Quotes From "Blachart" By Christina Engela

Wait-a-minute! Reality kicked in after marking its spot `position vacant’ for the short and pleasant while. He groaned mournfully as he found himself staring at the inside of his own eyelids. The first thing that occurred to him was the terrible bone-wracking pain running up and down his spine. Pain? No, curiously enough. It was the memory of it that seemed to hurt so much. Maybe that’s what scared him. Or maybe it was the creaking of the ship around him…. Christina Engela

The universe is so vast, so immense, we can never expect to explore it all. It is in effect, not so much a final frontier as an ultimate frontier; the ultimate frontier — as wide as it is deep. Stars shine coldly in the unimaginable blackness. Out of the darkness, a tiny speck caught the distant light of stars — a tiny gray speck that, as it moved, seemed to grow larger, catching the light just so until it revealed itself to be a ship. . Christina Engela

It is interesting indeed that some people think they are right to force others into believing what they believe. Christina Engela

Ex ‘Fleet man?”“ He was a full Commander, last I heard, sir.”“ Interesting.” Falconer commented. “Get me his specs. If I have to take him aboard my ship, I want to know all about him.” She swallowed. “Yes sir.” Falconer returned his attention to Nordyke.“What’s their location?”“ They’re about a week outside the Hermes system, Captain.”“Helm, set a course — best possible speed! ”“ Um — sir, we’re on conversion drive at the moment.” The helmsman reported.“ I know, Linson — d’you think I’m senile?”“ No, sir — I…” The young helmsman stammered.“ I did say ‘best possible speed’, didn’t I?”“Yes, sir. . Christina Engela

If all people were to be judged by 'right and wrong', nobody would be wholly right or wholly wrong - for have not all people 'sinned and fallen from the glory of God'? It seems more than a little unfair that some folks with at least as much 'sin' themselves as any gay or trans person, like to jump up and down and point fingers at other people. Christina Engela

Apathy.The reason you may wake up one day being not only a 2nd class citizen, but a criminal because of who you are - and then wonder why 'somebody' didn't do something when there was still time? Christina Engela

Mykl d’ Angelo groaned where he sat slumped in his chair. The irritating noise was unsettling his pet dog lying on his lap. The wickerwork garden chair creaked pleasantly under him and some native Earth birds made pleasant sounds above while the cool wind wafted over him as he lazily … Christina Engela

Now he sat alone; on a disabled starship about fifty years from anywhere on conversion drive — assuming he still had that. Insurance was a good thing — a very good thing - but it wasn’t going to help him much out here. The highlight of his afternoon was going to be staring at the blinking bridge instrumentation — which just happened to be running on the emergency batteries and actually blinking, like for real. Moreover, since his mutinous crew had made off with the Short Shit, the ships only shuttle, he was facing quite a problem. Christina Engela

For Commander Ripley Jones, it was becoming more and more troublesome. It had been said that nothing is infallible, Antares apparently being the proof. After hastily recalling all crew and leaving Spacedock 7 thirty hours ago, there had been nothing but problems. Breakdowns in the sensors and telemetry, system failures of a wide variety and finally — the Last Straw: a coupling seal in the stardrive engine failed. Fortunately the cut-out worked, or the whole of engineering would’ve disappeared in a flaming ball of anti-matter. Five crewmen were seriously injured as it was. Commander Smith, the Chief Entech, had the offending unit stripped down and under repair. They were currently on conversion drive - which could only propel them at sub-light speeds — and Ripley was currently in an elevator with a very pissed Captain Falconer. Christina Engela

Light-years away, another starship was also experiencing problems, though perhaps not as severe. The I.S.S. Antares was not a new ship either. Many older ships in the imperial space fleet reaching retirement age were being refitted with more modern equipment to extend their useful lives. Thus, technologically at least, Antares was currently one of the most advanced ships of the Imperial Space Fleet. Unfortunately, she was now also one of the most troubled. This is what the Phoenix refitting program had done to the Antares. . Christina Engela

Documentary evidence says where there is smoke there is fire, be it holy smoke or otherwise. Christina Engela

Swearing, d’ Angelo entered the elevator. Fortunately, that was also still in order. When he got to the bridge, everything looked pretty ordinary — except for the third body of the day, which was lying spread-eagled on the deck with an almost comical look of surprise on his face. Jang was dead, although d’ Angelo couldn’t see the cause, but then, he was no doctor. He sighed dismally. Now he hadn’t a navigator either. Or a crew for that matter. . Christina Engela

What is your talent? What are your interests? What resources do you have at your disposal? What can you do? What would you like to do? What can you do? You could apply your outrage to activism. Get involved. Do something. Christina Engela

The last week hadn’t been any better, come to think of it. On Monday they arrived at Gorda, just to find that the cargo of electronics he was to ship to Beowulf had been taken by another freighter for a lower fee. It took him until Wednesday before he found another cargo — which had to reach Earth by Saturday. The last straw was when his crew mutinied a day out of the Hermes system and demanded a pay increase. The union tended to call that sort of thing “collective bargaining”, not actually mutiny, but hey — the results are the same. He tended to favor the term “piracy”, but this wasn’t the high seas and out here, there were real pirates to worry about. His former crew had also wanted more time off and a better cook — at least one who knew how which end of a frying pan to hold. He was unable to comply, and so was forced to stop at Beowulf anyway. That was the last time he saw them. Fortunately for him, Weaver, Fuller and Jang opted to stay with him. Whether it was out of loyalty, or perhaps just convenience, he never knew. Christina Engela

While there is no shame in being gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex - or even straight (but not narrow) - there is most certainly shame and dishonor in being a homophobe, a transphobe and a bigot. Christina Engela

Ironically people will thank a deity for "letting" them win a race, but blame a "witch" if they stumble, look for the nearest suspect, and kill them. Why not blame the deity? Why not accept the setback as easily as they accept the victory/ Time people grew up some, I think - and stopped looking for theoretical "somebodies" to blame for their own misfortunes. Christina Engela

He slumped down in the command seat and shut off the irritating alarm. He sighed again. It seemed to be a wonderful day for Mykl d’ Angelo, captain and owner of the ‘tramp’ freighter Pegasus. As wonderful days went on his personal scale, this one was rated one of the best. Christina Engela

Isn't it odd that some groups view being legally equal to other groups as 'oppression'? Christina Engela