Sitting By The River by Chipka
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No AI - This artwork was created entirely by hand or with traditional digital tools.
Description
Melena, three blocks away, must contend with Cregier’s absence.
He isn’t the friend she needs, and this—he realizes—is a symptom of life in this city, on this planet. He doesn’t belong here. At a time, it was home. But that was before he’d jumped into the Service. Before he’d boarded the one ill-fated ship that carried him beyond the Einstein limit and limped back—here—where half its crew vanished into the maw of the mental restructuring wards nestled in the L4 Granger Orbital Complex.
Now, on the concrete bench that is a whole 200 meters of reinforced riverbank, he considers the shoes Melena has bought for him. He considers—as well—the lie of this city.
You belong, the night-lights seem to say.
You’re one of us, whispers the cunning propaganda that everyone calls advertizing.
He belongs elsewhere. Up there. Out there. Where human minds are lost in the great, airless black.
“You’ve had your adventure,” Melena says to him in memory. “You’ve done your stint for God and planet. Live the good life now…come back down to Earth.”
Down to Earth! He laughs at the absurdity of that. Earth is a world more than a hundred parsecs away: a maudlin, sentimental decoration in those big-budget entertainments billed as significant historical explorations. They are, truth be told, little more than shallow contrivances for leading men like Trixie Deluxe and Montana Delaware to take their shirts off and shoot bad guys.
“Come out with me…we’ll do a movie,” Melena’s echo suggests.
But he has no heart for enduring another guns-&-gadgets remake of Mister Clean.
Cregier does not belong here, or on any world that makes full-sense interactive movies out of 20th century household cleaner commercials. And now, three blocks away from his abandoned rendezvous with Melena, he contemplates the night and the possibility of vanishing into it.
Forever.
***
Cregier's world is building up to a complete story, and it'll be posted here when it occurs.
(All visual tweaks done in photoshop on a borrowed computer.)
As always, thank you for viewing, commenting, and reading, and hopefully you're all having a great weekend.
Comments (18)
Hey, really cool, Love the picture and the story. I'll be watching to see it unfold.
Great story and image. An exciting start. :o)
I can't wait--your stories transport me into those amazing worlds you keep stored away in that even more amazing mind. I so get this, feeling that disconnected, lost sense; and you even gave me a river to sit by--wow!!
Mmmm, Chip is back.... :)
Looking forward to the story!
good stuff "up the gravity well," Chip, subliminal advertizing and all!
Chip the writer is alive and well in the big city. I've had 'friends' who were not who I needed them to be when I needed something ... perhaps something no one could give. I have to agree the Earth is a very strange place, with its contrasts of such natural wonders and man-made monsters. Fabulous, compelling writing and a great image to enhance the experience. CC
Great story with image to match
I'm really looking forward to this story! The image fits it perfectly.
This is a really gorgeous story and a very great image, dear Chip !!! 5* Hugs Karin
The quantity and quality clash in the hearts of be-longing earthbound souls shall only be put to rest in the void of their final knight.
This is really getting good Chip, I'm looking forward to the full story. As always, very engrossing narrative where I am always currious about the characters and their backgrounds. But your are also able, in a few short worlds, to advance societial norms, both good and bad, several centuries and make it all believable. What is it about space travel that requires a giant complex (anything that needs to be at a Lagrange point has got to be huge) for mental restructuring? What sort of people are willing to risk the dangers and the possibility of ending up in such a place?
Both are great!I love the figure and the atmosphere all around ...the lights ,the colours,the story impresses me..but in the end all will be all in the right place.
i love your storys.
Wonderful image !!!
MUCHAS GRACIAS AMIGO, FELICIDADES POR TU TRABAJO.
I've always loved your stories, from the first time you ever read me one in 1999; I love how you put complex characters into interesting situations, and all the interwoven, nicely satiric and subversive barbs about modern American culture. Yet again, I'm curious to see where this one will go. I'm sure it'll be somewhere interesting. As for the image, I love the stealthy quality of it. It reminds me of unclassified FBI/espionage photos from the 1950s. I almost expect to see the sprocket marks and "Kodak Safety Film" written across the bottom, along with the catalog number. Very nice!
every time I come back here, your intense writing makes me wonder why I'd left. The images you choose for your stories are always perfect, laden with narrative and emotion. I really need to catch back up with your gallery!