*collapses*

It's rough in places, the characterisation needs polish, Chayoon needs a POV scene expanded, the prose needs prettying in many places. But draft 1 of this story is done!!! Now to get it edited in time to submit to Eclipse Two by the end of the month. 11 DAYS OH SHIT.

Progress Notes:

"Who Tread on Decayed Ground"

Words today: 4,303
Words total: 8,534
Reason for stopping: Draft!
Mail: I've had final page proofs for the story in Sybil's Garage this weekend, and they are so gorgeous.

Darling:

“Oh. Oh, you’re an A.I.!” On the planets Carrenei and Krak’vi, where she had spent parts of her life, artificial intelligences were owned by governments or the very wealthy, kept locked away from the public or deep in mainframes. She had never even glimpsed one, let alone shared a conversation. “Where are you?”

“Follow my voice. But please, tread carefully. My body has been broken with the years.”

Mean things: Not getting everything you want. A good conversation cut short. Sickness. Deformity. Being left behind. Having an attempt at kindness obstructed. Having a long way to walk through decayed ground.
Nice things: Having a conversation that's good, even though it's short. Completing your mission. Getting non-mutated seeds so you and your family/friends/people can keep eating.
(Three POVs there.)
Research: None.

---

I go sleeps nao.

Tags: short fiction, who tread on decayed ground