by M B Wood
"What about the star of the Kota system?"
"It's large enough, but we'll be there.”
"Egg," Mata Chalik's voice took on an angry edge.
Cha KinLaat was puzzled. Mata Chalik should have known the answer to that question before it was given. He realized Mata Chalik had just demonstrated he didn't have every fact at the tip of his claws. His focus on matters military must have left him no time to understand the technical aspects of their voyage. That realization gave him a bitter sense of satisfaction.
"Mata Chalik, what are we going to do?"
"We cannot alter our course, therefore, we continue.”
#
The radio transmissions from Kota stopped. Cha KinLaat worried his equipment had malfunctioned. He disassembled the equipment and rebuilt it to be even more sensitive than before. He checked it thoroughly, calibrating it against known stellar bodies. When he pointed it toward their destination, he only heard the hiss of empty space. It no longer emitted its former noisy electromagnetic babble.
The Kota system was silent.
Something terrible must have happened.
TO BE CONTINUED
(The next novel in the series is ‘STRANGER’)
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
Founding Clan Members
note: * indicates major characters
*Taylor MacPherson Engineer and first leader of the Clan
*Chris KucinskiThe first recruit to the Clan. Becomes a fierce fighter.
*Franny Kucinski An early member of the clan.
*Fred Del CorsoConstruction man, early Clan member.
Maria Del CorsoWife of Fred Del Corso.
Albert Del Corso2nd Son of Fred Del Corso.
John WylieMillwright, spokesman for Master Rd. neighborhood.
Sam WylieFather of John Wylie, retired, bowmaker.
Founding Clan Members
note: * indicates major characters
Dr. Shel Weitzman Dentist, spokesman for the Horse people.
Klaus StolzConstruction equipment owner-operator, one of the Horse people.
Jim HigginsOne of Klaus Stolz' workers, equipment operator.
John PhelpsHorse farmer freed by Taylor MacPherson.
Jack O'ConnorOne of the Horse people, cunning fighter.
Shirley O'ConnorHot-tempered wife of Jack O'Connor.
Ted CalliouxBerea resident freed by Taylor MacPherson; former college professor.
Patterson RiceSpokesperson and driving force behind the River Park community, former NASA scientist.
Dr. Meltem EncirlikMedical doctor who joins the Clan.
Noelle SmithRefugee who becomes Taylor's housekeeper
#
Gang Members
Bart ThompsonIll-fated first leader of the Warehouse gang.
Dave Luken2nd leader of the Warehouse gang.
Armando Diaz Velasquez"Jefe" or Chief of El Diablos Gang, also known as "Blade".
Enrique MaquinezA Capitan and enforcer in El Diablos.
Skid VukovitchThe leader of the Cleveland chapter of the Devil's Deacons.
Knuckles MilanoA Devil's Deacon; strong right hand to Skid.
Fast Eddy MacArthurLeader of Rubber City Devil's Deacons; joins the Cleveland Deacons' alliance.
#
Aliens (the Qu'uda) and Their Equipment
*Bilik PudjataThe discoverer of life on the Kota system (Solar system of Earth) and alien specialist on expedition.
*Mata ChaLik BuMaruSpokesperson and leader of the Defenders of Qu'uda on the Egg-that-Flies.
Cha KinLaat DoMarPilot-navigator for the Egg-that-Flies.
DalChik DuJugaThe head of the Investigator-on-Interstellar-Life; later the head archivist on the Egg-that-Flies.
PiRupThe Prime Communicator on Qu'uda.
DuKlaat YataBuPrincipal analyst for the Keepers-of-the-Egg.
DeKah NahBuPilot on the Bird-that-Soars.
Egg-that-FliesThe Deli Qu'uda fusion powered interstellar
About the Author:
M.B. Wood, a native of England, began writing in college. Like many of us, the demands of life, completing his education, paying the bills, starting a career, overran his writing ambitions.
As luck would have it, while completing a dry economic series for publication, his muse for fiction returned. This spawned 11 Novels to date, with more in the works.
His series of novels SUPERHEAT, HUNTED, BLOWOUT and TRASH are in the mainstream fiction category.
Wood’s writings come from actual life experiences trekking through Australia, South Asia and in the Middle East, something which most of us could not do today, or even in years past.
Wood lives in Rocky River, Ohio, just west of Cleveland is home to Wood. For more information, please find his website www.clashofthealiens.com
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