Nestled well within the core of Nemaean territory, Shesk is one of the recognized Wonders of Known Space. Though ranked as a прописная планета or "Capital Planet," Shesk is better known as a xeno-biological preserve. It is home to an intriguing quasi-annelid species. It has become something of an eco-tourist attraction, as visitors from virtually every planet within the Pan-Human Communities venture to the planet in the hope of witnessing the spectacular "Ocean of Worms." The worms, for which Shesk has become known, exist in such prodigious numbers that their annual mating congregations can be seen from station-keeping planetary orbit. The worms themselves are a force of nature as they were--until the arrival of humans--the most advanced life forms on the planet, and with no natural predators, and an extreme resistance to invasive bacterial, actinomycete, and viral populations. (Ancient, crater-like depressions, mark mating-congregation areas once favored by the antecedents of today's worms. These "mating bowls" are clearly visible from high orbit.) The worms of Shesk are a protected species, and Nemaean military patrols maintain an exactingly close environmental protection watch of the planet and its inhabited moon (Brate'ek). Beyond any doubt, Shesk, like Nemaea itself, centers Nemaean stellar-national affections. *** I couldn't stay away from the Nemaeans for TOO long, as you can see here. And they've got interesting worms too...THAT's something I didn't expect of their universe. As usual, the image here is rendered in photoshop, and it's an experiment in a new rendering technique. I was trying to get a convincing, hazy atmosphere, and after a few hours of frustration, I got something that I'm ALMOST satisfied with. As always, thank you for viewing and commenting...and this will probably be my last Nemaean post for a while...at least until I get back. I'm off to Prague on Monday morning, and I'll be there until the end of this month. Internet access there is a bit more idiosyncratic than I am accustomed to, and new pictures of Prague may bump all other artistic concerns into the background until I get back to Dortmund.