Sunday Snippet: Damn the Torpedo Flu

Happy Easter to those who celebrate. Happy regular Sunday to those who don't. After three days of lovely temperatures, we're back to mid-forties and chilly. I'll take the cooler weather because the warm-up seemed to bring the ticks out. Pulled three of them off my spouse yesterday. That's usually a May through October problem.

Got to enjoy a wonderful Friday with my daughter at an art walk. She's a project manager for a county arts council and knows many of the artists. So much fun!

Had a busy work week. Finished up a copy edit and proofread for one of the publishers I edit for. Also finished a proofread for a memoir. Continued work on two other proofreads. I have a developmental edit to start this week and hopefully another copy edit.

Ended up with an okay viewing week. I got through most of the shows I watch. I ended up skipping two because I didn't feel well and couldn't concentrate on more than one thing at a time. I did get some cleaning and decluttering done when I needed a break from work projects.

Started off with My Life Is Murder and quite enjoyed the mystery. I love Alexa and Madison's friendship, especially when Madison pushes Alexa out of her comfort zone.

Caught another Foyle's War and ended the eighth season. Loved Sam's good news and kind of felt sorry for Miss Pierce. There are several behind the scenes episodes that I hope to watch this week.

Watched another Return to Paradise and I'm almost finished with the first season. Not sure when the second will be available to me, but I'll look forward to it.

Also enjoyed another episode of Poirot. A holiday episode with a truly distasteful antagonist that thankfully didn't last long. I loved Poirot coming to Japp's rescue once the singing started. If you know, you know.

Elementary ended up being very good. I'm kind of interested to see where Joan's story goes with Shin. Also enjoyed Sherlock's chess match with Shin.

I binge-watched some Brokenwood Mysteries. The new season starts this week and I'll dive into it as soon as I finish up My Life Is Murder.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Damn the Torpedo Flu, a novella that explores what happens when one couple is the last man standing … so to speak.

Here's the miniblurb:

When the torpedo flu hits the space station, Paisley and Dale are practically the last ones standing. Working through the crisis will bring them closer together, if they don't kill each other first.

And a sneaky peek…

::Pass the word. A full one-third of the station has been torpedoed. Stay clear of the heads on levels five and seven. Engineering is down by nine workers, and they closed those two levels. If you gotta go, hit level six or eight. Pass the word. The outbreak has torpedoed one-third of the crew.::

Paisley heaved a sigh. "Great the head will be packed on six. No one likes the one on eight." She frowned. "It's too cold."

Dale snorted. "Maybe you should make that one your official place to hide out." He snagged the crew roster and marked off more blocks.

Paisley shivered. "No, it really is too cold down there." She glanced up. "Unless you wanna keep me warm?" She could go for getting up close and personal with him.

Dale smirked. "I can do that right here, which is where I'm staying for the duration." He nodded toward the door to the back wall. "Duck through there and the old single bathroom is usable." He inclined his head toward the long row of filing cabinets. "The last three are empty. I took up two with my gear." He leaned back in his chair.

Paisley grinned. "Are you inviting me to move in?" How interesting.

Dale shrugged. "I'm offering you a place to crash until this damned flu runs its course." He leaned forward again. "The less we interact with others, the better our chances of coming through this unscathed." He cocked his head toward his shoulder. "But the choice is obviously yours."

Paisley flashed a smile. "The easy access to a bathroom that isn't a walk-in freezer sells it." She waggled her eyebrows. "But you're a bonus too."

Dale rolled his eyes. "Shut up and go get your stuff?" He got up and fished a key from a hook on the bulkhead then handed it to her.

Paisley bounced off the couch. "I'll be back before you miss me." She brushed her mouth over his. "Thank you for this." Patting his chest, she skipped to the hatch.

Dale's lips quirked. "Yeah, yeah. You'd do the same for me." He huffed out a breath. "Right?" His tone showed his doubt.

Paisley shot him a deadpan glance. "If you have to ask, you don't deserve to know." Ducking out into the corridor, her laughter trailed behind her.

This one is shaping up to be way more fun than I thought it would be. I love writing Paisley and Dale.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Damn the Torpedo Flu

March entered the room with some wild weather, which isn't a big surprise. Still having the back and forth chilly then warm and lots of rain and wind. I expect nothing less from my birth month.

Got a lot accomplished on my work projects. I have a new one coming in sometime in the next week or two and I'm looking forward to jumping into another new one this week.

Didn't get a lot of television watched this week, but I got a few episodes in.

Finished up The Mandalorian episode I started and thoroughly enjoyed it. My brother used to be obsessed with the sand people so it's fun to see them in action in this episode.

My Battlestar Galactica rewatch continued with "Act of Contrition." So many great moments in this episode and the acting is stellar. For a show that came out twenty years ago, I have vivid memories of watching this for the first time.

I also caught another episode of Only Murders in the Building. I kind of love where they're taking things at the moment. It'll be hard to top the first season for me, but I'm excited to see how this plays out. I'm really hoping it holds up.

That's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Damn the Torpedo Flu, a sexy short that explores how a friends-with-benefits relationship goes much deeper during an outbreak of the worst flu possible.

Here's the mini-blurb:

When the torpedo flu hits the space station, Paisley and Dale are practically the last ones standing. Working through the crisis will bring them closer together, if they don't kill each other first.

And a sneaky peek…

Dale nudged Paisley back a little. "We'd better get some shut eye. Gonna be rough for a while." An understatement.

Paisley arched a brow. "My rack or yours?" She scooted off his lap and stretched.

His lips curved. "Mine." Rising, he chuckled. "See, you're already exhausted." Even if they only slept, he liked having her tucked against his side.

She bit back a yawn. "True. It's been a day and the shitty new didn't help." Walking to the hatch, she paused a moment. "I'm hoping to keep on most of the pilots in line and in the air." Crossing the threshold into the corridor, she waited for him to dog the door. "Maybe we should recommend they steer clear of the miners."

Dale fell in to step beside her. "That won't happen, but we can make the suggestion." The causeway didn't have much traffic and they made it to quarters in good time.

Paisley stopped by his bunk. "You don't think we can keep our crew from mixing with the civilians?" She stepped out of her fatigues.

Dale huffed out a breath. "Two squadrons of twenty each? The damage is probably already done." He shucked his pants, dragged his shirt off, and ducked inside the berth. "But we can minimize the fallout by making it clear contact should be kept to a minimum from this point forward." He held the blanket up for Paisley.

She finished undressing and crawled in beside him. "Dammit. I hate that you're right. Between the galley crew exposing one half and the civilians mingling with the other half … we're in for some dark days." Rolling into his side, she put her head on his shoulder.

Dale cupped her chin. "We work well in the dark." His mouth slanted over hers for a quick kiss. "But not tonight. Let's grab sleep while we can."

Paisley shuffled around, putting her back to his chest. "Right. We hit the ground running in the morning and find time for something more maybe later…"

Dale wrapped an arm around her. "Definitely."

This is a sweet moment before the ugly hits hard. Paisley and Dale will have to get creative to avoid succumbing to the nasty bug on the station.

 

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Damn the Torpedo Flu

WooHoo! I have a new roof on my garage and both porches. Our back porch actually includes our bathroom and laundry room and we’ve had leaks for the past five years. Here’s to not having those anymore! We went with a blue metal and it looks terrific with the slate roof of the house. I’m thrilled the job took, I’m not kidding, a day and a half. I figured it would take a week to get it all done. Glad I was wrong.

Busy week on the work front. Finished up a project and started two more. I did get some television viewing in but had a light week.

I caught an episode of Riverdale and enjoyed getting back to the regular timeline. I’m completely creeped out with Cheryl’s weird deal with her corpse brother but I love the battle of wills she’s having with the new principal. Loved having some story with Reggie. Also liked seeing Mad Dog join the group. I want Kevin and Betty to get back to their usual friendship and I’m happy to see him kind of wake up to the evils of the farmies. Here’s hoping Fangs comes back to the fold.

I watched The Will, a Passionflix original movie, and thoroughly enjoyed it! The casting ended up being spot-on and I had fun watching this one. I’ll be looking forward to the next release Passionflix puts out.

Caught another episode of Danger Man aka Secret Agent. I forever have The Prisoner in my mind when I watch these episodes even if they’re not technically related. Probably because I watched The Prisoner first.

Watched the third episode of Midsomer Murders. Enjoyed it a lot. It had some good twists and turns I didn’t expect.

Viewed another first season episode of Peak Practice. I’m not quite sure what I’m supposed to think about Will. The character is, I think, the only one who remained for all twelve series. Right now, he’s kind of a petulant, whiny child most of the time and I don’t know if I’m supposed to like him or not. Since it’s only four episodes so far, I’ll reserve judgment.

Finished up Classic Who season ten with Three and the end of Jo’s tenure as a companion. The Green Death episodes were a pretty interesting arc and I like how Jo ended her time with the doctor. Looking forward to starting season eleven.

Strike Back is back, as noted in last week’s post. I’m currently watching the first episode of the season and, wow, Coltrane definitely has a big-ass chip on his shoulder. He kind of acts like he didn’t have his ass saved by his team not so long ago. That said, I’m not all the way through the first episode yet so I’ll reserve judgment.

And that’s pretty much it for television this week. Tonight’s post is from Damn the Torpedo Flu, a sexy short that got a start with a writing community prompt.

Here’s the mini-blurb:

When the torpedo flu hits the space station, Paisley and Dale are practically the last ones standing. Working through the crisis will bring them closer together if they don't kill each other first.

And a sneaky peek…

::Pass the word. The number of torpedoed occupants is one-fourth of the station. Food services have been hit hard. Try to use the automated stations in the mess halls and avoid the galley. Pass the word. One-fourth of the station has succumbed to the outbreak::

Dale reviewed the schedule again. "So far, we're covered. Only one more pilot from orange squadron is down." He shuffled the rosters into a folder.

Paisley frowned. "I have a bad feeling about this whole situation. A quarter of the station has this virus? And it's already hit the galley crew?" She got up and paced back and forth.

Dale shrugged. "Not like we use the galley much anyway. Why does this have you so twitchy?" He got up and stepped in front of her.

She met his gaze. "Because we're not the norm. Most of our pilots meet in the galley and decide where to hang out for dinner. They don't do the whole grab something on the fly and find a quiet spot for some alone time." Her lips curved in a wry, suggestive smile.

And, okay, she had a point. But why the freak out?

He tilted his head. "I'm still not getting it. What's the big deal?" People had to eat and if the galley crew— "Ah… damn. The galley workers dropping like flies means they've already breathed all their germs on others. Shit." He backed up and started pacing.

Paisley gave a hard nod. "And now he sees the light." She reached back and snagged the flight roster file. "Look, we've got a backup to our main schedule. We are covered for now." Waving the folder, she caught his attention.

Dale paused and exhaled slowly. "But it's only gonna get harder from here. There's no way we won't have some flaming hoops to jump through before this is over." His shoulders slumped when the weight of what they faced hit him.

Paisley put the roster aside. "Okay, look, you didn't really think we'd get through this nasty virus unscathed, did you?" She grabbed his hand and tugged him down onto the small sofa in the office.

His head hit the back cushions. "No, not completely. But I really didn't think we'd have a full quarter of the station down so soon either." He straightened. "You haven't had anything from the galley lately, have you?" If he lost Paisley to this stupid ailment, he'd go insane.

She shook her head. "Nope. You know I rarely have time to get there, through the lines, and back to whatever needs my attention." Sending him a sideways glance, her lips quirked. "Even when there's not a full-blown crisis going on."

Dale laced their fingers together. "Pretty sure I can't keep this—the schedule, the roster, everything—without you." He lifted their palms and kissed her knuckles.

Paisley snorted. "I know you can't. And I couldn't either." Resting her head on his shoulder, she sighed. "I'll make sure to stop by the infirmary and see if there's anything that'll stave off or delay symptoms. We have to keep as many pilots in the air as possible." Squeezing his fingers, she let go then turned to straddle his lap.

He put his hands on her hips. "I'm sensing we're done talking for now." He skimmed his fingers along her torso.

Paisley gave him a sexy smirk. "Never let it be said you can't state the obvious." Her head tilted forward and she kissed his jawline.

I can honestly say I’m having fun with this one. I didn’t know if having a story based around a viral outbreak would work well with romance, but Paisley and Dale are hilarious and snarky, which is always a treat to write.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Damn the Torpedo Flu

October 16, 2016

Whew. Crazy busy weekend with my daughter's first high school homecoming. Very glad to have a day to recover. LOL

In television this week, Gotham keeps pulling out the stops and taking twists I'm not expecting. I like that. Keep bringing the crazy, please.

Caught up on Agents of SHIELD. The season feels a little choppy so far, but I'll keep watching to see if the flow smooths out a little. I'll honestly say I'm slightly tired of the whole constantly being betrayed by someone on the inside scenarios. Here's hoping that isn't what's going on.

The Flash is doing a pretty decent job of explaining the reset of the timeline and how it's bled over into the other verses. A little tripped up over the gender swap on Arrow. I'll say nothing else in case folks are behind.

I kind of like Oliver having to train a new team on Arrow. Really not sure about the whole Felicity thing. Reserving judgment until more of the season plays out. Diggle's in dire straits again, which, eh, could get old fast.

Legends of Tomorrow rocked!! I rather miss Snart not being with the team and Rip is hopefully not completely lost. Mick is a total riot and I'm kind of liking how he's meshing with the team.

MacGyver had another good episode. It's a fun Friday night show and the cast works well together. A little disappointed with the Penny character, but it's her introduction so we'll see how things play out there.

Van Helsing still isn't quite doing anything for me. Maybe this is a show I need to binge watch to really sink into the storyline. We'll see what happens.

The Walking Dead returns next week. I'm still "meh" about the premiere. That could change in a week. LOL

And that's it for TV this week. Tonight's post is from Damn the Torpedo Flu, a sexy short about finding hot romance in the middle of a crisis.

Here's the mini-blurb:

When the torpedo flu hits the space station, Paisley and Dale are practically the last ones standing. Working through the crisis will bring them closer together, if they don't kill each other first.

And a sneaky peek…

::Pass the word. All passes to the recreation and commerce sectors of Riva Anchorage are hereby revoked or on hold. Attention. Pass the word. An outbreak of the torpedo flu is confirmed and spreading like wildfire::

Paisley Groves stopped midstride and let out a groan. Glancing up, she shot a middle finger at the speaker. "Damned miners. Figures they'd bring some horrid virus back."

::The mining and military sectors are under quarantine until the virus runs its course. Mining operations are suspended until the source is discovered and eradicated::

Paisley snorted. "Oh, sure. The miners get a break. But what about the rest of us?" She started toward the head again. "Not bloody likely."

Undogging the hatch, she swung the door out and almost ran into her CAG, Dale Helmsworth.

He caught her by the shoulders. "I take it you heard the announcement." Stepping back, he followed her into the unisex bathroom.

Paisley slid a sideways glance his way. "Be hard not to." Yanking her locker open, she rifled through to find her shower kit. "What the hell is torpedo flu?" No doubt something vile and debilitating.

Dale propped a shoulder on the metal enclosure next to hers. "From what I've heard, it's like regular influenza on stims. And there's no warning period. That's why they call it the torpedo flu. Sneaks up all stealthy like and hits fast." He shuddered.

Paisley swallowed hard. "How fast?"

Dale met her gaze and held it. "Dropping like flies fast."

Oh, yeah. Definitely vile.

She gathered her kit and a large towel. "Geez. That sucks." Slamming the door closed, she started for the shower stalls. "What are the symptoms?" Not that she'd go anywhere near a sick person. No way.

Dale trailed behind her. "The usual. Fatigue, head and body aches. But instead of cold symptoms like coughing and sneezing, the chills and fever are worse and dehydration is a big problem." He stopped outside the cubicle she chose, drawing the curtain closed behind her.

Stripping off her clothes, she handed them through the opening into Dale's waiting hands. "Ugh. Guess I'll be drinking buttloads of water then." She turned the water on and waited for it to warm up. "Are there any preventative measures? A vaccine or something?" Considering she'd never heard of torpedo flu before today, she had doubts.

Dale confirmed her fears. "Nope. It's not common enough to be in our standard yearly boosters." He popped the cap on her shower gel and loaded the washcloth she stuck out.

Scrubbing down, Paisley faced the ugly truth. "Dammit. This is going to suck. How long before we start seeing the effects?" She rinsed the suds and held her hand out for shampoo.

Dale squirted a dollop in her palm. "Already are. We're down two pilots already."

Paisley lathered her hair. "Shit. Seriously, just shit, shit, shit." Her brain already started reworking the flight roster.

Dale stopped her progress. "I've rescheduled the next two days, so we're covered for now." He had her towel ready when the water turned off.

Taking the terry cloth, Paisley quickly patted dry then wrapped the fabric around her torso. "Okay, maybe we should put out a recommendation for the squadrons to steer clear of the miners." She flashed a quick smile. "Thanks for the assist, as always."

Usually they'd be sharing a stall, but he'd no doubt been busy with briefings and redoing the flight roster.

Dale grinned. "Least I can do. We're going to have our work cut out for us." He gathered her dirty clothes and settled on a bench after tossing them in the laundry bin. "We can ask the pilots to stay in our quadrant, but it's probably a moot point."

Paisley grimaced. "Yeah, yeah. There's way too much fraternizing between the two groups." Not that she had room to talk.

Dale's lips twisted in a smirk. "Yeah, well, we don't set the best example." He reached into her locker and pulled out a fresh pair of warm-ups, a soft t-shirt, and underthings.

Paisley sighed. "Maybe I'll hole up in a supply locker until the contagious period is over." She seriously considered the idea.

Being sick rated right above getting shot on her list of things to avoid. Actually, getting the flu might be worse than taking a bullet.

Dale quirked a brow. "You know there's not enough room for two in those lockers, right?" His palm glided over her calf.

Paisley paused, her t-shirt halfway over her head. "Damn. You're right." She finished putting her top on then grabbed her pants and stepped into them. "Okay, no supply locker." Straddling his lap, she met his gaze. "For now. I reserve the right to call first dibs when everything goes totally sideways."

Dale wrapped his arms around her. "Deal."

I love having fun with my characters. Dale and Paisley provide lots of enjoyment.

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

ML Skye

Sunday Snippet: Damn the Torpedo Flu

So… Orphan Black keeps blowing my mind. Seriously, I would have NEVER dreamed I'd be interested in seeing Vic the Dick again, but playing opposite Allison is such an interesting little twist. Angie, or whatever her name is, kinda continues to irritate me, but I'm totally along for the ride to see what she's trying to pull off.

The whole deal with Helena creeps me out, but keeps me riveted to the screen, too. LOL Then there's Sarah… I have so much love for her. The cold war between Rachel and Sarah and how it's dragging Helena and Cosima into the middle of it keeps me glued to the screen.

And let's talk about Paul. Without revealing too much, I sooooo want to know more about him, but I love the loosely defined loyalties he has and the way he's pulled from all directions.

Enough about television… tonight's post is from Damn the Torpedo Flu and my main characters are in the lurch due to an outbreak of a nasty virus that has their crew members down for the count.

Here's the tagline:

When the Torpedo Flu hit the space station Paisley and Dale are practically the last ones standing. Working through the crisis will bring them closer together, if they don't kill each other first.

And a sneaky peek…

Paisley stood toe to toe with Dale. "Yeah, well, you can suck it. Because I'm not going to fly your stupid CAP."

Dale lifted a brow. "Is that right?"

She nodded. "Yeah, you can put me on notice. Throw me in the brig. Hell, you can make me work in the galley. Don't care. But I won't fly CAP."

Dale's lips quirked. "Well, okay, then. I guess we'll have to leave the safety of the fleet to the flying skills of Beehive and Mojo." He turned and headed for the briefing room.

Paisley caught up. "Are you insane?" She grabbed Lee's arm. "Beehive can't hit anything to save his own life, and Mojo just cleared quarantine. Do you want the enemy to attack, 'cause using them is just asking for it."

Dale cocked his head. "They're what I've got, Paise. Unless I pull one of the grunts from engineering." He snorted. "They might have a better chance at actually hitting an enemy raider."

Paisley made a frustrated growl. "Shit. There's no one else?"

Dale jerked his head back. "There's me and you. If you fly with Beehive, I can cover next watch with Mojo. Carper says the worst will be over by then and pilots will be able to fly without heaving in their helmets."

Paisley sighed. "Fine. But I want Mojo. You take Beehive. The guy never shuts up and I'll shoot him if he tells the fish market story again."

Dale agreed. "Whatever works." He glanced at the clock. "Better get suited up. Pre-flight briefing in ten."

Paisley groaned. "I hate you." She started heading for quarters, but glanced back over her shoulder. "Just needed to get it out there."

Dale chuckled. "Duly noted, Paisley. Duly noted."

This one is fun to write. :D

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

ML Skye