Stellar

I could hear the combat behind me as I ran, Mira beginning his defence of our underground passage. Though the urge to look behind was strong, to make sure he was okay, I knew it would be a big mistake to stay close enough for the sharpelings to detect me, and that he would best them as he had everything else so far. Instead, my vision was filled with the grey-black of the undercity, a moving collage of gloom and straight lines. Aspira's base level, in the CBD at least, rested on a network of con

In the year 2104 A.D., on Thursday February 14, a hitherto unknown disease appeared in a quiet suburban neighbourhood of the provincial city of Palatus, a western hub in the Capital Arm region of the continent Aurum, on the planet Lucere. This disease was an extremely transmissible mutation, known initially as the Valentine's Sickness and then forever after as the Sharpe virus, named for the doctor that described the first cases. Humanity was unprepared to deal with a thing of such uncompromisin

Hello, dear readers. You are here no doubt because you have finished Hidden Sunlight. I will address that in a second, but first ... here is a bunch of trivia about the story. If you aren't interested or don't care, I'm not entirely sure why you're reading this post in the first place However, in case of TLDR and if you just want me to get to the point, please skip to the end of the bullet points. yes, the wording about Lucere in the epilogue was correct. The pre-outbreak population of the planet was just a little more than a billion people. The total death/mutation toll for the Sharpe virus in 2104 including the other colonies was in the billions. Humanity got majorly screwed over in just a couple of months. it follows that you'd be curious about the home planet and if there are piles of corpses and mutants roaming the streets or ... whatever! Am I going to tell you anything about what's been happening on Earth? Nope! I'm not. At least, not in *this* part of Hidden Sunlight there was a joke about Twilight in chapter 14, but I'm not sure how many of you picked it up. It was more blatant originally, but during beta I was encouraged to make the humour more subtle and as a result I think I made it *too* subtle and it flew past most people. Ooops! Le Renard's name is a tip-of-the-hat to The Day of the Jackal. Translated from French, it means: The Fox. The principal villain from that book was of course named The Jackal. who's a fan of Portal and Portal 2? Bonus points if you noted the 'A deadly disease! For Science!' comment and recognised that it came from the aforementioned games. the reason Lily called Konstantin 'Dimi' all the time was because when she was little, she couldn't pronounce his name, but she could say his middle name, Dmitri. That became shortened to Dimi and it stuck. it wasn't mentioned anywhere, but Lily's family was from Canada not the United States, though at the point in Lucere's history they were at, Shay likely couldn't tell the difference or never noticed it. along the same lines, the ancestor Konstantin refers to in chapter 3 was none other than Yuri Andropov, a real historic figure who was chairman of the KGB and General Secretary of the CPSU, leader of the Soviet Union in the early 1980s. a number of times I used the terms 'clip' and 'magazine' interchangeably but mostly in the earlier chapters. They do have different meanings, and anyone who knows guns may have noticed the indiscretion. The rest of you probably don't care - but hey, I'm a details guy. If it's not right, it bugs me! Konstantin is somewhat inspired by the gun-dealer Marcus Kincaid from Borderlands 2 (passing resemblance only, Konstantin only shares Marcus' love for guns, but none of the mercenary capitalist attitude and questionable morals) but much more by Father Grigori from Half-Life 2, the shotgun-wielding priest in Ravenholm who is living alone in a town full of headcrab-infested human zombies. He's unusually happy given his rather disturbing congregation and possibly a bit crazy to boot, but I liked him so much I even stole one of his better quotes and modified it for Konstantin to use. the religious theme, incidentally: just for anyone who is curious, I'm not a Christian. However, I quite enjoy writing characters that are contrary to who I am, regardless of my own view on the issue. Faith is an important part of Konstantin's life, so the text reflected that. while we're on the subject of zombies, the original idea for Shay's stasis was inspired by ... The Walking Dead! The pilot episode, Rick Grimes, the main protagonist and a police officer, gets shot during a robbery and goes into a coma in hospital. He awakes (I think three?) weeks into the zombie apocalypse, in a ruined hospital with no effing clue what has happened. I knew as soon as I saw that show that I wanted to write something like that in a science fiction setting, only I went to the extreme end of the scale and made it centuries instead of weeks. incidentally, the original time period for Shay's sleep was much longer - 600 years not 200. I cut that down a lot though, rationalising that even with the best possible conditions on hand from aqumi, there wouldn't be any people left after that long. Also, that even the best technology would probably have stopped working by then, regardless of how great Lucere was at manufacturing. continuing on that theme, the numbers 2 and 14 crop up with surprising frequency. They are found together in combination in various points in the story. The obvious one is 214 years, but there are quite a few examples if you were paying close attention. How many did you spot or can you recall? the names of Aurum's provinces are almost exclusively scientists from Earth's history. Tesla is the obvious example, though every other named location in the Capital Arm apart from Aspira and Palatus also fall into this category. yes, the kitten is still with them. It was just safely deposited inside Shay's backpack for most of the plot's climax and denouement. A murderous warzone is no place for such a thing to be running around. names of major characters and their meanings. Names are important to me, and I chose most names accordingly. Shay: his name has Irish roots. It means 'hawk-like' or 'admirable', though the Hebrew variation could also be appropriate: 'gift' Konstantin: a Russian or German name, it's derived from the Latin Constantinus. The name means more or less what it sounds like: 'constant', 'steadfast' or possibly 'loyal'. Carlos: the Spanish variation of Charles, itself derived from the Germanic Karl, meaning 'strong' or 'manly.' The old Anglo-Saxon 'ceorl' was a related term, being used in England as a term referring to the lowest rank of free man since before the 12th century. Klaus: a shorthand German version of Nicholas, origins in the Greek Nikolaos; 'victory of the people'. Miles: English name from the older Germanic Milo, Latin Milos. The roots of the Germanic origin are tied to the Slavic word fragment mil- which is 'gracious' or 'merciful'. While I'm sure this is line with the sort of image Hartley wanted to portray, the more accurate root is the Latin one, which is derived from militatus - a soldier or warrior. Lily: she is, of course, named after the flower. The etymology for the word traces all the way back to Egypt, and originally meant none other than 'flower.' White lilies especially were seen as a symbol of purity. There was a good reason why Mira gave her a flower in chapter 17 and of course, I could not forget Mira himself. His name origin is probably the most apt out of all of them. While the name is usually in a feminine form when spelled Mira (the masculine form being Miro) this is because of the word it was derived from: miracle. This word was typically taken to mean a marvellous event caused by God, something to wonder at. Indeed, mirari and mirus as origin forms invoke 'astonishment', 'wonder' and 'amazement'; if this is taken further back, there are deeper roots in Sanskrit, Greek and liturgical Slavic that describe 'smiling' and 'laughing'. A friend also pointed out to me not long after I named him that mira in Spanish is also the verb for 'look', which makes perfect sense when you relate that back to the meaning of 'miracle.' Considering his preference for communicating with Shay through sight and not speech, I don't think I could have chosen a better name. for the perverted among you, Shay is Slightly-Above-Average, while Mira is Significantly-Larger-Than-Average but a little short of Porn-Star-Ridiculous. He inherited fantastic genes from Synnove and is the sort of teenager who would cause insecurities of Freudian proportions in many grown men if they ever glimpsed him undressed. There you have it, and if you deny wanting to know that, I shan't believe you. Everyone always wants to know more than the rather ambiguous descriptions in the text ... or at the very least, you were thinking it. Now this is where I say: This ... is how I tell a story. Thank you for sticking with me and reading it, if you have made it this far. If you want to say 'thank you' to me for writing it, there are three things you can do: I dislike the reputation system on here and I think it's flawed, but it's the only material way of measuring 'approval.' So I would ask that if you loved Hidden Sunlight, then please go through and like each chapter and the story itself if you have not already done so. Any registered user can do this. If you don't, I won't be upset or anything, but anything that helps raise my profile as an author is valuable to me, as well as being a token of thanks. Reputation is one of those ways. The other way is to simple tell me what Hidden Sunlight was like to read, for you. Seriously. Send me a PM or write it here, whatever you feel you'd like. I love hearing from people about my work, what they enjoyed, what they didn't and why. Reader reaction gives me enormous satisfaction. Don't be shy, I won't bite or be rude. Both of the above, not just one or the other. I also want to give thanks to my betas for all the work they have done for me over the past year or so. Cassie, Rob and Paul -- you guys have been awesome and I'm glad I had you along. Lastly: yes, there WILL be a sequel. The epilogue pointed towards it, as did the final chapter. The question is, dear readers, do you want to see me write this sequel first or move on to something different? Because, and this is a warning, I don't do anything by halves. If I take a break to do anything else it will in all likelihood be something equally time intensive and demanding and it could be a long while before you see anything relating to a book two for Hidden Sunlight. So, there you have it.

Happy Birthday!

Woah, haha! Thanks guys, to all of you Much appreciated. And Cassie ... sssh! You ain't got much on me ... and yes, Bee, I guess I'm safe for another five years, right?

That's pretty cool, Weta is an industry unto itself in Wellington these days (it was dubbed Wellywood for a while by the media, as they took to the idea of our film industry doing so well in the wake of the LotR movies.) I have seen Sherlock, and I was initially drawn to it by Benedict Cumberbatch as the title character, but after seeing the fantastic chemistry between him and Freeman, not to mention the general quality of the production, I became a fan very fast.

Oh, for sure. I got to meet him when he was here filming The Hobbit. I served him at my workplace and just about flipped out when *nobody* else recognised him when he walked into the store - freakin' ingrates, don't know fame when they see it! I really wanted to talk to him but I didn't have the nerve to say anything. I was also amused by the fact he's so short - I'm 6'1 so I was towering over him, lol.

What?? I *am* a colonial and I love Simon Pegg's humour. Plus, Martin Freeman is a good actor and a really nice guy to boot. What's not to like?

A vuvuzela? Please keep that hideous thing to silence or I will be forced to impose strict quiet upon the audience.

If this is with regard to the chapter ending, then I probably deserve it!

You know, when I imagine things, it is always cinematic; sometimes it seems prohibitively so, to transcribe that into actual prose. If I am imparting that to you, then I am succeeding in some measure and that is satisfying. Re: Carlos and his relationships with his brother. Clearly Esteban isn't alive any more, even though he was six or seven years younger, according to Carlos. This means that Esteban died at a somewhat young age, which suggests more than a few scenarios and none of them pleasant. It must certainly set the mind alight with how that is impacting the current relationship between Carlos and Shay - and what that means. Is it *just* the remains of brotherly love that Carlos feels or is there truly something else there too? While I cannot and will not say anything about the ending ... it is not premature at this point to say ... this may not .. umm .. exactly ... uh ... be the end for at least Shay and Mira. Yes, I did just hint at what you are thinking about, and no I'm not going to say anything else on this topic. Lastly: that kitten, huh? There has been a theme with cats in this story, but it is well woven into the fabric of the plot so many readers would perhaps not notice it. Cats have both a spiritual and personality archetype associated with them that makes them more than just a stylistic symbol. Sharpelings themselves have a somewhat catlike quality, both in their predatory nature and their social structuring (the comparisons to a pride of lions are not without merit.)

Glad you're enjoying it Don't forget, you can choose to follow the story to get notifications of when it is updated, if you prefer. Also please don't forget to like any chapters you enjoyed!

Chapter 19 will see the culmination of the plot and things reach their climax. You will see some rather ... ahem .. explosive .. events.

So do I. Though I enjoy having dogs around (well dependent on the breed, some are less tolerable than others), I have more of a weak spot for cats. They are remarkable creatures, so contradictory and so curious.

As mentioned in the end notes, it was a difficult one to write, on par with Chapter 11. It is quite extraordinary to feel so guilty over my treatment of a wholly fictional character, even knowing well in advance that it was to happen.

Thank you!

One of my friends has a house that was until recently filled with an excessive amount of kittens. Some were tabby and tortoise-shell, but around half a dozen were the exact same as in the story. One even had split blue/green eyes. I love cats but it was hard to walk anywhere without almost stepping on the damn things.

Chapter 12 is interwoven with 11; 13 is the meeting point for the two, from which the rest of the plot continues. He was left behind because in the context of the situation, Volkov was a very dangerous place to be at right then and besides .. well, you shall have to read on to discover the detail of it!

Thank you! Though I am forever seeing fault in what I write, one of the few things in Hidden Sunlight I have been almost completely satisfied with is the relationship between the protagonist and his mate. I wanted to strike the correct notes and I feel like I did.

Thank you I am glad you are enjoying it. Shay certainly has been there longer than anyone thinks, though I will leave you to speculate about how long that actually is I've been painfully aware of grammar and spelling all my life, which is just another part of the whole deal of Being Different. It makes me a perfectionist when it comes to the technical structure of what I'm writing; it drives me rather crazy if my style is inconsistent and doesn't meet that standard!

I liked Morgan too, but he was on borrowed time from the second he was taken captive. Sad but true; La Tigresse might be a coldhearted bitch, but she was certainly right about Hartley's attitude towards 'treason' - he hates traitors almost as much as he does the rebels that defy him. Klaus, on the other hand, was probably the most easygoing of Hartley's three principal minions. He didn't care amount much except for getting the job done, and hopefully seeing a good bit of action for it. Quite sadistic though, a sort of jolly 'I'm going to love hurting you' to contrast with the coolness from Tigresse and her brother. Yes, the kitten! It's not all death and destruction. Well, most of it is .. but here and there, life finds a way.

You are most welcome. In honesty, there was never a direct intentional allegory being made to any real disease, though I completely understand that any such crippling malaise where death is preferable would invite comparison. Lily's final message to Konstantin epitomises to me the sort of person she was. Like Konstantin, her whole life had been devoted to helping others - the sort of sacrifice that can only be measured and seen in the myriad of small things done to that end. She may not have held any true spiritual belief of her own, perhaps unsurprising given she was an ardent student of empirical evidence and the scientifically observable, but she knew how critically important it was to the Andropov brothers to have the simple emotional connection of their faith reinforced. She believed that in such a time, more than ever, Konstantin would need that reinforcement. She was right.

That button! I think I'm with Shay on this one, I'd love to see behind that button.

Thank you Correct, Shay is not ageing, and yes, by extension Mira is not either, though this doesn't get properly touched on until the following chapter. You're not alone, I don't think anyone feels sorry for Hartley. Some villains can garner sympathy for their story or the suffering that created their malaise. Not so much for Hartley, he's just a right douche.

You're welcome.