Sunday Snippet: Make the Call

Whew. What a week in TV. Lots of good stuff going on.

The Flash had a fun episode. I'm rather interested in the behind the scenes manipulation going on and discovering more about that. Also interested to see what happens with Caitlyn when Katee Sackhoff's character enters the narrative.

Legends of Tomorrow is still terrific. I'm hoping they dive into the big threat looming over them sometime soon.

Arrow ended up being better than expected. I want to know what Diggle has himself into and how bad it's going to bite the team on their asses. Also loved Oliver and Felicity helping William out and discovering they work well as a team. The FBI agent is already annoying me. We'll see if that ends up being a good thing or not.

I missed Gotham and need to catch up. Not sure when I'll get a chance, but it should be soon.

Riverdale, you're killing me. There's so much I'm loving but the one thing I'm not on board with—yet—is Hermione and whatever the hell pod person has taken over her character. I kind of love the relationship she had with Veronica last season and right now… not so much. We'll see if it smooths out, similar to Alice last year. I trust the show to make it happen.

Finally watched the finale for Teen Wolf and I'm kind of thrilled with how it ended. I'm very happy with everyone's place and how their stories were resolved—with one exception. I so wanted Monroe to die a slow, painful death. The fact she escaped annoys me to no end. Grr.

Got caught up on Murdoch Mysteries. So far, I'm excited for the new season. I have so much love for this show, which considering it's in its eleventh season, is saying something.

I have my holiday television and movie list all put together and ready to watch. The Hallmark Channels launched their festive season this weekend and I plan to catch a bunch of fare on both channels. Seriously, I won't mind overdosing on the merry happenings right now. The world is a crazy place… why not have some happy, happy, joy, joy in life?

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Make the Call, a novella that started with a two-word prompt of "patience, child".

Here's the mini-blurb:

Gia Pimm has everything she wants, but a reminder from her mother—that Gia will always suffer when good things happen—makes her walk away from Nolan Curry. But when she needs antibiotics, she swallows her pride and makes a call to the man who has them—Nolan.

And a sneaky peek…

Gia came home to find Rand gone. Again.

Shaking her head, she stomped out of their yurt. "Damn the man." She stopped, dragging in a deep breath.

She couldn't get too angry. He'd left because she didn't come home last night. His way of taking some pride back.

She started toward the arena… more like a huge tent with three sparring fields… one of the places he liked to hunker down and lick his wounds—both physical and mental. Of course, he could avoid the physical if he stayed away from the nightly fights, which he wouldn't do as long as she didn't come home.

A vicious circle of her own creation.

Halfway to the makeshift arena, Gia bumped into the colony leader. "Hi, Lila. Have you seen Rand today?" The woman had her thumb on the pulse of the entire community.

Lila gave Gia a tight smile. "Actually, I was just coming to find you. Yes, I've seen him. In medical." She looped her arm around Gia's and altered their direction.

Gia went along, but her heart sank. "How bad is it?" Her mind filled with images of broken bones and stitches.

Lila paused outside the entrance. "It's not what you're thinking. He's not injured from spectacles he participates in." Her distaste came through in her tone.

Lila didn't stop the men from conducting their nightly bouts but she didn't approve of their need to be aggressive off the clock. The community had too much work to do before the cold season set in. If they failed to get the land ready for the incoming settlers, the federation would pull their support.

Gia didn't want to get sucked into an argument over how the federation put too much pressure on the terraforming teams. After being on both sides, she understood each viewpoint, but couldn't offer any answers. She doubted a solution would be forthcoming anytime soon.

Gia nodded toward the medical facility. "So what's going on with Rand?"

Lila tugged her over to the small seating area outside the building. "He's been fighting one of the local viruses. The aides warned him last time—"

Gia cut in. "Wait. He's been here before?" Why didn't she know?

Because she'd been too busy not spending time with her significant other for reasons she'd rather not ponder at the moment.

Lila quirked a brow. "Yes, at least twice. He's been instructed to stay away from the bouts because his immunity is low. He should've been able to weather the symptoms and build a natural resilience to the virus, but he's not taking their advice." She leaned in and lowered her voice. "We're very low on antibiotics and the doctors only want to use them in extreme cases. Since Rand didn't listen and follow their recommendation, they're not inclined to administer what they have."

Meaning her boyfriend defined idiot on a whole new level. Gia wouldn't touch on her part in the scenario yet.

She met Lila's gaze. "What's his prognosis?" Had to be serious if Lila came to find her.

The leader gave it to Gia straight. "Poor. He's pushed himself almost beyond help. Right now, he's being monitored and they're keeping him hydrated with an IV. But he's reached a stage where he can't fight the virus because his resistance is too low." She grasped Gia's hand. "I'm caught in a tough spot here."

Gia nodded. "You can't countermand one of your own stipulations and order them to provide antibiotics because it'll look like favoritism." Lila needed to show strength and let nature take its course. "Dammit. Men can be utterly stupid sometimes, especially ones who aren't getting their way all the time." Like Rand… who showed an annoyingly childish disposition when she thwarted whatever grand vision of the future he had planned.

Lila smiled. "Men don't have a lock on being stupid, dear. Humans, in general, make life messy." She squeezed Gia's hand, the only acknowledgment the leader would give about Gia's ongoing relationship problems.

Gia sighed. "What can I do here? I mean what are my options to keep him from getting worse?" She might not full spousal privileges—didn't want them either—but there had to be something she could do.

Lila tilted her head to one side. "Well… you're former military; you could liaise with Captain Curry and maybe get an allotment from him." Her gentle tone spoke louder any recriminations could.

Gia's head spun and her heart pounded. Liaise with Nolan? Roberts had no idea what she asked of Gia. Okay, Lila totally did. She'd been privy to the details, in fact demanded them when Gia applied for a civilian post.

Could I be more responsible for this fiasco?

The short answer? No. The weight of Rand's dilemma rested firmly on Gia's shoulders.

Fighting the free-fall feeling of helplessness, she launched into all the reasons why Roberts's request sucked. "Look, there's no way I can just call Nolan and ask for something. Hell, anything. He won't be inclined to help… especially if I'm the one making contact." She shook her head. "God… why did Rand have to be so juvenile?" Okay, the why stood to reason. "Now my current boyfriend is in bad shape and the only way to help him is to beg my former lover for the meds he needs. Can this situation get any more stupid? Can men?" She sent the leader a scathing glance. "I'm sorry, Lila, humans make messes, but throw in a man's pride and those messes take on epic proportions." Dragging in air, she went on. "And I don't want to do this. I can't. Isn't there anyone else? I mean how much time does Rand have?"

Lila put an arm around Gia. "Slow down. Calm down." She patted Gia's shoulder. "Yes, the request could come from the head of medical, but I think you know what will happen. The official log will show the request and requisition. If it comes from outside the chain, we can avoid the official nature of asking." Her lips curved in an understanding smile. "Which doesn't make it any easier for you, I know."

Gia shot up and paced back and forth. "Shit, shit, shit. Fine." She stopped. "You're right. I'll suck it up and deal with Nolan. In fact, I'll just go in now and—" She started for the door.

Lila grabbed Gia's arm, pulling her down to sit again. "Patience, child. There's no need to go off half-cocked. Take some time to figure out what you want to say first." She gave Gia's hand a squeeze. "But make the call. It'll ease your mind and maybe keep Rand from pushing so hard all the time."

Gia dreaded the idea, but Roberts had it right. The less official paperwork attached to the request, the better for the colonists. The kick of guilt because Rand landed in the medical because she never stuck around didn't sit well with Gia. She needed to do something about the relationship, one that shouldn't have happened, but only after she got him back on his feet.

She heaved a sigh. "Okay, I'll figure out what to say then I'll make the call. Give me a few minutes then I'll come in."

Lila nodded and got up, heading into the medical building to give Gia some space to think.

She snorted. "Doesn't really matter what I say. Nolan's gonna bust my chops no matter what." And she deserved whatever he dished out.

She really couldn't point fingers and men and their stupidity. She'd made the biggest mistake of her life when she walked out on Nolan. Hooking up with Rand proved to be the second biggest. She needed to fix both and making amends wouldn't be easy. But she'd reached a point where she had to at least try.

Getting up, she squared her shoulders. "Time to face my demons." She strode forward and entered the medical building.

I like writing couples who've made poor choices and need to redeem themselves. Gia is definitely paying the piper for her past decisions.

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Major Issues

I'm loving the fall weather! Mild temperatures are so lovely and the pretty colors popping on the leaves are incredible.

Another great week in television. I completely forgot to mention Riverdale's premiere. Man… I love the show. I had so many questions after the premiere my head spun for a while.

But first… let's get to this week's shows. The Flash had a great episode. I like the new Cisco. I'm definitely looking forward to more of how Barry and Iris work out their issues. Legends of Tomorrow also had a great showing. I do truly enjoy the character's interactions.

Okay, Riverdale. Loved, loved, loved the premiere. I like where things are going and while I could do without Hiram, I'll be interested to see what kind of havoc he'll create. Having Archie take a darker path is also going to be fun. And whenever Dark Betty makes an appearance I notice. I loved her giving the lowdown to Cheryl. Speaking of… wow, Cheryl's got some issues, yeah? All in all, I'm excited to see what else happens. The dark hood killer will hopefully not take out any of my faves. I'm already a little miffed one of the characters I like might not be with us anymore.

Gotham keeps getting better. It always seems to throw in a twist I'm not expecting and I love it. Nice to see Lee back, whatever her drama might be.

Arrow is also throwing some nice twists into their plotlines. I'm down with Oliver being a dad, but I was very much hoping he would make Raisa William's guardian so he can still do his second job.

Continuing on with Midsomer Murders and also got my holiday movie and show list started. I plan to completely overdose on holiday fare this year.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Major Issues, a novella that started with a writing community prompt of having a conflict with a military person with a higher rank.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Ellis Wright, a damn good pilot who works hard at her job, runs into an old nemesis—Major Anton Burnhard—and he tries to put her on the defensive again. But Ellis isn't the same raw cadet from five years ago. This time around she'll bring in her backup—Trey Shuttleworth—if she can convince him the rumor about her affair with the major isn't true.

And a sneaky peek…

Ellis Wright entered the sim room and turned the recorder off. "Don't want a log of the time I spend here." Mainly because she didn't have the okay to use the flight simulator.

But… she wanted to fly, to try and beat her current times, see if she could improve her on her excellent scores. Her competitive streak extended well beyond vying with her fellow cadets in flight school. She loved to surpass her personal bests, too.

She slid into the cockpit and started the program—her favorite—the smooth beginning quickly gave way to complex maneuvers that would often put seasoned pilots through their paces.

She flashed a smile, her adrenaline pumping. "Here we go." With her hand on the joystick, she let out a breath and fell into the simulation.

An hour later, she laughed, giddy over beating her former record. She didn't care if the time didn't actually count for her course work. The fact she'd shaved another few minutes off her time and increased her target efficiency thrilled her. She climbed out of the plane and wrote her final marks down. Putting everything back and flipping the recorder back on, she let herself out of the sim room, closing the door quietly behind her.

She started down the corridor and almost jumped a foot when an oily voice sounded behind her.

"Well, well, well. Looks like I've caught a little bird whose wings need to be clipped." Major Anton Bernhard emerged from a shadowy recess.

Ellis groaned but tried to play off being in the training center after hours cool. "Er, I'm sorry, sir. What do you mean?" Damn her guilty tone for betraying her.

Bernhard's lips twisted in a smirk. "Oh, I think you know, cadet." He held a video card between his thumb and forefinger. "You didn't know about the security cameras, did you?" His eyebrows hitched up and down.

Shit. Shit-shit-shit. Busted.

Heaving a sigh, Ellis owned her mistake. "No, sir, I didn't." So much for thinking she covered all the possible problems.

Bernhard grasped her arm and dragged her into an empty classroom. His fingers dug into her skin, but Ellis barely felt the gouging. Her mother had done much worse.

The door closed behind them and the lights flickered on to their lowest setting. A fission of fear skittered along her spine, but Ellis pushed it back. Bernhard might be a man who liked to throw his weight and rank around, but he had a standard to adhere to.

But when he turned to face her, Ellis didn't like the calculating gleam in his eyes.

He tucked the video card in his pocket and advanced toward her. "You've violated protocol, which is grounds for expulsion." His continued approach backed her into a corner. "I might be able to overlook your transgression… but it comes at a price." A slimy sneer left no doubt what he had in mind.

Ellis shook her head. "Look, I'm sorry. I just love to fly. There has to be something else I can do to avoid getting kicked out." She sat at the top of the class… that should count for something.

Bernhard snorted. "It's obvious you love to fly, you have the top scores in this recruit group. I'd say all the extra practice gives you an added edge, wouldn't you?"

Ellis frowned. "I've earned those scores from day one. I didn't have any extra time in the simulator the entire first two weeks. I proved I've got the chops first." Her skin crawled and anger boiled in her gut at letting herself get trapped like this.

The major quirked a brow. "You've also got a file of youthful transgressions, many of which could've helped you get into a room early to practice a bunch of runs." He placed a hand on the wall beside her head. "It would be easy for me to make a case for kicking you out." The other hand landed on the wall, effectively boxing her in.

Her juvenile record came down to being under her mom's thumb and along for the ride whenever she went off the rails. The thought of crawling back to Louanne Wright after walking out almost a year ago made Ellis's blood ran cold. Bile rose in her throat. She would not return to the abusive and dangerous home she grew up in.

But the major could make it impossible for Ellis to maintain her hard won freedom.

Ellis used a final defense. "I'm in a relationship with someone." She embellished only a little, her status with fellow cadet Wyatt Germaine tended to be on uncertain footing most of the time.

Bernhard quirked an eyebrow. "Is that what they're calling flight school hookups now? Germaine is destined for greatness. His family name guarantees he'll move up the ranks." The major's gaze slid downward coming to a stop at her chest. "You, on the other hand, might be required to use your personal assets to move ahead, not to mention stay out of trouble." His arm lowered to her shoulder, his fingers gripping her. "You should think about starting now if you want to graduate." He pushed his groin forward, leaving no doubt as to what he expected. "It'll be our little secret, Cadet Wright."

Ellis wanted to heave her guts up. She didn't see a way out of the tricky spot with Bernhard. No way would she survive going back to Louanne's. Flight school represented everything Ellis ever wanted. A way to be close to her dad—who died serving the fleet—and freedom from the crazy life her mother led after his death. Ellis cringed but ultimately accepted her fate.

Slowly lowering down to her knees, she reached up to loosen the major's belt.

How bad could buying his silence with a blowjob be?

I'm pretty sure Ellis won't be thrilled with how things play out with Bernhard. But she'll have the last word with him, I have no doubt.

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Luck Runs Out

Well… another homecoming is in the books and life can return to semi-normal, which is still crazy but less so. LOL

Terrific week for television with shows returning for their fall premieres (and one season ender)!

The Last Ship's finale was everything I'd hoped for. The people I wanted to see not make it died in appropriate ways and they didn't touch anyone on my "better not kill" list, so, yeah, I'm thrilled to bits with how the season ended. And it looks like season five will be terrific! Can't wait for next summer.

I honestly didn't know if I'd like The Flash, but it ended up being a great episode. Cisco keeps things interesting and I like where Caitlyn is right now. Same goes for Legends of Tomorrow. Their reboot after messing up all of time is excellent. Can't wait to see what they end up doing for the rest of the season.

Arrow's premiere rocked. I really didn't know how they'd end up resolving the island explosion and it looks like there will be plenty of repercussions. I'm interested in what happened to the few we didn't see in the opening episode, namely the former league crew. I can honestly say it was awesome to see Raisa back with Oliver, too.

Gotham had another terrific episode. This show just keeps getting better and better. I like how they're beginning to weave Bruce's story into Gordon's… finally. I'm pretty "meh" about the Sophia Falcone stuff but we'll see where it goes.

My Netflix queue random pick ended up being Midsomer Murders. I'm enjoying a nice revisit to this show.

And that's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Luck Runs Out, a novella set in my Inter-Stellar Police universe, with a visit from Shyler Lumen of Furlough 99's Finding Home.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Domino Montgomery and Webb Wellesley are totally different personally and professionally, but they work seamlessly together. When they land an off world transport assignment, they have to babysit a condemned prisoner and deal with an impish captain who's hiding a wee bit of a secret of his own.

And a sneaky peek…

Domino rounded the corner to find Webb standing inside the door to her quarters. He itched to tidy up, his fingers literally twitching to pick stuff up. "Don't even think about touching anything." She strode through the entrance and tossed her empty rucksack on the bed.

He shot her an incredulous look. "How do you stand it? Live with the mess?" His eyes scanned the small space she called home.

Domino smirked. "I prefer to call it controlled chaos, but whatever." She reached for a pile of clothes. Clean, but unfolded, she rifled through the stack and pulled out what she'd need for the transport.

Webb shook his head. "You've been back from leave less than three hours and can't see the floor in here." He shot her a sideways look. "I know for a fact they cleaned while you were gone."

Domino rolled her eyes. "I know. I walked in this morning and wanted to heave." She shoved matched uniforms into the bag, but looked up. "Don't tell me you like the mashed pea green?" She stuck her tongue out and made a retching sound.

His lips twitched. "Okay, I'll give you that one. The color is disgustingly similar to what we see in the field." His grimace spoke volumes.

They saw some nasty shit out there. Bodily fluids did not come in pretty colors. And too many resembled the color of the carpet in her quarters.

Domino laughed. "Exactly." She snatched up her toiletry case and stuffed it into her duffel. "Which is why we need to get going… so I don't have to look at this anymore." Hoisting the case over her shoulder, she left her quarters. "Bilar said we need to be briefed first? Do you know why?" A drop run with a prisoner should be straightforward.

Webb shrugged one shoulder. "Eh, not really. Unless it's to give us tips on how not to die from boredom." He fell into step beside her.

 Domino's senses went on alert. "Argh. Something tells me that's not the case." Maybe the guy needed some kind of special care.

Webb paused outside the door of the captain's office. "Maybe not, but I've got a deck of cards in my gear that I'm willing to share."

Domino shot him a glance. "I brought a set of dice to keep things interesting." She bit back a grin when Webb frowned.

She loved playing tripoly. And Webb would be a straight shooter. She'd bet anything.

The trip might be more appealing than she'd thought.

They entered the office and the captain quickly ended a call. His face gave nothing away, but Domino's shoulders tensed. An air of tension permeated the room.

He motioned for each to take a seat. "Okay, we've got some ground to cover before you two head out." He opened a thick file folder. "This isn't your standard drop run."

Domino groaned. I knew it!

I'm enjoying the dynamic between Domino and Webb. I love opposites attract tropes and finding out where they find middle ground.

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Lover's Lament

And so the crazypants onslaught begins. October starts the official launch of "let's go Mach II with our hair on fire" season. Homecoming is this weekend and my daughter is hosting nine other couples for pictures and dinner. Then we slide into Halloween, followed by the fall sports banquet, Thanksgiving, Christmas, the New Year, and starting January 11, birthdays for all but one of my immediate family. LOL See… crazypants.

So, moving on to what calms me… television. The Last Ship proved, once again, it's never a good idea to mess with a wolf. Seriously, a few nice reveals were dropped and the episode let Fletch redeem himself… kind of. I'm probably in the minority but I'm not quite ready to forgive his transgressions yet.

Still need to watch Teen Wolf's finale. The past week got crazy busy so I didn't have time.

Finished up The Defenders and, yeah, I pretty much loved it. Looking forward to more from the individual series and also to The Punisher whenever it arrives. Heh, if it hasn't already because I'm that far behind right now.

Almost finished with Hawaii Five-0. Truly can't see how season eight is going to be decent without Chin or Kono. I guess I'll play it by ear.

I'm all caught up on Gotham and I love this show. The soft intro of Bruce's alter ego ended up being exactly perfect. Penguin raining havoc is a joy to watch. And poor Jim is getting ready for another round of the absolute wrong woman for him bingo. Falcone's daughter is probably not what the doctor ordered for the guy. Just saying.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Lover's Lament, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt of putting military types on a civilian ship away from prying eyes and see what happens.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Taryn Untied and Holmes Selari, two soldiers under a constant stream of pressure, start making mistakes due to lack of any kind of downtime. Their superior officer finally orders them to take R and R on the Lover's Lament and promises to conveniently forget their location if anything else goes wrong. Thirty-six hours of alone time should clear up their cranky attitudes.

And a sneaky peek…

Well, she managed to piss Waybright off even more. Way to go, Taryn.

Holmes shook his head and sighed.

Taryn stomped back down to the front of the room and parked her ass in a seat. "A little show of solidarity would've been nice." Her snarky tone carried to Waybright's ears.

The man turned and glared and Taryn shut up.

Holmes snorted. "I'm too damned tired." He slouched further down into the chair. "First time I've actually sat down all day… aside from being in the cockpit." The cramped confines didn't exactly inspire relaxation.

Waybright came around the front of the podium after he'd picked up the clipboard. "Here's what's going to happen." He held up the board, moving it slowly in front of their faces. "I'm ordering immediate R and R for you."

Holmes barked out a laugh. "Right. I have to be dreaming. Or I woke up in an alternate universe." His head dropped to the back of the seat cushion.

Is it possible to dream with my eyes open?

Taryn agreed. "Yeah, and we'll get within five seconds of leaving the ship when you revoke the passes because some idiot fucks up their job and we have to fix it."

A valid point. Waybright pulled rank more than a few times.

He shook his head. "Not this time. Frankly, I can't stand either one of you right now and if you don't get off the ship, I may shoot you." He moved closer and stopped at the edge of the row. "You're going to quarters. You're getting your rucksacks, and I'm personally escorting you to a transport in the aft landing bay."

Taryn crossed her arms over her chest. "And when the transport fails to show up, what then?"

Another valid concern. Too often, the small crafts ran behind schedule and during the wait something went sideways and they got called back.

Waybright held up a hand. "Oh, Lieutenant, I'm one up on you. It's already here." He leaned in close to Taryn. "And that transport is going to take you and your grouchy captain to the Lover's Lament and get you the hell off this ship for seventy-two hours." He straightened. "And as soon as you two are clear, I'm burying the flight manifest so nobody else can find you." He waved the clipboard back and forth, then tucked it under his arm.

Something in the man's tone indicated he meant business.

Holmes blinked and sat up. "Are you serious, Sir?" Seventy-two hours of downtime sounded like pure bliss right now.

Waybright quirked an eyebrow. "Am I ever not, Captain? Get moving." He pointed toward the hatch. "You've got five minutes. If you're not packed when I get there, you'll leave with nothing, because you are going."

Taryn shot Holmes a quick glance. He hustled to his feet and made a dash for the exit. He and Taryn didn't waste time, they hot-footed it out of the briefing room and double-timed it to quarters.

She yanked open her locker and grabbed her rucksack, already packed. "Do you really think—"

Holmes cut her off. "I'm not taking the time." He pulled his duffel out—already packed like hers. "Right now, blind faith works for me." His lips quirked. "You left yours ready to go, too?" He nodded toward her rucksack.

She rolled her eyes. "Hell, I didn't have time to unpack so, yeah, it was ready and waiting." She started for the hatch but stopped. "You don't think he's just messing with us, do you?" Her tone held menace.

Holmes gave a quick back and forth of his head. "No. You saw the stack of complaints. He had to do something." Geez, Holmes hoped the XO wouldn't prove him wrong.

If the man reneged on the R and R, Taryn would have to race Holmes to take the guy out.
I have a feeling Taryn and Holmes won't know what to do with downtime and that's going to be fun to write.

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: The Lottery

Hello, October. We're getting into the fall season and that means the rest of the year is going to fly by! The beginning of October always marks the start of the holiday season for me. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas / Yule. I'm excited!

The Last Ship had a decent episode. I was so hoping Giorgio got blown up but, alas, not the case. Here's hoping he meets with a satisfying ending sometime in the near future. His whole family can go up in flames and I wouldn't shed a tear.

I haven't watched Teen Wolf's finale yet. I'm not quite ready for its end. But it's going to be terrific. I have no doubt.

Got a few more episodes of The Defenders in. I really didn't see Alexandria's end… if it's an actual ending. You just never know with the Hand.

Hawaii Five-0 said goodbye to Max in a great episode. I'm about halfway through the season and still enjoying.

Gotham's second episode ended up being excellent. I love how everything is coming together. Interesting to see Barbara back on the screen.

That's it for television this week. Looking forward to more of my favorite shows being back soon. Tonight's post is from The Lottery, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt of creating a story built around a repopulation need. I thought it would be fun!

Here's the mini-blurb:

A devastating illness tears through a space colony and repopulation is paramount for continued survival. Veronica Fine and Garrett Delroy think they'll be exempt from the lottery which will match up prime candidates for procreation, but word comes down all members of the colony have to participate, even members of the military. When they're matched up, both suspect some behind the scenes maneuvering from the planetary leader.

And a sneaky peek…

"Enlistment is up by twelve percent. I don't think we'll have to institute a draft to replenish our losses." Garrett Delroy handed the statistical report over to his father, the commandant of the Colonial Guard.

Michael Delroy glanced at the report, scanning the numbers. "Fifteen to twenty would be better, but I agree. We can hold off on making service mandatory." His fingers rubbed the bridge of his nose. "We've lost so many; it's getting difficult to coordinate with the civilian government."

Garrett didn't doubt the headache his dad probably lived with on a regular basis. The Council of Twelve issued decrees almost daily, trying to regulate everything to speed up the repopulation of the planet. The new vaccine finally stopped the spread of the virus, but the death toll left the populace scrambling to survive.

A series of sharp raps sounded behind Garrett.

His dad frowned. "Enter."

A private came through the doorway and stopped at the edge of the commandant's desk.

Michael quirked an eyebrow. "What is it, Private Jansen?"

The young man cleared his throat. "Apologies, Sir. I'm here to deliver this to Captain Delroy." He held out an envelope with the Chancellor's official seal.

Garrett glanced at his dad. "Any idea why the chancellor is sending me something?" He took the missive and turned it over, seeking any clue.

Michael heaved a sigh. "You're dismissed, private." He waited until the young man exited the office then directed his attention to Garrett. "I've got a very good idea and you're not gonna like it." He gave a pointed look at the document in Garrett's hands.

Garrett's stomach dropped to his toes. "Oh, no. Seriously?" His dad lifted a shoulder in a noncommittal gesture.

The paper suddenly burned against Garrett's skin. Dread filled him. He stared at the seal, official and binding.

Michael cut to the chase. "Just open it, son. Staring won't change what's inside."

Right. But a few more moments of ignorant bliss might be nice.

Garrett met his father's gaze and broke the seal. Sliding his fingers along the edge of the paper, he opened the letter—a set of orders, really—and scanned the details.

Once finished, he gave his dad a hard look. "How long have you known about this?"

Michael nailed his prediction on the head. Garrett is not happy. LOL

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye