Nyxia: List 3

by Scott Reintgen
Desperate for money to fund his mother's medical treatment, Emmett Atwater accepts an offer from Babel Communications to compete for the right to mine a valuable commodity on the hidden planet of Eden. This book is the first volume of the Nyxia Triad.

This list covers Part I: Day 21, 1:37 A.M.–Interlude: The Babel Files, Marcus Defoe.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. transfusion
    the introduction of blood or plasma into a vein or artery
    "Mr. Atwater, you had internal surgery. A blood transfusion. Your injuries are serious."
  2. defiantly
    in a rebellious manner
    I hold my hands up defiantly until Vandemeer forces them back down to my side.
  3. incentive
    extra pay or reward given to employees for good performance
    Babel's fundamental belief is competition. Give a person an incentive and then remind him that someone else is working toward the same reward. They'll both work twice as hard, and Babel only has to give out one prize at the end.
  4. diplomacy
    subtly skillful handling of a situation
    Back to diplomacy and the careful, calculated responses of a Babel employee.
  5. deadpan
    deliberately impassive in manner
    "Everything causes cancer," Vandemeer deadpans. "Except for nyxia. We've tested it."
  6. pixel
    the smallest discrete component of an image on a screen
    I try to settle against the too-soft pillows as pixels resolve and my pops fills the screen.
  7. inevitably
    in such a manner as could not be otherwise
    "He tweaked the footage afterward, but the trail inevitably led back to him. He's Roathy and Isadora's caretaker. He hoped to help them by fixing the competition."
  8. jurisdiction
    the right and power to interpret and apply the law
    "And while there are several international treaties regarding the fair use of space, we're a little outside of everyone else's jurisdiction. This is our territory, and our laws are different."
  9. primal
    having existed from the beginning
    "We've activated Primal Law in this case. Do you know what that means?"
    "First. It means first."
  10. pristine
    completely free from dirt or contamination
    Babel wants a willing executioner. They want me to be the hand that plucks the rotting grape from their pristine vines.
  11. proximity
    the property of being close together
    These weren't the Most Excellent Brothers either; these were friends of proximity. Before you even really know yourself, the friends formed by the shortest walks.
  12. relegate
    assign to a lower position
    Longwei's in the drill, and eventually they relegate me to nyxia manipulations.
  13. subside
    wear off or die down
    Instead, he applies a balm to my wound as we cross over to the pit. The pain subsides just in time for Azima to make me look like a weak and wounded thing.
  14. antechamber
    an outer room or waiting area that leads into another room
    We both step into an antechamber. Above us, air hisses through metal vents. We wait a few seconds as the room's sensors adjust to our presence.
  15. exploit
    use or manipulate to one's advantage
    We have learned bits and pieces about the other competitors, but I can't imagine opening up my weaknesses for the others to exploit.
  16. idle
    not in active use
    My friend traces the lid of the box with idle fingers before looking directly at me.
  17. toll
    ring slowly
    Her departure tolls through our group like midnight in a fairy tale.
  18. meniscus
    a disk of cartilage that cushions the ends of bones
    His knee's been bugging him for a week. His medic thinks it might be a torn meniscus.
  19. vertigo
    a reeling sensation; a feeling that you are about to fall
    Isadora was sidelined with some kind of space vertigo.
  20. fathom
    come to understand
    "I've just been lucky. Keep going, fathom?"
    I nod. "Trust me, I fathom."
  21. alignment
    apparent meeting or passing of two or more celestial bodies
    A handful of techies sit in front of glowing screens. I catch glimpses of lunar alignments, solar charts, the works.
  22. drawl
    a slow speech pattern with prolonged vowels
    I can't help smiling at the familiar southern drawl. "Yes, ma'am."
  23. falter
    be or become weak, unsteady, or uncertain
    Babel's devices never fail. If I go to take a steam bath, there's steam. If I want to disappear into the simulator and pretend I'm in the Alps, I can. They're not a company with faltering technologies or half measures.
  24. devise
    come up with after a mental effort
    When I run out of news, she shares a new strategy she's developed for the Rabbit Room. I laugh because it's the kind of brilliant plan only Kaya could devise.
  25. ethereal
    characterized by lightness and insubstantiality
    I blink twice before picking out shapes, vague and ethereal.
  26. graft
    the act of transplanting something onto something else
    The metal looks grafted into the skin, almost like scales.
  27. reproof
    an act or expression of criticism and censure
    "Rod and reproof," Defoe continues. "Erone has delivered the rod of discipline. The rod answers for past mistakes; the reproof instructs future action. Together they bring wisdom..."
  28. hyperventilate
    breathe excessively hard and fast
    I lean back in my bed, hyperventilating.
  29. projection
    a prediction made by extrapolating from past observations
    "This does change our outlook. We didn't plan on losing any of you before arriving at Eden. Without Kaya, we have only three female competitors remaining. Our on-planet projections show that at least three are necessary for optimal team function. We believe this would happen organically in the competition, but Kaya's death has forced our hand."
  30. optimal
    most desirable possible under a restriction
    "This does change our outlook. We didn't plan on losing any of you before arriving at Eden. Without Kaya, we have only three female competitors remaining. Our on-planet projections show that at least three are necessary for optimal team function. We believe this would happen organically in the competition, but Kaya's death has forced our hand."
  31. disheveled
    in disarray; extremely disorderly
    Our coordinator of Earthside operations runs a hand through already disheveled hair.
  32. sprawling
    spreading out in different directions
    Twenty-three sprawling pages that document the lives and background of every single competitor we recruited.
  33. implicate
    bring into intimate and incriminating connection
    “This happened on your side of things, Roman. Don't try to implicate any of my departments in this."
  34. quack
    an untrained person who pretends to be a physician
    "Bunch of quacks," David Requin croaks. "Nothing better to do."
  35. devious
    characterized by insincerity or deceit
    Every major news network is running special segments with their own angles on what we're doing and what devious webs connect the children we’ve recruited.
  36. fester
    generate pus
    This article isn't a bruise that will fade; it’s a sore that will fester.
  37. prospective
    of or concerned with or related to the future
    "They knew enough about us to know what we would know and how we would know it and how they could avoid us. Quacks? They sound more like prospective employees to me."
  38. implementation
    the act of accomplishing some aim or executing some order
    "I've attached the public explanation, answers to expected questions, and an objective board for our broadcasting team over the next few weeks. First step, we start fast-tracking the financial benefits to the families. Let's get some press on our generosity. The implementation can start tomorrow."
  39. abstract
    a sketchy summary of the main points of an argument
    Green arrows race around blue circles, and the documents duplicate onto hard drives. They scroll through the abstract summaries.
  40. wager
    the money risked on a gamble
    "Care to make a wager on that?"
Created on Thu May 16 12:18:12 EDT 2019 (updated Mon May 20 14:00:07 EDT 2019)

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