Please enjoy this excerpt from the second novel in my upcoming mecha/Mil-SF saga, Combat Frame XSeed: Coalition Year 40. Book one launches in January, and book 2 will follow in March.
Arthur
The
boy hurried up the slope, scrambling over fallen logs and mossy
boulders. The thinning, pine-seasoned air didn’t slow him. He’d
long since gotten used to high altitude, even though he was only six.
boy hurried up the slope, scrambling over fallen logs and mossy
boulders. The thinning, pine-seasoned air didn’t slow him. He’d
long since gotten used to high altitude, even though he was only six.
He
mostly thought of himself as the boy, because that was what the
Captain usually called him. Sometimes, though, the Captain called him
Tom. The boy never dared call the stern, graying man anything but
Captain. He didn’t know if the Captain was his father, though in
the secret corners of his heart he doubted it.
mostly thought of himself as the boy, because that was what the
Captain usually called him. Sometimes, though, the Captain called him
Tom. The boy never dared call the stern, graying man anything but
Captain. He didn’t know if the Captain was his father, though in
the secret corners of his heart he doubted it.
Still,
the Captain was the only grownup the boy had ever known, as far as he
could remember. The shaggy-haired but always clean-shaven man gave
the boy much of what fathers in books always gave: shelter,
instruction, food—a bowl of plain rice porridge for breakfast and
rice with beans in the evening, with whatever meat the boy could
catch for himself.
the Captain was the only grownup the boy had ever known, as far as he
could remember. The shaggy-haired but always clean-shaven man gave
the boy much of what fathers in books always gave: shelter,
instruction, food—a bowl of plain rice porridge for breakfast and
rice with beans in the evening, with whatever meat the boy could
catch for himself.
It
was a hunt for the latter that had set the boy on his current path.
He’d sighted a young rabbit behind the cabin and had given chase.
The animal led him up and up the mountain, until the trees ended and
the bald peak loomed above.
was a hunt for the latter that had set the boy on his current path.
He’d sighted a young rabbit behind the cabin and had given chase.
The animal led him up and up the mountain, until the trees ended and
the bald peak loomed above.
A
quick search—the boy could take in many details at a glance—showed
no sign of the rabbit. He abandoned the hunt and continued upward,
drawn by the lofty spectacle of the peak.
quick search—the boy could take in many details at a glance—showed
no sign of the rabbit. He abandoned the hunt and continued upward,
drawn by the lofty spectacle of the peak.
Minutes
later, the boy reached the top. He stood on the summit as chill winds
whipped his sturdy homemade clothes and looked out over the plains
stretching from the foothills. A pair of vast shadowed circles
punched into the uniform green and yellow grid below marked two of
the places where the Socs had started the Long Winter and the
Starving Years by throwing rocks at the earth.
later, the boy reached the top. He stood on the summit as chill winds
whipped his sturdy homemade clothes and looked out over the plains
stretching from the foothills. A pair of vast shadowed circles
punched into the uniform green and yellow grid below marked two of
the places where the Socs had started the Long Winter and the
Starving Years by throwing rocks at the earth.
Socs
aren’t human. He heard the Captain’s low yet iron-hard voice
as if the old man stood behind him, but he resisted the urge to look
over his shoulder. They’re insects that swarm over the earth and
make it like their colonies. You can’t reason with them. Never
forget.
aren’t human. He heard the Captain’s low yet iron-hard voice
as if the old man stood behind him, but he resisted the urge to look
over his shoulder. They’re insects that swarm over the earth and
make it like their colonies. You can’t reason with them. Never
forget.
Alone
on his windswept perch, a new thought occurred to the boy. The Socs
had killed many people while turning what had been called Colorado in
the FMAS—and the United States before that—into North American
Mountain Region 7. What if two of those murdered people, or the
millions of dead from around the world, had been his parents?
on his windswept perch, a new thought occurred to the boy. The Socs
had killed many people while turning what had been called Colorado in
the FMAS—and the United States before that—into North American
Mountain Region 7. What if two of those murdered people, or the
millions of dead from around the world, had been his parents?
The
boy reflexively fought the urge to cry, but hot moisture stung his
cheeks. The icy wind blowing off the farm grids below scoured his
tears away.
boy reflexively fought the urge to cry, but hot moisture stung his
cheeks. The icy wind blowing off the farm grids below scoured his
tears away.
Catching
sight of an angular rock’s shadow gave the boy a start. He’d
woken up that morning to find the Captain gone and a note with his
cold porridge saying only: “Back at noon.” The shadow said he had
only ten minutes to reach the cabin before the Captain returned. The
boy was not forbidden to explore the wooded hills unsupervised; quite
the opposite. But he knew the note’s double meaning from hard
experience.
sight of an angular rock’s shadow gave the boy a start. He’d
woken up that morning to find the Captain gone and a note with his
cold porridge saying only: “Back at noon.” The shadow said he had
only ten minutes to reach the cabin before the Captain returned. The
boy was not forbidden to explore the wooded hills unsupervised; quite
the opposite. But he knew the note’s double meaning from hard
experience.
The
boy barreled down the mountain, scratching his limbs and face on
sharp branches and nearly falling twice. Only the certain knowledge
that no one would come for him if he broke a leg or his back kept him
on his feet.
boy barreled down the mountain, scratching his limbs and face on
sharp branches and nearly falling twice. Only the certain knowledge
that no one would come for him if he broke a leg or his back kept him
on his feet.
At
last he reached the almost invisible cleft in a grassy hillside that
led into the small, bowl-shaped valley where the cabin stood. The boy
ran, threading his way between the pines as his lungs sucked in cool
air and forced it out hot. He half-stumbled up front steps made from
cut logs, and his heart froze when he saw the Captain standing two
meters inside the door with his left hand behind his back.
last he reached the almost invisible cleft in a grassy hillside that
led into the small, bowl-shaped valley where the cabin stood. The boy
ran, threading his way between the pines as his lungs sucked in cool
air and forced it out hot. He half-stumbled up front steps made from
cut logs, and his heart froze when he saw the Captain standing two
meters inside the door with his left hand behind his back.
The
boy started to speak. “I’m—”
boy started to speak. “I’m—”
With
a horizontal motion of his right hand, the Captain signaled him to
silence. The boy heard mewling, much like the sounds his prey made
before the kill, coming from two sources inside the cabin.
a horizontal motion of his right hand, the Captain signaled him to
silence. The boy heard mewling, much like the sounds his prey made
before the kill, coming from two sources inside the cabin.
“You’re
lonely here,” the Captain said. “I know that loneliness well.”
His left hand emerged from behind his back, holding a black puppy by
the scruff of the neck. The little dog whined pitifully.
lonely here,” the Captain said. “I know that loneliness well.”
His left hand emerged from behind his back, holding a black puppy by
the scruff of the neck. The little dog whined pitifully.
Of
course, the Captain was right. The boy’s yearning for the
companionship he’d never known almost made him rush to the dog
despite himself. Hope welled in his heart, but he knew enough to
question it. “For me?”
course, the Captain was right. The boy’s yearning for the
companionship he’d never known almost made him rush to the dog
despite himself. Hope welled in his heart, but he knew enough to
question it. “For me?”
“If,”
the Captain said. He finished by pulling a gray .38 caliber revolver
from the side pocket of his brown felt coat.
the Captain said. He finished by pulling a gray .38 caliber revolver
from the side pocket of his brown felt coat.
Terror
rooted the boy to the steps, but the Captain inclined his head toward
the dog. “For him,” the old man said. He nodded to his left. “Or
for her.”
rooted the boy to the steps, but the Captain inclined his head toward
the dog. “For him,” the old man said. He nodded to his left. “Or
for her.”
The
boy crept up the last step and through the cabin door. A blond woman
in a blue jumpsuit sat tied to a stout oak chair. The cloth gag in
her mouth muffled her pleas.
boy crept up the last step and through the cabin door. A blond woman
in a blue jumpsuit sat tied to a stout oak chair. The cloth gag in
her mouth muffled her pleas.
The
Captain held out the gun, grip-first.
Captain held out the gun, grip-first.
“Do
I have to?” asked the boy.
I have to?” asked the boy.
“No,”
the Captain said. “You always have a choice—between action and
inaction, strength and weakness; fighting and surrender. And as
always, those you care for will pay the price if you choose wrong.”
the Captain said. “You always have a choice—between action and
inaction, strength and weakness; fighting and surrender. And as
always, those you care for will pay the price if you choose wrong.”
The
boy took the gun. It felt heavy in his small hands, but not
unfamiliar. The woman’s mewling turned to frantic squeals.
boy took the gun. It felt heavy in his small hands, but not
unfamiliar. The woman’s mewling turned to frantic squeals.
“I’ve
never killed a person,” said the boy.
never killed a person,” said the boy.
“She’s
not a person,” the Captain said. “She’s a Soc.”
not a person,” the Captain said. “She’s a Soc.”
The
boy stared down the gun’s sights at his target. She looked like a
person, with her wide blue eyes and tear-streaked face. He remembered
crying on the mountaintop. Because he was alone. Because of Socs like
her.
boy stared down the gun’s sights at his target. She looked like a
person, with her wide blue eyes and tear-streaked face. He remembered
crying on the mountaintop. Because he was alone. Because of Socs like
her.
He
exhaled and pressed the trigger. The gun thundered, and the woman’s
head snapped back. He smelled blood. The Captain took the gun and
handed him the dog. Its plump furry body snuggled into the crook of
his arm, but the connection was gone. The boy felt nothing.
exhaled and pressed the trigger. The gun thundered, and the woman’s
head snapped back. He smelled blood. The Captain took the gun and
handed him the dog. Its plump furry body snuggled into the crook of
his arm, but the connection was gone. The boy felt nothing.
The
Captain stooped down and spoke to the boy. “The way you are now—the
thinking without feeling when you kill animals and burn them; when
you killed that Soc—you must not be that way with the dog. Soon
you’ll be sent among normal people, and you mustn’t be that way
with most of them.”
Captain stooped down and spoke to the boy. “The way you are now—the
thinking without feeling when you kill animals and burn them; when
you killed that Soc—you must not be that way with the dog. Soon
you’ll be sent among normal people, and you mustn’t be that way
with most of them.”
“I
understand,” said the boy. “I think.”
understand,” said the boy. “I think.”
The
Captain scratched behind the dog’s ear. “To him, and to most
people, you will be Tom—Thomas Dormio. To the Socs, you will be
Arthur Wake.”
Captain scratched behind the dog’s ear. “To him, and to most
people, you will be Tom—Thomas Dormio. To the Socs, you will be
Arthur Wake.”
Arthur
nodded. The puppy squirmed in his arms, and Tom hugged it to his
chest. Its tiny heart beat beside his, and the connection returned.
nodded. The puppy squirmed in his arms, and Tom hugged it to his
chest. Its tiny heart beat beside his, and the connection returned.
The Arthur/Tom switch in that last paragraph is definitely eerie, and I wonder if there's more going on here that people who know more about mecha anime will catch. First guess that comes to mind: Tom/Arthur is, to some extent, artificial. (Gattica-style gengineering? Half-understood alien techniques from Mars used somehow?)
I admit to feeling some bewilderment going through CF:XSeed, because I know that I'm missing tropes that are important, and would ground me properly in the setting. I never felt this way with Soul Cycle.
Still enjoying, but I'm finding it tougher to get through the novel.
And see, I haven't started XSeed because of various reasons even though I backed it, but when I read the excerpts I instantly feel more at home than I did when I started trying to get into the Soul Cycle. I'm not even big on mecha anime; I've watched two from beginning to end, and started and given up on a few more. Maybe because is set in a less foreign environment?
You have more experience than I do. I've been through enough fantasy and Dune that Soul Cycle is more familiar with the tropes and conventions than XSeed is. Lots of D&D/RPG framework helped me make sense of a lot. With CF:XSeed, I can tell that things are going on here that I'm missing, and it's unsettling.
If I watch Gundam or a couple others, I'll probably understand the framework far better.
Thank you, gentlemen, for the valuable feedback. It tells me that both series hit their respective marks.
@D.J. To become versed in the tropes that inform CFXS, watch the three MS Gundam compilation movies, Zeta Gundam, and Char's Counterattack.
Watch Gundam Wing in preparation for CFXS: CY 40.
DJ,
If you read through the first Xseed, you"ll see a horror trope that I found effective. In fact, it reminded me a bit of the Soul Cycle.
Also to follow up Brian's advice, take a look at the Gundam wiki as well
http://gundam.wikia.com/wiki/The_Gundam_Wiki
I found it quite helpful.
xavier
xavier