by blake | Apr 7, 2012 | Uncategorized
Chapter 7 : Giants Under The Sun
The seventh chapter of The Threshold Series focuses on the Parker-Evanses, a young Neo Apollonian couple, on a weekend visit to Triton Aeolus from their hometown of Neo Delphi.
While Frank Evans is being interviewed, his wife, Celia Parker, enjoys a moment of tranquillity with her daughter Christina as they stroll down the trails of Pefki Park.
« The young mother recalled how even this hadn’t been that bad, that is, until her dear spouse had stumbled upon this heavens forsaken once in a lifetime chance to assist the illustrious professor, Bernard Sturn. The renowned researcher had been looking for an engineer to help him conceive an artificial intelligence, and ever since finding out about the opportunity, Frank hadn’t been the same. In fact, he had behaved like an out of control version of the passionate geek she had known and loved when they had originally met at Parnassus University. Becoming literally obsessed with the subject, he had learned anything and everything he could regarding cognition, neural networks, cyborgs, and robots. And when not reading or developing prototypes and who knew what else on their server, he had been getting back into shape to fulfil the criteria of the RDA. If at first it had relieved her to see him in such an enthusiastic mindset after the period of doubts and moodiness that his unanticipated unemployment had ushered in, in the long run it had grown increasingly unnerving to her. She had come to resent having to take care of her partner, their daughter, and their home, virtually by herself, while he acted like some kind of aspiring astronaut. »
As the episode progresses, we discover the challenging circumstances the family is confronted with.
Here’s this week’s edition of the Threshold Bookcast, « Giants Under The Sun. » Wishing you a most pleasant reading !
★
★
On a background of environmental and financial crises, and religious influences intertwining with political manoeuvres to determine the fate of an overpopulated planet, The Threshold Series chronicles the saga of the Ovelian civilization, a society very similar to our own, as it heads towards one of the most dramatic chain of events of its history.
The first book, « 2206 : Window Onto A New World, » focuses on the end of the year 2206, which culminates on an important federal election that will be impacted by the discovery of an anomaly in the nearby outer space.
Each episode of The Threshold Bookcast consists in a complete chapter of the series, made available for free online reading.
For more details about the series and the bookcast, please see the introduction.
The previous chapters are available here :
by blake | Apr 6, 2012 | Uncategorized
(« Scylla by William Pye » by mira66)
« In The Vortex » is an energetic instrumental put together while toying with ideas leftover from « Informaëlstrom » and « Leftoverturned. »
The intent here was to communicate the experience of feeling enthusiastic and determined despite being faced with a demanding or overwhelming challenge.
The title refers to Esther Hicks’ concept of the vortex, or to be more precise, to the experience of being in that vortex, a state of mind characterized by purposeful joy and focused forward motion.
The demo is a shorter version of the composition which was edited to fit the requirements of the Melodic Revolution Records Theme Song Contest held in 2009.
Here’s the accompanying poetry :
where is that road unknown leading to the apex
so many paths outgrown, the memories perplex
bearing this cross of stone, this addictive reflex
to self-denial prone, self-fulfilling the wrecks
like an angel, fallen, caged behind bars of steel
competing with Chiron, uncongenial ideal
a praiseworthy healer who themselves cannot heal
a sought after teacher hankering for the real
no gain in lamenting, dwelling on what’s unfair
better to keep going than fall prey to despair
reaching the objective is no simple affair
achievers, selective, of woes avoid the snare
discerning right and wrong is neither here nor there
one will not hear a song who finds fault with its air
if harder to summon, love stands beyond compare
neither couth nor common can do without their share
and therefore a gulf lies, obvious in plain sight
between doing what’s wise and wielding what is right
those who have seen the prize, inspired by its delight
are watching from the skies, unhindered in their flight
building a momentum, unrestrained energy
rise ad infinitum, defying gravity
joy is summum bonum, ultimate therapy
live to the maximum in serendipity
forever on the mark, no cause for atonement
the flow maintains the spark, the zone yields attainment
angels cooperate, in perfect alignment
choices perpetuate eternal contentment
unburdened by concern, miracles allowing
fortunes occur in turn, signs are multiplying
the sun shines on the world, the lovers are smiling
bright banners are unfurled, cups are overflowing
all the blocks are released, living without complex
a neverending feast in the neocortex
grinning wide at Chronos, with eyebrows circumflex
at one with the cosmos, basking in the vortex
by blake | Mar 30, 2012 | Uncategorized
Chapter 6 : It Can Happen
In this week’s edition of the Threshold Bookcast, we follow Jake Harvey as he visits the illustrious Mistress Aeira for a private consultation.
At the beginning of the episode, the former businessman reminisces some of the events that have lead him to the political arena, and ponders what awaits him should his bid for the Chancellery of the Ovelian Federation turn out to be successful.
« At a relatively young age, an excessively busy working life had brought the tall blond man the financial independence he had been seeking. But socially things had been more difficult, and indeed never truly rewarding, as if there had been a price to pay for his success. And then his circumstances had improved dramatically as he had chosen a new career. Or maybe had it been the new career that had chosen him ? Being elected leader of the New Light Party and voted in as representative in the Global Chamber had actually ushered in a very welcome change of pace. His responsibilities rarely amounted to the craziness he remembered from the time he had been directing his own venture. Yet, he was merely the chief of a secondary opposition party. The head of a Federation comprising no less than one hundred and twenty-seven states including colonies onboard stations orbiting the homeland and on a neighbouring planet surely couldn’t enjoy such leisure. »
The story unfolds to reveal various relationships of influence between mentors and protégés.
« It Can Happen, » the sixth chapter of The Threshold Series, follows below. Wishing you all an enjoyable reading !
★
★
On a background of environmental and financial crises, and religious influences intertwining with political manoeuvres to determine the fate of an overpopulated planet, The Threshold Series chronicles the saga of the Ovelian civilization, a society very similar to our own, as it heads towards one of the most dramatic chain of events of its history.
The first book, « 2206 : Window Onto A New World, » focuses on the end of the year 2206, which culminates on an important federal election that will be impacted by the discovery of an anomaly in the nearby outer space.
Each episode of The Threshold Bookcast consists in a complete chapter of the series, made available for free online reading.
For more details about the series and the bookcast, please see the introduction.
The previous chapters are available here :
by blake | Mar 23, 2012 | Uncategorized
Chapter 5 : Space Oddity
As the title suggests, the fifth chapter of « 2206 : Window Onto A New World » reveals more details of the recently discovered spatial anomaly, the baffling phenomenon that has all of Ovel talking.
In this instalment, we meet the other two key figures of the Coalition of Progressives, namely, Laura-Sylvia Bauer, head of the Greens, and Edward Rogers, chief of the Liberals, who collaborate with Jake Harvey in order to remove the Conservatives at the helm of the Global Government.
« The Liberal mused that the public opinion had been rather cruel towards his troops since the launch of the campaign. The platform of the formation, or obvious lack thereof as its detractors had been saying, was clearly not attracting the sympathy of the voters. The performance of most of his candidates had been such that almost all of his counsellors had advised to accept the proposition of the New Light Party and officialize the projected union, even prior to election day, as it constituted the best hope of accessing power. »
At the beginning of the episode, the trio of politicians and some of their staff are gathered in a conference room wherein a scientific consultant proceeds to brief them about the mysterious discontinuity. The dynamics of the developing relationships between the three party leaders come to the fore as the presentation unfolds.
I hope you enjoy this week’s edition of the Threshold Bookcast. Here’s « Space Oddity » !
★
★
On a background of environmental and financial crises, and religious influences intertwining with political manoeuvres to determine the fate of an overpopulated planet, The Threshold Series chronicles the saga of the Ovelian civilization, a society very similar to our own, as it heads towards one of the most dramatic chain of events of its history.
The first book, « 2206 : Window Onto A New World, » focuses on the end of the year 2206, which culminates on an important federal election that will be impacted by the discovery of an anomaly in the nearby outer space.
Each episode of The Threshold Bookcast consists in a complete chapter of the series, made available for free online reading.
For more details about the series and the bookcast, please see the introduction.
The previous chapters are available here :
by blake | Mar 16, 2012 | Uncategorized
Chapter 4 : Machine Messiah
The central character of the fourth instalment of the Threshold Bookcast is none other than the Chancellor of the Ovelian Federation himself, Richard Ramsay.
As we join him in a conference room of the First Cruiser of the Federal Fleet, we find the experienced politician in deep reflection, mulling over past, present, and future.
« The veteran Conservative had never really planned to spend the majority of his lifetime in the political arena, nor had he envisaged being a member of the Global Government for eight consecutive mandates. And he surely never had dreamt of becoming the first Ovelian to be elected Chancellor of the Federation on three occasions, and in a row to top it all off. He could barely believe how quickly it had all gone by. His reign had lasted over sixteen years ! And he had been a representative for over forty years ! »
The story unfolds to reveal the preoccupations of the authoritarian statesman, allowing us a peek at what really goes on behind the scenes of the Global Government.
Here’s « Machine Messiah, » the fourth chapter in The Threshold Series. Enjoy !
★
★
On a background of environmental and financial crises, and religious influences intertwining with political manoeuvres to determine the fate of an overpopulated planet, The Threshold Series chronicles the saga of the Ovelian civilization, a society very similar to our own, as it heads towards one of the most dramatic chain of events of its history.
The first book, « 2206 : Window Onto A New World, » focuses on the end of the year 2206, which culminates on an important federal election that will be impacted by the discovery of an anomaly in the nearby outer space.
Each episode of The Threshold Bookcast consists in a complete chapter of the series, made available for free online reading.
For more details about the series and the bookcast, please see the introduction.
The previous chapters are available here :
