Diary of an Apprentice Scent Hunter, Day 2

I’m back with more updates on my progress through the ranks of Throrian Scent Hunters. I’m still a humble Apprentice but I’ve finally progressed past the first chamber. The Scientists’ council has decided I’ve polished enough empty vials to get my hands on some fragrance-making tools!
Nothing too complicated (or delicate) yet, but I’m thrilled to be moving forward. Maybe in another hundred years or so I’ll even get to mix a couple of ingredients together.

My current task is distilling essential oils from the eggs of winged lizards.

This seemingly humble ingredient had profound symbolic value to the ancient Stratinites of planet Thror. The pure essence of the winged lizard egg was seen as a symbol of fertility and procreation and is still very popular for wedding perfumes and as a birthday gift for young Throrian ladies entering marriageable age. Understandably, there is a very high demand for this component and Throrian Scientists produce gallons of it every day.

The preferred method for obtaining essence of winged lizard egg is distillation - a process commonly used on Earth for plant-based material. The material to be distilled is placed in a massive water-filled cauldron-like contraption called a still and heated at a temperature just below boiling point. The vapors created by this process rise through cooled pipes where they condense back into liquid form. The resulting fragrant oil is collected in a flask.

The whole thing is enormously exciting in theory of course, but the process can take up to twenty-four hours depending on the substance being distilled. Hence, the unfortunate Apprentice is left alone in the dark with no companion but a steaming metal barrel while true Scientists go off to hone their exquisite senses over a nice lunch. And this goes on for days. Behold the grisly images that now haunt my nightmares:

The instant I close my eyes, I am violently jolted awake by the blood-curdling thought that my burbling still has overheated by fraction of a degree or that an errant tongue of flame has licked the bottom of the tank tainting the entire batch with with a burnt odor.

Turns out scent making is about more than delicate rose petals and provocatively-shaped bottles. It’s about blood, sweat and tears (just don’t get any of that into your freshly-distilled essential oils!)

Diary of an Apprentice Scent Hunter, Day 1

As a writer I have always had my own take on the infamous piece advice given to many aspiring writers - “write what you know.” Personally, I believe in knowing what I write instead. I may not know what it’s like to be an ancient Throrian Scientist, but I can sure find out.

This is why, as part of my work on the sequel to Digging in the Stars, I have decided to come back to Thror and become an Apprentice Scent-Maker in one of the most legendary scent laboratories in the Known Galaxies. I’m studying hard, hoping to make it all the way to Journeyman level. Unfortunately, I have yet to make it past the first chamber, where I am kept busy washing and polishing scent vials. I haven’t seen so much as a sliver of tree bark. Not worthy yet. This may not sound like the most exciting job in the universe, but it has its benefits.

The vials are magnificent, each more precious and elegant than the one before. Like Throrian scents, vials have their own meanings and symbolism and pairing a newly brewed scent with the right vial is a large part of the Scientist’s skill. Each vial is unique. The key moment  of the ceremony of ushering a young Throrian into adulthood (at the tender age of seventy-five) is the unveiling of his or her own signature essence, as unique as a fingerprint. The scent is presented in a custom-designed vial carved of rock crystal or semi-precious stone, cast in shimmering metal, or whittled out of polished sea-wood taken deep from the watery mantle of Thror’s frozen core. This scent will define the young Throrian for the rest of his or her life, announcing their presence, serving as an introduction and mixing with scents of conversation, command, entreaty, celebration or love.

These are some of the vials whose company I have been enjoying, all glowing from inside and shimmering with brilliant colors. I can’t wait until the day I’m deemed ready to know their meanings and feel the fragrances locked in their hearts. I hope my mentor will be that charming young scientist with the fuzzy rose-colored head tentacles and the timid smile. Everyone calls him Rosebud.

How to Be a Stardigger Part 2

I am very pleased to announce that  the flying lizard colony clogging up my satellite dish has been safely and successfully relocated. The eggs are just beginning to hatch and watching newborn Throrian lizards learning to fly is a nerve-wracking and heart-warming experience at the same time. We are all confident they will acquire the necessary skills in the end and will shorty be attacking our field lunches with great acrobatic vigor.

This development also means that I can now bring you Part 2 of my transmission on stardigging tools! If you missed Part 1, you can catch up right here: PART 1

I hope you have enjoyed this two-part presentation on my essential stardigging tools. What tools, equipment, or important personal possessions would you bring with you if you were preparing for a dig in outer space? Let me know in the comments below! 

How to Be a Stardigger, Part 1

Firstly, I must draw your attention to the successful creation of my “About Me” page. After a few hours milling about the spaceport and volumes of advice from the locals (Throrians have an unerring and unfortunately misguided belief in their brilliance with computers) have finally led me to victory. Now you can peruse my brief but thrilling biography at your leisure!

As you can see in this picture, I am toiling away in the corner of an ancient structure we have just uncovered, applying my prodigious archaeological skills to reconstructing a carved seated figure from many small fragments. My new Throrian friend Tumac, has observed that my artistic abilities would be more fruitfully employed in carving “saffonir stuff” (souvenirs) to sell to tourists. This proposal is most tempting, but I fear I must decline. My stardigging duties are far too demanding at present.

Are you curious about what it takes to be a Stardigger? You’re in luck. Today’s transmission is all about the tools you will need to follow me on one of my intergalactic archaeological expeditions.. With the help of some truly arcane cinematic equipment (Thror’s atmosphere is hostile to modern technology) and some steady-handed (and very friendly) Throrian tribesmen, I have even managed to bring you a video all the way from outer space. Please pardon the uneven sound quality, the sound waves may get garbled slightly as they pass Earth’s atmosphere. All I had to do in return for the favor was buy a few handmade mugs to give out to my “spicy friends” and “future Throrian husband.” I would post some pictures, but I’m afraid the mugs are a little too “spicy” for general consumption. I like to keep my blog PG13.

This is Part 1 (Part 2 will become available as soon as I manage to chase a colony of flying lizards out of my satellite dish and establish them in new nesting grounds). Watch and listen closely before eagerly sending in your application. Only the best and brightest will be selected to join our team at Planet Thror’s very first Intergalactic Archaeological Institute.

*Quick note: It is taking more time than I had anticipated to transmit this video and I really can't spend any more time at the spaceport. I must get back to the site, and if I have to watch one more tourist posing as a seductive ash mummy in the photo booth I will be sick. Keep watching this page. If the Essences of the Nine Strata will it, the video should eventually materialise beneath this message.

                        

Messages From Outer Space

Staring thoughtfully at the title of this blog, you may want to ask: “What on Earth is a Stardigger?” Good question. To begin with, I am not on Earth at all. I am currently on an expedition to the distant Planet Thror, countless light-years away from our small green planet, traversing the desert wastes on my trusty quadspacerover in search of lost ancient tombs. I am an Outer Space Archaeologist. Romantically put, that means I “dig in the stars”. You can read all about it in my Young Adult Science Fiction novel, Digging in the Stars, upcoming from Blaze Publishing in the Spring of 2017. (The cover has not been unveiled yet, but you can check out the Goodreads page here or the official Blaze page here for a full synopsis and other details.)

I have vainly attempted to add an “About Me” page, but have so far been unsuccessful. The internet here on Planet Thror is almost nonexistent. The strongest signal is available at the spaceport but I can’t hang around there all day. Too many unsavory types. In the meantime, I have added an outrageously clunky sidebar to the left so that you can get some idea of the person behind the protective space helmet. I promise to remedy this as soon as I return to my Earth-based office in the Archeology of Outer Space Department. It’s a pleasure to meet you.

I am making many exciting discoveries on this little-known volcanic planet, getting to know the locals, and learning a great deal about ancient Throrian art and history. I will be continuing my transmissions from Thror on a regular basis, sharing tales of my thrilling and perilous adventures and posting images of the inspiring, mysterious and sometimes downright terrifying things that I encounter. If I manage to return to Earth in one piece (which is not entirely guaranteed) I will also be posting information on online and in-person events as the book launch for Digging in the Stars approaches.

I hope you will join me on this journey!

Katherine Blakeney, Stardigger