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This Long Vigil: A Science Fiction Short Story Kindle Edition

by Rhett C Bruno (Author), Jaime Castle (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 444 ratings
After twenty-five years serving as the human Monitor of the Interstellar Ark, Hermes, Orion is scheduled to be placed back into hibernation with the other crewmembers.

Knowing he'll die there and be replaced before the ship's voyage is over, he decides that he won’t—can’t—accept that fate.

Whatever it takes, Orion will escape Hermes and see what's beyond, even if it means defying the regulations of his only friend—the ship-wide artificial intelligence known as Dan.

From the Washington Post and #1 Audible Bestselling duo, Rhett C. Bruno & Jaime Castle, comes a harrowing science fiction short story that will leave you questioning exactly what it means to be alive.
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  1. Print length
    43 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Accessibility
    Learn more
  4. Publication date
    18 Dec. 2015
  5. File size
    3.5 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B019LZJ5H8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Aethon Books
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 18 Dec. 2015
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ 2nd
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.5 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 43 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 444 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Rhett C. Bruno

    Rhett C. Bruno

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Rhett C Bruno is the USA Today and Washington Post Bestselling & Nebula Award Nominated Author of 'The Circuit Saga', 'Children of Titan Series', 'Buried Goddess Saga', 'Vicarious', 'The Roach', and 'The Luna Missile Crisis' (Audible Originals); among other works.

    He has been writing since before he can remember, scribbling down what he thought were epic stories when he was young to show to his friends and family. He is currently a full-time author and publisher living in Delaware with his wife, daughter, and dog Raven.

    Find out more here: http://rhettbruno.com/

    Also, please consider subscribing to his newsletter for exclusive access to updates about his work and the opportunity to receive limited content and ARCs.

    Subscribe Here: http://rhettbruno.com/newsletter

    See more on the author's page
  2. Jaime Castle

    Jaime Castle

    Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
    Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

    Jaime Castle hails from the great nation of Texas where he lives with his wife and two children and enjoys anything creative. A self-proclaimed comic book nerd and artist, he spends what little free time he can muster with his art tablet.

    Jaime is a #1 Audible Bestseller, Audible Originals author (Dead Acre, Baron Steele, The Luna Missile Crisis) and co-created and co-authored The Buried Goddess Saga, which includes the IPPY award-winning Web of Eyes. Additionally, Cold as Hell was nominated for a 2023 Audie Award, and won Best Fantasy for 2022 on Audible. Sidekick, book one in Raptors, was a BIBA Award winner.

    Fantasy:

    An Unexpected Hero (LitRPG/GameLit)

    The Buried Goddess Saga:

    Web of Eyes

    Winds of War

    Will of Fire

    Way of Gods

    War of Men

    Word of Truth

    Dragonblood Assassin:

    Black Talon

    Red Claw

    Silver Spines

    Golden Flames

    Raptors:

    Sidekick

    Superteam

    Scions

    Baron Steele

    Harrier (Raptors):

    Justice

    The Trench

    Invasion

    The Black Badge:

    Dead Acre

    Cold as Hell

    Vein Pursuits

    Ace in the Hole (2025)

    Jeff the Game Master:

    Manufacturing Magic

    Manipulating Magic

    Mastering Magic

    Science Fiction standalones:

    This Long Vigil

    The Luna Missile Crisis

    Rogue Stars:

    Purgatory

    Divine Intervention

    Reclamation

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
444 global ratings

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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Mandy Parmenter (MP Book Reviews)
    5.0 out of 5 stars A great short story that if nothing else should persuade you to read more from this author
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 July 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Orion is on an Interstellar Ark called Hermes and for the last 25 years has been the lone human monitor with only an AI called Dan for company. As Orion approaches the end of this 25 year tenure he is due to be put back into hibernation in the chamber and will eventually die and be replaced before the ship reaches it's final destination. So Orion decides he will not do that as he needs to escape Hermes and see space again no matter what he has to do.

    Great short story that is very detailed in it's description of the scene, the characters, the thoughts and the emotions involved in the story. I was hooked in the story and was dying to know how it was going to turn out. I think if I was reading it on a traditional paperback I would have been tempted to skip to the end to know how it was going to end, but as it was I just started to read it faster and I have to admit ignoring things I shouldn't have (just don't tell anyone).
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  • Billy Bookworm
    4.0 out of 5 stars Short but engaging story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 8 June 2017
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    Enough interest to turn the page. You kinda guess the end but it's interesting to read the authors take on it.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Norma Miles
    5.0 out of 5 stars "Before the long sleep..."
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 3 September 2017
    Verified Purchase
    The Interstellar Ark,, Hermes, is heading for Tau Ceti and a planet likely to be suitable for human habitation. On board are exactly one thousand inhabitants, all but one, a Monitor to act as an aid to the ship's AI, are sleeping in pods as they journey. With only a few hours remaining to Orion before his time as Monitor comes to an end, he must choose a successor.

    A beautifully crafted short story by the author of the Titanworld series. It is atmospheric and charming, and very human
    Taking only a few minutes to read, it is still guaranteed to leave a powerful impression.
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  • Dean Baker
    3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad for a short
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 June 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Not bad for a short story, some interesting philosophical ideas around death and mortality. However, the conclusion was hardly surprising. All in all not a bad short read.
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  • Laura
    4.0 out of 5 stars It both a sad and compelling short story
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 June 2018
    The audio was only under 40 minutes so it was an extremely quick listen. It does start off a bit dryly but then again one of the main characters is a computer so that side is expected. It both a sad and compelling short story. It didn’t add any extra fluff or any unnecessary drama. It simply told a story about a man and a computer, plus a man’s dream to go out the way he wanted.
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  • Bookangel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great science fiction with a memorable lead
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 February 2017
    Verified Purchase
    An excellent sci-fi story. Orion, raised as caretaker on a generation ship, has never met another human and only has the AI, Dan, for company. As his shift, and life, comes to an end, he looks outside the walls and wonders what is out there...

    It might be short but it packs a lot into its length. This isn't only a science fiction story, it is also about growing old and growing up, and is a great character piece with some nice riddles throughout. I read it in one sitting and might look up more from this author, because it was really, really, good.
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  • Allan G.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 March 2019
    Verified Purchase
    For a short story this was great. Now I'm hoping the author has plans to expand on the arc ideas from the titan stories.
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  • A. Parkes
    4.0 out of 5 stars A great intro to a wider universe
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 February 2016
    A short story that follows a loan human and his interactions with a ship AI as he comes to the end of his "shift" (life)

    This is well put together and really drew me in. It's set in the universe of another series of books so if it's goal was to get me interested in that it worked. I really wanted to know more about how they ended up on the ship, where they were going and what would happen when they reach their destination

    My only gripe was that it seemed too short. I know it's supposed to be a short story but felt it could have been fleshed out a little more over another five or six pages. I'll definitely be checking out the other books
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Richard W. Buro
    5.0 out of 5 stars A new. refreshing addition to the Titanborn Universe
    Reviewed in the United States on 4 January 2016
    Verified Purchase
    An introductory short story should be a vignette that suggests some element(s) of the longer work from which the vignette was derived. The shorter work should suggest some common element about all the characters or, perhaps. just a principal one. In this case, a principal character, Orion, appears to be the focus, and a single important characteristic jumped out at me as I read this vugnette.

    This Long Vigil by Rhett C, Bruno focuses on the interstellar ark, Hermes. The ship appears to be operating at subluminal (slower than lightspeed) with a cargo of humans in a state of long-term “hibernation.” suspended animation. Orion has been for the past quarter century the human monitor of ship functions and operations. The Hermes is en route to a star system with a planet which appears to be in a human-friendly orbit with temperate conditions closely approximating the conditions of a pristine, unpolluted Earth.

    Hermes is under the general operational monitoring of a shipboard artificial intelligence agent named Dan. Dan’s functions include monitoring and routine maintenance duties of the Hermes as it travels to the pre-programmed destination system. Orion, the human monitor, basically makes sure that Dan is operating efficiently and in accord with the original operation parameters as programmed when it was first launched from the environs of Earth. The vast majority of the population on the ship are in deep hibernation, being preserved so that they will be able to live and function on the planet assigned as their destination. The ship’s Monitor is awakened from hibernation, set up to learn ship functions and introduced to Dan. The new monitor thus begins a 25-year long assignment of being the human “in charge” of the Hermes, and the former Monitor goes back into hibernation.

    Mr. Bruno has written an engaging vignette, and the longer version of the book should prove to be an interesting and exciting read. It is very definitely a work that has a strong “hard” science perspective based on the “tried and true” concepts of long term, low consumable consumption process of induced hibernation for long duration space flight, as well as the use of subluminal speeds. What is refreshing is that Mr. Bruno has also proven to have a solid grasp of the human equation as well. While Orion appears to be well adjusted, diligent, and active in his Monitor duties, it is also interesting to see his dilemma surrounding going back into hibernation once his 25-year stint as Ship Monitor is completed. His human response to the idea of going back to “sleep,” including possible disposal without waking up again, is intentional and yet, unexpected. It’s Orion’s totally human decision about his fate that shows how humans might respond to long duration missions with a long time to consider what re-hibernation might entail. The solution is totally unexpected, and yet it is so totally human, it tells you that Mr. Bruno has a good grasp of the unpredictable, independent thinking that is so totally and completely human. It is refreshing and, in its own way, beautiful that his decision makes him truly the first human in interstellar space.

    Recommendations? Anyone who is interested in the concepts brought forth in this story should find it engaging and easy to understand. The vocabulary is suited to anyone who can read a daily newspaper, and who also has a grasp of the concepts presented. Older readers need to perhaps look at the work with an emphasis on what hard science concepts are presented and to which Mr. Bruno faithfully includes in his writing, both on a scientific and a humanistic level. Be ready for an engaging and exciting trip to a new star system and its explorers from Earth. Thanks, Mr. Bruno, for keeping the science so “hard” and the character so totally human. It was a great read!
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  • Ashok Tomar
    5.0 out of 5 stars A man's desire to see the stars.
    Reviewed in India on 9 February 2018
    Verified Purchase
    A touching story of the human psyche. A man's desire to see the stars and Universe, and to break free. Beautifully told.
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  • Georgina Makalani
    4.0 out of 5 stars A lonely life in space
    Reviewed in Australia on 24 July 2018
    Verified Purchase
    An enjoyable read with great character development.
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  • chw9999
    5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining short story
    Reviewed in Germany on 25 August 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Very nice short story, calm and without bang and boom. I enjoyed reading it quite a lot, maybe because I am also turning 50?
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  • Dr. Geoff
    4.0 out of 5 stars I'm glad I ventured forth - great short story!
    Reviewed in the United States on 11 April 2017
    Verified Purchase
    This was my first venture in to author Rhett C. Bruno's universe. And I'm glad I ventured forth. This Long Vigil is a great short story, and can be read in about 30 minutes or so. It is in some ways dark, but mostly thought provoking, and extremely well drawn out with very well developed excellent complex characters.

    In some ways it is a sleeper. Dan, who is somewhat reminiscent of Hal, from Space:2001 is in his own right a very complex character, using everything that his AI brain can muster to interact in a meaningful way with Orion, the self-named protagonist.

    Rhett's portrayal of what life might look like as an artificially birthed person raised in isolation on a generational star ship and with only an AI for a companion is very poignantly believable. One can identify with the characters. I was struck by how well the story drew me in and absorbed me, particularly for a short work.

    For a work of short fiction to be successful it must be extremely well articulated, believable, and seamless. The stage directions and prop settings must not show. Mr. Bruno executed this work with quiet grace and dignity; possibly revealing his architectural calling, but certainly producing a work that would possibly have given Strunk and White a brief moment of euphoria.

    I really liked this short story, I like the author's style, and I liked the full immersion of this neat little piece. So I will be reading - and reviewing - a lot more of Rhett Bruno going forward.

    Meanwhile, if you have the opportunity, don't miss this tasty little literary tidbit, it is well worth the small investment and will leave you thinking and pondering long after the tiny price tag is forgotten.
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