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

More and more I became convinced that what was in the pond was truly a powerful new medicine. I was puzzling over what could make this small body of water so much more healing than any other. I was reluctant to disturb it by looking for answers. It had occurred to me that the soil beneath the pond held decomposing plant life, perhaps bacteria; even the soil itself could be the source. I was so completely thrilled that I had actually found this impossible dream drug, and that because of it I would be able to obtain the release of Anmaline from those monsters---.


I rejected the idea of protecting the pond from all but me  I thought that that would be the surest advertisement and would probably cause more curiosity and then investigation than anything. I could not let it be disturbed. I did manage to get ahold of several stout containers of the water which I have tentatively christened "Aguita".


Chapter 49: Push to Shove