Sunday Snippet: Luck Runs Out

The shortest month went by really fast. I can't believe we're headed for March again. It's been such a weird year and I'm actually kind of blown away that it feels like the last twelve months have flown by yet also seemed to last a decade. Seriously.

Had a somewhat busy work week and didn't get a lot of television watched. But I got a few things viewed. Started with Silent Witness and finished up the first episode of season nine.

I actually got two arcs of Classic Who watched. I think I'm almost finished with season thirteen. I like this season. There have been some interesting episodes and I love Elisabeth Sladen a lot.

Caught an episode of Peak Practice. I had to do some downloading with the IMDBTV app to get back into this one. That's what happens when I take a longish break.

As usual, I caught my mystery shows on Ovation and some Classic Perry Mason. Also caught a binge marathon of Hawaii Five-0. I'm hoping to see the last two seasons at some point.

That's pretty much it for television. Tonight's post is from Luck Runs Out, a novella that started with a writing community prompt.

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 Montgomery loved her job with the Inter-Stellar Emergency Services Unit. Based out of Queen City, Mars, her work could take her to a penthouse at the top of a skyscraper or down to the tent squats where communal living took on a whole new meaning. Sometimes she even went off planet, when the ISP needed an assist.

Seeing such a broad spectrum of life always held Domino's interest, especially since she grew up around it. "I mean half my family works in the care-giving sector." Domino used to wonder if the thrill and adrenaline rush would taper off or she'd experience burnout. "But I haven't."

Nothing got her juices flowing faster than hearing the tones drop from central dispatch when a call came in. Hell, she'd been almost seven before she realized most normal people ran from burning buildings and the wail of sirens instead of toward them.

"Then again, normal depends on the way a person defines the word." Domino prided herself on not fitting the mold for the standard description. "Who wants to be the same as everyone else?" She sure as hell didn't.

In fact, she'd just returned from an out-packing trip to Mars's equator. The guys on station thought her plan to spend two weeks trekking around and transporting to and from the location in a stripped-out military plane completely insane. Whatever. Domino learned at an early age to enjoy downtime and live life. To the very fullest if possible.

Hence the reason she took her allocation each quarter and found something fun, exciting, and different to experience. "Even if one particular person tries to shit all over my party." Namely Webb Wellesley.

He'd blinked in surprise when he heard her plans. "Do you have a death wish? The equator is half a planet away from here. What if you get stranded?" He'd looked to the other guys, seeking backup.

They all shook their heads. The general consensus being she could do whatever she wanted on her vacation—even if it sounded really out there. Kind of standard for Domino.

And, hey, she made it back with time to spare.

Entering the station, she greeted two of her coworkers and made a beeline for her room, stopping short when she got there. "Oh, hell, no. This will not do." The space had been cleaned to within an inch of its life and the sickly, disgusting green carpet made Domino want to heave.

She dumped her bag and crossed over to the small dresser along the windowless wall, pulling open drawers and flinging clothes out.

Her captain poked his head inside the room. "Montgomery, welcome back." He stepped in and his lips twitched but he said nothing. "Go check your gear. You're up for a prison transport drop run but you'll need to sign off on the equipment first." He started toward the door. "I'll send your ride-along partner to get you for the briefing." He didn't wait for a response.

Domino frowned but grabbed her rucksack and headed out to do as ordered. A prisoner transport should be straightforward. Why did they need a briefing?

This one is going in a direction I didn't expect and the captain isn't playing as much of a role as I thought he would. I love it when the sages throw me curveballs. LOL

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Lover's Lament

What a week. I spent a lot of time texting family and friends in Texas to make sure they were making it through their worst deep freeze ever. Even my brother, who lived in Ohio for most of his life, had a tough time. He's in the Dallas area and, so far, has had two pipes burst. Here's hoping that's the worst of the damage.

Television ended up being pretty light this week. I caught another episode of No Offence, which I'm enjoying a lot.

Also finished up the final episode of Silent Witness for season eight. I'll be moving on to season nine this week.

I've heard some good things about Riverdale, so I should probably finish up what I have to watch and get started on the new season.

Weirdly, the sages have been feeding me a ton of new story ideas, which I love, but I also have a massive amount of WIPs that need to be finished. I need to have a sit-down chat with those pesky imps.

Tonight's post is from Lover's Lament, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

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 down time. Their superior officer finally orders them to take R&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…

"Why the hell isn't my bird ready to go?" Taryn Untied stalked across the hangar deck and snagged the arm of a deckhand. "The retrofit should've been done four hours ago." Why didn't anything go right anymore?

Gee, maybe because everyone took stupid pills for breakfast.

The crewman, Janty Combs, pulled away from Taryn's grasp. "What retrofit, sir?" She grabbed the clipboard and ran her finger down the list of planes. "There's nothing listed here." Her gaze met Taryn's. "Did you check it on the post-flight report?"

Taryn had no idea if she had or not. She'd been lucky to get the craft landed after pulling a double shift rotation.

The deck chief nosed into the conversation. "Is there a problem here, lieutenant?"

Taryn snapped her gaze to his. "Yeah, chief. My bird is down and I'm due back out on the next shift." Her head spun at the thought. "Wanna tell me why the part didn't get installed?"

The chief, Robbie Newman, gave her a smug look. "I'm pretty sure it's because you didn't check the little ticky box to let us know it needed to be done."

Taryn did a slow five count. "Bullshit. Even if I didn't make the note, the stripped piece is noticeable. Anyone with a pair of eyeballs can see it right there in the open." She shouldn't have to explain any of this.

Robbie folded his arms over his chest. "Maybe so, lieutenant, but we have twenty-seven birds on the hangar deck right now."

Taryn snorted. "So what? Checks and balances, chief. The post-flight report isn't the be all end all of anything. It's your job to go over them between launches. The checklist is only a guide meant to help you out." She couldn't and shouldn't have to do everything.

Right, as if that makes a damn bit of difference.

Newman flung his arm out. "We've been a little busy, sir. In case you hadn't noticed." His voice lowered to an angry hiss.

Taryn resisted the urge to punch Robbie in the face. "Not a good comeback, chief. You should've caught it. Talk to me about busy when you're pulling back-to-back shifts on four hours of sleep. Until then, the whole deck crew can kiss my ass and fix my damn plane." But not in time for her to fly it. "Whose plane is available?"

The chief glanced at the ready board. "Tandem's is closest to the launch tube." His lips twitched.

Taryn closed her eyes. "Great." George Tandem always left his cockpit smelling like the putrid cologne he splashed on before every shift.

Robbie laughed and shook his head. "You asked. I answered."

Taryn gave him a level look. "I'm going to kill you in your sleep." If she didn't die from the overpowering scent of eau de George and utter exhaustion first.

I'm having a fun time writing this one. Taryn is about to flip out but help is on the way.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: The Lottery

Happy Valentine's to those who celebrate. We're supposed to get blasted with more snow but I definitely won't gripe about it because I have family and friends in Texas that will no doubt have it so much worse.

Semi-busy week again with a new work project. Things are picking up a little and I'm grateful and happy to have work still coming in.

I started a new episode of Blue Heelers and have a feeling it's going to be an interesting one. I love getting slice of life glimpses into the town and how it operates.

I finished up the first part of Silent Witness's last two episodes of season eight. I'll be starting the second part this week. Then it's off to season nine.

Caught another episode of No Offence and I'm still liking the show. I'm not a big comedy fan, which is probably evident in my weekly recaps, but I will give dramedies a shot. Glad I stuck with this one.

New seasons are starting of show I normally watch but I'm so far behind. I haven't been in the mood or the right headspace to really absorb some of them. Maybe I'll get there during the blizzard that's supposed to be headed our way.

I also caught my usual fare of mystery shows this week, but that's pretty much it for television. Tonight's post is from The Lottery, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

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…

Veronica nodded. "Damn straight. And that opens up a barrage of other issues. Who's going to babysit? Shit, parent, whatever? Neither of us has plans to muster out. What do we do with a kid?" Geez, her brain spun with questions.

Michael held up a hand. "Valid concerns, but I'm not the man with the answers here." His frown said more than his words.

Of course not. Only one person had the master plan. Veronica narrowed her eyes, wondering if the commandant and the chancellor's personal lives would end up in the deep freeze because of this lame idea.

Garrett pushed back at his dad. "What about the logistics? Did the chancellor give any thought to those? How do we maintain a duty roster when officers are tied up either trying to create life or care for it once it arrives?" He paced back and forth.

Again, Michael shook his head. "Look, I don't disagree. Why don't you two go straight to the source of concern for answers?" One side of his mouth twisted.

Veronica no longer wondered if things had cooled between the commandant and the chancellor anymore. They had. No doubt about it.

Veronica snorted. "Wanna bet she won't have time to see us before we're supposed to report to the GCB?" And wouldn't that put another wrinkle on top everything.

Garrett growled. "Screw that. I don't think she checked the charter articles before she issued those orders. Unless we're at war, she can't make us report anywhere with only twenty-fours' notice." He stopped walking and almost started on another tirade.

Michael stepped in. "She'll see you. I'll make sure of it." The low snarl in his tone indicated he wouldn't take no for an answer.

Veronica slid Garrett a sideways glance. They might not accomplish anything by listing their grievances with the chancellor. But they had to try, right?

Garrett nodded. "Thanks, Dad. Can't really ask for more."

Veronica hoped to lighten the mood. "Well, we could … but we won't." She sent the commandant a wobbly smile.

Michael pushed away from the desk. "I haven't said it yet, but I'm happy for you two." He came around and put an arm around each of them.

Veronica appreciated the gesture. Their change in status came at a weird and chaotic time. The old man's acceptance meant a lot.

Garrett and Veronica accepted the congratulations but Veronica hoped their relationship wouldn't become a casualty of the population mandate.

We can survive this, right?

I'm having a lot of fun with the premise of this story. I like having a couple who pretty much just discovered they want to make a go of things then have a huge curveball thrown at them.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Losing the Light

So far, February has been cold and snowy in Ohio. Not a complaint or anything. It's been a while since we've had snow that stuck around for longer than a day or two.

Had a fairly busy work week but I did manage to get a couple of shows watched. I started with the last two episodes of Queens of Mystery and also caught the behind the scenes and easter egg specials. I'm looking forward to another season of this show if they decide to go ahead.

I started another episode of Silent Witness and should finish it up over the next day or so. This two-parter will round out the eighth season and I'll start nine in the near future.

Caught the first episode of a new-to-me series, No Offence. Set in Manchester, I really liked the first episode. It's a bit of a dramedy which isn't usually my cuppa but I'll give this one a solid shot.

Also got another episode of Blue Heelers almost finished. This had a fun crop circle thing going on to offset a tragedy. The only thing left is the reveal of who committed a murder.

Caught my usual Ovation mysteries also. And I found a channel that's showing Poltergeist: The Legacy, which I loved when it originally aired. I really miss old-school Syfy channel sometimes. The current incarnation annoys me to the point I can't really watch it anymore. I think the freak of the week movies really ruined the entire channel for me.

That's it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Losing the Light, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Walker Garrett always does the right thing—except when it comes to Barret Danks. Barret never listens when she doesn't want to hear what's said, but Walker's ultimatum has her accepting a post on a newly terraformed planet. With him in the air and her on the ground, working out their issues doesn't seem likely … until Walker gets a call to meet with Barret's boss.

And a sneaky peek…

"How long do you think it will take for the unrest to settle down?" Barret Danks dropped down beside her current, but unpublicized, better half, Walker Garrett.

He glanced up from the pile of reports he reviewed. "With the political nature? Probably the standard two or three years." He set the files aside and brought her legs up onto his lap.

Barret flicked her gaze toward the hatch. "Is this a good idea?" They hadn't gone public about their status.

Walker shrugged. "If we're going to be here for a while, people will figure it out." His tone implied they probably had already.

His hands wrapped around one of her feet and massaged, his fingers digging into the arch. Any concern about being caught in a compromising position dissolved.

Barret groaned. "I swear you have magic in your fingers." And other parts of his anatomy.

He grinned. "It's why you keep me around, right." He used his knuckles to work over a knot.

She did what he expected and laughed, but the comment jabbed a little. To date, their relationship hovered somewhere between casual friends with benefits and exclusive almost long-term. Seriously, after working together as long as they had, he'd become her best friend. She never wanted to lose that.

She nudged her other foot closer. "You're good for lots of things but foot massages rank pretty high on the list." She grinned when he took the hint and started rubbing again.

She turned her attention to the reason they were orbiting a newly terraformed planet. The shaky political situation had the entire ship talking. Nothing like the threat of failure to make tongues wag.

Barret shifted to a sitting position. "We're going to be doing a lot of policing aren't we?" They probably wouldn't be able to help doing so.

Walker nodded. "Maybe at first. But the electoral delegates should set up a law enforcement faction within the first six months. After that, the military hangs back and usually manages engineering projects on a large scale until the infrastructure is up and running." He got up to file the reports he'd been viewing earlier.

Barret waited until he settled back beside her. "Ugh, makes my head ache." She shifted her position and rested her head on his shoulder. "I'd rather eat gears than deal with all the intrigue and craziness on the planet." She had better plans for her time with Walker tonight.

He got up and held out his hand. "Sounds like you need my magic fingers somewhere else." He wagged his eyebrows.

Barret grasped his palm. "Damn, you take hints really well." They made their way to their favorite hookup spot—the training room on the lowest deck.

Barret had her shirt off and her pants halfway down before Walker had the hatch secure. When he turned, she crooked her finger and let her fatigues hit the floor. He yanked his shirt over his head and popped the button on his pants. Barret stepped away from her clothes and laughed when Walker stalked after her.

He caught up and hauled her close to his chest. "Are you aiming to misbehave?" His voice went low and smoky.

She tilted her chin up to meet his gaze. "Don't I always?" Dragging her tongue along his jawline, she nipped at his lower lip.

Walker growled and caught her face between his hands "You're a wicked woman, Barret." He leaned in close.

She grinned." I know. It's one of the things you love most about me."

At least she liked to think so.

This story took a few turns I didn't expect and I'm excited to see what else the sages throw my way.

 

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

ML Skye