The richest citizens of Xin Shi can do anything they want, whenever they want to. At any time of day, they can sunbathe on the sunny side, and then cross the line to see a fireworks display in nighttime. They can ski on bright warm waters, or down dark frozen mountains. It’s amazing the choices they have on that world. All because it is tide-locked to Alpha Centauri B, one face always to the sun and one always away. It is the jewel of the Chinese Empire.
After the Hundred Years War, we consolidated our rule over the entire island of Britain. And we expanded into other regions of the world, colonizing the Americas, Africa, Asia, and even Australia. We circumnavigated the globe, with ships of war unmatched in technical sophistication. The sun never set on our empire. Of course, the offshoot of my family that remained in France was busy too. That led to some difficulties in later centuries.
I’ve seen a lot of worlds in my life. Core Worlds. Colony Worlds. Inner and Outer. National or international colonization missions. Small group settlements. Even survey outposts. Russian. Chinese. Alliance. Other. I’ve seen a bit of everything since The War. I generally stick to Alliance space of course, but sometimes I need to go outside it for sometimes very important reasons. I’m careful out there. We’re not always welcome after all.
Many of those who live on tide-locked Xin Shi never see natural darkness. Others never see natural light. They live in the slums, on the edges of the habitable zone, where perpetual freezing night or the blast furnace winds of the sunny side wash over their homes. It takes a rich person to travel into the prosperous inner zones where day and night meet. Or a tourist from another world, who is by definition extremely rich on Xin Shi.
Our return to civilization was an interesting time. Like the Chinese proverb. The War was over. Peace reigned. Or so everybody knew. The affair was too far under the radar to make news. Everybody saw the fire of course. That was on every channel. But the reasons for it never did make the air. And so the whole affair was brushed under the rug, forgotten by all but those who lived it. But that fire was history in the making.
Forge of War on Amazon
Angel Flight on Amazon
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Angel War on Amazon
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Wolfenheim Emergent on Amazon