Splitting the Sky

Ooooohhhh! Always nice to post about a new novel! Splitting the Sky went live this morning, and is available for free on Smashwords. Coming soon to other online retailers, yay!

So here's the story: One corrupt leader, six missing astronauts, and an uncharted dimension collide with a damning secret as bereaved families mourn their beloveds. But what if those rocketeers aren't dead?

Science fiction meets psychological drama while love triangles bump into political intrigue! Set on Clatham, a planet a whole lot like Earth, those astronauts are entangled not only in their rocky interpersonal relationships, but find themselves inexplicably linked within the pilot's mind after a cataclysmic explosion sends their crew cabin into...The Split! D'Rozen, the pilot, harnesses all within his head, determined not to lose any of them, especially Tarryn, whose husband Lee back on Clatham knows his wife is still alive.

That's the synopsis. But let's step back a little to explain why this book, originally written in August of 2012, is being released TODAY. Or maybe I don't need to delve into that too deeply, what with a duplicitous head of government as a main character in this tale's drama, ahem. Yes I chose to publish this novel on Inauguration Day to make my own subtle statement. I also decided to release it now because I badly required a distraction that has indeed kept this author plenty busy for the last several weeks. I'm exceedingly grateful to my husband for his phenomenal support, as well as my dear friend Catherine Lucas, who graciously provided the amazing cover photo. Past Me gets huge kudos for writing this book, which balances my slight irritation with her for subsequently chucking the notes for it, and several other early stories, but who knew back in 2012 what 2025 would require.

Fortitude, patience, intense inner strength, calm, tenacity.... Did I mention mettle? I think I did. Because yes, a whole lotta something is on the horizon, but better to focus on creativity, on peace, on love. Love swirls through this story, love and sacrifice. The sacrifice for one's crew and kin bests all the nasty machinations. Gotta remember that.

I'm immensely pleased, and yeah, a bit proud, to talk up this tale. A standalone, Splitting the Sky taps into my fondness for love stories, science fiction, familial relationships, and (Spoiler!) happy endings. Or relatively happily ever afters. If any of this strikes your fancy, download your copy FOR FREE (as always) on Smashwords. I'm hopeful it will be available in wide online distribution by the end of the week. And here's the first chapter, hehehe.

Chapter 1

 

 

 

The Teháche Mountains loomed all about Estén like another arm or leg. Breathing in crisp morning air, he also noted coffee alongside an odd freshness. He smiled, glancing to the campfire. He didn’t smell burning wood, a scent as ingrained as these peaks. Yet the coffee was sharp, as precious as the cool breeze tinged with glints of sunshine. He turned back to the tent, hearing gentle snores. D’Rozen remained asleep, his drones turning to rumbles.

Walking to the edge of their campsite, Estén gazed into the canyon. Always this spot felt theirs, as though no one else had ever tramped this flat, gray slope. He smiled, then went for the coffee, a strong brew he preferred. His brother would bitch, but if D’Rozen wanted it weaker, he could get up before dawn and make it. Steam rose from the cup and Estén inhaled it, a ritual from his youth. Drinking coffee was as necessary as breathing or standing on a wide precipice that led to…. Estén returned to his perch; from the smooth landing he observed the sky, some clouds, but mostly a wide blue horizon, framed in spots by tips of rocky crags. It took the better part of a day to reach this site, but the brothers had been making the pilgrimage since they were ten and twelve. D’Rozen had two years and a few months on Estén, yet memories had stuck from around the same age, like their lives were on one timeline. Recollections were tinted; no one saw everything equally, but they had rarely been separated, experiencing all the same things. Except for this time of the day, which D’Rozen always missed. Estén smiled, tiny sips of coffee attempted. It was still too hot, so instead he sniffed the comforting warmth, caffeine right along the cup’s edge. Estén blew at the steam, swirling into the air, hoping none of the essence was drifting away.

D’Rozen would have laughed at him, fully aware of his brother’s worries. They might possess nearly all the same memories, yet this place brooked no dissent, offering a balm, also one last moment for natural solitude. Estén tried another sip, the flavor right along his tongue. He kicked a small rock, heard no sound as it flew along the breeze, traveling to the bottom of the canyon. How long of a descent was it, how many minutes would pass before that pebble reached its destination? Not a final resting spot; someone would find it eventually, sending it soaring. How many stones had Estén hurled into space, into other rocks, into D’Rozen’s shins? A younger brother laughed richly, clashing with heavy drones leaking from the tent. Estén smiled, then took a proper drink. Now the day had begun.

 

They trekked around Muala Hill; every time it seemed to shrink, what Estén thought as D’Rozen led the way, muttering it was too damned early, even if they had eaten lunch right before they left. Now it was nearly two p.m.; they would head back to the site soon, not like how they used to hike for hours. This was a teaser of a vacation, or barely that. It was what both required before being sequestered. Some sense of their youth, of a vast space that possessed firm boundaries. Mostly firm, Estén noted, having slipped on a few rocky places. D’Rozen had laughed, then grown quiet.

Their transport would be waiting in two days, one of which would be spent getting down the mountain. That took more time than what they would spend hiking or sleeping, but this elevation required a sacrifice. Estén inhaled with that, then stopped walking. “Hey, slow down.”

D’Rozen paused, hands at his sides. “What?”

“Shit, just stop a second.” Estén glanced around for effect. “I can’t get a good look with your pace.”

D’Rozen nodded, then drank some water. Estén didn’t need to admire the scenery; it was as permanent as any other important moment of their lives. They might not consider the landscape with equal depth, but brown eyes took in scrubby hills ringing a green meadow, small yellow buttercups swaying in the afternoon breeze. Estén was hungry; lunch had been small and hurried, for he’d wanted to get walking. Time here was limited, but before each launch, this was required, like coffee, sleep, a good piss upon waking. He felt the urge, then walked from the trail toward the wood.

“What, can’t take a leak out in the open?” D’Rozen teased.

“Fuck you.”

D’Rozen’s laughter followed Estén to the edge of the hill, where a small stream ran, a few animals scampering into the wood. He wouldn’t piss on the trail or the meadow; that seemed immoral; had their father taught him that? Some memories were lost, or maybe blocked. Estén pondered it while unzipping his fly, then forgot it as a deer’s bright eyes peered from the thicket.

The only sound was urine hitting the ground, not even the brook intruded. Estén couldn’t even hear his breath; he hadn’t seen a deer since he was maybe fifteen years old. Perhaps longer, he thought, still observing that deer, which stared right at him. Did it know why they were there, was it intrigued by bodily functions? Or was it deeper, as Estén always assumed, but never said aloud. D’Rozen thought all of that was shit, but Estén could sense that creature’s intellect.

“Are you done yet?” D’Rozen yelled from the trail.

Hooves and tail flashed as the deer bolted into the thicket. The brook sang its song as Estén zipped his jeans, then he turned around, D’Rozen tapping his foot, hands on hips. Estén smiled, glancing to where that deer had stood. Then he rejoined his brother.

 

They ate dinner as the sun set, then sat in front of the fire, not speaking. They stared at the jagged horizon, light bounding from behind it, but growing dim. As dusk settled, D’Rozen stood, then rubbed his arms. “You get enough of it?”

Estén nodded. “All ready to go back?”

“Sure, I mean….” D’Rozen walked to the perch, gazing at the falling night, cool air forcing his arms around him. Then he turned to Estén. “Gonna be a long trip.”

“Longer in isolation than we’ll be up there.”

“Shit, when’s it not?” D’Rozen laughed. “Like coming here for two nights, but it takes two days to reach it. Still, it’s worth it, even if it’s a bitch going up and down.”

Estén nodded. He hadn’t thought about the trip, that wasn’t why he was there. He was there to leave that behind, which had been accomplished. Even before he saw the deer, but those seconds, perhaps a minute, would hold him until they returned, maybe in a year’s time. It might be less, but probably not. Three months sequestered in pre-flight training, two in space, another six weeks of down time; missions required long stretches of his life, but other than D’Rozen, who was there to satisfy? Besides, D’Rozen had done this to him last year. Fair was fair, even if it wasn’t.

“You ready for bed?” D’Rozen asked.

“Yeah. Tomorrow’ll be here soon enough.”

“Sooner for you than me.”

Estén smiled, standing from his seat. “No shit. Gonna have to rise your ass if we’re to get to base in time.”

“Not too early,” D’Rozen said, gazing at stars.

Estén stared toward the sky. Night seemed to have fallen like a blanket, but the darkness was littered with white specks, how they appeared from here. In months, the stars would be close enough to snatch from inside the ship. Yet here they always looked more real. He didn’t mention that, D’Rozen wouldn’t have cared for any theoretical bullshit. Estén smiled, then patted his brother’s shoulder. “Thanks for coming up.”

“Sure. Don’t have anything better to do.”

Estén nodded. “I’m going to bed. You close it up?”

“Yeah. And tomorrow don’t make the coffee so damned strong.”

“Get up and make it yourself.”

“Fucker.”

Estén chuckled as he headed to the tent, his brother softly grumbling.

 

D’Rozen woke to Estén’s deep snores. It remained dark outside, but he needed to pee so badly, not even night could preclude it. He slipped on shoes, got out of bed, then stepped from the tent, shivering. Night was cool, yet a sliver of morning teased over the far horizon behind the tent. D’Rozen pissed back there, hearing the splash against the ground while Estén’s rumbles hovered.

Kicking dirt over the dampness, D’Rozen gazed at the morning. Who knew the exact time, yet it was a new day, their last together for a year, perhaps more. D’Rozen had the next liftoff, but he hadn’t told Estén that. They would see each other in passing when Estén returned, D’Rozen in training. Then another eight or nine months until they could return here. When they did, it would be for a good long stay, nine or ten days, maybe two weeks. The longest they had camped here was a month, when they were twenty-one, or when D’Rozen was twenty-one. Their ages were so close, D’Rozen never thought of his brother as younger. Yet Estén was always the little sibling, even though he was taller by a good three inches. They looked alike, dark brown hair, rugged faces sporting more years than they owned. No one ever guessed their ages, thirty-three and thirty-one, which helped at work. Most astronauts were in their late thirties or early forties. Two brothers almost twins bucked that trend.

D’Rozen headed to the tent, but Estén was snoring so loudly, there was no way D’Rozen would go back to sleep. “Bastard,” he mumbled, then smiled. The coffee would be more to his taste on their last day. He wouldn’t start it until right before the sun rose, until Estén was nearly ready to wake. D’Rozen grinned, then sat on a large, flat rock, watching the other side of the sky still lying in slumber.

 

Brothers were experienced climbers, but D’Rozen insisted on leading them down the cliff. Estén had complained that the coffee was barely more than water, but D’Rozen felt it coursing through him, or maybe it was the rush of the descent, always his favorite part. Being at the campsite grew old after a few days, although he wouldn’t have minded another week. In departing, he knew an odd sadness, wasn’t sure from where it originated. He said nothing to Estén, who would have talked it to death. D’Rozen only asked if his brother was all right. Estén said he was fine.

Unless something was wrong, they wouldn’t speak again until pausing for a break. Footsteps noted their presence, drifting into the warming air, leaving the cooler altitude. Maybe that was what D’Rozen craved, being so far above everyone else. It was why he loved going into space, looking down on their planet. It was spatial, also arrogant, which wasn’t an isolated trait. Many astronauts thought highly of themselves, but a certain amount of conceit was necessary to endure the training, not to mention the education preceding it. D’Rozen was typical of his compatriots in the program, a little vain, but he wasn’t an asshole. Neither was Estén, probably one of the most humble within the organization. If they didn’t look so much alike, many wouldn’t realize they were related.

It wasn’t selfish pride, only awareness of how privileged they were, how hard they worked. It took guts to put one’s life on the line; every flight was another opportunity for failure. It was never rote, not like these mountain treks, which both brothers felt could occur in their sleep. They had been coming here since just out of childhood, but entering the upper atmosphere was fraught with anxieties. At least they had no one to worry about them, not girlfriends or spouses, or parents. A sudden chill crept over D’Rozen and he halted their progression. “You all right?”

“Yeah, are you?”

D’Rozen smiled. “Of course. We’re halfway down.”

“No shit. Keep going.”

They shared chuckles, then continued the descent. Now the air felt hot, or perhaps it was the energy expended. D’Rozen took several steps, reaching a small landing. Base could be seen, if he squinted. Not that he needed glasses; both brothers had perfect vision. Another hour and they would be there.

Estén reached the flat, then stepped to the edge, taking a piss. D’Rozen smiled. “Don’t hit anyone.”

“We’re the only ones here.”

D’Rozen nodded. It was nearing the end of the camping season, why the mornings had been so cold, night falling quickly. During summer, a transport arrived several times a day to ferry campers, but they had to arrange it for this trip. D’Rozen didn’t worry about missing the transport. For what he had paid, that van would wait all night if necessary.

As they checked their packs, Estén cleared his throat. “What?” D’Rozen asked.

“I’ll never forget that deer. Been years since I’ve seen one up there.”

“It’ll give you something to brood over when you’re bored stiff in two weeks.”

“Yeah,” Estén laughed. “I’ll be floating in zero gravity, wondering about that fucking deer.”

D’Rozen stared at him, then smiled. “Yeah, you probably will.”

“We used to see them all the time,” Estén sighed. “I wonder what happened to them all.”

“No idea. Let’s get going.”

Estén nodded as D’Rozen resumed their descent.

 

Twenty minutes later D’Rozen was considering that deer, which he had barely noted. The way Estén pondered things like that somehow wound their way into D’Rozen’s head; he would probably be thinking about that damned deer for the next six months! D’Rozen grunted, then looked down. Base was easily in sight, but no transport vehicle yet. That was all right; they could eat what food remained, take another piss, walk out this trek. By then the van would be waiting.

“Hey, you still thinking about that deer?” D’Rozen called.

“Nope.”

“Uh-huh.” D’Rozen didn’t believe him. “Well, I am now, damn you.”

Estén laughed.

“That’s right, fucker. Got that stupid animal stuck in my head.”

“Serves you right.”

D’Rozen smiled, then gestured toward the van, arriving at the base. “There it is.”

“I see it.”

It looked how Clatham did, small but comforting. Every time D’Rozen ended a mission, his planet appeared like a beacon, round and odd but home. He had only flown three times, but it stuck like these descents, somewhere never removed. It was probably Estén’s fault too; this would be his third flight. Maybe their shared memories overlapped to the point where even space flight felt communal. D’Rozen laughed, would never tell his brother. Estén would tease him for ages.

As he chuckled, he missed small rocks rolling from under Estén’s boots. D’Rozen noticed a tug on the line, then heard a sharp scream. Then he gripped the cord, but it didn’t keep Estén on his feet. He stumbled past D’Rozen, slamming into the side of the mountain, a dull thud following. “Estén!” D’Rozen shouted. “ESTÉN!”

 

The transport van struck bumps and potholes as D’Rozen gripped his brother’s limp hand. If not for the driver and his companion, D’Rozen wasn’t sure if Estén would even be alive. It took all three of them to rescue Estén from the small crevice, then gently haul him to the base. Estén was unconscious, which D’Rozen thought was good. The jagged angle of his broken leg nearly made D’Rozen ill and the driver had gagged before getting into the van. His partner was certified in first aid, but couldn’t do more than cover Estén with blankets, hopefully keeping him from going into shock. D’Rozen thought it was enough; his brother was only thinking about the deer.

D’Rozen wasn’t sure how he knew that, yet that damned animal was spinning through Estén’s mind. Not the fall or the pain, just a deer with wide peering eyes. D’Rozen shut his, but that creature teased, better than recalling the dead thump when Estén hit the cliff.

Reaching the main road, an ambulance waited. D’Rozen thanked the transport driver and his partner while paramedics eased Estén onto a gurney, then into the emergency vehicle. Carrying his pack and Estén’s, D’Rozen joined them, sitting near his brother’s feet. The ambulance’s siren was loud, but didn’t dislodge that deer, or again D’Rozen was compensating, easier to consider that than the bustle around him. Yet he didn’t miss the initial diagnoses; a badly broken leg, head injuries, shock. An IV was inserted into Estén’s hand, fluids administered. Hopefully painkillers as well as whatever else they thought was necessary; D’Rozen was an astronaut, but medical care went over his head.

Reaching the hospital, D’Rozen wondered what would happen first; probably surgery for that wrecked leg. A CAT scan too, discovering any hidden injuries. After exiting the ambulance, D’Rozen spoke to a nurse, giving information. Glancing around the lobby, he saw no one familiar, but didn’t expect that to last. Murmurs wafted; an astronaut has been wounded. D’Rozen assumed some government middleman would arrive before the night ended.

The evening was warm, emergency room doors opening and closing regularly. D’Rozen stood alone as the nurse returned to the reception area. Then he was approached by a doctor. “Are you family?”

“His brother. Is he all right?”

“His leg’s a mess,” the physician sighed. “He’s in mild shock. Initial scans show no internal injuries, but he’s got a concussion. He’ll live, but will be here a while.”

D’Rozen nodded. “Good, I mean….”

“He’s going into surgery now, I just wanted you to know the preliminaries.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

The doctor cleared his throat. “Are you from around here?”

“No, we live about three hours away. We were camping at Teháche. Been doing it since we were kids.” D’Rozen’s throat grew tight. He blinked, that deer all he could see.

“Well, why don’t you follow me, you can wait in the surgical lobby. There’s a place for you to shower and sleep if you want.”

“Yeah, that’d be great, thanks.” D’Rozen hoisted the packs, then took slow steps behind the doctor.

 

He slept on the sofa until a nurse tapped his shoulder. “What, how is he?”

“He’s in recovery, everything went well.” The nurse motioned to another man, seated across the small room. “You have company.”

D’Rozen rubbed his eyes, then gazed at the figure, arms crossed over his chest. The nurse walked away, leaving the men alone. D’Rozen sat up, stretching his shoulders. “How long you been here?”

“A couple hours. Sounds like he’ll be all right.”

D’Rozen nodded, perhaps Holtz knew more. “He just slipped, I have no fucking idea how it happened. Suddenly he was falling past me and….”

“All that matters is he’ll recover. That’s the best news.”

D’Rozen wondered if Holtz was spouting a line. “Yeah, that’s all that matters.”

Holtz stood, as tall as Estén, older than the brothers. He paced around the room, then stared at D’Rozen. “I know you have plenty on your mind, but you also know why I’m here.”

“They didn’t need to send you to tell us he’s off the next launch.”

“We need to fill that space. They want you to do it.”

“Me?” D’Rozen struggled to his feet. He was starving, also exhausted. And shaky, but he approached Holtz with firm steps. “Right now all I care about is Estén. He’s my priority.”

Holtz glanced at the floor. “You guys aren’t impervious you know. Santos was in a car accident yesterday and Gibson’s condition won’t allow any travel for at least another year. I realize the timing’s shitty, but….”

“My brother could’ve died today Holtz. I am not gonna….”

“You don’t have a choice, all right? Either you accept his place or….”

“What? You’ll terminate me? Shit!” D’Rozen felt nauseous, wanted to stand under a very hot shower. He closed his eyes, then opened them, that deer all he could ponder.

“D’Rozen, we need you. Your country needs you. This mission isn’t just another trek into space.”

D’Rozen stared at him. “Yeah?”

Holtz nodded. “Estén knew, I guess he kept quiet like he was directed.” Holtz gazed around the room. “I can’t detail it here, but Estén’s gonna be fine and this can’t wait.”

D’Rozen’s last mission was a classified assignment; was this a similar case? “Is this to do with….”

Holtz blinked, then glanced at the door. “D’Rozen, we need you.”

“Estén does too.”

“We need you more.”

D’Rozen shook, then found himself nodding, the pit of his stomach a black, aching hole.