Greetings, all!

Today we find out a little bit more about Luk and his world:

Stuck in Customs / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-SA

Grabbing his compad, Luk accessed the internal schematics of the Ark. Master Jon’s laboratory was located in the third Ring, making the storage room one of the outermost spaces in the Ark. According to Luk’s Engineering class, that meant there were no other spaces beyond except superstructure, then exoskin, then…nothing. The schematics confirmed it. The back storage room was a rectangular space, labeled Storaj Lokker 3-3-639677—XAP. Luk didn’t know what an XAP designation meant—and neither did the schematic legend, apparently—but the schematics showed no irregularity in the room.

Curiosity poked at Luk. He knew he should alert Master Jon to the inaccuracy, but this was something different. Like him, it was not quite the way it was supposed to be. An Old Erth word came to mind—misteree.

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‘Til next time!

Greetings, all!

I am continuing with Ark:

Luk had made progress about halfway around the room when he shifted a box atop the shelving only to hear something go rattling down behind the rack. The shelves looked as if they were affixed directly to the wall. Getting down on his knees, he moved the items on the bottom shelf and tried to reach whatever had fallen. He could go no farther than the back of the shelf, which made an odd thump when his hand hit it. What he had thought was wall was actually a panel across the back of the shelves. That’s strange, he thought. But that means there’s a space behind them!

Thanks for reading!

Be sure to check out more Hump Day Hooks here.

‘Til next time!

Greetings, all!

Today’s hook continues with Ark, showing us more of what’s going on with Luk:

Master Jon stood before his bank of equipment, making notes on a compad, and looked up as Luk entered the laboratory. “You’re early, Luk! Everything all right at your studies?”

The Tutor had always taken an interest in Luk’s doings—his questions gave Luk a warm, comfortable feeling in his chest. That made it easier to deal with his classmates.

“Yes, Master Jon.” The answer came out like a squeaky rasp. He coughed to clear his throat. Lately his voice had been sounding strange.

The Tutor cocked his head. “Anything else you might want to tell me?”

Luk’s face grew hot. He had more of that hair growing. It was under his arms, on his belly, even down there—between his legs. He had taken to using a knife from the mess hall to cut at it, but it just kept coming back. Luk shook his head. “No, Tutor.”

“Very well.” Jon continued to look at Luk, who examined the nearest piece of equipment. Finally, Jon returned to his notes. “Today I would like you to inventory and organize the back storage room.”

“Yes, Tutor.” Luk called up the inventory protocol on his compad and made his way through the research lab. At least this work would keep his mind busy and off the tingly sensation Master Jon gave him down there.

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‘Til next time!

Greetings, all! It’s time for Hump Day Hook! I’m continuing with Ark, so we can learn some more about Luk and his world:

Luk walked down the two levels to the Research Lab where he had his work assignment. Master Jon was called a botanist; he studied things called plants. Jon’s plants were green floppy things with hairy looking white bits that floated in trays of sticky liquid under blue lights. The lights made Luk’s skin glow oddly. According to the Tutor, Old Erth had once been covered with these plant-things, but they had been in the ground, not trays of biogel. Luk tried to imagine green things growing out of the floor. The thought made him queasy.

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‘Til next time!

Greetings, all!

For today’s hook I’ve decided to continue with Ark and trickle out a little more about Luk and his world:

30 Febru 215 ARY

This day in his fourteenth year Luk left his classroom, grasping his compad and focusing on nothing but his feet. Watching the gray and worn plastinel of the corridor pass, he blocked out the buzz of curious whispers and the hisses of disturbed complacency. He’d heard “that boy” or “gene freak” for so long that the phrases barely registered. He just couldn’t take the looks of fear when he glanced down at the whisperers—for Luk was now taller than all his classmates. Almost as big as Master Jon, the Head Tutor and largest man in the Ark, Luk found it easier to look at his shuffling feet.

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‘Til next time!