Omachuck: Blog

One of the reasons I don't immediately post an entire story, even though it is ostensibly finished: Readers make suggestions that enhance what I've written.

For example, a comment today cause me to modify a paragraph in chapter 7. I added two sentences that, to me at least, better explained Tuull bravery. They aren't pacifist as we think of pacifism, they simply aren't capable of violence against sapient beings. Kipling's Gunga Din praises the Tuull type of bravery.

So the paragraph now reads:

She looked Vivie in the eye and told her, "And you, my dear, will be the first and likely the only being to set foot on the planet Tuull that has deliberately killed another sapient being. You are going to pick a song and explain it to them and help them understand why humans believe killing might be necessary. Maybe you can contrast Saddler with Ochs and show refusal to kill can also be considered heroic by humans. Then, and I think you should be the one to recite it; we'll end with Kipling's Gunga Din. An explanation may not even be needed. It speaks to the heart of Tuull-type bravery."

There has been enough interest in the cookies to post the recipe here. Enjoy!

Cherry-Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields about 4 dozen

1 1/4 c flour

1/4 ts salt

1/2 ts baking soda

1 st butter

1/4 c dark brown sugar (firmly packed)

1/2 c granulated sugar

6 oz semi-sweet chocolate pieces

1 ea egg

4 oz jar maraschino cherries

1/4 c chopped walnuts

Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda.

In another bowl, cream butter with white and brown sugars, then beat in eggs. Drain and chop cherries. Add cherries, nuts, chocolate pieces, and other dry ingredients into butter-sugar mixture.

Drop rounded tsp of batter on ungreased cookie sheets about 1 inch apart.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Yields about 4 dozen

They keep well when frozen in a container. Taste very good frozen too.

Chapter 7 has a lot of explaining in it as Vivie finds out her fate and what she'll be doing from then on. It is queued for posting tomorrow (Saturday) morning.

I wrote it with the assumption that most of you are familiar with the Swarm universe and with at least some of my stories. I can revise if necessary, but I need for you to tell me if I'm okay or if and where more is needed or not needed. In addition to this story, it will help my future writing.

You've already rated this story with my 2nd highest score, and I truly appreciate that. But nothing is perfect, and your feedback will help me make my writing better.

If anyone is reading this as their first Swarm story, please let me know.

First another heads up:

We are several days away from the posting of Chapter Seven. One of my editors advised me that unless one has read my story THE Harem Tales 5: Inkie, it may be hard to follow the characters as they are introduced. I'm going to look and see what I can do to resolve this, but I thought letting you know could help. As Inkie is one of my highest rated stories, and is pretty short, I doubt this will be a real hardship.

In Chapter Six, we return to Vivie as an adult aboard the Bunte Kuh.

in Chapter Seven, Vivie meets Inkie and Helva who are sent to investigate the allegations of mutiny. I'm not going to even hint at a spoiler...

Chapter 3 is in the queue for the morning upload. Vivie becomes Cadet Vivie and Gunny Sam is given to her as a Chinese Obligation.

Spoiler Alert!

As promised, I've appended an alphabetized character list for the entire story. Naturally, this will include some spoilers, so proceed with care.

*Armand* - Inkie's adopted son

*Boats, Vivie, Boatswain Genevieve Arthur* - More mature version of Vivie, Accidentally extracted as 11-year-old, precocious

*Bossie* - Bunte Kuh's AI, later renamed Bessie

*Bunte Kuh* - Experimental, purpose-built supply/passenger carrier

*Captain Darius Delaney Dreck* - Tweedledee or Dreck, Bunte Kuh's first captain

*Captain Pierce Masters* - Bunte Kuh's second captain

*Captain Young* - Captain of the colony ship Indian Princess

*Clarence Darrow* - AI 'lawyer' budded from Bossy to defend Vivie

*Corporal Stuart* - Killed during a pickup, 1st to will his concubines to Vivie

*Dangerous Ones* - Sa'arm means 'dangerous ones' in the Confederacy's trading language

*Department-that-doesn't-exist* - Top Secret Confederacy department charged with raining chaos onto Earth First

*Dinky* - Inkie's adopted daughter

*Dora* - Harrad Colony's AI, awake, co-spouse in THE Harem

*Harold Seldom aka Pat* - Mister 'Sees Patterns' - The man who sees patterns. Most women cannot see him,

*Rukb-at System* - Harrad Colony's system

*Inkie, Inez Nadenka Key, Tuull name S'Rndult T'Blssut* - in English, 'Principal Master of the Arts, Harmony' - Teen pop star, awarded citizenship by the Tuull

*Jackass Company* - Unit formed of Earth Firsters to be frontline cannon fodder against the Sa'arm

*Jennifer* - Vivie's dependent, Leah's daughter, later Vivie's concubine

*Jonnie Darling* - 'Lost child', Wendy's sister, adopted by Wendy

*June* - Mom, Tweedledee's concubine, later Vivie's

*Ki and Ko* - Ninja Twins, Co-sponsors of Sam Matthews, Office of Targeted Extractions

*Leah* - Vivie's first concubine, Jennifer's mother

*Lieutenant Madeleine Rawls* - Cadet Vivie's first commanding officer

*Lin* - Lin-Manuel Miranda the creator of the musicals In the Heights and Hamilton

*Llew and Siân Carter* - Department-that-doesn't-exist, siblings, Co-sponsors

*Martha Grayson* - Governor of Azahar Colony

*Mei-Lin Chin* - Marine Private on Indian Princess, involved with Vivie's extraction

*Melody Johns, Staff Sergeant* - Paired with Gunny, later Vivie

*Michael Darling* - 'Lost child', Wendy's brother, adopted by Wendy

*Nana Darling* - The Darling kids' cat

*Nate Forrest* - 'Grandpa', Vivie's 1st Grade teacher & mentor

*Pat* - 'Mr. Sees Patterns', Harold Seldom, Most women cannot see him

*Petra and Lucas* - Vivie's orphan twin dependents

*Prissy* - AI on Vivie's pickup ship, Indian Princess

*Red (medical) bitch patch* - One of several first aid kits. This one for trauma

*Rudy* - Vivie's inherited concubine

*Gunny, Sam Anderson, Gunnery Sergeant* - Vivie's mentor, paired with Melody Johns, later Vivie

*Sam Matthews* - Papa Sam, Heads the Office of Targeted Extractions

*Samantha, Sam* - Underaged CS Officer on Thule

*Summer* - Pregnant 'Lost child', Indian girl living in Neverland, rape victim, adopted by Wendy

*Sylvia* - Original leader of Neverland lost kids

*T'Blssut* - Tuull name given Inkie. In English - 'Harmony.'

*T'Bwinkel* of the clan N'Trast, Rockie - Lead Counselor of the Tuull Planetary Council

*T'Kleeoran* - Dora, Harrad Colony's AI, awake, co-spouse in THE Harem

T'Kleesual* - Jubal, Tuull AI, plenipotentiary ambassador from the Tuull.

T'Krandit* - K'treel explorer AGX026, Helva, Inkie's ship and wakened AI. Inkie is her Brawn

*Vivie* - Boatswain Genevieve Arthur, Boats, Accidentally extracted as 11-year-old, precocious

*Wendy Darling* - 'Lost child', adopted by Wendy