“What are those?” Rei asked, pointing at the buildings.
Rome looked to where he was pointing. “Residences,” she said.
“But they look like prisons,” Rei observed. “Just a door and one tiny window.”
“That is how the Vuduri live,” Rome replied.
“What are they like on the inside?” Rei asked.
“Most residences are identical to your quarters back on Skyler Base. A seating area, a work station, a bed and a refresher. No more is required.”
“What about couples?” Rei asked.
Rome lowered her head and looked Rei in the eye. “There are no Vuduri couples,” Rome said. “Most live alone although sometimes, two people will share a residence if one of the two is required to work at night. It is more efficient that way.”
“What about… Oh, never mind,” Rei said. He quieted down.
See? On our behalf, Rei finds it boring. Well trust me, he and Rome certainly liven things up!
Entry 3-299: October 21, 2015
Phew!
A few days ago, I showed you a map of one person's idea of what the USA would look like if the polar ice caps melted. Within the original long-form version of Rome's Revolution, back when it was called VIRUS 5, it had been my intent to claim that global warming caused this to occur. I further postulated that the effects were so devastating that it took until the 35th century for a refreezing to even start.
As such, many parts of the US that we know today are underwater in my future world. Rei's running commentary explained which parts, particularly the East Coast and Caribbean that were most affected. In the detailed description of the "Battle of Chicago" recounted in The Ark Lords, I describe the battle as occurring just outside of Batavia, IL. The map indicating what areas would be under water to the west of Chicago are close enough that I could claim they were wrong by even 50 miles so Batavia was not underwater.
But then I realized, I hadn't looked at a map of Portugal under the same conditions. After all, the capitol of Earth, I-cimaci, was located on the former site of Lisbon. So I quick grabbed a map of Europe using the same source. You can click on the image to see a larger picture:
It's close but it sure looks like Lisbon or thereabouts is still above water. So I think I'm safe. On the other hand, we're pretending this is important for factual integrity. In real life, because I had to condense 360,000 words down to 160,000 words, I dispensed with the whole concept in the name of brevity. That's not to say that I am trying to minimize the importance of global warming so to repeat what I said the other day, let's say we don't find out.
Entry 3-300: October 22, 2015
Pleasant winters
Yesterday, I showed you how I narrowly avoided novelistic disaster when I actually did my homework and discovered that my postulated melted polar ice caps did not plunge Lisbon, Portugal into the Atlantic prior to the 35th century. After I had worked out the rather elaborate Rules of Green, I felt I had to pack a lot more discussion about global warming back when Rome's Revolution was the three part series entitled VIRUS 5. It painted a very bleak picture. However, even in the worst of times, there may be some positives.
Here is a little vignette wherein Rei noted how mild things were on Earth during their ride toward Rome's interrogation.
The wind blowing through the cabin was warm enough to be pleasant. Rei looked around, trying to garner signs that would tell him what season. He knew they were in Portugal, so they were in the Northern Hemisphere, roughly the same latitude as Pennsylvania, where Rei grew up. However, being on the western side of Europe, facing the Atlantic Ocean, would tend to temper the weather even further.
“When is it?” Rei asked Rome.
“You mean the time?” Rome replied. “I do not have any idea.”
“No, the season,” Rei corrected her. He switched to English. “Spring? Summer?”
“I have lost track,” Rome said. “Am qua mas a qua a?” Rome asked one of the guards.
“Tiomas, darcaore samene,” he replied gruffly.
“It is late fall,” Rome said.
“So shouldn’t it be a little colder?” Rei asked.
“You yourself called it global warming. Well over a thousand years later, the Earth still has not recovered fully. We are actively restoring the tropical rain forests. They were a primary source of absorbing greenhouse gases. Your people left them as a desert. But for now, our…summers, as you call them, are very hot and our winters are very mild,” she said.
“Oh,” Rei said and he became quiet again, his guilt palpable once again.
As you can see, Rome took a rather dim view of it all but Rei shouldn't have had to shoulder all of the blame. He didn't do it by himself. But he is our representative in the 35th century so he speaks for us, to a small degree.
But for now, for the third time in a week, I urge us to "let's say we don't find out."
Entry 3-301: October 23, 2015
Mirrored
I don't just write to entertain you. I write to entertain myself, too. There was one section in the beginning of Part 2 of Rome's Revolution, when Rome and Rei first arrived on Deucado that I loved so much, I took that section and mirrored it at the beginning of Part 3, just flipping it around.
Here is the first section:
Rei pushed the blue stud to raise the cargo door and lower the ramp. Since they were sitting with their belly on the ground, the ramp would not extend very far. As the hatch struggled to open against the coating of ice, there were some groaning noises but then with a crack, it broke free and the door began to open. The light was so bright that Rei had to hold his arm up to shield his eyes. Of course, with Rome’s advanced optics, she had no such problem.
Rei just shut his eyes, figuring it was easier to let his eyes adjust that way. Rome reached up and tugged on his arm.
“Rei,” she said.
“Yeah, I’ll be OK. I just need a minute to let my eyes adjust,” Rei replied.
“REI!” Rome said, insistently.
“What?”
Even though his eyes were blurry from the brightness, Rei blinked a few times until his vision cleared.
There standing at the base of the ramp was an angry-looking mob holding spears, pole-axes, machetes, crossbows, swords, maces, clubs and knives plus a variety of other harsh-looking objects that Rei did not recognize. In summary, they were pointing pretty much every weapon ever conceived by primitive man at the space-faring couple.
“Great,” Rei said. “From the frying pan into the fire.”
And here is its mirror, just as Rome is about to be arrested.
Rei pushed the blue stud to raise the cargo door and lower the ramp. The last time they had done this, a solid block of ice had formed around the body of the tug preventing them from extending the landing gear. They had to land with the belly of the tug resting on the ground. This time, the ramp extended fully as the cargo hatch raised. Compared to the dim light of the ship during their travel, the bright sunlight their home star provided flooded their cargo compartment. So much so that Rei had to hold his arm up to shield his eyes. Of course, with Rome’s advanced optics, she had no such problem.
Rei just shut his eyes, figuring it was easier to let his eyes adjust that way. Rome reached up and tugged his arm.
“Rei,” she said.
“Yeah, I’ll be OK. I just need a minute to let my eyes adjust.”
“REI!” Rome said, insistently.
“What?”
Even though his eyes were blurry from the brightness, Rei blinked a few times until his vision cleared.
There standing at the base of the ramp was an angry looking phalanx of soldiers holding sleek rifles, pistols, mini-PPT throwers, electrostatic disrupters plus a variety of other harsh-looking weapons that Rei did not recognize. In summary, they were pointing pretty much every weapon ever conceived of by the Vuduri at the space-faring couple.
“Does this remind you of anything?”
Rei asked Rome slowly raising his hands above his head.
“Unfortunately, yes,” she replied, doing the same.
Rei was winking at us. Fun, huh?
Entry 3-302: October 24, 2015
Where are all your robots? Again.
About two years ago, I wrote a brief article about a topic my stepson Matt brought up regarding apparent inconsistencies in Rome's Revolution. The article was called "Where are all your robots?" At the time, I just gave the briefest synopsis of why there were no robots. The reality is, I just hadn't thought it all the way through. But Matt forced me to think about it and it gave birth to MASAL, the Robot War and the near wholesale slaughter of the Vuduri early on.
Here is the actual passage where Rei let Matt ask his question:
As they passed street after street, actually, ring after ring, the occasional Vuduri stopped to look at them but mostly they were ignored. Along the streets, there were some vehicles parked here and there but it did not seem like this city was crowded enough to have a problem. And it was deadly quiet. The only noise was the sound of the wind as they moved through the streets.
“Oh yeah,” Rei said, snapping his fingers.
“What?” Rome replied.
“I’ve been meaning to ask you this for the longest time but I keep forgetting,” Rei said.
“Ask me what?” replied Rome.
“Where are all your robots?” Rei asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Robots. Automatons. Mechanical men,” Rei offered by way of explanation.
“I understand what the word means,” Rome said. “Why would you expect there to be robots?”
“Well, you guys are from the future and this is the city of tomorrow,” Rei said. “Surely you have robots everywhere doing things, right? Obviously, you have the technology.”
“Of course we have the technology,” Rome said, “But no robots. You will remember from your history lessons that the last time we had them, it did not end well. So now we do not have them. They were eliminated.”
“Couldn’t you make them safer or something?” Rei asked.
took a deep breath. “They were one of the primary weapons used by MASAL during the war. They caused much death.”
“Oh, yeah,” Rei said. “MASAL.”
“Yes, MASAL,” Rome said in a hurt tone.
“What about the three laws of robotics?” Rei asked. “Couldn’t you build those in?”
Rome shook her head. “I do not know anything about robot laws. All I know is that we entrusted the operation of the robots to MASAL and he turned them against us.”
“So…” Rei started.
“So never again,” Rome said sharply. “The Vuduri will never have robots again. We could never trust them. Not in the cities. Not on the farms. Not at sea. Nowhere.”
Even though it sounds well thought out, the reality is I kind of tap-danced my way out of that. However, recently, the whole story of the invention of the Casimir pump, the creation of MASAL and the Robot War has become refined enough that I think that is where I am going to go next. Kind of prequel, I guess.
Entry 3-303: October 25, 2015
No twin towers
The inhabitants of the 35th century called Vuduri are nothing if not boring. They form the cultural basis for the backdrop of Rome's Revolution. The Vuduri all dress the same. They eat the same food. They build their cities the same. They even mimic their basic urban design when they built the starbase on Dara.
One thing that they always do is to build a very large structure right in the middle of their cities and they always call it "The Tower" meaning there could never be two. Rome provides a brief explanation although it is not very satisfying:
“Take The Tower,” Rome said pointing up. “There is an instrumentation and observation platform at the very top which was required to visualize certain areas. So they built it very tall. As long as it had to exist, there was no reason not to occupy the lower floors.”
“Does it have windows at the top?” Rei asked.
“Yes,” said Rome.
“Did you ever go to the top?”
“No,” Rome replied. “I never had a reason to.”
“How about just to look?”
“No,” replied Rome. She started to speak then stopped. “I am capable of regretting that now,” she said reluctantly.
“Ok, so you didn’t go up that one. Do you have any other skyscrapers?” Rei asked.
“In this city? No, we have only the one,” Rome said, “if I understand the meaning of the word skyscraper.”
“They couldn’t build another?” Rei asked.
“Why?” Rome answered back.
“Variety?” Rei offered.
“You know how the Vuduri think. They would tell you they had one tower, why would they need another?”
Rei just shrugged.
“I understand your assertion, though,” Rome said. “And essentially, you are correct. Other than The Tower and the administrative buildings surrounding it, we really do not need cities as such. That is why there are so few of them. We have our academies and residential areas and research laboratories but the Vuduri do not like to be crowded. And with the Overmind, physical proximity is a non-issue.”
“So which is the biggest city?” Rei asked.
“You are looking at it,” Rome said. “I Cimaci is what you might call the capital of the Earth.”
“Huh,” Rei said and he quieted down, again. He twisted in place and craned his neck to stare up to at the top of The Tower as it receded into the distance. Rei estimated that it was about a half kilometer tall. While the building was not as tall as some of the skyscrapers of his day, it was impressive nonetheless.
Interestingly, when Rome and Rei travel to Helome in The Ark Lords, they discover that the Vuduri there did, indeed, build twin towers but that's a story for another day. Tomorrow, Rome and Rei leave the city as they head toward the detainment facility and promptly fall into a gigantic plot hole!
Entry 3-304: October 26, 2015
Fresh cement
Several times in the past, I have told you about plot holes I have spotted in Rome's Revolution and some of my other books. Writing this blog has helped find a lot more. For example, the next major plot hole I just found occurred right after Rome and Rei landed on Earth on Part 3 and Rome was taken under arrest.
After a time, they left the city proper and entered a fairly large wooded area. In front of them lay a path cut through the woods but it was not paved. Evidently, there was not a large amount of ground traffic here. In fact, the path looked fairly fresh, almost new. The trees along the road showed light core where the bark had been removed and not yet regrown. The flying cart continued on until they came to a sizeable clearing. They pulled up to single-story U-shaped building that, like most of the Vuduri structures Rei had seen, had no windows. The outside was made of stone rather than the ubiquitous aerogel that seemed to be the Vuduri norm. The architecture was as plain as could be. It had a fortress feel about it. At least it was not round and built like a bunch of rings. The cart settled to the ground and the guards ushered Rei and Rome into the building. As they approached, the air smelled like fresh stone or concrete. Everything about this venue seemed new.
As they entered the building, two of the four soldiers remained behind and the other two soldiers walked them down corridor after corridor until they came to a doorway. One soldier opened the door and indicated to Rome that she should enter. Rei started to go with her but the second soldier lowered his weapon and held it across Rei’s middle.
The soldier cleared his throat and spoke with a surprisingly clear voice. “You will be able to join her in a short time. Oronus needs to ask her some questions first. Sit here,” he said, pointing to a bench to the right.
So what was I trying to accomplish here? I somehow was thinking they built the entire facility just to handle Rome. But now I realize that is stupid becau
se how could they have even known she was coming? But wait, it gets worse. A big announcement tomorrow then I will show you that this is just a tiny plot hole compared to the one I will show you next!
Entry 3-305: October 27, 2015
The Milk Run is now an audiobook!
After months and months of production, I am thrilled to announce that The Milk Run is now available as an unabridged audiobook. It is available on Audible.com, Amazon and through the iTunes store. Here is a link to the sample. The sample runs about five minutes long and you can hear Aason, Junior and OMCOM all interacting.
If you interested in picking up a copy, here are the product links:
Audible.com: https://www.audible.com/pd/B016YR9IZ0
iTunes Store: https://itun.es/i6Ss5N2
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016YRA67Y
My incomprehensibly talented brother Bruce did an amazing job on the cover, squaring it up for Audible.
I would really appreciate it if you would spread the word.
Entry 3-306: October 28, 2015
The Faraday Cage
Two days ago, I told you I was going to expose an even larger plot hole than the Vuduri constructing a brand new building just to incarcerate Rome. I had to take a break from storytelling yesterday, to announce that the audiobook version of The Milk Run is now available on Audible.com, the iTunes store and on Amazon.
Today, I will show you the huge plot hole in the early chapters of Part 3 of Rome's Revolution. It started innocently enough. Let me get to it and then I'll explain why.
As they entered the building, two of the four soldiers remained behind and the other two soldiers walked them down corridor after corridor until they came to a doorway. One soldier opened the door and indicated to Rome that she should enter. Rei started to go with her but the second soldier lowered his weapon and held it across Rei’s middle.
Tales of the Vuduri: Year Three Page 40