Define Stress: just another day at the office for the Ghost Corps

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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lisalowewriter

6 years ago

So excited that this is doing so well. Fell in love with Tornahdo.

Author

Kayelle Allen

Reply to lisalowewriter

Thank you. This is a lot of fun. 🙂

Helen Henderson

Now I have to cross-stitch that quote for myself.

Reply to Helen Henderson

I know, right? It begged for a banner with a cross stitch font. 🙂

J Q Rose

What an imagination you have! The Ghost Corps, Tohrnado, and he didn’t know he’d have to die to be a ghost? LOL..This book sounds like a reader’s treat.
JQ Rose

Reply to J Q Rose

Thank you 🙂 I knew it was an unforgiveable sin among the Ultras who follow Pietas (who are known as Sempervians in later books). But it nagged at me that there had to be a reason beyond being found out as immortals. Their blood would have healing properties — sure. But what else? Thinking about that led me to the conclusion that humans would have used it even if it meant taking every drop. After all, they can revive so why not? It was that cruelty that led Pietas to so vehemently oppose the practice. And of course, his friendship with Six, a human who’d been resurrected using that blood. The Bringer of Chaos series tells that story.

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

Define Stress? Working with idiots...

Lights Out by Kayelle Allen