Pat Luther
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plutherus.bsky.social
Pat Luther
@plutherus.bsky.social
130 followers 66 following 500 posts
Novelist and Playwright.
https://pluther.us/
https://www.twitch.tv/plutherus
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Pat+Luther
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plutherus.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 11/14
Going from danger to danger, but first, let's pause for an exciting discussion about network security! :)
"Yeah, here, gotta give you access from the console," Del said. She approached one of the other stations and pulled up the security interface. It recognized Del and seeing Bilan in the central seat, offered to give her authorization as well. Del confirmed. "I couldn't get anything but the coms to interface with my suit," Del apologized. "That's probably by design," Bilan said. "Partly for security - you wouldn't want someone outside the ship steering it into a planet or opening all the pressure doors at once and venting you into space." "Makes sense, I guess," Del said. She shuddered at the thought, and wondered if her parents' ship had had that same safety feature. Might their demise not have been an accident? "An even more important reason might be crew psychology," Bilan continued. "Ships like this can spend a lot of time drifting through space. They'll head to, say, Earth, by burning for a few hours, maybe, then cutting back to zero, or very low thrust, for most of the trip. It could take weeks or even months before they get there. Having tasks that can only be done at certain stations forces the crew to interact and move around. There probably aren't any cleaning bots either. Everything would have to be done by hand."
November 14, 2025 at 3:16 PM
plutherus.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 11/13
Del, ever the pragmatist.
Ten, maybe twenty years, slaving away in the antimatter mines and if she somehow survived that, she'd eventually be free. Free, broke, homeless, unable to find legitimate work… She wondered what the Belt would be like in twenty years. Would Jie's dream of it becoming a real society have come true by then? That would be nice. Maybe he would be an administrator, and she could come back and cause trouble. Pull together whatever contacts she could find. Become a fixer like Kenny. Kenny would most likely be dead by then. There's no way he'd last two more decades out here. The Rabbit might. How much would he control by then? Would she have to fight him, or eliminate him to build up her own little criminal empire before she died? It would be fun trying.
November 14, 2025 at 5:53 AM
plutherus.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 11/12
When nothing else is available, it makes a handy weapon.
When she got to the open cell and peeked her head in, it was empty. She was about to turn back and call to Bilan when something flew down and struck her in the face. She moved to the side to avoid most of the blow and a weight landed on her back. Someone had dropped from the ceiling onto her shoulders. They slung what felt like some sort of cloth across the front of her throat and began tightening it from behind. She turned slightly and threw herself backward, hoping to slam her attacker into the door frame, but they turned with her, pulling her sideways and she hit it with her shoulder. Then the tension on the cloth lessened and her attacker dropped nimbly to the floor. "Del?" her assailant said in surprise. Amelia stood before her, holding a pyjama top similar to what Del had worn in the BeltSec prison, tightly wrapped in her hand. "Gah," Del said, and rubbed at her abused throat. "Not the greeting I was expecting." "Sorry. I thought you were someone else." "I gathered. Let's get out of here. Bilan's up the hall." Amelia unwrapped her shirt and put it on as she followed Del back up the hall.
November 14, 2025 at 5:47 AM
plutherus.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 11/11
This was about as close as I could get to it.
Finally, she saw the approaching lights of an automated craft bearing two new engines. She spent another hour swapping them out. The damaged parts, she pushed off toward the asteroid. BeltSec could pick them up when the Salvage and Forensics crew got here. With full power restored, she connected her suit to the bike’s systems and let the suit charge as the bike replaced her recirculated air and water with its own. She pulled a balloon cover from the back over the entire bike and let it pressurize. When it had finished filling, Del opened her helmet and took a deep breath of the fresh air. Then she retrieved a pair of nutrition bars from a small compartment. It was the first solid food she'd had for nearly twenty hours.
November 11, 2025 at 8:42 PM
plutherus.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 11/10
Del showing her typical diligence at her job.
Once she arrived at the tiny asteroid, Del checked in at the small mining office and spent just enough time to remind them that BeltSec still existed and to confirm that the base hadn’t been taken over by pirates. If it had been, the pirates were wearing the uniform of the local corp and following standard bureaucratic procedures, which was close enough. Forty-six hours of flight to spend less than half an hour there.
November 11, 2025 at 8:35 PM
plutherus.bsky.social
#NovemberWorldbuilders
Three black things in this image by @aureolinflax.bsky.social of a scene from Thoughtless: The walls of Del's carbonaceous asteroid home (that she's hung colorful scarves over to make it feel less oppressive), space itself (seen out the window) and their BeltSec uniforms.
November 8, 2025 at 8:10 PM
plutherus.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 11/8
Just Del being mercenary again.
Nineteen minutes later, her small craft turned itself around and began slowing down to match the speed of her destination. She had heard no further signals in all that time, and her calls to the asteroid went unanswered. When Del was close enough for her bike's sensors to pick up a visual, she brought the feed up on her suit's faceplate. A jagged cut marred the side of the rock. There must have been a contained atmosphere inside. Contained no longer, debris was floating away from the damaged area. She glanced over her shoulder in the direction she was heading, but was still too far away to see anything with the naked eye. She zoomed in on the display and saw bodies amongst the debris. Exactly what she’d feared. "Egido! Protektu viajn infanojn," she said out loud, a quick prayer to a goddess she didn’t believe in. If there were any survivors, footage of a rescue could end up being worth more than the bonus. She only felt a little guilty for thinking it.
November 8, 2025 at 7:57 PM
plutherus.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 11/7
Just Del being reckless again.
She considered that for a second. Someone had already tried to kill her. This was the type of operation that should really be undertaken by a team of Enforcers with breaching cord, explosives, and armored vacsuits, not one woman with a wrist-mounted needler and a hand-held vacuum torch. But she wanted answers. This would be a great time to have a mining platform handy. Or maybe a missile or two. She’d really have to get those replaced when she got back to Ceres. The airlock fell open as she finished cutting off its latch. She hoped the inhabitants had a different way out. Or at least vacuum suits because when she left, she’d have to open that outer door and all the air in this hallway would rush out behind her. She lowered her helmet and a rancid smell assaulted her nose. The scent of molten metal mingled with that of a ship that had been a long way out of port. She listened for movement and heard none. No heavy breathing or bump of heavy equipment along the narrow corridor. And most importantly, no ominous hum of a plasma cannon getting ready to fire.
November 8, 2025 at 7:54 PM
plutherus.bsky.social
#NovemberWorldbuilders 6
When breaching cord is laid out on something metal, it will glow white hot while burning through it.
kiraofthewind.com Kira of the Wind (Erika McCorkle) @kiraofthewind.com · 9d
Hello, #NovemberWorldbuilders friends!
We're in COLORS week! Tell me about something in your world that's WHITE. Have you used it symbolically? Any special white clothes, rocks, animals, or magical artifacts you'd like to talk about?
#NovemberWorldbuilders prompt card Hosted by Kira of the Wind Week 1: Colors Something in your world that is WHITE The image in the background is a blurred picture of a foresty/rocky landscape with lightning and a mountain in the background
November 6, 2025 at 10:58 PM
plutherus.bsky.social
#NovemberWorldbuilders 5
The only thing I can think of that's Purple is Del's former bathrobe. She left it hanging on a hook in the bathroom in her old apartment when she left last time, and in all likelihood it's still there.
kiraofthewind.com Kira of the Wind (Erika McCorkle) @kiraofthewind.com · 10d
#NovemberWorldbuilders
This week's theme is COLORS! Tell me about something in your world that's PURPLE. Do you use it symbolically? Do you have anything special in your worldbuilding that's purple? Maybe an animal, jewels, a garment, a flower, or something more strange and magical?
#NovemberWorldbuilders prompt card Hosted by Kira of the Wind Week 1: Colors Something in your world that is PURPLE The image in the background is a blurred picture of a foresty/rocky landscape with lightning and a mountain in the background
November 6, 2025 at 10:55 PM
plutherus.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 11/5
Searching for the word really made me realize how many times someone - especially Del - starts to say something then trails off.
"And you…what, locked them in and stole their ship?" "That's the short version, though I didn't steal it. It was lawfully given to me as the penalty for their attempt on my life. It was the alternative to formal charges, which would have sent them, most likely, to spending the rest of their lives as indentured servants on Mercury." "That ship is their life." "No, their lives are their lives. You know, the thing they wanted to take from me. Without the ship, they'll have to get real jobs like the rest of us." Del could tell he didn't like it. Inside, he was seething. But he knew she was right. "If they tried to kill you, how come you let them live?" It was the same question Nurayda had asked. "Because, unlike your girlfriend, I'm not a murderer," Del answered this time. "Nurayda's not…" he started then trailed off. Del guessed he was right, but he himself wasn't so sure. They'd have a lot to talk about if they ever saw each other again.
November 5, 2025 at 7:50 PM
plutherus.bsky.social
#NovemberWorldbuilders 4
At one point, Del and Caweys (new character!) visit a new, as yet unnamed floating city on Venus. Larger than any previously built city, this one is ringed by a large park, with expanses of grass, flower gardens and even what Del considers a forest.
kiraofthewind.com Kira of the Wind (Erika McCorkle) @kiraofthewind.com · 11d
Hey there, #NovemberWorldbuilders!
It's COLORS week! Tell me about something in your world that's green. This one is probably more common, since green is so strongly associated with nature. Do you have any cool greenery in your world? Or maybe you've used it for an object? Tell me about it!
#NovemberWorldbuilders prompt card Hosted by Kira of the Wind Week 1: Colors Something in your world that is GREEN The image in the background is a blurred picture of a foresty/rocky landscape with lightning and a mountain in the background
November 5, 2025 at 3:13 AM
plutherus.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 11/4
It's funny that out of all the things made of it (Iron and Carbon are two of the most common elements in the asteroid belt after all), I mention the word exactly once in whole book.
She stepped through the jagged opening in the back of the room, her right arm with its mounted needler held straight out in front of her. Something heavy slammed down and a jolt of pain traveled up her arm. She turned in time to see her quarry, holding a steel pipe that she’d just smashed into Del’s arm. She swung it back up toward her face, and Del leaned back to avoid the blow. It slid harmlessly off the front rather than smashing the faceplate. Before the woman swinging the pipe could bring it down on her again, Del bent low and launched herself forward, tackling her at the waist. Assisted by suit thrusters, she pushed up off the ground and carried her forward to slam into the far wall. The metal bar fell to the floor. "Hold her there, I got her," she heard Bilan say. "Three…Two…One…" Her assailant went limp, right on time. Del stood upright and let her fall to the floor. She resisted the urge to kick her.
November 5, 2025 at 3:07 AM
plutherus.bsky.social
The clouds of Venus are both yellow and orange, often in wild shifting swirling patterns. At one point, Del is watching them through Bilan's bedroom window and Bilan mentions that she never really got tired of watching them while growing up there.
kiraofthewind.com Kira of the Wind (Erika McCorkle) @kiraofthewind.com · 12d
It's #NovemberWorldbuilders!
We're talking about colors in our worlds! Tell me about something in your world that's YELLOW or ORANGE? I find that these two are often underrated/underused in worldbuilding, so I'd love to hear what you have. Maybe something symbolic of the sun or made of gold?
#NovemberWorldbuilders prompt card Hosted by Kira of the Wind Week 1: Colors Something in your world that is YELLOW/ORANGE The image in the background is a blurred picture of a foresty/rocky landscape with lightning and a mountain in the background
November 3, 2025 at 8:19 PM
plutherus.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 11/3
Yay! It's nice to be able to talk about something nice here for a change. :)
"I'm afraid I'll have to pass," Jie said. "I’m meeting someone for dinner in a few hours." "You have a date?" Del asked, amused. "Just a preliminary meeting. We'll see how it goes." "Do your spouses know about this?" "Of course. My husband met her before I did." He seemed genuinely offended. "Sorry." "It's okay. We don't cheat. I trust them, and vice versa." "Must be nice." "It is."
November 3, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Reposted by Pat Luther
ddwardiswriting.bsky.social
Do like sword fights? How about chases through night? How about prison breaks?

It's all there! The Husband Poisoning Society. Part lesbian love story. Part fantasy adventure!

It's free on my patreon with no sign up required (but all sign ups deeply appreciated).

www.patreon.com/ddwardiswrit...
A blonde woman flees from a bat monster. Also there is a skeletal fish in the background.
November 3, 2025 at 1:43 AM
plutherus.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 11/2
Not a lot of cobwebs in the asteroid belt.
Definitely going with vibes for this one.
"Beneath" her small craft was a large, icy ball that she was heading straight toward. "Looks like my calculations were right," she said for her suit's recorder. There was no transponder signal, and at this range there should be, but there was no mistaking the asteroid. She left her own transponder on as she approached, not wanting to startle whoever was there. The asteroid itself was covered in dust and rocks and pitted with craters, but there was an ancient-looking airlock visible on one side, illuminated with a dim light. From the asteroid's trajectory, it was either a newcomer to the belt, or had been recently moved. She suspected the former. A Centaur perhaps, traveling on some long spiral path inward. In another hundred thousand years or so it would be gone, boiled away as it got too close to the sun. For now, it seemed it was somebody's home.
November 2, 2025 at 8:30 PM
plutherus.bsky.social
The drinking flasks in Del’s ship are made from cobalt oxide with a carbon matrix (I.e., artificial diamond) overlay, and are therefore bright blue.
kiraofthewind.com Kira of the Wind (Erika McCorkle) @kiraofthewind.com · 13d
Heya #NovemberWorldbuilders!
Continuing with COLORS! Tell me about something in your world that's BLUE. Do you use it symbolically? Do you have anything special in your worldbuilding that's blue? Maybe an important object symbolic of the sea or sky? Tell me about your blues!
#NovemberWorldbuilders prompt card Hosted by Kira of the Wind Week 1: Colors Something in your world that is BLUE The image in the background is a blurred picture of a foresty/rocky landscape with lightning and a mountain in the background
November 2, 2025 at 6:28 PM
plutherus.bsky.social
"Want feedback on the first page of your novel or story? I’ll read one submission a week—on YouTube—and offer honest, public critique. No cost, just insight. Submit yours here: buff.ly/ulE7lSh%22,%... #FirstPageCritique"
Submission for First Page Feedback – Pat Luther
Welcome to my “First Page Feedback”
buff.ly
November 2, 2025 at 4:00 PM
plutherus.bsky.social
I've been watching #DS9. I'm in the 7th season now, which I've never seen any of before. Just finished "It's Only a Paper Moon."
Nog's character arc in here was obvious, but Dax's is good, too. At the beginning I was annoyed at her. "Worst councilor ever" but by the end, she showed what she
November 1, 2025 at 6:22 PM
plutherus.bsky.social
#NovemberWorldbuilders
Del's previous home was inside a carbonaceous asteroid, with black stone walls. She hung colorful cloths over them. When she left, she took a vibrant red silk scarf to carry her tarot cards and her sesquicentennial printing of Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles.
kiraofthewind.com Kira of the Wind (Erika McCorkle) @kiraofthewind.com · 14d
Welcome to #NovemberWorldbuilders!
This week's theme is COLORS! Tell me about something in your world that's RED. Do you use it symbolically? Do you have anything special in your worldbuilding that's red. Maybe an animal, jewels, a garment, a flower, or something more strange and magical?
#NovemberWorldbuilders prompt card Hosted by Kira of the Wind Week 1: Colors Something in your world that is RED The image in the background is a blurred picture of a foresty/rocky landscape with lightning and a mountain in the background
November 1, 2025 at 4:05 PM
plutherus.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 11/1
Happy November!
Del doesn't have any ancestors, so here's a bit from where she learns what she does have.
The memories flashed through her mind, ending with her discovering what she really was. She was helpless to stop them, and she knew then that he was experiencing them all as well. "You poor child," the Veteran said. "You had no idea. Yes, a large number of you were kidnapped, twenty-two standard years ago, as infants. Many scientists were killed by the terrorists. Until now, we had no idea any of the missing infants survived." Kidnapped? Scientists? Terrorists? There was too much to unpack. She looked at him and tried to relax her mind, to feel his. Out of nowhere, it coalesced around her. In her memory, she was standing outside what seemed to be a maternity ward. Rows of infants, dozens of them, each in a crib, as a couple of people, covered head to toe in some kind of protective suits moved amongst them. "Idiots." She could hear his mental voice. "The children don't have anything contagious and environment suits won't do anything for what they do have."
November 1, 2025 at 3:58 PM
plutherus.bsky.social
I have a question for all the teachers, parents, or anyone who knows any middle-school children. Did the South Park episodes cause any noticeable change in kids obsessions with Labubus or "6-7"
Are they less interested now that everyone knows about them? Or more? Or did they have any effect at all?
November 1, 2025 at 3:43 PM
plutherus.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 10/31
The actual word isn't used, but I think The Rabbit qualifies. (It's a nickname, not actually a Monty Python reference. :)
"First, you were at Aluna. You ever see this guy?" She put the still image of The Rabbit on the big screen. Amelia scrambled backward on the couch, bumping against the back wall, and pulling down one of the colorful scarves Del had hanging along the wall, revealing the uneven black rock behind it. She came to a stop sitting on the back of the couch as the scarf fluttered to the ground. "I take it that's a yes." "The fuck you want with him?" "You know who he is?" "Everybody knows who he is." "I don't. Enlighten me." "He's…void. I don't even know how to explain it. He's the Rabbit. He knows people and people do what he says." "Sounds like he's a fixer, like Kenny," Bilan said. "You know Kenny?" "Yeah,” Del said. “What do you know about him?" "He's like the one guy the Rabbit stays away from." "Kenny?" The idea was baffling. Del would have thought this Rabbit's reputation was all smoke except that she knew what he could do. “Why would a man like the Rabbit be scared of someone like Kenny?”
November 1, 2025 at 12:00 AM
plutherus.bsky.social
#WIPSnips 10/30
A ritual is like a spell, right?
And yes, like many people, Del is a practitioner of a religion she doesn't believe in.
She imagined a mass of energy floating above her. She reached into it and pulled a thick strand down into herself as she began the ritual her foster parents taught her all those years ago. It didn’t matter that the angels she invoked as guardians didn’t exist, or that there were no demons for them to guard against. The wards would work because she decided they would. She shaped the energy around her into a pentagram and extended it above her and down below her feet, creating a three-dimensional cage of force, surrounding and protecting her. Performing the ritual had the other practical benefit of distracting her from her own thoughts, breaking the cycle of fear feeding upon itself. Her imaginary lines of force were fading in her mind, though she could still feel their presence. She found herself drifting peacefully, surrounded by the rubble of her recent adventure. The asteroid, the mining platform, her dead bike.
October 30, 2025 at 6:50 PM