by Project Kyle
“Ha! Like that’s going to happen. Still, I’m up to visit a few more. Where to next, Commander?”
Nerd looked at a black void where the stars were not visible. It was barren and unexplored. He pointed to it and informed his crew of their next destination.
Their journey had ended, but a new one would soon begin; a journey where new friends and enemies would be made. Where memories would be written and adventure would be lived. Until time itself came to its close, they would be diving into the very heart of the unknown. Plummeting into the darkest corners of space. Striving to unravel the greatest mysteries of the Deep Cosmos.
Acknowledgments
Thank you so much for joining me on this wild and twisted adventure! I hope you enjoyed your reading experience as much as I enjoyed writing it. As you can probably tell, there were many questions left unanswered. This was intentional, as this book is indeed part of a series, and I plan to include puzzle pieces within each book. This will include the motives—and perhaps, one day, the identity—of Experiment-1. Please stay tuned for the next installment of the Deep Cosmos series!
To those who may be suffering from mental illness or depression, please know that I understand the battle all too well. I have proceeded with caution in the way this sensitive topic has been portrayed in my books, and I hope that the message that I intended to send came through in my writing, ‘Never give up, no matter how dark, twisted, or hopeless your situation may seem.’ Because no matter how low you may feel, know that you are worth fighting for, and you are capable of over-coming whatever it is you may be fighting deep inside. Just as the Characters in my story overcame there’s over time. However, if anything I wrote pushes my readers to think more destructively, to self-harm or feel that life is no longer worth living, please feel free to reach out to me, or someone that you love and trust. If it is brought to my attention that something in my books is dangerous to my readers, it could very well affect and change the way I approach mental illness in my future writings.
With all that being said, thank you so much for reading, and staying strong until the very end. You have survived…the Deep Cosmos.
This novel would not exist without the actions of the following.
My editor, Emily Nemchick. She is a professional copyeditor who was kind enough to fix my manuscript for me. She is detailed, easy to work with, and very affordable. Check out her work at emilynemchickediting.com
My dear friend E.A. Catinia, for modeling for Sophia and proofreading my manuscript. She is a talented artist, writer, and proofreader. Please check out her Instagram page @baronessamenagerieandarts
About the author
Project Kyle is a self-published author from New England known for his obsession with psychology, mystery, and sci-Fi. He started his author journey as a Wattpad author, but after taking 1st place in three writing contests, and 2nd in two, Kyle branched out into the publishing world. His mission? To keep readers guessing while providing them with an adventurous and unique tale they won't find anywhere else.
An interview with Project Kyle
1. What drew you to the world of writing?
I have always had story ideas sense I was a kid, but I decided I wanted to write when I was 18. I started out with a book called “The forgotten galaxy.” Which was a sci-fi story about a late teenager who discovered an ancient gateway to a world known as Zecarah. The planet was post-apocalyptic, and he had to solve what had happened to this once thriving world. Sadly, I was a perfectionist back then, so I never got any further than four chapters.
2. Do you think you'll finish the story?
Possibly, it needs a good rewrite, but I may get back into it as it takes place in the same universe as Deep Cosmos.
3. You said you were interested in writing since you were young. Did you have a favorite author or genre to read?
At that time, I was more into kids’ books like Dr. Seuss. When I became a young teen, I enjoyed novella additions of H.G. Wells and Jules Vern. I’ve always had a thing for Sci-Fi, but my liking to it grew as I got older.
4. I know you were writing on Wattpad for a while. Do you plan to continue to write on their website?
Absolutely! It’s a great place to get feedback from beta readers. I will definitely be posting new work on their site.
5. Nice! Now, I know you've struggled with grammar and spelling, you're pretty open about it; how have you been able to work past that?
It’s been a rough challenge to overcome, and I still have a long way to go. I think getting tips and feedback from Whattpad helped me out the most. Also reading and getting feedback from my editor and proofreader that I have taken to heart moving forward. It’s helped me to get better, but I still will always have my books professionally edited first.
6. What's your favorite part of writing?
Creating worlds, characters, and ideas that haven’t been written yet. I’ve always enjoyed designing my own universe, and I don’t think that is a passion that’s going to die anytime soon.
7. Do you have a character in your story who you consider to be your favorite?
I would have to go with the lead protagonist, David Bell. Me and him could definitely be brothers, though he is a lot more intelligent, and a little more socially awkward than myself. We have a lot of the same battles, including our challenges with depression, and autism. I also like how nonchalant he is about standing up to some of the most horrifying situations without breaking a sweat. He is the glue that holds the story together, Voice of reason mixed in with all the insanity so to speak...even though he’s not 100% sane himself.
8. How would you say he's grown from the beginning of the novel to the end?
The interested thing about David’s character is, I approached character progression very differently with him. Rather than him growing, I have the reader cut deeper and deeper into his mind. To the point where the character you know at the end is a different character that you thought you knew at the beginning. Though he does progress in some ways, such as learning to express his love for his crew and learning to control his lust to kill, the majority of his progression comes from him being pushed past his braking point, giving readers insight into the real him.
9. That's interesting. What made you decide to do that?
I wanted David’s character to be mysterious and in-depth. I felt that it fit the Deep Cosmos nature of having a protagonist that the reader would love, but not fully trust. Someone that has good intentions but could turn on his friends at any given point. Although I chose for the goodness to win out in the end of this book, I think it adds a little bit to the eeriness to have that kind of lead, even though he appears to be completely goofy and harmless in the beginning.
10.What would you say is the greatest challenge David has had to overcome so far?
He has faced many obstacles, such as loss, social awkwardness, and as Experiment-1 briefly brought out, previously being the victim of bullying. However, his greatest challenge to overcome is himself. All the inner battles that he fights day in and day out. The silent battle that no one else sees.
11. What is it you're hoping people understand from David's story?
I think many of us have been pushed to the limit at least once in our life, if not multiple times. Many of us battle with thoughts, or impulses that we may not like. But the message I hope I can send from David’s story, is to never give up, and to keep fighting no matter how hopeless your situation may seem. You can be a good person, you can be successful, you can be strong. Even though sometimes it takes time, and we all have to find our own way through the fire and flames
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1 Sophia
Chapter 2 Nerd
Chapter 3 The Observer
Chapter 4 The gap
Chapter 5 Layers
Chapter 6 Stone cold
Chapter 7 Deceived
Chapter 8 Menace
Chapter 9 Menace part 2
Chapter 10 The first experi
ment
Chapter 11 Mission briefing
Chapter 12 Galactic plague
Chapter 13 The grim truth
Chapter 14 Green eyes
Chapter 15 Green Eyes Part 2
Chapter 16 The torn page
Chapter 17 The lord of sorrow
Chapter 18 The Temple
Chapter 19 The stalker within
Chapter 20 The masked monster
Chapter 21 The final showdown
Chapter 22 The aftermath
