C.M. Simpson's Blog

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Carlie's Chapter 11 - Dear Tiger: Don't Look Back

LAST WEEK, Simone told Tiger she and Odyssey were coming to rescue him. This week, Tiger reveals he's already left, and is about to try and sneak aboard an Odyssey cruiser on his own.Chapter 11 – Travel Plans

Dear Simone Your message got to me too late. I’m already off-world, and I don’t’ really know where I am. Don’t worry. That’s not because anything bad has happened to me. It’s because I stowed away.Yes, I did, and it’s not as hard as you’d think. The only problem is that I don’t know where I am, because I’m still hiding. I brought along a bunch of ration bars, but water’s going to be a problem in a couple of days. Fingers crossed we’ll have reached a docking bay, by then.And what do you mean have I forgotten you? I could never forget you!I mean, we haven’t seen each other in ages, but I have your letters and some photos stored in my implant, and the memories from when our mums and dads were working on the same world, so, yeah, I’m good. I remember you. I wouldn’t forget. You should never, ever worry about that.I’m glad your parents got off Sharvin, especially as I’ve worked out that the aliens aren’t chasing me. They’re just coming through on worlds where there are really old ruins like the ones on Sharvin and Deskeden. And only that kind of ruin.I looked.There are other worlds with other ruins, ones that are different to the ones on Sharvin. Those worlds are still okay. Deskeden and Sharvin’s ruins had the archaeologists all wound up, because they were so much the same, but there was no sign of there being any kind of space travel between them.And I did some research on Tarvesh. They’ve got ruins, too. Those ones are meant to be secret, but I’ve taken to following your example, and hacking into the databases I need.I mean, how can that go wrong? After all, you’re so popular, right now.So, the ruins on Tarvesh. Yes. They’ve got the same characteristics as the ones on Sharvin and Deskeden, and guess who’s helping fund the FedExplore research? You got it: the Tarvesh Historical Consortium. It makes me wonder what they think they can gain from it, but I haven’t had the time to hack into their databases, yet.Maybe you could give it a go. You know. In your spare time.So, I feel a lot better, knowing the aliens aren’t tracking me. It means that what happened above the ruins, in the settlement on Deskeden? That wasn’t my fault. And it means that I know that what happened on Tarvesh wasn’t my fault, either—especially when the freighter terminal was built right over the dig the Consortium were doing. It’s such a relief.I mean, I kinda knew it wasn’t my fault, before, but now I really know. That doesn’t change the fact that I still feel safer out here in space.I’m going to try and sneak my way onto an Odyssey cruise liner. They’ve put out a bulletin for me, so I’m hoping their crews will recognise me, and get in touch with the people you’re talking to. You know, instead of walking me out the nearest airlock as part of the on-board entertainment… not that they would.I’m just kinda nervous, is all.I’d better go. There’s no knowing what kind of monitoring systems they’ve got on board here.Wish me luck, okay?I could really do with more of that. Best
T.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The complete series is available as short, individual ebooks, and will become available as an omnibus, later this year. In the meantime, you can find them on this blog, until one week after the last chapter in the last book of the series has been posted, at which point this series will be taken down, and a new series serialised on site.