Strange Entropy - Excerpts

In the universe of the Galactic Alliance of Planets, men and women find love and heartache. Some fight for survival, while others slip into the depths of despair. Take an interstellar journey across the galaxy and explore seven tales of wonder and chaos.

Excerpts:

That Which is Forgotten

Hope slid headphones over her ears and clicked the audio button. An eerie siren song, like millions of souls crying out, filled her ears. The tones ranged from high-pitched keening to low rumbling thrums. Surn sang its melancholy song solely for her—a hauntingly beautiful voice pining in the void of space.

Orphans of War

"You have no idea how bad it was at the Chaagua settlement. There were a hundred and fifty children alive at the war's end. By the time rescue came, only twenty-three of us still lived. I did shameful things to survive. I became a wolf child doing whatever it took to subsist off the land. It is not our way to exploit the weak, but I did because I wanted to live. When the opportunity came to apply to the Viper Forces, I put everything I had into it because I wanted it . . . needed it . . . more than you. I vowed to protect the weak from ever having to suffer again.”

No Place to Die

A dark thought slid into her mind. You can be reunited with your beloved grandpa in the afterlife. One bite is all it will take . . . Her gaze rose to the tainted yellow fruit hanging above. She fought the urge to reach out and pluck it from the branch.

Mara shook her head. Where’d that thought come from? Is this place messing with my mind? Grandpa would be sorely disappointed if she didn’t use her wit and skill to survive this forest of death. She held the compass to her chest, filled with a new sense of determination to get off this gruesome planet. Her work wasn’t done. There were many more systems she wanted to map out to further the Alliance’s knowledge of the galaxy.

A Whisper in the Darkness

The nav screen sputtered and winked out. She wearily slumped into the chair, hand going to her forehead. How did things go so wrong? Fuzzy images surfaced in her mind. Emergency claxons blaring. A hand smashing down on the jump drive controls. Something felt wrong when they dropped into subspace—a strange entropy. Time seemed to slow. Her thoughts reeled. It was like she could see every point in the universe at once and then blackness. Her mind felt like it was being ripped into millions of pieces. She had no memory of the ship dropping out of subspace.

The Last Sunset

“Greetings, one and all. Today we celebrate our last day in the sun. The light retreats from the dark void but does not die. Instead, in time, it emerges again as a shining beacon of hope. After the Destroyer devastated so many planets, our ancestors came here as the seeds for creating a new and better world for all. The colonists barely survived the first darkness, but they learned to thrive here and live in harmony with nature. Today, we carry on their legacy. We, too, shall grow and prosper, ensuring a bright future for our community. So let the festivities begin!” he said, clapping his hands.

Duty, Honor, Love

That marks the boundary between the kingdom of Moul al’ Tesha-san and the ancient territory of the Pro’az Shah Ma-te. The two lands were torn apart by a long and brutal war. Princess Marza climbed this spire daily to see her love, who scaled the other spire over there. They used elaborate hand signals to communicate their devotion to one another.”

“Sounds romantic,” said Aubry, gazing at him.

Jaxon took a few steps away, straightening his body, and squaring his shoulders. He raised one hand over his head, and the other held out to the side as he made sweeping arcs with his arms while forming his hands into different gestures. His motions churned charged particles in the air, creating a sparkling slipstream. Each wave flowed seamlessly into the next. The movements were delicate and graceful, like an intricate dance. He finished by bringing his arms to his waist and clasping his hands.

Taming A Brutal Heart

She nearly lost her concentration when his gaze locked with hers. His irises' vibrant red and blue colors swirled together like tiny nebulas. A thousand stars were born in those eyes.