Out Beyond the Boondocks by Chipka
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Description
Settlement and Merrin are the same planet, though in a sense, they exist more than a galaxy away from one another. Settlement, by reputation, is the unruly bastard offspring of hard luck and good fortune. It is a sprawl in the sense that any human community might claim that title. It is something of a stygian nightmare: the Labyrinth of Minos—and, by association—home to wandering, subterranean monsters. No one calls it Settlement: not the Bureau of Interworld Resource Allocation, or the Trade Guilds. Order Enforcement knows it well, and a few oldsters, too. (They are long retired from Colonial Relief, but they shudder and purse their lips at the memories of Polluxian Cholera: the smell, the swelling, the agonized screams…) They have names (the oldsters with pinch-lipped memories, do) for the people of Merrin, the Settlers. They have ideas about them; they have their own, half-whispered remarks: more like termites than like humans, burrowing through their hard-baked, half-hospitable planet…they’re human if you count their fingers and toes, human if you understand raiders and pirates, and the more-than-occasional mercenary. But they’re something else, too: monsters, maybe, if you look at the way their minds work. Or if you try to understand their ships.
The inhabitants of Merrin hoard their scientific secrets and tempt us with cunning boondoggles whenever we try to acquire them. Their ships are evidence of this. They are small and ungainly craft: stunning examples of functional durability. They shouldn’t work. They dance as the Settlers say. Everyone knows that their vessels surf insane dimensional gradients. They jump from world to world without the aid of Adlerovian Gates. They maintain that they are willing to teach us what they know, that they are as human as we are and so are willing to share their knowledge. But the truth is simple and straightforward. Settler technology simply doesn’t work when replicated outside of Settler fabrication plants.
Settlers enter mainstream space: to trade, raid, or hunt the most dangerous of our criminals. And then, they leave, always on board some strange vessel or another: one of their own ships. They arrive, as always, at Settlement (they never call it Merrin) and drop out of circulation.
Merrin/Settlement is as old as any of the post-Terran worlds. It is the least understood of all human habitats. It is an inhospitable place. Hard. Hot. It circles twin suns and is circled by a single moon as hard and as hot as the mother-world itself. For all of the glory of two suns and a ruddy, ferrous moon, Settlers on their own world, see the sky as only termites might: briefly, and—perhaps—without familiar/human sentiments.
—Andrew Kole/Untitled Observations (unpublished.)
***
Sometimes new universes are created by accident. Sometimes not. I suspect that the text above represents the seed of a new universe. It was inspired by Nefarious DrO. He gave me a spaceship, you see, and I needed to do something with it…to put it into a context. And so, the Settlers were born. I rather like the vessel Nefarious DrO allowed me to play with. Because of that single ship, the image here is a collaboration. He built the ship, and I put it in some remote region of Chip-space, and I rather like the way the two fit together. Now, if only I could figure out what the deal is with those Settlers and why they see the need to make use of Nefarious DrO’s excellent handiwork. (Hmm…I wonder if those shrewd Nemaeans know anything about them?)
Thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope you’re all having a fantastic week. Special thanks to Nefarious DrO for yet another really cool ship to play with. (Check out his gallery for more.)
Comments (22)
icerian
seed of new universe. Yes, it is possible, depend on us only.
mgtcs
WOW....Another marvelous space scene and writing Chip, absolutely fabulous concept, wonderful work!
shayhurs
Cool!
bimm3d
just superb!!
RodS
Chip, if you and the Doctor ever collaborate on a movie, I'm going to go see it! Excellent work and writing!
beachzz
There are boondocks--and there are boondocks. These are fantastic, and the inhabitants are brilliant. You need to get all your stuff printed some day, so I can sit down and just read it again.
ia-du-lin
wonderful space scene, cool image
geirla
Great scene! Love the planet and the background (and the ship too, but I've commented on that elsewhere). Great backstory too.
helanker
WOW! An awesome image you have created here Chip. I so like space art like this. Make one dream about other worlds and that is fun. Reminds me of spraypaintings I have seen on Youtube. NO, I will not use spray paint as art too. I wont. no no ! But I am so in love with it :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NktjkSdf4Nk
kgb224
Outstanding work my friend.
Bambam131
I think that you did a great job on this image. The background is just right, not to busy and gives a very good sense of the vastness of space. Very well done!!! All the best, David
dochtersions
Superb space impression!
MrsRatbag
Oooh, I sense a deeper story here...wonderful work!
Orinoor
Great image and story, I can almost see them in the darkness, really wonderful.
flavia49
superlative story and beautiful image!
sandra46
FABULOUS STORY! SUPERB IMAGE!
CoreyBlack
"Cunning boondaggles", I love that! Great story and a wonderful render.
moochagoo
Excellent scifi scene (I love scifi)
fallen21
Beautiful work.
Sepiasiren
just all around fantastic
NefariousDrO
Wow, you made that ship look like such a mysterious and bizarre thing, it actually kind of reminds me of the "Reavers" from "Firefly", if you've ever seen that. I really love the story, too. I'm fascinated by your ability to create cultures that are both human, and something more. Our adaptability is our greatest strength, and the source of our greatest fears. Wish I'd been paying attention when you first posted this, but I was in the midst of major job interviews, alas. Great work all around!
KatesFriend
Not to worry, most universes are created by accidents. Beautifully written as always with glorious artwork to complement the narrative. It is never pleasant to consider how our descendants will adapt and (more disturbingly) evolve to suit radically different environments either on Earth or beyond her. However, though the Settlers have moved into darkness in one aspect, they seemed to surpass their human brethren with there rather magical space technology.