Quotessence
Home / Authors / Christina Engela

Christina Engela Quotes

Author

Filter quotes by topic

AllTheToAndWasAOfItHeHimInThatHadHisForGayOnePeopleShipThisWere

Famous Christina Engela Quotes

“We got to see a Corsair ship up close – all matt black, no markings, no lights – and practically invisible out here in the dark! What a sight to behold! Most people don’t get to see those bastards up close. That is, for very long! Anyways, the ship was just floating there, no sign of life. Our hails weren’t being answered, and so we assumed the ship was dead in space. Captain Mulligan, gods-rest-his-soul, told me to form a boarding party of security and medics from the sickbay and that we were going over there. We weren’t a military ship, and we’re not Star Marines, so we were lightly armed and quite nervous. I mean, this wasn’t just some of my security section being called out to break up a fight at one of the bars on the promenade, this was serious life-and-death shit! So I said ‘okay’, and told my assistant supervisor, Lisa Garfner, to get them all together. Seven of us shifted over to the other ship with the transmatter (you still use those things, I take it?) not knowing what to expect. It could’ve been anything… and it was. It was crazy.”

LifeMeanLongSoulTogetherDeathDarkSpaceBreakKnowingCrazySecurityMilitaryOkayNervousYouThingsTheNotMeToItAWeAndIsWhatAllOfExpectJustShitShipForCloseThereGetOverLightsThemAnythingSoWasCaptainMyBeholdWereBeenMarinesToldDontSupervisorPromenadeQuiteAssistantMulliganAnsweredMarkingsAnywaysPracticallyAssumedFloating ThereGarfnerHailsMatt BlackTransmatterWerent
Book:Space Vacation
Create image

“Captain Harald Biscay rubbed his graying temples, staring deep in thought at the vast star field showing on the large navigation display on the bridge. It had been a pretty rough few days for him. Of all the things he’d seen in his travels through the universe, not many rated worthy of being remembered. Of the few examples of items Captain Biscay rated that highly, when he was a young man, his uncle would often play the bagpipes at strange hours of the night – shortly before being put in a ‘home’. That rated a mention.”

HomeNightUniverseStrangeWorthyManRememberedTemplesTheAAllOfThatNavigationBridgeHimFewHisBeforeThroughLargeCaptainAtBeenTravelsHadUncleVastExamplesMentionRatedShortlyGraying
Book:Dead Man's Hammer
Create image

“This was true, she knew. Being involved with him gave her the privileged position of knowing him intimately. There were nights when he would wake up sweating, the nightmares returning out of the blue after a peaceful period sometimes weeks long. Growing up in the middle of a fierce civil war could indelibly mark a child. To Mykl, birthdays were always just another year under the belt, where the only reason to celebrate was that you weren’t dead yet. She took his hand, squeezed it tight and led him inside.”

LongReasonPositionInvolvedBlueTrueChildFierceDeadTheToAndInsideOfHandSweatingYearWithNightsThisAfterKnewWereCivilAnotherTightYetWeeksBeltIntimatelyMykl
Book:Dead Beckoning
Create image

“The TSA liked having fresh agents on the job. Fresh agents with a clear mind and steady hand. Time travel wasn’t for the faint of heart. The pay was good though, but as Scrooby had decided long ago, that even if he didn’t get paid for it, the thrill alone was payment enough. Then again, the TSA realized they couldn’t afford to have disgruntled employees with too much time on their hands and the power of the gods at their fingertips, so the pay was very, very good. Debriefing was routine. And how he hated routine! His supervisor was a senior agent called Guy Krummeck, a rather drab character who liked his shiny silver suits almost as much as he liked to go over every little detail at least three times. Minimum. This time everything went right, so it went quick. Twenty minutes later, tired, he clocked out and went home to his small apartment. Tomorrow, after all, was another day again.”

HeartEnoughGuyTimePayPowerTomorrowTiredGoodAloneRoutineJobSteadyRightApartmentMinimumThrillEverythingTheToItFingertipsAndAllOfThatOutHaveButWhoTimesVeryMuchAgainHisWasAsLaterEvenAtTooQuickFaintLeastLikedSupervisorThoughAgoTwentyClockedKrummeck
Book:The Time Saving Agency
Create image

“RSL has more star-liners than any other company, and covers every commercial route in known space. Demeter is one of the biggest, carrying up to 4500 passengers and crew at any single point on its never-ending, circular cruise around the Terran Empire. And me? Where do I fit in? My name is Sean Lange, and you will probably have never heard of me. It’s sad somehow, I always wanted to leave some kind of a legacy in this life, and perhaps to be remembered. Instead, circumstances have arranged it so that this is probably the last time I will ever use that name.”

LifeKindSpaceCompanyCircumstancesSadWillPassengersNever EndingTheNameMeToOfInHaveOtherSomeOnMyProbablyCommercialInsteadRouteItsCarryingSomehowBe RememberedThe Last4500LangeRslTerran Empire
Book:Space Vacation
Create image

“It did occur to him that perhaps he’d gone to the wrong Academy – the guys in the Space Fleet always had more interesting stories to tell at the spaceport bars. You know, tales about the dude who got vaporized in a plasma accident in the engineering section, or the fella who got turned into a blob of weird space jelly by some alien virus – or the time someone flew a starship into an astor-field at warp four by mistake (they were still trying to find the black box on that one). The Imperial Space Fleet’s recruiting office sure didn’t go around advertising ‘Join up, see the universe, meet interesting aliens and die screaming’, but it was known there were risks involved. It was part of the job after all, and yet somehow, they still got recruits signing up in droves. Yes, indeedy – the stories were far more interesting than his – took a load of ore to Gorda, took a load of mining equipment back to Tordrazil. Took a load of Florpavian Flame-birds to a zoo on Deanna, took a load of machinery to Salus. Picked up and dropped off a few passengers on the way. Still, Florpavian Flame-birds were a risky cargo… and damned tricky to transport – which is probably the only reason he’d had any entertainment at all on the last trip.”

WayStoriesUniverseSpaceInterestingGoneFourInvolvedOfficeBarsAliensJobYouEngineeringMachineryKnowAcademyFlewBirdsTransportSeeTheOneFindToItFlameVirusAndOfUpSomeoneWarpThereYesCargoSomeAfterStillSureTripByScreamingWhichWereTurnedAnyGotRiskyHadOffThanTookDroppedSomehowImperialDeannaGordaSectionRecruitsDrovesFlorpavianIndeedySalusTordrazilVaporized
Book:Black Sunrise
Create image

“As a panting Tracy Ferris scrambled into the life-pod, this thought was precisely what was running through her already agitated mind. From the very beginning of their association, she’d had a bad feeling about Brandon Carver. Something about that guy just never seemed to fit. Sure, he was good looking – but so were many of the other out of work space bums hitch-hiking from place to place she’d also had the misfortune to meet.”

MindFitFeelingAssociationTheWhatOfThatAboutLookingHeMeetTheirSureWasAsCarverAlreadyHadIntoAgitatedPreciselyHitch HikingLife Pod
Book:Prodigal Sun
Create image

“Something clicked inside Ortez mind, like the bolt of a door latch being released. Man’s first encounter with sentient alien life was a disaster called the Gimp War in the history books. The aliens simply began an all out onslaught without any warning. Fortunately the Human race proved a little more difficult to dispose of than the aliens thought. The Gimp, or Ruminarii as they were called, were driven off and hadn’t been heard from since. Their origins were still a mystery. This was not a Ruminarii ship, but this encounter might have similar repercussions. And Commander Dayne Ortez aged 26, realized the meaning of this.”

LifeMindRaceMysteryBooksDrivenThoughtWarningLikeTheRepercussionsSomethingOfAlienInShipThisTheirEncounterCalledWasSimilarOrAnySimplyOffThanSinceBeganProvedReleasedOrtez26Man SDayneGimpRuminarii
Book:Space Sucks!
Create image

“The only problem that ever really seems to bother empire builders is bureaucracy. Before a new colony on the frontier could be founded, the Senate and Triumvirate would have to pass the plan. Factors influencing the High Lords decision would include, among others, the number of people needed to found the colony and whether this would result in any significant population shift. Another, more critical factor would be whether Tactical Defense could spare the ships or the manpower to patrol the area.”

PeopleSeemsCriticalDefenseSignificantFactorsBureaucracyPlanOthersTheMoreToAndOfTacticalShiftBeforeWouldAreaManpowerAnyCouldAnotherWhetherIncludeInfluencingBe FoundedTriumvirate
Book:Space Sucks!
Create image

“Anyways, that very same night there was a fight in the casino on B Deck. Some of the passengers got in a set-to that looked to be more about who was eyeballing whose boyfriend than who had the right to wear the same outfit that two of the ladies appeared to be wearing at the same time. Or possibly, what it was really about was who was wearing said outfit better.”

TimeBetterDeckTheToAOfWhoLadiesWasWearOrLookedAppearedAnywaysWhoseEyeballing
Book:Space Vacation
Create image

“Now I don’t know how many people like to drive a Beetle at that kind of speed (on purpose) but I know I’d rather go down Brickmaker’s Kloof on a bicycle with no brakes! Driving any car at that speed in anything other than an expensive German luxury car on a long, straight autobahn is enough of a risk (let alone the risk of hitting anything) – but if you try that with a Beetle and add a light crosswind, factor in some rubber peeling off your tire, and you’ll more than likely find yourself dancing alone in a dark corner without any music.”

EnoughPurposeMusicDancingLuxuryHittingTireYourselfNowDriveToANoAndIsGermanOfInDownWithAnythingOnAnyFactorBrakesYou LlBrickmaker SCrosswind
Book:Bugspray
Create image

“The Doktor was very vond, I mean fond of Vluffy, so he gave him a flame-proof doggie-jacket. It was dull grey, but it had a tartan pattern on it. Vluffy liked his doggie-jacket and wore it all the time. When things went ‘bang’ he could just roll over, dust himself off and quickly scamper off with the doggie jacket flapping on his back. So in short, Vluffy was a very happy little dog who spent a lot of his time hiding under furniture. But the point is that he’d had a lot of time. Much more than those who went (up in smoke) before him.”

TimeHappySmokeHidingGreyFurnitureTheItALittleAndOfShortWhenHimWhoBackOverHisThoseUnderHadOffRollTartanHe DDoggie JacketFlame ProofOf TimeScamperVluffyVond
Book:Innocent Minds
Create image

“Where would tourism be without a little luxury and a taste of night life? There were several cities on Deanna, all moderate in size, but the largest was the capital, Atro City. For the connoisseur of fast-foods, Albrechts’ famous hotdogs and coldcats were sold fresh from his stall (Albrecht’s Takeaways) on Lupini Square. For the sake of his own mental health he had temporarily removed Hot Stuff Blend from the menu. The city was home to Atro City University, which taught everything from algebra and make-up application to advanced stamp collecting; and it was also home to the planet-famous bounty hunter – Beck the Badfeller. Beck was a legend in his own lifetime. If Deanna had any folklore, then Beck the Badfeller was one of its main features. He was the local version of Robin Hood, the Davy Crockett of Deanna. The Local rumor mill had it he was so good he could find the missing day in a leap year. Once, so the story goes, he even found a missing sock.”

LifeMissingTaughtLifetimeUniversitySizeLuxuryFeaturesStoryApplicationCityCollectingSockEverythingHoodCapitalTheFolkloreToLittleBountyAndAllOfYearForHeThereFromMenuWasLocalWhereMake UpWereOnceHadSquareGoesModerateBlendDavyMillBeckDeannaStallBadfellerAlbrecht SAtroColdcatsCrockettFast FoodsPlanet Famous
Book:Loderunner
Create image

“The passenger liner Ossifar Distana was one of the most luxurious of its kind in space anywhere. It ferried the cream of society across the void in opulence and style. Only the wealthiest could afford an apartment on this ship for a trip of any duration, even a short one around the proverbial block. Even the crew was obliged to pay rent.”

SpaceSocietyStyleBlockApartmentObligedDurationTheOneAndOfInProverbialWasAnRentAnyAnywhere
Book:Dead Man's Hammer
Create image

“The Imperial Senate, ever conscious of the weight of public opinion resting on the tip of the pencil come voting day, wanted to be fair and just – or at least appear that way. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, there was little love lost between Imperial troops and the locals who viewed each other with little short of open hostility, and often through the sighting devices attached to weaponry of various diverse descriptions.”

WayWeightDevicesSenateDiverseTroopsDayHostilityTheToBeAndOfThatJustOtherThereWasEachAttachedRanchTipDescriptionsImperialMeanwhile
Book:Dead Beckoning
Create image

“It was a mild winter’s evening in ‘Japp’s Saloon and Speakeasy’, in the northwest corner of the only legal red-light area of the city. (The S.O.D.s believed in crime management.) Timaset Skooch leaned back in the aluminum framed chair, checking his cards carefully while wearing his best poker face. Across the table from him sat Jonn Deire, a large man who was trying very hard to out-poker face him and who didn’t enjoy jokes about his name much.”

TryingCrimeManagementFaceNameItAndOfHimWhoBackMuchFromHisWasCornerChairWearingSaloonThe CitySpeakeasyNorthwestCheckingDeireJapp SLeaned
Book:Loderunner
Create image

“At forty two years, Sona Kilroy stood tall and strapping, a powerful figure. Rising to the rank of Admiral in the Corsair fleet was no easy feat. It took intelligence, talent, determination, resilience, creative thinking, brute force, and sheer cunning to achieve – and perhaps also a large slice of luck.”

ThinkingYearsForceCreativeAchieveTalentDeterminationLuckIntelligenceResilienceTallTheToOfWasAtFigureFeatFleetAnd Strapping
Book:Dead Beckoning
Create image

“The Exo went pale when he realized what we were dealing with. Well, what he thought we were dealing with. I never really thought he was a paragon of courage, mister ‘I’ll-be-Captain-one-of-these-days’ Beckett. He wanted to turn a blind eye as it were, and keep going. Of course we didn’t want to break the law – or tempt karma… so the Captain over-ruled him and decided to stop. It was. A trap, I mean. But nothing like we thought – not something as mundane as Corsairs. Oh, no. And it didn’t spring on us till days later, when we were light-years away.”

MeanKarmaNeverOfWellHeBeckettButWithAwayGoingSoTrapWasDealingOhCorsairsExo
Book:Space Vacation
Create image

“For Commander Ripley Jones, it was becoming more and more troublesome. It had been said that nothing is infallible, Antares apparently being the proof. After hastily recalling all crew and leaving Spacedock 7 thirty hours ago, there had been nothing but problems. Breakdowns in the sensors and telemetry, system failures of a wide variety and finally – the Last Straw: a coupling seal in the stardrive engine failed. Fortunately the cut-out worked, or the whole of engineering would’ve disappeared in a flaming ball of anti-matter. Five crewmen were seriously injured as it was. Commander Smith, the Chief Entech, had the offending unit stripped down and under repair. They were currently on conversion drive - which could only propel them at sub-light speeds – and Ripley was currently in an elevator with a very pissed Captain Falconer.”

BecomingLeavingProofProblemsEngineeringInjuredSystemDriveInfallibleTheFailuresTroublesomeItOfInForLastTheyAfterRepairWasCaptainWorkedAnWhichWereBeenHadElevatorSeriouslyAgoStrippedFalconerFinallySmithJonesHastilyAntaresBreakdownsSpeedsStardriveWould VeAnti MatterChief EntechCut OutEngine FailedSpacedockSub LightTelemetryUnit
Book:Blachart
Create image

“Villainessa Tittel was a hired killer, an assassin by trade. She had enjoyed the best education and had been trained by assassins who had (until then at least) been considered the best in the business. She had turned to ‘cleaning’ as an occupation because she really enjoyed endings more than beginnings – and anyway, she didn’t need to know her mark’s entire pedigree or life’s story, or to have some kind of facetious moral justification just to collect her fee. Unsurprisingly, when she did read – on those rare occasions – her books were always dog-eared from the back.”

BusinessBooksTradeOccasionsStoryOccupationNeedBestReadTheAssassinsMoreHerSheOfKillerBackAssassinPedigreeOnBecauseAnByWereOrBeenHadThanFacetiousConsideredDidn TCollectAnywayFeeUnsurprisinglyVillainessa
Author:Christina Engela
Create image

“For the gaming fishermen there was the Whatoosie River and its native cocka-snoek, the main game fish of the resident Skegg’s Valley Dynamite Fishing Club. Cocka-snoek were wily and tough and rather too bright for mere fish. You wouldn’t catch much with a rod around here. Many inexperienced visitors would find the bait stolen from their hooks, which punctuated the discovery that their lines had somehow got snagged and tangled irretrievably around some underwater obstruction – sometimes tied together with neat little bows. Often, several direct hits with hand grenades were needed to stun the creatures long enough just to catch them, gut them and fry them, but these former military types had become experts at it. For a modest fee, tours could be arranged via the booking office, which included an overnight stay on the banks of the river where one could drop off to a great night’s sleep after a satisfying meal of cocka-snoek done on an open fire, and the sound the bits of shrapnel made rattling in your stomach.”

LongDoneEnoughTogetherSoundLinesSleepFireStomachYouBowsTiedModestRiverTheFishFindTangledItBaitAndOfUnderwaterObstructionYourAroundNightsSomeTheirOftenHereWouldWhereAnWhichWereClubRatherHadTypesSeveralFeeOvernightResidentFryGrenadesHooksWhatoosieBooking OfficeCocka SnoekSkegg SThem AndWouldnt
Book:Loderunner
Create image

“Imagine, if you will: A bright yellow star lit the darkness somewhere in deep space, accompanied by its rather dysfunctional family of nine deceptively ordinary-looking planets. During its enormously long lifetime many beings had named it from the far ends of distant telescopes, including it into numerous star clusters and constellations as they were perceived from their vantage points. Once, or maybe twice, creatures simply looked up into their own skies to name it from their own now long dead and deserted worlds. In more recent times, beings from a world that orbited a different sun far away gave it a name too – creatures that called themselves Human, who travelled here and settled on one of its inner planets. The planet they chose to make a new home on? They called that Deanna. They called the star Ramalama.”

DifferentSpaceDarknessImaginePlanetsCreaturesHumanNineWillStarConstellationsNameOneToAManyAndOfTimesDuringTheyOnCalledAsSomewhereByTooChoseSimplyIntoThemselvesNumerousBeingsTwicePointsRamalamaAccompaniedDeceptivelyDeserted WorldsDistant TelescopesVantage
Book:Dead Man's Hammer
Create image