Sunday Snippet: Not Quite Paradise

Well, hello, June. It's mind-boggling to think half the year is pretty much gone. I'm rather glad summer is just around the corner even though I'm not a huge fan of super-hot temperatures.

I've been in a weird place lately and pondering whether there's something else on my horizon. Lots of ideas are jostling in my brain. Stay tuned … I might have more to come on this topic.

Decent week of television this week. I started out with three episodes of The Muppet Show. Judy Collins, Nancy Walker, and Edger Bergen were the guest stars. Each episode ended up being pretty fun.

Caught another episode of The Hardy Boys. I'm enjoying the mystery and I really like the sibling interaction. It'll be interesting to see how deeply the grandmother is involved.

Watched another episode of Peak Practice. The show took a turn I didn't expect, which I always enjoy.

Enjoyed another Master Class with David Carson. The fifth lesson focused on putting yourself into your work. I came away with some great ideas.

Caught another episode of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Once again, I ended up surprised by Zelda. Still not a huge fan, but I think I'll end up liking her character arc.

Watched the third installment of The Ready Room. Michelle Hurd is such a cool actor. I've enjoyed her in almost everything she's participated in.

Caught another Passionflix Quickie. Hooked ended up being a lot of fun. I loved having an older couple as the main characters.

Ended up watching a full two-parter of Silent Witness. Really liked the storylines and their outcomes even though both weren't optimal.

Started a new episode of Blue Heelers. This one features a biker club and, so far, it's pretty decent.

Caught an episode of Chicago Med and liked the storylines. The reunion theme fit most of the scenes. The one confusing bit with the super-great surgeon maybe planted some seeds for future episodes. Not sure about that one.

Watched another episode of No Offence. I'm thoroughly enjoying the third series. Dinah and Viv are formidable and I love how Spike kind of slides in wherever he's needed. Good stuff.

Started a new arc of Classic Who. The second part of the key search isn't quite as interesting as the first, but I love K-9's interactions with everyone.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Not Quite Paradise, a novella that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Janee Neff and Oxley DeCosta are military transport pilots flying a peacetime mission to pick up new recruits when their craft crashes and strands them on a deserted moon. The couple discovers things aren't exactly what they seem when they find their signal beacon is destroyed by blaster fire, which means their unexpected vacation isn't quite paradise after all.

And a sneaky peek…

Janee Neff handed a clipboard to the deckhand. "Thanks, Wan. We won't be out long, right? The little pings shouldn't be a problem." Pre-flight checks always found little blips that shouldn't be cause for alarm.

Wan Jennings arched a brow. "You know if you come back with anything more than what's on this list, the chief will want your head on a pike." The deckhand rolled a shoulder. "It's your call, Janee." She backed out of the ship and pressed the release for the docking cables.

Janee gave her a thumbs-up then activated the panel to close the door. "When doesn't the chief want my head on a pike?" But she wouldn't be flying this time.

Oxley DeCosta swiveled around in the pilot's seat. "The only time you're not on the shit list is when you're washing the birds." He gave her a lopsided smirk.

She snorted, but didn't comment. Mainly because he didn't have things wrong. She ended up washing a lot of spacecrafts to soothe the chief's ruffled feathers.

Slipping into the copilot's station, she shot Ox a sideways glance. "We gonna take off or what?" Routine runs were boring enough … delaying their launch wouldn't make things more interesting.

Ox grunted. "Sure." He began the process of taxiing the mid-sized transport vehicle into the bay for takeoff. "Prepare to be dazzled into a semi-stupor of long-range scans and recon scouting before picking up the new recruits." Entering the marked location, he signaled the LSO and received the okay to lift off.

Janee gripped the arms of her chair. "Let's hit the black." She loved the sequence of barreling through the launch tube and hitting the inky darkness of space.

Ox pushed the joystick forward and they shot down the tunnel, gaining speed until he pressed the trigger and blasted out into the universe.

Janee checked their coordinates. "Heading for Hepheta's moon to establish synchronous orbit on my mark." Keying in the number sequence, she paused until they flashed on the screen. "And, mark."

Ox hit the jump switch and they winked out of sight then appeared directly above one of the moons of the planet Hepheta.

Janee verified their status. "We're a go for long-range and recon of the third moon." Spooling up the equipment, she did a quick rundown. "Breathable atmosphere, craggy outcroppings, H2O. Wow. A veritable paradise so far."

Ox snorted. "Right. Give it time. Let's see what the other two moons and the planet have going for them." He radioed the flagship then set their transport to the sequence. "Four days of mining data from the surface. Ugh."

Janee laughed. "What's the matter, Lieutenant Hot Stuff? Do the numbers make you go cross-eyed?" She loved teasing him.

Ox kicked back in his chair. "Yeesh. You jumped in before I could finish and say at least I had good company, but yeah, forget that now." He made a show of crossing his arms over his chest and pouting.

Janee rolled her eyes. "Fine. You get a free dig with no retaliation but you have to wait at least twenty-four hours to use it."

Ox gave her a wide grin. "I'm a patient man. Done."

Janee smiled. This would be a fun four-day jaunt.

Janee and Ox have some conflicting ideas about where this story is going but they'll always work out their issues … and maybe kick my sages into cooperation. LOL

 

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

ML Skye