Science Fantasy Short Story {Reaper: Chapter four Part Two}

In the future, where man has traveled to the stars and beyond, there exists guilds with special abilities. Two such guilds are the guild of assassins and the guild of mages. Their laws prevent them from working together. Reaper is the story of two members of the guilds, who ignored their laws and who fight for the greater good.

Genre: Science Fantasy Romance

Bomba stood up and removed her robe. She placed it on a hangar near the bathroom door as well as her pants. She walked into the bathroom and proceeded to take off her underwear as she moved closer to the mirror. She stared at the ruby red jewel, in the center of her chest. The jewel itself was pretty, but the resultant scars from the surgery were not. If she dressed as the women of Union did, she couldn’t wear anything low-cut. It would expose the power source of her tech. She turned around and glanced back at the large metal disk that travelled parallel to her spine. Tek Nok was not cyborg. But was there really a difference? She had decided long ago, that she was simply an enhanced human. So why did she feel less than a woman?

She turned around and stared at the face in the mirror. The brown eyes that stared back at her were eyes of cold indifference. The tear that rolled from the left one suggested otherwise. She waved her hand and the mirror turned black.

***

“Bomba? Where is your cloak?” Jokka’s red skin was redder than normal.

“I left it in my ship.”

“Why would you do something so foolish? Are you trying to get killed?”

Bomba shifted uncomfortably in the booth. “No. I used a concealment spell on the way here. I apologize but I have very little time in this booth. I found the Reaper.”

“What? Listen Bomba. You are in good standings with the Tek Nok. Let this be. Turn your back on the rebels and—“

“We are not rebels. We are trying to protect the Union. If the government doesn’t wake up, we will become the slaves of the Kainians.”

“Bomba…. You and I both know that this mission doesn’t have anything to do with the rebels, Kainians or the government.”

Bomba placed her hands together. “I call to ask a favor of you. I need a sanctioned tesseract bag.”

“You have one.”

“I need one to give to the Reaper.”

Jokka’s jaw tightened. “So, you are giving away our tech now?”

“No. A limited edition. One that he can’t decipher. I will pay whatever credit that I can even if it takes a lifetime. But I need to do this and if I don’t have him on my side. I will go alone.”

Jokka shook his head. “You have always been a stubborn one.” He reached just over his ear and rubbed his left horn. “I have one that has been sanctioned to give to a rich acolyte. He has made several high-end donations to our guild. I can give you that one but I want one of your spells in exchange.”

“Why? You can’t use my spell language.”

“I will study it and translate it.”

Bomba sighed. “What spell do you want?”

“I want your flight spell.”

“No deal. That is one of the spells that makes me unique among members of the guild.”

Jokka scoffed. “As if you have a choice.”

“You are right, I do not have a choice, but I would offer you another spell that you may find interesting.”

“Which is?”

“The holographic monster summon,” Bomba said. “I can design it and send it to you. You wouldn’t have to learn anything. You can just summon it when you are in trouble.”

“I get to choose the summon?”

“Yes, the size of course is at my discretion. It takes a lot of energy to make a solid light holograph.”

“Yes, what I have in mind will only come to my knee.”

“Your knee?”

“Hey, I like cute things.”

Bomba rolled her eyes. “I will get it to you tomorrow. When can I expect the Tesseract?”

“I will send it this evening. It should reach your location in two to three weeks.”

“Three weeks? Travel time should be at most three days from the capital.”

“Mail is slow.”

“You are an arch-mage. Make it faster.”

“Yes, I am an arch-mage and you will do well to remember your place.”

“I mean no disrespect,” Bomba said as she bowed her head. “But time is of the essence. The longer we wait here….”

“Say no more. Even though I don’t agree with the danger you are placing yourself in, I sympathize with your plight. I will get it to you in five days.”

“Thank you,” Bomba said.

“I have security to consider, so you must return here in four days to receive instructions on how to retrieve it. At that time, I will expect you to give me that spell.”

“Yes.”

“Bomba, do try to live as long as you can. As my protégé, it is my hope that you will one day replace me on the council.”

“You are much too ornery to ever be replaced.”

 

End of Part Two of Chapter Four.

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The Book of Ruth: Finding #Love the Biblical Way {The First Date and more}

Previous Post: Don’t Chase too Hard, but don’t run away

This is my final post on finding love the biblical way. I hope that it has helped someone.

I doubt that you will even need to have multiple dates in your life, but there is nothing wrong with it. The bible says cast your bread on many waters and surely it will return to you. Well you can apply that to dating and meeting people.

Which leads to another question—how do you get to the first date? You have put yourself in position to meet someone special. Ideally, Boaz should ask you out. However, Boaz can sometimes be rather clueless. Therefore, like Ruth who had to present herself to Boaz, sometimes you have to tell your Boaz too. I understand if you are a woman and you don’t feel comfortable asking a man. And sometimes you won’t have too.

In my experience when a Ruth type asked me out, it was indirect and there is nothing wrong with that. A simple statement along the line of, “we should watch a movie together” is sufficient. I hope that your Boaz isn’t too dense. I hope that he or she will get the picture. There is always the possibility that he doesn’t want to get it, but if that is the case, then it is time to go on to the next one.

There are subtle ways of asking someone out, or showing interest. I think there is a place for passive aggression in dating. Like the young lady who faked falling so that her interest would catch her. Don’t try that. Some people do not have good reflexes. You could end up in the hospital.

But then again, you might meet the doctor of your dreams.

For the most point, if you are not willing to be brave and bold your chances of meeting your Boaz becomes slimmer. That is the thing with life, chance favors the bold and miracles favor those who persevere.

 

Now we have to ask ourselves.

Did Ruth and Boaz date? If you look at the book of Ruth, you would be hard pressed to call it a date. Their interaction started in the field. However, if we look at dating as a form of courtship, we see that dating itself is like water and can take the shape of the culture it is enclosed in.

Boaz and Ruth had a steady form of interaction. As she worked in the fields, Boaz made sure that she felt comfortable. He talked with her and helped her because he admired her.  If you look at their date as a progression, they went from a non-date, to the big date and on to the really big date (marriage).

That is how a relationship should behave. It should progress. If it slows, that is good. If it moves fast, that is not necessarily bad. However, in most cases, taking it slow is better.

While taking it slow, you can be cautious and allow your potential love interest to earn more and more of your trust. Don’t play games or treat him or her like a lab experiment. Just watch and pray. Look for red flags. Don’t ignore them. If a person attempts to tell you who they are—listen to them.

This goes more into the realm of maintaining a relationship. Maybe one day I will write about that, but that is for a later time.

A warning about sex.

The best thing you can do is to wait until marriage. It is easier if you a virgin, but it is rare to meet a virgin in their twenties, and that drops significantly when you are in your thirties. Moreover, the idea of two virgins actually coming together sounds nearly impossible.

What if you are not a virgin, but you wish to wait? I suggest that you gauge if the person you are dating has the fortitude to wait until marriage. If not, then understand that if you pursue a relationship with this person you may end up in a relationship that is flawed from the beginning.  It is not impossible to have a good relationship—if you are in the bed before you exchange wedding vows. It is just a really bad idea.

If you are already on the train and you are thinking that if I stop this train abruptly I am just going to derail and destroy—yeah, that is highly possible.

A train has to be slowed first. You and your mate can undo a lot of damage if you stop, make peace with one another and decide that you will march right into marriage hand in hand the best way possible. I know that it can be done…. I also know that it is one of the hardest things to do.

Good luck.

As stated earlier, this is the final post on Ruth and Boaz. It is not my final post, I will definitely continue the popular Short Story Saturdays, even if I am taking a break from that this weekend. But I will also post my thoughts on other subjects as well, so please stay tuned.

You can buy my adult scifi novel Hearteless: A Journey to Second Earth  @amazon or here.

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The Book of Ruth: Finding #Love the Biblical Way {Don’t chase too hard, but don’t run away}

Previous Post: Flirt with interest

I am a romantic at heart. No, I am not a romance novelist. However, every book that I have written has a romantic element. I am a fan of love. I love seeing happy couples together and cringe when I see unhappy couples tolerating one another—I see that a lot. When I read the book of Ruth, I was fascinated. They actually dated in biblical times. Who knew? Seriously, I read it and I want to share what I learned. I don’t know how long this series will last, but I will keep going until it is done.

I don’t wish to beat a dead horse, but even when you are in the beginning stages of a brand new relationship don’t show yourself to be desperate. You are going to have to put your heart in a minimal security prison. This is true whether you are male or female.

You are going to need to follow your heart, to avoid any type of regret, but you should follow it when it is ready. You shouldn’t chase after anyone to the point your actions border on the line of stalking. But at the same time, you shouldn’t play so hard to get that your love interest questions if you are worth it.

Let’s be honest. He or she has no idea if you are worth it or not. They have an idea but they don’t truly know and if you play mission impossible, you become a message that will self-destruct in five seconds.

Boom.

As odd as it may sound, your chase needs to be balanced with your retreat. For instance, suppose you ask your love interest out and they give you an excuse; do not worry about it. The excuse may be legitimate and if it is not, the truth will eventually come out. A good indicator that they are into you is if they lead you to an alternative. Directly or indirectly. For instance they may say, “I can’t go this weekend, because I have to ***** but I am available next weekend if you want to hang out.” If that is the case, just reschedule.

What should you do with a flat out rejection? Put it in a box and flush it down the toilet—literally. This is just the precursor to the first date and even if it is the first date, you can’t go all in—not yet.

Personally, if I asked a young lady out for Friday and she says she has a hair appointment, I would take myself out. I would do something for myself, something to show love for myself—that is important. You can’t expect anyone to love you if you don’t love yourself.

At any rate, while you are balancing the line between chase and retreat, you have to communicate. Be as straight forward as possible. Remember, no games. Games are for children and if anyone tells you different, they are probably playing to lose.

Communication is important because everyone is different and you have to decipher what is the right level of pursuit. It is also different with men. It is acceptable for a man to chase, but currently, that is an outdated idea. Repeat after me: “Steve Urkel was a fool.”

But that’s another post.

At this point, the best I can tell you is to not to chase too hard, but surely don’t run away. And this is where the confidence, self-esteem you have built up comes into play because you are going to have to rely on your instincts for the most point…. God Bless.  

The next article will post within a week.

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The Chronicles of Free & Stryker {The Date Episode 2 of 2}

In the year 2304, sentient androids enslaved mankind, as well as many other humanoids throughout the galaxy. Over the centuries, pockets of resistance rose to oppose them. These are the chronicles of one such team, who even in the face of impossible odds, fight to free the galaxy.

Vira re-calculated the probability of success, ten percent. She cursed. As for all species in the known universe, date three was a critical point in a relationship and at this point, Vira had little hope. Ten percent wasn’t much better than zero percent.

As they flew through space, she realized that the meteor shower was the source of the space flight cancellation. A storm that Free’s subspace field allowed him to pass through as if it was a passing rain. She imagined being in his arms decades, may be even centuries from the moment. After all, even a droid could dream.

Once on the surface, she tried desperately to fix her helmet hair. Somehow, the radiation had flattened her curls. Disgusted, she dropped the probability counter.

Free put his space suit away and grabbed Vira’s hand.

She gasped.

“What’s wrong?”

She composed herself. “I am shocked that you would hold my hand.” Honesty was the best policy.

He let her hand go. “Sorry.”

She frowned. “No.” She grabbed his hand. “I do not mind. I just want you to want to do it. Free…I want you to feel what I feel….” She let his hand go. “Now that we are on the same team, I know that things can get awkward. If you do not want a relationship…. I understand. I know how you feel about my people—and even though, I would never enslave another living being. When people see me, they only see my distant relatives. That or some plastic doll, without feelings or emotions. Anyway. It’s just that if you see me that way, please don’t tell me. I don’t want—”

Free grabbed her in the small of her back and pulled her close. Without her heels, she had to stand on her toes and kiss him. The back of her neck and upper back felt hot, electricity bounced from her spine to every appendage of her body. He released her. “I guess I can be hard to read. I don’t believe in PDA on a duty station. And I am probably as romantic as a rock. But I like you a lot. If I didn’t I would have never came. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“So, now that we are here? What do you want to do?”

Vira smiled big. She kissed him again, held it for as long as logic would allow and pulled back. “The theme park.”

Free smiled. “Haven’t been to a theme park in decades.”

She heard a youthful joy in his voice. She didn’t need her probability counter anymore. The mission was a success.

The End.

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The Chronicles of Free & Stryker {The Date Episode 1 of 2}

In the year 2304, sentient androids enslaved mankind, as well as many other humanoids throughout the galaxy. Over the centuries, pockets of resistance rose to oppose them. These are the chronicles of one such team, who even in the face of impossible odds, fight to free the galaxy.

 

The probability of success was twenty percent. Too low. Much too low. She pulled her sweater down for exposure. She would assess the situation as she received data. The automated door, announced her arrival. She adjusted her crimson tights and took a deep breath.

The door opened.

 One point two seconds passed. To him it was only a second. After all, he was a cyborg. His processing speed only increased during combat. She however was a female Nu Droid, a gynoid. One point two seconds was an eternity.

Her six-inch stilettos needed another three centimeters to achieve optimal height. His one-piece suit, was loose enough for comfort, but accentuated his broad shoulders and thick pectorals. She became self-conscious. She was wearing casual wear, while he was wearing the standard issued uniform for all covert teams. His skin was too dark to recognize any flush, but he glanced down at her body and looked approvingly. “Vira. You look good.”

A compliment. Probability of success, forty-nine percent. “You look outstanding, too…. Free, I don’t wish to rush, but the transport will leave in twenty minutes.”

“Yes, of course,” Free said. He didn’t reach for her hand. Why? Was it because she wasn’t human? Was he afraid that her hand was cold as death? If he would just touch her, he would know that her body operated just as a human would…and her skin was warm to the touch. Three dates and he hadn’t touched her. Probability of success, thirty-seven percent.

“So what do you have planned for us?”

“A trip to the Snow Mountains of Fenris-7,” Vira said.

“Sounds good,” Free said.  At the external transport, Vira’s heart sank. Across the board cancellation. She cursed.  Success rate dropped to zero. “It’s not a problem,” Free said. “It’s only forty-five light minutes away.”

“We can’t just take a covert sanctioned ship.”

“Meet me on the surface in ten minutes.”

“But why?”

“Trust me.”

***

   Ten minutes later, she was on the surface of the space station. Free was wearing an armless space suit. Like her, he didn’t need it, but it was standard issue. His bronze arms turned to a metallic gold. He was in combat mode. Vira hesitated. “What are you going to do?” she asked via wireless communication.

“We have a window that lasts maybe thirty seconds.” He held out his arms. “Come on.”

An embrace? She stepped toward him and placed her arms around his neck. She leaned in.

“Hold on tight.” He stretched out his hand and energy emitted from his palms. They lifted up and away from the space station. A red energy field surrounded them and their speed increased.

“You can fly?”

“Yes,” Free said. “If I go all out, I could probably get us there in a little over an hour.”

Vira squealed. “This…this is amazing.”

“I can’t tell if you are in awe or disappointed.”

“A little of both, in awe because you are you. And disappointed because I was supposed to plan our third date and we are depending on you to make things right.”

“Do you regret travelling this way?”

“No.”

“Maybe some things happen for a reason. This is one more thing that I have shared with you that I have only shared with Agent Stryker. If I wasn’t making sure he wasn’t blowing himself up with a crazy experiment, we could have optioned for an earlier flight.”

“It amazes me, how much you care for him.”

“Eh, like a little brother.”

“Now that I have been ordered into your squad, will you see me as a little sister?”

“Do you ask all your dates questions like that?” Free asked.

Vira processed her words. She wished that she could hide under a small rock. “I didn’t mean to sound so creepy.” She saw a cosmic cloud and thanked the Universe; this was an opportunity to change the subject. “Look at the colors in that cloud. It’s like a cloudy rainbow.”

Episode 2 is available. 

You can buy my adult scifi novel Hearteless: A Journey to Second Earth @amazon or here.

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