Every little detail

When you write hard science fiction, like Rome's Revolution, to make it right, to keep the reader in the 'fictive dream' you have to get every little detail right. Take Rei's space walk that was detailed in Intermezzo 2 of Rome's Evolution. I had to consider every element of Rei's actions to make sure I didn't say something that the reader would pick up as wrong. I had to make the Ark II out of a magnetic material just so that Rei's magnetic boots would allow him to stroll along its length. I had to make sure that Rei clipped his screwdriver onto his belt with a little cord so that it didn't float off if he dropped it. I had to act out his scene when he bent over to open up the control hatch. I discovered his boots would have broken their connection with hull of the Ark and he would have started floating off. I incorporated that into the narrative and Rei changed his stance. I even gave him a hand-held thruster gun so that he could get places if he was floating in space.

In the original long-form version of Rome's Revolution, when Rei decided to go with MINIMCOM to rescue Captain Keller, I wrote another space walk scene which in the true timeline was actually Rei's second space walk. I had to choreograph Rei's jaunt around the circumference of the Ark II and discovered he had to unhook his tether. I realized it would drift away so I had Rei secure the tether to the hull with a magnetic hammer.

Sadly, that entire scene got excised when I crushed VIRUS 5 down into a single book. Instead, I jumped the space-walk into the express lane:

     Rome stepped back out of the airlock while Rei engaged his helmet. The door closed and Rome leaned forward to peer at him through the porthole. Rei turned to look at her and had a sudden feeling of déjà vu. Rome put her hand up to the glass and Rei placed his gloved hand next to hers. Rome nodded. Rei turned and pressed the stud to open the outer door. He could feel his suit stiffen as pumps worked to pull the air out of the airlock, leaving the chamber in a near vacuum. The differential indicator turned red and the outer door opened automatically.
     Not even six feet away, MINIMCOM’s tug hovered in place with the side airlock directly across from Rei, the outer door already open. Rei looked back at Rome one more time then took a flying leap and landed inside the other tug with nary a jolt. Rei closed the outer airlock door then quickly made his way to the archway that served as the secondary airlock and entry to the cockpit, closing the door behind him. As soon as the indicator turned green, the door opened and Rei stepped through.

Oh well, all that other got thrown into the digital trash can. In any event, I hope you, the reader enjoy and can appreciate the attention to detail in scenes where none of us will ever experience. That is, unless Rome's Revolution gets made into a movie!