《Halfway to Home》 Authors Note - Disclaimer As a note to anyone who has clicked on this and is considering reading: First off, thanks for your interest! I''m glad it caught your eye. Now - Full disclosure time. Halfway to Home is at this stage a completed novel, and is published on Amazon in ebook and paperback form. This includes Kindle Unlimited, and so, you might have some idea of what''s coming next Because it''s hosted in Kindle Unlimited, that does create the requirement for me to not have the book available elsewhere. For that reason, Halfway to Home is only available for free online (on RoyalRoad or elsewhere) up through chapter 4 (roughly 12k words). If you were to want to read the rest, you''d have to use Kindle Unlimited, buy an ebook or paperback copy ($2.99 or 12.99, respectively), or find it somewhere where it''s been hosted without my knowledge or approval.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. If those options are all hard no''s from you, then I would recommend against starting H2H, as the version that exists here is not (and never will be) complete! Book 2, Into the Black will be hosted on Royalroad and freely available for the length of time in which I''m writing it. When it''s done, the same rules will apply - I''ll edit it, and then pull it down. So if you''re starting right now, you''d have to buy the first book, but could read the later books as I''m writing them. I''ll be putting something together by way of a recap chapter, sort of a matter-of-fact rundown of the events of book 1, in case someone partially read through the book and lost track, or just wants to jump in at the current stuff. So that''ll be up soon! Regardless - I didn''t want to catch anyone off guard or trick anyone into starting a project before ripping it out from under them. Happy reading! Chapter 1 I stared down at the printouts, blinking slowly. Dumbly. As though I couldn''t comprehend any of what I was seeing. "Take your time," the creature across from me cooed. They were spindle-thin, with too many fingers and too many eyes and too many legs. Completely and totally alien - which was only to be expected, after all. Alien abduction was something that happened to other people - crazy people living in trailers out in the woods, complaining about the fluoride in city water and the government satellites spying on them in their homes. Not me. I''d learned otherwise. "I...don''t know," I said, furrowing my brow carefully. The alien across from me sighed, unable to mask its smile. Gaelinin, I''d been told to call it. "That''s fine. It''s fine," it said. I understood every word, somehow, despite the fact that its reedy, wind-chime voice should only sound like meaningless, nonsensical noises. They''d...done something to me. I couldn''t remember. But when I''d awoken, my head was shaved, and there were scars all over my scalp. They''d put something in me. I didn''t know quite what, but we could understand each other. "I''m tired," I said plaintively, fixing the alien with my biggest puppy-dog eyes. "Can I go back to my room?" Its skin flushed in the way it always seemed to when it was happy. "Oh. Just a little more, Sam. Just one more. Here. Could you solve this problem for me?" It slid another sheet across to me. I looked down carefully, deliberately slowly. X=4 (2X+10)/2 = ? Inwardly, I groaned. More middle-school math. They kept doing this - checking and double checking my mental acuity, my speed, as though they couldn''t quite believe the results they were getting.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. I stared down at the numbers, pressing my nose closer inch by inch. "Is it six?" I said, pursing my lips as I looked back at Gaelinin. It made the hissing, gasping noise that was its laughter, then held a many-fingered hand up like it was trying to hide the expression. It was a bit of humanity I wouldn''t have expected. "Oh...I''m so stupid," I said slowly. "No. It''s fine, Sam. Why don''t you go back to your room, now?" Gaelinin''s voice said soothingly. My collar beeped. I swallowed hard. That meant I could leave - I could exit the test chambers. Thank god. I''d seen what their device could do, and I could never quite rest easy until I knew it had gone into ''rest'' mode. The fact I''d seen what it could do was the reason I was playing this damn stupid game, after all. I rose, my motions wooden and slow, and slipped into the hall. The panel on the wall beeped, letting Gaelinin know it had locked onto me - following me. They''d let me walk myself home, at least. Why not? Where was I going to go? I stepped from the room, letting the door slide shut behind me. The sound of screaming echoed down the hallway. They weren''t human - I knew that much. I hadn''t seen any other humans on this ship, in fact. But I''d seen them through the windows of their test chambers. The sight of them as I''d first been pulled into Gaelinin''s room had put me into such a shock that I''d been dumbfounded, frozen solid. The tubes hanging from their arms, the way they writhed as the system put them through test after test after test - pushing them farther and farther, finding their limits of mental and physical acuity. I hadn''t realized it at the time, but that very dumbfounded reaction had saved me. The door slid shut behind me as I stepped into my room - tiny, windowless, and bare. There was no doorknob. I was little more than an animal to them, after all - just a curiosity. But they wouldn''t expect greatness out of an animal. They wouldn''t do the things to me that they''d done to the rest of their subjects. And animals wouldn''t be considered a threat. Humanity would be safe. Wherever Earth was. I had to hope that we were still close, at least. It had better be. When I made my escape, I wanted to go home. Slowly, carefully, I ran the plan over in my mind again. The little device Gaelinin wore on its belt would do the trick - I''d seen it open the forbidden doors. The caretaker wouldn''t expect it from me, and that gave me an opening. If I failed, the game would be up. The aftermath would be...unpleasant for me. I was sure of that much. But I had to try. I wasn''t going to stay here forever. Sliding my eyes shut, I pushed the doubts away. There was only the plan. That was all. And it was nearly time. Chapter 2 Some days, it was all I could do to keep up the act. To not just let loose on Gaelinin, with its asinine, repetitive questions, or to try and kick down the door to the horrible little cell they called my room. It sounded easy enough to act like an idiot - any idiot could do it, after all. Right? Oh, that was what I had thought, those first few days when the idea had really sunk in. But while the game was easy enough to keep up for a few days, that changed entirely when those few days dragged on, and on, and on. I tried scratching marks into the wall of my cell, at first. They vanished every time I left for another session with Gaelinin, or for the meager time they gave me to hobble around the hallways. Around, and around, and around, I walked. Their idea of ¡®exercise¡¯, apparently. Every time I¡¯d step back into my room and find it just as pristine as the very first day. I tried leaving notes for myself, or tearing rips into the fabric of my bedspread, or any number of other things. If you can think of it, I did too. But in the end all I had was my memory of how many days had passed, and that failed me soon enough. I told myself it had been months. I knew it was probably closer to years, even if I wouldn¡¯t admit it. The only interaction with another living thing I got was with Gaelinin or the others of its species I saw wandering the compound every now and again, and, well. I had to act like an imbecile. That didn¡¯t leave much room for satisfying conversation. Only a little longer until I made my move. I repeated the phrase like a mantra. Only a little longer. Just a little more. One more day. And another - and another. I didn¡¯t know quite what I was waiting for, but I was definitely waiting for something. ¡°Sam?¡± I blinked, coming back to reality with a snap. The latest printout was in front of me, right under my fingertips. I couldn¡¯t remember it being handed to me. Slowly, painstakingly, I lifted my head. Gaelinin stared back at me with its four eyes, fingers interlaced in front of it. ¡°Are you all right, Sam?¡± It said, every bit as slowly and carefully. ¡°I...uh,¡± I said, letting my eyes drop back down to the sheet. ¡°I¡¯m...sorry. I don¡¯t remember. What exactly am I, um.¡± Lots of stammering - my favorite. Confusion was never a bad reaction, as far as my relationship with the caretaker was concerned. Sure enough, it flushed again, the wiry hair sticking from its skin rustling gently. ¡°There¡¯s no rush, is there, hmm?¡± it said, its voice cheerful. ¡°Just take a deep breath, and tell me how many squares you see.¡± As though I didn¡¯t already know that. There were only so many different tests they gave me in this stupid compound. It didn¡¯t exactly take a genius to figure out what I was supposed to be doing, did it? But, I¡¯d clearly done my job a little too well. Biting back a sigh before it could escape, I glanced back down at the printout. Not before I¡¯d seen the way Gaelinin¡¯s eyes flicked from side to side, almost...nervously. It was anxious. I hadn¡¯t seen that before. It was odd enough that for a long moment my mind was scattered again as I eyed it. Its long, multi-jointed finger tapped the sheet in front of me, even as its other hand dropped down to the belt on its side. ¡°Pay attention now, Sam.¡± Almost by instinct, my chin dropped, my eyes fixing obediently on the printout. I hadn¡¯t been subjected to the same trials as the other subjects, the ones I could hear distantly even as I stared at the squares. The ones howling their pain for all the world to hear. I¡¯d avoided that, so far. But that didn¡¯t mean that I¡¯d never felt the bite of the collar, the jolt of electricity or whatever it was that it had. Gaelinin was softer on me than some of the guards, but it still didn¡¯t react well to being ignored. I masked a grimace behind a yawn. This particular challenge was as simple as ever, but I couldn¡¯t put my mind into it, either. Whatever they¡¯d done to me, whatever they were doing, they were clearly mapping something. I didn¡¯t want them to know I was pulling my mental punches. ¡°I think¡­¡± I said slowly, wrinkling my forehead. ¡°Yes?¡± Gaelinin said, leaning forward to stare at me. ¡°How many? How many do you see?¡± ¡°Uh. I think, um. Twelve?¡± I said hesitantly, offering it a vacant smile. Inwardly, I was confused. It was being so damn pushy. Something was off. Its face fell - assuming I was reading it right. The ridges around its facial structure all seemed to droop, and, well, there were only so many things that could mean. ¡°Ah. Well, thank you for trying, Sam.¡± I grinned broadly, as though I couldn¡¯t see the disappointment in its expression. It turned away, rising from its half-crouch to skitter over to the wall. The sound of keys being pressed echoed through the test chamber. A slit on the smooth, steel-grey surface spit out another sheet. Gaelinin took it, turning back to me with all of its earlier eagerness. ¡°Well, why don¡¯t we-¡± The door slid open with barely a sound. We both stopped in our tracks, turning towards the unexpected disturbance. Another of Gaelinin¡¯s race stood at the door - the Nalitokk, it had told me when I¡¯d asked once, ages ago. It peered in, eyes flitting between me and its colleague. ¡°Did you forget?¡± it said, watching my caretaker. ¡°We¡¯ll be late.¡± Gaelinin jumped, the printout crumpling in its hand as it seemed to come back to itself. ¡°Oh. Oh yes. That is today, yes?¡± The newcomer seemed to glare at it, its eyes whirling. ¡°It¡¯s right now.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Of course. Right. Yes. Ah,¡± Gaelinin turned on me in a flash, its six legs moving underneath it as it accelerated towards me. It took everything I had not to flinch. They were absolutely horrifying to see in motion, drawing out all of those half-buried fears of spiders and insects lingering somewhere in me. But practice makes perfect, and I didn¡¯t so much as twitch. ¡°Sam, sweetling, something¡¯s come up,¡± it said, patting my shoulder even as it keyed something on its controller. My collar beeped. A bit of the tension slipped out of me. ¡°We¡¯ll continue this later tonight. Go get some rest for now, hmm?¡± Its cheeks spread, exposing the sharp, pointed teeth underneath. It was trying to smile - to mimic the human expression. It had been trying to do that ever since it had met me. I hadn¡¯t had the heart to tell it how terrifying a smile was on something as inhuman as the Nalitokk were. Its colleague sighed, settling lower on its haunches as it stared at Gaelinin. I got the feeling it was entirely unamused. But, I¡¯d been dismissed, and that was that. My mind spun. This was...different. Very different. We¡¯d never had a session interrupted like this. I forced myself to keep looking straight as I slowly made my way down the hall, still smiling faintly.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I flopped down onto my bed as soon as the door to my cell shut behind me, hiding me from sight. There was no guarantee that I wasn¡¯t being watched even in my room, of course, but I was probably safe. Safer. One hand reached up as I stewed on the events of the day, my fingers sliding under the smooth, cold collar around my neck. It itched. It always had, and I knew it always would. What was going on? I¡¯d never seen Gaelinin so distracted, so off-balance. Did something happen? Was something wrong? How could I use this? My pulse thundered in my ears. This was it, wasn¡¯t it? The moment I¡¯d been waiting for. I¡¯d been looking for something, anything to tell me that now was the time, the chance to make the final push. I had the caretaker wound around my finger - it was completely convinced that I was harmless. Not that I wanted to hurt it, either. The alien had always been reasonable to me, so far as these things went. It was still my captor. It used discipline if I didn¡¯t listen to it, but not needlessly. A smile crept onto my face, the first honest one in a long, long time. My mind was made up. I would do it that night. No more waiting, no more being afraid, no more backing out. I needed to take action. I could do this. Forcing myself to take deep, steady breaths, I lay back on the rigid, uncomfortable mattress. Something had come up - something that had called Gaelinin away. But it had said we¡¯d continue later, after it was done. If the way its limbs had trembled at the reminder was any indication, it wasn¡¯t going to be any more settled down at that point. I¡¯d have to move quickly, when my chance offered itself. There wasn¡¯t anything actually in my cell, of course. Just the bed and the walls, and a few books they¡¯d given me. They¡¯d hoped I would read and learn, I knew, grinning crookedly. Surprise was on them. But the complete, stark bareness of the room left me staring blankly, feeling the wait stretch on. And on. And on. All of the pent-up terror and adrenaline slipped away as the hours stretched on. How long was this going to take, exactly? Not that I wasn¡¯t used to waiting - I was - but having something new and exciting looming at the end of the tunnel just added a whole level of difficulty to the whole matter. There was no sun in the compound. No moon, no stars. It was a little thing, something that seemed completely obvious. But it had been one of the most challenging things for me to overcome, those first few weeks. Minnesota had gleamed with light, a thousand stars shining off a thousand lakes with the moon high overhead. The sun, beating down endlessly, streaking my already-blond hair with yet more gold. Together, they formed a smooth, seamless rhythm, one that I¡¯d known my entire life. The same truth did not hold true in the compound. All I had were the walls, without so much as a clock to help me keep track of time as it passed. I¡¯d thought about asking for one - but why would they give one to me? This place wasn¡¯t designed for my comfort, and someone as clueless as I was supposed to be wouldn¡¯t care. There was no way for me to get around the facts of the matter, and so I went without. Little by little, my eyes drooped lower. The lights were turning down, dimming incrementally as the compound¡¯s sensors registered my fatigue. The final effect was rather like the nite-lite I¡¯d had as a child; dim enough to cast the room in a murky, grey haze, but bright enough to still keep me awake. I threw an arm over my eyes, swearing under my breath, and rolled over.
The door beeped. My eyes slit open, ever so slightly. I groaned, my limbs heavy and unresponsive. What, now? Had I fallen asleep? The doorbell rang again, a bit more insistently. I blinked, the sleep beginning to flee my mind. I had. Where had Gaelinin gone? It had told me that we were supposed to meet again after they went to their...whatever they had gone to. But from the fog in my head, I knew that that hadn¡¯t happened. I¡¯d slept the whole night through, undisturbed. The doorbell bellowed its complaint a third time, echoed by a crisp, clear chiming from my collar. I flinched. If I didn¡¯t obey, then they¡¯d just open the door anyway, and I¡¯d face punishment for not listening. Forcing myself upright, I staggered to my feet. Morning already. Another fun-filled day with Gaelinin awaited, then. I could hardly wait to get my hands on the math problems and puzzles it had no doubt laid out for us to work through. Wonderful. I still had no idea what was going on, though. Should I continue with the plan? Should I wait to figure out what on earth had happened to get them in such a fuss? The door sensor triggered as I straightened in front of it, pressing a hand to my face as I yawned. It slid open in a whir, my collar beeping its acknowledgement softly. ¡°Good morning, Gaelinin,¡± I said, forcing my eyes back open. And stopped. It wasn¡¯t my caretaker standing in front of the open doorway, even though our routine had gone unbroken for...well, for far too long. I had no idea who it was, in fact. Another Nalitokk - that was all I knew. No. I did know it. It was one of the guards, if I remembered correctly. I¡¯d seen them walking the halls now and again. They¡¯d barely given me more than a passing glance. It smiled down at me. ¡°Good morning, 10177.¡± I froze. What was going on? Who was it, and why was it here? Where was my caretaker? What should I- It reached for my arm. I flinched back despite myself, feeling adrenaline pumping its way through my veins like ice and fire. It seemed to shake its head, its eyes whirling with displeasure. One hand slipped to its wrist - and the little device there. The collar around my neck screeched discordantly. A fog hit me, sweeping through my mind in a heartbeat. I slumped, reeling and grabbing at the frame of the door for stability. It had a tool on its belt - it had been years since I¡¯d held one, and the design was strange, but I knew a gun when I saw one. I eyed it, the thoughts racing in my head, but it was on the far side of me. It was going to be hard for me to get to. And maybe, just maybe there was still a way to- ¡°None of that now, 10177,¡± it admonished me, looming tall overhead. One hand had already closed around my forearm, even as I tried to creep back into my room. My limbs were heavy and limp, too slow to do more than watch as it slapped a cuff around my wrist. No. No. Not now, not when I was so close. I¡¯d been- I was nearly there. I tried to pull back to slide away into the hallway, but I could hardly stand without it holding me up. It smiled the same horror-inducing smile as Gaelinin down at me as it fastened my wrists together in front of me. ¡°See? Come on, now.¡± It reached out, settling one long, many-fingered hand around my upper arm, and tugged me away from the door. I staggered, nearly falling, but it held me up. Its other hand reached up to the panel outside my cell, tapping out a harsh staccato. Whatever black magic they¡¯d worked inside of my head was still working - even though the lettering on the screen should have looked like illegible scribbles, I could read it all too clearly. The guard was entering some sort of command, ordering the room to purge. Whatever that meant. Purge and...lock. A confirmation window popped up. Retire room?
Yes
With one final tap, the door slid shut with a final-sounding click. My blood ran cold. That didn¡¯t sound good. None of that sounded good. Between Gaelinin¡¯s disappearance, our abandoned appointment, and me being whisked out of my suddenly-forbidden room by a guard, I was getting a very, very bad feeling about all of this. That was a good thing in the end, though. The adrenaline pumped straight to my head, electrifying my skin even as my breath came ragged. ¡°Calm down, you freak. Come on,¡± the guard muttered, hauling on my arm again. It towered above me. Every skittering step of its was two of mine. I followed along as best I could, dragged onwards with no alternative, but it had to slow down for me to have any chance of keeping up. I could see the irritation in every line of their being - from the corner of my eye. I wasn¡¯t looking at it. I was looking at its gun. It didn¡¯t notice what I was staring at as he pulled me down the hall. They had no reason to spare me another look - not between it sedating me and the lackluster reputation I¡¯d spent my internment developing. In its mind, I was already handled. Harmless. But there was a lot of adrenaline in my system by then, burning straight through whatever his device was pumping into me. The world was looking a lot sharper than it had a few minutes before. And it had a gun. I swallowed hard, still feeling the fuzziness around the corners of my vision but working hard to force it away. Whatever was happening, one thing was for sure. My plans had just been moved from ¡°sometime later¡± up to ¡°right now¡±. Chapter 3 Shit. The single thought circled in my head, screaming out its protest as the two of us continued down the hallway. I was in trouble. That single fact had become all too clear to me in the last few minutes - but the realization had come too late. I should have found the courage to act days ago. Weeks. Maybe then I wouldn¡¯t have wound up shacked and in the hands of a guard, going god knows where. I swallowed my nerves, offering a thin, nervous smile to the alien. ¡°Uh- what¡¯s, uh. What¡¯s-¡± All four of its eyes fixed on mine, unreadable. It didn¡¯t respond. It did release me long enough to drop a hand to its wrist, keying something into the buttons there. The ring around my neck chirped harshly in response. The fog that had finally been clearing from my mind surged in anew. My knees gave, suddenly unable to so much as support my own weight when faced with the blinding, misty grey that was creeping in around the edges of my vision. My limbs trembled, weak as a baby deer¡¯s. My hands hit the floor hard in a feeble attempt at catching myself. My world went white as my chin slammed down after them. The guard whispered something in its wispy voice, something sullen and untranslatable. I didn¡¯t need to know the exact words he¡¯d said to be able to tell it was a curse. The patter of his fingertips across the bracelet resumed. A moment later, the pressure lifted, leaving me weak and panting but no longer entirely paralyzed. No talking. Got it. Message received. Its fingers were back on my arm before I could so much as twitch, lifting me back off the ground. It was all I could do to keep putting one foot in front of the other, following along just fast enough to keep it from pulling me off my feet entirely. It slowed a hair with what sounded suspiciously like a sigh, apparently recognizing that there was only so much I could do. I was just slow, stupid Sam, after all. With the tiny reprieve I¡¯d been given, I did my best to catch my breath, scanning my surroundings desperately. There had to be some sort of indication as to what was going on, some clue as to what was happening. It couldn¡¯t be a coincidence that Gaelinin had been called away the night before something like this - I wasn¡¯t that stupid. But the compound was always nearly-deserted, even on the most normal of days. It was rare for me to pass one of the Nalitokk in the hallways, and the same held true on our little venture. Through the windows on the doors around me I could see the other victims of their attentions, the same as always. The sights there made my stomach churn again. I tugged against the guard¡¯s grip, trying to see if I could squeeze my way free, but it had me tight enough I couldn¡¯t so much as twist. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. My life in the Nalitokk¡¯s compound was both structured and limited. I slept in my room. I walked to the test chambers. I ate my daily meal there, and was occasionally allowed to walk a circuit around the testing block. That was really about it. With the guard leading the way, we were rapidly departing the areas that I was allowed in. My pulse beat even louder. Already the hallways branching off from around us were growing strange, labeled with numbers that meant absolutely nothing to me. I was only brought this way on the occasions where their ¡®doctor¡¯ wanted to poke and prod at me, or the rare times when I took ill. The knowledge that this was clearly the medical wing did not make me any more comfortable. I flinched, feeling the last of the blood drain from my face as the Nalitokk pulled me straight past the hallway marked Aid. That was it - my last hope, the last part of this damn compound that I knew anything of. From there, I was in the unknown. There was just one sign on the blank, colorless wall alongside us, pointing our way down the long, straight hall ahead. Whatever was in my mind supplied the proper word as the spindly, alien writing flew past - Harvest. I gave up on looking around, fixing all of my attentions on the guard with renewed interest as fear lurched through me. I was running out of time. Its gun was on the far side of me, but one way or another I was going to have to do something. Its collar was still around my neck, filling my head with fog and taking the strength from my limbs. If I could get at the controller on its wrist, I could turn it off - probably. I was fairly confident that I remembered the proper commands. Gaelinin hadn¡¯t been cautious about using its controller, after it had decided I was harmless. Or, I could try and...lunge, somehow. Fall on it? Stumble and trip? If I could get around it, I could grab at its gun. It had bound my hands in front of me. That still left me a lot of freedom. With a weapon in hand, I could...something. I¡¯d figure it out as I went. Eyes flicking back and forth between the guard¡¯s wrist and waist, I knew I had to make a choice. Which was it going to be? If I picked poorly, it would just knock me out entirely, and I knew that at that point I¡¯d probably never wake up again. I stared at it, trying to remember to breathe, trying to calm my racing heart. The gun. If I went for its bracelet, I¡¯d still have to deal with it. They didn¡¯t look all that strong, all things considered - they were just big - but it would still have its gun, and I didn¡¯t even know for sure that I knew the right buttons to push. How was I going to do this? I held the picture in my mind - me stumbling, staggering against its side. Hands flailing, still-bound. Reaching across it as I tried to catch myself. It was trying to hold me up, to drag me onward - it wasn¡¯t trying to hold me away from it. Deep breaths. One after another. I could do this. It would work. Gathering myself, I caught my foot against the floor, awkwardly bending the wrong way, and- ¡°What are you doing?¡± I straightened, half-tripping as a new burst of shock ran through my body. The guard turned, spinning me around in an arc as it pulled me with him. Gaelinin skittered up the hallway at a hundred miles an hour, every hair quivering with barely-contained rage. Its eyes were fixed on the guard, black and angry. The guard paused, eyeing the caretaker. ¡°Executing the Primarch¡¯s instructions. You were made aware.¡± Gaelinin stepped right up to us, its fingers interlaced anxiously. ¡°It hasn¡¯t even been a full cycle yet. You cannot-¡± ¡°Apologies, Advisor. The program has been canceled. You are well aware of-¡± ¡°Then why are you here?¡± Gaelinin snapped. ¡°Long-term holding is in the upper-rimward wing - as you should be well aware.¡± The guard shuffled its feet, as though impatient. I glanced between the guard and caretaker, not bothering to try and hide my own nervousness. Gaelinin¡¯s eyes flicked to mine for a single instant, the icy chill there melting momentarily, but returned its attentions to the guard as it spoke. ¡°It was decided after you left, Advisor.¡± Gaelinin¡¯s wiry, bristle-like hair stiffened as its shoulders tightened. ¡°Decided? Decided what?¡± ¡°10177 did not fare well in holding. As you have proven.¡± My caretaker - the Advisor, I supposed - straightened, towering over the two of us. ¡°As the researcher in charge of the program, that is my decision to-¡± ¡°It was suggested to the board that returning 10177 to holding could cause their condition to deteriorate further. They agreed.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Galenin¡¯s feet kicked at the floor. They were furious, I knew. ¡°That¡¯s not- There¡¯s no proof of that. Mere supposition.¡± If the guard were human, it would have sighed. ¡°The director feels that the results are self-evident - and they felt it would be wasteful to risk further damage.¡± I stared at Gaelinin. Its shoulders drooped fractionally. I didn¡¯t like that. It wasn¡¯t allowed to give up on me, damn it. ¡°That¡¯s wrong, though,¡± Gaelinin murmured. ¡°I know it is. Current techniques...it¡¯s safe enough. And there¡¯s no medical reason that Sam should be...struggling. I can¡¯t just let you-¡± The guard¡¯s hand tightened on my arm. I jumped, wincing, but it wasn¡¯t looking. ¡°Archival is waiting in Harvest, Advisor. There¡¯s a tight schedule to be followed.¡± I could hear the dismissal in its voice, but Gaelinin rallied marvelously. ¡°No. This is not- I will not allow for countless cycles of work by my team to be thrown away on the budgetary whims of-¡± ¡°I am sure that no slight is intended, Advisor Gaelinin,¡± the Nalitokk said slowly and carefully. ¡°I¡¯m sure that your aid in Harvest would be appreciated, if you wanted to close out your project. You could speak to the Archivist.¡± No. I was piecing the picture together, at last. I¡¯d played my role a bit too well, it seemed. Shit. And Gaelinin was beginning to droop more noticeably, its eyes dark as it turned and stared at me. Would it be sad? Was it upset at losing its pet, or its research project? Or did it actually recognize me as another sentient being? It didn¡¯t matter. So long as it was here, I had other tools in my arsenal I could call on. Pushing the fears of what lay at the end of that hallway out of my mind, I let all of it settle into my expression instead. Big, gleaming blue eyes. I¡¯d always been able to put them to work for me back at home - this was just a high-stakes version of that, wasn¡¯t it? I stared at Gaelinin with those round, sad eyes. It flinched, straightening ever so slightly. ¡°Gaelinin?¡± I said, letting the terror soak through those words. It stepped forward slowly, legs beginning to settle underneath it. The guard released me, stepping a half step back as my caretaker approached. ¡°Oh, Sam. It¡¯s all right,¡± it said, putting that horrible smile onto its face again. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I said, letting my shoulders begin to tremble. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Gaelinin hesitated. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s...just a checkup,¡± it said, its voice suddenly too cheerful. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± Just a checkup. Right. When we¡¯d already passed the medical bay, and there was a guard with a gun at my side. Did it think- Well, yes, it thought I was stupid. That was probably why it thought it could talk about these things right in front of me, and that I somehow wouldn¡¯t notice the fact that everything was going straight to shit. ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± I said, shaking my head once, firmly. ¡°I want to go home.¡± God, I sounded like a toddler. But the harder I played the cards I had, the better shot I had of this working. And Gaelinin didn¡¯t exactly have a frame of reference for what a terrified human behaved like, did it? ¡°I know,¡± it sighed, drooping further. ¡°It¡¯s...just for a little bit. And then you can go back to your room.¡± It was lying to me. Over and over again, it was lying to me. Was it trying to be kind, to spare me a bit of fear at the end? Or was it just the easy way out for it? My fear was beginning to fade, just far enough to let a new emotion slide into place. Anger. ¡°I want to go home,¡± I said plaintively, letting my voice rise in a whine. Gaelinin crumpled, its arms going wide as it leaned towards me for a hug. It had been one of the first things they¡¯d pried out of my mind with their endless questions - body language, social cues, the things humans did when they interacted with each other. It had been trying to master ¡®hugs¡¯ ever since. Because, you know, I really wanted to hug a seven foot tall spider monster. But it wasn¡¯t the time for disgust. I leaned into the gesture, not letting any of the revulsion I felt show on my face. It was awkward with my hands still bound, but I managed even still. Every scrap of energy I had was funneled straight into my angry, stubborn drive, fighting back the fog that even then clouded my mind. I only had one shot. I ducked my head as it started to draw back, like I was ashamed. ¡°Sorry,¡± I murmured, my voice full of chagrin. Gaelinin offered me another of its smiles, as the guard¡¯s fingers twitched with impatience. It was creeping closer again, thinking our goodbyes over. ¡°That¡¯s all right, Sam,¡± the caretaker said, all fake cheer still. ¡°I¡¯ll..I-I¡¯ll be right alongside you.¡± They both flinched at the sound of a beep. My head snapped up, even as the cuffs dropped from my wrists. My heart thundered in my ears. I was well aware of the risk I¡¯d taken. But I¡¯d watched. Every time the guards had led me past another subject, I¡¯d watched the way they moved, the command they entered. Every time Gaelinin had grown too comfortable around me, I¡¯d soaked up the information like a sponge, squirreling it away for the day when I¡¯d be equipped to do something about it. With its mind too caught up in its lies - and maybe even a little bit of guilt - the Advisor hadn¡¯t even noticed me slip the device from its belt. I could worry about the collar later. They were surprised - for the moment. I couldn¡¯t let that go to waste. I shoved the device as deep down into my pocket as I could, even as I turned on the guard. They were still caught in a moment of hesitation, drawing back as its arms came up defensively. That was a fine decision - if they were fighting another Nalitokk, or a race that could match them in size. I was short. Their arms being held up protectively to cover their face just gave me the perfect opportunity to spin on my heel, ducking as I pushed off hard, and throw myself past them back towards the rest of the compound. With their gun in hand. ¡°Sam!¡± Gaelinin shrieked, the sound like a storm blowing through the trees. The guard was faster on the uptake, already beginning to lunge for the device on its wrist, but I wasn¡¯t an idiot. I¡¯d been in their compound for years - years spent waiting, mostly, sitting around or completing puzzles for them. It had been years since I¡¯d really worked, or did any of the things I¡¯d done back home. And the tool I held then was different from anything I¡¯d ever touched. The grip was too long, the trigger oddly placed for my smaller hands, and the whole thing was heavy enough that my arms shook holding it up. But it was still a gun. And among other things, my father had taken me target shooting since I was a little kid. He¡¯d been quite insistent on the matter, in fact - although I doubt he¡¯d ever have guessed it would come in handy quite like this. I could use a gun, no matter how alien it was. The guard¡¯s hand was halfway to the button on its bracelet when my finger slammed down on the trigger - hard. The weapon exploded into life, a beam of energy nearly blinding me as the weapon bucked. The guard screamed, a thin, reedy sound as it crumpled to the hallway floor. A hole had been burned clear through its midsection, like some sort of high-powered laser from a B-movie had been turned against it. I flinched. There was...more blood than I would have thought. A lot more. My stomach roiled, threatening to bring the last pathetic meal I¡¯d eaten back up. Gaelinin screamed, the sound painfully real and filled with more terror than I¡¯d ever heard from the researcher. I spun, more than a little green, already gasping for breath. I¡¯d- I¡¯d killed it. Yeah, I had exactly been given a lot of choice, but I¡¯d- ¡°Sam!¡± it shrieked for a second time, arms shaking. ¡°How could you- What are you- Stop this! Right now!¡± It was recovering from its fear and shock much too quickly, I saw with perfect, pointed horror. My thoughts crystallized at the sight, like the world was giving me the time to slow down and actually consider things for a second. I¡¯d spent the last few years with Gaelinin - the good times and the bad. It had been patient with me, responding with blissful, satisfied happiness every time I disappointed it - faked or not. It had taken care of it, kept me alive and sane during my imprisonment. Could I kill it too? Really? Was that right? Its hand was lifting, reaching for me. For the gun. For my collar. I couldn¡¯t tell. I¡¯d heard the screams from the other subjects held by the Nalitokk, though. They weren¡¯t some benevolent race, caring for me from the goodness of their hearts. They¡¯d kept us around for a reason - and once they didn¡¯t see any value in me, well. I¡¯d wound up here. I¡¯d just been a pet to it, just an afterthought, something to amuse themself with, wasn¡¯t I? That was all - and now it had to face the reality that its pet was nothing of the sort. Its teeth were bared. There was nothing remotely comforting about the expression anymore. It was angry. I spun back to face it, feeling my arms complaining at the unfamiliar weight. My finger squeezed the trigger. The blast of light went wide, boring a black hole into the wall alongside the Nalitokk. Gaelinin screamed again, throwing itself to the side. ¡°Fucking hell,¡± I gasped, pulling the trigger again as I heaved it towards the alien. The gun beeped angrily, a symbol popping up on the screen pointing towards me. I wasn¡¯t a Nalitokk, and I didn¡¯t know their armaments, but I recognized a symbol telling me it was recharging when I saw one. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. I¡¯d probably had the thing on the wrong damn setting or something. My eyes snapped back to Gaelinin. It was looking between me and the hall beyond, its fingers twitching. Somewhere behind me, voices were calling. Curious voices. They¡¯d be out in moments, wanting answers. I needed to be well gone by then - I didn¡¯t have time to waste here. Gaelinin gasped as the barrel of the gun hit it in the face - its temple, I was hoping. Or its jaw. I didn¡¯t exactly know how their bone structure worked. But it was as hard a blow as I could muster, and the gun was heavy. Their legs buckled, their eyes sliding shut as they hit the floor. I hesitated a moment longer, sliding my fingers out of the grip. Should I...kill it? Should I take the gun with me? But, the gun was heavy, damn it, and I didn¡¯t have any time at all left to waste, either in sitting around or in slogging through the halls with it. I had a lot left I needed to do before I could claim freedom as mine. Gaelinin¡¯s body quivered as the gun I threw down hit it in the head. The guard lay motionless, blue blood pooling underneath it. I¡¯d been in the compound a long time, restricting myself to a mere fraction of what I could do. But my body remembered. My footsteps echoed dully through the featureless facility as I turned, without another moment of hesitation, and broke into a run. Chapter 4 Once upon a time, I¡¯d been good at running. Good on my feet, fast and agile. Not good enough to do anything like compete on a team, mind. I¡¯d left track and field to the jocks, floating along without much of a purpose at all. But I¡¯d enjoyed the feeling of the breeze through my hair as I jogged, following the trails dotting my hometown as they wound their way through forests and between lakes. I might not have been anything to write home about, but I liked it. Oh, how I missed those days. My feet were already beginning to ache, my legs howling in complaint at the sudden, unexpected return of actual exercise. I flew down the hallways right back the way we¡¯d come. The device in my pocket bounced along with me, a constant reminder that I didn¡¯t have long. They were expecting me in Harvest, the guard had said. They¡¯d no doubt come looking when I wasn¡¯t delivered there on time - assuming that no one had heard me kill the guard and knock Gaelinin out. If they had, well, they¡¯d already be looking. Praying that they hadn¡¯t heard was probably too much to hope for, I knew, considering the way it had been screaming. The shot that had killed my captor wasn¡¯t exactly subtle, either. I was on a deadline. The little sign announcing that Aid waited down an offshoot whipped past me as I kept running. All of my instincts were screaming that I had to run, to vanish somewhere inside the compound, that I had to find a way out. And here I was, running straight back to the test wing. It seemed wrong, and every fiber of my being was protesting against what I was doing. I knew that it was stupid. It wasn¡¯t like I wanted to be back there. But everything that I needed, everything that I could use, was waiting right in the same stifling hallway I¡¯d lived in for the last few years. And they wouldn¡¯t expect it, right? I clung to the thought like a life raft, even as my heels began to blister. The plain white-and-blue uniform they¡¯d had me in for the duration included a pair of thin, utilitarian slippers - which were no use at all as running shoes. I ignored the pain as best I could, gritting my teeth. Careening around one final turn, I saw it - the test chambers. My now-locked room waited, just a few doors down in the other direction. I didn¡¯t give it a second look. The door to the test chamber flicked open at my approach. It wasn¡¯t locked, but that didn¡¯t surprise me. I wasn¡¯t sure it even could lock. I pushed through the gap as soon as it was wide enough, hearing my breath echo through the little room. The familiar desk waited in the center of the lab, chairs right where they belonged. I ducked past it, half-sliding with one hand braced off its steel surface for balance. The door on the other side of the room was locked. It blended in with the walls around it, without so much as a stripe or different shade of paint to set it off. They¡¯d probably hoped I wouldn¡¯t notice it at all. It certainly wasn¡¯t somewhere I was supposed to go. But Gaelinin had grown comfortable with my presence as time wore on, and it had let me see things that I shouldn¡¯t - like their office, waiting on the far side. I slammed my palm into the wall next to the door, wincing in pain as the momentum I¡¯d built up left my skin more scraped and sore than it already was. The featureless wall chirped gently in response - and the screen lit up, hovering just over the paint in lines of barely-visible light. It wanted something - a code, a password, an entry key. My mind raced, filling me with doubts. But I¡¯d seen that too. Gaelinin had forgotten something in their desk, and had treated the whole thing as some sort of adventure, a tour of its domain. It had trusted me. And I¡¯d memorized every scrap of information I could collect from the afternoon. Sitting quietly and waiting for them to get rid of me had never been part of the plan. Of course, I could have always misremembered. With the sudden, horrifying self-doubt fresh in my mind, I faltered, then raised a trembling hand. If I screwed up and entered the wrong code, it could hardly land me in more trouble, after all. I¡¯d already killed. They would already know that something was wrong. Slowly, but gaining confidence, I punched in Gaelinin¡¯s code, the number I¡¯d secreted away in the depths of my mind. Without giving myself time to stop and doubt, I jabbed my thumb through the faintly glowing enter key. The door hissed open, revealing the neat, orderly office beyond. I grinned, relief overtaking even fear as I threw myself through the portal. The rest of the wing, my room and test chamber, had been designed and decorated with at least something of my needs in mind. But this was a Nalitokk¡¯s office, and that made it a different matter entirely. I tried to still my unease, to move past the way the table was too tall and narrow, the ceilings too high. The list of what I needed to do ran through my mind. I needed to get my collar off. If it wasn¡¯t tied into the collar, then I needed to disable whatever sensors or systems inside the compound were allowing them to track me. I needed to find a way out of the compound - not to mention the need to figure out exactly where I was in the first place. I¡¯d never heard rain on the ceiling, or thunder. There were no windows in any of the rooms I was allowed in. Wherever we were, it was isolated. Deep underground, then, or.... I squashed the thoughts that followed. Given that they¡¯d swooped down from the black sky and taken me straight from my bed that night so long ago, it certainly seemed likely that we were still in space. That would make escape harder. There was no getting around that. I swallowed hard, looking around. Even having found an escape route, I needed to make a distraction big enough to get me there. A distraction bigger than a prisoner killing their guard and running loose in the compound. I¡¯d gone and set quite a high bar for myself, hadn¡¯t I? My eyes settled on the screen set into the surface of Gaelinin¡¯s desk. The Nalitokk was important, weren¡¯t they? Even more important than I¡¯d thought. A project leader, they¡¯d said. The guard had called them ¡®Advisor¡¯, and treated them with nothing but respect. A console logged in for a person like that would be just what I needed. I stretched up to my tiptoes, swearing under my breath as I reached for the screen before finally giving up and dragging a box over from alongside the wall to stand on. I was sweating profusely, already sure that I could hear more of the Nalitokk swarming the hallway outside, already certain that I could hear them keying in the door code. My fingers danced across the screen, bringing the console to life. It paused, flickering, before spitting up the same screen that the door had outside. Another password. My heart leapt into my throat. I hadn¡¯t seen it ask Gaelinin for a password before. I had no idea. What did it want? I stared down at the screen, trying not to panic. Ok. Ok. It needed another password. I only knew one. There was no way I was going to be able to crack it. I¡¯d been barely managing to work my way along in general studies at college - I was by no means a programmer. And even the guys I knew who had been good at that kind of thing would never be able to crack an alien computer system on the run. That didn¡¯t leave me any options. I would just have to hope my caretaker was as casual about network security as the people of Earth had always been. Keying in the same password that had gotten me through the door, I paused, hand shaking. Squeezing my eyes shut, I hit the submit button. The console chirped happily. My eyes flew open again. The whole desk was laid out with information, details and metrics and files lit up in brightly colored lines across its surface. I grinned broadly, my fear momentarily forgotten. I was in. Good. Thank god that laziness held constant across species. The fact that the system had to recognize that Gaelinin¡¯s controller was standing in front of the desk probably helped, too. First things first. It was fortunate that the system was clearly laid out for laymen, with clearly-labeled directories - that gave me a fighting chance of finding a damn thing. I needed to turn my collar off before they just zapped me where I stood. My eyes flicked from side to side, reading furiously. Employee Archives. Duty Rosters. Disciplinary Records.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Subject Security. I fixated on the words, my hand snapping out to tap at it. Additional categories popped up at the top. A grin spread across my face. Two words stood out from all the rest like beacons to my eyes - Subject Transponders, and Room Locks. There it was. I punched Transponders. A wall of text scrolled across the desk. I faltered, drawing back. There were...so many categories. So many numbers. Where was I supposed to begin? I scrolled through them desperately. 10177. That was me, the number that most of the Nalitokk in the compound had referred to me as since day one. I had to be in there somewhere. But there were too damn many numbers, too many subjects. ¡°Shit,¡± I muttered, feeling my face drain of color again as I scrolled through page after page. Maybe I was trying to be too complicated about things. I was on an Advisor¡¯s account, after all. There had to be an easier way. Settings. Everything had a settings window. Kicking my box over to the other side of the desk, I reached for the little symbol that waited into the corner. A smaller window popped up obediently, listing off options. I grinned, despite the adrenaline pumping through my veins. There it was - a solution. I couldn¡¯t hit the button labeled Delete All fast enough. The console froze, exploding into light as a dozen different dialogue windows sprang into being. Each of them seemed to be wanting to make sure that I knew full well what I was doing, that I actually intended to delete everything. It wouldn¡¯t be forever, I knew. They¡¯d have backups, copies of the data they could restore. But it only had to last me long enough to get out of the compound. I tagged Yes on windows as fast as I could, beginning to chuckle. The screen shuddered, processing. When it settled, it was blissfully, wonderfully blank. No time to waste patting myself on the back. I backtracked furiously, heading straight for my next target. I needed a distraction if I was going to make a getaway - and I knew just how I could get one.
Room Locks
My grin widened as the window snapped up, listing off countless doors by numbers that meant nothing to me. They didn¡¯t have to - I was already spinning through the lists, selecting wing after wing after wing of rooms. The satisfaction of hitting Lock Open was nearly tangible. But even as I hit the button, I heard the klaxon from outside begin. The game was up - the alarm had been sounded. Swallowing another curse, I flicked back into the settings window. I¡¯d been hoping to get more, to find a way out or even milk their system for a bit of data on where exactly we were. But if the choices I had were ¡°escape¡± or ¡°Stick around and get jammed back into a cell¡±, I was going to escape. There was just one more thing I had to do. I¡¯d seen it when I had delved into the settings window before. It was probably the fact that Gaelinin seemed to have the equivalent of administrator account - whatever it was, I¡¯d make use of it.
System debug Begin sensor calibration
The whole system seemed to slow as I keyed in the final command, struggling in vain to take the load I¡¯d just introduced before finally grinding to a halt. A tiny symbol ticking off the seconds was the only indication left that anything was happening at all. I pushed myself back, jumping down with a thump. I¡¯d done all I could. The Nalitokk seemed to have a perverse fondness for labels, which wasn¡¯t all that odd considering it was a research station. I knew now that the only thing waiting down the wing ahead was Harvest. With that in mind, I felt entirely safe in deciding that heading in the opposite direction was probably best. The siren was still screaming overhead. I¡¯d probably waited long enough. The guards should have their hands full dealing with the prisoners I¡¯d just unleashed on them. Taking one last second to steady myself as I entered the test chambers again, I shook my head. The door to the hallway beyond slid open. It was worse, running on feet that were already blistered and sore. I fled down the first hallway I could, passing room after room of- I skidded to a halt. Room after room of cowering, quivering subjects. The halls were quiet and empty, without any of the angry, suddenly-freed aliens I¡¯d been counting on. What the hell? The truth revealed itself at a glance, though. The few prisoners in the rooms around me were thin and ragged, crumpled up into balls in the corner. Most were covered in wounds or bruises. Some were looking up at their suddenly-open door, inspecting it with varying levels of interest, but none had done any more than curl up tighter or begin struggling to push themselves upright. ¡°Get up,¡± I hissed, stalking over to the nearest doorway, but the creature inside only shuddered, turning away. I pressed a hand to my face, shaking my head. All right. Not quite what I had hoped for. The Nalitokk were nothing if not effective, apparently. Under the eerie sound of the alarm, though, I could hear a different noise building - feet, clattering against the floor. I had seen Gaelinin charge up the hallway earlier. The aliens were fast, with more legs to work with and longer strides than I could hope to achieve. They probably didn¡¯t know where I was, but if they saw me, I¡¯d be hard-pressed to outrun them. They might even have security partitions, doors to lock me in with. I pushed the thought away with a grimace. The system was still melting down under its own diagnostics, with any luck. There were plenty of ways for this to go badly. There was also the ever-present chance for success, though. I slowed, feet flying underneath me, as the sign came into sight. The hallway ahead was larger, like it was a central route, and there were countless names listed on the placard against the wall. Including one marked as Dock - with an arrow. God bless the scientists of the universe and their penchant for neat and orderly facilities. I accelerated towards the main hall, hearing my breath loud and ragged in my ears. The sound of gunfire brought me skidding to a halt again. I threw myself flat against the wall before I could dash out into the main intersection, heart thundering. From where I stood, I could see another uniformed subject down the hallway. Their skin was thick and black, layered like slate, but even across the distance between us I could see the scars covering every inch of them. The white lines coating their skin were nothing compared to the wound in their chest. It oozed greenish fluid. They raised a hand to it slowly, as though they were trying to stem the flow. The thud echoed across the facility as they hit the floor. ¡°Return to your rooms!¡± a voice bellowed, from somewhere up the hallway behind me. ¡°There will be no further warning!¡± The Nalitokk guards, then. Wonderful. I¡¯d run straight into them. At least it sounded like they couldn¡¯t just knock everyone out and be done with it. My plot with the computers was holding up for the time being. I had no idea how many of them there were, though. And they had guns. There wasn¡¯t all that much I could do against that with my bare hands. Slowly, I glanced back the way I¡¯d come. There had to be something - a side passage, a nook I could hide in - but only smooth, cold grey walls and subject rooms glared back at me. The few of my fellows who¡¯d managed to stumble to their feet and come to their doors had scattered at the sound of weapons fire, taking refuge in their cells. I could hide with one of them, possibly - but then I¡¯d be risking being locked in with them, once the system reactivated. The guards weren¡¯t going to just go away. Maybe I could- ¡°Hey!¡± At the sound of the guard bellowing, its voice eerily discordant, my heart froze. I¡¯d waited too long, I¡¯d lingered when I should have just run. I really was an idiot. My eyes snapped back towards where they stood, widening. There was no one there. I blinked, staring dumbly, but no angry alien appeared in front of me. ¡°Return at once!¡± the guard repeated. I could hear it moving - them moving. There was more than one. And they weren¡¯t talking to me, I realized. Slowly, carefully, I craned my head around the corner. The two guards were nervous - their eyes flitted here and there nearly faster than I could follow, and their skin quivered disconcertingly. They were advancing down the hallway towards another subject. My heart sank. Whatever race of alien it was, it looked like a child. It hardly came up to the Nalitokks'' waists, for christ¡¯s sake. It shrank back, steps faltering. My mind screamed for me to run. This was the chance I¡¯d been waiting for, a stroke of the good luck I¡¯d gotten precious little of lately. While they were dealing with the alien kid, I could run the other way and be gone. Logically, I could have made the argument that the guards were simply too close - they¡¯d hear me running. They had guns, and the second they heard footsteps, they could just turn around and shoot me. I could claim that it made tactical sense to attack while they were distracted, seizing their weapons as my own. I¡¯d no doubt need them, if I was going to get to the dock. Those arguments would have made sense. But there was no room for logic in the pent-up frustration and anger that had been building over the years of being trapped in a cage, made into some alien¡¯s pet project. There was a canister of something left outside one of the subject¡¯s rooms, chemicals for their care or gas for their breathing or whatever. I didn''t know, and I didn¡¯t care. It fit nicely into my palm as I seized it, and that was what mattered. Like hell I was going to let them shoot a child right in front of me. The kid¡¯s eyes snapped to mine as I lunged out from around the corner. They were white-on-white, nearly invisible against his smooth, alabaster skin. The guards were turning, drawn to the sound of running. I grinned at the sight, a small bit of comfort that I¡¯d made the right choice. My arms ached as I heaved the canister up, hoisting it over my head. The first Nalitokk hissed in pain as the canister hit them in the head. They staggered back, droplets of blue blood flying as they hit the wall. I was hot on the improvised weapon¡¯s heels, though, hands outstretched. We tumbled together, a mass of grey skin and white cloth as my fingers latched around its throat. It was struggling - harder than I had expected. The bastards were big, and I was already tired from running. But there was no way in hell I was going to roll over and die, either. I squeezed for all I was worth, eyes wide with terror, and tried not to let it buck me off. Its friend was turning, though. The barrel of its gun swung up, taking aim. I was on top of its colleague, damn it! It should be a little more cautious about shooting another guard. What if it shot both of us? It seemed to have no such fears, as it glared at me. Its arms steadied. I gritted my teeth, mind a blur. There was- there was nowhere left to go. There was no way I could get to the other guard¡¯s weapon in time. I blinked, confused, as a set of thick, heavyset fingers gripped the Nalitokk¡¯s arm, pulling the gun back down. Two sets of fingers. The alien kid had to stand all the way on his toes as he reached up, barely tall enough to grab the guard¡¯s arm, but he was managing. His skin writhed, the smooth, colorless white erupting in coils and veins as he cocked his head, tugging the guard closer. The guard struggled, raising its other hand to punch the subject. It never had the chance. I gaped, aghast, as the hallway erupted into high-pitched, nearly inaudible screams of agony. Blue droplets of blood scattered across the floor as the kid tore the guard¡¯s arm in half without hesitation. Authors Note - Last call for book 1 Hi there - So, just like the title says, this is the final warning before book 1 of Halfway to Home is published- and thus removed from RR and elsewhere. I''m planning on publishing next Monday, so that''s your deadline to finish if you''re still reading. Need a little more time, or just want a copy of the unedited version to keep? Leave a comment here, or in the end-of-book chapter that comes before this one!If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. https://www.reddit.com/r/Inorai/comments/azlc69/h2h_book_1_without_a_trace_end_point And if you enjoyed this, don''t go anywhere! As soon as I start writing book 2, those chapters will be posted in this story on RR. So you don''t have to do anything to be notified when book 2 starts. Thanks so much for reading, and I''ll see you all again next week! A/N - H2H is now live! Happy Monday "> Today, I¡¯m thrilled and excited to be able to say that the first book of H2H is complete and is now available on Amazon! Now, I do love the name Halfway to Home, but it¡¯s really more fitting for the series as a whole - so, that name has become the series title, and book 1 is published under the name Without a Trace (WaT. I couldn¡¯t not.) Some quickie details - The links: Ebook version: US|UK|DE|FR|ES|IT|NL|JP|BR|CA|MX|AU|INA case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Paperback version: US|UK|DE|FR|ES|IT|JP The ebook is priced at $2.99, as with my other ebooks, and the paperback for this novel runs at $12.99. As with all of the books I have on Amazon, buying the paperback will get you the ebook version for free with matchbook. And, like all my others, H2H is available on Kindle Unlimited, for those of you who have it "> so read away!
Fair warning - I''m going to be an incredible nag about reviews. I apologize in advance! Hitting certain benchmarks for reviews allows for the novel to be displayed in the ''recommended'' slots on Amazon, so this is really massive for getting it as visible as possible. If you''ve read it and you have a few minutes to write a line or two, please consider leaving one!
To each of you who has been a part of this novel up until now - thank you. The support people have had for H2H has been stunning and heartwarming, and I absolutely love being able to work on these projects together with you. To anyone who has been reading - if you commented on a part and did not receive your copy of the unedited original, please let me know! I can''t give those out to new folks, because of Kindle Unlimited, but I do want to ensure that everyone who had asked for one gets that "> Where do we go from here? I''m definitely not done with H2H, and I will 100% be continuing to post the parts here! Moving forward I''ll be working on my urban fantasy project (the sequel to Silvertongue) and probably the first book of my high fantasy project (see: Reverie). But, I want to start working on book 2 before too long, and I will continue posting those parts right here. So, stay tuned "> Thank you so much for reading!