Science Fiction Books Archives - Page 22 of 26

The Corps issues a stern reminder

"Master Sergeant, you made us all proud by your service. You volunteered for the corps and your commanding officer recommended you at the perfect time. Three Ultras were captured during the Raid on San Xavier. Ultras you helped take out of the war. Your death at the retaliatory Siege of San Xavier meant you had a chance to fulfill your promise to serve."

"Thank you...?" Why was she telling him what he already knew? "Ma'am."

"The corps will not forget your service, or the promise made to support your family." Coming to a stop before him, she bared her teeth in a deceptive, political smile. "Counting you as missing in action means long-term benefits for your loved ones. Wouldn't it be a shame if your body was found and that ended?"

The usual heat of Ultra blood beneath his skin plummeted. Tornahdo remained aloof and calm, as if he faced a firing squad. A good soldier never forgot a threat.

"The corps spent far too much to toss you out and start over. But be aware, that indulgence extends only so far." The general stuck her face in his. "Are we clear?"

Clear as brittle ice on a bottomless lake in the deep of winter. Menacing. Jagged. Cracking underfoot.

He unclenched his jaw. "Yes, ma'am."

"In the regular army, you shield each other. This is Ghost Corps. Humans are expendable."

He'd spent twenty years fighting an enemy that believed the same thing. So the corps was better--how?

"You are not a human shield, Master Sergeant. You have a single duty. Which is?"

"Ma'am, kill Ultras."

"That's right. This is your second rebirth. We don't know how many more you can experience without harm."

The word none came to mind but Tornahdo kept his trap shut.

"Your enhanced blood gives you enough stamina to kill the enemy. Do your duty. Nothing else. Tell me." The general folded her arms. "Will you draw enemy fire again?"

Yes. Always. That's what set humans apart from Ultras. Humans protected each another. Although for her, he'd make an exception. "Ma'am, Ghost Corps regulations require that I do not."

Lights Out by Kayelle Allen

He can save mankind. After he does one important thing. Die.
Join the Ghost Corps, they said. You'll live forever, they said. You'll save mankind, they said. They didn't say that to do it, first he had to die.
When Tornahdo signs on the dotted line, he puts his life into the steady hands of the mighty Ghost Corps. Three grisly deaths and three agonizing resurrections later, he's assigned duty on the space station Enderium Six.
He's facing his most dangerous mission yet, the very reason the corps exists.
Do they expect him to win? Fat chance. Tornahdo and his team are already dead and this mission is codenamed "Lights Out." No, there's more to this than he can see.
To discover the truth, he must face an unbeatable, unkillable enemy, and this time--somehow--find a way to keep himself alive...

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Free Books: Sci Fi, Space Opera, Cyberpunk, all the good stuff at no cost through Dec 2019 #FreeBooks #SciFi

Kayelle Allen 12/29/2019 Science Fiction Books

If you love reading free books — especially science fiction, space opera, cyberpunk, steampunk and more… join us through the end of December 2019 for a giveaway of multiple books in all these genres. Authors you know, and authors you don’t.

Check out the titles from C Gockel, GJ Ogden, PR Adams, Chris Ward, AA Warren, Suzanne V Reese, Paul Heingarten, Aurora Springer, and more, 43 authors in all. No, you won’t get bombarded by dozens of emails. If you like one author, you sign up for that author’s email alone.

Includes my book, Lights Out, in the Bringer of Chaos series.

Join the Ghost Corps, they said. You’ll live forever, they said. You’ll save mankind, they said. They didn’t say that to do it, first he had to die.

When Tornahdo signs on the dotted line, he puts his life into the steady hands of the mighty Ghost Corps. Three grisly deaths and three agonizing resurrections later, he’s assigned duty on the space station Enderium Six.

He’s facing his most dangerous mission yet, the very reason the corps exists.

Do they expect him to win? Fat chance. Tornahdo and his team are already dead and this mission is codenamed “Lights Out.” No, there’s more to this than he can see.

To discover the truth, he must face an unbeatable, unkillable enemy, and this time–somehow–find a way to keep himself alive…

Free Books

This is a great deal. Be sure to take advantage of this offer of free books while it lasts. It ends right before the ball drops on December 31, 2019! Click below to find the books.

StoryOrigin Event: Blast off with Sci-Fi

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Weird Eyes: a toddler’s view of Luc #SciFi #MFRWhooks #MFRWauthor

Kayelle Allen 12/11/2019 Science Fiction Books 10 Comments

Weird Eyes: a scene from A Stolen Heart

(Be sure to scroll to the bottom to see all the authors taking part in today's blog hop.)

In this scene, Luc has been comforting a crying three-year-old boy whom he rescued. The child has cornflower blue eyes with the slashed pupils of a Kin, a feline-humanoid species. But his aren't the weird eyes...

Luc handed the boy a handkerchief.

Senthys dragged it across his wet nose and eyes, smearing the mess across his entire face. He offered the handkerchief back.

Gingerly, Luc accepted it, folded the wet side in and used the other to wipe the child's face. How did parents and caretakers manage such unsanitary duties on a daily basis?

He dangled the damp cloth by a corner. "I think you should keep this."

"Thank you." The boy stuffed it into a pocket. Winding his curls around a finger, he leaned against Luc's chest, looking up at him. "You have hair like me." Senthys pulled out a long strand. "See?"

"Hmm." Indeed, the boy had loose curls like his, but there, the resemblance stopped. "I think your hair is lighter." By dozens of shades compared to his ebony. "And longer."

Pietas would never believe any of this. Neither would his friends. Nor anyone who knew Luc by any name in any empire.

The boy twisted around. Assuming he wanted down, Luc moved back, but the child knelt between Luc's thighs.

Jerking back, Luc took the boy's hands to steady him. "What are you doing?"

Senthys planted one foot on the seat between Luc's thighs.

"Careful!" Scooting even further back, he shifted his grip to the boy's waist.

"I wanna see your eyes." Senthys stood and leaned in closer, staring at first one eye, then the other. "Wow! They're weird."

"Are they?" His true eyes were the stuff of childhood nightmares. Since Luc had no trouble seeing, his lenses hadn't slipped or been damaged. The weirdness likely referred to their blackness. "I'm sure you think so. Do you know colors?"

"Uh huh."

"What color are my eyes?"

With a clawless, human fingertip, he poked Luc's cheek. "Same as this."

"You mean my skin?"

"Skin," he repeated, patting Luc's cheeks and then his own. "Real Kin have furskin. I don't. I'm not a real Kin. I'm HalfKin."

"I see." He reseated the boy on his lap. "Can you tell me what color they are?"

"Uh huh." Senthys swung one foot, making Luc think of Pietas. "Pink."

Chuckling, Luc tidied the boy's shirt. "Black."

"I get pink mixed up." He gave a huge yawn. "When are you taking me home?"

"Home?" The child likely thought he was being adopted. "I'm here to talk to the headmistress. I'm sure you'll find a home soon."

Senthys sniffed, blinking up at him. "But..." He rubbed his nose. "I wanna go with you. I'll be good. I don't bite." He held up his fingers. "I don't have claws."

Those words wrenched his heart. This innocent had no idea how dangerous Luc was. The poor child would be trading one monster for another.

"Senthys." Careful not to pull the boy's curls, Luc brushed them back from the lad's face. "Saving you from a big bad monster doesn't mean I'm not one."

[bctt tweet="He rescued a toddler from a big bad monster. But now, who is rescuing whom? A scene from A Stolen Heart #scifi #spaceopera" username="KayelleAllen"]

Luc's "weird eyes" are solid black due to full-eye contacts. But what about the real eyes he's hiding? Why does he hide them? Tune in for a new excerpt from A Stolen Heart next week.

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Did you ever dream a story? #MFRWhooks #SciFi

Kayelle Allen 09/24/2019 Character Insights 8 Comments

When You Dream a Story...

I started writing the Bringer of Chaos series when I was seventeen years old. I was sound asleep at home, dreaming about walking the length of a vast receiving chamber, heading for a woman who sat on the throne at the end. The empress was the twin sister of a dangerous man who was not present. He was older than she but he wasn't the king. I didn't know why he wasn't at the time, but that fact worried me. Honestly, to dream a story was never something I thought I could do, but there it was.

I had to walk through rows of soldiers who stood at attention, facing forward. I could not see their faces. I was not afraid to approach the throne. The woman looked amused at how long it took me to reach her. I kept walking and walking but never seemed to get closer. I turned around to see how far I had come. That's when I saw the faces of the soldiers, and my breath caught.

Every one of them had the heads of gray cats.

I woke up and sat straight up in bed.

Why that image should have been so frightening, I don't know. No one was attacking me. No one glared at me. They just looked right at me, and that was enough. To this day, I can see that image.

From that dream was born most of the Tarthian Empire series. The woman on the throne became Empress Rheyn Destoiya. The cat-headed soldiers became the Praetorian Guard, peopled with the Kin, a feline-humanoid race. My Kin do not have cat-heads but they are quite catlike and have pointed ears higher up on their heads than a human's.

Her missing, older brother became Pietas, hero of the Bringer of Chaos series. Discovering Pietas has been a lifelong attempt. Below is an excerpt from the book for you to sample, and you can download the entire first three chapters here.

Excerpt from Forged in Fire

In this scene, Pietas discovers that his friend, Six, has been taken hostage.

"Are you looking for this?" His father's unmistakable voice came to him before the man's faint outline revealed itself in the dark.

Mahikos had captured Six and pressed a knife blade to the ghost's throat. At the point where the blade dug into him, blood oozed.

The blank passivity on his friend's face revealed what Pietas had feared. Six had been compelled into submission. He would stand there and let Mahikos kill him.

Rage propelled Pietas forward.

"That's far enough, Son." He dragged Six backward. "Unless you want your own hands covered in this human's blood."

Pietas ground his teeth. "I will end you, old man."

"Will you?" Mahikos dug the knife edge into Six's neck. "You dared bring this abomination into our camp after it threatened your mother--the woman I love--and you want to end me? This thing is going to die by my hands!"

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Panthers like belly rubs #SciFi #SpaceOpera #MFRWhooks

Kayelle Allen 09/18/2019 Fallen Empires 6 Comments

Flipping onto its back, belly exposed, Tiklaus huffed twice.

"You want a belly rub." Laughing, he rubbed with one hand and stroked with the other.

Tiklaus lolled on its back, legs spread wide, the position trusting and submissive. The big cat sneezed and then rocked to its feet, shaking its head. Claws retracted, the panther batted at him, knocked Pietas onto his back and then flipped itself down beside him. Tiklaus wrapped its front legs around his arm and gnawed at it in gentle play while the hind feet kicked him without injury. Claws flashed, but did no harm.

Now I know how a chew toy feels. He blew out a breath.

When the panther draped itself over his chest, Pietas struggled to slide out from under but could not get up. The animal weighed less than he did, but with no visible effort, it kept Pietas from rising.

"I concede, my friend. You win."

The panther ignored him.

"Tiklaus, off."

Nothing.

"Off, please."

The panther yawned, opening a huge maw. Fangs flashed.

Pietas tried a signal that worked with sparring partners and asked for release by double-tapping the panther's side.

The cat stood at once and stepped over him. It shook from nose to tail, then sat and groomed itself.

He stood and brushed himself off. Standing beside Tiklaus, who reached him mid-thigh, Pietas took pride in knowing this sweet, playful cat was also the snarling ball of animal rage that had nailed his father to the ground. Mahikos had not seen it coming.

He should have let the cat eat him when he had the chance.

Pietas ensured no one was on the path in either direction before he knelt and scratched the cat's ears. "Who's a good kitty?"

The animal sneaked in a lick of his hand and face and flopped down on its back.

"My Tiklaus, that's who. Tiklaus is a good kitty." He rubbed the smooth belly. "Yes, you are! Such a good, big kitty. You're my kitty, aren't you? Good, good kitty."

The panther accepted the attention, one paw twitching. After a moment, it stood and shook itself. A purring sound rumbled from its chest. It sat, licked one paw and added a lick of Pietas's face as well.

He chuckled. "Thank you for the bath." He hugged the panther's neck. "You have as soft a heart as I do but you don't show it either. Pact, my friend. I won't tell if you won't." He kissed Tiklaus on the nose.

The panther bumped its head against Pietas, then bounded to a tree and up it.

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Colonize the Galaxy 1 book at a time #Astronomy #SciFi #MFRWhooks

Kayelle Allen 07/17/2019 Research for Sci Fi Writers 6 Comments

Colonize the Galaxy

When I decided to write Science Fiction, I first did some serious, long-term worldbuilding. I created a future history, designed a language, set up a dating system to show how the various colonies interpreted time, and laid out a plan whereby mankind would inhabit and colonize the stars. I started doing this when I was 27, about 40 years ago.

My initial sketch was on sheets of paper taped together, because it kept getting bigger as I added details. If you're going to colonize the galaxy on paper, you need a lot of room!

Then about 14 years ago, when my son was taking graphic design in college, I asked him to create a galaxy for me to work with in Photoshop. He designed the background, and I then added the details.

To be honest, I always thought scientists and astronomers would have a giggle when they saw it. I'd populated the entire thing in huge sweeps, like an outreaching arm. I figured there were probably far too many worlds in my version, but it was my story, so I decided to go with it.

This year, a press release from the European Space Agency (ESA) announced they had entered the GTOC X competition, using data about reaching 100k star systems in an efficient way. The team provided a video online.

Imagine my surprise when I looked at it next to my own galaxy drawing.

In my story universe, in the upper right corner of the map, I have the Dark Star Realm. On the far right (unmapped on mine), it says Worlds of Wings. Humans aren't allowed there, so no one knows how many inhabited worlds exist in that area. The Tarthian Empire exists in a small area to the center left near the bottom. The ESA team closely matched my fictional conjectures.

Stop the video at the :57 mark to see the image captured at the top of the page.

To download my galaxy map in full resolution, visit the Tarthian Tour Company home page. The map is shown at the bottom and when you click it, it opens full size. You can then download or click again to zoom. Warning: large document -- you might have a wait time.

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The Dragon Dagger and the Ritual of Strength #SciFi #MFRWhooks

Kayelle Allen 06/12/2019 Fallen Empires 1 Comment

The Dragon Dagger

Dessy picked up the dragon dagger and twirled it. "You should let our people know you still do this ceremony. They'd be impressed by your devotion."

"I don't do it to impress anyone. I do it to ready myself for-- Stop!" His sister had been sliding one fingertip along the edge of the blade. He removed the dagger from her grasp, and examined the edge.

"Honestly, Pietas! I was just testing the sharpness."

"I didn't want you to cut yourself."

"I'm as adept with blades as you. More so, if you ask me."

So like Dessy to miss the point. "If you'd cut yourself, I'd have to consecrate it again. It can only have my blood or my enemy's."

"You think I'm witless? As if I haven't performed this ceremony with you a hundred times. And here I thought you were concerned for my well-being."

"Stop playing, Dess. I told you, I'm busy."

She let out a harsh sigh. "Fine. Let's complete the ritual."

Dagger in hand, Pietas unfastened the clip in his hair, and let it fall. The wet tail slapped the middle of his back. He tossed the clip aside, placed the dagger on his palms, and offered it.

She poised her hand above it. "Who offers this weapon?"

"First Conqueror, War Leader of the Ultras."

She took it from him. "For whom are you willing to suffer?"

"I suffer for my people." Pietas turned his cheek.

Dessy slid the dagger tip along his face, from cheekbone to chin, drawing a thin trail of blood. "For whom do you bleed?"

"I bleed for my people." By the time the first drop of blood had risen, the cut had healed, leaving no scar.

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Light blared like a blast of horns #SciFi #MFRWhooks

Kayelle Allen 06/05/2019 Fallen Empires 11 Comments

A Blast of Light

The infernal, cheerful whistling began again. Pietas tried in vain to escape the sound. Shackled at the ankles, hands bound behind him, he remained flat on his back. There were no comfort choices inside his pod.

No. Not his pod. He would never claim such a place.

The prison pod. The nightmare pod. A casket for the living.

Would that whistling never end?

Whoever guarded him whistled, night and day. He must have lips made of steel. How a human kept that up day after day was beyond him. Or perhaps... Did an Ultra guard him? Had one of his people come to free him?

Pietas opened his mouth to call out, and clamped it shut.

If it were one of his people, he needed to wait for them to act. They would do so when the time was right. For now, he suffered bouts of agony as feeling returned to his hands and then left in repeating cycles. His metabolism healed him, but brought pain. He focused on that, accepted the pain, welcomed it, and examined every step of its journey through his body. What one understood, one could bear.

An Ultra does not seek to escape pain. If one inflicts pain, one must bear it. Pain must be borne. Pain is a warrior's ally.

He hovered in a nightmare-filled, windowless, endless monotony of thirst and hunger.

Punctuated with unending lilts of bouncy, alert, happy, chipper whistling.

At first, he'd welcomed the sound. The rising and falling notes broke the tedium of everlasting darkness. It stopped for brief periods, but began again soon after.

He'd considered calling out and asking them to stop. He had gone so far as to open his mouth. But asking implied weakness. He acknowledged no tool of torture.

Beg mercy from humans? Never.

This was not stasis. Stasis meant cessation of thought. Of emotion. A dreamless kind of sleep. The end of awareness. A not-time.

They'd frozen his people in these pods, but they'd imprisoned him.

Or perhaps his blood ran so hot, no human force could freeze him.

The tune changed.

For the love of all that's holy, will you shut up!

Blessed silence fell. But then light blared in his face like a blast of horns.

What fresh perdition was this? They'd tortured him with darkness. Now they'd torture him with light?

Pietas tried to force his eyes open, to face the torture, but after so long in darkness, the light stabbed his eyes. He twisted his head to avoid it.

"You-- you're awake?" The startled voice hovered close, muffled by the pod. "Security! Security! Prisoner Six-Six-Six is out of stasis! I say again, Prisoner Six-Six-Six is out of stasis!"

The alarm in the male voice gave Pietas a measure of pride. Even imprisoned, he engendered fear. They had taken away his name, and given him a number that among humans meant a demonic beast.

Let the legend of Pietas--by name or by number--bring fear straight into the heart of man. No... let it bring terror.

The alarmed voice led him to another thought. Had they not known he was awake? No. These vile creatures had readouts of every type. How could one mistake his beating heart and steady breath for anything other than wakefulness and life? They meant to keep him aware and suffering. They knew.

But whoever was guarding him hadn't. Pietas might hate humans, but he knew the difference between genuine alarm and fake fear. He'd been instigating the real thing for centuries.

Interesting. He could use that.

His eyes adjusted to the light, and he focused on the face hovering over the small window above him.

Was that...Ghost Six?

The light cut off, taking with it the familiar comfort of sight. Pietas bit the inside of his cheek to keep silent.

First Conqueror, War Leader of the Ultras, did not beg.

He did not. He did not.
---

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What is Stress: Not being allowed to throttle an idiot #Humor #MFRWhooks #SciFi

Kayelle Allen 04/24/2019 Fallen Empires 4 Comments

What is Stress? Working with idiots...

WordWeb says you can define stress as difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension. Such as having a boss who's a jerk, or a coworker who's lazy or... well, you get the idea.

In today's post, a snippet from Lights Out, the hero is having a bit of stress...

In this scene, Tornahdo has been chewed out for something that in the regular army would have gotten him a commendation. Even a medal. But Ghost Corps is not regular. Not one bit. He sits down to have a drink and calm himself down, but one thought leads to another.

Tornahdo's family believed him missing in action. He couldn't go out in public. Ghosts got call signs, not new identities. He'd earned his by the way he fought, which, according to those who'd been resurrected with him, was a tornado.

"No, he's Hispanic-Terran," one had said. "He'd pronounce it different. We'll call him Tornahdo."

To which he'd offered a sweeping bow. "Sí. Gracias."

If taken prisoner, the enemy wouldn't find out who his family was, or who other ghosts were. Like any cover story, the more you lived it, accepted and believed it, the more solid it became. He was Tornahdo. Every minute. Every day. Right now, he fought the urge to kick into full tornahdo rage and slam through a certain officer's quarters. On his desk, his former commander had a framed quote, hand-stitched by his wife.

"Stress: the body's reaction to not being allowed to throttle an idiot."

How many times had the man shouted that Tornahdo was stressing him out? More than he cared to admit.

But today, he knew exactly what that quote meant.

Lights Out by Kayelle Allen

He can save mankind. After he does one important thing. Die.
Join the Ghost Corps, they said. You'll live forever, they said. You'll save mankind, they said. They didn't say that to do it, first he had to die.
When Tornahdo signs on the dotted line, he puts his life into the steady hands of the mighty Ghost Corps. Three grisly deaths and three agonizing resurrections later, he's assigned duty on the space station Enderium Six.
He's facing his most dangerous mission yet, the very reason the corps exists.
Do they expect him to win? Fat chance. Tornahdo and his team are already dead and this mission is codenamed "Lights Out." No, there's more to this than he can see.
To discover the truth, he must face an unbeatable, unkillable enemy, and this time--somehow--find a way to keep himself alive...
Lights Out is in the Science Fiction/Space Opera anthology The Expanding Universe Vol 4, edited by Craig Martelle out Sept 17, 2018
https://kayelleallen.com/lights-out-save-mankind/

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Category: Science Fiction Books

Read Sci-Fi books with diverse characters #Multicultural #Fantasy #Dystopian #SpaceOpera #SciFi

What the Corps provides, the Corps can take away #SpaceOpera #MFRWhooks #MFRWorg

What the Corps Provides

The Corps issues a stern reminder

Lights Out by Kayelle Allen

Origin of Pietas

Forged in Fire

Lights Out

Free Books: Sci Fi, Space Opera, Cyberpunk, all the good stuff at no cost through Dec 2019 #FreeBooks #SciFi

Free Books

Weird Eyes: a toddler’s view of Luc #SciFi #MFRWhooks #MFRWauthor

Weird Eyes: a scene from A Stolen Heart

The Antonello Brothers Series

Did you ever dream a story? #MFRWhooks #SciFi

Did you ever dream a story?

When You Dream a Story...

Excerpt from Forged in Fire

Origin of Pietas

Forged in Fire

Panthers like belly rubs #SciFi #SpaceOpera #MFRWhooks

Belly Rubs?

Origin of Pietas

Forged in Fire

Colonize the Galaxy 1 book at a time #Astronomy #SciFi #MFRWhooks

Colonize the Galaxy

The Dragon Dagger and the Ritual of Strength #SciFi #MFRWhooks

The Dragon Dagger

Watch Pietas perform the Ritual

Origin of Pietas

Forged in Fire

Light blared like a blast of horns #SciFi #MFRWhooks

A Blast of Light

What is Stress: Not being allowed to throttle an idiot #Humor #MFRWhooks #SciFi

What is Stress? Working with idiots...

Lights Out by Kayelle Allen