David Selby was born and grew up in Berkeley, California. He taught elementary school in California, Mexico, and New Mexico for thirty-six years. He and his wife live in Northwest New Mexico.  He has written many short stories including the Joe the Man with Gills series. Mica is his first novel.

Mica, an expert navigator, uses the currents of the Darkstream to pilot his ship across the galaxy to join his love, Olivine. On the way, he befriends Ronnie, a stowaway who can look like a coat or a first aid kit, the mysterious Vuud, and the translucent “Slight People”. They experience the savage planet of Carnage and the whirling destruction of the Moon of 10,000 Drones before they even reach Olivine in the brand-new city of Garner in the midst of an unknown world.


Mica

When I did wake up, I found myself in a dimly lit, wet, rocky place. I was a couple of feet off the ground on a stretcher, rolling somewhere. I couldn't move at all; I was firmly strapped in.I didn't feel broken though. Hurt, yes. Broken, no.


A very pale white hand was guiding my litter. I thought of the pale creature that had pinched me so firmly when I had come to for a minute.Pale and crablike. He wasn't crablike in fact but the whole person was white indeed. His head was quite round with short, roughly cut black hair, thick short neck, long arms and short legs, at least they seemed short, I couldn't really see. 


"Hey, can you let me out of these straps? I don't think I'm badly hurt."


Chapter 44: Entombed, Part 1