Enlightened Ignorance Snippet #1

With the next book in the Opus X series, Enlightened Ignorance, coming out March 6, I thought it was time to tease you a little bit. Hehehe I also want to call all of the old Michael Anderle Pitchfork and Matches Crew back! Let’s let Michael know on Facebook that he needs to launch faster! I mean come on! We all read or listen to the books within a day of getting them, and then we have to wait 6 weeks? Seriously, Michael! You’re torturing us! LOL

Well, I guess I’m going to torture you a little bit with this snippet! Come back in a few days to get the next one. Trust me, it’s sooooo worth it!

Snippet #1

April 27, 2229, Neo Southern California Metroplex, Aurum Sphere Ball Stadium

Erik’s wide grin was one of the few in the sea of glum humanity choking the main arena’s long tunnel. The sphere-ball fans marched out like a defeated army, many with their heads down. The occasional red-faced man or woman muttered angrily, their stomping joining the shuffling footfalls of so many others.

Jia’s gaze slid toward Erik, suspicion clouding her dark eyes. “You’re not a traitor, are you, Erik?”

He chuckled, his eyes sliding toward his annoyed partner. “What are you talking about?”

“All loyal Dragon fans know what we just saw,” she insisted, nodding behind them. “But you’re acting like we played a great game.”

“The team won.” Erik shrugged. “I don’t see the big deal, but I’m smiling about something else.” He nodded toward where they had been sitting. “It’s just a weird thought I had during the game, and now that we’re leaving, it came back.”

Jia’s brow wrinkled. “Weird thought? Like what?” She wasn’t sure she should stop pursuing her mental accusation toward her partner yet.

“I never thought about it much,” Erik began, “but it’s the antigrav tech. You can’t play sphere ball without antigrav tech.”

“True enough.” Jia glanced at the area of play. “I’m sure there is all sorts of interesting sociology and psychology related to the Purist movement to explain how physical sports have lingered and haven’t been taken over by virtual sports, but it helps to see people doing something entertaining and impressive in real life. In this case, the tech enhances rather than distracts. If you want to read an interesting book on the history of sphere ball, there’s one I finished the other night I could recommend. It’s called Sphere of Destiny.”

Erik shook his head. “No, thanks. Not interested in the history. It’s the tech that’s got me thinking. I know humans were halfway to inventing it anyway, but everything I’ve read says the key parts were figured out by reverse-engineering Navigator tech. It’s not as awe-inspiring as HTPs and FTL travel, so no one cares.”

“Yes, so?” Jia blinked a few times, more confused than before. She slipped past one fan who’d had two or three alcoholic drinks too many to pay attention to her smaller body as he wandered along with the herd. “I’m not following you.”

Erik’s smile disappeared when a rowdy fan yelled right beside the two of them, and both winced. read more…