Bryan Thomas Schmidt's Blog, page 56

10 Things I've Done That You Probably Haven't

Since Mary Robinette Kowal, Jay Lake and John Scalzi did it, I thought, why not.  My life may not have been as interesting, but we'll see.

1. Served as on set assistant to Kenny Rogers for a day
2. Rode an elevator with Carl Reiner and told a joke that made him laugh
3. Sat in a traditional African mud hut right out of National Geographic and had a snack
4. Written a theme song for a high school summer church camp
5. Had a national single on Christian radio. (I know of a couple of my friends who can say this, but there it is)
6. Bought the same used book three times while forgetting I already had it and never read it yet.
7. Petted a live shark.
8. Worked full time and went to graduate school full time and still pulled a B average.
9. Been engaged to women from two different continents (not at the same time I swear)
10. Walked unescorted around a maximum security prison amphitheatre full of inmates and survived. (I was not an inmate, I was a performer)

There they are.  What are yours?

Links Of The Week Issue 2

http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Explorations-The-BN-SciFi-and/The-Best-Science-Fiction-Releases-of-2010/ba-p/778696 - Paul Goat Allen's ongoing series in best of Science Fiction books for 2010.

http://www.redgage.com/blogs/darkbow/four-indie-fantasy-authors-youve-probably-never-heard-of.html - Fantasy authors you haven't heard of but should look for, includes my World Fantasy Con roomie Moses Siregar.

http://www.atfmb.com/2010/12/30/conversations-with-my-cat-51/ -- Funny post about a conversation Patrick Hester had with his cat which all cat owners can relate to.

http://ht.ly/3dkvp -- 100 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Plot (good writing stimulation)

http://io9.com/5719944/ -- I09's Power People in Science Fiction & Fantasy for 2010

Second Draft

Preparing to revise my third novel, the first in a multi-part epic fantasy series.  It's tentatively titled "Sandman," for reasons obvious to the story. It took 9 months to write the first draft, and although I knew where it needed to go, I never really ended it completely.  I got most of the way there and burned out. I struggled for six weeks to write something and finally decided I'd do better to set it aside and then come back to it. There are a number of things I had already made a list of which needed to be addressed in the next draft and I really believe clarity on how to write the ending will come as I work those into the manuscript, so here I am.

I don't know how others approach their revisions. For every writer, the approach tends to differ, so I can only write about my own process. In first drafts, I try and get the scenic structure, characters and plotlines down. I focus on the key conflicts and personalities and less on full character arcs and detailed descriptions. Some might call it a skeletal approach, but what I end up with is often a lot of stuff I can use but which needs editing to cut excess and then thickening to fill in the meat on the bones. I also make a lot of notes as I go about things I need to foreshadow, flesh out, etc. For example, as with "The Worker Prince," I reached a point in the first draft of "Sandman" where I needed something to happen which I had not set up in the parameters of my world building. Rather than stop and go back, I just made it happen and made a note that I will need to set that up earlier to make it plausible for readers.  I also found character traits which I want to emphasize throughout and need to go back and add in. Character relationships developed which can be mined for humor and also character growth, but I need to set that up, too.  The biggest development was finally sorting out what secret there is about a central character everyone is fighting over. Now I have to go back and foreshadow the reveal earlier and revise scenes knowing many of the characters already have that knowledge and it will underscore their actions. Lastly, there are themes/motifs which have come forward as the first draft unfolded which I now need to also thread throughout.

This is a good thing. I know many writers who end their first draft thinking it's crap and embarrassed for all the time they wasted. Me, I feel like I have a really good foundation but know that without the bricks, cement, shingles, glass, paint, etc. it isn't ready to open. Those things can be added. And I won't have to start from scratch. I'll probably add a scene or two in various places. I may cut one or cut it down or take sections of it for elsewhere. But I have stuff I can move around, which is much easier for me to deal with than the initial blank page.

I also have research to do. I have a book called "English Through The Ages" which I will use to revise my prose to reflect the time period in which the book is set. It's set on a colonized planet where the people live in medieval type times, so I don't have to be 100% accurate but realistic enough to their Earth ancestry as I can manage. I will be working in some other research I've done on magic, dwarves, and things like wagons and cities to make it more realistic and alive.  This is the fun stuff though. Much easier to deal with when the basic structure is already there, and, despite the ending issues, the structure is there. Somewhere in this process I'll also be sorting out where the story goes from here in the next book so I can set that up well, too. I have a rough idea, but I need to rough that out more, too.

I expect the second draft won't take as long as the first. Anywhere from 2 to 5 months I'd expect. So from now until April, this will be my world. I have other projects waiting in the wings though as well, so if I have off days, I can work on those. After all, with "Worker Prince" coming out mid-2011, I do have a sequel to write for that. In any case, I'm excited about this book because it's not based on another story, as "Worker Prince" was. It's totally from my own mind, so it's my first fully original speculative fiction book. It's also my first fantasy. So that's good career progress as well. Now, I just need to get this thing in shape for the betas.

Second draft. Beta readers. Third draft. Then out to querying agents. That'll be the process.  Maybe this will break me into the mass house world. Either way, it's good to have something positive to focus on which helps my career progress forward.

For what it's worth...

New Feature: Links Of The Week

I tweet a lot of links and such as I come across worthwhile stuff throughout the week. I've decided to start listing the best of them here so that those who don't use Twitter or don't keep up with all the links have a chance to track them down later.  I hope you enjoy this.  Links are listed followed by a brief description. Where they relate to posts on this blog, it's noted.  Enjoy!

http://theinvisiblegorilla.com/blog/2010/12/24/dont-change-your-worldview-based-on-one-study/ -- interesting examination of the importance of not taking scientific studies at face value.

http://tonymorganlive.com/2010/12/24/9-in-2010-ladies-how-to-welcome-a-man-home/ -- the way any man would want to be welcomed, ladies.

http://locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/TableT13.html -- Locus magazine's updated list of most award winning and losing Science Fiction and Fantasy writers.


http://bit.ly/eEytl4 -- reviewer Paul Goat Allen's annual Barnes & Noble list of Year's Best Fantasy for 2010. Features books by several friends and others, several of which are reviewed on this blog. [See them under the hastag 'Review']


http://bit.ly/hNbUwO -- Paul Goat Allen's Best Steampunk of 2010 list from Barnes & Noble's site. Again, relevant book reviews may be viewed on this blog.


http://jakebible.com/2010/12/28/growing-up-fundamentalist-pagan/ -- interesting article on growing up fundamentalist...pagan. Examines fundamentalists who come in different stripes than the stereotype.


http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/12/photographs-of-the-worlds-first-aircraft-carrier-resurface/68567/ -- unearthed lost photos of the first aircraft carrier. Fascinating for history and aviation buffs.

What I Want For Christmas This Year

It's been a tough year. Those who have followed along on the blog or Twitter or Facebook (or all three) will expect they know the answer to this, but actually, as much as I want a job, what I want more is something far more important and meaningful to a happy life.  What I want for Christmas this year is a world where people of any worldview can live the way they believe and express that when they feel necessary without being discriminated against by those who disagree.

I am no Einstein, but I am well educated and I test smart, so I assume I'm not stupid. (If you disagree, so be it). I have spent a lot of years studying, questioning, probing, and coming by my worldview. I am proud of who I am, and, as most of you know, when necessary, I speak out about it. Most of the time I keep it to myself with the exception of election time and when people say bigoted things villifying people like me for our beliefs. That makes me mad, and I speak up. For one, you cannot preach tolerance if you are not practicing it yourself. That's called being a hypocrite and the actions negate the words. Second, if you really believe in freedom, you have to grant others the same freedom you demand for yourself. If you don't, you don't really believe in freedom. Villifying those with whom you disagree is being a bigot. It is discrimination. And it is definitely not tolerance.

I have found myself speaking out a lot more this year. Time and time again people I love and respect, or people I just admire, have made statements villifying Christians as racist or bigoted or ignorant or insane. I'm a Christian. I take offense. Time and again Republicans have been called similar things. I'm a Republican.  I take offense. More than that, as an artist, I am very emotional.  I feel things very deeply.  The words you hurl at me hurt.

I am conservative. I came by my beliefs honestly. I used to be a registered Democrat. I even voted in a Dem president. I am a Christian. I went through a period where I might not have acted like it. But I have come back to embrace those beliefs.

But I am also an individual. I think for myself. I do not buy what pundits sell without investigating, questioning, and examining it myself. And I do not vote the party line. I vote issues.

Since there are extremists in most belief systems, you do find extremist Christians and extremist Republicans. But those are not me. Please do not equate me with them. When you call them insane, racist, bigoted, and ignorant without specifying, you are including me. I don't appreciate it.

So what I'd like for Christmas is people I love and respect, whom I always try and treat with love and respect, to recognize that my worldview is valid for me, even if they don't share it, by stopping the hate, speaking out against the hate their fellow believers spread against people like me, and instead recognizing what we do have in common. We all have value. And we all have a lot more in common than different. Can we not celebrate that in 2011 instead of our differences?

That's what I want. I probably won't get it. But I hope those who took the time to read this will at least try.

For what it's worth...

A Merry and Blessed Christmas to you all.  May you get what you want (as long as it's not the extermination of all people like me).

2010 Best Writers I Discovered In 2010

Since it's that time of year, I thought I'd do a few Best Of posts.  The first one is about writers I discovered this year for the first time and really enjoyed. Given my years away from genre reading, a lot of these people are far from new, but here goes anyway, because if you don't know who they are, you should:

Mike Resnick: I have read more books by him than any SF writer except Orson Scott Card at this point. His writing style is simple like my own without the hard SF. Instead he has great plots and characters in exotic settings like Africa or Africa inspired planets. Just really good solid story telling and craft, and to top it off, not only did I discover his stuff but we became friends this year. He's been a real help and encouragement to me, and I'm grateful.

Jay Lake: I discovered Jay through Ken Scholes, whom I discovered in 2009 when I found "Lamentation" and loved it so much I bought "Canticle" and read it straight after. Ken is amazing and Ken and Jay are like brothers. Different yet connected at the hip. Jay and I have argued a lot over politics and some over religion. But Jay has been gracious to me and encouraging in my work and life. He's been inspiring as well because he's my age and yet he's fighting cancer with a passion and dignity I don't know if I could muster under similar circumstances. He's a heck of a nice guy and if things work out, he'll be my instructor at Cascade Writers in 2011. His Clockwork Earth series (Mainspring, Escapement, Pinion) introduced me to Steampunk and made me a fan. And his "The Death of A Starship" novella and short stories have awed me as well.

Nnedi Okorafor: I have her novel "Who Fears Death" sitting beside my bed waiting to be read. I've only read a short story by her but her conversations with me on Twitter have been deep. She's passionate, kind, and very, very smart. She's deep and well worth investing time in as a person, so I know she'll be worth all of our time as a writer.

Brenda Cooper: Her story "Robot Girl" in Analog last April blew my mind and made me a fan. I have one of her novels here waiting to be read as well, but I've read several of her short stories and also spent time chatting with her at World Fantasy and on Twitter and she's one admirable lady. Also deep and well worth the time.

Blake Charlton: Dyslexic med student and fantasy author and an awesome guy. "Spellwright" held me spellbound, a great read, and I can't wait to read "Spellbound" and anything else he comes up with. Blake was one of my early Twitter friends and we finally got to hang out in person at World Fantasy. A nice guy, very smart, perceptive, and the first pro to help me out by giving feedback on a section of my novel. It was quite helpful and much appreciated. He's a great conversationalist with a great sense of humor. Highly recommended.

James K. Burk: His debut novel "The Twelve" is some of the best character and world building in anything I've read all year (and I read Song of Ice And Fire this year by the way), so I recommend checking him out. Previously he had several shorts published. I look forward to more from him in the future. He also gave very useful feedback on my novel at the ConQuest 41 Writer's Workshop and he's a good friend.

Sam Sykes:Sam's "Tome Of The Undergates" was the first sword & sorcery I'd read in years and I'm hooked again. Have a whole stack yet to read of the stuff. I can't wait to read his follow up, "Black Halo," either. Sam wrote one of the grittiest books I read all year and also one of the most honest, and he also wrote the longest battle scene I've ever read. He's a nice guy and very perceptive and active on Twitter. He was also my first guest on Science Fiction Fantasy Writer's Chat on Twitter so I owe him props forever.

Wendy Wagner: Another Twitter friend, nonetheless, her stories in several anthologies have been very impressive, but none more than "The Secret Of Calling Rabbits" from John Joseph Adam's "The Way Of The Wizard." I can't wait to read her novel next year, and I'm proud as heck of her for beating me into SFWA membership.  As one who for whatever reason has read more male than female writers, Wendy has me looking at women writers with new eyes.

Christie Yant: Christie is another Twitter friend who has also set me on a path of respect for women writers. Her story "The Magician & The Maid & Other Stories" from "Way Of The Wizard" is coming in Rich Horton's Annual Best Of next year. She gave some very insightful and thoughtful notes on one of my stories and has been a great resource for me and connected me with a lot of people. A truly talented writer and I look forward to her future output as well.

These 9 are my best and favorite new discoveries this year amongst specfic writers for reasons listed above. Who have you discovered this year?

A Christmas Letter To My Twitter Friends

I wouldn't have made it through the past year without my Twitter friends.  Considering I only started tweeting this year, that's remarkable. 2010 has been the worst year of my life, and probably my wife's but you'd have to ask her. The year started with the aftermath of a major medical crisis for my wife which almost cost us her life or our marriage or both. Then my 18.5 year old cat died. My baby and closest companion for half my life. Then I was unceremoniously laid off in May with no justification (we suspect it has to do more with my wife's medical bills than anything but never got quite enough evidence to make a case). I had a bad relationship with my part time job boss whose "my way or the highway"/condescending approach to leadership didn't work for me at all as an artist, as a person or as a man who's overqualified for that job and has taught leadership for 10 years. That job ended in October and we promptly lost unemployment due to both the Texas Workforce Commission misrecording statments and an indelicate reasoning by my ex-employer.

Through all this there has been one group I could rely on to be supportive, hear me out, encourage me and generally give a damn. Seriously far too many "real world" friends disappeared when we needed them or were never there in the first place. Yet somehow a group of mostly strangers, mostly people I'd never met until October, were there for me and loaned me their strength.

So to my Twitter Friends I say, May you be richly blessed this Christmas and in the year to come. May you be blessed in measure far beyond the measure which you've blessed me. You deserve it, and I couldn't have made it through without you. Here's hoping 2011 is an incredible, amazing 2010-forgetting year for all of us!

Bryan

I Hate Bigotry Spread In the Name of Anti-Bigotry

Just saw a tweet by a guy who said Republicans hate brown skinned because the DREAM Act was voted down.  Well, the DREAM Act is ten year old legislation recently introduced and rushed through by Dems in an attempt to pass it without debate before they lose their majority.  The objections to it were people saying that they wanted time to seriously consider it and revise it if necessary because it was too important to rush through.  Oh yeah, that kind of responsible leadership is bigotry.  Instead of calling those people racists, we should applaud them for having the kind of responsibility our government leaders have all too often lacked of late, but yet they are being labelled bigots.  This, of course, totally ignores the fact that Dems still have the majority and could have passed it if they wanted to. The House approved it. So what if the majority is higher in the House. Obviously even some Dems thought the controversial bill deserved more thought.  That doesn't make them racist.

This kind of rhetoric is so common today and any true American should find it disgusting.  Labelling people as bigots because they vote against legislation dealing with racial issues is absurd. Maybe there were other factors, such as, maybe it was bad legislation. Legislation has consequences which can last for generations. It should be considered carefully. It is not only unAmerican but indecent to use incendiary false accusations this way solely for political points.  It makes me sick and it is as bigoted an action as what it is accusing others of. Yes, calling someone bigoted falsely is creating a bias against that person. A bias founded on no good reason. It's manipulative and a lie. And it is despicable behavior which I abhor. All decent Americans should do the same.  It's become the modus operandi of politicians, particularly the Left, and I'd guess it's a big part of why the Mid-term elections came out favoring Republicans as they did.

We should all band together a demand a stop to such behavior. It needs to be stopped. It is so harmful.  There is enough real racism in the world without false accusations beings sent forward to confuse the issue and take the focus off real incidents of racism which need to be addressed.

For what it's worth...

I Believe In Stewardship Not Global Warming

In January 1989, while out in Los Angeles preparing to transfer colleges, I interviewed actor Ted Danson for my college newspaper because he was an alumnus.  During that interview, Danson discussed his passion for the American Ocean's Campaign (now Oceana), which he'd  founded as an environmental-focused nonprofit to educate the public on saving our damaged oceans.  He recalled the time he'd been on vacation with his family and saw such pollution on a beach that he felt uncomfortable letting his daughters swim.  I recalled times I'd witnessed similar sludge in the Rocky Mountains.  I recalled driving through the Alps and being shocked how well preserved they were by comparison.  That was the moment I first believed mankind's habit of damaging the environment without concern for the future was a major problem.

So, in a sense, I believed one of the tenets of Global Warming long before that theory existed.  Which is one reason I find it easy to say:  I don't believe in Global Warming theory.  I believe God created the Earth and gave it to man as a home.  I believe we are here as stewards and we have a responsibility to take care of the gift of our planet and preserve it as a gift to be shared with future generations.  I remember hearing about the destruction of Mangrroves by New Orleans and over in Asia as hurricanes hit and realizing the damage had gotten worse than I'd realized.  And thinking we have to stop this.  And I believe we do.

But that doesn't mean I believe in all this peudo-science used to justify Global Warming.  Climate changes?  Well, Hammartan winds have been causing strange shifts for decades, so why is it all of a sudden Global Warming?  One of my biggest issues with science as a whole these days is summed up in the article http://slate.me/fo8yGr.  Science has become dominated by people with one dominant worldview and ideology.  How can it truly call itself unbiased, how can the methods truly be subjective when the people asking the questions start from such a similar place?  As a science fiction and fantasy writer, I have marvelled how people who can be so creative and open to endless possibility in their writing can be so close minded in their real world attitudes toward God and other subjects.  Is it really so easy to write off a higher being as the iniator of the Big Bang, when one is so convinced a big bang actually occurred?

And the arguments I've heard and data I've read on Global Warming just prove this to me.  Anyone who even remotely questions the theory is labelled "irrational" or "ignorant."  What happened to healthy skepticism in science?  Some legitimate questions have been raised about the data and I don't think true, dedicated scientists of integrity would discount them so quickly.  There's no doubt, in my mind, that mankind's activities are harming the environment.  Corporations and governments and others have built for years, destroying habitat and natural resources, without any regard for long term impact.  We've known most of my life that oil was not unlimited, that it one day might run out.  The fact that it hasn't yet, doesn't change my concern that our dependence on fossil fuels is a long term concern.  In the same way, I can believe that the Earth's other rich resources have limits. And one has only to read the Wildlife Foundations endangered species lists to figure out  the damage done to the animal kingdom.

Is it really possible for anyone to believe significant damage hasn't been done to the environment by man?  Not a rational person, no, but rational people still don't have to believe in Global Warming to be rational.  Sorry folks.  The very suggestion that they do is completely irrational.  This is science, remember?  It's based on hypothesis which form theories.  In essence, educated guesses, at least until definitive proof exists.  And while definitive proof exists of environmental damage by man, Global Warming theory has not been definitively proven.  So I remain skeptical.

The need for stewardship, however, is obvious.  It occurs not only in personal finance or use of office supplies (particularly witnessed by those responsible for the relevant budgets) but in the face of rising gas prices.  It's not really a big stretch to apply the concept to other areas as well, such as the environment.  As farmers, my family often spoke of good stewardship of their land.  Land is valuable and to survive, farmers must make the most of every parcel.  Perhaps city folk have a harder time grasping this prospect, but I don't think it's that hard.  We have to take care of everything we own if we want it to last.  I learned that every time a childhood toy broke and couldn't be repaired.

So here I am, proponent of stewardship but Global Warming skeptic. And I am a rational person, despite being a science fiction and fantasy writer.  I have great faith in science and great faith in religion, and I have great faith in human kind.

For what it's worth...

NOVEL EXCERPT: The Worker Prince

Another excerpt from my forthcoming space opera novel.  The previous excerpt which occurs before this and sets aspects of it up can be found at http://bryanthomasschmidt.blogspot.com/2010/09/this-is-first-chapter-of-my-forthcoming.html


"Why do they keep staring at us?"Davi didn't notice until Farien made the comment, but all eyes in the Bar Electric did seem to be focused on them. "I told you we look good in our uniforms," Davi joked, his eyes back to focus on his friends. After twenty-one years, he'd still never gotten used to it.Farien was shorter by almost a foot than the other two, but made up for it in a bulk which filled out his gray uniform such that the shiny gold buttons and shoulder insignia appeared ready to pop loose at any moment. Yao was the tallest, thinner than both of his friends. A humanoid from the planet Tertullis, he could pass for human if it weren't for his very dark skin and purple eyes. "Actually, I think they're staring at you, Prince Rhii," Yao said.Davi looked again. The crowds watched his every move. He forced a grin and waved casually as he had so many times before. "And to think I felt like just another cadet at the Academy." He looked around. "Servebot!"The pounding of metal feet on the floor mixed with flashing lights and the electronic tones of a recent pop hit blasting through speakers overhead as the automated robot waiter made its way through the crowd toward their table. Other cadets, a few officers, and regular citizens were scattered between the dance floor and tables as identical servebots moved among them with drinks and food. The smell of sweat from twirling bodies drifted around them. The servebot stopped at their table on one corner of the dance floor. "How may I serve you, sir?""A round of drinks for everyone, on me," Davi instructed."On you, sir?"Davi chuckled. Like other bots, servebots' vocabularies were simple and practical, devoid of any colloquisms or idioms, even common expressions. "Bill it to the Royal Palace, please.""I'd need authorization—"Davi sighed, holding up his ID. The servebot scanned it, its facial LEDs lighting up with recognition. "Right away, Prince Rhii." Yao and Farien chuckled as the servebot hurried off."One crisis averted," Yao teased. "How are you going to deal with the other?""What other?" Farien asked. As usual, he was too occupied looking for suitable dance partners to pay much attention to their conversation.     Davi and his friends had come to the bar to celebrate after graduating from the Military Academy. The ceremony itself consisted of the usual speeches, faculty aggrandizing, and so on. Davi had received the leadership medal, and Yao won recognition for his skills with math and sciences.     After the obligatory time spent receiving congratulations and hugs from their friends and family, the three headed off to Bar Electric to discuss their assignments and dream about the future awaiting them—which meant Davi had to skip out on the celebratory dinner planned in his honor at the Palace."They'll get over it," Davi said, waving a hand to show his lack of concern."When have they ever gotten over it?" Yao asked with a knowing look.Davi sighed. "Yeah, they'll make me pay, won't they?" Yao smiled and nodded. "Let's make it worth it then!" Davi replied.     "Vertullis," Farien muttered as he took another sip of his favorite off-world beer. "Babysitting slaves, great."     Davi chuckled and sipped his own beer. "What did you expect—some grand adventure?"     "No, but maybe at least an assignment on one of the distant planets with breathing apparatuses, aliens to encounter..."     "We can make our own excitement as usual," Davi said, pointing at Farien and grinning. Farien rolled his eyes and they gave each other a high five.      "You'll be there supervising work crew guards. I get to be supervised by some newbie fresh out of the Academy like you," Farien complained, a glint in his eye.     "You're a newbie fresh out of the Academy," Yao reminded him, shaking his head as Farien grinned.      "You can shut up, mister star student professor," Farien answered, referring to the most prestigious assignment of all.     "Yes, congratulations, Yao, it's well deserved. The Presimion Academy is a fantastic school," Davi said, feeling proud of his friend.     "Instead of serving alongside newbies fresh out of the Academy, he gets to prepare pre-Academy newbies," Farien said, finishing his beer. "Anyone else want another round?"Davi and Yao shook their heads as Farien rambled toward the bar. "We'd better slow him down or there'll be trouble," Yao commented. Davi motioned to the door as three girls they'd seen on the front row at the graduation ceremony entered. "I think the diversion we need just walked in." Yao turned toward the doorway as Davi stood, making his way toward the three beauties. He approached their table and smiled. "You all look even better than you looked at the graduation.""You noticed us?" the dark-skinned one asked as the girls exchanged shy looks.Davi laughed. "Of course I did. Who wouldn't notice you three?"The girls giggled as he offered them his arms. They stood, two of them grabbing his arms as he led them back toward the table, making small talk all the way across the dance floor. "You know who I am, right?" he asked as they neared his table.     The girls all nodded. "Of course, Prince," the dark-skinned girl said. Davi preferred the rare woman who didn't, but he nodded and bent to kiss her hand as they stopped at the table where Yao and Farien waited."Yao, these beautiful ladies are Bela, Jaqi, and Vivi," Davi said, helping the girls with their chairs. They smiled at Yao, ogling his uniform as Bela and Jaqi sat on either side of him. What was it about Tertullians that seemed so irresistible to women? Davi took the seat next to Jaqi. He smiled, enjoying the sweet scents of the girls' perfumes. Vivi sat down on his left. "We saw you at the graduation," Yao said, smiling awkwardly as Jaqi slid her arm into his."Congratulations on your awards," Jaqi said. "You must be very smart."     Yao blushed. Despite the fact they seemed drawn to him, he had never been as comfortable around females as his two friends were. "Well, I studied hard."     "Yao is being modest. He's been appointed a professor at Presimion Academy," Davi interjected.     Davi saw the three girls exchange a look, then Jaqi scooted up closer to Yao, resting her head on his shoulder. They'd worn beautiful gowns at the ceremony, but now their form-fitting pants and low cut blouses flattered their impressive figures. Of the three, Vivi had the darkest skin. She appeared to have some mixed racial blood, but Davi couldn't guess which.     Farien returned with another beer and smiled at Davi. "I see you two didn't waste any time."     "Meet Bela, Jaqi and Vivi," Davi said as Farien took a seat between Bela and Jaqi.     "So pleased to make your acquaintance," Farien said, as he put his arm around Bela. She smiled, snuggling up to him.     "Are you going to be a professor, too?" Bela asked.     Farien grimaced as Yao and Davi stifled their laughs. "I'll be serving on Vertullis, making sure our worker population continues to produce at proper capacity," he explained.     "Oh, Vertullis. I always wanted to visit another planet," Bela said, looking impressed to Farien's relief.     "What about you?" Vivi smiled at Davi. From her accent, she must be of the Southern peoples, most of whom had moved to other systems. Davi wondered how she'd ended up on Legallis.     "Our fearless leader will be leading the workers as well," Farien said. Davi noted he didn't mention that Davi would be his supervisor.     "Oh," Vivi said, her eyes sparkling. "I always wondered what the workers are like. I've never met one."     "Me neither," Davi chuckled. "We failed to offer you ladies libations. What can we get for you?"
     As Davi motioned to the nearest servebot, a group appeared in the doorway. Bordox and three of his cronies. A huge, hulking cadet with light yellowish skin and a dark beard, he spotted them, sneered, and led the way to a corner table across the dance floor. Davi frowned. He didn't remember seeing Bordox here for a long while. Why today?
Davi's mind flashed back to an incident at the Academy after he'd beaten Bordox on the flight simulators. Bordox let slip in the cafeteria about a rumor claiming the "royal prince's blood wasn't so royal"—an attempt to rile Davi up and create a distraction. Davi and his friends had demanded to know what Bordox meant. "Oh, just a rumor I heard at the starport," Bordox told them, "about a baby arriving in a courier craft from the stars and landing near the Palace, who was adopted by a princess with no offspring.""Who'd have known you were so fond of folk stories, Bordox?" Davi had replied, managing to keep his cool.Bordox offered his usual smug grin. "If it's a folk tale, I guess you're the folklore prince." Then he laughed and walked away with his friends.Farien had wanted to tackle him, but Yao and Davi managed to hold him off. From that day forward, he and Bordox had been fierce rivals at everything. Bordox was not as smart or coordinated, and far less likable than Davi, but they each had their crowd and were very competitive. From then on, each tried to set his goals of achievement at a level which ensured he could better himself over the other.      Davi sipped his beer and reached down to finger the necklace he'd worn around his neck since childhood. His mother had given it to him, insisting he never take it off, even though the symbolism of it was lost on him. He'd never gotten around to asking her about it, but he'd never seen another like it, and he knew many regarded it as a symbol of his Royal heritage.     "Would you like to dance?" Vivi's question broke him out of his reverie. He spotted Farien and Bela out on the dance floor, and Yao had taken Jaqi's hand and was leading her there.Davi stood and extended his hand to Vivi. "Absolutely. I thought you'd never ask!" Vivi laughed and took his hand as he led her to an open spot on the floor.Davi hadn't danced long when Bordox and his friends came onto the dance floor. Not finding immediate partners of their own, they began tapping the shoulders of other men, looking menacing if they showed any reluctance. Then, paired with the former partners of the frightened men, they maneuvered themselves to the area surrounding Davi, Farien and Yao.Davi and his friends danced as if nothing were the matter until the song ended, then Bordox smiled and leaned close to Davi. "So, folkloric prince, what assignment did you draw?""It's nothing as glamorous as yours," Davi replied, doing his best to ignore him. The music started again and Davi and Vivi resumed dancing."Lieutenant of the Lord's Special Police," Bordox responded with pride. The LSP was indeed a respectable assignment. Only the cadets deemed most loyal and sure to serve with lifelong honor at the High Lord's beck and call would ever be chosen. It didn't hurt that Bordox's father, Lord Obed, ran the LSP."We're going to Vertullis to keep the workers in line," Farien said, breaking the lull."Glorified babysitters. I wondered if they'd let you three do any real work," Bordox replied as he swung his reluctant partner around them. The girl seemed too afraid to do anything but try and keep up."Yao will be teaching math and sciences at Presimion Academy," Davi responded. Bordox's smugness faded a moment, before he recovered. "Presimion, well, at least one of you was smart enough to draw a real assignment."      Davi wanted to reply but Yao and Farien maneuvered their dates in between he and Bordox. He did his best to maintain his composure, but Bordox had gotten him fired up.     "Are you hungry?" Vivi asked as the song ended.     Davi smiled. Not many girls would be so direct knowing whom he was. He liked this girl. "Yes, I am, as a matter of fact. Would you like to order something?" She smiled, then nodded and he led her back to their table. Farien and Yao followed with the others.     As he helped Jaqi into her chair, Yao leaned toward him. "Don't let him get to you. It's all petty jealousy. You've always bested him at every challenge."     Yao's eyes met Davi's as Yao slid into the opposite seat. Davi smiled, calming the raging storm within. It was true. Despite the constant challenges, Davi had always come out ahead. Bordox was still looking for an opportunity to prove himself better. Davi sighed, as he glanced over the menu. Perhaps Bordox's LSP assignment would keep him off their backs. At least Bordox could feel superior for the moment, if he wanted to. He didn't have to know that Davi would have turned down the LSP if he'd been asked. It held little interest for him.     Davi saw Bordox motion for a servebot, as he and his friends requisitioned a nearby table. They threatened the occupants, who stood and hurried for the door, while Bordox and his friends helped themselves to the food and drinks the party left behind.     Davi glanced over to where the bar manager and Bouncerbot stood watching the events unfold. "Aren't they going to do anything about it?"     "His father's head of the LSP, remember?" Yao said. "They can pull bar licenses whenever they want."     Davi started to stand but Farien reached over and pulled him back down into his seat. Both of his friends shot him warning looks."Maybe you ladies would like to find somewhere more romantic to dine?" Davi suggested.     Their dates smiled. "That would be nice," Vivi said.     Davi and his friends stood, taking the ladies by the elbows and leading them toward the exit.     As they waited beside the air taxi post outside, Davi glanced through the Bar's window and realized that Bordox and his friends had abandoned the requisitioned table. The blue air taxi arrived and Davi's group climbed onto the two benches behind the cabbot driver. As the door shut, Bordox and his friends appeared at the taxi stand, waiting impatiently for another taxi.     "He never gives up, does he?" Farien asked.     "Let's make ourselves hard to follow," Davi replied. "Taxi, take us to the starport please."     "Of course, sir," the cabbot whirled around and steered the auto taxi into the flow of traffic.      Their dates' faces lit up. "The starport, really?" Jaqi said.      "We're gonna take a little tour before we head to the restaurant," Yao said.The cabbot consisted of a torso with two arms and a head, on which lights lit up when it talked, attached to a seat facing the control panel at the front of the air taxi. Created to take over simple tasks like answering phones or loading cargo, newer bots now performed even more complicated tasks, including some which trusted them with the safety of humans.     Davi relaxed as the air taxi turned between a row of buildings and rose up onto the main artery running through Legon, the capital city. While Davi and the others enjoyed the ride, chatting with their dates, the auto taxi executed a few more twists and turns on the road before turning onto an off ramp marked with signs for the starport.     "You're not gonna fly us to some remote star restaurant, are you?" Bela asked.      "Not really. We're just trying to lose our friends," Davi answered as the air taxi threw him forward against the safety bar. There was another bump as something hit them from behind.     They all whirled around to see another air taxi with the cabbot disabled. Bordox was at the wheel.     "You've got to be kidding me," Yao muttered.     Davi turned to the cabbot. "Please outrun that taxi and take us to the north shore."     The cabbot's facial LEDs lit up in the shape of a smile. "I am attempting to adjust our velocity, sir."     The taxi jerked as Bordox rammed them again. Davi leapt over the safety bar and pulled the manual override lever, pushing the cabbot to one side and placing himself at the controls.     "Do you know how to drive this?" Vivi said, alarmed.     "He's the top pilot in our class," Farien said and smiled.     "Let's see what this thing is made of." Davi began pushing buttons, bringing the air taxi to a much faster speed.      Bordox launched another run at them, but Davi braked, and then slid in behind him, taking an onramp back up onto the air highway overhead. As he turned onto the onramp, Bordox's frustrated face appeared in the rearview mirror. Bordox's bulky body looked ridiculous behind the wheel of the air taxi. His dark beard couldn't hide his aggravation as he struggled to turn the air taxi around.     As they merged into traffic, Davi couldn't see Bordox behind them. "Maybe we lost him," Bela said.     "I doubt it," Yao said as he and Davi exchanged looks.     In a moment, Davi saw another taxi racing up from behind. "Here he comes." Davi weaved their taxi in and out traffic, trying to keep Bordox at a distance, but the other air taxi continued to close on them.     "What's his problem anyway? Why won't he leave us alone?" Vivi said, her voice shaking.     "It's a long story," Davi replied, braking and bringing their taxi in behind the other. "Who'd have thought he'd fall for that twice?" Yao and Farien laughed as Bordox braked, forcing Davi to dodge and bringing them side by side.     Bordox looked over—-his face a mask of bitter resentment. His friends stared at them with sneers of contempt. Bordox and Davi wove their air taxis through traffic, each trying to keep the other at bay.      "We've gotta get away from this traffic before someone gets hurt," Davi said.In moments, Bordox slid his air taxi in behind them and slammed into them again from the rear. The windows around them cracked.     "Better get us down to lower airways," Yao suggested, "before the windows disintegrate."     Davi nodded and dove onto the nearest off ramp. Bordox followed. Now, buildings surrounded them, but the traffic had thinned. A group of barges plodded along ahead of them. He aimed the air taxi straight at the rear of one of them and accelerated.     "Do you know what you're doing?" Yao inquired as he leaned over the safety bar close to Davi's ear.     "Just secure everybody back there, okay? I have an idea." Davi said.      "May the gods help us," Yao answered, shaking his head. "You ladies might want to get into those safety harnesses now," he said, motioning to the girls, as he and Farien began strapping themselves in. As the girls grabbed for their harnesses, and Yao and Farien turned to help secure and adjust them, Bordox rammed them again from behind. The windows in both vehicles shattered, glass exploding around them with a deafening crash. The girls screamed. The wind blew against their faces, strengthened by their airspeed and pressing them back against the seats.     "Hold on," Davi said. Slowing a bit as they approached the rear barge, he suddenly accelerated and pulled the air taxi up over the top of the barge. Alarms blared from the speakers overhead. "Warning. Violation!" a computer voice screamed."Is this even safe?" Jaqi screeched."He knows what he's doing," Farien assured her.Bordox's air taxi cut across the incoming traffic lanes, zipping around the barge as Davi slipped between the two barges. In seconds, Bordox had squeezed in behind them again. "I thought Bordox sucked at flying?""I guess he's been practicing," Farien said with a shrug.Davi saw the first barge enter an intersection as Bordox accelerated toward them, and smiled. He had a plan. When the air taxi's front passed the corner, Davi made a sharp turn, whipping everyone to one side and landed safely on a side street.Bordox's air taxi accelerated straight into the back of the second barge. Bordox and his friends looked shaken and confused, covered with blue Daken feathers from the barge's shipment of the frightened, squawking birds.Davi and his friends exchanged high fives, laughing. "That ought to hold him for a while." They watched as Bordox struggled to stand despite the slippery feathers all around him. His eyes met Davi's in a hateful stare barely visible amidst the feathers dangling from the sweat on his face."He doesn't look much different than he did before," Farien joked. Yao and Davi laughed."Can we please get out now?" Vivi asked, trembling."Just a few more minutes. We know a great place on the north shore you ladies will love," Davi said, relieved as he accelerated again and turned onto another side street.