Sneak-Peek: Robo-Feelings (Patreon)

Hi all,

Quick heads up regarding this month's short story: this one is a Tanner story, set during the war, and it's the shooty kind of story, addressing a few character & world aspects that have only been touched on lightly in the novels. It's not finished yet, but it's already significantly longer than the usual Patreon installment. We're at novelette length and I've got a few thousand more words to put on it. Should be finished in a few more days. I started earlier than usual in hopes of posting earlier, and instead this thing kinda grew on me.

Sooo... what I'm saying is there's a chance this one will be a two-parter. I'm not posting it in part or in full until the whole thing is DONE, but I'm also trying to manage how much time I put into the Patreon in comparison to regular novel-writing. No decisions yet, but don't say I didn't warn you. Either way, I hope you'll enjoy it.  :)

Also I've gotta say I'm MUCH more productive lately. This Tanner story is moving faster and with more focus than I've had in many months, and the Riley & Selene book has picked up, too (I'm just shy of 90k words on that now). So there's something to be said for sticking with things that work.

And so, on to the sneak peek!

My forthcoming/WIP smutty space opera will largely be from Riley's POV, but we'll see Selene's once in a while... like when they first arrive on the junkyard planet of the bug people!

Why a junkyard planet, you ask? Because I think junkyard planets are cool, that's why.

Anyway, without revealing too much plot, I'm hoping to show a difference of mindset down to the tone of narration. Selene doesn't just speak differently; she's constantly analyzing and tracking data, including her feelings.

The final draft may come out a little different, but I thought I'd show where I'm at. Sneak-peeks are also about showing the process of writing, after all.  :)

* * *

“Mike’s description fits with the patterns and characteristics of criminal gangs,” said Selene.

“Oh yeah,” Riley chuckled. Selene’s mapping and identification programs hesitated to label the space outside Mike’s shop a street.  Ramshackle shops and homes lined the grounds before the larger and more stable structures provided by permanently grounded starships, almost as if each hull primarily served to anchor amateur construction. Residents moved through alleys and open lanes with familiarity and ease. Validating Selene’s data and Mike’s descriptions, she noted a near-majority of Xelt on the street in comparison to all other species. Intermingling between species appeared normal and accepted here. Riley's body language conveyed vigilance, but also comfort with the environment. “With a name like the Phantoms? They’re a gang.”

“Wouldn’t we want to evade contact with a gang unless necessary?” she asked.

“Depends on the gang. If Mike isn’t afraid and doesn’t hate them, they could be good to know.”

“His responses were noncommittal. Notably, he did not encourage contact.”

“No, of course not. Because they’re a gang.” His grin diminished rapidly after he glanced her way. The timing and the angle of his eye movement indicated his grin fell in reaction to her frown rather than her statement. “I’m not saying we run right to them. I wanted to hear what Mike knew while we had the chance to ask. We couldn’t speak openly about our situation in front of him.”

“Agreed. I, too, withheld options and information until we could speak privately.” Despite the public setting, their current circumstances seemed private enough. Traffic was light, presumably normal for this hour, with pedestrians greatly outnumbering ground vehicles.  No one showed any interest in the pair or their conversation.

“When Mike explained his inventory concerns, I initiated a series of deep searches of Talnov Gamma’s multiple link-net systems. I have not identified likely sources for our parts.”

“Huh. I hadn’t thought about your abilities there, but I should’ve guessed. You ran most of the ship with your internal systems. Should’ve known you could access the link-net without a device or a terminal. You probably search deeper and faster than Mike checking his sources, right?”

“Presumably. My searches have not been limited to active sellers. I have placed few limits on my searches. The primary difficulty arises from the unregulated nature of these link-nets. On most worlds, such networks are more orderly and customer-oriented, often provided in a unified and regulated system. Here I find link-nets that do not interface with others at all.”

Riley tilted his head to one side and the other in a display of consideration. “We also need stuff that nobody would advertise. We need false identification that'll stand up to standard scrutiny. Do you have any ideas on that score?”

“Several. None carry a high probability of success under current circumstances. You display signs of confidence despite our difficulties. I assume you have something in mind?”

“I do, but I don’t know if you’re going to like it.”

“Context implies a return to the earlier discussion of the Phantoms.”

“Yeah. That’s what I’m thinking.”

“Gangs are dangerous and unreliable. They are to be avoided whenever possible. Unavoidable contact must incorporate elevated threat recognition and response.”

“Not much content in your social protocols for gangs, huh?”

A strange, sudden jerking sensation in her abdomen accompanied an unusually sharp breath. Her mouth opened as if to speak, but she hadn’t selected a reply. His grin and his sidelong glance sent her responses into a reevaluation loop. “You are teasing me,” she realized.

“Maybe a little.” He noticed her frown. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. Did I?”

“That description appears accurate, yes.”

“Damn. I’m sorry, Selene. I’ll be more careful.”

“Your apology is accepted. The harm is negligible. I am more interested in analysis for future reference. I do not understand why that particular teasing registered negatively.” Though she had linguistic and tonal analyses running, she already expected a lack of sufficient results. Lack of data presented a problem. “Please elaborate.”

“Which, the teasing or the apology?”

“You describe it as ‘maybe a little.’ Which aspect of your responses constitute teasing?”

Riley sighed, lowered both of his shoulders two centimeters, and resumed his grin. His body language and tone indicated apology rather than disappointment or annoyance. Selene sent the image and data into analysis while he answered. “I was teasing about social protocols. I figured you don’t have much for this, and it makes sense. The people who built and programmed you probably don’t have much experience with gangs.”

“My social protocols for gangs and other criminal elements are not extensive in comparison to other subcultures and professions,” Selene admitted. She hadn’t considered her reactions in that context until now, but the smaller file size alone was enough to elevate her stress levels in the milliseconds before she began processing it. She considered the rest of his response, too. “You are likely correct about my programmers. All personnel involved in the project were required to pass a thorough background check. They had little to no criminal background.”

“But you were programmed for subterfuge, surveillance, and assassinations,” Riley laughed. “That’s just wild.”

“I believe most of that programming was derived from Aegis Enterprises internal security and intelligence services. Content came from professional agents and instructors.”

“Yeah. Corporate espionage. That makes sense. I guess they might see some difference.”

“You do not?”

“I think crime and espionage have overlapping qualities and skill sets. I also think one side of that divide is likely to have a misplaced sense of superiority. That bias might taint the content of your programming. Gangs arise for a reason. The dumb gangs don’t last. Gangs that survive and grow usually have something going for them.”

“Your point is taken,” said Selene. That one didn’t require in-depth analysis.

“I didn’t know how you’d take teasing, either,” said Riley. “Maybe I could’ve chosen another moment to find out. Or just asked. I’m sorry.”

“My protocols address teasing, otherwise, I would not have recognized it. I have teased you. We have discussed it openly.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t know how you’d handle it from me.”

His correction prompted more emotional reactions within her. She recognized them favorably.