Second Round: A Return to the Ur-Bar

by Garth Nix

  “What? No.” Suddenly, all the frustrations she’d been keeping a lid on boiled over. “Why does everyone always say that? I’ve got nothing to run away from. My parents are great, I love them dearly, and heavens above, this is Mars, not Earth. We’re safe, secure, prosperous—”

  She shook her head and took another drink. “Why doesn’t anyone understand? It’s not about getting away. It’s about what you’re heading for. It’s about not knowing what you’ll find—”

  As she struggled to explain, inspiration struck. She tapped her wristcomm to call up a holodisplay of her personal library. “Look how people used to see Mars. Have you read any of these?”

  She tapped the icons to enlarge the book-art thumbnails. Not just the Edgar Rice Burroughs and H.G. Wells that everyone read before Lit Classics took them on to Leigh Brackett, Ray Bradbury, and Robert Heinlein. Adie had personal crawlers programmed to search the datastreams and she read everything they could find, from stories even older than Tavu’s grayscale vid, through to the Golden Age of the early 21st Century.

  Not to score points with her classmates, as they competed to find the most obscure and bizarre Martian fiction each semester, but to see her home through as many different imaginations as possible.

  “It doesn’t matter that they were wrong, that there are no frozen canals to skate on, or monsters building tripods. Just look at the possibilities they saw. See how all these writers relished the thrill of the unknown? People back then were ready to take on all the risks and challenges. That’s what brought the first settlers here, when travel to Mars was a nine-month, one-way journey. Did you know that their families revived an Old Earth tradition called an American Wake? Back when it took just as long to sail Earth’s oceans, they’d have a party to say goodbye forever, when someone was leaving home for a new life abroad. My great-grandparents didn’t know that they’d succeed in colonizing Mars, or get back safely if it all went wrong, even with all the automated preparations the robots had done. They still came.”

  Gil nodded, setting down the glass in his hand and picking up another one to polish. “Wanderlust.”

  Adie dismissed the array of icons with a gesture, disappointed. “You can’t believe in that, surely?” She thought that Lottery applicants were screened for the viral ideas that had long been proven as dangerous as diseases.

  But the barman was looking puzzled. “What are you talking about?”

  “DRD4-7R? The Wanderlust Gene?” Genetic determinism was only one of the superstitions that had threatened chaos in her grandparents’ day, when anyone with enough money could still buy a plasma-jet trip to Mars and a berth in a separatist settlement.

  Gil was shaking his head. “I’m talking about the urge to find out what’s over the next hill, or beyond the horizon. People have been doing that since—since the Assyrians first brewed beer.” He grinned and gestured towards Adie’s half-drunk glass. “Who do you suppose first had that idea, thousands of years ago? How many people do you think back then shook their heads and sucked their teeth and asked what was the point? I bet there were plenty saying nothing would come of it, that there were already enough good things to drink. But somebody persisted. More than one somebody, probably. I don’t suppose they got it right the first time, or the first ten times, maybe fifty. They didn’t give up though, and that meant humanity got something new and wonderful.”

  As he spoke, he was pouring himself a glass. He raised it to Adie in a toast. “Here’s to looking for new things.”

  “And to seeing what’s over the next hill.” She returned the salute. “Or on the first exoplanet.”

  “Did you see the news about JC-9745 probe?” Gil said eagerly. “I can’t wait to see the first datastreams.”

  “Me too.” Then her wristcomm chimed to alert Adie to an approaching shuttle. “I’d better get back home. Thanks for this.” She drained her glass.

  “See you again,” Gil said amiably. “Until you leave.”

  Adie grinned. “Count on it.”

  As she walked to the shuttle, her spirits rose at the thought of having someone to talk to about the jump-probe’s discoveries. Who knew what JC-9745 might have found? How about alien life more advanced than the Europa Ocean’s invertebrates?

  First things first, though. As the shuttle doors closed, she began running through the conversation they’d just had in her head. Now Adie knew exactly what she was going to say to her parents, when she showed them her Exoplanet Track application.

  About the Authors

  RACHEL ATWOOD grew up enchanted with British History. Now she writes historical fiction with enchantments. Her first historical fantasy novel, “Walk the Wild with Me,” will be released by DAW Books in 2019.

  JACEY BEDFORD is a British writer, published by DAW in the USA. She writes science fiction and fantasy. Her Psi-Tech space opera trilogy consists of Empire of Dust, Crossways, and Nimbus. Her historical fantasy trilogy is 2/3 complete with Winterwood and Silverwolf. Expect the third instalment, Rowankind, in November 2018. Her short stories have appeared in anthologies and magazines, and have been translated into an odd assortment of languages including Estonian, Galician and Polish. She’s been a folk singer with vocal trio, Artisan, and her claim to fame is singing live on BBC Radio4 accompanied by the Doctor (Who?) playing spoons.

  Webpage: www.jaceybedford.co.uk

  DIANA PHARAOH FRANCIS writes books of a fantastical, adventurous, and often romantic nature. Her award-nominated novels include The Path series, the Crosspointe Chronicles, the Diamond City Magic books, and the Mission: Magic series. Her novels have been translated into German and French. She holds a Ph.D. in Victorian literature and literary theory, and an MA in fiction writing. She’s been teaching for more than 20 years. She’s a member of SFWA and NINC. She’s owned by two corgis, spends much of her time herding children, and likes rocks, geocaching, knotting up yarn, and has a thing for 1800s England, especially the Victorians. For more about her writing, visit www.dianapfrancis.com.

  DAVID KEENER is an author, editor and public speaker from Northern Virginia, where he lives with his wife and two inordinately large dogs. He writes science fiction, fantasy and mystery but loves the idea of mashing up his favorite genres in new and (hopefully) unexpected ways. He is the grand instigator behind the Worlds Enough anthology series, and co-editor of the first volume, Fantastic Defenders. He frequently speaks at conferences and conventions, where he often conducts workshops on writing or public speaking. Find out more about him and his books at his web site: http://www.davidkeener.org

  WILLIAM LEISNER is the author of the Star Trek novels The Shocks of Adversity, Losing the Peace and A Less Perfect Union. His original fiction includes the ebook A Dimension of Death, which sees Rod Serling team up with Gene Roddenberry to solve a murder on the set of The Twilight Zone. Yes, he’s that geeky. A native of Rochester, New York, he currently lives in Minneapolis.

  MIKE MARCUS is a U.S. Army veteran and communications professional just beginning to flex his fiction writing muscles. This is his first professional fiction piece. Mike is a native of Mechanicsville, Md., and a graduate of Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Md. Mike lives in Pittsburgh, Pa. with his wife, Amy, and Rottweiler-mix, Millie. Find Mike on Twitter at @MikeMarcus77.

  JULIET E. McKENNA is a British fantasy author. Loving history, myth and other worlds, she has written fifteen epic fantasy novels, starting with The Thief’s Gamble which began The Tales of Einarinn. She writes diverse shorter fiction, from stories for themed anthologies such as Alien Artifacts and Fight Like A Girl to forays into dark fantasy and steampunk. Exploring new digital opportunities in association with Wizard’s Tower Press, she’s re-issued her early backlist as ebooks as well as publishing original short story collections and most recently, the modern fantasy The Green Man’s Heir. Visit julietemckenna.com or follow @JulietEMcKenna on Twitter.

  R.K. NICKEL works as a screenwriter in Los Angeles. His first feature film, Bear with Us, is available on Amazon Prime, and “Stel
lar People,” a sci-fi comedy series he wrote for Adaptive Studios, will be coming out sometime in 2018. He dove into his prose journey in 2017, and since then has made 6 sales and attended both the Odyssey Writing Workshop and the Launch Pad Astronomy Workshop. When he’s not writing, he’s probably playing an escape room or some Magic the Gathering. Or drinking coffee. Mmm…coffee. For more, check out @russnickel on Twitter or www.rknickel.com.

  New York Times bestselling novelist GARTH NIX has been a full-time writer since 2001, but has also worked as a literary agent, marketing consultant, book editor, book publicist, book sales representative, bookseller, and as a part-time soldier in the Australian Army Reserve. Garth’s many books include the Old Kingdom fantasy series, beginning with Sabriel; SF novels Shade’s Children and A Confusion of Princes; and novels for children including The Ragwitch; The Seventh Tower sequence; The Keys to the Kingdom series and Frogkisser! More than six million copies of his books have been sold around the world and his work has been translated into 42 languages.

  Facebook: www.facebook.com/garthnix

  Twitter: @garthnix

  Webpage: www.garthnix.com

  As an author, AARON M. ROTH writes stories about the future. As a scientist , he researches artificial intelligence and robotics at Carnegie Mellon University. Visit his website at www.aaronmroth.com.

  KRISTINE SMITH is the author of the Jani Kilian series and other science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories under her own name. As Alex Gordon, she has written the supernatural thrillers Gideon and Jericho. Her fiction has been nominated for the Locus Award for First Novel, Philip K. Dick Memorial Award and the IAFA William L. Crawford Fantasy Award, and she was the 2001 winner of the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. She lives in Illinois.

  Webpage: https://www.kristine-smith.com

  Twitter: KSmithSF

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KristineSmithBooks

  KARI SPERRING is the author of two novels (Living with Ghosts [DAW 2009] and The Grass King’s Concubine [DAW 2012]. As Kari Maund she has written and published five books and many articles on Celtic and Viking history and co-authored a book on the history and real people behind her favourite novel, The Three Musketeers (with Phil Nanson). She’s British and lives in Cambridge, England, with her partner Phil and three very determined cats, who guarantee that everything she writes will have been thoroughly sat upon. Her website is http://www.karisperring .com and you can also find her on Facebook.

  A.E. STANTON likes horses and motorcycles, the past, and the far future. A.E. also likes to act like a crotchety curmudgeon but can rarely pull it off for long, because it must be admitted that fast cars, dentistry, penicillin, indoor plumbing, and central heat and air make life in the here and now pretty darned nice. A.E. writes stories set in the Old West, in the post-apocalyptic future, and any combo therein. When not riding or writing, A.E. spends time thinking about writing or riding. Reach A.E. (aka Gini Koch) at Old Westerner (http://www.ginikoch.com/asbookstore.htm).

  JEAN MARIE WARD writes fiction, nonfiction and everything in between, including novels (2008 Indie Book double-finalist With Nine You Get Vanyr) and art books. Her stories appear in numerous anthologies, including The Modern Fae’s Guide to Surviving Humanity, Were-, and Tales from the Vatican Vaults. The former editor of Crescent Blues, she co-edited the six-volume, 40th anniversary World Fantasy Con anthology Unconventional Fantasy and is a frequent contributor to BuzzyMag.com. Her website is JeanMarieWard.com. She can be found on Facebook and Twitter at www.facebook.com/JeanMarieWardWriter/ and @Jean_Marie_Ward, respectively.

  About the Editors

  PATRICIA BRAY is the author of a dozen novels, including Devlin’s Luck, which won the Compton Crook Award for the best first novel in the field of science fiction or fantasy. A multi-genre author whose career spans both epic fantasy and Regency romance, her books have been translated into Russian, German, Portuguese and Hebrew. She’s also crossed over to the dark side as the co-editor of After Hours: Tales from the Ur-Bar (DAW, March 2011) and The Modern Fae’s Guide to Surviving Humanity (DAW, March 2012), Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs. Aliens (ZNB, June 2014), Temporally Out of Order (ZNB, August 2015), Alien Artifacts (ZNB, August 2016), Were- (ZNB, August 2016), and All Hail Our Robot Conquerors! (ZNB, August 2017).

  Patricia lives in a New England college town, where she combines her writing with a full-time career as a systems analyst. To offset the hours spent at a keyboard, she bikes, hikes, cross-country skis, snowshoes, and has recently taken up the noble sport of curling. To find out more, visit her website at www.patriciabray.com.

  * * *

  JOSHUA PALMATIER is a fantasy author with a PhD in mathematics. He currently teaches at SUNY Oneonta in upstate New York, while writing in his “spare” time, editing anthologies, and running the anthology-producing small press Zombies Need Brains LLC. His most recent fantasy novel, Reaping the Aurora, concludes the fantasy series begun in Shattering the Ley and Threading the Needle, although you can also find his “Throne of Amenkor” series and the “Well of Sorrows” series still on the shelves. He is currently hard at work writing his next novel and designing the kickstarter for the next Zombies Need Brains anthology project. You can find out more at www.joshuapalmatier.com or at the small press’ site www.zombiesneedbrains.com. Or follow him on Twitter as @bentateauthor or @ZNBLLC.

  Acknowledgments

  This anthology would not have been possible without the tremendous support of those who pledged during the Kickstarter. Everyone who contributed not only helped create this anthology, they also helped solidify the foundation of the small press Zombies Need Brains LLC, which I hope will be bringing SF&F themed anthologies to the reading public for years to come … as well as perhaps some select novels by leading authors, eventually. I want to thank each and every one of them for helping to bring this small dream into reality. Thank you, my zombie horde.

  The Zombie Horde: Glennis LeBlanc, Kiya Nicoll, Jenny Barber, Ash Marten, Simon Dick, Y. K. Lee, Katherine Malloy, Stephanie Cranford, Chris Matosky, David Perkins, Maureen Brooks, Kevin Wallace, Jonathan Briggs, Laura and Bill Pearson, Sheryl R. Hayes, Kim Lloyd, Tanya Gough, Matt K., Millie Calistri-Yeh, Caitlin Jane Hughes, Harvey Brinda, Julie Haddy, Carolyn Petersen, Konstanze Tants, Nellie B, Bryan Wetterow, Austin, Teresa Carrigan, Aurora N., Michael Fedrowitz, Darrell Z. Grizzle, Debbie Fligor, Mark Carter, Rebecca Sims, Sarah Cornell, David Zurek, Duncan & Andrea Rittschof, The Bowers, Paul McNamee, Pam Blome, Arej Howlett, Troy Chrisman, Larisa LaBrant, Mollie Bowers, Andrew Wilson, Patrick Thomas, melme, Noah Bast, Joseph Hoopman, Stephen Kissinger, Christine Swendseid, Mary Alice Wuerz, Chad Bowden, John Appel, M Harold Page, Lyndsey Flatt, Jesse Klein, Chris Huning, Lorri-Lynne Brown, Mary Soon Lee, Kevin Winter, Ronnie J Darling, John O’Neill, Lily Connors, Casey Sharpe, Kitty Likes, Wolf SilverOak, Elektra, Nicholas Adams, Benjamin C. Kinney, Cherie Livingston, Jaq Greenspon, Howard J. Bampton, David VonAllmen, Kristine Kearney, Erik T Johnson, Andrew Hatchell, Regis M. Donovan, Stephanie Lucas, Brian Quirt, Paul Musselman, Wendy Cornwall, Jaime O. Mayer, Gina Freed, Vy Anh Tran, Elizabeth Kite, Claire Sims, Debbie Matsuura, K Kisner, April Broughton, R. Hamilton, Vincent Darlage, ANDREW AHN, Carol J. Guess, Cathy Green, Stephen Ballentine, Céline Malgen, Penny Ramirez, Julie Pitzel, Jake, Chrissie, Grace & Savannah, jjmcgaffey, Gabe Krabbe, Bregmann Roche, Patrick Osbaldeston, Lori & Maurice Forrester, Pat Gribben, Robert Claney, Patti Short, Shades of Vengeance, Patricia Bray, Leah Webber, Jen Woods, Rolf Laun, Tibicina, Martin Greening, Judith Bienvenu, Ty Wilda, Sasha, C. Lennox, Brendan Lonehawk, Tom B., Michele Fry, Helen French, Auston Habershaw, FrodoNL, Simba Pipsqueak, Vespry Family, Nancy Edwards, Melissa Tabon, Andy Arminio, K Crowell, Lawrence M. Schoen, Colette Reap, Michael Skolnik, Amy Goldman, Chris ‘Warcabbit’ Hare, Jo Carol Jones, Eduard Lukhmanov, M.J. Fiori, R.J.H., Eddy Black, Connor Bliss, Yaron Davidson, Annika Samuelsson, Sarah Cottell, Jerrie the filkferengi, Rick Galli, Jakub Narêbski, Tanya K., Todd V. Ehrenfels, Liz Wyatt, Uncle Batman, David Eggersc
hwiler, Tibs, Orla Carey, Jessica Reid, Paul Bustamante, Henry Schubert, Melissa Shumake, William Hughes, Donovan DiPasquale, Gary Phillips, Jay Lofstead, Nathan Turner, Becky Allyn Johnson, Evan Ladouceur, Colleen R., L.C., Jenni Peper, Curtis Frye, Kayliealien, Richard James Errington, Kristi Chadwick, Rick Dwyer, Katchoo, Queen of the Nowells, Revek, Leila Qýþýn, Heidi Berthiaume, David J. Fortier, Gavran, Sarah Hester, Joanne Burrows, Elise Power, Tasha Turner, Scott Raun, Miranda Floyd, Jörg Tremmel, David A. Holden, Angie Hogencamp, Vicki Greer, AM Scott, SometimesKate, Mike Hampton, Lisa Kruse, Nick W, David Drew, Sidney Whitaker, James Conason, Nancy M. Tice, Sally Qwill Janin, Paula Morehouse, Elaine Tindill-Rohr, Christine Ethier, Kai Delmas, Todd Stephens, Mark Newman, Phillip Spencer, Deanna Harrison, Susan Carlson, Sharon Goza, Marty Poling Tool, Yankton Robins, Linda Pierce, Victoria L. Sullian, Niall Gordon, Peter T, ‘Jonesy’ Oberholtzer, Michael Abbott, Jonathan Collins, R Tharp, Dave Hermann, Paul y cod asyn Jarman, Hoose Family, Andrija Popovic, Keith Nelson, Paula & Michael Whitehouse, Tory Shade, Brenda Moon, Tina & Byron Connell, Deborah Crook, Moonpuppy61, Nathaniel Pohl, Ian Chung, Beth LaClair, L. E. Doggett, Kerry aka Trouble, Brad L. Kicklighter, Kristine Smith, Michelle L., Elyse M Grasso, Roy Sachleben, Jason Palmatier, Ajay O., Cyn Armistead, Brenda Carre, Alli Martin, Catherine Gross-Colten, Rebecca M, Gary Ehrlich, Mark Hirschman, Anthony R. Cardno, Mark Kiraly, Ed Ellis, David Rowe, Clare Deming, Kat S., VeAnna Poulsen, Sharon Wood, Chuck Wilson, C. L. Werner, Morgan S. Brilliant, Andy Miller, Anders M. Ytterdahl, Heidegger and Mocha, A. Walter Abrao, Max Kaehn, Barbara Becc, Chloe Turner, Jen1701D, Andrew Taylor, Mervi Mustonen, Kimberly M. Lowe, Amanda Nixon, 2-Gun Bill, T. England, Heather Kelly, Darryl M. Wood, Belkis Marcillo, Meredith B, Mark Slauter, Arin Komins, Svend Andersen, Jomelson Co, rissatoo, Misty Massey, Anne Burner, Keith Jones, Jenn Whitworth, Doc Concrescence, Anders Kronquist, Keith West, Future Potentate of the Solar System, Stephanie Cheshire, Ian Harvey, Erin Penn, Beth Lobdell, Khinasidog, Erin Kowalski, Helen Cameron, Kendra Leigh Speedling, Mary-Michelle Moore, Micci Trolio, Amanda Weinstein, Catherine Sharp, K. Gavenman, RKBookman, H. Rasmussen, S Baur, Eagle Archambeault, Keith E. Hartman, Tom Connair, Ivan Donati, Brian Hugenbruch, Paul D Smith, CGJulian, Jeffry Rinkel, Mark F Goldfield, Chuck Hickson, Michelle Palmer, Alexander Smith, Bill Harting, Sean Collins, Paul Alex Gray, Jason Tongier, Pierre, Lark Cunningham, Brenda Cooper, Fen Eatough, Alysia Murphy, Ilene Tsuruoka, Sheryl Ehrlich, Tina Good, Shel Kennon, Judith Mortimore, Breagha, Fred and Mimi Bailey, Robby Thrasher, Rachel Sasseen, Thea Cooke, Peter Bernstorff, Dino Hicks, Margaret S. McGraw, Lace, Erin Himrod, Steven Mentzel, Samuel Lubell, Linda Bruno, Amanda Stein, Julie Holderman, D-Rock, Adam Thompson, Timothy Nakayama, Antonio Carlos Porto, Melinda Seckington, Nirven, Kristin Evenson Hirst, Mick Gall, Missy Katano, Ken Finlayson, Camden, Steven Torres-Roman, Jennifer Della’Zanna, Gretchen Persbacker, Crystal Sarakas, Michele Hall, K. Hodghead, Marla Anderson, Jennifer Berk, Christina Roberts, Steven Halter, R. Hunter, Ken Woychesko, Firestar, Cindy Cripps-Prawak, David Roffey, Coleman bland, Drammar English, Cheryl Losinger, Peter Hansen, Bryan Easton, Deirdre M. Murphy, Zion Russell, Danielle Hinesly, Dana, Jonathan S. Chance, Nick Martell, K. R. Smith, SwordFire, Jennie Goloboy, Chantelle Wilson, Jenni Hamilton, S. E. Altmann, Lara Ortiz de Montellano, Donna Gaudet, Thea Maia, Jamie Ibson, Wendy Kitchens, Sarah FW, Axisor and Mike, John B. McCarthy, Andrew Barton, Gordon Rios, Kerri Regan, M. E. Gibbs, Kelly Melnyk, Greg Vose, Joe Borrelli, The Mystic Bob, Chris Brant, R Kirkpatrick, Marzie Kaifer, Ingrid deBeus