Posting an old abandoned due South WIP

[luzula]

I was inspired by china_shop's recent posting of an old abandoned WIP, so here goes:

This is an old WIP from my days in due South fandom. Be warned: the story is incomplete and I am extremely unlikely to finish it, but it is linearly written and I hope what there is of it can be enjoyed on its own terms. People who enjoy science fiction worldbuilding are likely to enjoy this, I think? It's not a space opera, but especially in the first half it is more of an exploration of the slow terraforming and the society on the planet that is Fraser's home--I think those bits, along with the sailing and the landscape description, are the strongest parts of the story. It could be read canon-blind, I think.

This is a science fiction AU of the due South pilot episode, and the canonical character death is Bob Fraser. seascribe and exeterlinden have beta read this at various points, and sineala recently offered some comments on the section on Pigivuq language. I am grateful to them, but obviously all errors and infelicities are mine! Also, I wrote this ten years ago and there are things I might have done differently had I written it today--I'm just not capable of rewriting it now.

The Xenobiology Service (11788 words) by Luzula
Fandom: due South
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Benton Fraser/Ray Kowalski
Characters: Benton Fraser, Martha Fraser, Ray Kowalski, Ray Vecchio, George Fraser, Robert "Bob" Fraser (due South), Buck Frobisher
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Episode: s01e01 Pilot, Worldbuilding, Terraforming, Nature, Sailing, Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued
Summary: Benton Fraser and his grandmother are working out in the field, doing their slow terraforming work on their home planet of Pigivuq, when a message arrives announcing the death of Fraser's father in the line of duty as an officer of the Xenobiology Service examining newly discovered planets.

Comments

[ysilme]

Go you for posting this! ♥ I think it's perfectly ok to have older and/or unfinished works out there, if just as acknowledgement and encouragement for fellow writers. I have no idea about the fandom, otherwise I'd loved to read it.

[ride_4ever]

*scampers off to leave comments on the AO3 fic-posting*

[regshoe]

Terraforming, nature and sailing sound like a fun combination—I will try out reading it canon-blind :D

[china_shop]

Yay, that sounds so cool! :D

[feroxargentea]

I can never quite face WIPs, even when they're actually in progress, but thank you for posting it for those who can!