V.A. Jeffrey's Blog, page 2

Why this has taken so long

Well, this post is a long time in coming but here it is. Phoenix Rising is finished. What happens now is getting the book cover commissioned. The reason why this has taken so long is because of a lot of personal crisis that have converged in my life. It just became too much for me and the writing took a backseat so I could get these issues worked out. Deep depression was also a part of it. I lost motivation for over a year to write working through these issues.

It was hard. Very hard to do anything. I won’t bore you with the details but things have greatly improved now but I have learned to take things more slowly and take my time with the books I write in the future. There is one more book in the Mission series after this one, Phoenix Rising. The last book is titled: Future Fantastic. I hope readers can forgive me over all of this but this has been a black period in my life that has been simmering over years and has spilled over into crisis. I apologize over the long wait.

Sample Chapter

Finally, I have finished the first drat of Phoenix Rising. For some reason the first draft of this story was the hardest I've ever written in my life. But now that it's finished I'm getting more excited about writing. Now that I'm on vacation, I can make a lot of headway on the story and that I am, indeed. In fact, I have enough polished enough to post a sample chapter. Here is chapter one. enjoy!

Chapter 1

“They’ve monkeyed with your DNA but the work is more subtle that I had realized. Perhaps this Dr. Dorn wasn’t as mad as you’d described him.”

“Oh, he was mad alright. Trust me on that. That lab was an abysmal torture chamber. I was lucky I escaped.”

“Yes you were very lucky. Thankfully you haven’t mutated into some monster or started becoming a factory for alien spores.”

“Well, that’s a relief! So this means there are no mutations at all?”

“Well, not in the classical sense, Bob. Most mutations are usually destructive to DNA. Rarely is there ever an advantage to the cell when it comes to mutations. I’m not seeing destructive changes, or at least they haven’t turned out to be destructive, yet. What I’m seeing are unusual modifications. Mutations that so far have been neutral or benign if not beneficial. Another interesting thing. While it is not unusual for genes to jump from one organism to another, it does happen, it usually ends up bad for the new host organism. In this case, that would be you,” said Dr. Lehman. He helped me back onto the hospital bed. “How’s your am doing? Any pain, infections? Any issues at all with the medications you take for it?” I shook my head.

“actually I haven’t had to take my medication for the new arm for a couple of months now.”

“I’m not surprised. I suspect that the alien genes added to you from the experiment are behind this development.”

“Really?” He nodded. I wasn’t surprised by this at all. Rather, quite delighted.

“So, what do you mean about. . .jumping genes?” It was a subject that I’d dreaded ever since my experience at Hussa but now that I was getting a full examination at Pam’s behest, it was silly to continue avoiding the subject. Especially now that she was pregnant.

“If a gene or if a number of genes are able to jump from one organism to another, first it is very difficult in terms of their survival if they do they can in some cases actively change the genetic expression of the new host organism’s DNA. In your case, it seems to me after our tests that these alien genes have told the cells in your body to stop rejecting the foreign limb. I still want to monitor the situation but it is an interesting development.”

“Indeed,” I said softly.

“There are foreign DNA cells, alien DNA attached to your DNA structure, through the serum given to you I think, and these alien cells contain similar chemical tags and histone tags found in normal human DNA that turn on or off certain genes. In your case, these alien cells have instructed the tags to turn on certain genes control muscle tissue and growth. These kinds of functions can give one new abilities, in theory. I have also seen some of these alien cells that have traveled as far as your brain and are affecting certain areas of the cortex which may explain the odd dreams you’ve been having.”

“Well, odd dreams and a seventh sense sort of runs in the family,” I said. Dr. Lehman gave me a patient smile.

He and a nurse prepared the MRI again, ready to take one more brain scan as I wasn’t completely still the first time they’d performed it. I wondered if this cycle of changes in my body simply wasn’t through and now I had an unborn child to worry about. How this might affect that new life.

“Will I be able to go home soon?”

“One thing you must remember Bob is that there are many unknowns when dealing with a situation like this.” I was sure that was his explanatory way of saying no. I was used to his explanations for everything. I found them enlightening. But also voluminous.

“However, I do not yet know if we are dealing with a normal gene transfer or a horizontal gene transfer, when a gene can jump directly into another organism. This is rare because of the barriers and difficulty. Like I’ve said before.”

“You mean like rogue DNA?”

“Something like that, yes. I was thinking more along the lines of a vector. If that rogue DNA or vector, carried a virus, that complicates matters further. If it was infected with a virus and we haven’t yet determined that, whatever alien virus infected the alien genes injected into your cells could be transferred to other humans or animals if it survives, or if you survive. It could replicate itself millions of times in one of your cells and then spread throughout the human population. Who knows what plans these loyalist aliens have to get rid of the human population? Their plans may entail more than just building stargates.”

“In that case I will ask my wife to come in as well.”

“That would be a good idea. Just to be safe.” Dr, Lehman could be right. But for some reason I didn’t think the experiments on Hussa had anything to do with the loyalists. I could be wrong but I didn’t think I was. That seemed to me to be an entirely different plan born from a different faction for perhaps a similar purpose but not entirely the same. The fiorjah queen had not indicated in any way that she was in alignment with the loyalists, whom she viewed as lesser beings, only a step above humans. And she was now defeated and secluded somewhere here in Ellen Vartan’s secret science laboratory, her essence and DNA being readied as a biological weapon against the other aliens.

But it didn’t mean that it posed no danger to me. Repercussions from so many past experiences seemed to haunt me now, ready to jump out at me like a predator from the shadows. But this type of worried, negative thinking did me no good. What was done was done and I had to move forward.

This “chin up” talk still didn’t make me feel better.

I had no work experience with biological machines and their functions (other than my own) but I did work with computers. With computers, mechanical machines, and software, if a foreign agent like a virus, entered it could wreak direct havoc or make indirect attacks that were difficult to detect. Some viruses could be so subtle and sophisticated in their attacks that no trace could be detected until it had worked its way deep into the code. The same held true for viruses in biological organisms. I had such a thing in my body. But so far, it had not had the deleterious effects that I had expected. The doctor smiled at me as if to give me aid and comfort. The nurse working with him dutifully hooked me up to a few more diodes.

“Nature has a way of correcting all wrongs, in time, Bob,” said the doctor gently. I must have looked worried. “If these changes were truly dangerous it’s likely that we would have detected them already, considering this happened to you years ago. You should be dead. You’re still alive and kicking and healthy.” I nodded and closed my eyes as I submitted to the scan. This was something to be thankful for.

After the bewildering battery of tests over the last three weeks I was in a high state of anxiety. My life was in a massive state of flux. Dr. Lehman had ordered a special and very expensive experimental drug to kill these alien cells after sending cell samples, by teleportation, or what was known on Dappa as TRANS-port, a technology in the making for over a century that had come into being recently on the black market, and a brand new way to send things that was illegal (as of now), especially when it came to biological organisms traveling in such a way, to another lab for further study. I’d heard horrific stories of poor souls sending their pets or them selves from one place to another thinking they would save on money and convenience and were never heard from again. Or worse, they came out of the device very different than when they came in. No one knew if TRANSport destroyed the original and created a clone or if people disappeared in TRANSport into the universal aether.

Speaking of that, no one knew if this newly created drug which wasn’t even on the market would work, or how it would work, or the effect submitting it through this new transportation technology would be.

After the brain scan I was sent back to the private bedroom at the Vartan laboratory where I tried to get some more rest. I couldn’t. I looked over at my large datapad I’d brought to get some work done. My U-net team and I were monitoring the storm systems on Jupiter which had become more active in the last year. I had Chip, Will and several others watching for any anomalies in climate or sentient activity on the planet. The activity was heightened but not in any way that seemed to alarm anyone else but me. So far, nothing new was happening according to the different weather scanning programs I was monitoring. No messages from anyone on the team either. I felt frustrated and a terrible sense of foreboding made me feel restless, as if I were wasting time in this hospital room. I closed the screen out and laid back and closed my eyes, breathing slowly and deeply to calm my nerves.

Two hours later Dr. Lehman came in with my medication.

“Still on edge?”

“I just want to get back to work, is all.”

“I know. We’ll be done in a couple of days. Remember, what happened to you may be of great import not only to you but to us as well. We want to make sure you really are fine and that those experiments won’t pose a danger, or if what happened may heighten your abilities and turn you into a super man.” I made a face.

“Look, I’m not interested in transforming into a patch of light. Or becoming Superman. I’m fine in my current meat bag, thank you very much,” I groused. Dr Lehman chuckled.

“Hence, that’s what this drug is for. It comes in aerosol form. Just sent by TRANSport. And you’ll need this syringe to administer the drug.” Reluctantly I sat up from the bed and looked it over.

“Instructions on how to take it at home will be sent to your web mail address. In the mean time, here are your instructions; you take this drug twice a day, with or without meals. The syringe is to be used anywhere in the skin except the groin and other private areas. Use on the arms, legs, torso or neck is fine.”

“Thanks,” I grumbled. Just what I needed. Another drug.

“So you really haven’t felt any pain related to the experiments at Hussa all this time?” I shook my head. “Nothing of note that I remember.”

“Hmm. Interesting.” He scratched his chin.

I was finally having that medical examination that I should have had years ago after coming back from my adventure on Langrenus, which I was scheduled to visit again for an important meeting in a couple of weeks. I’d been here for nearly two weeks as they conducted a battery of tests and took various samples from me, reminiscent of the tests I underwent under Dr. Donatien Lafayette’s cruelty. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. But it did nothing to make me feel calm.

I shuddered to even think his name. However, these tests weren’t barbaric or painful and the lab here had a soothing atmosphere.

I had blood tests done, skin grafts, body fluid tests, cholesterol and bone density tests, brain scans, whole body scans, all manner of tests.

“Here’s the thing. Your DNA has changed in ways subtle and miraculous. I don’t know if this work they did was by accident or design,” he said.

I was quite sure it was by accident. That lab at Hussa was a butcher’s market more than a true science laboratory.

Later that night I continued to monitor the storms and the activity of the planet from various weather feeds. My eyes were growing heavy and I felt myself falling and caught myself, nearly falling off the bed, when I heard a buzz and then a sharp snap from the pad splayed across my lap. Several of the feeds had suddenly gone dead, and then five seconds later all of the weather feeds died. I checked the web connection and did a simple check and repair of the network. There were no connection problems or firewalls causing a blockage or a bad connection. I went through a more involved series of diagnostics to see where I could find the issue. None. I scratched my head and then suspicion immediately took hold. I shut the system down and then turned it back on to see if a reset would solve the problem. But the weather channels remained offline despite this.

I decided to see if any other program on the system was having issues by sending a message to someone I needed to talk to on Mars.

Genevieve.

I sent a message to her asking about how things looked on the ground currently, the conflicts and current mood in Syzygy and if she could monitor and send back information on any activity near the Jovian system and its storms, any new information that U-net could use to formulate our plan of attack. I asked after Tulos and Rychik. I wondered about them, about ow they were doing. Were they alive, even?

After sending it off I sat back and watched for any bounce-back or error retrieval or sending errors – anything! It would be awhile before she could get back to me. If she was even alive. I wished I could send a message to Sworda but he was even more elusive and difficult to contact unless I was actually on Mars. I sighed, feeling thwarted, and got up and gazed out of the window to western part of the research complex. I could see human and mech laborers outside in the open-air working on the Phoenix, my little shuttle that Ellen was turning into a bonafide ship. Welders, cutters, software engineers, mechanical engineers all putting it back together after having taken it down completely months ago. It was something I loved watching, even at work, when I was last at work. I can’t remember thee days.

I was proud of the Phoenix. Though it didn’t look impressive it was being given some impressive technology.

It was being outfitted with new hardware, it had a new, a new chronometer, updated computer system in the cockpit, the main cabin had been slightly enlarged and it had been outfitted with faster more powerful weapons and a more powerful shield system. That shield system was an updated cloaking technology that all the most powerful and well-connected pirates and smugglers used, thanks to Diamond’s contacts and know-how. I had to smile. It was wrong, but it was what it was. It made me feel secure knowing that I could run with the best of them on the wrong side of the law.

But that wasn’t the most important part of the Phoenix’s renovations. That was the bleeding edge weapons technology that Ellen and her secret team of scientists had been building out of alien biological tissue and combining with some type of special ferrous-electrical metal.

Or that was the gist of it. I just hope when it came time to use it that I didn’t end up blowing myself up.

And thinking of that made me think of the battle plans I was forming with my U-net team on St. Anthony. We had some good information but we needed more. Always we needed more to make sure we weren’t going to end up hurtling our small army into a black box.

I glanced up at the silver sliver of moon outside. The night sky was clear as glass and it was warm, the start of summer.

I went back to bed, dozing off to sleep again when my comlink device chimed. It wasn’t a call, however. It indicating that there was a written mail message. I must have slept for at least three hours as it was now two o’clock in the morning.

I picked up my datapad and opened the message software to find it was, indeed, from Genevieve. How she got my message so quickly surprised me. And the situation was dire.

I read it with keen interest and growing concern: Rychik, who, according to Diamond had joined a mercenary company since I’d last seen him had not been able to get to the base to assist Genevieve in weeks, trapped at an outpost with a battalion of sentinels and his small company of mercenaries in a fierce battle with a gang of vicious scavengers. Whether they were loyalists or not, she didn’t know. But the chaos was getting worse in Syzygy, so much so that she had to keep voice messages very brief so as not to be detected and tracked by enemies and use written messages through the tenuous web connection they had built on Mars, when she was able. According to her knowledge, one fifth of the city’s inhabitants were already dead through escalated conflicts, guerilla fighting and bombings throughout the city. Many sentinels were dead. Many on all sides were dead. And she had no news about conditions in Ophir.

My heart nearly shuddered to a halt in my chest as I realized the horrors that were unfolding on Mars. At some point I had to get out there with all the firepower and weaponry that Vartan could give me, Diamond and U-net and help her. But right now we had Earth to worry over. This was bad. Worse than I’d thought. I knew that I‘d get no rest for the remainder of the night. I was ready to get out there and fight. But first U-net needed to gather all the information it could and finalize a good battle strategy, and I needed to help my benefactress settle a score. After all, if it hadn’t been for her help and backing, I would either be in prison or my wife would be a widow.

To start, I sent a message to a new and unlikely ally: Edwin C. Steward.

The Timeless Wisdom of C. S. Lewis

Interesting video on Lewis's essay about the problem with subjectivism, an idea that has poisoned modern culture.

Also, I'm now working on the second chapter of Mission: Phoenix Rising.

Outline Nearing Completion

The outline for Mission: Phoenix Rising is almost done. I should start working on the first draft next month. Look for the book release some time late summer or early fall of this year.

New podcast episode is out! You Drop Stardust, part 3!

The new podcast episode is out, part three of my scifi romance story. check it out!

Download file here or listen below!

 

New Indie film from Forge Studios needs your help!

Forge Studios, the folks that brought you The Rangers has a new sci-fi steampunk movie they are working on and they need help! Check out this trailer and follow the link to Kickstarter and lend them your support!

Go to their kickstarter page here! Support indies!

Book Cover Reveal

Here is the book cover for the sixth book in the Mission series! I like that old-fashioned space rocket. :) Anyway, The book is on Amazon's website and I'll be uploading it to their sites tomorrow. All I have to do now is wait for Amazon to publish it fully and give me the link to the page and we're set!

UPDATE!! It is published on Amazon. Here is the link! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N3MA6I2

Progress Update

Mission - A Venus Affair.

Finished.

Look for the published book at the end of October.

Mission - A Venus Affair (sample chapter)

Chapter One

 

“Please be seated in the main cabin or stay within your private quarters until we have docked. We will arrive at Harlow Station space ship port in one hour.” Came the jovial Virtual Voice over the intercom system. It sounded different from the usual placid sounding female one that seemingly was used everywhere. The game show host sound was so slick I could almost see “his” perfect teeth. Even Jonah had started making fun of the Virtual Voice’s inflection and tone the third day into the trip.

They really should change that.

“Can we visit Harlow Water Park, daddy? Please?” Asked Mary from her bedroom.

“Yeah, dad. Can we?” Jonah came into the living room just after the Virtual Voice finished the announcement.

“Now kids, remember what we discussed,” chided Pam. “If we’re going to Harlowe Station Water Park then on the first day we arrive at Vepaja we’ll be staying inside.”

“But-” began Jonah.

“No buts! Listen to your mom. Besides, the water park here is huge and takes at least two days to explore. Our ship will only be docked at the Harlow port station for six hours.”

“Aww!” They both whined. But that was pretty much the end of the discussion.

Harlow Station was very small, located between an Earth and Venus pathway. Small, gilded, well-to-do, it was mostly a gated community of wealthy retirees. It was very nice, well kept, full of well-heeled folks – and boring as all get out.

My own dad would come here to visit my grandparents when I was little and that was before they’d built the water park. There was absolutely nothing at Harlow Station back then if you were a kid. Back then, middle class folks were allowed to live there too. My dad’s folks fit within that range by the time my grandfather had retired as an old cruise spaceship captain. Years later the middle class had been priced out of the station. Now only rich folks could afford to live here.

The only attraction worth seeing was the water park and it was simply a massive water park with a few concession stands dotted here and there with a movie theater pool added recently. A place the retirees could take the visiting grand kids to, if they cared.

As you can see, I have issues with the place and I wasn’t in any hurry to get off the ship.

We were riding aboard the Silver Goddess, the flagship of the Star Line shipping line, the only line that carried civilian passengers to the planet Venus, making our way comfortably to the famed and beautiful first city on Venus, Vepaja. I rented a large luxury suite cabin with a living room, dining room, kitchenette and three bedrooms. Jonah gazed longingly out the window of the living room watching hundreds of kids with their parents de-board the ship and into the station under a vast, twinkling starry sky.

“Remember son, we’re going hunting when we get there. Perhaps we’ll catch something,” I said, smiling.

“Well, I’m not going to die or anything. It just would have been nice, is all. But I’m sure Vepaja will be a lot more fun.” He settled down by the main family console to play Tetris again. That’s the spirit, son! I was definitely going to make up for everything once we arrived. Mary still whined over the disappointment.

“Come sweetie. Help me with deciding on what we’ll eat for dinner.” Pam was great at redirecting the kids. “Oh, honey, are we’re going to eat in or are we dining at the ship’s buffet dining room tonight?”

“I think we’ll eat in tonight,” I said.

“Okay.”

“I want pizza, mommy!” Mary pouted.

“I want pizza too,” said Jonah not turning around from the console. Several stacks of blocks were raining down on the screen. There was a sound at the treat dispenser. One of the ship’s labor mechs was making its way down the hall outside refilling the treat dispensers on our floor.

“Oh!” Jonah paused the game and jumped up and heading straight for the popcorn dispenser machine for another huge bowl of rainbow popcorn. That was about the only thing that would break his concentration on a good game of Tetris.

“Jonah! Just a small bowl of rainbow popcorn now. I don’t want you to ruin your appetite for dinner,” Pam warned.

“I won’t!”

Having finished combing over the copious notes Robin sent me about Vartan’s future plans for U-Net I sat back and watched my family, feeling contented. I was thoroughly enjoying the trip so far. The Star Line ships were the fastest civilian space shipping line in the solar system. It cut down the traveling time to Venus from a usual three months to twenty-five, just under one.

The ship itself was a luxury vacation. Plenty of spacious suites and outside cabins. Ballrooms, a large library, family style restaurants and much fancier ones, gilded auditoriums for shows, dance halls and gyms and even an indoor golf course.

We had a jacuzzi in our room as well and our luxury suite came with room service. The Silver Goddess was not a beauty in exterior design, it looked like a huge sea tortoise and was large enough to carry two thousand people. More like the Silver Turtle. It was built to withstand the harsh, powerful pressures of Venus’s atmosphere. Venus now had a special, advanced bio-dome equipped with technology built in to regulate the intense pressures there so that humans traveling to or living there would live in an earth-like pressurized environment. But even so, the ships there were different and had to be when going to and from space and entering inside the bio-dome. Climate temperature was also regulated. I hear that even inside the bio-dome Venus’s climate is slightly warmer than Jamaica.

“So what else should go along with that pizza? We need to eat some vegetables, you know.” Mary made a face.

“A kale radish cucumber orange salad would be nice, Pam.” Pam smiled and noted that on her data pad with Marybear looking on worriedly.

“I wouldn’t mind having another jalapeno sunset again,” I shifted in my love seat, glancing at my wife who gave me a mild disapproving look, “but I don’t want to over-do it.” I flexed my bionic arm and began going through the physical therapy exercises. Jonah came over bringing my medicine bag with the needles and medications. He set the bowl of colorful popcorn aside. Jonah was fascinated with my new arm and also seemed concerned about the healing process which touched me.

The arm had healed fine. So far, my body wasn’t rejecting it. I went through my exercises again. These days it wasn’t painful. Jonah poked at the skin gingerly. I still marveled at it at times. It looked exactly and nearly felt like my other arm except there were no hair follicles there. The skin was smooth and fresh looking. And I was noticing the strength in it was much stronger than in my other arm. The funny thing about it though was that sometimes at night I could feel my other lost arm, the ghost arm tingling. It would hurt at times and felt as if there were no limb there until I lifted it up just to be sure the bionic arm was really there. These sensations came when I had certain kinds of dreams.

“I wish I had a bionic arm, dad. So cool.”

“I don’t know, son. It’s cool what technology and medicine can do for you but it’s usually better to have your own God-given limbs. Be glad yours are still intact. When my real arm got chopped off the pain was something I’d never experienced before. Ever. I still have a hard time verbalizing what that pain felt like. It was like a thousand million knives stabbing and ripping at me all at once. Even that description pales in comparison.”

“That sounds like a close explanation, dad. But at least now when someone tries to hurt you, you can smash them a good one!” said Jonah hopefully. I smiled.

“You’re probably right about that.” I could think of a few dodgy folks out there that needed a good face smashing. But anyway. . .

With Les Baxter’s Space Escapade album playing in the background and Pam and Mary preparing the dining room table for dinner, I settled down by Jonah to play classic Tetris. And got another sound beating by him once again.

“Dad, don’t break the remote again!” said Jonah. I’d gone through two already, not quite understanding my own strength with the bionic arm. The door chime rang.

“Come in!” I called. The doors opened and in walked a prim, newly polished courtesy mech carrying a large silver tray of a large pepperoni pizza, a salad and a liter of dry soda.

“Please set it on the dining room table there,” directed Pam. The mech dutifully obeyed.

“Will you and the family be leaving on excursion to Harlowe Station, Mr. Astor?”

“No. We’ll be staying here.”

“Very good, sir. I should inform you that drinks at the Buddha Bar are half price until disembarkation for Vepaja. The jalapeno sunset is seventy-five percent off regular price until tomorrow.” I perked up.

“Really?” Pam raised an eyebrow.

“Oh yes. And they have a fine selection of scotch to choose from at half price as well.” Pam shook her head.

“But they have a fine selection of scotches there!” I must have sounded like Jonah whining. She got out the silverware and checked for spots before setting them on the table, shooting me another disapproving glance.

“Come with me,” I coaxed. She shook her head.

“I’m on a green cleanse for this month. No thanks, honey.”

“Aw come on, Pam!”

“Let’s eat dinner and we’ll go for a walk on the garden promenade of the ship,” she said. I pretended to sulk. Okay, maybe it wasn’t really pretending.

“Can we stay here?” asked Mary. She had run to her bedroom and grabbed her teddy bear, Reese.

“No. You guys are coming with us. This is a vacation. A luxury vacation that your father’s boss is paying for. Let’s enjoy it to the fullest instead of sitting glued to holo-screens in the cabin all day.” And that ended the discussion.

We sat down to eat. Yeah, I’d say the huge time out with the news and entertainment feeds Pam and I had decided on was an excellent idea for the kids. They were allowed to play some classic games here and there. I just don’t know why she suddenly wouldn’t have a drink with me or even wanted me to have one. I looked over at my comlink device and saw a green light beeping. There was a message. I decided that I’d get to it later.

As the ship’s Virtual Voice system sounded out the last port of call I saw in the wide dining room windows the glass and steel glistening structure of the water park in the distance. It looked like a small city in and of itself. A pretty but rather dull one, I imagined. I was glad to leave it in the distance.

Pam had her data pad by her plate.

“Now Pam, after you were scolding the kids-”

“This is different, Bob,” she said gently. “I’m looking over the itinerary.”

“Let me see it. Let’s do some final planning on what we all want to see once we arrive.” She handed it to me.

“Oh! I don’t want to forget! I want to visit the Crake Shopping Mall.” She looked positively radiant at the mention of shopping. Mary beamed as well.

“Okay. Sure,” I said. I never understood a woman’s fascination with shopping for clothes, skin care stuff or whatever. Or home décor. Pam loved skin care. Spent a small fortune on it. It paid off, but still. If you’ve seen one gleaming, vast shopping center you’ve seen them all. But if it made her happy I wasn’t going to spoil her fun.

“And how about the Pyramid of Dreams, guys? I hear that’s supposed to be the highlight of everyone’s trip once they get there.” Both of my kids shouted a resounding “yes” at this.

The Pyramid was an astounding one thousand feet structure, covered in gold and bronze facade bricks. Inside was a mixture of ancient Egyptian style fused with Art Nouveau. It was a luxury hotel with a casino, holo-theaters, vintage film theaters, several Egyptian artifact museums, an interactive aviator museum, holo-program complex, an indoor desert flower and plant garden and a zoo. One could stay there for the entire trip and simply get lost, it was said. I would have booked rooms inside the Pyramid’s main complex or at least its surrounding satellite lodges on the grounds but all the rooms were sold out! None were available until next year! But we got some very nice accommodations at the Queen of the Night hotel.

We went over again what we wanted to do and see each day. We’d be there for two weeks. After dinner Pam prepared the kids to walk the ship promenade. I looked over my messages again. There was a message from Robin. The new U-net headquarters was up and running and everyone officially part of the little group were on their way, including Diamond.

Robin needed me to call back for an important conference. Pam gave me a curious but knowing look.

“I’ll take the kids out, honey,” she offered. Pam was no longer angry with these interruptions, of which I was thankful. But no matter what, I was still going to spend time with my family. These things just had to be integrated in, is all.

“Thanks, honey. I’ll catch up with you soon. It won’t be long.” she and the kids were out the door and I finally contacted Robin. A surprising voice that I nearly didn’t recognize came on the line instead. It wasn’t Robin’s. The holoscreen jumped alive and the figure before me was sleek, dark and imposing. Looked like he’d had an upgrade. It was Magnum. The mech’s hard, bright cybernetic blue eyes seemed to bore fire hot holes into my face as he stared. The Virtual Voice answered in before he spoke.

“This call is coming from the private secured channel of Magnum 9.0.1. Will you accept this call?”

“I will.”

“You may begin communications.”

“Greetings, Mr Astor,” came Magnum’s rough no-nonsense voice at the other end.

“Hello. Didn’t expect to see you.”

“Robin is on her way to Langrenus to the new headquarters. Her comlink system is having technical trouble so she instructed me to contact you. I assume she has already contacted you by mail?”

“She has.”

“After your holiday is done when can we expect to see you in person at headquarters? You are the first and foremost U-net agent. It is important for you to be present at some point.” Magnum admonished. I felt as if I were being disciplined. I opened my mouth to say something but at first nothing came out. He was right. I was the first agent. I needed to be there.

“At the least, probably in about three weeks.”

“That’s better than nothing. Let me debrief you on what’s happened so far. We’ve received unsubstantiated reports about a threat growing near the perimeter of the solar system from the loyalists, near the outer planets. Somewhere possibly near Saturn but information at this time is not solid. If you can get any information while you are on Venus please inform us immediately. Also, Ms. Vartan has finished her main experiments on the creature we captured near the Hussa mine and she is now in the process of building a new powerful weapon using the DNA of this alien being.” I was stunned to hear it. I shouldn’t have been, but I was. This was a dangerous slope in my opinion. But if we had this at our disposal, what else might we do? Why not use it? We faced extinction. I still didn’t like it.

This brought back the unpleasant memory of my own forced experimentation. Soon it would be time to face that issue. To find out what was happening to me. I was changing. Subtle changes, not physical ones either, at least not yet. But I wasn’t the same man I was back then. Thanks to Dr. Dorn and his evil, illegal experiments with the fiorjah alien.

“Mr Astor, are you still there?”

“Oh, uh, yes. Sorry about that, Magnum. I was just thinking of something.”

“I see. I thought the holo-screen froze up.” No, just my brain. “Is this hesitation something that has to do with Ms. Vartan’s new weaponized DNA project?”

“And of the creature we have in captivity? Yeah. I don’t like it.” Very perceptive for a mech. But then, Magnum was something else entirely. Like Will. Almost alive in a way that I couldn’t quite explain.

“Well. . .,” he seemed to pause before finishing and it surprised me that I was now referring to Magnum as he. When did that happen? Interesting times. “Try to think of that creature the way it thinks about you. Something useful to use and then discard. Because that is what it would have done to the human race had it ever gotten its way. You are saving your people from unwanted and undeserved destruction from dangerous enemies. This creature, which sought to use your DNA is only reaping what it has sown, so to speak. Think no more of it and focus on the task of saving your own. And your family.”

He was right. And yet, still, a slippery slop was dangerous. Such an outlook could turn any decent man into a monster. I was out here fighting the monsters in the dark. I didn’t want to turn into one of them.

But I had my family and my love for them that saved me, reigned me in from such a callous ideology taking over. Diamond had his brother, with whom lately he had started speaking to again. Who did Robin have? Or Ellen?

“So is this weapon going to be a living being?”

“That, I don’t know yet. But even if it is a sentient being or weapon, hard choices must be made, Mr. Astor. I am sure you’ve made many already when it comes to life and death. It must be done in all arenas of life. The future that we face requires it. Either choose the rights of those who would destroy you and take away your right to exist, or choose your own survival. This weapon will be unique, the only one of its kind, and it will be powerful. Most importantly, this weapon is necessary.”

“Right.” And I’m just a cog doing what I’m told. Again. Oh well. Moping time was over.

All kinds of dark and disturbing thoughts came with that word captivity. It wasn’t right but we had a right to survive and on our own terms. It was time to drop the conflicted thought pattern and move forward.

“Magnum, tell me more about the plans to build this weapon.”

“Concrete knowledge is still limited. We are in the preliminary stages but I will do my best. What do you wish to know?”

It's been awhile. . .

For those waiting for the latest Mission book, I know it should have been out a long time ago and I apologize.

I know it's been a long time since I've posted anything. To be honest, for awhile I've lost my momentum for writing. Never fear, A Venus Affair is chugging along but it took some Herculean effort to get motivated to write and finish it. Mostly because I've had to be honest about where this writing career of mine is going. I'm not going to make a living form this now. I realize that and that is what has killed my momentum. But I have a new perspective. I have other things in my life that I've neglected, woefully, for six years trying to make the business side of this work and, well, it's time to face facts.

I won't make a living at this. and that's okay. I've neglected my faith, family and friends for six years and by putting Him on the back burner I gave HIm nothing to bless. I realize it's time to put things into perspective. Writing is important to me, always will be and I will always write but it is not more important than the people in my life or my faith, or my own personal time for leisure.

I won't make a living doing this. I will, however, keep on writing books and publishing them but the grueling schedule I'd put myself on is over. If it takes me four to twelve months to write a book these days, that's fine. I'm no longer in a hurry. I don't care about producing books fast anymore. if anything it's hurt me in the editing process. I'm still a proud indie writer but I'm not interested in speed publishing anymore.

I feel like I'm back again. Feels good. Look for  a sample chapter of A venus Affair tomorrow. If you are subscribed to the newsletter look for three.