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Posted on 07/12/2025 1:33:31 AM PDT by Lazamataz
This is (possibly, depending on the feedback I get) going to be the first chapter of the sequel for my first novel. This will be in the "Dimensions" universe. Critiques and reviews welcome!
Sprites
Sprites, they called them. Cute name for them, but they were very dangerous.
Martini adjusted his exosuit for an excursion onto the surface of Europa. This was the Jovian moon that had long fascinated Earth’s scientists. Those scientists were intrigued by the possibility of life under the kilometers of ice, in the oceans beneath.
Pedro Martini didn’t care about any of that. He was here to find rare earth deposits in the ice. That’s where the money was, and the corporation that sent him only cared about the money.
Mankind had been given access to teleporters by the Cephians, the extraterrestrial race that was a little under 1700 light years away. The primary use they put it to was to communicate with us, and to allow us access to the Galactic Communication Network that connected over 16,000 distinct sapient races across the Milky Way Galaxy.
These teleporters folded space along the fourth dimension, which allowed instant communications across those vast distances. The power requirement to send matter across folded space was very prohibitive at large distances – anything over a light year or so – but photons are massless. Communication between star systems was possible, but physical travel was not.
Mankind had discovered, however, that true teleportation over shorter distances was not only possible, but had a very low energy requirement. The conquest of the solar system had begun in earnest.
Martini punched the control panel that cycled the airlock with his clumsy gloves. The suit was mostly comfortable, but he hated the gloves. He always felt like he had thick sausage fingers when he was in this damned contraption. There was a sharp hiss as air escaped from the lock, but as the air escaped, the sound quieted quickly. Now all he could hear was his slow breath and the occasional ping sounds of life-support equipment noisily confirming their function.
He stepped onto the surface of the moon. He heard the ice and snow crystals crunch under his feet, vaguely reminding him of the sound he used to hear, as a child, when walking to school during the brutal winters of Upstate New York. Back then, it never failed to surprise him how something made out of water, frozen or not, could sound so dry.
“Clovis Twelve, Expedition Gamma. Beginning survey of Zone 18,” he said into his exosuit microphone.
“Copy that,” crackled the response. “Let me know if you need anything.”
The Clovis Twelve base housed the teleporter portal and the support equipment sent from Earth eighteen months ago. Clovis Twelve was located at one of the two thin-ice locations on Europa. Most of the ice on Europa was kilometers in depth; however, this patch was less than one kilometer thick. It was a good place to drill and look for the valuable rare-earth metals.
He hefted the drill equipment off the side of the exploration vehicle. In the low gravity, it was more a matter of clumsiness than it was the weight. He accidentally banged one of the pieces of equipment against his leg. “Shit!” he exclaimed, alarmed. He listened for the telltale hiss of escaping oxygen, but hearing none, he continued gathering the components of the laser-drill. That was lucky. He needed to be more careful. This would be a miserable place to die.
When humanity set up the first base on Europa, they discovered that Europa fairly teemed with a bizarre menagerie of life forms. Most of them were single-cell organisms, based on biochemistry completely alien to those found on Earth. There were larger life forms in thousands of configurations, too. They mostly congregated around the various hot spots in the oceans, but even away from the heated vents, the waters were full of life. The most deadly were the Sprites. These worm-like creatures, which could reach lengths up to eight meters long, were all teeth and body. If you were to compare them to an Earth-based life form. they were most analogous to Earth’s sharks. They had no eyes, but were able to locate prey by using their acute hearing. They were deadly, and they could burrow through the ice with ease, almost as easily as swimming through water.
Martini finished setting up the laser drill and activated it. It began melting the ice, the water sublimating into a gas that escaped into the vacuum. The laser quickly cut through the surface of the moon, and when water began to spew from the hole, he turned down the drill to a power level that would keep the drill hole from freezing again. He collected a sample of the water and put it into the device that would determine the concentration of rare-Earth metals. The device’s display flashed a set of numbers in green, indicating a large amount was present.
“Clovis Twelve, Expedition Gamma. I can report a score. Heavy concentrations here.”
“Roger that. Mark the location and return to base,” the operator on the other side responded.
He placed a radio beacon near the drill site and began dismantling the drill when movement under the ice caught the corner of his eye. Shit, he hoped it wasn’t a Sprite.
He picked up his pace, hoping to get back into the protection of his exploration vehicle as quickly as possible. He saw two more flashes of fleeting movement. Definitely Sprites. Dammit. He considered abandoning the drill machinery and coming back later to retrieve it. He was about to report the presence of Sprites to his home base, opening the channel, but never had the chance to report. He turned just in time to see the larger of the two Sprites leap out of the ice, the ring of teeth coming up to meet his visor. He managed to utter a single syllable, “Fuu…” before his helmet cracked open.
“Expedition Gamma, Clovis Twelve. Report in, please.”
Static.
“Expedition Gamma, Clovis Twelve. Please check in.”
Static.
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Killed poor Martini in the first chapter!
You’ve caught my interest, I await what comes next.
I have things I could say about those tentacles that would surely get me suspended!
He was a red-shirt. 😊
You’ve caught my interest, I await what comes next.
If you like this, go to the prequel. It's a fully-developed (and rave-reviewed) novel. There are links on this thread. Enjoy!
Yes, I’ve been to Amazon and expect to order a paper copy soon.
Is the cost difference prohibitive to make your print versions Large print? Don’t even offer small traditional print, who would complain?
I’m 70 now and appreciate that, always look for it when available.
If not, go ahead and make the purchase (to help get my numbers up) and I'll personally ship you a PDF with decent size print to your email. 😊
And if you want a paperback with larger print, I will see what I can do for you!
This was a new duty station for him and his Dad, there were new people to meet, and he was plagued by the dreaded feeling of whether or not he would fit in.
His father, Commander Bratt, introduced the members of this group one by one.
[...] before realizing it was Nick Bratt, who had smacked into her, sending her airborne.
The grayish-brown moon dust crunched under the tracks of the lunar rover, each movement echoing in the vast emptiness of the lunar cave. [...] the teens heard clanking [...] The teens heard clanking from the rover microphone [...]
As others have already pointed out, sound does not carry in a vacuum.
Questions:
1. Do you intend to establish at some point that the station has artificial Earth gravity?
2. Are the kids wearing one-size-fits-all space suits?
3. Are we to assume that Nick is already well-versed in the proper protocols pertaining to the wearing of space suits? Has he already lived on outposts / stations on other planets and moons?
4. Is this novelette intended to appeal chiefly to "Young Adults?"
Regards,
Confirmed: Kindle is available with a changeable font size.
That is a good start Laz! I can’t wait to see it in Barnes and Noble. Now about those “Sprites”. Were they Great White Sprites, Black Tipped Sprites or just run if the mill Hammerhead Sprites? LOL
Yes, self publishing is the way to go these days. I was a professional writer back in the day with an agent (scripts). When I picked up the pen again recently I saw how dramatically the publishing industry has changed. Self publishing is the right path. Disadvantage is there is so MUCH bad writing out there now because anyone can self publish.
You have heard of libration, right? The Moon exhibits both latitudinal and longitudinal libration - hence, an observer on about 1% of the surface of the Moon (i.e., at the so-called "limbs" at the apparent edge of the Moon as viewed from Earth) could watch the Earth completely dipping below / rising above the lunar horizon every month.
For observers elsewhere, the libration is still in effect, but the phenomenon wouldn't be as dramatic - the Earth would simply appear to wobble about 8° (due to longitudinal libration) and 7% (due to latitudinal libration), and therefore describe an analemma in the lunar sky.
The Earth has an apparent diameter of about 2° in the lunar sky, so this shift in position is not trivial.
Regards,
Well, this alien is female.
Gosh, I hope that I'm allowed to display this here! It's a pretty famous painting, after all!
Regards,
Is that like alien porn?
Regards,
We went with hybrid publishing. Which covers editing, marketing, and setting up various other services, etc. With the hybrid yes, you pay up front but the publisher does not get a cut until the author is reimbursed first, then they recieve .20 cents per book. Royalties are paid at a better rate to the author, e.g. 70% vs. 20%.
Regards,
I’m doing Draft 2 Digital.
It’s good Laz, I’d read it.
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