I've begun working on a story project I'm currently calling Eternity. It'll be different from other things I've done, and essentially be a story with multiple branching paths if everything goes well. It'll be science fiction, with a bit of action, horror, and romance mixed in. I've completed character introductions for the main cast, but those might be the only writing related to it released for a while (mainly because I'm a fool and juggling two projects right now). Still, I hope everyone enjoys the glimpses into these characters for now!

As Anders gathers references and resources for his next story, his editor tries to keep him focused and remind him that a little rest can be good.

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Eternity Prelude: Anders
By: Rye

“...but now that racing season’s over Ellen’s planetside for the time being.” The blue-scaled dragon’s smile faded some and he sighed. “Anders, you weren’t really interested in how my daughter was doing, were you? You’re just trying to dodge my questions again.”

Further away, a bespeckled lion stopped in his tracks, and turned to face his editor. He had mostly tan fur and was on the soft side, with a vest that fit well while not trying to disguise the reality of his figure. “Of course I’m interested, Vincent!”

“In Ellen’s career or finally sending the manuscript my way.” Vincent crossed his arms, his eyes locked onto Anders. He was a fair bit heavier than him, and dressed in a suit, but he could still give off an air of intimidation when he wanted to. Not that he was particularly angry with Anders. Just...frustrated.

A holographic display appeared out of thin air in front of Anders. He worked at it for a few moments, then waved the display away. “Alright, the files have been sent your way.”

Vincent didn’t bother creating a display of his own, but his eyes darted left to right as if he were reading something. “I don’t even want to know how long you’ve just been sitting on this. But thank you.” Most of his smile returned. “Anders, you’re one of the best writers I’ve worked with, you really are. Always open to criticism and edits, and you don’t treat me like a ball and chain, but you move on from one project to the next so quickly I’m convinced you’ve got a whole series tucked away somewhere you’ve completely forgotten about.”

“Oh I’m not that bad.” Anders was on the move again, continuing towards a row of bookshelves. “But I’ve always got a pool of ideas swirling around in my head, and I’ll never get through them all if I procrastinate or take too many breaks in between.” He skimmed a shelf, grabbing a book as his eyes lit up. He opened it up and flipped through the pages, then slammed it shut. The book disintegrated into a short-lived cloud of particles. “I knew I had a copy of an older introductory irrigation text in here.”

“If you don’t like procrastinating, then why waste time digging through this virtual library for files when you could do the same thing at a computer far more efficiently?” Vincent asked. “I didn’t even know these kinds of file viewer programs still existed.”

“Because it’s fun!” He added another unseen “book” to his collection. “At a computer this would all just be a bland list of files and clicking and copying. It’d be so...so heartless.”

Vincent let out a small laugh. “You’re being dramatic.”

“Maybe. You have to remember that before the digital age this was how you had to track down sources for research. Walking the aisles of a library with only the vaguest summaries to work with, hoping that when you finally found the book in question it’d be even remotely relevant. That or skimming book store shelves and gradually acquiring a personal—physical—collection” There was longing in Anders’ voice. “I wish I could actually have a library of my own like this, filled with the reference works I’d gathered to write my stories.”

“Anders, I’ve got at least a slight idea as to how much you’ve made from writing, not to mention your teaching…”

“It’s only part-time.”

“Of course. But regardless, you could afford to have a place with at least a modest library. And most books do still have physical formatting options for print on demand,” Vincent said.

Anders looked down at the book in his paws. The virtual program made it feel real enough, though the title on the front was in a blocky font and there wasn’t anything unique to the cover. The text and illustrations within would mimic those of a book better, but it’d still obviously have traces of being digital in nature. “True. I guess it’d just feel a bit indulgent to move into something bigger just for the sake of a library. One day.” His moment of melancholy faded as he checked the book. “Oh good, I did keep that horror anthology around.” With a slam it was added.

“Horror anthology?” Vincent had been about to leave so Anders could finish his work in peace, but now his interest had been piqued. “I thought you were traveling to Vone to write a historical piece about the planet, another textbook sort of thing.”

“It’s still mostly going to be historical fiction, but I thought I’d try something new and add some mystery to the mix.” Anders grinned, proud of having caught his editor off-guard.

“Mysteries and horror have been selling fairly well lately. More likely to get adapted into movies, shows, and even games, too.” Vincent thought of bringing up franchise possibilities as well, but didn’t want to seem exclusively interested in the financial side of things. “What suddenly got you interested in them, though?”

The grin on Anders’ face widened, and Vincent realized he’d made a mistake. The lion could be very passionate about his story ideas and inspiration at times. “Well I’ve always had a passing interest, but some of the stuff I learned researching early planetary colonization really got my attention. The initial phases of colonization involve long periods of study and relative isolation, often with barely a dozen scientists alone on an entire continent.”

He abandoned the shelves and headed closer to Vincent so he wasn’t shouting across the virtual room.

“People claim to hear strange voices coming from outside, or see odd shapes in the darkness, or report vivid nightmares. The voices tend to just be the strange songs of new avians they haven’t catalogued yet, or the wind blowing through forests in an unexpected way—the howling forests on Bellamy are a prime example. Though I’m told the sound is actually fairly pleasant, more like a symphony depending on the specific species of…”

“Focus,” Vincent said. He didn’t want Anders to get lost in a tangent.

“Right.” Anders turned away, embarrassed but thankful Vincent had set him back on track. Most tended to let him ramble without realizing just how long he’d unintentionally go. “Anyway, the unknown can play so many tricks on the mind, and it’s an aspect about planetary colonization I’ve overlooked in the past. I don’t think my story is going to be pure horror, but I’m hoping it’ll highlight different sorts of stresses those early settlers had.” He was gesturing with his paws as he spoke, though if the movements had any real meaning Vincent had never figured it out. “Creating a farming community from scratch, while also dealing with the dueling issues of conflicting personalities and paranoia of your surroundings? Perfect! I’m thinking about Echoes on the Frontier for the name.”

It was a lot for Vincent to take in at once, but he was used to it. “The idea has you practically giddy, and that’s always a good sign.” He chuckled. “Good eye-catching name, too. All your previous work has been so grounded, I’m honestly excited to see your take on something closer to horror.”

“Well it’ll still be mostly grounded. Psychological horror instead of a monster, you know? But still something that leaves you wondering if there’s more to it, if the characters might not be imagining things.” Vincent’s interest had only increased his own enthusiasm. “And maybe next time I’ll be really bold and just toss aside realism completely.”

“Just don’t get ahead of yourself and start writing the next one now.” Vincent smiled and shook his head. “Though I have to ask: if you’re not working on another textbook, then why the research trip to Vone?”

“Well it’s still historical fiction, and Vone is one of the most recently colonized planets in reach. It’s well past the initial stages, but a few historic prefab settlements exist, and there’ll be library databanks that haven’t been connected to the greater Net yet,” Anders said. “But I also want a fresh experience on actually visiting a different planet. Those little variances in gravity, weather, smell, etcetera. And yes, I know I could get a feel for it in virtual reality, but that’s just not genuine enough. I want to be disoriented just like the first wave settlers and researchers were, without the option of being able to turn off a simulation and return to my “normal” after an hour or so.”

“So it’s not just an excuse to take a vacation?” Vincent asked.

The response from Ander’s was delayed, and he dodged eye contact for a second. “There’s a chance I’ll allow myself a few days off in the middle of it all. The area I’ll be staying is apparently known for its hot springs, and seemed to have a thriving theater community, too. Nice little distractions in between writing sessions.”

“Good! I know you love writing, but sometimes I get the feeling you don’t do anything else,” Vincent said. “Downtime is good for you.”

“Oh I’m not that bad,” Anders insisted. Even as he spoke he was eying another set of shelves, though.

“During the last book tour I caught you writing on your phone almost every luncheon.” Vincent gave the writer a judgemental look. “You don’t always need to be writing. Breaks are fine. Time off is fine. You’ve been so prolific you could probably take a whole year off and not suffer for it.”

Anders frowned. “Vincent I’d die if I didn’t write for a year!”

“I’m not saying you should take a sabbatical, just try not to burn yourself out.”

“I haven’t yet.”

“Yet.” Vincent shook his head. “Alright, as fun as it is to lecture you, I’ve got other matters to attend to. Enjoy your trip Anders.”

The lion smiled again. “Thanks Vincent.”

With a blink Vincent was gone, and Anders was left alone in his virtual library. He immediately visited the bookshelf he’d been interested in, snagging texts on early prefab architecture and settler health regiments. His passive knowledge of the subjects was good--in part thanks to all the research he’d done for stories over the years. Still, he couldn’t remember everything, and often a second read-through revealed he’d forgotten something important.

But while Anders’ selection of reference material was going well, he couldn’t help but think back on what Vincent had told him. He honestly had been neglecting his free time in favor of writing, writing, and more writing. Friends had been ignored, and he rarely left home. Perhaps indulging a bit more would be for the best. But only a bit.

Ander’s original plan for the trip to Vone involved never leaving his cabin and getting a head start on outlines. He vowed to try and mingle at least once, if that was even possible on the ship. Though they’d be traveling for a few days, it wasn’t exactly a luxury cruise.

“Oh well, I guess I’ll figure it out in a couple days,” Anders said to himself. “And maybe I’ll get some more story inspiration in the process. Travelers always have a fun story or two to tell.”

He continued his search, making sure to add a few stray works related to ghost ships and other supernatural occurrences, just in case. If it turned out there wouldn’t be much to do on the ship, he’d at least have something interesting to read.