Tragedy of Ice is going, well, swimmingly. This story, unlike any I've written before, has come to me so clearly, I can't begin to explain how elated I am. I've gone straight from the raw draft to the first round of edits, and the plot is only tightening to a more cohesive unit. Since I can't say much about the ongoing plot of the story right now, I think what I'll do instead is give the big picture overview of what I've been working with:
Earth is on borrowed time – has been for the last 28 years, and so the nations of the world have pooled their resources and settled on the terraformation of Mars as the best chance of survival for the human race. 900 are chosen to undertake the EURTHA mission to Jupiter's moon Europa, a mission that will inevitably bring water and valuable minerals to the MARTHA colony on Mars.
What should have been an 11-month mission to land moon-side has extended to two years. EURTHA has been plagued with one setback after another, as seismic activity on Europa's surface has scrubbed primary and secondary landing sites. Stuck in Europa's orbit, some fear turning back, others fear proceeding, leading to a rise in disenfranchisement and dissent among the colonists.
Since launch, a feud has pitted Kadiza and Franklin against one another, but when renegade colonists shoot their mutual friend, Suresh, and steal one of his 3D printers, Kadiza and Franklin independently devise ways to avenge their friend. Each upgrades their NVR mechsuits, and assumes the respective identities of Voyager Crux and Peace Win.
Not knowing who the other is beneath the suit, Kadiza and Franklin take a stand to defend the colony they've come to call home.
I like to think of this story as a tribute to my Transformers and anime upbringing, but also a nod to the scientific advances we're currently undertaking. It's over 105,000 words, and I'm still in the process of editing the last six chapters, so that number may fluctuate before I reach the end.
Alas, I must return to the grind, but hopefully my updates will become more steady again.
Cheers!
