May 30, 2017

The concept of “barnstorming” in the story has been getting a lot of feedback. So for this, and the next, update I’m going to give a little more background on this hobby/profession. 

The Sylph satellites destroy most things that take to the air. However, they don’t appear to have a problem with objects in purely projectile motion and (typically) do not shoot down birds. How they determine what to target is therefore a mystery but it appears to be based on a combination of size, speed, and altitude. 

Barnstormers pilot drone aircraft that seek to escape Sylph notice. The drones are relatively small, they go fast but not too fast, and they fly very very low. Some barnstormers fly for fun and others for profit. Companies and individuals pay good money to have small packages delivered quickly and often off the books. 

Barnstorming is highly illegal for three key reasons. 

1. Pilots who fly that fast and THAT low tend to be a menace to the public. 
2. When the drones get destroyed by a Sylph weapon (and they do) there is always a danger of collateral damage to the public.
3. And most importantly, the last time humans tried to push back against the Sylph the results were disastrous. Many worry that someday the barnstormers will push it too far and really tick off the Sylph. 

If you’ve enjoyed this update or the sample chapters online please let your friends know. Reviews and Recommendations are just as treasured as Pre-Orders. 

As always, more to come… 

PT