“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” –Dr. Marie Skłodowska-Curie As the mutters in the crowd turned to shouts, Xú Mùlán looked back toward her friend. She could feel the crowd turning on Eyrn, or at …
Author: D.X. Machina
Chapter Thirty-Four: Like Going Home Titan: Contact by D.X. Machina
“We shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time.” –T.S. Eliot, “Little Gidding” “Eight meters…six…four…mooring. Repeat, we have mooring.” “Asimov Station, this is Stanisław Lem actual. We show mooring, please confirm.” “Confirmed, Lem. We have mooring …
Chapter Thirty-Three: What’s Up There Beyond the Sky Titan: Contact by D.X. Machina
“All journeys eventually end in the same place – home.” –Chris Geiger “Okay, I think that’s the last of the big stuff,” Naskia said, looking over the suite that had briefly served as their headquarters at Titan Station. “Just personal effects, some small gear, and so forth. Pryvani, anything that shouldn’t be loaded on the …
Chapter Thirty-Two: Take My Hand, Come Along Titan: Contact by D.X. Machina
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” –Mark Twain Depending on where you’d grown up and how you marked your calendar, either a week or eighteen days had passed since the Gyfjon had captured the Stanisław Lem. The Minatar had departed the station three Earth days before, the same day they’d moved the Lem …
Background Chatter: Vorsha ’02 by D.X. Machina
This covers the Tol-Bot competition of 2102, the year Iron Maiden retired, and The Marionette reached his first final. Rixie cursed as the door buzzed for the second time. “Alex, can you get that?” she called, finally winning the battle to close her pack. “I’m the size of your thumb,” he reminded her. “Right. Well, …
Chapter Thirty-One: And the Time’s Comin’ Near Titan: Contact by D.X. Machina
“If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I?” –Hillel the Elder It took a good five minutes before any of the people on Titan Station could find their voice. Xú, alone among her crew, was not crying. Not because she did …
Chapter Thirty: By the Dim and Flaring Lamps Titan: Contact by D.X. Machina
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who …
Epilogue 2: Some Time Later…. Titan: Nomad by Dann and D.X. Machina
Some time later…. “Cute, gok’ma, but I’m not fooled,” Yamma said, scrolling through his mail. “Mmm?” Gae yawned, carefully repositioning herself to look at the man leaning against her side. “Quarter of a million credits. Why didn’t you just say you were gonna send a bazillion credits?” “What are you talking about?” Yamma sighed. “You …
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Hand in Hand Titan: Contact by D.X. Machina
“Let us all meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.” –Blessed Teresa of Calcutta “Got’dang council. I was savin’ Atlantis back when half of ‘em were in diapers, and this is the thanks I get,” Darren muttered, sipping an Avalonian whiskey at a table in the restaurant, waiting …
Chapter Seven TCA: Sojourner by D.X. Machina
Two Days Later “It’s nice to meet you,” the boy said, shaking Izzy’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you…Ryan, you said?” Alex had been kind enough to escort Izzy into the city. Not that she didn’t think she could get there on her own – Atlantis wasn’t exactly big. Or at least, it didn’t used …