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Wendy E Gamble
a rough-cut book bubble about
Shoot for Earth: MedSci Missions 3
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Author Insight
What Makes a Woman Strong?
If the average woman competes in tests of physical strength or hand to hand combat with a man, most lose. It’s basic biology. Men are built with more muscle mass. There are exceptions, including women trained for combat. With a few levels of black in my belt, I would have a fair chance in a fight, especially if the man was untrained (weapons such as guns change the picture, but males and females can both pull a trigger, so we’ll leave those out of the current discussion.) The trick of training is knowing your own strengths and weaknesses and using your strengths well . I’m often quicker than a large, bulky male, and can get out of the way, bide my time, and look for an opening. A single good blow can be crippling. Technique matters more than bulk strength. Physical strength is only one aspect of over-all strength. We must include strength of character! The ability to persevere in hardship, use wit to problem solve, charm to form alliances…the list goes on. Many women, including the big boss Ambassador in Chiron’s adventures in space, draw most of their strength from their character. Gender realism is not the same as sexism! Certainly not misogyny. I’ve seen some odd usages of those words. A realistic woman can be very strong and loved!
Book Excerpt
Shoot for Earth: MedSci Missions 3
A text message from the ship told Karen no one on the planet had answered their query about having a meeting. There was only the steady hum of the generic stay-away message. Were these beings afraid of everyone? Karen hoped they’d decide they didn’t have to be afraid of a few humans. It was understandable the min wanted to keep the aggressive Tasla away, and the Octopoids. The Poids who travelled were the marauders. The cool scientists stayed at home learning and imagining from there.
“Ambassador,” Woon said, breaking into her thoughts. “We can’t wait forever just watching. I think we’ve learned all we can from our current position. I suggest we take you back to Chiron and return with a first contact party. When we know it’s safe, you can come down.”
Karen shook her head. “I’m the best person to convince them to talk to us instead of thinking they have to defend themselves.”
“I don’t dispute that,” Woon said sternly, “but you can talk via ship com once we’ve found someone who will listen.”
“Can I? Have you seen anything like phones even being used? Where are the satellite dishes, the cell towers?
Woon was silent for a moment, and the Ambassador asserted, “I’m staying, Woon.”
Woon nodded grimly. “Understood, ma’am.”
“Ah,” EMT Jasper Grass said, looking up from his scanning equipment. “I know why the Taslamin never leave their robot shells. Besides being vulnerable by being only two or so feet tall, these beings need continual respiration assist in this atmosphere.”
“I see,” Karen said. “From what I’ve seen of this thorny, scrubby foliage all over the place, this planet wasn’t very livable for them to start with. Those crops were probably from seeds they brought.”
Woon nodded. “Otherwise, they’d be competing with natives. They’ve scratched out a living in an otherwise pretty baren land.”
“We need a reveal plan,” Karen told Woon. “Who around here should we introduce ourselves to, and how?”
Jasper looked up again. “Well, we could go over to one of those Taslamin and say, “Take me to your leader.”
“Very funny,” Karen said.
“Actually, I don’t see why not,” Woon said. “A few people on foot are less threatening than flying a cruiser all over without warning, looking for a central hub.
Lines formed on Karen’s face beyond her years. “All right, let’s do it. You’re right we can’t sit here forever while Earth waits for a cure.”
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