I sat there for a while trying to wrap my head around the event, and deciding whether to go on or not. In the end, the lure of a retirement sized payout won out. I hadn't noticed the pillar beginning to spew smoke yet. It wasn't until the first flakes of ash brushed past my face that I looked up to see the dark plume spreading out over the sky to the north west. This was around the same time I had come upon the marker I had left along the beach which would lead me into the jungle towards the cave beyond the dense foliage. I didn't want to find out what would happen next without having shelter. I unsheathed my cutting laser and frantically sliced through the foliage as I raced through the jungle towards the foot of the pillar. I cleared the last of the few feet of the jungle and spotted a river of fire flowing down the side of the mountain of stone. Liquid fire! I spotted the cave entrance with its large overhang and jutting stones not more than a hundred paces away. I ran as fast as I could towards it, fumbling for the burrow capsule in the pouch on my belt. I cleared the mouth of the cave and raced into the darkness, letting the sensors on my survival suit trigger the guide lights on my shoulders. Light flooded over the stone walls, melting away the dark as I weaved between stalagmites and stalactites. A wave of heat wafted against my back, and I knew I had to find a spot to burrow, fast! I stuck the burrow capsule against the flat stone surface at the back of the cave and hit the red button. It clicked to life and lit up the blue display screen on the front of it, indicating that it was scanning the wall in preparation for a vertical cut. I looked over my shoulder and save that an orange glow was coming from the dark tunnel where I had been moments before. My heart raced.
   "C'mon c'mon, scan faster," I yelled at the stones around me as I paced back and forth!
   Bzzzzz!
   Bits of melted stone oozed as the lasers cut the entrance and began burrowing. It would be complete in a few minutes, but did I have that long? It seemed like an eternity as it went about its job. I watched in horror as the glow became brighter and brighter, and then the liquid fire oozed into view, flowing slowly around the base of the stalagmites. I could feel the intensity of the heat rising as it inched closer and closer.
   Ssssss-Thunk!
   The sound of the capsule completing the sliding stone door almost made my heart stop. I lunged inside my new burrow and slid the stone slab shut just as the river of fire began to pool in the small area at the back of the cave. The capsule hovered next to me, waiting to be retrieved or given fresh instructions. I was effectively buried alive.