Derin Edala

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038: NERVES

The crew gather in the medbay once more. Only half of us have done much actual physical labour today, but weariness shows on everyone’s faces. It’s clear that we’re all quite sick of random c...

4.84: Trojan

I was folding hospital gowns when Malas came up behind me. “Kayden.”

“Huh?” I quickly caught the stack of gowns I’d pushed over when I jumped and turned around.

“I’ve sent...

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From Africa to the Stars – further thoughts on the Exodus Phenomenon by Dr Aspen Greaves

Introduction

Of all the traits almost unique to the human...

4.83: The Vessel

“Are you going to eat today or what?” Kylie called from her bed.

“In a bit. I want to finish this notebook.” I was continuing the tedious task of photographing all of Max’s notes, i...

037: MODIFY

“We’re in space! I’m not cutting a hole in his space suit!”

“He’ll die if you don’t.”

“Aspen, please.” The Friend’s voice is gentle. “This plan isn’t great, bu...

4.82: Interrogation

Talbot’s party didn’t run too long, which was good, because we were busy. Kylie had to do homework, and I had to lord over her the fact that I didn’t have any homework.

We’d barely se...

Ask Me Anything 6 -- Cheryl Castor

Has it been hard to unlearn/stop practicing rituals to ward off curses?

Oh, yes. I still carry a few charms around with me.

What is your worst fear? 2023-01-08 09:19:36 +0000 UTC View Post

4.81: Catching Up

“Are you ready?” Kylie called to me through my bedcurtains.

“I can’t find my sash,” I replied.

“Your what?”

“My sash. For my robes. I swear I had it when I did lau...

036: HEIGHTS

Beyond the little safety wall, we have about two metres of clearance before the solid floor of the javelin shielding’s end cap gives way to the grid of straight bars that supports the electrostat...

4.80: Impressions

Learning to pick locks probably wasn’t worth my time, I decided, because I almost immediately thought of something better. Before my next shift, I went to the school store and poked around until ...

4.79: Found Family

Josh’s party was relaxed a casual in a way that I had not come to expect, from mage parties. It was held in a small classroom, with a cake and some snacks, and a handful of tacky paper decoration...

4.78: The Magic Wall

“Kayden.”

“Hmm?” I looked up from the syringes I was cataloguing at Dae-hyun, one of Malas’ older apprentices. I’d been an apprentice for about two weeks before Malas paired me wi...

035: MORALE

“Are we sure this’ll work?” Adin asks.

I look down at the hospital bed. The seven of us are crammed into the small medbay, and the bulky space suit on the bed makes it feel even smaller...

4.77: Power And Portals

Kylie recovered quickly. It seemed like her spell was perfectly content once I was back in range, and she just needed a bit of rest. I… wasn’t so lucky.

Since getting back on campus, I’...

4.76: A Tightening Leash

Two days before the holidays, Jamil asked me to take him back to the lake. We used one of my rock climbing lines to keep him anchored in the water while the tentacles did their work.

“You f...

Behind the Keyboard -- The Coven

034: COMORBIDITY

“Dear Lord in heaven,” Tinera mumbles around a mouthful of greenhouse beans, “I forgot what eating real food was like.”

“I didn’t even know you could sautee with moss oil,” Lina...

4.75: Blood And Paper

Clearly the ‘use English for the initiates’ portion of the meeting was over, because Malas spoke in Ido. “The decision to terminate kylie’s contract was sneaky and unlawful in the first pla...

4.74: Uncompromising

Wait, she was accusing Max of what? I opened my mouth to protest, but Hua put a hand on my arm and shook her head, sharply. I stayed quiet.

“Mr Acanthos acted in self defense – �...

033: PREDICAMENT

Four of us – me, the Friend, Lina, and Tal – stroll toward Recreation and Medical Ring 2 at a leisurely pace while Tinera runs off to find the boys. I’m not sure why we need the entire crew f...

4.73: Political Assassination

I’d expected some exasperation from the Council. Some comments about the interruptions getting ridiculous. But there was silence, when Malas entered.

I looked back. All nine of them had sto...

4.72: Public Relations

“What’s going on?” Instruktanto Cooper asked.

“We’re being yelled at by teenagers,” Alania explained.

“Oh. Slow work week?”

“Taine, why are you here?” the Gran...

Ask Me Anything 5 -- the Public Universal Friend

Were you born, and raised a Friend, or did the philosophy, and way of life call to you as you grew up?

Nobody is born and raised a Friend. The Public Universal Friends do not...

032: CONVICTION

Everything about this situation makes less and less sense. Why would Denish be deconstructing a device from Da-bin’s body? And why would he lie about it? The idea that the device is from her body...

4.71: Faith in Leadership

The chamber felt different this time. The room itself was the same – huge, mostly empty, leaving us stranded in a vast space in the middle of the room, with an absurdly high table at the opposite...

4.70: Skin Deep

I took Malas up on his offer to drop by any time for training the very next day. I didn’t know how old Malas was, exactly, but he’d worked in a service job for the school for a really, really l...

4.69: A New Binding

“Maybe it’s like the Lake of Inquisition,” I suggested, “and you can only get to the service corridors if you have, like, access.” I pulled up a handful of green grass and let it drift th...

031: CONSPIRACY

I think the crew are hiding something.

And I know how that sounds, okay? I know. I’m very well aware that paranoia is an extremely common symptom of all kinds of stress-induced mental illne...

4.68: Stalking

“What does any of this mean?” I asked.

Kylie shrugged. “It might still be a coincidence. They might not be involved.”

“How could they possibly not be involved at this point?�...