Writer In Motion Forum

Hello, all of you amazing writers! I've loved following along with your progress on all of your stories. It's been amazing to see the changes and what stays the same!

This is the editor week for Summer 2021 Writer In Motion, and you should have gotten an email with your editor assignments. Please make sure to get your stories to your editors as soon as possible (if you haven't already), and if you need anything, contact your editor to ask for an accommodation. If you haven't gotten your editor assignment, check to make sure your spam folder didn't eat it, and if it's not there, let us know!

I'm looking forward to seeing all of the final drafts!

Check it out here: https://www.skaeth.com/?p=626 ! Or, I'll post it below. I had a great time as usual, and all my CPs were amazing! It was great to work with each of you, from both rounds!

I had some great help on this round too! My CPs gave me wonderful things to think about. Dan Koboldt had a great point about strengthening the overall arc, but I ran out of words. While technically I can go over 1000 words now that this is the final draft, I try to stick to it anyway in the spirit of the challenge. I could have altered some of the thoughts of Goat in the beginning, but I felt like that would give a different tone and character to Goat than what I was going for.
SM Roffey gave me some of those words though, pointing out a sentence I could cut, and Kim B wanted more detail of the inside of the building, so I used my 9 extra words there instead with some worldbuilding.
Beyond those changes though, it was mostly necessary nitpicks. People still suggested changes to ?Not following orders? so I finally fixed that, but I kept my ?full with leaves? because ?full of leaves? doesn?t work for me and I couldn?t come up with something better. The hazards of editing power-sessions: now my worder needs a break.
But I really enjoy my little Space Goats, and I am pleased to present my final draft, complete at 996 words:

You sproing through the scraggly bushes that cling to the hill, muzzle raised to the cool breeze. Alien scents wash over you, so different from the ship?s sterile, recycled air. The trees are full with leaves, and the sky is blue above the darker bruising of the distant mountains.
It?s rather disappointing. Shouldn?t alien planets be more, well, alien? 
And there?s a blocky, artificial structure right at the top of the hill, not even trying to hide. Training exercises are supposed to be hard, aren?t they? Otherwise what?s the point? It?s all dreadfully boring, so you stretch your neck out, rising on the tips of your back hooves to reach a long-hanging branch and nibble at the twigs there. It?s against the Code, but who?s gonna tell on you? Cow? Cow?s not here. She?ll be in the building that?s clearly where you?re meant to go, waiting for you to show up for your briefing.
But you?re on an alien planet! Simmering underneath the disappointment, excited energy thrums through your bones. The grass isn?t made of crystal, and the sky?s not green, but it?s still a completely new ball of rock hurtling through space, and you?ve actually done it. You?re a Space Goat and nothing can take that away from you.
All you need to complete the day is a nice glass of wine, the fruitier the better.
Oh, and to finish your mission, you suppose.
You can hear the Whale as distinctly as you did when he stood in front of you, a scowl on his long face. ?This mission is simple. You?ll be Dropped on an alien planet. First, use your head to find your assigned mentor, who will have the Matter Transportation Device. They?ll brief you on a short excursion, and upon your return, you?ll both Matt back up to the ship.?
Look for clues, for anything out of place, of course. Like the glaringly obvious building.
Your hooves squish in the springy turf, and the mountains rise and fall behind the apex of the hill with each bouncing leap. Going directly toward the building would be boring. You?ll go around it first?scouting. That?s right. Totally being responsible.
A breeze whips past and you pause, your eyes half closing as you filter the new smells and try to guess what they are. Plants. Air. Smoke. Smoke?s a little concerning, but it?s only a whiff, so it?s probably pretty far aw?
Something slams into you, lifting you off your hooves. You skid across the rocky ground on your side. Dust in your eyes makes them water. Your heart hammers faster than it did during your first spacewalk, and you scramble to your hooves.
Cougar stands a meter away, his fangs a flash of white as he smiles. ?Disregarding orders again, Goat??
What?s he doing out here? You glance at the building, where Cow would be waiting. It?s too far. Cougar will outrun you.
He prowls a step closer. ?This is a training exercise. You and I weren?t supposed to meet like this. If you had followed orders, we wouldn?t have.?
?You wouldn?t hurt me. Not really.? Too bad fear makes your voice high-pitched and bleaty.
?Accidents sometimes happen in training exercises.? He sits, inspecting his claws.
You flick your tail. You won?t bow to the threats he?s tossing about. You?re the first Goat to make it onto the Whale?s Space Teams. And even if this planet seemed boring at first, it?s your very first alien planet! You?re not about to let the chance to explore end here in the cruel claws of a Cougar bully.
You dig your small hooves into the ground and lower your head, dropping to all fours. A flicker of surprise lights Cougar?s eyes as you spring forward. You crash horns-first into his side, the same way he?d knocked you over just a few moments ago. Spinning around, you charge for the top of the hill, for safety. Cougar won?t be happy you hit him, but all you have to do is make it to the tiny, square-sided building before he does.
The soft dirt slows you, giving no easy hoof-holds as you scramble up the hillside. Hot breath on your flanks urges you to move faster, and you skid around the side of the building, panting for air.
Where?s the door? Where?s the door? Cougar?s gonna get you before you can find the entrance to this dirty, unassuming building, and on your very first mission. That?d be mortifying.
The door gleams, white metal in the sunlight, and you lunge for it, scrabbling with the knob. It was obviously not made for hoofed-species. He?s coming and you don?t have time to wrestle with a space-junked door! You kick it, then lower your head and head-butt it.
It lurches open and you stumble inside. Your hooves slow of their own accord. You stare around, gaping. The interior is an enormous cavern. A cool grey banister stands two meters in front of you, separating you from the rest of the colossal space, while ramps of bustling Geckos, Mice, and Tamarins spiral deeper into the mountain beneath you. A Bat whisks past you toward the ceiling, carrying a basket. Everything is lit with warm yellow bulbs, and flashes of colorful doors amidst the shadowy grays accent the interior. This is more like it.
One floor below you, Cow waits, tapping her hoof. ?How?d the Goat do??
Your mouth works, but nothing comes out. Who was she talking to?
Behind you, a velvet voice has no trouble finding words. ?Off-script, and with a literal meaning for ?using your head.??
 Your eyes flick from Cougar to Cow and back again. This was all a setup?
Cougar grins at you. ?What, cat got your tongue??
?What?? you squeak.  Normally you?re much wittier, you swear.
Cow shakes her head. ?I needed to teach you an important lesson before we get to our primary objective.? Her bovine face turns serious. ?Never judge a planet by its drop site.?

I finished my edits from my wonderful CPs! You can check it out here: https://www.skaeth.com/?p=608

Or, as usual, I have it copied and pasted below.

Wow, this week has been full! I got some great feedback from my CPs though, and am working on my edits on Space Goats!
Both my CPs had great suggestions, and it was a matter of selecting which I could pull off in 1,000 words while keeping the voice I had going!
As usual, I read through the feedback right away and let it sit, though this time life conspired to pull me away for most of the week, so hopefully my subconscious got in some good mulling over!
After compiling the comments I wanted to act on (none of the compliments, though they are so kind and good to know!) into Scrivener, I had a clear plan.
Look at all that highlighting on my clean manuscript! That?s all making it better!
Most of the comments were smaller things, though I also received some great notes about characterization and continuity. I threw out comments that would alter the voice too much or turn things that were reflexive into active things (and vice versa), even though they were great comments as general advice. Melissa had great thoughts on changing line breaks for emphasis, which was cool, and it?s always fun to see where people agree on comments (no one disagreed this time, though that?s also fun!).
I decided to stubbornly keep some things, like my ?full with leaves? even though it?s a bit archaic. I like my archaic phrasings, lol. If my next round of CPs also marks it though, I might cave.
I did get caught with muddiness regarding four legs or two, and when the Goat switches and why, so I tried to clear that up. Was the Goat normally on four legs and rose up to nibble the branch, or normally on two legs? Was it the rising up on two legs that was against the Code, or nibbling an alien plant?
The other thing I had to think hard about was the line ?Are all planets going to be like this one??. It is a bit clunky, and it?s not strictly necessary. I didn?t like the ideas I had for smoothing it though, so I considered just cutting it. In the end, that?s exactly what I did.
Figuring out the legs issue was a little more involved, but I found I had some extra room so I was able to give more description of the space and Goat?s reactions to the back and forth.

So with no further ado, here is Space Goats, this time with a word count of 985.

You sproing through the scraggly bushes that cling to the hill, muzzle raised to the cool breeze. Alien scents wash over you, so different from the ship?s sterile, recycled air. The trees are full with leaves, and the sky is blue above the darker bruising of the distant mountains.
It?s rather disappointing. Shouldn?t alien planets be more, well, alien? 
And there?s a blocky, artificial structure right at the top of the hill, not even trying to hide. Training exercises are supposed to be hard, aren?t they? Otherwise what?s the point? It?s all so dreadfully boring, that you stretch your neck out, rising on the tips of your back hooves to reach a long-hanging branch and nibble at the twigs there. It?s against the Code, but who?s gonna tell on you? Cow? Cow?s not here. She?ll be in the building that?s clearly where you?re meant to go, waiting for you to show up for your briefing.
But you?re on an alien planet! Simmering underneath the disappointment, thrums of energy race through your bones. The grass isn?t made of crystal, and the sky?s not green, but it?s still a completely new ball of rock hurtling through space, and you?ve actually done it. You?re a Space Goat and nothing can take that away from you.
All you need to complete the day is a nice glass of wine, the fruitier the better.
Oh, and to finish your mission, you suppose.
You can hear the Whale as distinctly as you did when he was standing in front of you, a scowl on his long face. ?This mission is simple. You?ll be Dropped on an alien planet. First, use your wits to find your assigned mentor, who will have the Matt. They?ll brief you on a short excursion, and upon your return, you?ll both Matt back up to the ship.?
Look for clues, for anything out of place, of course. Like the glaringly obvious building.
Your hooves squish in the springy turf, and the mountains rise and fall behind the apex of the hill with each bouncing leap. Going directly toward the building would be boring. You?ll go around it first?scouting. That?s right. Totally being responsible.
A breeze whips past and you pause, your eyes half closing as you filter the new smells and try to guess what they are. Plants. Air. Smoke. Smoke?s a little concerning, but it?s only a whiff, so it?s probably pretty far aw?
Something slams into you, lifting you off your hooves. You skid across the rocky ground on your side. Dust makes your eyes tear up. Your heart hammers faster than it did during your first spacewalk, and you scramble to your hooves.
Cougar stands a meter away, his fangs a flash of white as he smiles. ?Not following orders again, Goat??
What?s he doing out here? You glance at the building, where Cow would be waiting. It?s too far. Cougar will outrun you.
He prowls a step closer. ?This is a training exercise. You and I weren?t supposed to meet like this. If you had followed orders, we wouldn?t have.?
?You wouldn?t hurt me. Not really.? Too bad fear makes your voice high-pitched and bleaty.
?Accidents sometimes happen in training exercises.? He sits, inspecting his claws.
You flick your tail. You won?t cave to the threats he?s tossing about. You?re the first Goat to make it on the Whale?s Space Teams. And even if this planet seemed boring at first, it?s your very first alien planet! You?re not about to let the chance to explore end here in the cruel claws of a Cougar bully.
You dig your small hooves into the ground and lower your head, dropping to all fours. A flicker of surprise lights Cougar?s eyes as you spring forward. Your horns crash into his side, just as he?d knocked you over just a few moments ago. Spinning around, you charge for the top of the hill, for safety. Cougar won?t be happy you hit him, but all you have to do is make it to the tiny, square-sided building before he does.
The soft dirt slows you, giving no easy hoof-holds as you scramble up the hillside. Hot breath on your flanks urges you to move faster, and you skid around the side of the building, panting for air.
Where?s the door? Where?s the door? Cougar?s gonna get you before you can find the door to this dirty, unassuming building, and on your very first mission. That?d be mortifying.
The door gleams, white metal in the sunlight, and you lunge for it, scrabbling with the knob. It was obviously not made for hoofed-species. Cougar would likely have an easier time with it. He?s coming and you don?t have time to wrestle with a space-junked door! You kick it, then lower your head and head-butt it.
It lurches open and you stumble inside. Your hooves slow of their own accord. You stare around, gaping. The interior is an enormous cavern. A cool grey banister stands two meters in front of you, separating you from the rest of the colossal space, while ramps of bustling workers spiral deeper into the mountain beneath you. Everything is lit with warm yellow bulbs, and flashes of colorful doors amidst the shadowy grays accent the interior. This is more like it.
One floor below you, Cow waits idly. ?How?d the Goat do??
Your mouth works, but nothing comes out.
Behind you, a velvet voice has no trouble finding words. ?Off-script, and with a literal meaning for ?using your head.??
 Your eye flick from Cougar to Cow and back again. This was all a setup?
Cougar grins at you. ?What, cat got your tongue??
?What?? you squeak.  Normally you?re much more witty, you swear.
Cow shakes her head. ?I needed to teach you an important lesson before we get to our primary objective.? Her bovine face turns serious. ?Never judge a planet by its drop site.?

Here's my first draft! I had so much fun with this. https://www.skaeth.com/?p=589

As usual, I've copied it below so you don't need to travel if you don't wish to!

Coming in at 1031 words, it?s rough, but I love it. I?m really excited to dig deeper into Goat and let their snark and attitude out further, even though I need to trim some words!
I definitely wanted to do something fresh, to turn it on its head a bit, so using a new point of view and vaguely recognizable situations, then flipping it on its head felt like the right move to me. Plus, Goat?s voice was just so spunky and kept me laughing internally.
I forgot my terminology so had to look it up. And that delete button kept calling for little typos, but I tried to avoid it, as I do normally fast draft. This draft was a lot slower than many of my drafts have been, but I have slowed down a little this year (last year my fingers were on fire I was drafting so fast!). Autocorrect still caught some of my typos while others I?m hoping I can figure out later!
The last words just popped into my head, and I rushed to write them down right away, because I felt they were a perfect end to my story, giving me the anchor to tie together the vague shape of the story that had come to mind. Don?t judge a planet by its drop site.

---

You sproing through the short bushes that cling to the grassy hill, muzzle raised to the cool air. Odd scents wash over you?this planet sure is stinky! The trees are full with leaves, and the sky is blue, lighter than the grey-blue of the distant mountains. Are all planets going to be like this one?

Frankly, part of you is disappointed. Aren?t alien plantes supposed to be more, well, alien? For another thing, there?s a odd artificial structure right at the top of the hill, clearly not even trying to hide. Training exercises are supposed to be hard, aren?t they, or what?s the point? It?s all so dreadfully boring, you rise up on your back hooves to reach a long-hanging branch and nibble at the twigs there. It?s against the Code, but who?s donna tell on you? Cow? It?s not like Cow?s every here. They?d be in the building that?s clearly where you?re meant to go, waiting for you to show up for your briefing.
 
But you?re on an alien planet! It should be even more exciting, but still thrums of energy race through your bones, simmering beneath the vague disappointment. The grass isn?t made of crystal and the sky?s not green, but it?s still a completely new ball of rock hurtling through space and you?ve actually done it. You?re a Space Goat and nothing can take that away form you.

All you need to complete the day is a nice glass of wine, the fruitier the better.

Oh, also and to complete your mission, you suppose.

You can hear the Whale as clearly as you did when he was standing in front of you, his long face scowling in your memory. ?This mission is simple. You?ll be Dropped on an alien planet and will have to find your assigned rendezvous partner, who will have the Matt. Once you find your partner, you?ll be briefed on a short mission, and upon your return, Matt back up to the ship.?

Look for clues, for anything out of place, obviously. Like the glaringly obvious building.

You sproing along, your hooves squishing in springy turf. The mountains rise and fall behind the hill with each bouncing leap. Going directly toward the building would be boring. You?ll go around it first?scouting. That?s right. Totally being responsible.

The wind brings you further brand new scents, and you pause, your eyes half closing as you filter the new smells out and try to guess what they are. Plants. Air. Smoke. Smoke?s a little concerning, but it?s only a little bit, so it?s probably pretty far aw?

Something slams into you, lifting you off your hooves. You skid across the rocky ground on your side, dust making your eyes tear up. Your heart beats faster than it did during your first space walk, and you scramble to your hooves. Before you stands a Cougar, fangs a flash of white as he smiles at you.

?Not following orders, again, Goat?? he asks.

What was a Cougar doing out here? You glance at the building, so obviously where Cow would be waiting. It was too far. The Cougar would outrun you.

Another flash of white as the Cougar smiles again. ?It?s supposed to be a training exercise. You and I weren?t supposed to meet like this. If you?d followed orders, we wouldn?t have.?

?You wouldn?t hurt me. Not really.? Too bad fear makes your voice high-pitched and bleaty.

?Accidents sometimes happen in training exercises,? he responds, inspecting his claws.

You?re not about to cave to the threats he?s tossing about like the trees shedding pollen in the air. You?re the first Goat to make it on the Whale?s Space Teams. And even if this planet seemed boring at first, it was the very first alien planet you?ve been on and you?re not about to lt the chance to explore more end here in the cruel claws of a Cougar bully.

You dig your small hooves into the arid ground and lower your head. A flicker of surprise lights the Cougar?s eyes, but then you spring forward. Your horns crash into his side just as he?d knocked you over just a few moments ago. And then, you spin and charge for the building, for safety. The Cougar won?t be happy you hit him, but all you have to do is make it to the tiny, square-sided building before he does.

The soft dirt slows you, giving no easy platform as you scramble up the hillside. Hot breath on your flanks motivates you to move faster, so you abandon decorum and go to all fours. Twice as many hooves to propel you to the top of the hill does wonders, and you skid around the side of the building, panting for breath. Where?s the door? Where?s the door? The Cougar?s gonna get you before you can find the door to this dirty, unassuming, tiny building, and on your very first mission. That?d be embarrassing.

The door gleams, white metal in the sunlight, and you lunge for it, scrabbling with the knob. It was clearly not made for hooved-species. Ironically, Cougar would likely have an easier time with it, but you don?t have time to wrestle with a space junked door! You kick it, and then lower your head and head-butt it.

It springs open, and you stumble inside. Your hooves slow of their own accord, leaving you gaping. A cool grey banister stands one meter in front of you, separating you from the rest of the colossal space. An enormous cavern of bustling workers spirals below you, along with Cow, waiting just one floor down. Everything is lit with warm yellow bulbs, and flashes of colorful doors accent the space.

?How?d the Goat do?? the Cow asks.

Your mouth works, but nothing comes out.

Behind you, someone else has no trouble finding words. ?Off-script, and with a literal meaning for ?using your head?.?

He grins at you. ?What, cat got your tongue??

?What?? you squeak.

Cow smiles. ?I needed to teach you an important lesson before we get to our primary objective.? The bovine face turns serious, brown eyes boring into you. ?Never judge a planet by its drop site.?

So the prompt has dropped, and you're stuck. Nothing comes to mind at all when you look at the image, except for panic. You signed up for this wacky new thing and you're going to be posting your first draft but all your words have fled for the hills. What to do now?

Don't worry, we're here for you! Writer In Motion isn't just writing; it's also a community, and you are not alone. This forum is for you.

Remember the advice of the editors on what to do if you get stuck:
Tyler: "Ooooooo hmmm, honestly I'd say look at the prompt for a bit and if nothing comes up then step away for a little bit. Do something else. Your subconscious will keep thinking about it as you meditate, take a walk, wash dishes, etc, and eventually, something will pop up."
Carly: "It varies from author to author. Some do well with researching the photo. Others, maybe pick a specific item from the prompt, not the thing as a whole. Still write what you love, just let it inform on the shape of the story."
Justine: "I am a big proponent of the free write. I would start by sitting down and describing what you see. You don't need a plan. You don't need a story. Write for twenty minutes just following your senses and see what comes out."
Jeni: "We will have a place in the #WriterInMotion forums to brainstorm with other writers. Sometimes talking things out is the only way to really get the creativity flowing."

How to use this area:

Go ahead and start a new thread. Post how you?re feeling about the prompt and your initial thoughts. You can use it as a brain dump, and if you still aren?t coming up with anything, reach out for help from other writers!

Here's a sample to get you started:

Name: Burritos R Better'nTacos
Thread: I look at this lighthouse picture, and yeah, it's cool, but what am I going to do? I write strictly sci-fi and this is not that at all. I'm stressed. I don't like oceans in general--I get terribly seasick and have you seen what salt spray does to tortillas? I took a walk and came back, and I'm thinking about that big scary ocean. Maybe I'll focus on that. I can mash that feel up with a sci-fi setting, but I still don't have a clear idea.
Can anyone help by tossing out more suggestions? Fifi McTaco, do you have any ideas too? Thanks so much!

Here it is: https://skaeth.com/2019/11/22/writer-in-motion-space-cows-2-cp-feedback/

Splash!

You drop into a marsh. A bellow escapes your throat as you flounder to find footing. Green plants, blue sky?except where thunderclouds are rolling in?and brown dirt surround you. A hill rises from the edge of the marsh, and the clouds above are lit in flashes. The Beacon with which the settlers had signaled for help.

Beside you, your Wolf ?partner? struggles, the Matter Transportation Device clamped in his jaws. He goes under, then fights to the surface, ears laid back. Your stomach twists. The Wolves nearly stranded you to be torn apart by monsters, but if he drowns with the Matt, you?ll be stuck here forever. If you lose the Matt, you?ll never get home.

?Climb on my back,? you grumble. 

The Wolf pants. His claws dig into your hide. You try not to flinch. Acting like prey only encourages the Wolf?s cruelty.

The marsh mud sucks at all four hooves as you slog toward the hill and the flashing Beacon. When you finally meet dry land, the Wolf drops to his own paws and shakes himself, and you do likewise. He clutches the Matt, his eyes ringed with white. Is he? frightened?

?Come on, we need to find the Beacon.? You move to pass him.

?We?re stuck here, you stupid Cow.?

You freeze, waiting for the next words to fall from his muzzle, dreading and hating them before they?re even born.

?I hung on to it. But the water? Just look!? He thrusts the Matt in your face. ?Do you see any lights??

No cheerful glow?just a dead metallic box. The Matt is broken. You stamp the dirt beneath your hooves, reassuring yourself that there is something solid in the universe.

?We can?t get back.? The Wolf?s bitter tones slice at you.

You breathe through your panic. The settlement surely has supplies. Maybe you  two   can fix the Matt. ?We?ll figure it out. The Beacon is still out there.?

?They?re not going to send anyone after us. We had the only working Matt.? He lobs it at you, and you flinch when it hits your sensitive muzzle.

The words dry in your throat. Every Cow knows to stay calm around a Wolf, no matter how much they want to run. Once your racing heart and trembling limbs are under control, you pick up the Matt and head toward the settlement.

?We?re stuck here!? he shouts, as if you haven?t understood.

You keep a tight lid on the panic. The only chance of getting home is checking the settlement for supplies. ?I?m still going to do my duty. I may be just a stupid Cow, but I?m not afraid of hard work. I?ll figure out a way home on my own if I have to.?

You were given a mission: investigate the Beacon and come home. And that?s exactly what you intend to do.

The Beacon lights the storm clouds above a settlement on a cliffside, crisp against the tossing ocean. The tall metal fence surrounding it glows in the afternoon sun, rusted though it is by the salt air. The gate creaks as a settler pushes it open. More fill the space behind him, so similar in form to the monsters from the previous planet. Humanoid. You shiver.

?The Wolves are here!? The gatekeeper flaps hairless arms. ?And they brought?? He furrows his brow. ??food??

?Might as well,? the Wolf says with a lolling tongue. ?Since I can?t return to my ship.?

The gate clangs shut, displaying a snarling wolf carved on the inside. Terror slams through you. You are not prey! The Wolf will not show mercy. Do the settlers worship Wolves? Will they follow his lead, or can they be reasoned with?

?But the Beacon!? you shout to the settlers, desperate to stall.

?Yes, we lit it as instructed when the water purifier broke. See?? The person leads you to a large machine?a water desalinator.

The Wolf crowds behind you, flashing teeth. ?No need to worry about that now.?

?We?re supposed to help you.? You stamp, whirling to face the Wolf. ?At least let me try to fix it.?

?You can fix it? The Wolves always fix things.? Surprise fills the settlers? faces.

?I can.? You glare at the Wolf as he slinks away toward the larger group.

?We?ll give you until evening,? the settlers agree.

Your blood rushes in your ears. At least it?s still inside. You crouch by the machine, pulling off the side panel. The nearby marsh must be fed by a freshwater source, given its smell. Even if not, there are other ways of getting salt out of water for the people. You don?t care, not really. Not while trapped inside a fence with creatures looking at you like dinner.

The collection basin of the desalinator is rusted, with a gaping hole. You have no metal to replace it. Tears well up. You?ll be slaughtered and eaten.

A wire catches your eye. You grab the Matt and peer inside the case. Dusk is settling, but the sun has dried it. If you can splice a new wire, the desalinator could power the Matt. You don?t have to be dinner. A rock enables you to pluck the power cable out from the Matt and peel back the casing.

?Time?s up: the people are hungry,? the Wolf says.

You hunch over, pulling back the coating of the desalinator?s power cable. With the rock, you mash the new wire with the old to splice it.

The Wolf?s paw lands on your shoulder. ?What are you??

?Not such a stupid Cow.? You keep the Matt away from him. ?I?m going home.?

?Let?s go then!? The Wolf?s eyes gleam.

?You were going to let them eat me!?

?Come on, Cow, it was just a joke.? He shrugs with a friendly smile and wagging tail.

You narrow your eyes. ?Fine. I have a joke of my own.?

As he opens his mouth, you press the button, Matt?ing safely back up to the ship.

Want to read it on my site instead?
https://skaeth.com/2019/11/05/writer-in-motion-space-cows-2-the-first-draft/

WC 1033

"This is where you'll be going," the Whale says, pointing with his flipper to the screen.
You stare at the screen obediently--AA attentively. It's not you who's going, after all. You just got back from a mission.
"We'll need you, Cow."
Of course. Good thing Cow faces are naturally docile. You flick your ears instead of giving voice to your frustration or objections, especially when the Whale continues.
"And a Wolf."
The Wolves had played that awful trick on you, the one that nearly got you eaten--AAtorn apart-- by monsters. You?re not looking forward to working with them again, so soon after just getting back to the ship.
?Don?t give me that look,? the Whale says, eyeing you.
With a flick of your ears, you lower your head, glancing out of the corner of your eye to the nearest Wolf. They?d shouted and howled when the Whales had decreed they allow other species on their starships, so much so that the Whales had assigned one of themselves to each ship. You were lucky?and hard-working?to get this position, and you weren?t going to let it go without a fight. Even to a Wolf. Especially to a Wolf.
You turn and get ready to Matt down to the planet.
?Investigate the Beacon, and come back,? the Whale says, his voice following you out of Command.
As you hurry, your mind races. The Beacon was likely some kind of call of help, but from who, and why? And why did the Wahle send you, instead of a team of Wolves? Wolves were fast and they were cunning, and they worked incredibly well together. Just not so well with the other species, sometimes.
You shove the Wolves out of your mind, focusing on your task. Ignoring the Wolf who joins you in the Drop Room you steady yourself, ready for anything that?s to come.
Or so you thought.
You gasp, a bellow escaping your throat even as you flounder in the marsh. The Wolf isn?t doing much better, struggling with the Matt in his jaws. Your stomach twists as you know the solution, but you don?t like it. Still, it?s better than losing the Matt, and being stuck here forever.
?Climb on my back,? you grumble.
There?s no sassy?AA sly? response from the Wolf. Instead, he just splashes over to you and climbs up, his claws digging into your hide. Your skin twitches but you try not to respond, a fear coiling in your gut at what other trick the Wolves might play on you if you act like prey. You think they?ve gotten past that, but how do you know for sure? You don?t want to risk testing it.
Your hooves are sucked deep in the squishy mud of the marsh, but worry fills you for more than just the ground that doesn?t want to let you escape. The Wolf lays on your back, panting heavily as you slog on, on all fours. Twisting, you catch a glimpse of the Matt, relief uncoiling some of the streets wound in your belly.
?Stop it,? the Wolf growls breathlessly. ?The Matt will drop.?
Muttering to yourself you slog on, until finally you meet dry land and can get back up on two legs, as the wolf drops to his own feet, holding on to the Matt. He shakes himself, and you do likewise, watching him with something akin to interest. The Wolf?s eyes are wide and rings with white. If you weren?t sure you were wrong, you might say he was..frightened.
?Come on, we need to find the Beacon,? you remind him gently.
He nods, eyes never leaving the marsh, and his shivers before turning to follow you. You lead the uncharacteristically quiet Wolf uphill, nostrils flared of the scents that will tell you where to go. As you walk, you wait for the Wolf to help out, to give some direction, but he says nothing.
You prod him. ?This is the way to the Beacon, right??
Shaking himself again, he looks down at the Matt. Then he looks back at you. Your blood chills.
?We?re stuck here, you stupid Cow.?
You wait for the next words to fall from his muzzle, dreading them and hating them before they were even born. He looks back at the marsh, his ears flattening. ?IF I had let go, the submersion would have destroyed the Matt, or we never would have found it in the murk. So I hung on to it. And look. Do you see any lights?? He thrust the box in your face, and you recoil naturally.
Shifting your weight, your hooves stamp on the solid ground, as if reassuring yourself that there was something solid in the universe. Reassuring yourself that there were safe places in this nightmare.
The Wolf continues, his voice filled with bitterness. The Matt?s lights have all gone out, and you know that?s bad, know what he?d going to say, but you wait for him to say it anyway, some part of you denying it, wishing that if he just didn?t say anything, it wouldn?t betrue.
?The Matt?s lost it?s lock. We took it too far out of range. We can?t get back.?
?We?ll figure it out. The Beacon is still out there.?
?They?re not going to send anyone after us. We have the only working Matt. You want to stay here while they repair the one hat ware broken??
?Well, maybe. How long will that take??
?With the materials on board? Years.?
You shake your head and continue one. The Wolf hesitates, clear by the lack of sound following you, and then he runs to catch up, his paws crunching the leaves underfoot. ?We?re stuck here!? he shows, as if you hadn?t understood.
?I know. There?s still the Beacon.?
?Don?t you understand??
?I?m still going to do my duty. I may be just a stupid cow, but I?m not afraid of some hard work. I?m not afraid to finish the task. And I?ll figure out a way home on my own if I have to.?
After all you were given a mission. Investigate the Beacon, and come back.
And that's exactly what you intend to do.