Red-Eye Flight

Overview
The Solar Republic and the Parallax find themselves on the brink of war after an explosion on a trade outpost. Private investigator Vechkov Prague is hired to probe the crime and becomes embroiled in a web of intrigue that spans time, space and memory itself. PLEASE NOTE ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS

Canon?
Although it was originally intended that Red-Eye Flight would be 'canon' as in the events in the book would happen in-game, this is no longer the case. Although the books will almost certainly continue to be influenced by in-game development, the books will exist within their own self-contained universe.

Red-Eye Flight Q&A
'''QUESTION: It might be said that the style in which "Red-Eye Flight" is written, in regards to the chronological flow of how the story is laid out, is a little unconventional. What challenges did this layout present over a more conventional linear way of writing?''' WES PLATT: Continuity, mostly. Making sure I didn’t double-back on myself with something written later. But, overall, I actually found this storytelling format to be rather liberating and interesting. In the first half of the book, it’s all a stream of memories from individuals on Prosperity Point at the time of the explosion, and each character’s thread ends with what happens to them in relation to the blast. In some cases, they cross paths in each other’s memories, so I got to explore the same scenes from different perspectives. The second half of the book switches to a more conventional chronological style, and the challenge there simply was to keep the story moving along. Luckily, enough character development and plot had evolved in the first half to provide plenty of locomotion!

'''QUESTION: "Red-Eye Flight" is filled with, as you describe them yourself, rich characters. Which one is your favourite, which do you most relate to, and why?''' WES PLATT: Burden Galloway turned out to be my favorite, but the one I’d likely relate to most would be Vechkov Prague – although there are certain elements of Burden that I almost certainly possess. Burden proved to be the richest character for me simply because of all the crap that happens to her during her lifetime – and she’s the one character in the memories that we view from childhood to adulthood. Life dealt her all kinds of rotten blows, yet she always managed to deal with it with such acerbic aplomb and vicious tenacity. She didn’t care too much what other people thought of her – or, at least, that’s the front she put forth. Seeing her grow from an abandoned kid to a soldier to a Nall captive to a hero, watching her confront Colin Neidermeyer, her father and Volari – all of these things made her the most fascinating person in the novel. I related to Vechkov mostly because I feel sometimes that I’ve sort of stumbled through life, going where it takes me, acting rather passively. As this book starts, Vechkov is definitely more of an observer of life, but he becomes more actively involved after he comes in contact with Burden. Her influence fundamentally changes him over time.

'''QUESTION: If one were to go hunting for any allegorical references within the content of "Red-Eye Flight", do you think they'd fine any? Indeed, are there any to find?''' WES PLATT: I’m sure anyone looking hard enough could find allegorical references in just about any work of literature – “Red-Eye Flight” is no exception. Some are absolutely intentional. For example, one crucial plot point in the book is the Solar Republic’s dwindling reserves of polydenum, an energy source that powers cities and starships. That’s an unabashed parallel to our modern-day petroleum reliance situation in the United States. The struggle between the Zangali martyr groups and the Nall – and the Grimlahdi collaborators – certainly could be compared to the ongoing problems in Iraq.

'''QUESTION: You consider "Red-Eye Flight" to be Space Opera more than Science Fiction. What differences within the context of the story do you feel this provides, and why do you believe it makes it more interesting?''' WES PLATT: I’m not sure it does make it more interesting than the purer science fiction faith. I think it’s just a more honest characterization. Serious science fiction wouldn’t let me get away with a lot of what I do in this book: Faster-than-light travel with origins involving a manipulative Hive Mind, instantaneous interstellar communications, a domed city on a lifeless world inside a nebula, and a broad palette of aliens interacting with humans. The fact is, the book is drawn on mythos from the OtherSpace: New Journeys online roleplaying game, which is definitely space opera. I enjoy the flexibility of the fantasy elements within space opera to be more amenable to me simply because with true SF, I’d spend much more time trying to scientifically justify a lot of how things work and why. With space opera, the focus is more on the characters and the challenges they face. That’s not to say true SF lacks good characters or challenges for them. I’m just saying that for me, as a writer, I find it more enjoyable to build a playground that may stretch credulity but allows for the qualities of strong characters to emerge.

QUESTION: Do you think that "Red-Eye Flight" has the potential to eventually become the first book in a saga that continues the story onwards, and what developments of plot might we see in such sequels? WES PLATT: It’s definitely the first in a series. Even as I wrote it, particularly the first half, I recognized that I was establishing some plot threads that wouldn’t be resolved in “Red-Eye Flight.” Future stories will explore what becomes of Nalia, ongoing troubles on Grimlahd, the Republic’s pursuit of alternate energy sources, the fates of Colin Neidermeyer and Denton Free, the turf wars on Tomin Kora and, of course, the whereabouts of sly Volari. My next project, in December, will be a novel based on the Chiaroscuro roleplaying game. But I’m liable to start work on a new OtherSpace novel in January. It should pick up not long after “Red-Eye Flight” left off. We’ll see the return of Burden Galloway and Vechkov Prague, and probably a few others from the first novel, but I’ll be introducing a bunch of new faces to the mix. And while “Red-Eye Flight” spent a lot of time on Mars, Nalhom, Sivad, Odari, Grimlahd, Tomin Kora and Luna, you can expect the sequel to expand and explore more of the known worlds.

QUESTION: What was the inspiration for the storytelling approach in Red-Eye Flight? WES PLATT: Chaucer's unfinished The Canterbury Tales was actually what inspired me to tell the first half of Red-Eye Flight as a sequence of stories about the major characters. But I also drew some energy from Tarantino's non-linear storytelling in Pulp Fiction and the back-story development of characters in ABC's hit series, LOST.

'''QUESTION: You've left some major questions hanging at the end of the book. Was this intentional?''' WES PLATT: Certainly. The questions directly pertaining to the unfolding of events in Red-Eye Flight itself are concluded within the book. But, yes, there are definitely matters still up in the air to provide fodder for future stories. This is key to my age-old habit of wanting readers to wonder "What's next?" when they finish one of my stories.

'''QUESTION: You wrote this book in thirty days. How did you manage it?''' WES PLATT: Limited sleep and abundant caffeine. Primarily, I drank Dr Pepper, although sometimes I switched with Mountain Dew to shake things up. I kept my Windows media player running MP3s on a random playlist around the clock. I paid little attention to the time of day and grabbed naps when I could. I told family and friends I'd be back in touch when I finished the novel. And then I tried to write at least 1,500-2,000 words a day. To keep myself driven and focused, as well as to get the immediate feedback I prefer, I posted segments of the novel as I went along. I really didn't look up until I broke the 50,000-word barrier for National Novel Writing Month.

QUESTION: Will you play Burden on the game? WES PLATT: I've considered it. I'm still undecided, however. She'd be a fun character to have around, but I sort of like the freedom she enjoys in the books. When I play characters in the game, I tend to kill them off somehow down the road. I think her lifespan might be extended if she remains a fixture of the novels, but I'll never say never - perhaps a special guest role sometime.

QUESTION: Is Prosperity Point coming back on the game? WES PLATT: Yes. Early in 2005, most likely. I liked having Sanctuary around and it'll be good to have another neutral spot where characters from around the galaxy can intermingle.

'''QUESTION: Mention is made of the Kretonian invasion of 2651 and Sanctuary's bizarre journey in Red-Eye Flight. Will future books go into more detail about Sanctuary's adventures?''' WES PLATT: I'm planning one book about Sanctuary, called Uncertain Voyage, and it'll be written in autobiography style by Jacob Gettleman, the lawyer character who became rather famous during the earlier arcs of OtherSpace. Beyond the Gettleman book, I don't have anything specific planned, but it's quite possible I'd return to Sanctuary for other stories.

QUESTION: Will Red-Eye Flight be released in other forms? WES PLATT: I'm not planning the book on tape or compact disc at this time, no. But my brother Don - the artist - has started work on a graphic novel version of Red-Eye Flight. When it's finished, we'll offer it through Cafepress.com. No time frame for that, though. He's just finished the character sketches and started on the storyboards. I wouldn't expect it any sooner than late 2005.

'''QUESTION: I can understand why Prague was called in to do the investigation, but why was Yrtax called in to aid in the negotiations? The Solar Republic is VERY xenophobic and just recently were saying that the centauri were trying to undermine the government. So why call in one to help in such sensitive negotiations? Wouldn't a female martian diplomat serve the republic's interests better?''' WES PLATT: A female of any race would have been a problematic issue because the Nall trade minister was female. It'd be like two alpha males trying to run a wolf pack. A male simply wouldn't be taken seriously. A Centauran, on the other hand, lacks a specific gender *and* is psionic, so can ensure fair dealing. It's worth noting that the book does discuss the paradox re: xenophobia and reliance on aliens. The Solar Republic may be xenophobic, but it's also trying to survive - and the very existence of Prosperity Point in the novel is a step toward being more open with the aliens. Remember, the negotiations are with the Nall (aliens) for energy, rather than the more humanoid Sivadians. National pride trumps xenophobia sometimes.

'''QUESTION: And the stuff Neidermeyer got away with as a Corporal and later Second Consul... would he really have gotten away with all that? Aren't/weren't there procedures in place to prevent that kinda brutality? Or were the Guardian Fleet just a bunch of bloodthirsty murderers?''' WES PLATT: He really did get away with it. The Guardian Fleet, circa 3000, was a very brutal organization - on par with the Republican Guard of Iraq in its ruthlessness, especially in dealing with turncoats, spies and revolutionaries. Neidermeyer's abuse of journalists, however, probably wouldn't have been tolerated in a truly organized government, but Mars was the equivalent of Dodge City when he became Second Consul ... not a lot of law and order except for him, and Christoph Vandervere didn't do anything to stop him when the occasional reporter suffered for an indiscretion. Naturally, when Mars wanted to change its public image, Neidermeyer found employment somewhere more in keeping with his tastes.