It's been a while since I've updated my blog. So... let me bring you all up to date.
As of this moment, I am putting together a novel set 100 years before the events in the Iliad. This story (tentatively titled "Project Gilgamesh") takes place in the Solar System just as reaction-less drive is invented, a few decades before humans make the first flights to neighboring star systems.
The main story is following the adventures of crew of the Paul Cézanne (TB-7). A Von Gogh class deep space mining colony.
They serve in the merchant fleet of the International Space Treaty Organization.
Less a "Federation of Planets" as military industrial complex
assembled to protect the interest of the industrialists of the Belt. Their chief rival is
the Totalitarian regime of the Krasnovian Empire Republic of Krasnovian States.
In between is the Circle Trigon. They are basically an organized crime syndicate with a
space program.
An uneasy cease fire has existed between ISTO and Krasnovia for decades. Partly down to neither side having much of a technical or tactical advantage. Mainly down to space combat is pretty hard on the equipment.
Until now.
Krasnovia has developed a new propulsion technology that looks to be a game changer. And a dispute over a Minor Planet (134340) Pluto is threatening to make the cold war spill into a hot war.