Cross The Amazon! · 11:59pm Jun 24th, 2015
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T H E C O N V E R S I O N B U R E A U :
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CROSS THE AMAZON
By Chatoyance
I have just submitted a new novel, the one I wrote about in the Bureau group. The story is Cross The Amazon, and it tells the story of a lone human and a lone Equestrian native racing to stay ahead of the the Barrier of Equestria.
The Barrier is bad for both of them - for the human, a Palynologist named Calloway Kotani, it means death. There is no potion, and no time to Convert, and the Barrier is coming, inexorably, unstoppably. For the pony, a native unicorn mare named Dropspindle, the Barrier means being lost, forever, in the Exponential Lands, literal light years from any other Equestrian. For a herd creature, that is likely worse than death. Both must flee for their very lives.
But they are not prepared, nor are they talented, neither are they knowledgeable. Peru is a mystery to them, likewise the entirety of the Southamerizone. Everyone else has left. They are alone in the fifth year of the Bureaus, alone on a continent being devoured by a sky-filling cosmic domain wall. They only have each other, and what they can find along the way.
And the way is rough. The mountains are steep, the roads poor, and the amazon - the amazon desert once used to be a jungle, a forest. But then it became grasslands so that hamburgers could fill the bellies of rich first-worlders. Then, naturally, it became desert, just as did the Sahara before it.
The amazon of the Bureau future - and our own - is a dead land of dry tree stumps and ruined meat-packing factories, of desertified grazing lands interrupted by dead patches of former forest. Rough, difficult terrain mixed with endless flat wastes of sand and dry dirt. Duststorms and thirst.
And perhaps they are not entirely alone.
I hope you will join me, and Calloway Kotani and Dropspindle, on a rugged journey of survival - a journey that must CROSS THE AMAZON!
Coming as soon as it is approved. Or just jump here.
- Petal Chatoyance
Wow your really plugging away Chatty I don't think you've been this active in years.
Interesting concept and I am curious to see what your version of South America's future looks like. Whether or not its the actual future though that up for debate. Sorry Chatty but I don't believe its possible to predict the future too many variables. Let's just leave it at that.
I guess my main question would be is how they got into that situation in the first place? Did Calloway refuse to convert original or was he living under a rock so and how did Dropspindle get into this mess so many questions. Oh well guess I'll have to read on to find out.
On a different note here's an crazy question for you or anyone reading this. What do you think Celestia would do if a human threw a sword at her hooves and demanded single combat from her for the right to rule Equestia? and in case your wondering why I ask this well its just some crazy scenario I cooked up this afternoon and I just felt like sharing it.
I usually refrain from reading stories that aren't finished yet. But I'm yet to find one of your stories that I dislike. So I'm jumping in headfirst.
3179256
She'd probably giggle and pat this human on the head with a wing.
Oh man, I've been SO looking forward to this! Onward! TO ADVENTURE!
Wow. One of the "rules" of good adventure writing is to put your characters through the most awful situations you can imagine. Mission accomplished on that front! Looking forward to this one.
3179256
Joseph Bengal hefted the sword - the ancient sword of kings, stolen from the museum in Dublin - and felt its weight. He pointed it at Celestia, at the supreme diarch of the sun, of Equestria, and then threw the sword down. It arced and landed in the dirt, by her hooves.
"Celestia! I challenge you! I challenge you to single combat for the rulership of Equestria!" He stood back, his hands on his hips, his chest proudly out. He had done his research. Equestria was a medieval-styled civilization. It was clearly influenced by earth - the similarities were too close to be otherwise. The cameras were on the scene. The entire world was watching. She wouldn't be able to walk away, or laugh, or be gentle about this - her status and power before all of humanity was at stake. She would have to accept the fight or lose face before an aggressive, hierarchy-driven species.
That, of course, was his intention.
Celestia glanced down at the strip of sharpened metal in the dust. Then she looked at the small human standing before her.
"I accept."
In an instant Joseph found himself swept up into the air, dangling from his left leg. Some sort of energy field was encasing his ankle, gripping him with literally unearthly strength.
When he regained his composure, he looked down at the ground. The tip of the sword, held upright by another small patch of energy pointed directly into his face. The metal was just inches from his eyes.
The voice was not warm, but it was soft. Gentle, but utterly intent. "Dost thou yield?"
3179709
How much do I have to pay you to see this in a fic?
Wonderful!
Mind, I don't know when I'll actually get to reading it, but it looks (shockingly) like another good one. And it's still nice just to see you writing again. :)
3179709
Yeah, uh... Probably not the best idea there, Joseph. So many more ways it could go badly for you than ways it could go well. Still, some points for style, I suppose. :)
Love that moving wall of doom... doom... doom! Got a Johnny Cash song in my head after reading this.
3179929
I must agree that is very cool still I'm not sure if I'd want her to since I might want to use my own idea myself at some point.
3179709
Wow that was unexpected. I didn't expect you to write out the scenario I figured if you did at all you'd just say what you thought might happen.
Still this is about what I had thought would happen truthfully there's no way it couldn't happen this way. Although I must admit I'd amazed that you managed to describe a character similar to one I was thinking about when I thought this up.
Anyway sorry for such a random comment I get silly when I'm bored and dream up equally silly ideas.