Tethered Worlds: Star in Bankruptcy

by Gregory Faccone

  Jordahk laughed.

  “As things have been going,” Kord said, “you'll find use for it.”

  As things have been going...

  The struggle was on, like it or not. A clash of civilizations embroiling the worlds of humanity. Challenges for which his family, and people like Glick and Mason, would continue to volunteer. Willing participants, knowing the risks.

  But people like Cranium, Humberto, and Khai were more akin to civilians, yet they stepped up all the same when dire choices were thrust upon them. If he could rise into the fullness of his majority, perhaps the sacrifices they made would become more rare.

  Most people didn't want to change all of civilized space, they just wanted to live their lives, doing what they saw fit without fear. Perhaps it was his destiny to bear a portion of their combined burden, so that they could. For people like Sloan, and that idiot Lansing 12. Okay, maybe not for him. Jordahk wasn't feeling that noble yet.

  ~end~

  APPENDIX:

  From the journals of Sparber Quintile.

  A chronicler sees many things if he knows where to look—or happens to be in the right place at the right time. And so it was some years after the war my path crossed with an acquaintance whose skills had grown but desire for notoriety remained nonexistent.

  Though it didn't seem so long since his skills were of a novice Sojourner gunwright, they had developed into something far more. Yet to my surprise he insisted on carrying his first successful autobuss. Perhaps it was to keep him humble, a challenge faced by most Sojourners. He insisted on no recording, thus I had to sketch the prototype pistol from memory with the help of my AI at a later time.

  It was clunky in appearance compared to common examples of a more sleek nature, and even his own later works, but I had it on independent authority that it was powerful none-the-less. And indeed it was capable of the more fantastic form variations the model is known for. This ability to reconfigure makes the resting shape of any quality autobuss of lesser importance.

  I might note that while pistols abound in both technology families, a scientum equivalent of a mystic autobuss does not exist. The very nature of high-end mystic craftings puts them beyond the ken of strict scientum devotees.

  end entry…

  The Tethered Worlds Series. Unwelcome Star. Blue Star Setting. Star in Bankruptcy. Book 4 coming soon.

  Unwelcome Star. Blue Star Setting. Star in Bankruptcy. Book Four Coming Soon.

  AUTHOR'S NOTE:

  Much has happened in my life since the writing of book two. But those who appreciate this series need not wonder whether the next entry will ever come, for it will. I have notes going out for a good number more before I bring it to a close. And no span between books will be as long as it was between books two and three.

  As you read, the rich tapestry that comprises the Tethered Worlds universe shows no signs of simplifying. It's a thing to be wrangled as characters from previous books vie for a spot. I enjoy seeing secondary players return (in some form or another). Those of you who feel similarly can look forward to appearances both hoped for and never anticipated. For who could have guessed Cranium would return in the form of CraArch? Perhaps it will offer readers some catharsis as it did Jordahk.

  I remember liking a very minor character in a famous book series, but after the first book or two he was gone. Throughout the rest of the series I kept an eye out for any mention of this person. I got very little, but a sentence or two was enough for me to sketch what they had been up to. So even little touches upon minor characters adds to universe texture.

  While I was in the conceptual stage of book three plotting I considered bringing Sloan through the latter part of the story. However opposites interacting makes for better drama. Sloan versus Solia was a lot of fun. Later, Solia versus Zoraida made for better sparks and greater contrast than Sloan would have provided. Speaking of the infamous Consortium field partner, she went though a name change early on as a major movie came out with a character whose name was too similar. That's the way it goes sometimes.

  I am looking forward to the actress who will play Vittora in the Tethered Worlds movie series also playing the glitched Sytorra. It will call for range, but might be a challenge an actor would relish.

  The depictions of cultural events like Sloan's Investiture, the ball at Patram, and the clubs of Concourse offer much insight about a world and its people. Book three's events were dominated by the same personal motivations we see today. Market forces, too. For it is not a Utopian society where everything is free. That doesn't comport with the nature of mankind.

  Additionally, entities about which we'd only heard were brought to light. We fought the feared Hektors (well, one at a time), encountered Knights of Utica Cyr, and beheld the off-the-charts power of the enigma known as Thule-Riss Quext.

  Test readers noted Jordahk's naivete. Long adolescence is a different thing than what we experience. Although 36 years old, his body has just come into full physical maturity, including his brain physiology. Yet because the process is stretched out, he has an experiential wisdom of years we lack at that point in our physical development. It's an unnatural mix, a side effect of lifetime therapy.

  Now that Jordahk is truly becoming a young man, he still has much emotional maturing before him, as most of us do. He is fortunate to have such a close and diverse support system to help. From peers to parents, grandsires to AIs, Jordahk will not walk alone, even if he so desired. Maybe the time will come when he can retreat for a time of solace, much like his grandsire was said to have done in the Thue-Riss Range.

  You may have noticed a number of seeds planted for book four and the ones to follow. Events are unfolding in the Tethered Worlds universe, and the pace is such that it's all a Wilkrest can do just to keep up.

  I thank you for joining me and this cast of characters as we experience an action-packed, unpredictable journey together.

  ~Gregory Faccone

  Author's Note for Star in Bankruptcy

  P.S. Reviews are important. They are today's word of mouth. If you enjoyed Star in Bankruptcy, please consider leaving a review. It would be a great help to me. I want to bring you the entirety of the Tethered Worlds series, leaving nothing behind before the conclusion. Together we can make that happen.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

  GREGORY FACCONE is an author, editor, veteran entertainment software developer, and part-time mystery man. His wide and varied experiences have built a unique writing perspective.

  From emerging thought to forgotten ways, the author paints a possible future where character still matters. Though technology and settings change, virtue, or lack thereof, still steers the course of personal destiny.

  Somewhere across the vastness of North America, the author continues to develop the Tethered Worlds series. Connect with him via social media & GregoryFaccone.com.