This has litle to do with Christainity, but, as a regular cnrutor, I felt I coidl share this. besides, I began writting this novel when I started getitng bakc into Faith.

So, I thought I could present oen chapter per week. ( Eaxh wednesday) till I finish wiht what I have thiusfar, and get feedback form you guys.

I intended this to be a web novel, origioally, where he readers gave feedback, butth site never got built and it just sort of shriveled withte fe I did speak with.

So, instead, I offer this now. I have up to 8 chapters and plan on writting more. I will finish the novel, but wont befigin chaoter 11 ( I am writtign 9 and 10 as we speak) till after I post chaoters 9 and 10.

Tell me what you guys thinkof Chapter one.

It is a apiritually themed book, set in star trek, sort of. ( well, OK, I merged thitmelien with several sci-fi series to give a similar and familair backdrop. this is the irts draft. I intend to remoe the trek references later, btu or now...)

-- Zarove (Zaroff3@juno.com), January 12, 2005

Answers

SUNRISE broke over the Horizon, and the dim light of dawn slowly gave way tot he orange and red sky, cresting over the plains on the Horizon, and casting dark shadows over the mountains in the long distance... It rose faster than Earths, and the Sky broke upon the edge of the abyss of stars, dispelling the image, creating a purple sky that readily turned blue in seeming fading brilliance as the Sun, a large yellow ball, ever increased in the sky. A gentle breeze swept the waves, rustling the leaves of the tree's and the Grass and bushes...an odd mixture of both Native plants and those imported form over a dozen worlds, in a seamless blend that had arisen over the last 100 years or so... It was the Planet Gidea 2, but to Samarese, it was forever Alisha, named in Honour of his wife, whose spirit he derived comfort form as having merged with this world they both loved and fell in love with. He was an old man, large Centauri crest of Hair had gone grew with Age, and he stood up, balancing with a Cane, and began to walk down an old path, away from a Simple house that stood on a Picturesque Hill where Flowers bloomed still in a flower Bed, lovingly maintained, surrounded by simple stones. Flowers from three worlds grew there in sections, and others both native and implanted, had made their way into it as well. It was a simple house, a light Green, warm and Inviting, but old, and a bit worn down, Samarese was too old to fix it, and too old to care, for soon he would draw his last breath on this world he loved. A world he shared, alone, with the woman whom had driven him to greatness. Whom he missed. The sun was nearly up now, and the days on this world where shorter than Earth's, or Centauri Prime's. 18 Hour rotation's where this planets norm, and at the Equinox's, 9 hours comprised Day and Night, but now, in late spring, the days grew longer, and the 10 hour day had already taken effect, an night would be only 8 hours. In summer, 12 hour's of daylight where then followed by 6 hours of night, and winter say the reverse. He walked, this old man, to a small, simple grave, that of his Beloved wife, and as the sun rose evenly in the Sky, and the last stars fled the sight as night finally vanished into the even heel of day, he lay his hand on the marker, looked up, and continued to walk. He walked past the forest trees, tree's that seemed so natural together, yet that came form a variety of worlds. Some wher even Hybrids, created by men in cheap experiments. This world, Gidea, had been dying when first discovered. The Bulk of the life pin the world was on the brink of extinction, and so, the Federation decided to learn why this was the case. They discovered no cause, just that the planet was dying, and needed more life on it to balance the environment. Simply put, not enough balance in nature was the overall theory, though no one knew quiet how this imbalance occurred, only that they decided to allow colonists to live here, in this world far removed from the Federation’s boundaries...and expand the political holdings of the Federation. Soon, as life was seeded form other worlds, the native life began to flourish, as if it had been waiting for this, and had happily merged with them. But few ever came here, only a few researchers and colonists... it was, at the time, the farthest world from the Federation, and dangerously close to the Outer territories where hostile powers dwelt... enemies of the Federation, or those who may become so. Further, it was far removed form any habitable planet, even locally. Soon, however, the Federation expanded, and this small world, only slightly smaller than Earth, had become part of a larger territory, named after the Great explorer Bendra, who had charted the area in 2267- 2272, and how later returned in 2275 to remain until it was fully charted, even managing to become a fleet captain, then a commodore, and remaining into he territory that unofficially bore his name to all the others who viewed him as a hero, until he lay down his life for the Colonies and outposts against Naghoran aggression. Then, what bore his name to all who flew it, but had not officially been recognised as named after him, was named in fact after him on all the charts. All of this, of course, was history, annals of a Bygone society, that in 2287 no longer mattered to most, save those with a love of history, a touch of nostalgia, or a deep patriotic love of their territory. All of those had Sameres. All of this and more. He was Born in the Centuari Republic, once a great empire, now a dwindling few colonies, and with an impotent empirical chair, and a Bickering Centaurum. He had moved tot he Federation young in life, and had settled on Valoras, where he became an acclaimed Scientist. Then, on Earth, where he stayed for a few years to do further research into crop development, he met her...so long ago... She was born in Oklahoma, and had never left the Solar System. She was a lovely girl, and to him the burning star of beauty... brown haired and slightly short. Over time they became friends...and over the course of one special year, they had become lovers. Soon, he took her around the Galaxy, taking her to Vulcan, to his Native Centauri Prime, to Andor and Narn, and to Brakkis, Giddi Prime, Arakus, Sovera, and of course, to a world he had discovered in his youth. Long before he met her, before his science training was through, he was taken, on a field trip, tot he planet Gidea... a small world, with almost no inhabitants. He was impressed, the serenity and calm, the beauty of the artificial nature, and wonders of the pool of life...and splendour and simple life he lead there over the next six months, of study, allowed him to grow attached, and he fall in love with this world. He had asked why it was so unsettled, and was told that, even though the territory had long ago been settled, this world, still in a region of space hard to navigate, and surrounded by other solar systems of red giants and neutron stars, was only lovable by sheer chance of escaping the deadly radiation by good positioning, and was removed form any other habitable system. Further, it was small and remote, even for this territory, on the outer rim... Although it hosted a good, earth like environment, it hosted also isolation, and this never went over too well. So, as of 2220, Few where their...those that where usually researchers, either there temporarily, or there permanently... and farmers who kept them fed. A few romantics lived there to return tot he simpler life, and this also appealed to Samaeres. In his years, he returned often, to relax, or vacation, on Gidea, and often thought that such a world, to him a paradise, should have a better name, and he toyed with names, like Samaeres's planet, and Aefois, but none ever stuck in his mind... But then, standing there, in 2232, with a 25 year old Alisha, seeing her first glimpse of this world... the first he had shown her away form Earth's solar system, and after their three weeks there... doing what lovers do, he saw her form a connection to it... She had longed for simpler times, and was not too keen on the technology everyone else had grown so dependant on. She loved feeling the earth, watching it come to life as planets grew, and the simple pleasures of this...She told him that she felt like this planet was like she was, and perfect..."Perfect as you are perfect" she told him... Then, and at that moment, holding her in his arms while she worse a thin, blue short sleeved shirt, fazing at the sea of stars...then he named the world anew, he named it Alisha. In her Honour. The next night, as the sun set, he proposed to her, and she, teary eyed and in waiting for 5 long years for her slow and awkward man to do so, accepted, and the two in passion made love on a Hill that night, not bothering to return into their small shuttle/home that they had used to go there. After the wedding, the two had settled on Earth, the busiest world in the Federation... and as of now the most important... so Samaerese could work... but always did he dream of his world who called to him, and to Alisha. He saw, in 2234, the failing morals and stagnation of the Federation, and although Crime was virtually eliminated, it seemed all a façade, as no one seemed to have spirit or drive, and his own passion was misunderstood. Alisha, now 27 and 5 months pregnant with their first child, consoled him one night as he saw little research and expansion, done Wearily Spiritually the Federation was dead, he observed, only living mechanical lives, and all dependent on their machines... none capable of doing things on their own. Lifeless peace was not worth living, he concluded... and the two travelled, until in 2236. With his wife expecting her second child, they settled on Minbar, a world renowned as Home of the Rangers... But even this had changed, and Minbari culture was degrading, as more and more the earth trend swept the Galaxy... and the people didn’t understand what they where missing in life, an Samaeres thought that soon, the federation would collapse, dead on its feet... He longed for the days of Kirk, and Pison, and Daumar... and saw back tot he time of Sheridan, and the Great War that united them, and the feelings they had had... and now saw nothing. One night, in 2238, he fell to his knee's and prayed to the Great Maker... a practice falling at of favour as religion became increasingly seen as a dated cultural construct... and prayed what shall he do with his empty life, and in a vision saw the planet Gidea, and his happiness with his wife their... But he needed money, and the ability to move their, he knew the Great Maker was right, he knew this was the Only way to happiness...but how does this occur? In 2238, just after the prayer, he was made an independent researcher for the Federation Science counsel. Meaning he could do as he pleased. In 2239, finally, he was allowed to write his own ticket, and the 39 year old scientist decided to retire, doing private research and writing... and to take his wife tot he Planet Gidea...or, shall he say, the planet Alisha. She had confessed that it was calling o her too. God had answered their prayers it seemed, and their third child, their daughter Alara, was Born in 2241.On the planet Alisha... There he lived many apply years with his family, and with a friend build a small cabin on a Hill, the Hill where he had proposed, and had made love for the first time with Alisha... a special Hill, to him sacred. They lived there, with their nearest neighbours over 1000 miles away... for many years in simplicity. Oh they had computers, and just about a mile away a hanger for three ships, a small shuttle, a Shuttlehome spaceship, and a small shuttlepod... in theory house they had a small transporter... But by and large, most of their technology, other than food storage and the computers...was capable of being found in the 19th country, it was indeed a simple life. Alisha had enjoyed watching the earth grow beneath her , and flourish with new life she planted by hand... But Alisha herself had had a problem, this was that she was not fully human, and was part russerian. Only a quarter, but she inherited the lifespan... and although the Centauri lived about as long as a Human, Russarians lived only about 70 years, even in this day and age...and she was 77 when she past into death. He buried her then, on slope near their Hill... And now, the old man looked u at the blue sky, and made his way, with a cane in hand and a small book in the other, to a grove, and they by a stream, under a shade tree, He sat, and looked at the water, and read a few devotionals he had had since a child... He leaned back, and looked up at the stars... Much had changed, as he knew form the News, the Federation was reinvigorate by exploration, lead by Captain Picard, and others, a war had been fought, and the galaxy seemed more alive again...but still not alive in the way Samaeras had wanted... Alive, but still dwindling culturally, and spiritually still dead... earths culture permeated all, and yet not even the most beautiful parts... All seemed evenly merging with arrogance, and still on a slope to stagnation... He sat, prayed, and read his devotional, thought of his dead wife, who upon her death had told him she would merge with the planet, and her spirit protect him till he could Join her... and felt the earth... leaned back...and said "I love you Alisha..." He fell asleep... he was dying... In the 24th century, one could expect top reach a century, but h don’t want to, he would just grieve till he died...but it was a happiness tot hat thought, that he could grieved, that he could feel...this, and this importantly, was something missing form the world today... he sat, and breathed heavily... He looked to the blue sky, from the shade of the Galourus tree...and wondered of the future...

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Readers,

Unfortunately this forum closed due to maintence problems with the server.

If you are interested in continuing a discussion, you can go to this board:

http://p221.ezboard.com/bthechristianforum

The Christian Forum

This was our back up board, but now we all relocated here.

Hope to see you there!

-- David Ortiz (cyberpunk1986@prodigy.net), July 14, 2005.

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-- ZAROVE (ZAROFF3@JUNO.COM), January 12, 2005.