Vast, Our World and Our Resolve - Chapter Seventeen
The next several days proved a significant challenge for Martin, who prioritized, at the bare minimum, not making an embarrassment of himself. For one, the man knew next to nothing about construction. That in itself would have been fine; he was willing...
Vast, Our World and Our Resolve - Chapter Twelve
Martin blinked and realized his breath was heaving. He closed and opened his left palm once again. Clean, no blood. The creases of his palm traced the same patterns as they had that night, one of the only direct reminders of the events from two years...
Vast, Our World and Our Resolve - Chapter Sixteen
Martin and Namo relayed the information they had been charged with delivering, as well as their own history and justification behind why they were the ones delivering the news instead of residents of Benuun. The chief, the woman by the name...
Vast, Our World and Our Resolve - Chapter Seven
Still shaken though he was from his encounter behind City Hall, Martin nevertheless composed himself enough to retrace his steps back to the Central District and, from there, find his way to the herbalist thanks to directions provided by one of the...
Vast, Our World and Our Resolve - Chapter Eighteen
The next several days of labor proceeded apace. As Martin’s ability to grasp needed Kepmuun vocabulary and basic grammatical structure increased alongside his competency for hand carpentry, his deepest struggle was the war within himself to not binge...
Vast, Our World and Our Resolve - Chapter Twenty-two
A sensation of being suspended beneath water greeted Martin as he came to. His head swam and muffled sounds washed toward him in ebbing and flowing waves. Martin lifted his head as he heard a thump, a yell, and then pain—his own pain, throbbing pain as...
Vast, Our World and Our Resolve - Chapter Twenty-eight
The unsubtle scraping of metal on metal and the streaming in of morning light stirred Martin from rest. He blinked his eyes blearily, pressing his hands down his face to clear the sleep from his eyes as quickly as possible. He sat up and looked to his...
Vast, Our World and Our Resolve - Chapter Nineteen
The travelers departed Uat’sn with somewhat less ceremony than in Benuun, which was more than fine as far as Martin was concerned. Still, despite the borderline routine nature of their time in Uat’sn, the anxiety at the back of his mind continued to...
Vast, Our World and Our Resolve - Chapter Twenty-nine
The hulking steel machine arrived with the squeal of metal under friction and a great puff of smoke. After a moment, side doors opened on several of the brightly-painted railcars, allowing throngs of people to hurriedly disembark with the train. The...
Vast, Our World and Our Resolve - Chapter Fourteen
Subsequent a tearful goodbye between Uyutuk and Namo and a promise to return when she could, afternoon found the pair on the metaphorical dusty trail toward Uat’sn, which, in this case, was also a literal dusty trail. As Martin inspected the map, still...
Vast, Our World and Our Resolve - Chapter Fifteen
The first sign that the travelers were closing the distance to Uat’sn made itself apparent in the transition of plant community from semi-arid chaparral to a more dense, but still open canopy, scrub woodland. The dominant “canopy” plants, if they could...
Vast, Our World and Our Resolve - Chapter Twenty-three
PART TWO: ECHO Martin gazed over the cliff southward. An antarctic wind stung his cheeks as leaned against the stone fence toward the water that crashed against the smooth-worn cliffs well over a hundred meters below him. The white spray battering...