Sunday Snippet: Shaken Alliances (a Technorati novella)

Happy spring holidays for those who celebrate. We're having a nice, quiet weekend with excellent weather for once.

Long work week but I got a lot accomplished. Should have one of my projects finished up this week and another ready to move on to the next phase. The third is in a holding pattern for now and we'll pick that one back up in about two weeks.

Had an okay week of watching television. I've also been working on the great clean out project again and that limited some of my viewing time.

I started out with Strangest Things. This show always entertains me with the wild and weird stuff they feature. The psychograph shed some light on at least one X-Files storyline for me.

Continued my rewatch of Battlestar Galactica with "Flesh and Bone." The reintroduction of the Leoben character is an excellent watch, even if I completely dislike that particular model of cylon. The acting is terrific in this episode.

Caught another episode of The Mandalorian. Nice to see the big bad from last season is still a big bad. Always great to see Carl Weathers. Loved Grogu's antics in this one. Can't wait to watch the next episode.

Watched another episode of Only Murders in the Building. Loved seeing the fan crew again. Not sure how I feel about bringing Jan back into the story but I'm thoroughly enjoying the new wrinkle with Oliver and Teddy. I'm looking forward to the next episode.

And that's pretty much it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Shaken Alliances, the opening book in the Technorati series.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Janna Allgood, a corporal in the Alliance, is the best at what she does, bringing Technorati deceivers to justice. But when she's assigned the task of tracking down the notorious leader of the rogue technomancers, she discovers a new calling, one that puts her life in danger because it may bring down the Alliance she works for.

And a preview snippet…

The chancellor of the Alliance stepped up to the podium. "On this defining day, let it be known that the Guild of Technomancers will forthwith be in league with the Alliance, acting as mediators and part of the executive branch." He paused and looked out at the crowd below then directly toward the hololens filming his speech and sending it out among the coalition of planets. "Welcome to the golden age of the Alliance!"

The crowd roared and the chancellor melted back into the shadows before entering his chambers. Satisfaction infused him and he nodded to Rennick, the junior delegate from the guild. Rennick lifted his chin and gave the chancellor a long, level look before turning to exit for his journey back to wherever technomancers gathered.

And so it went. A very powerful, but peaceful group signed on the dotted line and sold themselves out. The technomancers let the Alliance dictate how they'd use their talents, let the galactic force put restrictions on their abilities. The thought behind it was pure. If they could provide assistance and help forge peace where there none existed, how could that be bad?

After all, the chief tenet of the guild, learned as soon as the ability manifested, hadn't changed in eons. Bring harm to none.

But the concept of brokering peace altered over the years to protecting the Alliance and making things run smoothly for the galactic entity at all costs.

The guild's goodwill became a travesty and had to be stopped. A rift formed and an underground movement started with the formation of the Technorati. The Alliance made moves to halt the progress, tightened up their hold on the guild and forbade them from practicing outside the influence of their keepers.

Some fell in and towed the line. But a few others walked away and chose their own path. They refused to be held to someone else's standard. They went out and honed their craft, experimented, tested boundaries, and completely broke free.

The small group of Technorati became the hunted. Tracked down at any cost and offered a choice. Come back into the fold or suffer the consequences. Most chose to stay as they were. Some dodged the bullet by escaping or going deeper into hiding. Those on the inside that wanted to be free got assistance from the rogue group. They were smuggled out and provided for until they got on their feet.

More and more of the technomancers started to escape and the Alliance formed a new division. One created to put a stop to the exodus.

Being hunted by their own people made breaking the bonds of servitude more difficult...

But not impossible.

I'm excited by the way this story is coming together. I think I figured out how I want to leave things before I start book two.

 

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Shaken Alliances (A Technorati novella)

Well, May is starting out fairly chilly and gloomy in my part of the country. It's been quite a while since we've had true spring weather and we're definitely getting it so far. I'm hoping it doesn't rain on the weekend my youngest gets to have her drive-up graduation. We're still not risking anyone's health by having a full-blown commencement ceremony.

Slower than usual week in television. I finally got to finish Picard and Strike Back; also got Strike Back Declassified in. I love those behind the scenes moments and interviews.

Finished up a four-part arc on Gargoyles, watching the last two episodes this week. It's weird how the voice actors are enemies on this show and their characters are allies on Star Trek TNG.

Watched another episode of The Witcher. This show has me very intrigued. Definitely glad there will be another season. At least I think there will be.

Caught several episodes of Danger Man, most being ones I didn't remember. I might have to rewatch The Prisoner when I'm done with this series.

Watched the first episode of Crisis on Infinite Earths with the Supergirl episode. I'll do more this week but I needed a moment to wrap my head around this one. I loved the cameo appearances and look forward to more of those but I'm already crushed by the events in this opening episode. Good stuff. That's all I'm saying.

That's pretty much it for television this week. Tonight's post is from Shaken Alliances, a Technorati novella.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Janna Allgood, a corporal in the Alliance, is the best at what she does, bringing Technorati deceivers to justice. But when she's assigned the task of tracking down the notorious leader of the rogue technomancers, she discovers a new calling, one that puts her life in danger because it may bring down the Alliance she works for.

And a preview snippet…

Rennick chuckled. "My dear boy, you have yet to meet her. You'll no more be able to keep your distance than she'll be able to resist you."

Pax frowned. "Speak plainly. You want us together?" He didn't want to get emotionally entangled.

Rennick chose his words carefully. "Do I want it? Nothing would please me more than my two closest protégés finding happiness with each other. But it goes deeper than that, my boy. You'll need each other. If you want to free the Technorati."

Understanding dawned in Pax's mind. "She's the Key." Great balls. The one variable the Technorati had been seeking for decades.

Rennick hedged. "I can't be completely certain. Not yet. But her bloodline is pure and goes back to the beginning."

Pax had a gut clenching moment of clarity. Janna Allgood would prove to be the Key and Master Rennick had set it up so Pax would be the catalyst for bringing her to the forefront of their movement.

"You're a crafty old man."

The wise one didn't deny the statement. But he didn't have a reply either.

Pax pushed a little. "If there's any possibility of her being the key, I have to request some guidance. A wrong move could cause irreparable harm." He might have a reputation for stopping at nothing to gain freedom for his people, but he would not stoop to damaging a psyche with the kind of power the Key would hold.

Rennick infused his tone with calm. "She's protected but you do have to move with caution. Once she accepts the truth about the Alliance, she'll be open. At least that's my hope."

Pax settled down, letting the master's wisdom guide his questions. "How much does Janna know about the old ways and legends?" If she had no knowledge, his job would be easier for both.

Rennick shared what he'd gleaned. "Her mind has blocked and closed everything out for now. But … she's ripe for tutelage. She's keenly curious when something interests her." He paused a moment before continuing. "You'd be wise to move slowly and let Janna discover and accept her destiny in stages." A wry twist inserted itself into his voice.

Pax closed his eyes. "I'll do my best, as I've always said." The monumental challenge would try Pax's patience, but if Janna acted as the Key, he'd wait it all out.

Rennick's presence started to fade from Pax's mind. "I'll help as much as I can along the way." A vivid image embedded on his departure…

Janna Allgood would not arrive in her dull Alliance uniform. Instead, she'd be wearing siren-red leather pants, black boots, and a dark skintight vest. In short, dressed to rock his world.

He didn't want to lay odds she might just succeed.

I'm still finding my way with this story. The overall arc is pretty much set but bits and pieces keep popping in and demanding attention.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Shaken Alliances (Technorati Book One)

Whew. What a busy week leading up to my son's graduation tonight. Looking forward to watching him accept his diploma and start on the next phase of his journey.

I missed Gotham and hope to catch up after the craziness calms down.

The Flash's finale ended up being pretty good but I'm actually kind of hoping there won't be as much time travel shenanigans in the next season. Honestly, I like the ripple effect from Flashpoint but I'm hoping it's pretty much wrapped up.

Arrow. What a season-ender. I pretty much sat and blinked at the screen for a few seconds in stunned silence. Even seeing how the end would play out, I still ended up being shocked. LOL I really want the hiatus to fly by so I can find out who made it and who didn't.

I got through the first season of Iron Fist. I'm something of a completest and wanted to watch before The Defenders started. I don't know… I kind of like the setup for the next season with Joy and Davos possibly teaming up but I wouldn't mind seeing Madame Gao go down in flames.

I'm really struggling with Doctor Who. I'm looking forward to a new doctor and a new showrunner. I kind of long for the format Davies started and hope the new person goes back to something similar. I'm disappointed in the way everything is either overly convoluted or completely discombobulated. I shouldn't need a set of show notes to get all the nuances, right? Eh… here's hoping the next season is awesome.

And that's it for television. Orphan Black starts in two weeks and I'm excited!

Tonight's post is from Shaken Alliances (Technorati Book One), a novella that started to unfold with random snatches of imagery and conversation.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Janna Allgood, a corporal in the Alliance, is the best at what she does, bringing Technorati deceivers to justice. But when she's assigned the task of tracking down the notorious leader of the rogue technomancers, she discovers a new calling, one that puts her life in danger because it may bring down the Alliance she works for.

And a preview snippet…

Paxton Teller relaxed in front of the fire in his makeshift quarters. On the move for the past six months, he finally made it to a place he could rest and regroup for longer than forty-eight hours. He needed some down time to plan ahead.

Staring into the flames, the nuances of another presence touched Pax's inner being. One that nudged along his consciousness. He'd been expecting the visit and opened his mind, inviting entrance.

The old one gracefully melded his thoughts with Pax's and settled in for a long conversation.

Pax used his skill to slip the bolt on the lock, making sure they'd have complete privacy. No one would overhear the discussion going on in his mind, but interruptions sometimes leaked information into the conscious recesses of those around when it happened.

Pax would take no chances. The old one meant too much to him.

He reclined back, lifting a lager of wine to his lips. "You have news?" He drank deeply, letting the mellow flavor play along his taste buds.

The old one heaved a sigh. "They're sending the best." He stopped, throwing up a block.

Pax understood immediately. "This troubles you." The old one wouldn't try to keep him out if it didn't.

His mentor stayed silent, the blank visage of his mind telling Pax more than his thoughts would. Patience didn’t come easily for Pax, but he respected the old man too much to prod him along. Pax had a very good idea who'd be gunning for him.

Janna Allgood.

He welcomed the challenge she'd present. Out of all the files he'd acquired on the technomancers, hers fascinated him the most. She had a perfect record. Each and every person she'd been assigned to bring in either ended up in custody or self-terminated. Pax couldn't wait to meet her face to face, mind to mind, and see what happened.

His suspicion would be sparks flying in all directions. Janna's beauty, evident from the Alliance ID, spoke to him. But more than that, her high level of intelligence intrigued him, made him want to test how far she could go.

After several more contemplative moments, the sage finally opened his block. "She's a particular favorite of mine. I don't want to see her hurt."

Pax frowned. The possibility of pain and heartache abounded with this task. But he'd do his best not to have it occur on his end.

He reassured his counterpart. "She won't be." He paused and added a disclaimer. "Not by me." The Alliance, on the other hand, could and would do as they saw fit.

The old one kicked back a retort. "It's a dangerous game you play. And she's a pawn."

Pax couldn't deny his master's words. "For both sides." He clarified the facts, something he'd never done before with the old one.

Rennick warned. "Choose wisely, my son. The path you travel is not an easy one. Be very certain before bringing her into the plan."

Pax loved the old man for worrying. "I vow to exercise caution. You've prepared the way? Planted the seeds?"

Rennick nodded. "You know I have. As much as I could."

He walked a very fine line, one Pax didn't envy. Rennick worked in the deepest shadows. His position as the preceptor for all technomancers gave him access to any and all Alliance activities.

Pax took major amounts of heat, but he got to do so in the open. He didn't have the concern and burden of being found out. Instead, he got to drop trou and moon the Alliance nits whenever the mood struck. He liked it that way. Drawing fire upon himself left his Technorati brethren free to advance their cause.

Smoke and mirrors. Illusion and subterfuge. Progress. One world at a time.

A failed deal here, an unexpected outcome there, and the Alliance left twisting in the wind. His people did a good job of countering the technomancers… without them knowing it. He'd trained them very, very well.

He wanted to bring Janna over to their side. The technorati would be unstoppable with her talent working for them.

"Tread carefully, Pax. Push too hard and Janna will dig in hard and cling to what she knows. All your work will be for naught." The wise one cautioned. "Our freedom lost."

Pax reassured him. "Don't worry, old one. I'll keep my emotional distance. No matter how attractive I find her."

If all goes as I hope, there should be at least three books in this series. Fingers crossed!

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye

Sunday Snippet: Shaken Alliances (Technorati, Book One)

Hello! Happy Easter to those who celebrate.

I'm looking at the weather for tomorrow and kind of wondering if it'll warm up before Memorial Day. I sorta think it might not. LOL

Also watching Walking Dead and so far very satisfied with the finale. I'll stop now and not spoil anyone.

Tonight's post is from a new series tentatively titled The Technorati. The first book is Shaken Alliances. It's kind of an ambitious series so it'll be a while before I really get it going, but unlike the past few snippets, this one is pretty much plotted out. YAY!

Here's the tagline:

Janna Allgood, a corporal in the Alliance, is the best at what she does, bringing Technorati deceivers to justice. But when she's assigned the task of tracking down the notorious leader of the rogue technomancers, she discovers a new calling, one that puts her life in danger because it may bring down the Alliance she works for.

And here's the preview snippet…

"You're the best, Janna. That's why I'm assigning this opportunity to you."

Janna Allgood didn't care for the familiarity the Section Chief, Warren DeBerg, used when addressing her. Standard operating procedures existed for a reason. She studied the big, beefy man with a regulation Alliance buzz cut and the demeanor to match. Words like 'best' and 'opportunity' sounded foreign when they came from his mouth. He looked more the type to bust heads than run administrative circles.

Janna didn't respond. He hadn't finished his spiel yet. Sadly.

"Paxton Teller is at the top of our rogue list. You'll have whatever you need at your disposal." He walked around the desk and settled his hefty bulk on the edge. "Manpower, equipment, funds. Undercover garb." He paused for a moment and swept his gaze over her form. "You'll have to lose the uniform if you want to snag this bastard."

Janna didn't have to read Chief DeBerg's mind to know the man pictured her naked at that very moment. It pissed her off, but she held herself in check and refrained from planting an image in his brain of his balls in a vice. The rule forbidding technomancers from doing anything along those lines to Alliance officials sucked hairy ones.

But she played by the rules…even when she didn't particularly want to.

He pursed his lips together and made a tsking sound. "You understand what this means don't you, Janna?"

The continued use of her first name grated. The best deserved to be addressed by rank, didn't they? Janna worked hard to rise to the level of first attendant.

Her lips thinned. "Yes, Chief DeBerg—"

He waved his hand. "Warren."

Janna kept her face impassive, refusing to personalize the conversation. Regardless of being told differently, she always followed the regs. She wouldn't risk a black mark on her record.

She took a deep breath. "It means, Sir, I have unlimited resources and assistance to bring in Paxton Teller, your most wanted rogue TM."

His answering smile could only be described as slimy. "Yes. It also means I'm giving you carte blanche to make it happen." His voice took on an oily quality. "Starting now, standard regulations don't apply to you." He lifted his hand and slippery fingers found their way to her cheek. "At least they won't until you bring me Teller." The creepy vibe continued when he trailed one digit along her jaw line. "Tomorrow is soon enough to start on the trail. Why don't you join me for evening meal?"

Janna barely suppressed a shudder at the thought, but managed. "With all due respect, Sir." She gave him her sweetest smile. "I can use the time to pull all the data on Teller and begin prep on the mission." Keeping her eyes straight ahead, she asked for dismissal. "By your leave?"

DeBerg huffed out a sigh. "If you insist, Corporal Allgood." She turned to leave and he tacked on a warning. "Don't forget who's giving you this opportunity…or who's holding the purse strings."

Janna stopped short, but didn't look back. "No, Sir. I wouldn't dream of it." She made her exit and dashed down the corridor before he could find another reason to detain her.

Back in quarters, Janna showered—a nice, long cleansing session—and changed into workout attire. She mentally shuffled through a list of scenarios and chose a mid-level one to get started. Projecting it onto the holoscreen, she gave herself a ten count before setting it to go. She breathed deeply and cleared her mind.

The simulations got progressively harder as she ran through the known data on Paxton Teller. She had her work cut out on this one. Not only would she have to dodge DeBerg, she'd have to do it while chasing an elusive leader whose cause seemed to gain more followers by the day.

Janna's got her work cut out and has no idea what's really in store for her. So far, it's been loads of fun getting all the plot bombs set up and ready to go.

That's it for this week.

Cheers!

Skye