Tag: writing

Jake glanced around the room. The panel was scheduled to start in just a couple of minutes. Those researchers presenting papers sat at a table in the front of the room, with the moderator off to one side. The rows of seats were slowly, but steadily filling up. This was guaranteed to be a popular panel – perhaps the most popular at the conference.

Sneaking wasn’t my favorite activity. Too much to go wrong. Especially at this time of day. Most people think that sneaking around after dark is very dangerous. All sorts of nasty creatures, both human and non-human, were out and about. But what most people didn’t know was that after dark wasn’t the dangerous time. No, twilight was always the problem.

“It’s not that difficult,” Serena said, grinning at Jake as he glared through the viewing window at the rain falling on the spaceport. “It’s always opposite day on this planet… winter is the dry season and summer is the wet season.”

Jake leaned back against one of the column bases that made up the perimeter of the temple grounds. Serena sat in front of him, between his legs and settled against his chest. She sighed. It had been a long day and she was exhausted. She was very grateful that Loren, the toymaker and their friend, had offered to keep Melia overnight. “You have earned a night off,” he’d said, smiling. “Besides, I have new toys that need to be tested before I put them up for sale in the market.”

The sounds of some sort of techno-beat combined with heavy metal music drifted up to Jackson’s office. He shook his head and tried to return his concentration to the tangled contract he was working his way through. Scrolling down the page, he briefly entertained the thought that this was a lot like reading an ancient scroll by simultaneously rolling up the top while unrolling the bottom.

Serena leaned against Jake, staring at the improbable bend in the river. It was really more of a hairpin turn, letting the river turn back on itself. This planet, Taland, never failed to evoke a sense of wonder and bemusement in her. This time, it was this river. They had followed it upstream for a couple of miles using the local version of a ranching vehicle – four-wheel drive with independent suspension designed to travel over rough, untamed terrain. Appropriately enough it was called a ranch-runner. The Talus used them to get to and from more remote locations and she’d seen them occasionally in smaller towns. Their new friend, Loren, the toymaker in the market, had loaned them one of his ranch-runners. Serena didn’t question why he owned one but lived in the city. Loren had even offered to babysit Melia while Serena and Jake explored up the river from their current dig at an ancient city. Melia was more than happy to spend a day acting as the toy tester for Loren.

Jake squinted at the inscription on the crown of the pillar. It wasn’t any language he recognized, not even the very local language in this region of Taland. They were working in an area north-northwest of Alosal, one of the bigger cities on the planet. The discovery of the site of a previously unknown ancient city had led the Taland governing families to hire Jake and his xenoarchaeology company to excavate.

Drake gazed around as he entered the park. Two families with what looked like five or six kids between them occupied most of the small playground over to the right. The laughter and shouts of the children floated across the grassy expanse. A few swans floated in lazy patterns on the large pond in the middle.  In the far corner, on the other side of the pond, he spotted the man he’d come to meet. Elijah Hightower was stretched out on a bench under one of the large trees that bordered the little park. Drake strolled over.