'AURORA FALLS' - A Subnautica story.

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  • RainstormRainstorm Montreal (Quebec) Join Date: 2015-12-15 Member: 210003Members
    edited December 2015
    woah youre good at writing this. I passed the last couple hours reading this story and since ive got over 40hrs playing the game its fun to relate to most of your character's experiences lol Dude you have a real gift at writing stories like this! Are you a writer? if youre not i think you might want to consider this :D cant wait to read the rest of your story!

    Also, the peoples working on this game should definitely hire you to write this game's backstory, your story is extremely good
  • BugzapperBugzapper Australia Join Date: 2015-03-06 Member: 201744Members
    edited December 2015
    This is becoming ridiculous. It seems like an entire planet has set its hand against me. Is there something other than straightforward animal instinct at work here? I've been up against Biters before, but never in those numbers. That coordinated attack business was an entirely new thing, too. The longer I think this over, the more likely it is that I'll begin to see weird patterns that don't actually exist. Mind you, the idea of a 'planetary intelligence' seems a bit too far-fetched to swallow, although I'll admit that it might be possible under highly specific ecological circumstances. It could be that I'm just over-exaggerating the threat posed by smaller life forms while simultaneously becoming more blasé about Stalkers, Bone Sharks and Sand Sharks. Admittedly, I do have a grudging respect for some of the larger predators, and there's definite feelings of revulsion for Bleeders, Crawlers and Biters. It all sounds a bit mental, now that I come to think about it.

    I spent the next couple of days mooning uselessly around inside Ulysses. Thankfully, most of the damage was superficial, although I wanted full functionality restored to my right hand before setting foot on that island. Considering what I'm up against here, I'm not entirely convinced that any more caution would do the slightest bit of good in the long term, although it would be nice to spend at least a couple of days not wearing bandages between expeditions. That was the most galling aspect of all in these recent misadventures. I'm not completely inept, although I'd have to admit that some mistakes were made and lessons were learned accordingly. Only human, right?

    When the big day finally arrived, I made sure to dust off the landing area thoroughly with Disco Volante's EDF before leaving the cockpit. Sure enough, there were a couple of Biters waiting in ambush. I gathered up all of the edible fish and took them back to Ulysses for curing, just in case something should wander along for a free feed and decide to hang around. I figured that completely depleting that one small area wouldn't cause any long term problems in the ecosystem. As soon as I was satisfied that the area around the beach was free of Biters, I drove Ulysses in as close as possible and exited the lockout hatch. The small beach dropped away sharply after ten or so metres, making it an easy swim to shore.

    It was a strange sensation to stand on dry land again. That old expression of having 'sea legs' is surprisingly accurate. After spending so long with a rolling, heaving deck under foot, it takes a fair while to become re-accustomed to walking on terra firma again. My first action after coming ashore was to symbolically grab a handful of sand and take seizin of the planet as countless Terran conquerors had done before me, although my version may have raised a few critical eyebrows among historians looking back on this event...

    "I claim this planet in the name of Mars! Isn't that lovely, hmm?"

    As I didn't have an Illudium Q-36 Explosive Space Modulator handy, I readied the propulsion cannon. The island seemed peaceful enough, but we all know how that usually turns out. Even so, the planet hadn't been stingy with its colour palette or its imagination. There were things there that looked as near as dammit to terrestrial plants and trees, while other growths stopped just short of wearing nametags that read "Hi! I'm An Alien Life Form... Nice to meet you!" The overall effect was almost Polynesian, right down to the sound of exotic bird calls filling the air. I scanned the sky, looking for the source. Sure enough, there were numerous bird-like life forms circling high overhead, although a closer look at one revealed that they weren't even remotely avian. If anything, they resembled small, tail-less manta rays. I dubbed them 'Sky Rays'. It came as a pleasant surprise to discover that this species had absolutely no intention of rending me limb from limb. I'll count that as a major win.
  • BugzapperBugzapper Australia Join Date: 2015-03-06 Member: 201744Members
    Season's Greetings to all!

    I'll be taking a couple of days off from writing 'Aurora Falls' to wallow in a turkey, plum duff and eggnog-fuelled Bacchanalia.

    Thank you for supporting (and hopefully reading) 'Aurora Falls'. Your supportive comments are gratefully received.

    Have an enjoyable, convivial and above all else, safe Christmas. Hope to see all your smiling avatars in the New Year! :)
  • RainstormRainstorm Montreal (Quebec) Join Date: 2015-12-15 Member: 210003Members
    Happy holidays to you too Bugzapper B)
  • EpicIan60142EpicIan60142 Illinois Join Date: 2015-08-18 Member: 207263Members
    Merry Christmas everyone!
  • BugzapperBugzapper Australia Join Date: 2015-03-06 Member: 201744Members
    Naturally, it wasn't just a simple matter of attaching a huge cluster of repulsion cannons to a habitation module. As soon as the cannon batteries depleted, the entire assembly would simply fall back into the atmosphere, completely ruining an otherwise perfect day. I needed JUNO's advice before I could make any further headway on this problem.

    "JUNO. Query: Is it possible to modify the propulsion cannon fabrication blueprint, specifically for the purpose of gaining internal access and making modifications to power supply expansion, remote triggering, discharge output and inertial damping system over-ride?"

    "Affirmative, Captain. However, please be advised that any modification of existing operational settings or fabrication parameters may invalidate the warranty conditions of any devices, modules or equipment fabricated after unauthorised modifications have been made. Alterra Corp is under no legal obligations to honour any subsequent replacement, repair or refund claims."

    Light bulb...

    "So, you mean that it's possible to directly modify the parameters of any fabricated construct?"

    "Certainly, Captain. Modifications may be made through JUNO user access terminals in all Fabricators, although any new design variants will be vetted and approved according to structural integrity requirements, construction material suitability, user safety and ethical constraints. May I inquire about the precise nature and proposed objectives of your request?"

    "JUNO, I'm planning to construct a deep-space distress beacon. I think that I can use repulsion cannons to power the launch vehicle, although I will need to alter the cannon's original design significantly in order to accommodate a larger external power supply, provide remote triggering and increasing its graviton wave output. Query: Is this concept feasible?"

    "The core concept is essentially sound, Captain. However, any vehicle using this drive system will also require an onboard gravity nullification system to counteract a significant percentage of the vehicle's total mass during launch. A modified variant of the Gravsphere construct could theoretically accomplish this, although careful attention must be paid to vehicle subsystems geometry and mass distribution. Do you require any further assistance, Captain?"

    "I'll say a definite yes to that, JUNO. I'll need every last skerrick of assistance that you can provide."

    "It will be my pleasure, Captain."

    The next couple of weeks were spent gathering materials, tweaking fabrication settings and assembling a proof-of-concept prototype. Instead of using seven habitation modules as the launch vehicle's hull, I found that the vertical corridor template would be far more suitable to house the gravity repulsion drives. The rocket's body was simply two vertical connectors, topped with an observation dome. A cluster of three connectors spaced around the central core would contain the repulsion cannon arrays, all powered by a compact nuclear reactor located in the main body tube. Gravspheres were to be placed throughout the entire assembly at critically calculated locations, greatly reducing the effect of Manannán's already low gravity (0.6 of Terra's) on the vehicle's mass.
  • BugzapperBugzapper Australia Join Date: 2015-03-06 Member: 201744Members
    edited January 2016
    Stovepipe One didn't look particularly impressive as it sat waiting on the launch pad. Two sections of vertical connector tube, topped with an observation dome. Three repulsion cannons were attached to the dome's outer framework, their muzzles angled slightly outward and spaced precisely 120 degrees apart on the dome's equator. The cannons were intended to serve as Vernier thrusters, activated as necessary to prevent the ship from tipping over in flight. Six repulsion cannons were set in a ring around the base of the lower connector tube. To be completely honest, the craft had a amateurish feel about it, and I could practically feel my brain itching to make dozens of last-minute enhancements before hitting The Big Red Button. I had to remind myself that this one didn't need to look absolutely perfect... It merely had to work.

    Perfectly.

    The lead-up to this moment was not entirely lacking in its share of embarrassing incidents. My first modified Gravsphere punched a large hole through the foundation plate I was using as a test-stand. It's reasonably safe to assume that it hasn't changed the planet's gravitational constant appreciably, although I might want to dial back that wicked -x axis variable just a smidge in the next prototype. The second prototype appeared to be on the right track. As JUNO brought the power supply online, the Gravsphere smartly hopped a couple of centimetres into the air and hung suspended. Steady as a rock. Okay, we have precisely determined the power level required for a Gravsphere to cancel out its own mass and remain stable at a fixed point in space. Time to kick the Science up a notch or two.

    "JUNO. Please increase power to one per cent by zero point one increments."

    "Affirmative, Captain."

    The Gravsphere levitated slowly at first, but by the time the input power level had reached zero point four, it was clear of the test stand and accelerating rapidly. At one per cent power, the Gravsphere shot skyward. Several minutes later, a faint sonic boom could be heard rippling across the sky.

    "Well, JUNO... I don't think we're going to get our ball back."

    "Affirmative, Captain. Might I suggest calibrating the next series of prototypes to receive linear power input rather than exponential? This is merely a suggestion, of course."

    "Oh, aye... Definitely linear." I said, nodding absently.

    It would have been a huge mistake to rely entirely upon Gravspheres to propel Stovepipe One, as the test program's results all too clearly indicated. If I wanted pure acceleration alone, they would be perfectly suited to the job, although I really needed precise control of vectored thrust to get the beacon ship out to a specific point in space. This is where the modified repulsion cannons came into their own. Each cannon was slaved to a controller chip, which was in turn wired into a primitive inertial guidance system made of simple tilt-switches and several compass modules that formed the 'brain' of this semi-guided missile. It was particularly tricky to create an effective guidance system without having access to precision-made gyroscopes or accelerometers, but this one seemed to be a workable sort of lash-up. After all, the system's one and only job was to keep Stovepipe One more or less vertically oriented and headed vaguely 'Out There'.

    Touch wood, or its closest molecular equivalent.
  • EpicIan60142EpicIan60142 Illinois Join Date: 2015-08-18 Member: 207263Members
  • BugzapperBugzapper Australia Join Date: 2015-03-06 Member: 201744Members
    edited January 2016
    Happy New Year, Everyone! :)


    "Enable mass compensators. Main repulsion cannons and Vernier thrusters in pre-launch mode."

    "Affirmative, Captain. All systems are nominal. Mass compensators are online and operational."

    After checking to confirm that the vehicle assembly was safe to approach, I darted out of the bunker and dismantled Stovepipe One's support gantry with a Builder tool. Next, I retracted all four guy-lines and retreated to the safety of the cave containing the launch bunker. Stovepipe One remained proudly upright, levitating about 10 mm above its launch platform. Once inside, I instructed JUNO to power up the main drive. A muted thrum-thrum-thrum started up in the tail section as all six repulsion cannons commenced firing in unison, gently lifting the ship clear of the pad.

    "JUNO. Launch confirmed. Increase acceleration to one point five gee in main drive by increments of zero point one."

    "Affirmative, Captain. Proceeding with orders. Altitude currently 250 metres, all systems nominal."

    The steady pulsation of the cannons deepened in pitch, increasing in volume as the ship rose steadily into the sky. Within minutes, Stovepipe One was little more than a rising speck of silver that caught Alphard's early morning light.

    "Altitude is now 15 kilometres. Velocity, ten point seven-five kilometres per second. Onboard power levels are currently at 80 per cent. All systems are within nominal operational limits."

    "JUNO, commence throttle-up to fifty per cent output. Continue telemetry for as long as possible."

    "Affirmative, Captain. Initiating throttle-up command. Internal power levels now at 75 per cent. Estimated loss of telemetry signal in 120 seconds. Velocity is currently sixty kilometres per second. Attention... Attention... Vehicle Stovepipe One has reached an altitude of 95 kilometres, ten kilometres down-range and has achieved planetary escape velocity. Power levels at 40 per cent. Eighty seconds remaining before signal loss."

    I lost sight of the ship. If all went well, it would continue travelling through the Alphard system in slow-boat mode long after its drive had shut down. There was no real point in creating a more elaborate vessel than what I'd already built at this stage, since Stovepipe One was only intended to confirm that it was possible to build and launch a deep-space distress beacon. There was a beacon of sorts already aboard, although I was unable to find a workable method of boosting its signal beyond more than a few kilometres. However, if I couldn't find an intact tachyon-burst transceiver, all of this effort amounted to little more than a reasonably clever high school Science Fair project.

    Before asking JUNO if it was worth returning to Aurora to search for a transceiver, I already knew the answer. This was something I had been putting off for far too long, although circumstances demanded that this was one trip that had to be made. For one thing, there were probably other components, equipment and supplies that would either speed my rescue or prolong my span on this planet in some measure of comfort. I was starting to worry a fair bit about the onset of vitamin deficiency and malnutrition, since my diet had been almost 100 per cent protein up to this point. Creepvine provided some vitamins and minerals, although I couldn't be absolutely certain what was missing until a serious deficiency made itself known. My carefully-hoarded stock of nutrient bars was the last hope I had of staving off a deficiency disease, and they wouldn't last forever.
  • lxhlxh Austria Join Date: 2015-03-13 Member: 202074Members
    edited January 2016
    Wow :)

    Admittedly I'm not very practiced in high resolution English decryption and I'd really like to read this translated into German one day! Any ambitious translators in attendance?

    Keep it up Bugzapper! And happy new year!
  • BugzapperBugzapper Australia Join Date: 2015-03-06 Member: 201744Members
    lxh wrote: »
    Admittedly I'm not very practiced in high resolution English decryption and I'd really like to read this translated into German one day! Any ambitious translators in attendance?

    Keep it up Bugzapper! And happy new year!

    @lxh :Thank you!

    Unfortunately, those two years I spent studying German in high school would probably fail the skill check. :/

    However, if anyone is interested, I'd be more than happy to collaborate on any European-language translations.
    Drop me a line!

  • BugzapperBugzapper Australia Join Date: 2015-03-06 Member: 201744Members
    One of the social drawbacks of having confirmed 'Engineering Tendencies' is in knowing when someone is about to do something completely, utterly and irresponsibly daft. It's put the dampers on many a carousing session, and has irritated the Hell out of my shipmates at one time or another. I'm fond of a wee dram now and then, and I'm partial to letting fly a tune or two when I'm particularly happy in my cups. Not much of a fighting man, though. By the time I've finished working the numbers where it's best to land the first punch, I'm flat out on my back and the other lad is already getting the next round of drinks in. There's some small consolation to be gained though, particularly when you're defending the honour of a bonny lass at the time.

    The creature was easily the size of a Cyclops-class submarine. It had a long, serpent-like form, with a white underbelly and bright red mottling on its dorsal surfaces. Two long and tapered pelvic fins protruded from its body like hydrofoils, working in tandem with two slightly shorter ventral fins and a pair of equally thin horizontal tail flukes. This thing was clearly built for speed. What scared me most was its business end. Four large, articulated mandibles surrounding a vicious shark's mouth. As if that wasn't enough to soil a good pair of breeks, its head also carried a massive bony process that looked like a cross between an axe-head and a ram plate. At a wild guess, I'd say this ghoulie is what gives Reefbacks screaming nightmares.

    I hauled down hard on the helm, sheering away to port at the last second. The creature slammed into the hull just behind the observation bubble. I cringed, half-expecting the enamelled glass dome to explode. Luckily, it held. The only way out of this fight was to keep on hitting it with the hull until one of us called it quits. Unfortunately, the longer this wee rammy went on, the more I'd be inclined to do something stupidly unpredictable to finish it once and for all. It was roaring furiously now, and I hoped that it wasn't calling its pals to join an all-in. That would be an unfortunate turn of events. It charged at Ulysses again, splaying its mandibles wide to attack the observation bubble. This time, I heaved to starboard, letting it smack into the other side of the hull with a resounding whump. This tactic also seemed to work rather well. Apparently, the creature was fond of using a frontal attack, but it couldn't manoeuvre for toffee.

    "JUNO! Query: Current hull integrity reading!"

    "Hull integrity remains constant at one hundred per cent, Captain. Minor cosmetic damage sustained on hull coatings only."

    On the next pass, I jogged the sub a short distance ahead before commencing the return swing. Hopefully, the creature wouldn't be able to compensate in time. Instead of striking a glancing blow as it had before, Ulysses slammed into the creature with the full force of its 'sweet spot'. A resounding wham! rippled through the full length of Ulysses and the creature squealed in a mixture of pain and outraged surprise. A most palpable hit, indeed. Its body slid across the observation dome groggily. It shuddered briefly, then veered away to commence its next attack run. By my reckoning, I had about twenty seconds before crunch time. I grabbed a line reel from the nearest storage locker, paid out a length and fastened it to the helm control yoke, pushed it forward to the 'Ahead Full' mark and tied off on the railing surrounding the helm station. Ulysses surged forward under full power.

    Aw reet, Pally... Let's see how you handle a Glasgow Kiss!
  • DcsealDcseal US, CA Join Date: 2016-01-05 Member: 210963Members
    edited January 2016
    "The first attempt was disastrous. JUNO appeared to be functioning normally after the first few small tweaks I'd made, and it wasn't until I climbed into the Seamoth some days later that I noticed an unusual status update had crept into her standard repertoire of vocal responses.

    Awkward silence ensues...

    I'd rather not go into any details regarding that particular episode. Not exactly my finest hour."


    I laughed so hard at this point! I think I know what your talking about in this bit, It's that one subnautica easteregg when you get in the seamoth..

    BTW, Great story by the way, the book reads like an.. well actual book! Please keep writing this, I'm loving it!
  • BugzapperBugzapper Australia Join Date: 2015-03-06 Member: 201744Members
    @Dcseal : Congratulations, Sir. Well spotted! :)
    Thank you.
  • BugzapperBugzapper Australia Join Date: 2015-03-06 Member: 201744Members
    "JUNO! Emergency over-ride on Seamoth bay!"

    I belted straight for the Seamoth and jumped into the cabin. JUNO had anticipated this move and Disco Volante was already powered up for a quick launch. The sub bay doors latched fully open a few seconds later, and the docking clamps released smartly. I dived the minisub as soon as it hit the water, narrowly missing being smashed to a pulp by Ulysses' pump-jet shroud. Even so, its powerful wake bounced the minisub around like a leaf in a gale, until its gyros kicked in. With any luck, the Beastie would still have its full attention riveted upon Ulysses.

    I could see it closing in on Ulysses, mandibles agape and roaring bloody murder all the while. Disco Volante skimmed along beneath Ulysses, staying barely out of reach of the docking clamp's proximity sensor. I slapped the EDF capacitor charging panel. Hearing that ominous whine spooling up was exactly like hearing the skirl of Highland pipers marching into battle. For one thing, it summoned the blood and stiffened the sinews just as surely. Now fully charged and bristling with electrical malice, Disco Volante shot forward and dived beneath the startled creature's belly. The capacitor banks discharged, stunning the beast seconds before Ulysses ploughed into its inert body. One of its mandibles whirled away to the seafloor below, sheared off at the root by the tremendous impact. I dived the minisub hastily to avoid Ulysses as it passed overhead, an unpiloted juggernaut lumbering relentlessly into unknown waters.

    Remember what I mentioned earlier about doing something completely daft? I was about to do it anyway. That creature wouldn't be out cold for very long, and I was stuck inside something that basically resembles a nice meaty bap or your common hamburger bun. I suppose I could play it safe and wait until Ulysses ran out of power, but this would mean there wouldn't be any power to activate the docking clamp. I would then have to leave the comparative safety of Disco Volante, swim over to Ulysses and replace its power cells, then leave the actual safety of Ulysses to retrieve Disco Volante. Most probably in the close company of 'Mister Teeth' as well. My Scottish forebears always had a few choice words to say in prickly situations such as this, and they aren't particularly pleasant.

    I believe that the required manoeuvre is called a 'Barn Swallow'. Apparently, experienced VTOL combat pilots do it on a fairly regular basis. Sounds simple enough: Match your airspeed directly in front of the target vehicle (usually a large atmospheric transport ship), wait for its hangar doors to open and then gently throttle down while keeping a close eye on your alignment transponder display. Easy-peasy. One slight catch... No alignment transponder. Also, there's no way known I am going to stop dead in front of a runaway Cyclops and allow the docking clamps to snatch me up as it runs overhead. This calls for a little more finesse.

    It was easy enough to catch up to Ulysses. However, the turbulence created in her wake was too much for Disco Volante to handle. There was only one semi-safe way to do this properly, and it involved some small degree of split second timing. I had to dive the minisub at least 10 metres directly beneath Ulysses' sub bay doors to avoid being collected by the aft intake nacelles or the pump-jet shroud, then slowly rise while maintaining the same forward speed as Ulysses. If you think that sounds far too easy, you really should try it sometime. It's a right bloody knicker-gripper.

    Trust me.
  • ComicalSkateComicalSkate Canada, ON Join Date: 2015-05-28 Member: 204993Members
    Since when are Martian citizens Scottish? Your character just turned full on Scottish with the post on Jan 5th.
  • Ltdan83Ltdan83 Michigan Join Date: 2016-01-05 Member: 210956Members
    Plenty of Americans are Scottish, Irish, Dutch, German, Etc...
    I would bet a Mars colony would be just as much of a melting pot if not more.
  • BugzapperBugzapper Australia Join Date: 2015-03-06 Member: 201744Members
    Little hint: Protagonist's name - 'Alexander Fergus Selkirk'.

    Born on Mars, parents migrated from Terra. Guess what country? ;)

    Also have to expect a little cross-cultural pollination in terms of speech patterns, too.

    (Can't make him excessively OTT Caledonian, though. Few folks would understand what he was saying)
  • Obnoxious_GamerObnoxious_Gamer Cyclops Join Date: 2016-01-05 Member: 210938Members
    Can't wait for the part where the Cyclops is swarmed by Floaters and flies off into space faster than the speed of light.
  • GoochinatorGoochinator America Join Date: 2016-01-07 Member: 211040Members
    This is an amazing story, I am enthralled by your realistic character portrayal and excellent world building. I was actually surprised at the length of time (in the story) that it took to encounter a Reaper, but I guess that radiation might have driven them away. I can't wait for both Subnautica updates and the story to progress to when he meets the Sea Emperor, or the Warper or something.

    I wonder what he would think of the abandoned sea bases in the jelly shroom caves and the island... It would definitely do something to his psyche unless an advance team had made it...


    [Possible Spoiler Maybe? Caution either way]


    Also, I'm pleasantly surprised at your knowledge of Celtic gods, Mannanan is a known figure to me, though is he not also a figure that guards the ways between? Unless you knew that and were going to use the planet's name as an ironic coincidence when the Warper was encountered... Uhhh... if it was... should I put up a spoiler warning? I'll do so anyway...
  • BugzapperBugzapper Australia Join Date: 2015-03-06 Member: 201744Members
    Also, I'm pleasantly surprised at your knowledge of Celtic gods, Mannanan is a known figure to me, though is he not also a figure that guards the ways between? Unless you knew that and were going to use the planet's name as an ironic coincidence when the Warper was encountered... Uhhh... if it was... should I put up a spoiler warning? I'll do so anyway...


    Thank you!

    There was a conscious decision to avoid introducing the Reaper too early in the piece, given its propensity for chewing on anything smaller than a Cyclops. Similarly, the game's current state of development in the Stable version tends to drive the pace to a certain extent, as I don't want to step on anyone's toes (too hard) or second guess the folks at UWE. I'm also drawing from a number of sources as the story plays out. There's a couple of Easter Eggs in there as well. Glad to hear you're enjoying it thus far.

    Incidentally... Shhhh! >:)

  • GoochinatorGoochinator America Join Date: 2016-01-07 Member: 211040Members
    Had it not been for the gravity, the actual land masses under the water and the distance from Earth, I might've thought Mannanan might be Kepler-438b, considering it is 'waterworld' the only exoplanet currently known to have a surface comprised of entirely liquid water...

    I wonder if the devs used 438b as inspiration, or maybe the 'Water World' book... Hmmm...
  • ComicalSkateComicalSkate Canada, ON Join Date: 2015-05-28 Member: 204993Members
    What I was trying to get at was that the character all of a sudden went über Scottish when that post on January 5th was released. I never really noticed it at all, if there was any, until that post.
  • ComicalSkateComicalSkate Canada, ON Join Date: 2015-05-28 Member: 204993Members
    But don't take this as a criticism I really LOVE the story, I just found it kinda funny and it really surprised me that's why I started talking about this little stupid things that effects the story in no way lol
  • BugzapperBugzapper Australia Join Date: 2015-03-06 Member: 201744Members
    But don't take this as a criticism I really LOVE the story, I just found it kinda funny and it really surprised me that's why I started talking about this little stupid things that effects the story in no way lol

    No, fair comment. You've raised an important point. The central character's personality is slowly evolving as the story unfolds. Rather than dump two or more pages describing the exact nature of Alexander Selkirk down to the very last detail, I've decided to drip-feed little snippets of his personality as part of the narrative itself. Most writers prefer to plot out the basic story well in advance of committing a single word to paper. That's something that I don't have the luxury of being able to do, since this story is basically being written 'on the fly'. Some inconsistencies are expected, although I'm trying my best to make the plot points agree with what I've previously written.

    Linguistically, Selkirk is intended to be comparable to someone from the 'Firefly' Universe, although he's not a deliberate ripoff.

    (N.B: Before anyone accuses me of plagiarizing 'The Martian' with Selkirk's resourceful approach, I haven't seen the film yet!)

    Humans have greatly extended their reach into space, and it's reasonable to expect him to use a multi-lingual vocabulary when national boundaries have ceased to matter. Even though most of his thoughts are in 'British' English, he is still a product of a true Scots heritage only one generation removed from Terra. Yes, expect him to lapse into full Billy Connolly mode during stressful situations, although I didn't want to go too far over the top in deference to any readers who don't use English as their native language. I also made a conscious decision not to pepper his language with stereotypical Scots slang utterances such as 'Gie it laldy, Jimmy!' "Helpmaboab!', 'Jings!', 'Crivens!', 'Gie's a brek!', 'Och aye, the noo!' or similar, because it would mean I'd have to explain pretty much everything he says elsewhere in the narrative. From a story-telling perspective, that would be a huge mistake.

    Hope that this clears the air a little.

    Anyway, back to the story. Enjoy. :)
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