A Daily Blog (est. 10/2012) dedicated to quality writing, original content and a healthy dose of entertainment from "A Vagabond in God's Big Pond" Don't forget Wild Card Saturdays AND PUNS FOR INTELLIGENT PEOPLE will tickle your fancy. +++Plus +++ read my book Read about The Space Family McKinney at your own pace = THE RETURN TRIP concluding Mid-winter 2021 and The NULL Solution to follow in 2021. Episode Catalogs for all books in the "links" section: Constance Caraway ~ Forever Mastadon and Alpha Omega M.D. ***** If you have not viewed this blog on a PC, Laptop or Tablet, you don't know what you're missing.
…Defender?… I didn’t think they named their prototypes, heck we don’t even know if this this thing has tasted a spec of dark matter?…
“As far as I can tell, the atmospheric restriction has been suspended. There is nothing preventing us from taking THAT,” Deke points to the most advanced of the ships they have been drooling over, “out for a mission.”
There appears a glint in Sampson’s eye, unseen for many a cycle here on Eridanus. “It sure beats being a sitting duck while the Elders have their wings clipped.”
All four pairs of Earthen-eyes look to Cerella for signs of dissenting demeanor. With her world in a state of flux, coupled with the reliable altruism of her mate and his father, she cannot muster the logic to oppose the plan. There is one caveat, “I would need to be a part of any such undertaking. All the sensors at your disposal will not be able to detect “their” presence.”
“Who is “they”?” an appropriate question from Sam.
Cerella covers her face with the hooded portion of her white adornments, period.
“That’s your answer Dad. Let’s get the Defender fired up before she changes her mind.”
“Defender? I didn’t think they named their prototypes, heck we don’t even know if this this thing has tasted a spec of dark matter.”
“It has, at least in the simulator I built.”
“That’s our boy Cel!” Sampson crows to his wife. “You and Deimostra hold down the fort and if Ekcello and the gang wake up while we’re gone, tell him we are going around the block, isn’t that right Cerella?”
“I must alert the Seljuk about our activities before we leave the atmosphere.”
“Oh, the Selljunk! I thought mentioning them was icksnay, out-of-bounds, off-limits.”
“The Seljuk are not the problem. They are friends to Eridanus,” end of topic.–
…If there is one thing that can be said of the McKinneys is that they are possibility thinkers…
Possibility Thinker
—“I have heard stories about something like this happening just before I came to be. I am told that it went on for many cycles. There was a distant civilization that began to act in an aggressive manner.” Cerella describes the potential intrusion/incursion, which was the beginning of the current culture of cynicism.
“It sounds to me like they got spooked.” Sampson has a way of cutting to the chase.
Cerella does not dispute that analogy, considering the voracity, the staying power of the old stories and the present introversion of her contemporaries. “I am lost,” is the cry she hears in her heart.
The McKinney men shrug, Celeste and Deimostra hug.
Sampson tries to help, “Who were these jokers?”
“They were not funny, father-to-Deke. Back then, our spacecraft were running into temporal roadblocks. The Elders were unable to resolve the problem to their satisfaction. We now know that Explorer/NEWFOUNDLANDER was a casualty of some outside force.” Cerella would know.
“Wow Cel, think about it! We thought they died from sort of space-bug or something.”
As it turns out, the ill-fated crew in and around the ship that became the McKinney’s salvation, were victims of an infective force in their timestem. In Earth terms they may have caught a bad cold.
“That is a frightening thought,” Celeste makes eye contact with her family. “Fifty vigorous individuals… might that happen to Earth?’
“Well, it was enough to scare an entire planet into provincialism.”
If there is one thing that can be said of the McKinneys is that they are possibility thinkers. Deke, of that Earthly clan, has been thinking way ahead of the past, as it relates to the present.
“As far as I can tell, the atmospheric restriction has been suspended. There is nothing preventing us from taking THAT,” Deke points to the most advanced of the ships they have been drooling over, “out for a mission.”
…Let’s meet the people and visit the places you will be reading about in:
– Primary Characters:
Sampson McKinneyis the Commander of the expedition to establish a colony on Mars
Celeste McKinneyis the wife of Sampson and the LT. Commander of the Space Colony 1 mission
Deke McKinney – the elder son of Sampson & Celeste
Gus McKinney – younger brother to Deke
Deimostra Samantha McKinney – sister of Deke & Gus, conceived on the way to Mars and named after Mras’ larger moon Deimos
Joyner McKinney – child of Deke and Cerella, heir to Eupepsia
ALL THE ABOVE = The Space Family McKinney
Braden King – family friend to the McKinneys and voice of Mission Control
Roy Crippen – Director of NASA and the SPACE COLONY 1 project
Rick Stanley – Commander of the New Mayflower rescue
Francine Bouchette – Houston USA television anchor who lands squarely in the middle of everything
Aldona Alfridi – a Talibanistani (see below) scientist who is asked to conspire against SPACE COLONY but refuses — Fletcher Fitch – name given Aldona when he defected to the United States to help with the SOL Project. Fatima – his wife (and 2 unnamed daughters)
Nae Tan-Dan – United Korean operative who is cahoots with Talibanistan
Shaikh Kamran Khan-Nutkani – Talibanistan leader determined to undermine an otherwise global effort
Ekcello – The Supreme Leader of the High Counsel of Eridanus
Cerella – daughter of Ekcello and heiress to the High Counsel
Fortan – Mate to Ekcello, Mother of Cerella
– NULL Only
Chasonn – Leader of the Seljuk
Skaldic the Null – Leader of the non-“gifted” class on Eridanus
Harper Lea Bassett – 50th President of the United States of America
Zupzio the Last – Ruler of the Ÿ€Ð
Offinga – condfidant to Skaldic
Dr. Jean-Luc Picard – Cerella’s brain surgeon from Switzerland
The Keeper – of knowledge on Eridanus
XAT – banished Eridanian space-travel guru
Alf(red) Quigby – President/Founder Space Family McKinney Fan Club
– Supporting cast:
Fredrick C. Cabell – Human Resources NASA, deceased
Phil Jansky – NASA Spatial Debris specialist, deceased
Mike Judge – Okaloosa County Florida Sheriff
Geraldo Franco – Okaloosa County Coroner
Miles Scheffeldink – Space Colony Mission Physician
Abdullah Ashtaar – the key to Istanbul
Mehmet Ali Erim – Turkish taxi driver
Elliot Deming – Consulate General – US Turkish Embassy
sure beats being a sitting duck while the Elders have their wings clipped.”
Cerella covers her face with the hooded portion of her white adornments, period.
“Oh, the Selljunk! I thought mentioning them was icksnay, out-of-bounds, off-limits.”
Writing is Fun-damental-- from Gwendolyn Hoff 