Chris’s Comments (group member since Nov 04, 2015)

Chris’s comments from the Science Fiction Microstory Contest group.

It's been a while, but I finally got one posted.

The Commonality

He was late, and Aldus Brax checked his pocket watch just to be sure. The leather binder under his arm was stuffed with papers wound in a leather strap, and he’d occasionally have to circle back when a sheet would fall free. In a huff, he reached Tower of Records, the doors flying open and every eye turning toward him.

“Hmph. You’re late,” Hensley Smith said, the Admin-Superior curling his mustache and checking his own watch. “You should know, Aldus, time waits…”

“…for no one. I know.” He straightened his glasses and fixed his hair.

“Indeed,” agreed Smith.

A dozen Admins had gathered, each charged with monitoring at least a thousand differing timelines. Above them, the topmost levels of their towering archive was lost in a low, dark cloud, which at any other time would be open to the sky and abuzz with activity. Absent were the assistants combing through the countless shelves of a timeless catalog. Now, all was quiet, and the Admins stared skyward with dread at a growing storm.

A lift quietly descended upon its rail from the haze and Mira Dryden stepped off at ground level, high-heels clacking against the polished marble floor. She set a tidy folder down upon the ring-shaped table. “Twenty-one hours,” Mira said.

“Impossible!” one Admin exclaimed. “How did we not see this coming?” another asked.

Smith poured over the folder, turning through the charts and graphs and calculations. He leaned back, pulling his monocle away, dumbfounded. “It’s a planet killer…a timeline commonality. Dear God.”

“What does that mean?” Aldus asked.

“An extinction level event across all realities. Every Earth pulverized instantly, thousands of timelines slamming back together at once. A total reset.”

“Which will extinguish all life on every Earth,” Mira said.

“And destroy the tower,” the Admin-superior clarified.

Mira removed a sheet from the folder and pressed the top corner. One form instantly became twelve, which she passed around the room. As if drawn in pencil with precise tools, an asteroid materialized, tumbling slowly upon the parchment. Next, vectors and coordinates appeared in different colors with a countdown steadily ticking downward in hours, minutes, and seconds.

“Where will it strike?” Aldus wondered.

“Does it matter?” Mira replied.

“So, what can we do?”

A mumbling erupted amongst the Admins when Smith said, “Our priority is noninterference. We’re observers. That’s all.”

“But we have the ability,” Aldus reminded him.

“And we all know how that’s turned out,” Smith replied, shaking his head. “The Permian-Triassic extinction – introducing the sauropods to nuclear fusion. You can still see the crater from space.”

“But if we do nothing,” Aldus rejected, “Earth dies and we lose everything!”

“We cannot interfere!” Smith rejected.

“Absurd!” Aldus declared and bolted for the nearest lift, ascending into the sky.

“Damn fool!” Smith scolded. He and Mira found their own lifts and followed him up.

“You can’t do this, Aldus!” Smith scolded as the other man breached the fog, before entering themselves. Rolling thunder rumbled in the distance. “How far does the storm extend?” he asked Mira.

“I never saw the top.”

“It’s that bad?” The thunder grew and they could see the first hints of flashes from above.

She nodded. “It’s worsening and will increase, until the event.”

Suddenly, a deluge and blistering winds hit them. “Maybe Aldus is right,” he admitted. “I’ve never seen a commonality tempest like this.” Smith shouted against the gale, “Aldus!”

Then unexpectedly, the storm waned, the wind quieting and fog lifting. Twinkling stars in a clear sky reappeared and, two lifts over, Aldus Brax descended from above.

“Aldus, you insolent…” Smith said as he passed.

“He did it,” Mira interrupted.

“Yes, but what did he do?”

Back on the ground, their feet met the polished tile just as the foundations groaned and cracked.

“Is this the end?” Mira wondered, though Smith knew better.

“Hardly,” he grinned. “Rather, new growth.”

The entire tower shuddered and shifted one hundred feet closer to the sky. A new space of empty shelves appeared around them, and upon a lower one, a new volume materialized. Astounded, Smith smiled, glancing to a satisfied Aldus Brax then opening it wide.

On the pages, images shifted and they observed a powerful coronal mass ejection, timed at just the right moment, vaporize the asteroid which had threatened the Earth.

“All this new space,” Mira marveled. “What now?”

“It will fill itself over time, of course,” he said and turned his eyes to the clear sky above. “Nicely done, my boy. Nicely done.”

Justin wrote: "Chris, Jeremy and Kalifer,

I loved all of your stories. Fantastic! Chris, I felt the thrill of the race, Jeremy, the thrill of the hunt, and I loved the progression of Kalifer's character through ..."


Thanks, Justin!

Good luck with getting FB under control. It's a hot mess when things go wrong, for sure.

Ok, mines up. A little bit steampunk, but completed.

Winds of Change

“What in heavens is that?” Perimore Fontleroy tapped the end of his cane against a ship he’d never seen before.

Nira’s dirigible definitely stood out with its vibrant violet sails, a drastic departure from the other racers at the dock. Even so, it wasn’t just the color of her sails that set her apart. “What do you mean?” she asked of the pretentious aristocrat.

“Well, it’s just so…different!” he explained, pulling his monocle away. “Will it even sail?”

“It’ll win,” Nira replied confidently.

“We’ll see!” he scoffed. “No ship can beat my Osprey. You’re captain’s either brave or foolish!”

“I’m the captain.”

He burst into laughter. “You? Then you’ll surely never win. No woman can win the Cutlass!”

“Times change.”

“Hmph. Surely this…whatever it is, won’t even make the first bend. Well, good luck, I suppose.” Then, turning on his heels, he strolled back down the dock.

“Jerk,” she whispered, tying her hair back before making her final checks. Every batten and line was exactly in place. She’d taken a risk, designing her own dirigible. Coming up from the lower castes, it took every penny, and without the traditional tradesmen, who were unreliable at best. Besides, their antiquated concepts were tired, particularly for a man’s sport, the women just cheering from the stands. But now, she proudly polished the rails of her very own ship.

A trumpeted chorus and she drifted to the line with a simple steam driven propeller, sails still furled. It would be only wind from here on out.

Closing her eyes, she sensed the breeze across her face, becoming present in the moment - the smell of the concessions, and the restlessness of an excited crowd. A sweet bite of molasses weed between her teeth and she gripped the solid oak wheel, ready.

Rockets exploded and Nira released the top sail, tension in the ropes catching the outbound wind. The Cutlass had begun, and while Nira was number seventy-two, she was determined to be first.

Ratcheting her sail back, she eased up past the other ships, climbing into the heights. Hers was narrower than most, slipping through with relative ease. She gambled that her design could catch the loftier currents early, but only after clearing the traffic.

“What’s she doing there?” bewildered captains remarked as she ascended. “That’s never been done before,” others said. Even so, she knew she had one advantage they didn’t – ingenuity.

Nira broke into full sunlight just below the rim, the canyon widening toward the top. Her degree of inclination set her back from the leaders, but now, fully exposed, she released everything – seventeen sails unfolding like a morning bloom. They captured the gale and she burst ahead.

Still below the edge, as was the rule, the first bend approached and she gained on the pack. A glance over the railing and she pulled the nearest lever in. Port sails retracted and she drifted left, while the other captains slowed to shift their ballasts.

Ahead, the Goddess’s Eye, a narrow opening in the gorge, quickly approached. Nira purged her billows, dropping altitude and falling alongside the frontrunners. Unfortunately, another captain released a smoke-bomb, and three wider vessels careened into the wall. “Cheater!” Nira shouted. Confident in her course, she maintained speed until the last moment, then dropped her sails altogether, cruising blindly into the haze. “One, two, three,” she counted, certain she was clear before letting her sails fly.

She gassed her balloons into the second turn, but the two closest ships misjudged the curve, colliding into each other. She launched her drag system, rearward sails slowing and pivoting her nose suddenly up over the wreckage. Then, fully retracting, Nira burst ahead.

Barely on the heels of the leaders, the flowing white banners marking the finish line approached. She released a tiny cannon at the bow which blasted a compact package ahead. A dozen new sails unfurled – a kite which hauled her past the other racers, even the Osprey, at top speed across for the win. Fireworks exploded and the crowd roared, for hers was the most exciting ship they’d ever seen. Nira beamed, waving proudly as she drifted back to dock. Victory.

“You!” Perimore Fontleroy found her. “Are the greatest thing to ever happen in this race. How much?”

“For what?

“You, your ship, everything. How much?”

“Honestly, I’m not for sale. It was all a bit of fun. Besides, I’m looking forward to kicking your pompous behind again next year,” she winked, then headed off into the cheering crowd.

Congrats J.F.! nicely done! :)

Ok, mines up. Funny how you struggle with even your own topic, lol.

The Ceaseless Desire

Lesten of Vallagren groaned, blinking his eyes open to the faint rays of a morning sun through the cracks of a shadowed room. He’d been on the run all night and massaged his shoulders, remembering the fall he’d taken – plunging through the floor into the darkness below.

“Finally, you’re awake,” an aged male voice asked from the blackness.

Lesten shuffled anxiously away. “Who are you?”

“An observer. A caretaker,” came the response.

“Caretaker?”

“Of everything here,” the old voice said.

“Lesten glanced at the dusty broken furniture, “You’re not doing a very good job.”

The old man chuckled. “Indeed. But I care for this district and the forgotten knowledge here.”

“You mean the Verge?”

“Ah, is that what they’re calling it now?” He leaned in, sunlight catching upon a deeply cowled head. His long beard extended past the edges, and Lesten could just barely perceive kindly, deeply-set eyes. “I’m Isaac. At least that was my name.” He rose, leaning into an old crooked staff. “You were very brave to venture past the signposts. Or very scared,” he surmised. “What were you running from?”

“Noth…Nothing,” Lesten lied.

“Bah, no one runs from nothing! Your elders have your people so scared of this place, no one ever breaches the quarantine anymore.”

“Quarantine?” It was an unfamiliar word.

“The edge of the Verge, of course! Come with me.” Isaac led him up the basement stairs and back into the sunshine. “Tell me young man, what do you know of this place?”

“This land is forbidden.”

“Yet here you are,” Isaac noted.

“They say the earth is cursed and air, poisoned. A land of evil magic.”

“Evil magic?” Isaac chuckled again. “Tell me, do they still use flame lanterns in your village? No machines, right? No technology?”

“They’re outlawed. The stories say machines destroyed the world.”

Isaac sighed. “And they’re not far from wrong.” They approached a broad plaza overlooking the land below. Isaac motioned to the lengthy building-lined streets stretching away in all directions. “Now, try to see this city through different eyes.” There were thousands of structures in the valley. Some were small, not much larger than the cottages Lesten was used to. Others soared to the sky, yet all were broken, overrun and reclaimed by the natural world.

“A city? I’ve heard the stories. Places were great numbers of wretched people lived together.”

“Lived and worked, but hardly wretched. Most of them were quite good. ‘Twas the fools they followed that destroyed the world.”

“From the Calmlands, you can only see trees,” Lesten said. “And I’ve snuck past the limits before, but never this far. It was dark and…”

“I see. The texts say this city was once New Atlanta, a city of the future. Look here.” Isaac’s staff pointed to a heap of rusted metal along the road. “That was a machine called a car. People used it like you use a horse and wagon, but it relied on an engine instead of an animal. And that crater in the distance?”
Lesten nodded.

“The destructive power of man – a time of atomic energy and the final promise of Tesla’s wireless power. Mankind had even advanced so far, we could cross hundreds of miles in a single day, even took to the air and nearly reached the stars.”

“What happened?”

“Same as always happens – conflict and death. The ceaseless desire for more. Even the dogmatic drive of religion,” he answered. “All of these machines, which brought so much convenience and power to mankind…”

“Power?”

“An invisible power – electricity – the source of energy that made the machines work, even the devices of war.” Isaac produced a small object from beneath his cloak. A beam of light shot from the end into the nearest car, carving a hole into the side.
Lesten was astounded. “So could anyone use this power?”

“With some training, yes,” Isaac replied. “In fact, I’d been hoping for someone to continue my research. I’m getting too old and won’t live forever. Humanity has so much more potential than horse-drawn carriages and wooden villages. Perhaps, someday, we can relearn to use this technology safely and reclaim our destiny among the stars. Back in my lab…” Isaac suddenly froze.

Lesten withdrew the knife from between the man’s ribs and tossed it away as he fell. In its place, he took Isaac’s weapon. “This should do,” he grinned. “Now, maybe they’ll fear me. I’ll show them what real power is.” Then, he bolted away.

His life fading, Isaac lamented, “The ceaseless desire...”

Thanks, Jot! Have fun camping!

Hey everyone, here's the challenge for this month.

Theme:
The City of Tomorrow

Required elements:
A disaster or calamity
A retro-futuristic power source

Hey everyone, here's the challenge for this month.

Theme:
The City of Tomorrow

Required elements:
A disaster or calamity
A retro-futuristic power source

To help polish our skills and present a flavour of our art to other members in the group, I am continuing this friendly contest for those who would like to participate. There is no money involved, but there is also no telling what a little recognition and respect might generate. The rules are simple:

1) The story needs to be your own work and should be posted on the goodreads (GR) Discussion board, which is a public group. You maintain responsibility and ownership of your work to do with as you please. You may withdraw your story at any time.

2) The stories must be 750 words or less.

3) The stories have to be science fiction, follow a specific theme and potentially include reference to items as requested by the prior month's contest winner.

4) You have until midnight EST on the 22nd day of the month to post your story to the GR Science Fiction Microstory Contest discussion. One story per author per month.

5) After, anyone from the LI Sci-Fi group or the GR Science Fiction Microstory Discussion group has until midnight EST of the 25th day of the month to send me a single private vote (via GR or to author.jotrussell@gmail.com) for a story other than their own. This vote will be made public once voting is closed. Voting, and reading each story before voting, is required. If you do not vote, your story will be disqualified from the contest. You don't need a qualifying story to cast a vote, but you must offer the reason for your vote if you don’t have an entry.

6) To win, a story needs at least half of the votes, or be the only one left after excluding those with the fewest votes. Runoffs will be run each day until a winner is declared. Stories with vote totals that add up to at least half, discarding those with the fewest votes, will be carried forward to the next runoff election. Prior votes will be carried forward to support runoff stories. If you voted for a story that did not make it into the runoff, you need to vote again before midnight EST of that day. Only people who voted in the initial round may vote in the runoffs.

7) Please have all posts abide by the rules of GR and the LI Sci-Fi group.

8) For each month, there will be three discussion threads:
a) Stories - For the stories and the contest results only.
b) Comments - For discussions about the stories and contest. Constructive criticism is okay, but please avoid any spoilers about the stories or degrading comments directed towards any individuals. If you want to suggest a change to the contest, feel free to start a discussion about the idea before making a formal motion. If another member seconds a motion, a vote can be held. I will abstain from voting, but will require a strong two-thirds majority to override my veto.
c) Critiques - Each member can provide at most one critique per story, with a single rebuttal by the author to thank the critic and/or comment to offer the readers the mind set of the story to account for issues raised by the critique. Critiques should be of a professional and constructive manner. Feel free to describe elements that you do and don't like, as these help us gain a better perspective of our potential readers. Remarks deemed inflammatory or derogatory will be flagged and/or removed by the moderator.

9) The winner has THREE days after the start of the new month to make a copy of these rules and post a new contest thread using the theme/items of their choosing. Otherwise, I will post the new contest threads.

Jot Russell

Contest Creator/Director


Hey everyone, here's the challenge for this month.

Theme:
The City of Tomorrow

Required elements:
A disaster or calamity
A retro-futuristic power source

I'll be traveling tomorrow but will try to post a new theme as soon as I can.

Thanks J.F. I'm glad you guys liked it.

J.F. wrote: "Chris Nance's "The Message" makes good use of the theme, and the elements especially. It reminded me of my favorite The Outer Limits episode, which bothered me for days after seeing it when I was 8..."

Thanks J.F. for your review. I really appreciate it! :)

The Message


Martin Sowell turned through the dozens of pages enclosed within the brief before him. As the director of National Security he had a healthy dose of skepticism, even given the accumulated evidence.

“NASA confirms. Hawaii, Mexico, and Greenland all verify the same,” I explained from my podium at the far end of the conference table flanked by commanders from every military branch. “Of course, China denies anything.”

“China always does,” he noted. “So, what are we looking at here?”

“A binary sequence, thirty seven seconds in duration. 1.35 terabytes of information.”

“And as chief science advisor in this matter, Dr. Wilson, what does it mean?”

“Well, um,” I nervously opened my laptop, fumbling at the keys; ironic, as I’d lectured astronomy and astrophysics for nearly twenty years, had led hundreds of symposiums, but here, my hands trembled. Addressing the Joint Chiefs and National Security advisor peaked my anxiety. “It’s definitely extraterrestrial,” I explained, transferring the image to the screen behind me. “Originating from Rigel Kentaurus, or Alpha Centauri, approximately 4.3 lightyears from Earth.”

“And it’s artificial?” a general asked.

“Yes, sir. Confirmed.”

They shifted, whispering.

“Of course, being so close to Earth, it’s frequently monitored, but for decades it’s been relative silence – just random space noise. Nothing remarkable.”

“So, what’s changed?” Sowell asked, when a tall soldier entered the room and whispered into the Security Chief’s ear. “Hmph.” He motioned to the screen. “Looks like someone’s been talking to the press.”

Behind me, my presentation became the local news, which split into a second channel, a third, then nearly two dozen separate sources from around the world, all with basically the same caption: “’Not Alone Anymore.’”

Sowell continued, “Well, with the cat out of the bag, what can you tell us, Dr. Wilson?”

“Um, again, a binary code repeating every thirty-seven seconds for almost exactly twenty-four hours.”

“To make sure the entire planet received it.”

“We think so,” I agreed, then returned my original presentation to the main screen. “Anyways, a fairly straightforward sequence, deciphered with rudimentary mathematics.”

“And?”

“Oh, it’s a message, we think.”

“We gathered that,” he remarked impatiently. “What does it say?”

“Well, we think it’s a warning,” I explained. “A series of images…mostly of Earth.”

“Mostly?”

“Yes.”

More whispering.

“And it looks like they’ve been watching us.” I hit play.

Haunting clacks and strained groans, an alien language, accompanied the presentation – hundreds of images beginning with war machines and explosions, followed by the concentration camps of World War II. Images flashed with spent battlefields, the capture of Saigon, the killing fields of Cambodia, and the destruction of the Twin Towers in New York. There was war and torture and destruction, finally culminating in the most fearsome visual of all, the enormous mushroom cloud of a thermonuclear detonation. The alien clicks and groans continued. Earth appeared – image-enhanced from across the vastness of space. Suddenly, the planet began to implode, contracting upon itself, before disappearing into a singular pinpoint of starlight which itself faded away.

Stunned silence filled the room.

Next, more clacking, this time gentler. Fields of wildflowers appeared, children playing joyfully, and people of every type and background helping their neighbors. Beautiful cities merged with nature, while smiling families boarded starships soaring for the sky. Next, shocking images showed strange alien creatures warmly welcoming humans into their civilization – a new era of otherworldly possibility. The message concluded with stylized avatars of dozens of different beings, one of them clearly human, and all grouped together in community. A few final alien clicks and the images faded.

Martin Sowell nervously cleared his throat. “What’s your interpretation of this video, Dr. Wilson?”

“Well…I,” I stumbled, suddenly put on the spot. “Even without understanding their language, the message seems clear. If we continue as we are, the Earth will be destroyed. But if we can find a way…well, the potential is astounding.”

He brooded deeply, fingers intertwined and his expression heavy. “I’ll brief the President. Thank you Doctor. That’s all.”

Outside, it was ten minutes for my Uber. Leaning back into the bench, I was joined by a slender man with thick glasses and a worn briefcase.

“So?” he asked.

“I think we did it. We convinced the world it was real.”

“But will it really change anything?”

“Deception is a tricky business,” I replied without even glancing over. “The greatest minds in science are with us.”

“And if this fails?”

“Then we’ll move to stage two.”

“The virus?”

My Uber arrived and I rose. “For peace? Whatever it takes.”

Congratulations, J.F.! Great story! :)

Perspective

“Please read the charges.”

“Pfft, if you must,” Narphon Corplthrat stood in righteous indignation behind an invisible shield, twisting the end of his villainous antenna, eyes shadowed by a brilliant column of light in the pitch-black, cavernous chamber. These people, this civilization, were beneath him, mere specks, as a virus would be lost against the immensity of a star.

“Charge number one: Planetary Tyranny.”

“Nonsense!” Narphon rejected. “If not for me, the Thereg would’ve been destroyed! They were on the verge of leaving their system for the nearest habitable world, and those Corpallia would have devoured them all! You should be thanking me!”

“So, you enslaved them?” the arbiter noted.

“The Thereg? It worked, didn’t it? The sweet serenity of a controlled populace. Reminds me of my youth.” Then, he smirked, crossing his arms proudly, confident in himself. “You know, My father really knew how to subjugate an entire populace…a visionary! An iconic mentor! Shame he stood in the way of a much larger dream. After his termination, I knew there was no going back.” Narphon glared devilishly. “Anyways, the Thereg are still here, aren’t they?”

“And the other planet? You nearly eradicated them.”

“You mean processed…for food. The Corpallia were experiencing a famine, so I harvested the bulk of their population to feed the Thereg, leaving just enough Corpallia to thrive on their existing rations. Fairly clever really…though neither really appreciated the irony,” he realized.

Whispers from the shadows, and the next charge was read, “The second charge: Planetary destruction.”

“You’re taking that out of context!”

“Do you deny it?”

“I deny nothing, especially the destruction of Korla,” Narphon said, “and you can’t ignore the good I’ve accomplished.”

“How, in your delusional mind, can you justify the destruction of an entire planet?”

“Delusional? I did the galaxy a favor! Those Korlans where about to open a dimensional breach to the twelfth realm that would’ve flooded the entire sector with Netherbeasts. I took action, graciously commanding my drones to acquire their gateway and incorporated it into my world crushing engine. Happily, their planet was the perfect test subject and our experiment went off without a hitch. It was such a relief to see Korla crushed into oblivion on the first try. Honestly, we’d never done that before and my scientists needed a win. I mean, if that thing had failed, boy, it would have been bad for them.”

More whispers.

“So, are we done here?” Narphon asked impatiently. “I’ve got things to do.”

Low mumbling and then, “The third charge…”

“You know, I’m over this. I honestly don’t know what all the fuss is about and don’t get why so many systems put up such a fight. I’ve saved whole civilizations from the suffering of plagues by devastating their population before the disease gets out of control. I’ve prevented long, drawn-out wars by providing doomsday weapons to both factions. I’ve even commandeered dangerous technology and eradicated their ability to produce more by wiping the minds of the greatest scientists. I can’t tell you the number of cultures I’ve saved from the drudgery and confusion of their own freedoms by subjugating whole star systems at a time.” He clenched his fist in defiance.

The floor shuddered.

“And this is the thanks I get – captured and tried whilst you taunt me. Honestly, I’ve never encountered a species as suspicious and ungrateful as you. You call yourselves ‘Hoo-mon.’ Stupid name, if you ask me.”

The floor rumbled again.

“Still, for all the good I’ve done, it seems I’m now to be nothing more than a curiosity for a primitive race of giants. “Don’t you know who I am? I am Narphon the Beneficent, Savior of the Naive, Liberator of Ingenuity, Conqueror of the Doomed! This is outrageous! I am beyond such interrogation! I demand you kneel before me!”

“Enough! For your crimes, the punishment is…”

A click, and the entire space filled with blinding light. Narphon Corplthrat finally faced the enormity of his accusers.

“Mom wait!” Tommy shouted as she lifted the clear plastic cup, smashing the little insect flat with a newspaper.

“Seriously, Tommy, I told you and your brother not to bring those disgusting things in the house. Keep your animals and insects outside. I’m not telling you again.”

“Aw, mom…it was just some fun.” William switched his flashlight off. “Its buzzing almost sounded like talking.”

“Well, Michael was looking for you two. Said something about a new alien invasion game.”

They immediately bolted for the door. “Sweet!”

Paula wrote: "Just a few comments.
First, Jeremy, what a sensational story! Beautifully written, draws the reader in immediately, well paced, and exceptional world-building and characters one can connect to.
Ch..."

Thanks for your review, Paula. I appreciate it. :)

Falling


“Now entering the outer thermosphere. Friction rising,” he heard, a vaguely familiar voice stirring his mind as he fell. “Sam, you have to wake up,” she said, fading to a memory…



“Why this one?” a heavy shadowy figure huffed.

“Who ever knows?” a second voice replied, lighter in tone. “The mask chooses…”

“...the hero, I know. ‘Selected for their strengths and enhancing their weaknesses.’ But why this one? He just seems so measly and pathetic.”

“Why are any of them chosen? And is any other Initiate really so different?”

“Hmph,” his deep voice grumble. “But can he do the job?”

“He’ll have to, if his Earth hopes to survive.”

Blackness became fire.



“Sam, you just passed fifty kilometers. Atmospheric friction is easing. Entering the stratosphere and approaching terminal velocity. C’mon, wake up.”



Blackness returned.

A nearby explosion, and alarms blared. Sam Hallock was tossed from the table, landing weakly on all fours. The floor shuddered – eruptions and screaming in the distance. He staggered lightheaded for the door, glimpsing himself in the window across the hall. Beyond it was empty space. His reflection stared back, donning a dull grey mask, his body fit with a similarly drab jumpsuit, just a bit too snug. Sam ran his fingers ran along the edge of the mask and it glistened unexpectedly at his touch.

“Hello, Sam.”

“Who…?” Still dazed, he turned anxious circles but found no one.

“Don’t be afraid.”

“Where am I?” he asked frantically.

“Aboard the Support Ship Noscalene,” the ghostly voice replied. “We are currently under attack.”

“Where are you?”

“Inside your mind, Sam.”

Then, he rediscovered his reflection in the corridor, the suit shifting from gray to deep blue with glowing accents. “What’d you do to me?”

Blackness, then the rushing of air.



“Passing thirty thousand meters. Estimated impact radius, one mile.”



The deck-plates rumbled.

“You’ve been chosen as Earth’s Warden, a great honor. I’m you’re A.I., Tess.”

“Artificial intelligence?”

“Exactly,” hints of joy in her response, “the interface built into your mask, and I’m pleased to say that I have completed your physical reconditioning. Your genetic code has been successfully enhanced for exceptional potential. Each new ability is based upon your own genetic makeup, meant to strengthen those areas where you’re weakest. Lucky for you, humans are particularly unremarkable.”

“Meaning what, exactly?”

“You’re now much more than human. Your inventory of modifications include supersonic flight, thickened dermis, plasma energy projection, heightened…”

“This is a joke right?”

“The level of enhancement reflects weakness of the host.”

“So, you’re a parasite?”

“Paras…? I am the collective pinnacle of achievement of the greatest minds in the galaxy!” Tess took offense.

“And, these abilities?”

“Frankly, your species is so weak,” she said sarcastically, “that your enhancements are especially formidable. Your task is to defend the Earth.”

“From what?” he asked, the corridor suddenly drifting into shadow.

“Well, today…that,” she replied as the decking rumbled again. “The Korlin Terminus.”

Sam marveled at the ominous ship looming just past the window, its pitch black hull drowning out the stars. Suddenly, a hatchway slid wide and a hulking beast lumbered in, four eyes scowling. “Fantastic!” it grinned. “You’re awake! They’re headed this way…”

A sudden blast and the alien toppled forward dead, its back smoking.

“Shit!” Sam panicked and bolted back into the room.

Puzzled, Tess remarked, “Don’t worry, Sam. This one’s easy.” His vision changed and he saw through the walls. Two slithering monsters lurked the hallway outside, weapons drawn. “Are you ready?”

“For what?”

“Orientation. I’ll take you through this first time.”

Sam lurched awkwardly into the hall, surprising the two Korlins who studied him in bewilderment. “Hey,” he grinned nervously.

“Just relax,” Tess advised.

In a flash, he dodged between them, knocking the rearmost creature back the full length of the corridor with a flat-handed impact. Then, he deftly evaded a plasma bolt before turning the creature’s weapon upon itself as it fired.

Stunned, Sam paused to process what had just happened. “That…that was amazing!”

“And there’s so much more to…”

The bulkhead unexpectedly exploded and he was vacuumed into space.



Blackness again then light.

“Ten thousand meters. Five, four, three…Sam!”

“I’m here!” He slammed to an abrupt stop just feet above the ground. “Whoa! How am I doing this?”

“Like I said, enhancements.”

“So, what now?”

“The Noscalene has been destroyed and the Korlin are about to invade your world.”

“What can we do?”

“Defend your people. Become their champion.”