by Nick Braker
Galactic Satori Chronicles
A Create Space Book
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Create Space edition published 2015
Published by
Create Space
All rights reserved
Copyright © 2015 by Nick A Braker and Paul E Hicks
Excerpt from Galactic Satori Chronicles copyright 2015 by Nick A Braker and Paul E Hicks.
Title page art copyright © 2015 by Nick A Braker and Paul E Hicks
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law.
Braker, Nick (2015-05-01).
Galactic Satori Chronicles: A Novel.
Create Space Publishing Group.
ISBN: 1481234757
ISBN 13: 9781481234757
CONTENTS
Prologue
Beth’s Life
Beth’s Death
Life Goes On
Alara and the Trip
Sororities
Alara Returns to Earth
Timeline Update
One More Alien
Taking Out the Trash
The Aliens Strike Back
WSO Revealed
To Join or Not To Join
Asher Learns a Lesson
Greg Comes Online
A Romance Revealed
WSO Finally
Grep’s Reveal
The Aliens Want What?
First Mission
Mating Time
Debrief
Paris
Church of the Alien
Alara
Return to WSO
The Portal
Earth’s Redeemer
Back to Earth
Earth Lives
Warren
DISCLAIMER
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
DEDICATION
Our first book, a monumental effort (as other authors may know), is made possible through hundreds of hours of labor, love and even fun. The following are my contributors, to whom I owe a great deal of thanks.
To Paul E. Hicks, my Co-Author and the inspiration to actually start this book, Charita Braker, loving wife and editor (infinite credit for putting up with me during these years), Jerry Moffett, lifelong friend and extraordinary contributor to this book, Wayne Hurt, lifelong friend and contributor, Bruce Raymond, lifelong friend and contributor, and finally, Jim Guyer, author, friend and additional inspiration to complete this book.
Paul Hicks dedicates this book to Nick Braker, without whom this book would never have started and LeAnn Hicks, loving and supportive wife.
PROLOGUE
Spaceship - Geosynchronous orbit over Massachusetts Summer 1972 - Fifteen Years Ago
“Computer, increase volume level two points,” Alara ordered.
That’s better. Looks like the mother is about to put the little girl down for the night.
Alara’s blue jeans and red, long sleeve shirt were actual Earth clothing recently given to her by her adopted father. She had even managed to create a makeshift ribbon for her hair from the shirt’s inner material, hoping to look more like an actual eight year old. She was human but she had lived away from Earth her entire life. It had left her out of touch with humanity though her heightened intellect would help her offset that deficiency. Her cinnamon-colored skin had never felt the rays of Earth’s sun but it would someday. Alara snapped out of her reverie and returned her attention to the projection around her.
She stood within a special chamber on one of her father’s ships that could create a real-time, holographic presentation. She had instructed the computer to show her what was currently happening inside the home of a family named the Kentons on Earth. The computer projected the Kenton’s home, complete with audio.
The Kenton’s home surrounded her in exquisite detail using technology her people had developed long ago. The holographic wall in front of her was translucent, casting a yellow stain on everything between her and the other images. Alara stepped through one of the main walls knowing she would get a better view. It was the typical bedroom of a five-year-old, filled with stuffed toys, Barbie dolls, a tea set and lots of books - all the niceties for a normal human girl. The other rooms in the house still bled through the translucent walls but she had done this long enough to ignore any image outside her focused perspective.
I didn’t get any of these toys when I was five.
She snarled her nose but quickly brought her hand up, pretending to scratch it. She willed her facial muscles to relax.
I must maintain a neutral look at all times.
Alara didn’t want her adopted people, called the Aliri, to know how she felt about the process. Controlling her emotions was necessary but the two words lab rat always came to mind. The little girl named Josephina turned her back on her mother and crossed her arms in defiance, thrusting out her chin. The motion made her lazy red curls spring up and down. The mother pulled back the covers on her daughter’s bed, fluffing her pillows.
Apparently, the little girl doesn’t like going to bed. Granted she’s three years younger than me but I never remember acting that way. Of course I was never, mentally, that immature. She’ll be mature soon enough.
A smile crept across Josephina’s face.
“Mommy, can I stay up a wittle wonger, pweaze?” she asked.
The mother returned the smile, squinting at her daughter playfully.
Her smile is so genuine. I can see the warmth and tenderness in it. She loves her daughter very much.
“I promise to tell you a story,” the mother said. “I’m sure that will cheer you up but you need to get some rest so you can play as much as you want tomorrow.”
The little girl clapped her hands together, jumped on her tippy toes and smiled from ear to ear. She hopped into bed, pulled her blanket up, and stared into her mother’s eyes, ready to listen. The little girl’s eyes sparkled like emeralds and were wide with anticipation.
Her eyes are extraordinary and her mother’s are just as beautiful. They both have gorgeous red hair, too.
Alara sighed inwardly, letting her shoulders slump slightly. The little girl had such a loving mother.
Don’t dwell on it. I’ve had a great life so far and what is to come will be even better. I have a role in saving Earth.
She tightened the red ribbon in her hair, feeling several strands catch on her fingers. Her hair was deep black and straight with a sheen obtained only by brushing it every night. She tucked the stray strands over her ear and focused again on the two humans. The mother had started reading a bedtime story.
“Once upon a time in a world far away, there lived a king who ruled a land called Pallani. He was full of wisdom and honor and was loved by all his people--”
“Mommy, what is wizzom and honah?”
“Honey, I told you before, you’re just a little too young to understand those words but just know they mean the king is smart and is always nice to people.”
“Okay, where is Pawani?” the little girl asked.
“It’s far from here but where is not as important as what happens there, right?”
“Right. Go ahead, Mommy,” she said, clapping her hands with excitement above her head once.
“The princess’ name was Josephina, just like yo
urs, little one.”
Okay, I’ve heard this part before - several times. She’ll be done with fairy tales soon enough. It’s time for her to grow up and face the real world full of big bad aliens.
“Computer, mute sound please. Are we close to the Kenton’s home yet?”
“Arrival time is in approximately four minutes.”
The computer’s voice sounded harsh and metallic with faint male undertones.
“Are the other three little girls conscious yet?”
“Negative. Current estimate is forty minutes.”
“Is Father listening in?” she asked.
“Negative.”
“Is he onboard?”
“Negative.”
“Location?”
“Unknown,” came the dull reply.
Liar.
The computer’s voice grated on Alara. They programmed it for expediency, leaving it devoid of warmth. It would never engage in simple conversation. She had tried several times but the designers were rigid. It was a poor substitute for a friend.
I hate that voice. Someday, I’m going to give it a sweet and pleasant sounding female voice with personality. What would they say to that?
She walked through the sliding door into the corridor, stooping to avoid hitting her head on the ceiling. Hunched over, she made her way to the galley. As she entered, she stood up, stretched her legs and made herself a sandwich. There was never a choice in the foods they fed her. She received a protein component, a carbohydrate component, and....
Wait, the bread is not correct. It is not specifically for humans.
She intentionally rolled her eyes, hoping they were watching.
“Wrong bread, for the fifth time,” she said, sighing outwardly, making a show of it.
She finished the sandwich anyway. It tasted decent enough but she couldn’t wait for her first day on Earth when she could try a cheeseburger and French fries. Alara made her way back to the holographic room. Several projected walls obscured her vision of the two humans again but she moved through them, standing again in the little girl’s bedroom.
“Computer, un-mute,” Alara ordered.
“...and the prince and princess lived happily ever after,” the mother said.
“I love you, Mommy,” Josephina yawned.
“I love you too, little one.”
The mother kissed her daughter on the forehead, brushed the hair out of her eyes and turned to leave. The little girl closed her eyes and rolled over. Alara watched the mother intentionally walk very softly across the floor and close the door behind her with just the slightest click. Alara turned her attention to the child, watching her several minutes longer. The computer systems and engine sounds of this ship were depressing compared to the warmth and quiet of the human girl’s home. It was a welcome change of pace. Alara wanted to stay here as long as she could but the ship was closing on the Kenton’s home and she needed to get ready.
“Computer, is she asleep?”
“Affirmative. Stage one sleep cycle active.”
Alara repressed the urge to let her shoulders slump.
A simple ‘yes’ would suffice. So much for expediency.
“Deactivate real-time holographic display. Let’s go check on the other three.”
“Who’s there?” Josephina mumbled, her eyes still closed.
A noise had awakened her. She sat up and stretched her arms, still groggy from sleep. She sat on her bed looking around her room when her bed fell away from under her. The pink comforter she used to cover her slid off too, taking the warmth it provided with it. Did the bed fall or did she float quickly up? She felt a little dizzy, trying to figure out what was happening but it faded quickly when she realized she was flying. Her eyes grew wide in excitement and her tummy tingled as she floated above her bed. She tipped forward in midair onto her stomach which forced her hair to hang down, getting in her eyes. She tried to push it out of her face.
“Hold still,” she said.
The wind blew, swirling her hair around. Wind? Where was the wind coming from? Frustrated, she gave up as she floated toward her open bedroom window. Who opened my window? Josephina kicked her legs and flapped her arms trying to fly where she wanted but it was no use, she just kept floating toward her window.
A pretty white light shone in from outside, lighting her entire room just like the sun did in the mornings. The wind blew even stronger now as she drifted closer to her window. She clapped her hands, beaming a smile again.
This is fun.
She traveled more slowly than she wanted, but she still felt like Wendi from Peter Pan. Her excitement grew as the breeze rolled across her face and her hair continued to whip behind her head. It felt wonderful to be able to fly, especially with the neat light. She lost track of where she was, getting caught up in the excitement and the fun. It was all so amazing.
The moment didn’t last long and her smile faded. Something was wrong. The light shone brighter now and she really didn’t like it anymore. As she got closer, the light hurt her eyes as if she were looking into the sun. She had to look away but the only thing she could see clearly was the ground beneath her. The deep rumbling all around her grew louder, too. She had ignored it earlier but now it hurt her ears. She tried to cover them but her arms felt heavy. She couldn’t move them and they just dangled like the limbs of her rag dolls. She craned her head behind her to ask her mommy why her arms wouldn’t move but Mommy and Daddy were nowhere around and, even scarier, she was not in her room anymore. How did she get outside? She tried to yell back toward the house to warn Mommy and Daddy about the light and the sound. She screamed but couldn’t even hear her voice over that horrible noise. Her eyes started to well up and her lips began to quiver.
“What’s going on?” she said.
Her heart started racing as she continued to soar further through the air away from her home. Josephina tried to scream again but this time nothing came out. Even her voice wasn’t working now.
Mommy, where are you?
She couldn’t move, she couldn’t scream, and now she wasn’t feeling good either. Lights danced around the edges of her eyes and she started to feel sick to her stomach. She threw up in midair, watching it fall and then splash onto the ground far below. The terrible sound stopped and her world went dark.
Josephina tried to stretch but her arms wouldn’t move. She had fallen asleep again. Was she still dreaming of bad things? Her eyes snapped open as memories of what had happened came flooding back. Fear engulfed her and her heart started beating faster as tears began to fill her eyes again.
That bad noise is gone but where am I?
Her eyes darted around the room. Shadowy forms of people moved all around her. They were shorter than her and looked funny. They were bald and thinner than anyone she’d ever seen before. She wished she could see them better but the bright light overhead made it difficult. Josephina looked down toward her feet where the light wasn’t so bad on her eyes. Another little girl stood at the foot of her bed. She had pretty black hair with a red ribbon. The little girl was older than her but not much. Her shirt matched her red ribbon and she wore jeans like Daddy. The black-haired girl smiled at her.
Josephina wanted to pull her blanket up closer but her mind reeled when she realized it wasn’t her bed. This bed was cold and hard and there wasn’t even a blanket. Her heart pounded even harder. Mommy would be looking for her and she had to let her know where she was. She tried to call out to them but her voice still didn’t work.
Why are they doing this to me?
Twisting her head to the left, she saw three other metal beds. Each one had another little girl, also surrounded by small people. The other little girls were the same size as her, unlike the black-haired girl. Maybe those three could help her. She tried to say something again but still nothing came out. She wanted to cry aloud but only tears came, flowing down past her ears. She panicked, trying to scream out for help, her fear taking control of her.
The black-haired girl still s
miled at her. She seemed like a nice girl too, someone she could be friends with.
“My name is Alara. Relax if you can and don’t worry, you’re safe,” Alara told her.
It was difficult to hear everything she said. The room wasn’t loud but there were so many voices and so much going on. She listened intently, trying as hard as she could to hear her.
“It is going to be okay. Just hang in there. You will be fine,” she said softly.
Josephina managed to smile and relax a bit. Alara was a friend. She didn’t know why but she trusted her. She wanted to talk to her, ask her to help but one of the little people walked up and stood next to her. He had something in his hand. It glowed a very pretty blue but that didn’t matter, she wouldn’t like it. The little person put it on her forehead. She tried to shake it off but now she couldn’t even move her head.
It tingles.
It didn’t hurt and instead it felt warm and created a slight buzzing in her head. Alara stood next to her now, holding her hand.
“Just relax,” she said. “Everything will be fine. I promise.”
“Memory suppressant complete,” one of the little people said.
Everything went dark again.
Josephina sat up in bed and looked around. She yawned and stretched, excitement building in her.
“It is morning,” she exclaimed, laughing.
She jumped out of bed, landing on the hard wooden floor. The clean floor creaked as she bounded across it and down the stairs. Mother would have breakfast ready and she could already smell the blueberry pancakes, orange juice, maple syrup, and the sausages. As she rounded the corner of the stairs, Josephina jumped through the kitchen doorway and landed with a loud smack as her tiny, bare feet hit the floor. She laughed, as she had just startled her mother, who jumped a little but smiled at her anyway.
“Well dear, you look really hungry.”
“I am famished, Mother. Is breakfast ready?”
Her mother froze, looking confused.
“I have not eaten all night and you make the best breakfast,” she exclaimed.
“Honey, where did you learn that word?”
“Which word, Mother?”
