Rodney walked into his grandmothers house and literally felt the fear and dread practically fall off his body as he passed through the front door. He closed the door behind him and realized he could barely remember why he'd been so afraid in the first place.
He dropped his backpack at the foot of the stairs and kicked his shoes off into the pile. The kitchen smelled very much like childhood memories he had been trying to forget. He found his grandmother sitting next to the oven reading Blood Night: Lust. His entrance caused her to look up from her book. "Well how was your first day? I want to hear all about it." She said with a smile as she set her book down and moved her chair over to the small dining room table. Rodney sat across from her and told her everything. It all came out like water freed from a dam.
He told her about his meeting with the vice principal, his history teacher, the T.A. assignment, the fact that he had a crush on his only friend's sister. He wanted to continue but his stomach tightened, like it was fighting revealing the experience by the woods, but, why would he not share that? His grandmother might be able to explain it away, make him feel better about it.
Or she might not believe him. Most people didn't believe in 'intuition', or a 'sixth sense'.
But she had asked, and he had already told her everything else.
His grandmother tried to catch his gaze which had drifted in his silence. "Is there something else?" She asked with genuine concern.
It took all his will power and then some, but he nodded.
Her concern became significantly more intense. :"Do you want to tell me about it?" She asked very seriously.
"I -" He could feel the room closing in on him. He was torn between sharing and running out of the house screaming.
She reached for his hand, and he let her hold it in both of hers. He could feel something gritty on the table, she must has spilled some salt before he had come home. She stared at him with such intensity he felt exposed. "You can tell me, anything." she emphasized the last word, and he felt more now than ever that he wanted to tell her. He could feel her fingers wiggling slightly as she held his hand. "I will never judge you, or punish you, for talking to me." She rubbed the top of his hand counter clockwise and the pressure in his stomach slowly released. He told her about the parking lot, the walk home, the forest, the rage, the darkness, the cold, and the feeling in his stomach until just now.
By the time he ran out of words she had severed both of their plates and sat down again. Before they started eating she complimented his decision to avoid the tree line and the woods all together.
The rest of dinner was wonderful, afterward he did the dishes and cleaned the table, wiping the salt she had spilled earlier into the kitchen trashcan. He put the hand towel back on the oven handle and went back out to the stairs to grab his back pack and head up stairs to start his homework. The closer he got to the front door the more tension he felt return. He approached his back pack carefully, feeling the darkness and tension creep further and further with each step.
He grabbed his bag and decided that for tonight at least he would do his homework in the kitchen.
Presents
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Shades of Justice Page 49
It took some convincing but Dante was able to get Sonya into a hover chair and take her into the kitchen area.
Kelly had made tea, coffee, and cocoa. Warren was working on eggs and toast when Dante moved Sonya into the room.
Gordon pulled a soda from the fridge and opened it. "Warren what were you saying about drones earlier?" he asked.
Warren swapped toast for bread in the toaster and pressed the lever down. "Ever since Kyle cut that doorway into the command center storage, I've been going through it to see what all there is." He flipped the eggs in the pan. "And there's a lot. I asked Technarious about it all and apparently while Blinding Light is rebuilt every few years, there is a huge arsenal of weapons and technology that just sit in storage until they are needed again." he plated the first two eggs next to his toast and cracked two more eggs into the pan. "The drones look like they're at least a decade old but if there are any issues the system can repair them just like the system repairs Blinding Light." Warren finished.
Sonya nodded. "We understand that the drones exist, what did you want to do with them?" She asked.
Warren handed the spatula to Kelly grabbed the plate of eggs and toast and brought it over to Sonya. "I think we could use them to scout the mood base. We can map the entire place out including population movement before we ever step foot on the moon." He smiled proudly.
Sonya was halfway into a slice of toast. "When can they be ready to go? What happens if they are detected or destroyed? How long will it take to get the information we need, assuming they aren't detected or destroyed?" She asked each question between bites of toast.
Warren walked back to the toaster and pulled fresh toast from it. "The drones have cloaking technology. It should keep them almost completely invisible." he said putting the fresh toast in front of Sonya.
"Almost completely?"Gordon asked.
Warren nodded. "Nothing is ever 100% guaranteed. There are thirty two of the drones. So we can lose a few before we're in real trouble." Kelly waved him away from the stove, so he sat down at the table.
"How many is 'a few'?" Dante asked.
Warren shrugged. "Ten? Maybe half? The fewer we have the longer it will take to complete the survey." He explained.
Sonya nodded. "And we can't go and defend them because the reason we're sending them in the first place is so we know what were walking into down there." Warren nodded. "Well then." Sonya sighed. "Only one question remains." Everyone looked at her. "Do we have any sriracha for the eggs?" She asked with a smile.
Kelly had made tea, coffee, and cocoa. Warren was working on eggs and toast when Dante moved Sonya into the room.
Gordon pulled a soda from the fridge and opened it. "Warren what were you saying about drones earlier?" he asked.
Warren swapped toast for bread in the toaster and pressed the lever down. "Ever since Kyle cut that doorway into the command center storage, I've been going through it to see what all there is." He flipped the eggs in the pan. "And there's a lot. I asked Technarious about it all and apparently while Blinding Light is rebuilt every few years, there is a huge arsenal of weapons and technology that just sit in storage until they are needed again." he plated the first two eggs next to his toast and cracked two more eggs into the pan. "The drones look like they're at least a decade old but if there are any issues the system can repair them just like the system repairs Blinding Light." Warren finished.
Sonya nodded. "We understand that the drones exist, what did you want to do with them?" She asked.
Warren handed the spatula to Kelly grabbed the plate of eggs and toast and brought it over to Sonya. "I think we could use them to scout the mood base. We can map the entire place out including population movement before we ever step foot on the moon." He smiled proudly.
Sonya was halfway into a slice of toast. "When can they be ready to go? What happens if they are detected or destroyed? How long will it take to get the information we need, assuming they aren't detected or destroyed?" She asked each question between bites of toast.
Warren walked back to the toaster and pulled fresh toast from it. "The drones have cloaking technology. It should keep them almost completely invisible." he said putting the fresh toast in front of Sonya.
"Almost completely?"Gordon asked.
Warren nodded. "Nothing is ever 100% guaranteed. There are thirty two of the drones. So we can lose a few before we're in real trouble." Kelly waved him away from the stove, so he sat down at the table.
"How many is 'a few'?" Dante asked.
Warren shrugged. "Ten? Maybe half? The fewer we have the longer it will take to complete the survey." He explained.
Sonya nodded. "And we can't go and defend them because the reason we're sending them in the first place is so we know what were walking into down there." Warren nodded. "Well then." Sonya sighed. "Only one question remains." Everyone looked at her. "Do we have any sriracha for the eggs?" She asked with a smile.
Monday, January 8, 2018
Blood and Profit page 71
Kepi couldn't sleep. She, Eamon, Mew, and the rest of the senate were aboard the lead cruiser. Ship one of five hundred in pod one of one hundred, in group one of one hundred and twenty-seven.
She had helped design every step of the planned exodus. Each group of five hundred ships was broken down into pods of five ships. There were one hundred pods per group and one hundred and twenty-seven groups. The staging area for entrance into the slip was over fifteen miles long. They had worked out a staggered pod spacing to give each ship as much space as possible. With an estimated launch cycle of seven minutes per five hundred ships it would take just shy of seventeen hours to get every ship into the stream. And that was if everything went perfectly.
It was going to be a long day and Kepi couldn't sleep. It bothered her that she had seen every phase of this plan through from the beginning but now she would at the last and most important minute, when everything could go wrong, be on the first ship out.
She couldn't shake the feeling that she was running away from her responsibilities.
The logical part of her mind reminded her that her next responsibility was on the other end of the slip. Some unknowable time and distance away and into the future. She was among those who would be expected to pave the way for the colony's arrival, if they even lived long enough to get there, if there was even a 'there' to get to.
Fear gripped her stomach by the throat and flipped it violently. She shot out of her bunk and into the bathroom.
She had helped design every step of the planned exodus. Each group of five hundred ships was broken down into pods of five ships. There were one hundred pods per group and one hundred and twenty-seven groups. The staging area for entrance into the slip was over fifteen miles long. They had worked out a staggered pod spacing to give each ship as much space as possible. With an estimated launch cycle of seven minutes per five hundred ships it would take just shy of seventeen hours to get every ship into the stream. And that was if everything went perfectly.
It was going to be a long day and Kepi couldn't sleep. It bothered her that she had seen every phase of this plan through from the beginning but now she would at the last and most important minute, when everything could go wrong, be on the first ship out.
She couldn't shake the feeling that she was running away from her responsibilities.
The logical part of her mind reminded her that her next responsibility was on the other end of the slip. Some unknowable time and distance away and into the future. She was among those who would be expected to pave the way for the colony's arrival, if they even lived long enough to get there, if there was even a 'there' to get to.
Fear gripped her stomach by the throat and flipped it violently. She shot out of her bunk and into the bathroom.
Friday, January 5, 2018
Lidarion Page 44
They had only been at the library two, maybe three weeks and so very little of their time had been free for them to explore. So the night before they departed, Trent found himself aimlessly exploring the massive building.
About forty minutes into his wandering the found an unmarked door. He placed his hand on the knob and a realization hit him like lightening.
He had not spoken with Alex since the day they set sail. He opened the door and slipped inside to find that the room was full of carved tree trunks. Dozens of them lined the walls of the room. Dozens more hung from the ceiling. His entrance caused the closet few to sway slightly.
He found an empty patch of wall and pulled the door knob from his belt pouch. Alex had said to just touch it to a wall and while he trusted her he still felt stupid doing it for the first time. A thin electric silver line emerged from above and below the door knob and traced out the shape of a door into the wall. When the line was complete he knob turned naturally as if it had always been where Trent had just placed it. The door opened a crack and Trent peaked through the gap.
He saw the darkened central area of Alex's bar. It was the middle of the night and the place wad dark but a quick reach through to touch the wood slatted floor confirmed that it was really there on the other side of the doorway.
He dragged a log over and used it to wedge the door open so there was no change it could close on him accidentally. Once he was absolutely sure the log would stop the door he stepped through into the restaurant.
He was sure the building was deserted and yet he realized he was tiptoeing as if was expecting to get caught. He reached the bar and saw a fairly large rock holding a stack of papers down. He moved the rock and discovered the papers were letters that Alex had been writing them. She had started the day they had left, which is when she realized that something like this late night arrival might occur. Each letter was dated a little later into their journey, she had kept detailed notes as to the state of Lidarion and the status of the captives and the king. He had glanced at less than half the letters when he felt the beginning pangs of homesickness.
He took the letters and found a scrap of paper and pencil behind the bar. He left a simple note, apologizing for such a long absence and promised to return again tomorrow during the day.
With his note finished he gathered the letters and went back through the door, closing it behind him.
About forty minutes into his wandering the found an unmarked door. He placed his hand on the knob and a realization hit him like lightening.
He had not spoken with Alex since the day they set sail. He opened the door and slipped inside to find that the room was full of carved tree trunks. Dozens of them lined the walls of the room. Dozens more hung from the ceiling. His entrance caused the closet few to sway slightly.
He found an empty patch of wall and pulled the door knob from his belt pouch. Alex had said to just touch it to a wall and while he trusted her he still felt stupid doing it for the first time. A thin electric silver line emerged from above and below the door knob and traced out the shape of a door into the wall. When the line was complete he knob turned naturally as if it had always been where Trent had just placed it. The door opened a crack and Trent peaked through the gap.
He saw the darkened central area of Alex's bar. It was the middle of the night and the place wad dark but a quick reach through to touch the wood slatted floor confirmed that it was really there on the other side of the doorway.
He dragged a log over and used it to wedge the door open so there was no change it could close on him accidentally. Once he was absolutely sure the log would stop the door he stepped through into the restaurant.
He was sure the building was deserted and yet he realized he was tiptoeing as if was expecting to get caught. He reached the bar and saw a fairly large rock holding a stack of papers down. He moved the rock and discovered the papers were letters that Alex had been writing them. She had started the day they had left, which is when she realized that something like this late night arrival might occur. Each letter was dated a little later into their journey, she had kept detailed notes as to the state of Lidarion and the status of the captives and the king. He had glanced at less than half the letters when he felt the beginning pangs of homesickness.
He took the letters and found a scrap of paper and pencil behind the bar. He left a simple note, apologizing for such a long absence and promised to return again tomorrow during the day.
With his note finished he gathered the letters and went back through the door, closing it behind him.
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
Spoonerville: Page 16
Between the two, both Derek and Vivian would say that she was the more attentive. Always had one eye on the perimeter, always tracking the exits. Derek had learned at a young age that his sister was the perfect yin to his yang. Where she had natural paranoia and innate awareness of potential danger, Derek was curious to a fault and automatically assumed that everything would work out for the best. It rarely occurred to him that often his sister was the only reason anything ever worked out in his favor at all.
If they hadn't been arguing with each other on the drive home, maybe she would have noticed the SUV behind them, but they were arguing and she didn't notice it.
She did notice the midnight green Rolls-Royce Phantom perfectly parked in their driveway. The playfully sour attitude she had been giving her brother became deadly seriously in a flash. "Behave yourself" She pointed the car as they cleared the tree line.
Derek saw the car and his smile melted into an emotionless mask. "We've got nothing to worry about." He reassured himself.
Vivian snorted and looked in the rearview mirror. "There's always something worry about Derek."
She parked the car on the empty half of the driveway and the SUV rode to a stop directly behind the Volvo.
Vivian and Derek got out of the Volvo as the professional leg breakers got out of the SUV. Derek flipped them the bird on both hands and got no response. Vivian casually dug the Volvo's key across the pristine paint job of the Phantom.
The Phantom's passenger door opened and an older man with chalk white hair braided in cornrows that fed into a mohawk that trailed down his back. He glared at Vivian though custom sunglasses. "Must you?" He sighed with heavy annoyance.
She raised her hand with the Volvo key taking the place of her middle finger. "Paint for peace of mind Triton, If I don't get mine, you don't get yours." She didn't even look back as she stepped onto the porch.
"Bitch" Triton hissed. Derek stopped admired the damage his sister had done. "Oof, this one is gonna be expensive Toni." He smiled at Triton.
Triton glared at Derek. "Bite me pizza boy."
Derek smiled ear to ear. "That's "Prince Pizza Boy" Thank you very much." He gave an exaggerated curtsey.
"DEREK!" His sister shouted from the porch. "Quit screwing around let's get this over with." She growled and walked into the house.
Derek laughed and followed his sister.
If they hadn't been arguing with each other on the drive home, maybe she would have noticed the SUV behind them, but they were arguing and she didn't notice it.
She did notice the midnight green Rolls-Royce Phantom perfectly parked in their driveway. The playfully sour attitude she had been giving her brother became deadly seriously in a flash. "Behave yourself" She pointed the car as they cleared the tree line.
Derek saw the car and his smile melted into an emotionless mask. "We've got nothing to worry about." He reassured himself.
Vivian snorted and looked in the rearview mirror. "There's always something worry about Derek."
She parked the car on the empty half of the driveway and the SUV rode to a stop directly behind the Volvo.
Vivian and Derek got out of the Volvo as the professional leg breakers got out of the SUV. Derek flipped them the bird on both hands and got no response. Vivian casually dug the Volvo's key across the pristine paint job of the Phantom.
The Phantom's passenger door opened and an older man with chalk white hair braided in cornrows that fed into a mohawk that trailed down his back. He glared at Vivian though custom sunglasses. "Must you?" He sighed with heavy annoyance.
She raised her hand with the Volvo key taking the place of her middle finger. "Paint for peace of mind Triton, If I don't get mine, you don't get yours." She didn't even look back as she stepped onto the porch.
"Bitch" Triton hissed. Derek stopped admired the damage his sister had done. "Oof, this one is gonna be expensive Toni." He smiled at Triton.
Triton glared at Derek. "Bite me pizza boy."
Derek smiled ear to ear. "That's "Prince Pizza Boy" Thank you very much." He gave an exaggerated curtsey.
"DEREK!" His sister shouted from the porch. "Quit screwing around let's get this over with." She growled and walked into the house.
Derek laughed and followed his sister.
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Shades of Justice: Page 48
Technarious had given them a week. A seven day vacation from the mess their lives had become.
Dante never left. Kelly returned the morning of the fourth day to check on Sonya. Gordon arrived not long after. Warren was the last to arrive, shortly before noon.
He teleported into the command center in mid sentence. " - narious, couldn't we use the drones - " He looked up from his tablet to see the others looking at him. "Oh, you all came back early." He smiled. Then stopped in confusion. "Why?" He asked.
"Because" Sonya mumbled quietly from the med bed. Everyone turned their attention to her in excitement. Dante shut off the containment field and helped her sit up. "five days ago we were just a bunch of kids with some training, a planet to defend, and a robot to defend it with." She started.
Kelly nodded. "I'm tired of being just a kid barely surviving the world." She added.
"I've finally found something worth really fighting for." Gordon offered.
"This is where I can do the most good." Dante added.
"We've all seen just how hard it is to make it as individuals, we weren't ready to depend on each other, to need each other, but now, we're ready to become a team." Sonya finished.
Technarious nodded. "You telling me or yourselves?" he asked.
Sonya shook her head. "I'm not telling, I'm warning, anyone who gets in our way. We were barely five and oh, thanks to dumb luck, pinch hitters, suicide saves, and really, really dumb luck. All that changes, right now."
"You think the enemies of earth are that afraid of a bunch of kids in a robot?" Mark asked.
Sonya shook her head. "I know they're not, but they're damn well going to fear The Shades of Justice." She stood up on her own two feet.
Technarious nodded again. "Then lets get to work."
Dante never left. Kelly returned the morning of the fourth day to check on Sonya. Gordon arrived not long after. Warren was the last to arrive, shortly before noon.
He teleported into the command center in mid sentence. " - narious, couldn't we use the drones - " He looked up from his tablet to see the others looking at him. "Oh, you all came back early." He smiled. Then stopped in confusion. "Why?" He asked.
"Because" Sonya mumbled quietly from the med bed. Everyone turned their attention to her in excitement. Dante shut off the containment field and helped her sit up. "five days ago we were just a bunch of kids with some training, a planet to defend, and a robot to defend it with." She started.
Kelly nodded. "I'm tired of being just a kid barely surviving the world." She added.
"I've finally found something worth really fighting for." Gordon offered.
"This is where I can do the most good." Dante added.
"We've all seen just how hard it is to make it as individuals, we weren't ready to depend on each other, to need each other, but now, we're ready to become a team." Sonya finished.
Technarious nodded. "You telling me or yourselves?" he asked.
Sonya shook her head. "I'm not telling, I'm warning, anyone who gets in our way. We were barely five and oh, thanks to dumb luck, pinch hitters, suicide saves, and really, really dumb luck. All that changes, right now."
"You think the enemies of earth are that afraid of a bunch of kids in a robot?" Mark asked.
Sonya shook her head. "I know they're not, but they're damn well going to fear The Shades of Justice." She stood up on her own two feet.
Technarious nodded again. "Then lets get to work."
Blood and Profit: Page 70
It wasn't much longer before the evacuation plans fell apart. The colony was ready to go long before their estimated evacuation date, apparently the population more than believed their lives were in danger and found efficiency to be a very useful survival tool. They had also collected enough data from their network of Satellites to confirm the speed and width of the wave. It would blanket the sky in less than eight months. This wasn't a problem for the human population who had successfully tested the ring and was ready to travel through it. But the Starseed's tree was not yet ready and based on its growth rate, they would be cutting their evacuation very, very close.
The Starseeds sent a representative to the colony senate, the representative urged the humans to leave while they could and assured them that the Starseed population would take care of itself. Their collective consciousness had covered almost half the planet in inky darkness and the sooner the humans had gone the sooner they would have less territory to defend from their own thoughts.
The senate discussed for nearly a day. In the end they voted to leave ahead of schedule. By the end of the week, they would abandon their colony.
Mew and Eamon went home for the last time expecting their father to be in sour spirits, just as they were. But he turned out to be just the opposite. He was ecstatic. He met them at the front door smiling ear to ear. "Come in, Come in!" He ushered them in and shut the door behind them.
"Why are you so happy?" Eamon asked.
Their father sat them at the dining room table and pulled a box out from under the table. "My children are going to outlive me." He pulled the top of the box off to reveal freshly printed books. "And I have finished my life's work." His eyes gleamed as he picked up a copy and handed one to each of his kids. "Not a moment too soon I might add." He laughed at his own morbid joke.
"Dad that's not funny." Mew glared at him. Eamon opened the front cover of his book and his father stopped him. "Don't read them till you've gone through the ring." He demanded. "I want this to be the way you remember me, horrible sentence structure and all." His smile softened.
Eamon closed his book slowly and Mew looked like she was about to shatter into a million pieces. She leaned over and hugged him tightly, crying quietly into his shirt. Eamon gave up, stood up, walked over and hugged his father as well. It was the most affection his kids had ever shown him and it made him smile. "You two best not wear yourselves out. We still have to say good bye later tonight."
Mew squeezed him hard enough to make him groan.
The Starseeds sent a representative to the colony senate, the representative urged the humans to leave while they could and assured them that the Starseed population would take care of itself. Their collective consciousness had covered almost half the planet in inky darkness and the sooner the humans had gone the sooner they would have less territory to defend from their own thoughts.
The senate discussed for nearly a day. In the end they voted to leave ahead of schedule. By the end of the week, they would abandon their colony.
Mew and Eamon went home for the last time expecting their father to be in sour spirits, just as they were. But he turned out to be just the opposite. He was ecstatic. He met them at the front door smiling ear to ear. "Come in, Come in!" He ushered them in and shut the door behind them.
"Why are you so happy?" Eamon asked.
Their father sat them at the dining room table and pulled a box out from under the table. "My children are going to outlive me." He pulled the top of the box off to reveal freshly printed books. "And I have finished my life's work." His eyes gleamed as he picked up a copy and handed one to each of his kids. "Not a moment too soon I might add." He laughed at his own morbid joke.
"Dad that's not funny." Mew glared at him. Eamon opened the front cover of his book and his father stopped him. "Don't read them till you've gone through the ring." He demanded. "I want this to be the way you remember me, horrible sentence structure and all." His smile softened.
Eamon closed his book slowly and Mew looked like she was about to shatter into a million pieces. She leaned over and hugged him tightly, crying quietly into his shirt. Eamon gave up, stood up, walked over and hugged his father as well. It was the most affection his kids had ever shown him and it made him smile. "You two best not wear yourselves out. We still have to say good bye later tonight."
Mew squeezed him hard enough to make him groan.
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