The galleys of Terra Insegura showed up today for proofing. That’s always exciting. It means I can now find all the mistakes I should have caught last time around, and worry about all the things I should have maybe changed but are too major to change now. Fun!
It’s always interesting to see what text the publisher decided to pull from the book for the teaser at the front. And here it is, a somewhat abbreviated bit from early on in the story:
“COMPUTER, PLAY MESSAGE,” RICHARD ORDERED.
The voice that came over the bridge speakers was female, and as clear as if the woman speaking were standing there with them.
“MSS Victor Hansen, this is Captain Leora McFadden of the heavy freighter Bearer of Burdens, outbound for Stableford. You’ll forgive me if I’m suspicious you’re who you say you are: your ship IDs as BPS Sanctification. The few of us left alive in Earth space have been wondering when a Body warship would come back.
“But whoever you really are, there’s no reason you shouldn’t know the situation in Earth system before you do something foolish like taking someone aboard.
“Earth system is dead. A plague has killed the vast majority of the planet’s population. Not all, apparently: someone calling himself The Avatar still broadcasts orders occasionally, but I haven’t heard anybody responding to them. There have been a few bursts of communication that indicate groups of survivors are hanging on in various remote locations, but for the most part…Earth is one giant ball of corpses.
“So whoever you really are, MSS Victor Hansen, you’ve pretty much got the system to yourselves…and you’re welcome to it. Just don’t drink the water and don’t breathe the air.”
So, I know what I’ll be doing for the next little while.
“Is this a typo which I see before me?…Come, let me clutch thee…”
