Mars shot by so quickly I barely noticed it. I thought for a moment I had shaken off the pursuit but, looking behind me, saw their leading lights closing in fast. Drawing up energy again, I sped onwards towards the asteroid that was crossing my path. It was unfamiliar – nothing more than a tumbling lump of basalt around the size of a small mountain. I squeezed into a fissure on its dark side, the dead stone rough and cold beneath my hands.
There were one or two other rocks floating in the vicinity and I could see my pursuers flitting amongst them. A little further still Ceres, the largest asteroid in the belt, was moving slowly across Jupiter’s glow. Its familiar contours reminded me of the times my grandfather had taken me there. It’s strange to name a dwarf planet after the Roman harvest goddess but, as we watched Mars rising and the faint sunlight picking out the ice forests, there seemed some sense in it.
When the coast was clear, I emerged cautiously from my cave. But they were waiting. Dark shapes rose around me and a sharp blow to the back of my head sent the stars wheeling.
Comments
insertponceyfre... | September 22, 2010 - 05:05
oh good - you've started another one!
lenchenelf | September 22, 2010 - 07:50
Aha, a starscape, onwards :-) atb Lena xx
Silver Spun Sand | September 22, 2010 - 07:55
Like insert, I am really pleased we have a new one from you. Love the title by the way...shades of David Bowie's 'Major Tom', if I'm not mistaken;-)
Tina
MistakenMagic | September 22, 2010 - 08:52
I love the title too, Rob! Really looking forward to another wonderful series - well done ;)
Magic xxx
rjnewlyn | September 22, 2010 - 23:07
Many thanks Insert and Lena and Tina and Magic. Yes, I dithered longer than usual about the title but this seemed to fit best. Not planning any particular further parallels or Major Tom sequels or anything like that. In fact not sure where this is going at all, although certain things seem to be taking shape.
And many thanks for the cherry of course ...
Rob
maggyvaneijk | September 23, 2010 - 14:36
Congrats on the cherry, you've created such a vibrant world within a short space. I know you've said no sequels, but lets just say I wouldn't mind reading on!
rjnewlyn | September 23, 2010 - 21:44
Thanks very much Maggy. Plenty of sequels to this hopefully but probably not to Bowie songs (I think he might sue ...).
Rob
Beeme | December 4, 2010 - 20:45
I'm so sorry Rob, I'm only just starting to catch up with your new series after I read your latest cherry picked section. I enjoyed this and can't wait to read more :)
Beeme xx
rjnewlyn | December 4, 2010 - 21:26
No hurry at all Beeme - very nice of you to read them. Ten more and counting!
Rob
Sooz006 | March 18, 2011 - 12:24
Oh, you're going to have to work hard to get me on this one, inter-planetary stuff dosn't usually do it for me ... but I already like your writing, if you can get me to like the story too, then, for me, you've cracked it. I'm reading two of them simultaneously now, only because I've run out of 'Sympathy,' (and that is your story, not a comment.) I'm looking forward to the next part of this to see if you do get me. Interested to see where it goes.
rjnewlyn | March 19, 2011 - 00:59
Many thanks Sooz. It goes in rather strange directions. I'll be interested to hear what you think by the end of it. It isn't meant to be particularly sci-fi.
Rob