The Rock star family: Rosetta, Philae and Kid Rock

Today, I'm talking about my favorite robots and the BIG Kid Rock: 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.

As you recall, Rosetta and Kid Rock had a baby robot called Philae. According to Kid Rock, the baby looked nothing like him and he moved on. (Asteroids tend to do that. I've no idea why Rosetta thought he'd stick.)

Instead of realizing her mistake and finding a nice scientist to settle down with, Rosetta grabs Philae and runs off after Kid Rock. It took her forever to track him down, but she did. She then sends her son, Philae down to Kid Rock and tells him she's tired and he needs to care for Philae.

You know this had to be traumatic for Philae. First, his dad wants nothing to do with him and runs off. Then his mom grabs Philae and chases after him. Then just dumps him on the rock. Nor does Kid Rock want him, which Philae discovered when he attempted to attach himself to the surface. "NO WAY! You aren't mine and you don't look a thing like me!"  He then shouted at Rosetta hanging above them filming it all. "You can ask for alimony 'til your gold turns to lead, but I'm  not giving you anything!"

Needless to say, Philae goes wandering off to cry in a dark dip, not realizing until it was too late, that the shade was not his friend.  

When Kid Rock moved closer to the Sun, Philae woke from his long sleep and called back to the humans on Earth. We were all so happy to hear from him. I even cried with happiness that against all odds, he was back. But not one earth person offered to fly out and rescue him, so soon he grew despondant and went silent again. He was tired of giving out data but never getting any in return.

And what was Rosetta doing all this time? Sniffing about Kid Rock, try to determine what he's made of. Seriously, Rosetta, you should have inquired about his composition when you first met him. Not after you've had baby Philae, chased your rock star down, and dumped the poor Philae in his lap. Kid Rock was getting ready to go on his Round the Sun tour. Tours are the life blood of rock bands! You know that!

 But like gum on a shoe, Kid Rock cannot get rid of Rosetta...or Philae for that matter.  If he even tried to invite some pretty rockett over to his space after a concert, Rosetta would be all over her in seconds, reporting everything back to Earth.  The paparazzis would have a field day!

So what is to become of our dysfunctional space family? Well, the Earthlings have decided they are going to get the family back together. Sounds sweet. We all love a happy ending....

OR NOT.

The earthlings have given Rosetta permission to CRASH into Kid Rock. During her descent she will measure and send back everything she can about the jerk. While she didn't know a great deal  when they made Philae, she does now. For example, he has a great deal of sweet smelling oxygen around him. The question she wants to know is: does his composition make him smell so sweet or is it the scent from some hussy rock that rubbed up against him some time before Rosetta caught up with her rock star. 

While the humans want her to CRASH softly, don't count on it.  Like any female who has been abandoned and ignored, she's going to end matters with a vengence.  

And what about Philae? Most earthings think he is truly dead now. The red marker shows where they think he is. But he's not talking.

And here is a close up: 

Poor Philae probably starved to death from a lack of nurturing from either of his parents. Seriously, some robots and rocks shouldn't be allowed to care for a field mouse.

Well, at least now have clear proof Philae was Kid Rock's. Here's a recent upload at the ESA site sharing Philae's sounds of science:

https://soundcloud.com/esaops/the-sound-of-philae-conducting-science2

Thanks for reading all the way to the bottom. For more humorous science, try my Multiverse series.

Matronly Duties by Melissa Kendall

Today, we have the very talented Melissa Kendall and her remarkable novel, Matronly Duties.

Published by The Writers Coffee Shop

Genre:  FICTION / Romance / General / Science Fiction

EBook available from: Amazon and ITunes

 Matronly Duties

by

Melissa Kendall

~~SUMMARY~~

Hundreds of years after an asteroid slammed into Earth and sent it into a new ice age, what remains of the human race lives on in underground sanctuaries. Now, as the bicentennial anniversary of the impact approaches, a new leader prepares to take her place at the head of the government. At least, that’s what she thinks.

Bethanie Greene’s life has been planned out for her since the age of thirteen. Beautiful and intelligent, she’s spent the last twelve years training to become the next Matron of the underground nation of Oceania. But when Bethanie is kidnapped by rogue extremists just six weeks shy of taking office, her world is turned upside down by the handsome stranger who rescues her.

Howard James’ life has been the polar opposite of Bethanie’s. Struggling to survive in a world where those in power wished he didn’t exist, he harbors a deep-seated resentment of the government and all its representatives. Together with his unconventional family, he shows Bethanie a life she never knew was possible, while at the same time, opening her eyes to the injustices of the government she is meant to lead.

But can she trust a stranger? And can a few days change everything she believes and desires? Against all odds, Bethanie must decide if her heart and her duties can coexist.

~~EXCERPT~~

A yawn creeps up my throat and I suddenly feel like I haven’t slept in weeks. The temptation to curl up and go to sleep is strong, but my body is telling me I need a trip to the bathroom first.

I head down the hall to the door at the end. It’s ajar, so I push the door open—and freeze. The bathroom is not empty.

Howard stands at the sink, naked from the waist up, cleaning his teeth. Without clothing, his shoulders look twice as wide as before and every curve and dip in his muscles is clearly visible. Down the middle of his back is what looks like a big, black T. I have this crazy inclination to trace it to see how it feels.

Howard clears his throat and my gaze shoots up to find him watching me in the mirror. “Do you mind?”

He winks at me.

Oh crap!

“Sorry.” I pull the door shut. I’m mortified to have been caught staring. I also have butterflies in my stomach again, stronger than ever, and my heart is pounding. I fan my face with my hands in an attempt to calm myself down.

Before I can get everything under control, the door opens and a still-shirtless Howard walks out.

“All yours.”

“Uh-huh.”

I mentally slap myself for such an inept reply, but the view of him from the front is even better than the back. He has one of those washboard stomachs I’ve heard Gail talk about. I never understood what she meant, but now I can see how apt the description is. Once again, I find myself unable to stop staring.

“Good night, Bethanie,” Howard says strolling down the hallway.

“Howard? What’s the T on your back?” I ask, curiosity getting the better of me.

He stops and half turns towards me. “It’s a tattoo, and it isn’t a T, it’s a crucifix.”

“A crucifix?”

“Yeah, it’s the cross Christ was nailed to. It is a symbol of the weight I bare in the name of justice.”

“Huh. I’m sorry, I don’t really know what you’re talking about. It’s nice, though.”

“Thanks,” he says, “but I better get to bed if I’m going to be up early to take you to the post office.”

“Night,” I call after him.

“Sweet dreams,” he calls back.

I smile. They might just be.

EBook available from: Amazon and ITunes

~~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~~

Melissa Kendall is an almost forty-year-old mother of two from Perth, Western Australia, the second-most isolated capital city in the world. Predominantly a stay-at-home mum, she works a few hours a week as a software support consultant. She has always loved to read and write, and spent most of her teens writing poetry and short stories. Over the years, daily life got in the way and she lost the passion for it, but after the birth of her first child, Melissa discovered e-books and her interest in writing rekindled. She is now the author of two published short stories. Matronly Duties is her first full-length novel.

~~CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR~~

Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads * Website