Nice, huh?
Entry 2-254: September 6, 2014
Daddy’s back!
When I first started writing VIRUS 5 back in 1973, I only envisioned it as a standalone novel. When I picked up the ball again in 2005, my first draft of Rome's Revolution was still going to be a standalone novel but that quickly changed.
Once I had determined that our future society was made up of the mind-connected Vuduri and the mind-deaf mandasurte, it just felt right to make Rome mosdurece, a half-blood. I wanted Rome's mother to be a full-blooded Vuduri so that meant her father was mandasurte. And since I knew that Deucado was a prison planet set up for the extinction of the mandasurte, I forced Rome's father, Fridone, to be one of the mandasurte who disappeared.
So after Rome and Rei's crash landing and their failed attempt to convince Trabunel that they were mandasurte, it was time to hit you over the head with Rome's reunion with her father. It was very touching. At least it was to me:
“I will vouch for her,” came a voice from the back. All heads turned to look at the person who spoke. A gray-haired man worked his way forward and broke through the front lines.
“Aiee! I cannot believe it! Beo!” Rome shouted. She stepped around Rei and ran or perhaps waddled would be a better word, down the ramp and rushed into the man’s arms.
“Beo?” Rei whispered to himself. “Father?”
Rome had buried her face in her father’s chest, her arms locked around him. In turn, her father hugged her as tightly as he could given her condition. They held each onto each other for the longest time, rocking back and forth. Finally, Rome pulled her head back and looked up into her father’s eyes. Like every other memory in her life, her time with her father had been stored in her brain like a two-dimensional snapshot. But now, those wonderful memories came to life complete with all the emotions that Rome had been suppressing her whole life. The experience was overwhelming.
“You were gone. I thought I had lost you forever,” Rome whispered, tears of joy gushing down her face.
“My little Rome,” said Fridone, “I, as well, thought I would never see you again. Can it really be you?
Unfortunately, the reunion only lasted a short time but that's what adventure is all about.
Entry 2-255: September 7, 2014
The trophic effect of soul-bonding
Part of the fun of writing Rome's Revolution was setting up Rome and Rei as soul-mates who were always destined to be together. The fact that they were born 1400 years apart was a mere detail. I have mentioned on several occasions that the Espansors, the "hearing aids for the mind-deaf" did more than allow Rome and Rei to read each other's minds. It bonded them totally and completely and made them one. It created what Rome called "their own samanda".
The after-effects of this bonding experience were not just making a loving couple closer. It turns out that such a bond also has a trophic effect. This is defined as:
Trophic hormone is a hormone that has a growth effect, hyperplasia or hypertrophy, on the tissue it is stimulating. The term trophic is from Ancient Greek τροφικός (trophikós) meaning "pertaining to food or nourishment", here used to mean "growth"; this is the same origin as atrophy.
I wanted to put this on the table right off the bat so I made Rome spout these words:
They hugged again, Rome’s huge stomach pressing against him. After a few minutes, he pushed her away to regard her.
Rome ran her hand through his hair. “Beo, your hair. It has gotten so gray!”
“Yes, I have changed,” said Fridone somberly. Then he brightened up. “And speaking of changes, I see you have been busy,” he said with a chuckle. Rome turned and pointed to Rei who walked down the ramp to stand beside the reunited pair, a bit wary of the cutlery around him.
The reference to Fridone's hair turning gray would not normally seem that strange. After all, Rome had not seen her father in nearly 10 years. However, when Fridone is finally reunited with Binoda, Rome's mother, it was more than just a touching scene. Later in the book I told you that once they were together again, the aging process seemed to go in reverse and Fridone's hair started turning brown again.
The fact that Fridone and Binoda had used the Espansors and bonded was made clear early on. So it is not surprising that Fridone gained his strength and vitality from his closeness with his wife.
However, what it does to Rei and Rome? That will blow your mind. You'll find out when I release The Vuduri Companion hopefully later this year.
Entry 2-256: September 8, 2014
All mixed up
When Rome's Revolution was still the standalone novel entitled VIRUS 5, I had no clue about the Vuduri culture and its interrelationship with the mandasurte culture. Once I decided to embark on Book 2 which became Part 2, I had to wrestle with inconsistencies in the canon. For example, in the original long-form version, when Rome was reunited with her father in the first draft, he was shocked that Rome could express emotion. Here is that scene:
“You were gone. I thought I had lost you forever,” Rome whispered, tears of joy gushing down her face.
“My little Rome,” said Fridone, “I, as well, thought I would never see you again. Can it really be you? You are crying! You have feelings now?”
“Oh Beo,” she said, laughing and crying at the same time, “I was Cesdiud. I am mandasurte now. I am free to think and love. Now I know. Now I can share your joy. I have missed you so much.”
“Oh, my little Rome, I am so happy for you. I could never tell you before, in a way you could understand. Oh, my little girl!” Fridone starting crying as well.
Here is the same scene in the current version:
“You were gone. I thought I had lost you forever,” Rome whispered, tears of joy gushing down her face.
“My little Rome,” said Fridone, “I, as well, thought I would never see you again. You are mandasurte now?”
“Oh, Beo,” she said, laughing and crying at the same time, “I have missed you so much. Yes, I was Cesdiud.”
“And you do not care?”
“I am happy beyond measure.”
“Then I am happy for you, too. Oh, my little girl!” Fridone starting crying as well.
The difference is subtle but in the modern version, the only thing Fridone notes is that Rome lost her "mind-connectedness" not her ability to emote.
You will recall that, in the modern version, Rei was able to see into Rome's past and saw that there was genuine love in her family. That would not have been compatible with the original take on Rome suppressing her emotions. The take home lesson here is the story was a living thing, evolving in its own way and many scenes, while important emotionally, had to evolve as well to keep them from getting you, the reader, all mixed up.
Entry 2-257: September 9, 2014
They are confused, too
In an earlier post, I gave you the formal definition of the Erklirte and the Essessoni. I explained that the Essessoni are essentially us, the people of the 21st century, and the Erklirte, the Ark Lords were a subset. To summarize, all Erklirte are Essessoni but the vast majority of Essessoni are not Erklirte.
Well, when I was writing what became Part 2 of Rome's Revolution, a lot of my characters got this confused as well. For example, here is when Rei is first introduced to the Ibbrassati on Deucado:
Rome announced, “Beo, this is Rei. He saved me and perhaps the whole world. He is mau emir.”
Fridone reached out with his arm and Rei extended his. Fridone grabbed a hold of it in a peculiar way and pulled him down toward him and gave him a hug, which Rei allowed. Then Fridone pushed him back and turned to Rome. “He is mandasurte too? He does not look like a Vuduri.”
Rome nodded then said, “He is not Vuduri. He is from Garecei Ti Essessoni…” Fridone recoiled at the words. Behind him, the people within earshot gasped. Rome ignored their reactions. “But he is not a killer,” she continued. “He saved all of our lives.?
??
Even as she spoke, the people behind murmured on. “Essessoni,” they said among themselves. They whispered. Rei could hear them say things like “we are lost” and “murderers” in the background.
The man in front who had addressed them before came over to them. “Is this true? Is that what was in your vessel over there?” He pointed to the woods behind them. “Did you bring the Erklirte among us?”
So you can see that even the people of the 35th century get them confused. I can understand it a little. Rei's group wasn't just a gaggle of people wandering by. They were the frozen occupants of the Ark II which in every way was identical to the one that did, indeed, bring the Ark Lords to Earth. However, Rome's comfort level with Rei and his heroics eventually win them over, just as he did back at Skyler Base.
Rei will run into this prejudice again later when he enters the village that eventually became Ibbra City but that's a story for another day.
Entry 2-258: September 10, 2014
Convenient camouflage
Right after the Ark II crash-landed on Deucado at the beginning of Part 2 of Rome's Revolution, everyone, Rome and Rei included, knew they only had a short window before the Vuduri came looking for them. While the Flying House was small enough that they probably could have tucked it in a cave or underneath a heavy canopy of trees, there was no way they were going to hide the 7000 metric tonne Ark II. If the Vuduri found it, they would destroy it and there wouldn't be much to the story.
To hide it, they would need sufficient camouflage such that the Vuduri would not see it from the sky. There was no need to worry about a heat signature since the Ark was very cold, sitting just above the temperature of space.
What I really needed was for the Ibbrassati to have plenty of camouflage netting sitting around such that they could throw it over the Ark in a matter of minutes. Amazingly, shockingly, the Ibbrassati had just that:
Trabunel turned toward his men. “We must hide this ship and the other,” he said. “There is no heat signature to worry about. We only need camouflage. Use the nets. Elon, take some men and go find the Erklirte. Hide them as well.”
With murmurs of assent, the crowd began to disperse, some towards the tug, some away, deeper into the woods. Trabunel charged forward, away from the landing area. Fridone put his arm around his daughter and started guiding her away from her ship, in the same direction as Trabunel. Rei followed about two paces behind. After they had gone some distance, Rei turned and saw the Ibbrassati swarming over his tug, still caked in ice, laying netting over the top along with leaves, branches and other pieces of camouflage.
Rei turned back and saw that Rome and her father were moving very slowly, not too far ahead so he stayed to watch the men work. In a matter of minutes, his ship blended into the background so well that he had trouble picking it out himself. Amazed, he broke his concentration and hurried to catch up to Rome.
Imagine that! What a coincidence!
Entry 2-259: September 11, 2014
The cane tree
When Rome and Rei first landed on Deucado at the beginning of Part 2 of Rome's Revolution, they landed within a cane tree forest. As I have mentioned before, Deucado has an extreme paucity of diversity among its plants and animals because of its continual bombardment by comets, asteroids and the like.
The cane trees were the most successful form of trees. Mostly because their trunks were thin and very flexible. Which meant when the inevitable explosion came, usually because of meteor strikes, they'd just bend over and wait out the rippling shock wave which can travel faster than the speed of sound. When it was all over, they just popped back up and did their best to survive.
Here was Rei's first introduction:
The cane-tree forest was made up of thin reed-like trunks, almost like bamboo, most not more than five or ten centimeters in diameter. Occasionally, there was one thicker. The very tops of the trees were bright yellow, the lower leaves were yellow-green. Tau Ceti was more orange than Sol and so whatever passed for chlorophyll on this planet was skewed toward the lower frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum. The colors reminded Rei of a really nice day in the fall, when the leaves were just beginning to turn. But the weather here was not consonant with that. In fact, it was fairly warm and somewhat humid.
Entry 2-260: September 12, 2014
Be careful what you wish for
In the very beginning of Part 2 of Rome's Revolution, before they landed, Rome and Rei were discussing what they were going to do when the trip was done. The conversation was very short:
Rei spoke again. “I am so looking forward to this. Plus I miss real gravity. Do you want to know the first thing I’m going to do when we land?”
“Exit the tug?” Rome said with a straight face.
Rei laughed then stopped. Rome’s sense of humor was getting quite sophisticated. He couldn’t tell if she was kidding or not.
“I meant after that,” Rei said.
“I knew what you meant,” Rome said. Then she broke out into a smile. Yes, she had been kidding.
“Ha. I’m going to take a long walk with you,” Rei offered.
“Why?” Rome asked.
“Just because we can,” Rei answered.
“Yes but I suspect I will not want to walk as far as you,” she said.
Rome's remark comes under the heading as famous last words. Right after they landed, they were under duress because the Vuduri were coming after them and they had to get away from the landing area as quickly as possible:
They walked along a trail that led down a steep winding path into a gorge that was hidden by a canopy of overhanging cane-trees. In many places, the trees had grown so thick that the sky overhead was hidden, mimicking nightfall. Fridone was helping Rome along with an arm under her shoulder. They followed the base of the gorge only a short distance when Rome stopped. She was breathing heavily and bent over. Rei rushed over to her and knelt down on one knee to look up at her.
“Sweetheart,” he said in English. “Are you OK?”
She gave him a half-smile. “You said you wanted to take a long walk when we first landed, right?” She winked at him.
Rei laughed but then the smile left his face. “Tell me, how do you feel?”
“I thought I was in better shape than this. We have exercised so hard. I am afraid that perhaps I eased up a bit near the end. I am regretting that.” She went back to breathing heavily.
“Well, you are pregnant,” Rei said.
“Of that I am aware,” Rome replied.
Rei shook his head and in one quick motion, scooped her up in his arms. His knees almost buckled and it took him a moment to right himself.
“You do not need to do this, mau emir. I will be all right,” Rome said.
Bottom line: be careful what you wish for because it may very well come true. Well, actually it was Rei would make this happen but who's keeping score?
Entry 2-261: September 13, 2014
Taking the children
In Part 2 of Rome's Revolution, right after Rome and Rei crash-landed the Ark II, the couple was accosted by an angry mob of Ibbrassati. Why were they so angry? Because they thought their secret enclave was just that, secret and hidden deep in the woods, at the bottom of the gorge. After Rome was reunited with her father, Fridone, as they were making their way from the crash site, Fridone asked Rei about this:
“How did you know where to find us?” Fridone asked, trying to distract him. “We are always so careful to keep this enclave hidden. No one comes here. Our real settlement is about 40 kilometers to the south and west on the shores of Lake Eprehem. When the Vuduri come to take the children, they always do it well away from here.”
But even before that, as Rome and Rei walked down the cargo ramp, the first thing that Trabunel asked them was (and pardon the Vuduri):
“Nei he nanhume croence equo. I qua sei fica qua vez equo? A bir qua fica taoxiu ta vuncoiner asse ciose equo
?”
In English, this translates to:
"We have no children here. What are you doing here? And why do you bring this ship here?"
Apparently, the Vuduri not only stripped the Ibbrassati of all technology, they stole their children as well. But not all children. While many of the mandasurte are mind-deaf because they only have 23 pairs of chromosomes, there are many mandasurte who have the proper set of 24 but for some reason (birth defect, Cesdiud) are not mind-connected. If a pair of 24-chromosome mandasurte mate, it is entirely possible, if not probable, that their child would be mind-connected. This is not unlike two hearing deaf parents giving birth to a child who can hear.
The Vuduri on Deucado were instructed only to imprison and oppress the mandasurte, not mind-connected Vuduri so as soon as the Overmind detected such a child, the Vuduri swooped in and took them away to be raised "properly". Sucks, huh?
Entry 2-262: September 14, 2014
We’re coming, Lupe
As I mentioned last year, today is (or will be) Lupe Bierak's birthday. To remind you how The Milk Run starts out, here is the beginning:
“AASON!” Lupe shrieked. The teenage girl’s bloodcurdling scream shattered the previously peaceful calm of the spacious starship cabin.
21-year-old Aason Bierak was caught by surprise. The handsome young man with the tousled brown hair had been staring straight ahead, lost in the mesmerizing blackness of null fold space just beyond the cockpit’s windshield. It was a mind-trap and Aason knew it but it was one in which he allowed himself a few minutes of entanglement. That ended abruptly with Lupe’s howl. With a titanic effort, Aason tore his piercing blue eyes away from the lush void to face his sister. He was horrified to see a waving set of translucent tentacles that had emerged from nowhere, enveloping Lupe, constricting her in their grasp.