[DRAFT] Letters from Fenspace

[firvulag]

From: "F"
To:   "Parents"
Subj: Up up and away
Date Posted: 25.07.2010

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Hi Mom, Dad,
Writing to let you know my new address, and that we made it up with out any problems.  Got yelled at by ground control, but I don't think they scrambled anyone from Greenwood.
I'm currently hanging somewhere around L5, Dad can explain that to you Mom.  Ari' and I are planning to head to Port Luna in the next couple of days.  We're thinking of registering the ship there , mostly 'cause she likes their flag.  We've also got a line on a hauling job which should let me start to rebuild my finances, such as they are.
[ What's this 'we' stuff monkey boy.  I did all the work finding the job while he was outside painting a big maple leaf on the tail.  He's already taking me for granted, no wonder he's still single. ]
To assuage Mom's fears, yes I'm eating well.  I lived on my own for the better part of a decade you know, and never came down with scurvy or anything then.  Space isn't changing anything about that.
[ It's just a slightly longer walk to the grocery store.  ]
I've had my first spacewalk, safely tethered. Free-fall feels really weird, and I seem to get space sick as easily as I've gotten sea sick on Earth.  But hopefully some practice and a little Gravol will help with that.
[ I think I'm happy I don't have any manipulators yet.  He can't ask me to help clean the suit. ]
I don't know what else to say right now, so I'm going to send this and go float outside and watch the Earth go by.  TTYS.
F
[ Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him. - Aristotle ]
--
A normally dressed person just couldn't get away with saying things like "I am the terror that flaps in the night! I am the expiration date on the milk carton of villainy!"  I mean, without the cape, the suit and the hat -- it just doesn't work.   - Tony Smith, on superhero dialogue

[firvulag]

From:   "F"
To:     "Kale"
CC:     "Maeve" ,
        "Kas" ,
        "Dru"
Subj:   So about that story in the news
Date Posted: 27.07.2010

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Hey,
So yeah, you may have seen a small little story in the news about this ship taking off from near Greenwood.  I've been talking to my folks and apparently we were worried about nothing.  Mom's friends with the local constable's mother-in-law and it seems like she was as surprised as anyone when I took off.
I hope I didn't start trouble for you guys.  How's everything going with your little project?  Have you decided on a name yet?
[ Hopefully this is going well.  I've attached a double check of the numbers on the strength and setup of the ship's spine.  It looks good, even before the handwavium, but I'm concerned about the connections to the main compartments.  I still think you should have Kale's father go over your plans. ]
I managed to get over and talk to the colo guys on the Island the other day.  Their setup looks good, and I was thinking we should probably stick with them at least for off-site backups once everything's in place.
I haven't had the time to do much with the Elenchi since I lifted, but there's been some progress.  Now that I don't have to worry about contaminating my parent's back yard I've been able to work on some of the more interesting ideas that I've had.  In particular that strand of ivy Jo' gave me seems to be growing quite well.
[ If things start going all Little Shop of Horrors I've got dibs on his music collection. ]
Anywho, let me know if there's anything I can do.  I'm going to be swinging by Port Luna in the next few days if you need to call me.
[ We'll buy Kas a souvenir or two while we're there -- Aristotle ]
F
--
I wrote this story myself, It's all about a girl who lost her reputation, but never missed it.
                                - Mae West

[firvulag]

From:   "F"
To:     "Parents"
Subj:   I now understand why they didn't send me pictures of the outside
Date Posted: 25.11.2010

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Hello once again.
[Brilliant opening]
If you don't like it, write it yourself.  Also, as should be obvious, Ari' and I are writing these together now, so she doesn't need to sneak comments in after I think they've been sent.
[ Who sneaked anything in?  I just edited for clarity and grammar.  ]
Of course you did.  Anyway, dropping you a line to thank you for pointing out the video clip of the C.A.R.S.S's lift off.  Considering some of the ships I've seen since I lifted myself I shouldn't be surprised, but I'm still sort of amazed that she held together.
[I'm not so certain she did.  If you watch the video you can see bits falling off.  It's not like they had a useful computer system to  help them at all. ]
It made it up, and no one died, that's what counts.  Although I'm not going to look too closely at where and how they got their hands on all those cargo containers.
I credit Kale's father for the lift-off.  As I think I mentioned at some point he's a professional welder, and has very definite [and appropriate] opinions on construction and design.  I'm fairly certain that the C.A.R.S.S. was structurally sound, or mostly so before she was 'waved.
We rendezvoused in LEO and I've been showing them around while they get their shakedown flight(s) taken care of.  Tell Gramma thanks for the cookies, from both of us.
[Even if some of us can't eat them]
Oh hush.  I'll 'wave that old scanner and stick some of the cookies in it, see if that works.
[ ... I'm both thrilled and slightly terrified by the concept of more of your engineering design. ]
Why do I even bother?
F&A
--
"Never formulate a law or axiom without having accepted
 universaliability of it."
   -- Skud's Cathegorical Axiom