There’s a point in airborne operations where the operation itself takes over reality and you become an element instead of an individual. It happens when:
- The aircraft is orbiting the drop-zone
- The jumpmaster has opened the door
- Jumpers have hooked up
- Equipment is checked and the sound-off made.
At that point you’ve become a round in belt of machine-gun ammunition and you are going out the door. Oh, you’ve been taught the procedure for refusing to jump but believe me – you’re going out that door…but it’s OK.
…that’s because it has transformed into a Zen feeling/experience – it’s out of your hands.
I’m hitting that point with Midnight Son. We’ve gone through the final edit and the cover art is done, needing just a bit of digital juju to get it ready for the press, so I figured I’d give you all a sneak peak of that art:
Amazing landscape! In my mind this is a frozen world held in thrall by a sun-star that is a red giant – bed of a thousand plots…
We definitely felt like we were living on another planet. I’ve always thought Alaskans would be the best choice for colonists on Mars.