An Experiment

Recently, I read a post that dealt with being a prolific writer of short stories.  I have had an interest in short stories, largely sci-fi, for some time and have wondered it I may have the ability to put ideas to paper.  The post suggests that in order to prolific one should write a complete story every week.  I don't know if I would even be able to start there, but I do have an idea.  Since I already have a blog, I propose to practice writing here first.  Rachel pointed out that like most things in life, to get better at it one must practice.  I am going to try and write something here every day for 2 weeks.  Even if it is merely me describing the music I'm listening too and what is happening outside my window, I will write it down and work on writing.  This post I read also mentioned that most if not all of one's short stories may never be read.  That's fine by me.  So prepare yourselves.  

Wishful Fiction

Trimboldt knew he might very well be in trouble. Synkrindan had been hammered on for weeks by the New Age Plant council, pestered by the ever increasing population of small children who adored his shenanigans, and hounded by the Tax Collectors branch of the Enforcers Union. It had been inevitable that the balance would be tipped. Hardly anyone knew of Synkrindan's true power if he was unable to maintain that precious balance. Taking an afternoon hike in the woods to calm down, Trimboldt and Synkrindan had come upon an open glade where small shrubs and little woodland creatures were burrowing or furrowing the land, depending on their kind. Trimboldt had accidentally brought up the Enforcers Union when suddenly Synkrindan doubled over as if in pain. His already pale blue skin became more pale and began to shimmer and glow with an ever increasing luminosity. Trimboldt knew that the Good and Self-Control that Synkrindan always employed had finally been toppled by the immensity of circumstance. The balance was falling, and with it would come the potential for incredible destruction. Trimboldt could only hope this was one of the lesser episodes.

Knowing that to stay was to risk injury, possibly mortally depending on the ferocity, Trimboldt fled for the nearest large tree to seek shelter. He could see that the woodland creatures could sense the impending doom to their glade for they had all disappeared. Synkrindan was by this time glowing brightly; a halo of his body spreading outward concentrically was lit with St. Elmo's fire. Unable to contain himself any longer, he reared back screaming to the heavens as a shockwave of unmitigated power and energy coursed outward, decimating all in its path. Trimboldt barely managed to make the tree before the pulse passed him. He felt the tree shudder and pine cones rained down, only to be swept away in the blast. Synkrindan was still screaming, releasing his pent up rage. A good man, he had been cursed with the burden of so many others so that they could lead normal, good lives. The consequence was the inability to manage so much for any given amount of time. It was possible he would go weeks or even months without the need for the release; his containment was impeccable. But every so often, this happened.

Trimboldt heard Synkrindan suddenly grow silent. Turning around from behind the tree, he looked back into the glade and stood there aghast. Synkrindan was kneeling in the middle of a crater at least as tall as one of those small children who had hounded him. No shrub or blade of grass could be seen for several dozen meters. Glancing at the tree that had sheltered him, Trimboldt saw that the bark for several inches had been scorched or blasted off, for there was no sign of fire but for the heat of the tree. Slowly, Trimboldt went up to his friend and, laying his hand upon his shoulder, asked if he was okay? Synkrindan looked up with a look of both relief and dismay and only replied with, I pray every day for this not to happen for the effect it has on others.

*sigh* sometimes i wish i could actually release my pent up angst.

The Mars Projects

It all started about eight months ago. The summit for International Peace had just concluded their fifth session and a treaty between all the countries of the world was about to be signed. It was the Mars Projects that had caused all the nations to come together. When New Montreal on the Moon had been hit by the stray asteroid and a second and third had wiped out Sydney and Moscow back here on Earth, petty differences were, for a time, forgotten, and the Coalition for Planetary Unity had finally been listened to.

The Mars Projects had been an attempt by the alliance of the United States of North America and the Islands of Britain to create, maintain, and direct gravity fields in the late 21^st century. To what end, they never have said exactly. Both the Earth and the Moon were, in the opinion of the Alliance (as they were so called), too close to the Euro-Asian Commonwealth and therefore wouldn't make for good research sites. The recent Alliance colony on the fourth planet from the Sun was an ideal testing facility. The researchers were extremely successful with the field manipulations and were on the verge of perfecting a mobilized gravity generator unit when the accident took place.

Some people will tell you that it was sabotage while others will say it was an accident, but whatever the cause, three generators were simultaneously activated by an intense power surge: cause still unknown. All three generators were suspiciously directed towards the asteroid belt beyond Mars orbit. Before the auto-cutoff systems could activate or the researchers react, several asteroids were rapidly accelerated towards the facility. In the few minutes it took them to reach Mars’ orbit, the planet had moved on, paving the way for their unrestricted access to the inner solar system. The power surge had destroyed most of the facilities primary systems, and communications were not possible with Earth or any of the colonies on the Moon until it was too late.

The first asteroid impacted the Moon near the terminator, creating a shockwave that wiped New Montreal off the map. There had been no warning, as Earth based problems had all of the colonies’ equipment trained back on the homeworld. After New Montreal, though, air to space fighters were launched from seven different platforms in a matter of seconds, but, it was too late. A second and third asteroid came down on Moscow and Sydney, killing millions. The fighters managed to destroy a fourth and then turned towards each other. Three of the squadrons were from the Alliance and the other four were from the Commonwealth and they no doubt thought the cause was the other side.

Dozens of lives were lost and war was certainly imminent, but the Mars colony was able to contact the Alliance in time and the truth became known. The Unity Coalition stepped in almost immediately and the rest is where we were a little under eight months ago. The Projects are shut down, Mars has been expatriated, global peace and unity will be ratified into a treaty, and we’ll begin to repair the damage – to the colonies and to the world. That, at least, was what was supposed to happen. That was the end goal by which the nations were planning our future. That was before Jupiter.