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David McLeod

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  1. David McLeod
    Chapter 7: Fatima Albert Einstein told us that the miraculous thing about the laws of nature is that they are immutable. On the other hand, religion posits miracles, which require that the laws of nature be suspended or contravened. 2009-02-20 USF Charleston My twelve-year-old Communications Officer, still the youngest Flag Comm-O in Fleet history—was about to have his first birthday party. Most of the Geeks never had birthday parties: the veil screened them even from their pa
  2. David McLeod
    Chapter 11: Allies and Enemies Little Oak’s replacement was Larch, a boy whose hair was a radiant gold that blindingly reflected the dappled sunlight. Had he been around 20,000 years ago, there might have been no need for Prometheus. We spent the morning working in the coffee grove. After lunch, he sat in the big room watching as I tried to make sense of the notes I’d taken during Athena’s visit. By mid afternoon it was clear that he was restless. Actually, so was I. “Come on, Larch, there
  3. David McLeod
    Chapter 6: Reunion 2009-02-16 Las Vegas Reverends’ Council In a large, bright room on an upper floor of the _____ Palace Casino, thirteen men in black—save for the narrow strip of white at their collars—sat around a table. A fat man in a green robe went from place to place, serving coffee laced with Irish whiskey and topped with whipped cream onto which crème de menthe was drizzled. At one end of the room, a televisor replayed something the men already had seen many times. “We’re not go
  4. David McLeod
    Chapter 5: The Funeral USS Charleston—Intel Team Meeting The Flag Intel Team meeting was scheduled for 1200 hours. As far as my Chief Mess Steward was concerned, that was the worst possible time. He and his men started fixing pizza at 0900. The table was covered with platters of pizza when Marty started the briefing. “The Scudder’s telegraph network, and those of the Sheriffs and the Army, use Morse code. It’s exactly like what was developed in our universe and is still used by amateur radio
  5. David McLeod
    Chapter 4: Team Australia 2009-02-07 It was too soon to bring the entire intelligence community together on the Charleston, so the update on the first Encyclopedia Rift, as people had begun calling it, was held by videoconference. The principal briefer was a Lieutenant Commander who had managed to find a place as liaison between the Pan Asian and the Mujahedeen Teams. “We have conducted an initial examination of Australia and Africa and can interpret what we saw based on what we’ve learned
  6. David McLeod
    Chapter 10: Mars—Tactical Planning I looked at the boy’s straight, blue-black hair, round face, and epicanthic folds, and was puzzled when he said he was Magnolia grandiflora, for I knew the magnolia as the “state tree” of several southern states in which I’d lived, including Mississippi and Alabama. He saw my puzzlement, and giggled. “They said you’d not understand,” he said. “My tree is native to both the southern United States—or what will become that country in this reality—and to the coun
  7. David McLeod
    Hi, and a good time of day to you, Glad you're here. Please let me know what you think about the direction this is taking. David
  8. David McLeod
    Chapter 3: On the USF Charleston 2009-01-19 0900 USF Charleston, Intel Team Meeting “If you don’t have a donut by now, you’re out of luck,” Kevin said, calling to order the meeting of the Flag Intel Team. The boys seated at the table giggled. They averaged 12 years of age, so that was okay. The men smiled. They averaged 30 years of age and 24 years in Fleet, but they had worked with the kids long enough to know how important was food to them. I had added eight of the best and brightes
  9. David McLeod
    Chapter 9: CDC Laboratory Epsilon Hazel’s wake-up kiss the next morning was intense and promising much, but it was over in an instant. In that same instant, he leapt from the bed and tugged my arm. “Why are we in a hurry,” I asked. “Apollo will visit,” he said. “And he brings Aphrodite.” Our shower was brief, as was breakfast, served by a lithe dryad with scarlet curls. “I am Willow,” he said, “Salix matsudana. In the spring, my new leaves grow on scarlet vinelettes.” “Welcome, Willow, a
  10. David McLeod
    Chapter 8: Athena Visits The boy who was waiting on the patio beside the breakfast table had golden blond hair, but what drew my attention was the intense and vivid green-gold-brown of his eyes. They looked as if they would glow in the dark. Privately, I looked forward to testing that hypothesis. “Good morning, Hazel,” I said. “Am I correct?” “Yes, Lucas, I am Corylus avellana, the common hazel.” “Oh, there is nothing at all common about you,” I said. He blushed, but had presence of mind to
  11. David McLeod
    Chapter 2: Cuddle Time Question 2009-01-07 The night after Maudi’s rescue was one of the rare ones: both Danny and George were off duty. We had eaten supper together in the Flag Mess, and were cuddled on the couch in my quarters pointedly not watching some banal entertainment on a commercial television channel. “Daddy?” Danny said. I still got an electric feeling in my heart when he or George or Artie called me Daddy—even though sometimes what followed wasn’t a daddy thing. It wasn’t this tim
  12. David McLeod
    Ricky, With no apology to Samuel Johnson, a well-crafted pun is the highest form of humor. Thanks...you made my day. David
  13. David McLeod
    Chapter 7: The Best Laid Plans of Gods and Men (Mars Visits) I had my arms around Birch when I kissed him awake. I looked deeply into his eyes. They were nearly black, like his hair, and had the epicanthic fold to be expected in a var. japonica. His tree was the Asian White Birch, Betula platyphylla of which there were a dozen in a copse near the farm of Galen and Ariane. Three were var. japonica. He smiled at the attention I was paying him, and wriggled a little in my hug in a way that clearl
  14. David McLeod
    2009-01-01 One Year Earlier. Las Vegas, the _____ Palace Casino Men in green robes moved through the arena as silently and carefully as possible. This was the most dangerous time of the year, when hung-over Reverends woke in their own vomit and filth after the night’s debauchery. Where they could, the men in green picked up the children who lay among the Reverends. So far, only two of the children had been dead. Dozens of others lay entwined with the sleeping men. “What the hell?” one of the
  15. David McLeod
    Timeline (Through the end of 0300 Books 1 and 2) April 15, 1989 Paul Alexander Stewart born in Valentine Texas. Father died in Fleet action two months before; mother died two months later. Paul placed in orphanage. September, 1995 Paul entered Fleet School Edmonton; analyzed by QMEG; assigned TDY (temporary duty), USF Enterprise; Battle of Jamnagar 1995 Danny West and George Rogers born 1997 Paul Stewart promoted to Senior Cadet; transferred to Fleet School Cardiff, Wales 1998: Paul Stewart
  16. David McLeod

    0300 Book 3

    David McLeod posted a story in Fiction

    This is a continuation of "0300 Books 1 and 2," and parallels the second of those.
  17. David McLeod
    Chapter 6: Whittaker’s Life and Death, and Birch Earth Analogue VII The hammer of the 9-mm pistol struck the cartridge, but the primer, the fulminate of mercury that was designed to set off the propellant of the main charge and send the steel-jacketed slug through the boy’s brain, didn’t explode. I used the powers of Chronos and Apollo, both of which were mine as a titan, and touched the boy. Then, he and I—but not the gun—were on the patio of my home. “Whittaker? We have some time before the
  18. David McLeod
    Chapter 8a: Company Leopard Bryan I watched the boys in uniform march down the street. Who are they? Will they take new recruits? I wondered. I looked closely at them: most seemed to be between twelve and fifteen years old. I was probably older than they were, but I looked a lot younger than I was. If anybody would be doing SCUBA, it would be they. I had brought my SCUBA gear from Chicago, and there was a lake just behind our town house, but Paul was uncomfortable with the idea of me diving al
  19. David McLeod
    Chapter 5: Oak-2, Apricots, and Zeus Since it had been Zeus who had sent Demeter to visit me (at least, that’s the way I understood it), I decided to send an invitation to him through Demeter. The Dryad the day after Apple was Oak-2. Since he was the only oak present at the moment, I dropped the suffix when talking to him, although I added how to name them differently to my to-do list. “Oak? Can you contact Demeter?” His eyes grew vacant for a moment. “Yes, Lucas. She now hears what I hear, s
  20. David McLeod
    Chapter 4: Visit from Apollo: Golden apples of the Sun The boy who was waiting on the patio the next morning had a bit of baby fat, and was rosy-cheeked with yellow hair. His tunic was a pale green. “Good morning, Lucas,” he said. “I am Malus domestica.” “Apple!” I said, delighted as his words triggered a fragment of an old memory. “Ab ova, ad mala was on the wall of my classroom in the Latin School.” From eggs to apples was the description of a complete Roman meal. Eggs and apples were am
  21. David McLeod
    Chapter 3 Day 3: Oak I The Dryad-of-the-Day was waiting at the table, with breakfast laid, when Olive and I reached the patio. “Good morning,” I greeted him. “Good morning, My Lord,” he said. “I am Oak, and I am about 2,000 years old.” Oak, like his tree, was sturdy—muscular, stocky, a bit like a high-school Greco-Roman wrestler of my world. He appeared to be about fourteen, a year or two older than Maple, Ginkgo-1, and Olive had appeared. “Please call me Lucas,” I said, “unless there’s som
  22. David McLeod
    Chapter 2 Day 2, Olive Sex with Ginkgo the next morning was reciprocal, passionate, and quite satisfactory. Then, after a brief morning shower, Ginkgo bade farewell. “Another of my brothers will greet you at breakfast,” he said. He touched my lips in a light kiss. “Thank you,” he said, and scampered away. Again, I found the bed made and a tunic and sandals ready for me. When I reached the table on the patio, another beautiful boy greeted me. He looked Mediterranean: a mass of curly black hair
  23. David McLeod
    Chapter 13: Leaving Barron Master Criticus summoned Alexis to his workshop. None of the other boys were there, not even Petrus, the master’s apprentice. “Alexis, do you remember the day you arrived, when Petrus told of first meeting Marty and Chandler?” “Yes, Master, I do. He and they talked about how vulnerable Barrone might be if Eblis were the source of Evil. I gather that is now come to pass.” The master nodded. “You think well, and deeply. Yes. Andy and Billy have brought back news that
  24. David McLeod
    If you’ve read “Protector of Children” you may remember Lucas. That particular Lucas lives (or lived or will live) in Earth Analogue IV, one not unlike the one in which you are reading this except that its inhabitants include the Greek gods and at least one titan. The narrative which follows occurs (or occurred or will occur) in Earth Analogues V and VII.
  25. David McLeod
    Day 1 Chapter 1: Earth Analogue V: A Titan and a Goddess If immutable laws governed the universe, the mythical gods of ancient Greece would have been impotent. —Lawrence Krauss A Universe from Nothing Perhaps he doesn’t really understand the Realities. —David McLeod I am not in my bed at the assisted living facility. Assisted living facility: a euphemism for nursing home. My eyes are closed, yet I know I am not in the bed in which I had fallen asleep. The mattress does not stink of the p
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