The Shoreless Sea
Page 44
Her charges would find out on their own someday, when the time was right.
For now, they had their own destiny to create.
She closed her eyes and soared through the stars of the shoreless sea.
Glossary
43 Ariadne: Asteroid used to start Forever
Aaron Hammond: Oldest son of Jackson and Glory Hammond, Director of Forever Project
Acolyte: One of the followers of the intifada
Agartha: The name of the world under the mountain that Davian and Gunner built
Alberto: One of the Liminal kids
Aldrin Base: One of the moon bases
Alifir trees: “Native” Forever trees, piney scent
Allied African States: Union of African nations
AmSplor: The space arm of the NAU
AnaLex: The combined minds of Ana and Lex; see also Lanya
Anastasia Anatov: Crew on the Dressler, doctor/geneticist
Anatov Mountains: Mountains between Darlith and Micavery, formerly the Dragon’s Reach
Andrissa “Andy” Hammond: Daughter of Aaron Hammond
Arnold Leak aka Mr. Leak: Delancey Devereaux’s assistant when she becomes the Mayor of Darlith.
Astin: The college student whose body Gordy took when he rose
Bacca Root: A high protein engineered root that’s used as a meat substitute
Bastian: One of the lieutenants of the intifada in the inthworld
Belynn: Andy and Shandra’s daughter
Biodrones: Small drones created by the world mind to survey the interior of the seed ship
Biomind: Artificial minds that sit at the boundary of computers and AI-Human minds
Blick: Blackware app
Brad Evers: Community ambassador at the refugee camp, later a sheriff’s deputy
Candra: Part owner of the cleaners where Andy stays when in Darlith
Captain Trip Tanner: Captain of the Herald; Colin’s lover, later husband
Cassiopeia aka Cassie: Eddy’s horse
Cave Cheese: Cheese grown using the fungus found in Forever’s caves
Chafs: Derogatory name for the Cino-African Syndicate troops
Chris: One of the Liminal kids
Chuck: Dax’s boss at the hatchery
Cino-African Syndicate (CAS): Alliance between China and many African nations
Clearing: Removing the mind fog from those afflicted by Gunner’s control
Colin Dale: Son of Marissa and Matt (Matthew)
Colin McAvery: Captain of the Dressler, later Director of Transfer Station; retired 2160
Collapse, The: The end of the Earth
Crick: One of the footsoldiers of the intifada, formerly a runner for the Red Badge
Crons: Currency/coin on Forever/Ariadne
Cropper: A game that mixes elements of soccer, football, and baseball
Dania Thorpe: Woman in charge of personnel at McAvery Port, later the city manager for Micavery
Danny: One of the oldest of the Liminal kids
Dark Day: The day Davian first tried to take over the world
Darlith: Second town built within Forever
Davian “Dav” Forrester: Eddy’s ex and a systems specialist
Delancy aka Della Deveraux: One of the three oldest of the Liminal kids, who also has a gift for woodworking; later an historia, part of the intifada, and the Mayor of Darlith.
Delia: Andy’s ex-girlfriend
Devon Powell: Member of the McAvery Port team
Dex: College student from Thyre, Colin Dale’s love interest
Dimensionals: 3-D entertainment shows
Dipping: Interfacing with Forever’s mind, more intense than Transfer
Dissolution Pit: Where bodies are dissolved into their component parts upon death; also used for trash and waste
Downworld: Earth, from the point of view of the space station
Doxynol: A drug that counteracts radiation sickness
Dressler: Mission-class ship
East: Facing North, to the right
Eddy Tremaine: Former military (NAU Marine Corps), formerly Evalyne
Edrien: One of the acolytes of the intifada
Elly: Colin’s horse
Embassy District: Part of McAvery Port
Estate: Colin and Trip’s retreat
Fabrication Center: Factory where the world mind crafts needed supplies in conjunction with the colonists
Far Hold (aka North Pole): The station that controls the building of Forever
Fargo Port: Launch port for AmSplor
Fargo: Capitol of the NAU
Fertilizer: A lumbering beast created to spray an enzyme on new land in Forever to break it down into soil.
First District: The land from the South Pole to the Anatov Mountains, including Micavery
First Light: Advance of light in the morning on Forever
Forever: Common name for Ariadne, the seedling world
Frontier: Earth’s primary space station
Galen Hart: Captain of the Darlith guard
Ghosts: Supposed supernatural beings held responsible for petty theft and other issues on Forever
Gia Rand: Rancher on the Verge
Giorgio: One of the Liminal kids
Gloria “Glory” Hammond (Ramirez): Jackson’s wife, Aaron’s mother
Glowmoss: The glowing green or blue moss that lines many of the tunnels and caverns on Forever.
Gordon (Gordy): One of the acolytes of the intifada, who sides with Belynn and Colin
Great Storm: The storm that ravaged Forever in the final battle with Davian
Groundfowl: Flightless birds engineered for Forever
Gunner: Another empath who has similar powers over the world as Andy and her family
Harris: One of the Liminal kids
Highland Road: The road connecting Darlith and Thyre.
Home Spirits: Home-brewed liquor of various types
Homonormal: A non-Liminal human
Immortals: Lex and the humans who have transitioned into the world mind
Intifada (Church of the): A group/cult who believes the souls of Old Earth will rise again on Forever
Jackson Hammond: Engineer aboard the Dressler, later part of the world mind
Jayson Hammond: Younger son of Glory and Jackson Hammond
Jendra Khan: Lieutenant Officer in Micavery
Jerrywood Bush: A thick shrub bred for Forever, full of dense branches
John: Part owner of the cleaners where Andy stays when in Darlith
Juice: A potent narcotic on Old Earth
Juicer: A drug addict hooked on juice, a particularly potent dream narcotic
Keera Kelly: Aaron’s wife
Knife’s Edge: Weapons store in Micavery
Lake Jackson: Lake on the “Southern” end of Forever, named after Jackson Hammond
Lanya: Ana’s and Lex’s combined personalities in the world mind
Lex: Ship-mind of the Dressler, later the world mind of Forever
Lilith Lott: Head of the Red Badge in New York, later was transferred into a biomind
Liminals (aka Liminal kids): The first native-born generation on Forever—descendants of Jackson Hammond, who have a special ability to connect to the world mind and manipulate the world
Long Interval: The time between departing Earth and arriving at the other end
Loop: Communication device and personal assistant
Luna Base: The NAU base on Earth’s moon
Mallow syrup: sweet syrup from the mallow tree
Mallow Tree: Tree on Forever similar to mahogany
Mallowood: Wood from the mallow tree; a hardwood, it is known for its red color
Margene: Dania Althorpe’s girlfriend
Marissa: One of the oldest of the Liminal kids
Matthew (Matt) Dale: Marissa’s husband
McAvery Port: The initial colony, later called Micavery
Mega/Megarise: Skyscrapers 300 stories tall or taller
Mestra Vaughn: Nurs
e who takes charge of refugee camp
Micavery: First town built on Forever, previously McAvery Port
Mind War: Another name for the Dark Sky day
Moonjumper: Cheap vehicle made for quick hops to and from the moon, retired around 2125
Morning Brew (aka Embrew): The Forever equivalent of coffee
Morris Bunch: Former mayor of Darlith, killed under strange circumstances
Nastra: One of the acolytes of the intifada
Naveen: Dax’s deaf sister, now deceased
Night Ivy: One of the few Forever plants that retains a slight glow at night
North American Union (NAU): The combined countries of Canada, USA, and Mexico
North Pole: Far end of Forever
Normals: A term distinguishing those without Liminal abilities from those who have them
North: In the direction of the North Pole (the far endcap)
Null Space: A zone where the world mind is blocked within Forever
Nutrisynth Bar: Nutritional bars
Ovango Cookies: An Earth brand of cookie
Pantir: Musical instrument like a violin, with an earthier sound, created by Rolly
Phostorch: Flashlight that uses phosphorescent materials.
Photoplas: Picture frame for digital photos, made from clear plas
Pieter: One of Dax’s college friends
Plasform (Plas): Advanced polymer used for many applications, usually clear
Possession: When Davian took over the world mind and most of the citizens of Forever
Preacher: What the residents of Agartha call Davian
Pull: Forcibly pulling a mind out of the world mind
Pulse Weapon: EMP device
Push: The act of creating null space by pushing a Liminal’s spark out of their body
Rafe: Devon’s on-and-off boyfriend, later his life partner
Raina: One of the enforcers of Zaimann’s band
Raldo: Dax’s younger brother
Reach: The act of reaching into someone else’s mind by one of the Liminals
Red Badge: Lawless group of technophiles involved in domestic espionage and wetware arts
Red Berries: The Forever equivalent of raspberries
Red Ferns: Forever plants that glow at night, giving off a pinkish glow
Rhyl River: River that runs through Darlith
Riding: Sharing someone else’s senses
Roland: Thierry’s “boss” in the Warren
Rolly: One of the Liminal kids, invented the pantir
Ronan: Transfer Station mind
Rooney: One of the kids at Eddy and Santi’s Halfway House
Santiago Ortiz (aka Santi): Sherrif’s deputy in Micavery, son of Dana Ortiz
Sara Finch: One of the women in Xanadu
Schoolhouse Red: Famous wine from the Schoolhouse vineyard
Schoolhouse: The place where Andy and Shandra teach the gifted
Sean Hammond: Aaron and Keera’s second child and Andy’s brother
Second District: The land from the Anatov Mountains past Darlith
Seed Ships: Three generation ships grown from seedlings
Seedling: The starter for one of the seed ships
Shandra Clarke: Traxx driver, later Andy’s girlfriend
Ship-Mind: Biological mind grown to run AmSplor ships
Skyrises: Supertall towers in NYC
Solos: People who don’t have the “Liminal” talent of the descendants of Jackson Hammond
South Pole: Transfer Station end/starting end of Forever
South: In the direction of the South Pole (the near endcap)
Spindle: Aggregation of energy and glowing pollen in the sky that stretches from pole to pole
Superscraper: Two-hundred-plus-story towers
Tanner Ridge: Ridgeline near Micavery
Tansy: Destiny’s horse
Terfies: Hallucinogenic smokes made from a dried fungus
Terra: Dex’s horse
Terraterza: A musical group on Earth that played trigsynth
Thatch Hill: Residential district on the outskirts of Micavery
Tim: Ex of Eddy’s
Timothy: One of the Liminal kids
Toby: One of the Liminal kids
Torry: Dax’s coworker at the hatchery
Transfer Station: The space station that accompanied Forever until the Collapse
Traxx: Ground transportation on Forever that hauls produce
Tri-dee: The twenty-second-century equivalent of TV
Trigsynth: A style of synth music that is heavily mathematically based
Unity, The: The morning when the Liminals shared memories of Old Earth with all of Forever
Up: Slang for being on Frontier Station—“up” from downworld/Earth
Vee space: the generic term for the virtual worlds within the world mind
Verge: The edge of human occupation before the Anatov Mountains
Warehouse District: Part of McAvery Port
Warren, The: The ramshackle part of Darlith on the Farside of the Rhyl
West: Facing north, to the left
World Wood: The “root” material Forever uses as its spine, nutrient transport mechanism, and more.
X-drive: Small, powerful antigravity drive that allowed rapid expansion to the moon colonies
Xanadu: Nickname for Agartha
York Street: A street in Darlith
Zach: Owner of the Knife’s Edge in Micavery
Zaimann: Leader of the Hex, one of the New York bands; has taken on the form of a human fox
Zanna: One of the acolytes of the intifada
Zenna: One of Dax’s friends from college
Zipping: absorbing information by direct transfer over the grid
More from J. Scott Coatsworth
Liminal Sky: Book One
Some stories are epic.
The Earth is in a state of collapse, with wars breaking out over resources and an environment pushed to the edge by human greed.
Three living generation ships have been built with a combination of genetic mastery, artificial intelligence, technology, and raw materials harvested from the asteroid belt. This is the story of one of them—43 Ariadne, or Forever, as her inhabitants call her—a living world that carries the remaining hopes of humanity, and the three generations of scientists, engineers, and explorers working to colonize her.
From her humble beginnings as a seedling saved from disaster to the start of her journey across the void of space toward a new home for the human race, The Stark Divide tells the tales of the world, the people who made her, and the few who will become something altogether beyond human.
Humankind has just taken its first step toward the stars.
Liminal Sky: Book Two
Earth is dead.
Five years later, the remnants of humanity travel through the stars inside Forever, a living, ever-evolving, self-contained generation ship. When Eddy Tremaine and Andy Hammond find a hidden world-within-a-world under the mountains, the discovery triggers a chain of events that could fundamentally alter or extinguish life as they know it, culminate in the takeover of the world mind, and end free will for humankind.
Control the AI, control the people.
Eddy, Andy, and a handful of other unlikely heroes—people of every race and identity, and some who aren’t even human—must find the courage and ingenuity to stand against the rising tide.
Otherwise they might be living through the end days of human history.
Readers love the Liminal Sky series by J. Scott Coatsworth
The Stark Divide
“J. Scott Coatsworth has written an amazing science fiction novel that sends shivers down your spine because of the ring of truth to it.”
—MM Good Book Reviews
“This was a very entertaining book and I believe it’s the start to a series with a lot of potential. Here’s hoping J. Scott Coatsworth writes the epic saga this story begs to be the beginning of.”
—Sci-Fi & Scary
/> “When I read a book by J. Scott Coatsworth I know I’m going to be treated to a story with fabulous world building, and interesting characters. The Stark Divide has all of that and more.”
—Drops of Ink
The Rising Tide
“I felt truly transported in this book, and was glad to see the best of humanity triumph.”
—Joyfully Jay
“Through a journey of adventure, horror, love, sacrifice, science, even death, J. Scott Coatsworth delivers an epic tale of transition.”
—Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
J. SCOTT COATSWORTH lives with his husband Mark in a little yellow bungalow in East Sacramento with two pink flamingos out front. He spends his time between the here and now and the what could be. Ushered into fantasy and sci-fi at the tender age of nine by his mother, he devoured her library of Asimovs, Clarkes, and McCaffreys. But as he grew up, he wondered where the gay people were in speculative fiction.
He decided it was time to create the kinds of stories he couldn’t find at Waldenbooks. If there weren’t queer characters in his favorite genres, he would write them himself.
His friends say Scott’s brain works a little differently—he sees relationships between things that others miss, and often gets more done in a day than most folks manage in a week. He transforms traditional sci-fi, fantasy, and contemporary worlds into something unexpected.
He and Mark also run Queer Sci Fi, QueeRomance Ink, and Other Worlds Ink, sites that bring LGBTIQA communities together to celebrate fiction that reflects queer life and love.
Scott won a Rainbow Award as one of the best new gay authors of 2017 and has published more than thirty stories.
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