Occasionally, I like to give a complimentary copy of my book "Wormhole Moon" away as a thank you gift. I did so today at my college graduation. People seemed genuinely thankful. I thought, why don't I share a little of it with my readers? They might enjoy it enough to want more. Okay. Here is an excerpt from Chapter Two: "The Discovery of Planet Meritor."
Back on the
newly discovered alien planet, Captain Wilory and Major Striker just sit for a
while and take in all the scenery. The waves of the substance that looks like
water were remarkably slower moving than Earth water. Even more interesting is
the fact that their soaked spacesuits are now completely dry. They decide that
food and water would be a good idea at this point—they have been through quite
an ordeal. They remove the food rations from their leg pockets and begin to
eat.
Steve stands up
and starts to walk along the beach. The sand is like the finest white sand on
Earth, with the addition of what looks like tiny diamond crystals mixed in. The
harmonic tones continue to emanate from the shimmering sand with each step he
takes; when he scoops the sand up in his hands and lets it run through his
fingers, a symphony of soothing melodies ring out as the sand hits the beach.
The colors of
what looks like beach grass are vibrant, and the smell is sweet, almost
intoxicating, like a combination of almonds and maple syrup.
Deon gets up
too, sprinting for twenty yards then coming back. He’s amused by the music he’s
making as he runs along the sand. He starts to dance. Steve, returning from his
stroll, is amused, shaking his head. “You always seem to find a way to have a
good time!”
“Hey, watch
this!” Deon says as he executes a perfect back flip. As he lands, the sand
sings out in harmony, and he raises his hands in triumph as if he is a
world-class gymnast.
Suddenly, a
deafening clap of sound fills the air, startling the two astronauts. The smell
of ozone is all around them, almost to the point of being suffocating—there’s
an alien ship about forty feet in the air, just a hundred feet down the beach!
The ship is
completely silent. Grayish-black in color, it is acutely angled in form,
probably to avoid detection. The hull of the ship is covered in what look like
intricately carved designs and symbols. It begins to scan the astronauts with a
light beam. They can feel the heat from the beam on their bodies as the ship
approaches and descends very slowly.
Landing gear
extends from the bottom of the ship and it sets down, a hatch on the side
opening slowly. There is a pause and four very large humanoid figures emerge.
They are wearing a sort of crystalline armor that appears to bend light as a
means of camouflage. They carry what looks like a ring of light in one of their
hands that measures approximately four feet in diameter, obviously some sort of
weapon. The sentries take up a position in front of the ship. It is clear that
their technology is more advanced than Earth technology. Two more ships
suddenly appear on either side of the astronauts.
A tall alien
emerges from the ship. He is dressed in elaborate headgear and robe-type
attire, an elegant, crystalline mask covering half of its face, leaving just
its mouth exposed. The alien appears to be a person of authority.
“Stay where you
are,” he says. His mouth does not move—apparently, the alien is a telepath. The
astronauts think to themselves, “They speak English?”
“No. You hear
your own language,” the alien replies.
* * *
The alien’s
name is Balan-Gaal, chief of security for the planet. He was one of the few
original settlers on Meritor and one of the architects responsible for the
design of the wormhole moon. His personality is formal and methodical in
nature. To date, he does not jest, quip or joke in any way. He is completely
focused on his role and responsibilities and is very proactive when carrying
them out. He duplicates himself in his personal guards and staff, leading and
mentoring them well. He has the innate ability to hear everything going on
around him, even during a full conversation. Formerly the assistant to the
chief of security of their original home planet, he basically ran the entire
security force for the former chief, personally selecting and training the
elite guards that protect the Planet’s Brajeh and family. [Brajeh is the
Meritor equivalent to an earthly king.]
When their
archenemies, the Khorathians and Chemdi-Shakahr, attacked and destroyed their
planet, they killed the chief of security. Balan-Gaal, who also performed as
the chief’s personal bodyguard, took on five Chemdi-Shakahr at once to protect
the former chief, killing them all before being transported to the new planet.
That was no small feat for a force of one. The mask he currently wears covers
the injury he sustained to his face in that fight. It is said that he still
personally carries the shame of his assumed failure to save his chief, mentor
and friend ever since.
Balan-Gaal was
sent by the Brajeh as one of the key members of the forward team to
administrate the population and security of their new planet, Meritor. Enemies
who are even only slightly familiar with him do not underestimate him.
* * *
Steve looks
over at Deon and quips, “So, Mr. Science—there’s no such thing as aliens?”
The tall alien
looks at and slowly nods to the sentries. Two of them throw rings of light
toward the astronauts with amazing speed—the motion comparable to the
devastating serve of world-class tennis player Roger Federer. As the rings
instantly approach, the lights and colors they emit are spectacular and nearly
blinding. The rings strike the astronauts squarely in their chests, and they
fall unconsciously to the ground, as if dead.
The sentries carefully recover the fallen astronauts and their helmets and carry them onto the ship. The two ships providing cover rise and rotate a hundred and eighty degrees. The central ship rises and joins them. The ships fly away silently in tight formation and at amazing speed toward the city. There, the astronauts will be interrogated as spies.
Thank you for reading "Wormhole Moon." If you enjoyed this and would like to read more, it is offered in a paperback and digital format. Look out for the "Wormhole Moon II." Thank you.
