Well, this is... unexpected.

I started writing some 10 months ago when I found WritingPrompts. I never wrote before that, never had any interest in it. But when I started, I couldn't stop. Scouring the sub for prompts, writing at home and at work, thinking about stories, it was intoxicating.

And now I have a book - Pieces from a Scriptorium

Like, an actual book. With pages and stuff! Even a picture on the front. And soon in paperback! A lovely little collection of some of my favourite stories I have written.

I never would have guessed that this is something I'd ever accomplish - I certainly wouldn't have if I didn't get the support you have provided me with. Every kind word, every single comment, I read them all, and they mean more than you can imagine. It helped me a lot, helped with the depression, gave a nice little boost of self-esteem when people genuinely liked what I made, just these random little scratchings that somehow improved people's days. So, with all of that said...

Thank you. For everything.

And now for a sample! Some of the stories in the book have already gotten a good bit of attention (I mean, good lord!), so allow me to pick one that I feel was not read by that many but is nevertheless one of my absolute favourites.

​

Elizabeth Brown's Masterpiece

To own a ship fixed or upgraded by Elizabeth Brown was the mark of a skilled pilot, as nothing less would suffice for the works of art she produced. The demand for her services was immense and the Admiralty prized her greatly despite her many eccentricities - the expensive, archaic blueprints she sought after were hers; the remarkably old instruments and gears, far outdated, were at her fingertips. The Admiralty was more than happy to pay for it all.

For she was not just a mechanic. She was an artist. The many apprentices who watched her work and enjoyed her tutelage swore there was something otherwordly in the way she approached the ships - as if she could feel them, talk to them. She knew exactly where to look, what to do, how to save space or get that extra bit of power from a system. What was perhaps more interesting, the apprentices went on to say, is that despite her renown and fame, she was just as humble and amicable as they were.

When Elizabeth announced she'd be unveiling what she deemed to be her "masterpiece", it came as no surprise that everyone with any interest in spacecraft craved to be there, to see it. But, as things are, it was reserved for the top dogs, the influential politicians, the generals though a small contingent of lowly mechanics was there at Elizabeth's behest.

The day came. The ship was ready. Elizabeth came in, sharply dressed in a surprisingly clean vest and trousers. She wore no makeup, she never did, so the lines around her eyes and the grey streaks in her hair betrayed her age, much to the surprise of those who'd never seen her before. But none could deny the elegance - if not downright magnificence - with which she carried herself.

The moment came. A grand curtain was uncovered. And the audience was shocked.

The ship was positively ugly.

The confusion caused a murmur, but Elizabeth did not let up and soon, the muttering turned to amazement. It was function and efficiency made manifest. The fighter-sized ship had 4 thrusters on each corner allowing for unparalleled manoeuvring. A never-before-seen interface allowed pilots to fire the twin-linked cannons with perfect accuracy and no delay at all. The pilot seat was warmed and had a gravitationally stabilized coffee holder. The number of support sub-systems was deemed impossible for a ship that size - there was simply no way she could fit so much in, the wiring alone... and yet, there it was.

The presentation was abruptly cut short when Elizabeth fainted near the end of the grand unveiling. She was immediately ushered to the medical wing where the best doctors at hand examined her and were shocked by the large surgical scar on her chest. Further inspections revealed something ghastly.

Her heart... it was missing. In its place was a sophisticated cybernetic one - available to only the most affluent. But her records showed no surgeries, puzzling everyone as to when this happened.

Elizabeth spent some time in the ICU but soon made a full recovery. Naturally, as soon as she was cleared, investigations began, but Elizabeth showed no distress or surprise. She merely smiled gracefully and took the investigators to the ship - her ship. Her masterpiece.

"I understand that you are confused by everything that has transpired," she said warmly, meeting the confused looks of the men and women she led.

"But you must understand that I poured everything into this ship. My ideas. My soul. And even..." she continued as she carefully removed a small panel near the cockpit.

"...my heart."

Gasps filled the ship as all realized the accuracy of her statement. In the small opening was a reinforced, cybernetically enhanced organ jar hooked to a number of revolutionary man-machine interfaces, all linked to a human heart. The heart of Elizabeth Brown.

The ship was unconditionally practical, impossibly advanced, and downright ugly.

And it was magnificent.

​

​

​

If this is something you enjoyed then please, by all means - check the book out, but do not feel obliged in any way. I just wanted to share it and express my gratitude.