Friday 18 April 2014

SFFSat 19 - 4 - 14 Black Ice -1

This is my snippet this week for SFFSat. SFFSat is a place where a number of authors post snippets from their written works, and give the opportunity for comments, support and encouragement. Please also explore the other blogs that are part of this set - you can find the information here. 


This time, I'm starting the second Anton deGama story, Black Ice.

The harpoon slammed into the sliding permafrost, getting no grip at all, and doing absolutely nothing to stop the crawler's descent. The craft lurched sideways again, methane mist snarling around the racing tracks. Anton keyed in to haul back the harpoon, and eased off on the throttle, hoping that slowing the engine might regain control of the sliding ground-craft. According to the manual, VauxHall-Douglas claimed the duranium-alloy heated tracks could maintain a secure grip whatever the surface, whatever the gradient, within reason. Presumably, Anton murmured to himself, VHD did not consider 30 degrees to be within reason.

The ammonia permafrost beneath the crawler was sliding faster, sending more mist and debris up around the cockpit, reducing visibility further. The vehicle had already slipped 80 metres down the hillside, and was gaining speed. More worryingly, according to the chart Titan-B had provided, there was a drop-off only a thousand metres below him. Anton had a shrewd suspicion that VHD's guarantee of the durability of the crawler would be invalidated by a 30 kilometre fall into one of Titan's justly-feared trenches.


 I can't claim responsibility for the image, which is stolen from somewhere on the internet and photoshopped to fit the story - if the copyright holder objects, I will remove it again, and there is no intent to challenge the copyright holder's rights to the image.

Comments welcomed.

10 comments:

  1. Their "within reason" disclaimer sounds fairly similar to work, whenever they claim something bad won't happen "at this time."

    Good stuff, and love the character so far. Always enjoy someone who's facing immediate peril.

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    1. Thanks! I like putting characters into immediate peril - does that make me a bad person?

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  2. I'm also guessing that a 30 km fall from frozen ammonia would void the warranty.

    Wonderful world-building. Nice sense of failure not being an option upon peril of death, but an imminent probability nonetheless.

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    1. You'd better believe it - the small print on the warranty is fiendish. Thanks for the kind words!

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  3. I sure hope Anton has insurance on that crawler. It sounds like he's going to need it.

    Looking forward to the next installment.

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    1. Even if he has insurance, I suspect getting an assessor out is going to be a slight problem...

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  4. What a great touch, sliding to certain death but focusing on the warranty of the crawler he's in. And I'm guessing the suspense has just started.

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    1. I hope so - I could say there's nowhere for Anton to go but up, but unfortunately gravity disagrees.

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  5. You're quite the wordsmith, Peter. I think that every time I read your snippets. I mean, you are excellent with setting tone and pace; the tension is palpable from the first sentence and it's written in a way that I read it in Sir Patrick Stewart or Sir Ian McKellen's voice. Fantastic!

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    1. I am very flattered by your kind words - and if I can emulate the voice of either gentleman then I am getting somewhere.

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