The following are a bunch of snippets and half baked ideas I've scribbled in the past few years. The first section is just random prose, the second is a collection of snippets that I've been threatening to sew together into a complete story. Most if not all are sci-fi related, sorry 'bout that. If you're not into SF then may I suggest reading Love Story, Confidant, Confidant 2, Leave, Emissary, (Re)cursive writing and Author's note. Even my Mum liked Leave, but then maybe she was just being kind: 'he writes stories only a mother could love...' I'd be curious to hear what you think, even if it's a "don't give up your day job Paul..."

My sincere thanks to Robin Hazen for her beautiful friendship, ever-patient guidance, advice and encouragement. These stories wouldn't have made it here without her. Many thanks also to Thomas Dolby for allowing the use of his eloquent words where I had none to offer.

Obligatory copyright tag: These are mine, but they're pretty much yours to enjoy or laugh at. Either way I've achieved my goal of making someone smile. All I ask is that you respect my rights as author of these works and ask me if you want to use them somehow. It'd make my day.

[one more thing] The story pages are still the old ones from the preview site; they'll be changed shortly to look more like this one.



I. Miscellany



Love Story

"For a brief moment in time - maybe as brief as a single lifetime - they came to know each other well."



II. The Story That One Day May Just Be Finished (Yeh Right!) - TSTODMJBF(YR!)(tm)

Ever since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, I used to find myself thinking about a different world, or perhaps a different time on the same world, or perhaps this time on this world only most don't know it. Just idle thoughts mind you, no need for psychotherapy or anything, I had a pretty normal childhood ("I'm fine... no really I am..." ;) maybe I just watched Battlestar Galactica too much or read Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game series one too many times. The following are what I call glimpses of this world. These are just rough cuts; pieces written in a few minutes or maybe an evening when the mood grabbed me. The main reason is to form some kind of skeleton to a story I might write one day. They've been written over the last few years. I hope you enjoy them.

P.S. Quick translation tip. Where you see the word 'start' and a long number, it's the time I originally started writing that snippet in [yy]yymmddhhmm format. Not that it matters or anything...



Prologue 0: Field Report

"I know this is unfair of me to ask, but I trust your judgement Ti, I need your thoughts on whether this planet is worth defending - even if we have to do it covertly."



Prologue I: First Contact

"The sentient had carefully chosen the time to reveal itself to him. It's designers had closely, discretely watched this unremarkable man, the most promising of the many unaware candidates, for some time. They had made their choice, this was to be the instigator."



Prologue II: First Contact continued

"I know that look also. Before I can begin to give you those answers I need you to trust me."



Prologue III: Confidant

"He suspected she was pissed at him. Something about the way her skin tensed ever so slightly just below her crystal clear blue eyes, and that carefully casual but intent stance. Best friends - as they had once been - knew these things of each other."



Prologue IV: Confidant Part Two

"What she was thinking may have surprised him even in his state: Careful, this person knows you like no other. If you involve him then-"



Part One: Leave

"The stars rapidly fall down in front of me as I pull the nose sharply over and push already stressed engines as hard as I dare. A frantic voice calls out. One I know so well, "Two eight to two five, we need you here NOW! Shields are down, I have-" Static, then a sharp incandescent bloom against the stars."



Part Two: Private Thoughts

"We found out their name two weeks ago examining a captured tanker 40 seconds before it's self-destruct claimed our people: j'khatnhir. T1's sentient translates this as a mix of 'assassin', 'life-taker', and 'subjugater'. Not your friendly type."



Part Three: Emissary

"Instinct kicked in over protocol: Watch decided this entity deserved a closer look before she punched it's lights out. [...] One minute and forty-two seconds after the Eagles had assumed an escort formation with the craft, Watch, surprised further by the birds' findings, called Terra One's commander.

"There is an occupant."



Part ????: Homecoming

"Onboard intelligence constantly seeking a safe path, making almost subconscious, even elegant adjustments to it's flight control surfaces like an eagle manipulating every feather on each wing while riding a thermal...or watching prey."



Part ????: (Re)Cursive writing

"The moment I feel like I truly belong, the Directive is enacted and I'm pushed either into the past or the future, but always to a different existence."

Big Graphic version (500k)

Small Graphic version (192k)

Text version (not many k)



Bonus for reading this far, out-take: Author's Note

"Yes, this day in many ways was like every other, except this time her behaviour would be different."



More on the way... I'd like to think that's not a threat. Humour me will you?