I hope you all are having a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a generally good holiday season.
As this year comes to a close I find it amazing at what's happened with Renegade Data Core. What started as a full blown publishing idea transformed into a more lean digital publishing plan and the site opened in April with free content and the promise of the first book. In August,
Der Sternvolker hit digital shelves, and in October the short story
A Cruel Solar System followed.
You have all waited patiently as I have transitioned jobs and started my masters degree and writing progress wasn't what I expected or promised, and I thank you. Thank you to everyone who has purchased both the book and the short story. I hope you have enjoyed them, and I am hard at work to provide you with more excellent science fiction and, in the future, fantasy.
During this season of giving I'd like to draw your attention to the amazing artwork of
Nicholas R. Giacondino at DeviantArt and at his online comic,
Free Mars. Nicholas, also known as Aerion-the-Faithful on DeviantArt, is an amazing comic artist who has even caught the attentions of Warhammer 40k author
Dan Abnett. Nicholas' Warhammer 40K art, specifically his adaptation of Inquisitor Eisenhorn and his retinue, and his long-running Free Mars comic are excellent pieces of work. I recommend Nicholas' art and suggest that everyone check out his sites and give him a little business if your funds allow it.
Now, as Christmas gift to my patient readers, here is another excerpt from the upcoming novella
Run.
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Alfred Zwinger turned his data pad
to face Peter. On the tablet’s screen were two ships Alfred had in stock.
Skeleton crews manned and secured the vessels for Alfred until the ships were
purchased. The longer the ships sat in Alfred’s inventory, the more money he
lost.
“Here are two ships that are the
closest matches to the price and specifications you provided, Herr Drexel.”
Peter scrutinized each ship. He
scratched his chin as he read each ship’s service and maintenance history.
Details such as cargo space, small craft bays, and fusion reactor capacities
ran through Peter’s mind.
“They’re so old,” Peter said.
“They’re five-hundred thousand,” Alfred said. “Anything
newer would cost you more.”
Peter pointed to one of the vessels. “How is this ship still
in service? It was built before the End War.”
Alfred shrugged. “The pirates that used to own it kept it in
good shape. There are a few jury-rigs--”
“Like with the reactor itself. It looks like they stripped
out the old thorium-based nuclear reactor and smashed the fusion reactor into
its place. God, it’s ugly.”
Alfred stole the data pad from Peter. “Perhaps you’d like to
find someone else to purchase a ship from, Herr
Drexel.”
Peter sighed. “No, it’s fine. Let me look at the other one
again.”
“Now that is a fine ship.”
Peter retrieved the data pad from Alfred and clicked the
image of the other vessel to zoom in on the picture and its stats.
The ship looked like some strange bloated insect, or perhaps
an alien’s egg, Peter couldn’t decide which. It wasn’t very large, but it
wasn’t some Venusian junk, either. It was a frigate with a full compliment of
light naval guns and point defense weapons. Although the frigate’s one-third
gravity centrifuge wasn’t ideal, Peter did note that all of the living
accommodations were located there.
“Tell me more about this one,” Peter said as he pointed to
the screen. “The Voyager-class frigate.”
Alfred smiled. “She may not look like much, but the
city-state that used to own her kept her in amazing condition. The fusion
reactor is one of the newer models from the Olympus Mons Technocracy. She was
originally built in twenty-ninety-five, just before Earth died. The North
American Federation crew took her to Ganymede and settled with one of the
larger NAF colonies, Gir. The Community Fleet took her a few weeks ago when
said city-state decided to harass our merchants.”
Peter smiled. “I remember reading about that on the ‘Net. A
single squad of Renegade power armor troopers took the ship.”
Alfred smiled. “Indeed they did. Our boys and girls are
efficient. And I made sure they were rewarded handsomely for their hard work.”
“Such is business.”
“Indeed.”
Peter stared at the image of the ship a moment longer. Some
gut feeling told him this was the ship for him. Of course, he would have
preferred a battleship of some sort. But he had to start somewhere.
“I’d like to take a look at it,” Peter said.
“I’ll arrange transport for us.” 