THOR: Sci-Fi Romance (Far Hope Series Book 1)

by E. A. James

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  When she woke up the next morning, she felt like her life had somehow changed. Something inside her had been released. She didn’t feel like the shy, awkward girl who came to the city with nothing. She felt renewed, strong, and confident. But when she rolled over to wrap her arm around Joshua and pull him close, all those feelings left at once. He was gone.

  She sat up quickly, searching the room. He was nowhere to be seen. A sinking feeling began to form in the pit of her stomach as she dressed and slipped out into the hall to look for him. She found him where she knew she would—in the sitting room. “You left,” she said softly as she walked up behind him.

  “We need to talk, Margaret,” he said to her coldly, not turning to address her.

  The feeling in her stomach became more intense as she walked around to the front of the couch and sat down next to him. His eyes were fixed on the floor, but she could still see that they were filled with sadness. “What is it?” she asked nervously.

  “What happened, between you and me last night, it shouldn’t have,” he said, sadness and remorse heavy on his voice.

  Although she had an idea of what he would say, hearing the words vocalized still sent her world crashing down around her. “I don’t understand,” she said, trying to keep the tears from escaping.

  He turned and looked at her slowly. “It’s not safe for you, Margaret.”

  “But I told you, I’m not afraid of you. I trust you!”

  “You shouldn’t.” He took her hand in his. “I don’t trust me.”

  “But you said,” she tried to interject. “You said that I calmed you, right? That being with me helped to relax you?”

  “You do, Margaret. Honestly, you do.”

  “Then why…?” She couldn’t hold back the tears any longer.

  “Because,” he said letting out a long sigh. “Because, like I told you, it’s getting more intense—harder to control. Being with you helps for now, but in a month?” He reached out and brushed the tears from her face. “I can’t risk hurting you. If I ever did anything to you…” his voice cracked slightly. “I couldn’t live with myself if I ever did anything to hurt you.”

  “You wouldn’t do that!” she exclaimed.

  “I would like to think that, too,” he admitted. “But after what happened with Michael, I’m not so sure I can believe it. I don’t know who I am right now. I haven’t for a long time.”

  The room fell silent as they sat, staring into each other’s eyes. Margaret couldn’t stop her heart from aching. “So, what now?” she said in a hushed tone.

  “There’s only one option.” He looked away from her as he spoke. “I’m sorry, but you have to leave, Margaret. The arrangement between us needs to end.”

  She wanted to argue with him; she wanted to change his mind, but she couldn’t find the words. His mind was made up, and there was nothing she could do about it. She stood without saying anything and began walking towards her room.

  When she got to her room, she stood motionless for a minute. Where did she go now? What did she do? She looked around the room and an overwhelming sadness filled her. It wasn’t because she had to leave the high-end penthouse or the lifestyle she had let grow on her. It was because she had to leave him. “Do you need help?” she heard Joshua ask. She hadn’t noticed that he had followed her down the hall.

  She turned slowly to look up at him, the tears flowing freely from her eyes. “I don’t have anywhere to go,” she sobbed.

  “What?” he asked, a look of concern and hurt crossing his face.

  “I came here, to the city, with nothing. I have no friends; I have no life, no money, nowhere to go!” As she spoke he reached his arms out and wrapped them around her, pulling her into his chest. She buried her face into him and cried softly. He ran his fingers through her hair, trying to calm her.

  She pulled back slightly and wiped her palm along her cheeks, trying to dry her tears. “When I came here I wanted adventure. I wanted to find something new and exciting. And I did. I found it with you.” As she spoke she saw the pain in his eyes. “You’re the only person I can really trust,” she said quietly.

  “Can I tell you something?” he asked her softly.

  “Of course,” she replied.

  “You’re the only person, besides Henry and my family, who knows about me. I’ve kept my secret hidden from everyone—my colleagues, my friends. I’ve never felt so completely comfortable with someone as to share that side of myself with them.”

  “Then don’t make me leave,” she begged.

  “I’m very sorry. I wish I could do something to fix all of this. I wish I could be someone else for you. But I can’t, Margaret. I can only be who, or what, I am.” He held her out at arm’s length. “I will arrange for you to stay in one of my apartments in the city.”

  “No,” she replied firmly. “I can’t let you do that.”

  “I insist,” he said pulling her close to him again. “Like I said. I just want to know that you’re going to be okay. Please let me do this for you.”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  “I know, mom! I’m really excited. The play is great! Everyone loves it!” Margaret exclaimed into her phone. “You and dad will be able to come see it, right?”

  It had been three months since she left her position working for Joshua McGuire. At first, adjusting to life without him was harder than she thought it would be. From time to time she still found herself instinctively looking down at her watch when 11:00pm got close. And in the mornings, she still woke up at 6:45, even though her alarm wasn’t set to go off until 8:00.

  The apartment he put her up in was nice. It wasn’t as extravagantly elegant as his penthouse, but it was still much more than she could have ever dreamed of getting for herself. It was in a great neighborhood, and right down the street from that acting agency that Joshua hired to represent her. She didn’t expect him to do that for her. He didn’t even tell her it was him who did it. When she got the call, she was completely in shock. She could never afford to hire an agent, especially one as top-of-the-line as the person she was speaking to! But when they told her they got her information from a reliable and notable source, who believed in her so much he was footing the bill for their services, she put the pieces together.

  “Closing night is on Friday,” she continued speaking to her mother. With the help of the agent, she was finally able to land her first officially paid acting job. Rehearsals had been long and intense, but she loved every minute of it. She had even made a few friends who were also performing in the play.

  “Great! I can’t wait to see you both!” she said as she dropped the last of her items into the cardboard box in the center of the now empty bedroom. The acting role she got had paid so well that she was able to get her own place. It was smaller than where she was currently living, but it was going to be hers.

  “Love you, too. Bye.” When she hung up the phone she stepped back to take in the moment. She had a sense of accomplishment. Everything in her life was going perfectly. Still, one thing was missing—Joshua. He was constantly on her mind. She worried about him. She just wanted to know if he was okay. She had considered calling him a few times, but her better judgment prevented her from actually going through with it.

  She pushed the thoughts of him from her mind and continued to move from room to room, making sure that all of her things were packed up. When she reached the kitchen, the chime of the doorbell stopped her. She wasn’t expecting anyone. Confused, she walked over to the door and pulled it open.

  What she saw made her heart leap into her throat. “Joshua!” she exclaimed as she stepped back quickly, stunned.

  “Margaret,” he said formally. “Can I come in?”

  “Of course!” she said, stepping to the side and motioning for him to enter. “Is everything okay?” she asked. She didn’t expect to see him ever again. Maybe he was here because something was wrong?

  “No,” he said when they reached the family room. He took her h
ands in his and pulled her down onto the couch next to him. “Nothing is okay.”

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, scared and worried.

  “I was wrong to send you away, Margaret. I need you.”

  “What?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her heart began to beat faster.

  “I haven’t been able to get you out of my head since the day you left. I feel hopeless, almost lost without you! I tried to force myself back into my old routine, but it didn’t work. The house feels so empty without you. I feel empty without you.”

  His words slowly consumed her, making her feel light-headed. She wasn’t sure if she was really hearing what she thought she was hearing. Could this be a dream? “What are you saying?” she asked, not wanting to let herself get too carried away without being sure she understood what he meant.

  “I want you to come live with me, and not as my caretaker. I want to start a life with you. I want to spend every minute of every day with you.” He looked at her intensely. She could sense that he was speaking with sincerity. It was in his eyes—he felt what he was saying down deep. “I love you, Margaret.”

  Her emotions overtook her, and she felt her eyes burning with tears. “I think you can call me Maggie now,” she smiled at him as she reached out to throw her arms around his neck and pull her to him.

  He laughed, reaching up and placing his hand on her cheek. “I love you, Maggie,” he whispered.

  “I love you too, Joshua,” she said as she leaned in to kiss him. In the instant their lips met, she knew she would never have to say goodbye to him ever again. She knew that there was nothing else she needed in the entire world. There, in his arms, she was safe; she was happy. And she would be for the rest of her life.

  WIKI INTRO

  This Wiki serves as a reference guide to the universe as described in the Far Hope Series. Here you will find a collection of my rough work that I use to structure a series and provide a jumping off point for building story driven characters.

  Beyond the race wiki included here, I often build detailed lists of technological inclusions and exclusions that reflect the series commitment to scientific reality.

  As a Sci-Fi writer, I’m often forced to make decisions between scientific realism and science fiction. Every series is different, and depending on what I’m writing I’ll adjust how closely I follow our modern understanding of physics. Again, I try to keep in mind that I’m writing something that will be entertainment so I generally choose to bend the rules more than I do not.

  Regardless, this is a little glimpse into my process of world building and I hope that you find it an enjoyable look beyond the story. As always, thanks for reading.

  ARKADIANS

  Homeworld: Arkadia

  History

  The Arkadians are the oldest known race in the Galaxy, and their territory is primarily within the Omega Sector of the Milky Way with a small portion extending into the Alpha Sector. Their race is considered the second most populous in the galaxy behind the Vorion Empire and at last count numbered some 121 billion lives.

  The Arkadians achieved FTL (faster-than-light) travel earlier than any other known race and are generally considered responsible for the proliferation of space travel within the Galaxy.

  Known history has the Arkadians responsible for gifting FTL engine systems to both the Telani and the Bandurians. Further speculation exists that the Telani, after receiving the technology from the Arkadians, brokered deals with the remaining major races (except the Terrans and Zel’Dar - see Terran and Zel’Dar history) to sell them the technology at exorbitant prices.

  The Arkadians, being the first truly galactic civilization once dreamed of a galaxy that existed as a peaceful coalition between races that strove for technological brilliance and a greater understanding of our shared existence. In time, the Arkadians came to realize that not all races shared their vision and some, most notably the Vorion Empire and the Zel’Dar, seemed compelled to rule the galaxy with aggression.

  The Arkadians reluctantly militarized after aggressive conflicts with the Vorion Empire over territorial disputes in the Omega Sector forced them to rethink their pacifist ways. To this day, the Arkadians are generally against war. However, in the face of provocation or aggression, the Arkadians are quick to defend themselves and any of their allies.

  Since the abandonment of pacifism as a preferred way of life, there has been increasing unrest amongst the Arkadian populations due to an extreme religious movement by a group known as “The Empyrean’s”. The Empyrean’s have been spreading an extreme doctrine through the universe under a central tenet that the highest place in the afterlife can only be achieved by dying in the purifying light of a Supernova explosion.

  There are some rumors that the most extreme practitioners of Empyreanism are in the process of creating a weapon that would have the ability to make stars go Supernova before the end of their life cycle, but most scientists believe that an artificial gravity weapon of this nature is impossible.

  Appearance

  The Arkadians are humanoid. They are generally large, standing at around 7’ tall with the females being the larger sex. They have pale to dark green skin. They have no discernable hair and would not be considered attractive by Terran standards.

  BANDURIANS

  Homeworld: Bandur

  History

  The Bandurians territory primarily straddles the Bravo and Delta Sectors and is highly concentrated in the Galactic Bar (near the center of the galaxy). The Bandurians became a spacefaring race after their chance encounter with Arkadian research teams on the Bandurian homeworld. The Arkadians gifted the Bandurians with first generation FTL engine systems which allowed the Bandurians to claim their current territories and position as one of the galaxy’s most prominent races.

  The Bandurians are the galaxy’s quintessential “Junkers”, being highly resourceful and willing to use materials and parts from derelict spacecraft or space stations to create their own vessels and stations. Their spacecraft are often unique in shape and size with varying military capabilities as the Bandurians prefer to subsume technologies from other races as opposed to developing their own. Their spacecraft look very “industrial”.

  The Bandurians history is punctuated by several long drawn out conflicts between the Vorion Empire and the Zel’Dar, though they are currently not at war with any race. Their civilization being centrally located within the galaxy means that they are accustomed to other races and cultures permeating their own and have grown quite tolerant of others in their territory.

  One of the most notable areas of the galaxy is the Galactic Bazaar, located in the heart of Bandurian territory. The Galactic Bazaar is the modern equivalent of a galactic black market and is located within a large asteroid belt. In the Galactic Bazaar, one would find innumerable spacecraft, space stations and asteroid bases where trade of all sorts is conducted. Consequently, it is also a hotbed for criminal activity.

  The Bandurians show no particular preferences to any of the races in the galaxy, though they are eternally wary of the Vorion and the Zel’Dar. They react strongly when provoked, but don’t go out of their way to instigate conflict.

  Appearance

  Bandurians are humanoids. They are large and muscular, with males being the larger sex and generally standing 6’+ tall. They have medium brown skin and eyes, no discernable hair and their most physically identifiable trait are the ridge lines that run across their face.

  RENGAR

  Homeworld: Marne

  History

  The Rengar are a clever, scheming race of anthropomorphic rodents. Their primary territory straddles the Alpha and Bravo sectors. They were sold Telani FTL systems that enabled them to become a galactic race and quickly found themselves involved in many black market dealings throughout the galaxy.

  Physically, the Rengar are highly athletic, and capable acrobats - consequently, it is not uncommon to find them employed as thieves or assassins throughout the galaxy. They stand about
5’ tall and males and females average the same height.

  They are not overly nationalistic, however, they do come together as a race when threatened by outside forces. They are employed in a wide variety of capacities throughout the galaxy and are generally considered opportunistic - moving where there is the greatest benefit to them.

  TELANI

  Homeworld: Maelor

  History

  The Telani are a humanoid race whose territory lies entirely within the Bravo sector. The Telani and the Terrans share a close kinship and consider each other primary allies.

  The Telani are economically prosperous and skilled traders. In addition, they are considered at the forefront of technological advancement in the galaxy as their vast economy produces many discoveries on the free market. Consequently, the Telani possess a strong military.