Chasing Melodies and Memories - Part 3
The next installment!
Greetings, lovely humans and robots!
Yup, I have the next installment in this Ensign Rowe Rivers story today! And there’s more fiction to read listen to and watch: the flash fiction story I wrote and read with my podcast co-hosts.
As always, before we get to that good stuff, I am ever the good little Indie Author who reminds you to buy copies of my books (if you haven’t yet):
Links: Lunar Logic | Robot Galaxy Series | Final Orbit | Objective Reality
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One of the topics that comes up a lot with fiction writers, and I’ve been asked this many times myself: where do you get your ideas from?
My answer: everything and everywhere.
When we last left off with Ensign Rowe Rivers and part 2 of Chasing Melodies and Memories, I honestly had no idea what was in store next.
I usually don’t worry about that. I know the idea will find me at the right place and time.
That right place and time happened to be in Manhattan’s American Museum of Natural History. I’m from Long Island originally, so growing up, I visited this place a lot. Especially as a high schooler when I was allowed to take the train in to Manhattan with friends. We would often spend whole Saturdays there. My favorite part of the museum was always the big blue whale… (if you’ve ever been there, you probably know what I’m referring to).
Well, my own two kids had never been, so I thought I’d take them. Unfortunately… my 6-year-old has the attention span of a 6-year-old and my 14-year-old often (but not always) has the attitude of a 14-year-old so… I MISSED THE BLUE WHALE! I totally forgot about it until we were on the train back to my mother’s place on Long Island.
But at least wandering around the museum, I got a few ideas for the story you’re about to read.
First, was from an exhibit about the various collections. The sign under this display of box turtle shells mentioned how the patterns are unique, like a fingerprint:
Next, up on the 4th floor with the dinosaur exhibit, there were a pair of docents talking about the plates on the back of the stegosaurus and how a lot of people think these plates acted as ways to control their temperature. (Although since I’ve been home, I did a little googling and apparently there is still debate and controversy over the stegosaurus).
And finally, throughout the day I was plagued with thoughts of how privileged we were to be there. We took the train (the Long Island Railroad—LIRR) into Penn Station and then the subway to the museum, I paid for 4 general admission + single event tickets (my mother, a senior citizen, was the fourth), and I bought us all lunch at the museum food court.
Now, if I was trying to be more frugal, we would not have eaten at the food court and we wouldn’t have gotten the “single ticketed event” on top of the general admission ticket. (Although, the ticketed event we did was to go to the Butterfly Vivarium, which I absolutely adored, but discovered that my 6 year old is terrified of ALLLLL bugs.) I also learned that if you get tickets on the website ahead of time, there seems to be a pay what you want/pay what you can option for New York state residents — if you skip that extra ticketed exhibit.
So, if you’re a resident (of New York State) and know what you’re doing, maybe you could get away with this being a less-than $100 day for a family of 4. But for anyone else? No way.
What I’m left with is a mix of emotions about the whole concept. Grateful that I could take my kids, even more grateful that we’re normally local to DC that has the Smithsonian museums which are free to all. But, that leaves the problem of travel. What if you’re not local to DC? While we have the freedom (and right) to travel, it’s not free… (I’ll likely cover this concept of freedom/right to travel in a future newsletter and/or story. Because I’m doing all the things lately, I’m in a US Aviation Law class this semester and my final paper is going to be about the right to travel…)
Anyhoo… you’ll see all these concepts mixed in to the latest installment of Chasing Melodies and Memories! And yup - at least one more part to go after this one. LOL.
Just in case you need to catch up before diving in:
Part 1:
Part 2:
Please read on and let me know what you think! (Either send me an email, or post a comment on Substack)
Chasing Melodies and Memories - Part 3
“Look at the data, Captain, please,” Ensign Rowe implored, his voice steady but tinged with urgency.
Captain Voss, seasoned and resolute, studied Rowe for a moment.
The two officers of the TSS Ecliptica—one a young ensign, and the other her experienced captain—locked eyes. For a brief instant, their ranks faded away, leaving two human beings. One, accustomed to thirty years of service in the Stellar Expeditionary Force, trusted the information he received and expected it to make sense.
The other, who would have done anything to not be in the hot seat at this moment—an intermediary between his real family and his chosen one—refused to be the first one to break his stare.
Finally, Captain Voss sat down and pointed to the computer console on his desk.
“Fine. Walk me through it, Ensign.”
Rowe drew in a breath and began talking as he let it out. “The Phantom’s Blade was only in the region of the Zarnesti because they were trying to help. They were—”
“Stealing artifacts from the Zarnesti home world,” Captain Voss interrupted.
Rowe sighed, the frustration hitting him like a wall. If he couldn’t get his captain to fully listen to him, then it was hopeless. He started to wonder if this is what his sister and the crew of the Phantom’s Blade always encountered—people who wouldn’t listen. Is this what his sister had always dealt with?
Captain Voss must have noticed the dejection in Rowe’s eyes, because his tone softened. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have cut you off, especially after I asked you to explain. Please continue.”
Rowe straightened and started over. “The Zarnesti,” he began, “have a history that’s twice as old as ours.”
He went on, explaining the Natural History museum on their primary moon, the only place holding the full history of their species. And while they touted it as a place of education and learning, it was out of reach for most Zarnesti, available only to the elite who could afford the journey.
The Phantom’s Blade was responding to a call from the people of Zarnesti for greater access to their own history. Rowe’s sister and her crew were ferrying people and information back and forth.
“They stole nothing and were acting within the bounds of Zarnesti law,” Rowe concluded. “Zarnesti officials, all part of their elite class, are upset that their people found a way around their control.”
Captain Voss leaned back in his chair and stroked his neatly, and close-trimmed beard with his hand while he contemplated everything Rowe had said.
“Have you ever seen a Zarnesti in person?” Voss asked.
“No, sir, I haven’t.”
“A fascinating race,” Voss said. “Most people say they can’t tell one from another. But they have bony fins that extend from their shoulders, part of their exoskeleton. Like a turtle’s shell. You do know what a turtle is, don’t you?”
“Yes, sir. We had them on New Celesnia.”
“The patterns on a turtle’s shell are unique, like a fingerprint,” Voss continued. “The same thing is true about a Zarnesti’s shoulder fins. They also act as radiators, helping them naturally control their body temperature. But more importantly, those fins help identify them.”
“That’s interesting sir, but—”
Voss raised a finger, indicating he wasn’t done. “But while the patterns are unique, like a fingerprint, there are traits to look for—connections between families and descendants.”
He gestured toward the computer screen. Rowe stepped closer, peering at the image.
“That’s the Zarnesti ambassador,” Voss said. “Clearly from their elite class. Only elites participate in anything other than manual labor.” Voss lightly touched the screen, and the image shifted. “And this is the Zarnesti that was on your sister’s ship when she was taken into custody.”
Rowe squinted at the image. “Their fins?”
“Their fins,” Voss confirmed, hints of approved laced in his voice. “Computer, analyze the anatomical fins of the Zarnesti in these two images. How closely do the patterns match?”
“The fins of the two Zarnesti are a 98.8% match,” the computer responded.
“They’re related,” Rowe said.
Voss nodded. “And I’d be willing to bet that there’s something more to this than a simple two-class system.”
Rowe nodded, unsure what to say. Afterall, the captain didn’t ask him a question.
“You know what this means, Ensign?”
“No, I’m afraid I don’t, sir.” Rowe’s mind, however, was busy calculating possibilities. As a pilot, it was his instinct to quickly process the potential outcomes of any action, no matter how small. After all, a slight bit of thrust could lead to a major trajectory change. The same applied to people—just a few words or a passing thought could set off a chain of much larger consequences.
“You need to go find out what your sister knows.”
That had not been one of the possibilities Rowe thought of, and it seemed far from obvious now.
“I’m not sure she’d tell me anything,” Rowe asserted, though he was unsure of his own conviction.
“Well, she’s not talking to anyone else,” Voss said. “I know you haven’t seen or spoken to her in years, but often, sibling relationships… well…”
Captain Voss trailed off, leaving Rowe to briefly wonder about Voss’ own family, and what unspoken history might lie there.
Rowe only had the one sibling.
“I’ll go,” he said, voice steady, but his resolve anything but.
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Over at The BIG Sci-Fi podcast, we’re still churning out our in-between season stuff which are short stories for you! Most recently it was my story! Watch me read my most recent short story, “An Octopus Named Isotope” over on YouTube.
…and unlike the regular seasons of our podcast, which are audio only, our in-between season content is video!
What’s next?
I continued to work more and more work on that Lunar Logic sequel! I’ll be honest… it’s slow going. This past fall, you might remember that I was excited for a minute about doing a VERY DETAILED outline. Well, that’s been my undoing. It’s too restrictive.
I figured that out several weeks ago, but thought I would grin and bare (or is it bear?) it. Just get to the end of this first draft, I’ve been telling myself. Well, in the last 28 hours, I thought very deeply about this and realized I need to simplify the outline to make it through. So, immediately after I am done with this newsletter, that’s what I’m going to do. I’ll get there. I have to many things to write to NOT get there. LOL.
Now here’s my bonus picture!
This is also from my weekend on Long Island. At some point, we also visited Sunken Meadow State Park Beach. This was the beach closest to my home growing up and I spent ALOT of time there, especially because the summer day camp I attended for several years in the early 80s was based at this location.
It was windy. LOL.
All always, thanks for being here and reading all of stuff. Remember you can reply anytime with questions/comments/feedback!
Until next time… be kind, be well!
-Adeena
Oh ho hooooo! the plot thickens!!!
Short and sweet and leaving the reader panting for more! :D
(I was momentarily thrown by 'The two officers of the TSS Ecliptica—one a young ensign, and the other her experienced captain—locked eyes.' thinking 'wait a minute!' I thought Ensign Rowe was male! and so's the Captain! and then went 'duh' HER is the Ecliptica. : )