What do you think?
Entry 1-119: April 23, 2013
Secrets Revealed: Was there ever sentient life on Deucado?
Answer: Yes.
You will find out all about it the upcoming novel Rome's Evolution. That's all I can tell you now without spoiling the rest.
How's this for a teaser? Every chapter has a "secret" name. I never tell anybody these names but it helps me in my notes. Chapter 18 is called "The Blanket's Tale" - does that give you a hint?
Entry 1-120: April 24, 2013
Secrets Revealed: Why are there so many caves on Deucado with smooth roofs?
There are many, many caves on Deucado. Rome has personally visited several of them as has Rei. Many, if not all, have a peculiar smooth roof. Does this mean anything? Is it just the way erosion works on this little planet?
The only help I can give you right now is for you to think about Rome's confrontation with MASAL in Rome's Revolution. Rei and Rome had just escaped Estar, accidentally killing her in the process. They travel down a long lava tube and during a break, Rei discovers a huge cavern just on the other side of the wall. He blasts a hole and they enter the cave. Rome shoots her plasma gun into the air like a super-flashlight and discovers the roof of that cave is unnaturally smooth. Does that help?
The answers to all your questions will be revealed in the upcoming novel Rome's Evolution which I hope will be ready to publish in May.
Entry 1-121: April 25, 2013
Secrets Revealed: Is there any place for money in the 35th century?
The Vuduri have access to limitless free energy. Despite OMCOM's dire warning that there would be a price to pay some day, the Vuduri use that free energy to power their society, their starships and even create matter. They have molecular sequencers which allow them to synthesize any substance known to man. They have machines that make food. They have devices that can extrude housing. Do they have any need for money at all? This subject was touched upon in an earlier post and the conclusion was they didn't really need it.
But what happens when you mix four races who cannot agree upon the value of things? Money, as a symbol, becomes a way to measure the worth of something as long as each party agrees upon the inherent worth of money. Typically, money is made out something that is rare and/or valuable like silver or gold. But if you can make these metals at will, how valuable can they be? The other way money has value is if a central authority (not necessarily a government) says it has value and everyone agrees.
In the upcoming novel Rome's Evolution, Rei and Rome come across a place, the resort city of Ur, where money becomes a necessity. Rome is not thrilled about it. She thinks it brings in an element that has no place in Vuduri society. You'll have to decide for yourself when you get to that part. There's even a casino! This is not the end of Rome's Revolution.
Entry 1-122: April 26, 2013
Secrets Revealed: Why is there so little diversity of life on Deucado?
Other than the laziness of the author (me), have you ever wondered why there is so little diversity to the life on Deucado? Ever since we arrived here in Part 2 of Rome's Revolution, we've only seen a few types of animals and plants. In fact, the only animals we have seen are the 'falling blankets' of various sizes and shapes. Within the seas, we only have the swishies which are an eel-like fish. As far as plant life is concerned, the only native flora are the cane-trees, the sticky bushes, the threadgrass and some flowers.
Why so little diversity? How can a world exist which does not have a wide range of animal and plant types?
I can tell you that Matt and Perry bought me a little glass globe called an Eco-sphere which is fully self-contained. It has water, air, a wooden-like branch, some algae and shrimp. It is completely sealed. All you do is supply light. The algae converts the light and the carbon dioxide into plant growth with the by-product being oxygen. The shrimp consume the oxygen and nibble at the algae and leave waste product which is used by the algae as food.
It is now April and while we started with four shrimp (three of which died), the one remaining shrimp seems perfectly happy and has not suffocated. So it is possible.
In the upcoming novel Rome's Evolution, you will find out the startling reason why there is so little bio-diversity on Deucado. You may not agree with it but at least we will know the reason.
Entry 1-123: April 27, 2013
Secrets Revealed: Rei's Space Walk
Why did Rei take a dangerous space walk to retrieve his music slab during their year-long journey from Tabit to Deucado? I don't know about you but it seems a little irresponsible to me just to get to some music. Rome makes reference to it during their first visit to the Ark II in the novel The Ark Lords yet Rome does not appear to be too upset about it.
The fact is the incident took place between Parts 1 and 2 of the current version of Rome's Revolution and was excised during the edit down from the long form to the current version.
The backdrop was they had just escaped the oncoming Stareater and VIRUS consumption of the moon Dara. They were traveling at a lower speed and MINIMCOM figured out how to increase their speed. The entire incident, concluding with Rei retrieving his music slab (kind of a solid-state version of an iPod) will be revealed in the second Intermezzo in the upcoming novel Rome's Evolution.
Entry 1-124: April 28, 2013
Secrets Revealed: What is the Overmind of Earth like?
We have met various Overminds directly or indirectly, as described in a previous post. On Tabit, the Overmind was never exposed to us directly. All of its thinking was channeled through its communicants like Rome and Ursay. The reason it was so quiet is because it was only made up of some 83 souls.
The Overmind of Deucado "spoke" to us directly. It was made up of thousands of Vuduri populating that planet. However, it was not powerful enough to stand up to Rome's direct assault. She beat it into submission and into sanity in Part 2 of Rome's Revolution.
Up until now, we have never met the Overmind of Earth. It must be very powerful, indeed, as it is made up of 100 million souls. We saw that it ruled with an iron fist. Most of the Vuduri on Earth had no opinions of their own. They let the Overmind do the thinking for them.
The Onsiras had an Overmind of their own but while he was "alive" - it was MASAL who controlled it. What happened to the Onsiras after MASAL was vaporized? You'll find out in the upcoming novel Rome's Evolution.
The Overmind of Helome seems very relaxed and in tune with the beauty of the planet yet stills seems to rule with a firm hand.
Will we ever meet the Overmind of Earth? The answer is yes. In the upcoming novel, Rome's Evolution, Rome must enlist the aid of the Overmind of Earth and finally come to grips with her Cesdiud, her lineage and being banished from Earth.
Entry 1-125: April 29, 2013
Secrets Revealed: Whatever happened to Sussen, the spy?
At the end of Part 2 of Rome's Revolution, Sussen, MASAL's agent on Deucado had stolen a ship and was on her way back to Earth to warn MASAL that his plan for keeping the mandasurte captive on the doomed world might fail. Her expected travel time was 28 days. MINIMCOM had mastered the continuous project PPT drive and theoretically could get to Earth in 4 days. However, because he "swallowed" the flying house, it took him 8 days. This was still plenty of time for Rome to be tried and convicted and exiled to Havei (Hawaii). Estar and MASAL's minions kidnapped Rei and Rome with the intent to either integrate them or kill them. This plan backfired and Rei and Rome ended up vaporizing MASAL by re-igniting the volcano of Kilauea.
The Stareate
rs came and went and Rei and Rome were allowed to return to their new home world of Deucado. But whatever happened to Sussen? It would be at least two more weeks before she arrived on Earth, only to discover that not only were Rei and Rome free, MASAL was destroyed and the entire infrastructure of the Onsiras was dismantled.
In the original long form of Rome's Revolution, there was a little interlude in which OMCOM appeared before Sussen and told her how the world she was expecting was gone. However, this vignette was excised in the current version.
So what really did happen to Sussen? We can guess that she would have traveled to Havei, only to discover that MASAL's base was gone. Where would she go next? She had learned to think for herself which was an oxymoron when it came to the definition of the Onsiras. The next place she would go would be the main encampment of the Onsiras in Socal, which would have been called Los Angeles in our time.
So what lay in store for Sussen? You will find out in the upcoming novel Rome's Evolution which should be published within the next three weeks.
Entry 1-126: April 30, 2013
Secrets Revealed: Whatever happened to the Onsiras, after MASAL was destroyed?
When MASAL designed the 24th chromosome, it was his intent over a century or two for all of mankind to evolve (or devolve?) into the Onsiras who literally had no mind of their own. Rei and Rome thwarted that plot but did not change the genetics involved. Much of the plot of The Ark Lords revolved around the fact that the Vuduri on Helome were finding an increasing number of Onsira phenotypes being born.
The Onsiras had their own Overmind. But it was controlled by MASAL when he was alive. After he was gone, their Overmind would not just disappear. And there were more Onsiras being born every day. This is not a situation that could remain stable.
You will find out what happened to the remaining Onsiras in the upcoming novel Rome's Evolution. The answer may surprise you but you can rest assured that eventually, they are treated humanely.
Entry 1-127: May 1, 2013
Secrets Revealed: Rome's ability to travel through time
One of the underlying themes of the upcoming novel Rome's Evolution is the inter-relationship between the past and the future. From Rei's perspective, he had only left his parents and Sally Reynolds six weeks earlier when he was thawed and awakened by the Vuduri in Rome's Revolution. On his last night on Earth, Sally had reiterated her ability to read the future.
In the novel The Ark Lords, you got a little sampling of the future from our perspective but the distant past when viewed by the people living in the 35th century. When Rome touched the pool of dried blood within the bowels of the Tevatron, she was able to connect with the life of Jack Henry and experienced his life and times as if she was there herself.
How is this possible? How can a person travel through time? My guess is your body cannot. However, there is no reason why your consciousness could not travel forward or backward in time. It does not violate causality. If you ever watched the TV show Quantum Leap, you will see that Sam's mind was the only thing that traveled up and down the line. His body remained in the future.
In the upcoming novel Rome's Evolution, Rome addresses this issue. There is no way to prove or disprove her ideas. All I can tell you is that these stories write themselves. Where do the ideas come from? I claim they come from one possible future. The tag line for the entire Rome's Revolution series is "This story is true, it just haven't happened yet."
Think about that one!
Entry 1-128: May 2, 2013
Secrets Revealed: When is Lupe coming?
At the end of The Ark Lords, OMCOM appears before Rei and Rome and requests that they have another child, a daughter, and in the not-too-distant future. While Rei and Rome appear to reject the idea initially, OMCOM had sound reasons which could not be ignored.
In the novel that follows Rome's Evolution entitled The Milk Run, the children Aason and Lupe are the stars. This leaves a gap. When was Lupe conceived and why? The good news is all of your questions regarding Lupe will be answered in the next novel Rome's Evolution which should be out in the next few weeks.
Entry 1-129: May 3, 2013
Rome's Evolution is live!
I have posted the new novel Rome's Evolution on Amazon, B&N, Kobo and SmashWords. The paperback is under way. I'm just waiting on the proof. I will be posting the iTunes version in a week or so. Apple requires a lot more prep work to get a book into the iTunes store.
The preliminary version of the web site is up at www.RomesEvolution.com and the links to the various bookstores will be live on Monday.
If you can't wait, here are the links for the Kindle and Nook, ready to go.
So, the only thing left is rolling out the paperback and iTunes. I have a June deadline for my book-signing so I think I am on track. Here is Bruce's amazing book cover: