And now...an excerpt from Earth-Sim (it's actually my favorite part of the book :D! )
Author’s note: The world’s a crazy place, isn’t it? Massive floods, deadly plagues, world wars…it makes you wonder, who’s in charge of this place anyway? Let me introduce you to Jem Moran, Kir Davos, and SimOne—the two students and android assigned to manage Earth.
Earth-Sim seamlessly blends popular culture with history, science, and religion. This whimsical and irreverent romp through the history of Earth will charm and entertain as you attempt to decipher just how much is fact and what else is fiction. Either way, you finally have someone to blame for the shape our world is in.
This particular scene, which includes Kir’s younger brother, Kav, showcases the source of the kamikaze, the “divine wind” that saved Japan from two Mongol invasions, and the origin of the Black Death.
~*~
“Did we ever hear back from the Shixar or the Atlante teams?” Jem asked as they walked into the simulation laboratory together.
“No, it’s been quiet. It helps to be a little backwater planet. The Shixar and Atlante are so busy fighting each other on the other side of the universe that we’ve been able to escape their notice. It also helps that we’re technologically primitive. No one wants the hassle of raising toddlers if they can help it. All right, Kav. Remember, hands behind your back. Don’t touch anything.”
“Got it.” Kav laced his fingers behind his back. His eyes were wide, and his head swiveled from side to side as he tried to take in everything.
“It looks like lots of teams are back,” Jem murmured, nodding to another student who passed by them on his way to his own planet.
“I think many teams didn’t even take the week off,” Kir said.
Jem snorted. “Now I feel like a slacker.”
“On the other hand, I feel like I’m giving up two weeks of my vacation, and I’m moderately resentful about it.” Their planet came into view. “Good morning, SimOne.”
“Good morning, Kir. Good morning, Jem. Good morning, Kav.”
“How are things going?” Kir asked.
“Well,” was the android’s succinct reply.
“Let me see. Let me see.” Kav stood over the planet, his fingers interlocked behind his back, and stared down at the blue-white world spinning serenely in space. “Is that the moon?” he asked, as something brushed by his head.
Kir nodded. “Yes, and step back. You’re in its orbital path.”
“What’s that stuff down there?” Kav asked.
Jem leaned in over his shoulder. Her eyes narrowed. “It looks like a fleet of ships.”
Kir leaned in too. “That you can see from up here? That’s got to be a lot of ships.” He whistled low. “I’ve never seen these many ships. It will probably go down in history as the largest naval assault to date.”
“It isn’t going to bode well for that island,” Jem said.
“You’re not intervening?” Kir asked, sounding surprised.
“No. Both countries are somewhat peripheral to my plans. Contrary to what you may think about me, I don’t make every single decision for them. I step in only where it matters.”
Kav suddenly sneezed.
The fleet of ships vanished beneath the violent exhalation of air that tore up the waves. “Oh, no…” Jem choked back a giggle.
“Kav!” Kir shouted.
“What?”
“Cover your nose!”
Fascinated, Jem watched in silence as more ships sailed forth from the mainland; the armada reformed. They were going at it again.
Kav wailed. “I can’t cover my nose. See! My hands are behind my back. I can’t cover my nose with my hands behind my back.”
“Use your hands, damn it,” Kir said.
“You told me not to use my hands in here. I’m gonna sneeze again…I’m gonna…AH CHOO!”
The fleet dissipated. It never reformed.
Jem covered her mouth, the muffled sound trapped between a chortle and a sob. “Oh, God, I can’t watch.”
“Stand all the way back here.” Kir physically picked up his brother and moved him out beyond the asteroid field. “Jem, are you okay?”
She swallowed the chuckle. “It’s so bad. I thought that we’d figured out the art of planetary management, but no, we’re still careening from crisis to crisis.”
“You don’t sound or look mad,” Kir said carefully.
“I’m not. I’m resigned.” She giggled again. “Just imagine how the events must have seemed to that country. A massive armada shows up on your shores, and suddenly, bad weather takes it down. A few years later, another armada shows up, but once again, it’s consumed by bad weather. If that’s not a divine wind, nothing else is.”
“You’re taking this better than I thought you would.”
“Practice,” Jem said with a straight face.
SimOne cut into their easy banter. “Alert. An alien vector was inserted at 35°N, 103°E”
“What?” Jem turned sharply back to SimOne.
“Where did it come from? Who inserted it?” Kir asked.
SimOne stood very straight; she stared at something apparently only she could see. “It came from Kav Davos.”
“Get it out,” Kir ordered.
“Negative. The alien vector cannot be removed.”
“Track it, then. I want to know where it goes. What is it? A humanoid?” Kir asked.
“Negative. It is an enterobacteriaceae.”
“Damn it.” Jem paled. “Give me a population map, SimOne.”
The world map unfurled across the astral screen. The disease spread, flowing out of the heart of Jem’s empire, toward the west and south. Dark patches faded, thinning out, sometimes disappearing completely.
“Oh, my God…” Jem whispered. “They’re dying. They’re dying all over.”
Quite lovely, I think. Of course, I think the whole book is pretty fascinating since, as Jade stated above, we finally have someone to blame.
___________________________________________
Without further ado, help me welcome Jade Kerrion to the blog!!!!
Earth-Sim: Spoof or Serious?
Readers frequently ask me, “Is Earth-Sim a spoof or is it serious?”
My answer is, “Yes.”
Okay, I realize the answer isn’t immediately helpful. Perhaps I should explain.
On the one hand, Earth-Sim deals with serious life topics. Jem Moran is a college student with a reputation to prove and a secret to protect. The prestigious world simulation program seems the answer to both her problems, but only if she can succeed in spite of her teammate, Kir Davos. The “serious” themes in this Young Adult / New Adult science fiction novel include coming to terms with our true identify in spite of the facades we display to the world. The novel highlights the value of strong cross-gender platonic friendships, and wrestles with the difficulty of maintaining them. It emphasizes the fact that we all bring something of value to the table, and celebrates the diversity of approaches in dealing with problems.
On the other hand, Earth-Sim showcases Earth’s history in a seamless blend of popular culture, science, and religion. Fact and fiction fit together into a jigsaw puzzle that explains the extinction of the dinosaurs, the ten plagues of Egypt, and the Black Death. Did you want to know the truth about the Loch Ness Monster, the city of Atlantis, and that flying boy with the red cape? That’s in Earth-Sim too.
Although presented as a whimsical and often irreverent romp through the history of Earth and its connection with the universe, Earth-Sim is a treasure trove of real information. You may recognize most of the references, but if there’s something you don’t recognize that you think might actually be a historical event or a pop culture reference, you can check Google or Wikipedia, or just send me a note.
Either way, you finally have someone to blame for the shape our world is in.
Thank you so much, Ms. Kerrion, for stopping by!
1 comments:
I like the premise of this book. It doesn't sound too unlikely that something like the Earth-Sim could actually exist in the future!
Post a Comment
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment! I love reading what you have to say, whether good or bad. (This is not an open invitation to be rude.)
This blog is an award-free zone. I simply don't have the time to pass them on. Thanks for thinking of me, though :).