He paused like he was considering what to say next. “Two weeks ago, there was an attack on one of the units. Two soldiers were killed.” He paused again, even longer. “One week ago, a unit of 12 men approached the remains of Helmich’s old compound. They were attacked by a colony of transformed creatures who seemed to be living within the compound. Every man in the unit was killed. But video transmitted from their body cams…. Well, that’s the reason we’ve come here to see you.” He looked directly at Bobby. “Could there have been anything left in that compound?”
“Anything like what?” Bobby asked.
“Anything like Lamotelokhai particles.”
Bobby abruptly sat up straight. For a brief moment his eyes seemed to shift to fire-yellow. “Maybe,” he said.
Peter continued. “I was approached by General Donovan Vickars. He had been unable to find you folks, so he came to me. It seems you folks are in demand now, particularly for threatening scenarios with certain parameters. I suppose this is because of your rather unique experiences and, well, your connections. Vickars seemed rather desperate for me to ask you if you would be willing to provide assistance once again.”
Bobby jumped up from his chair. He walked across the yard to a ten-foot-high mound covered by a tarp. He began unfastening the tarp.
“What’s he doing?” Peter asked.
Quentin glanced at Lindsey, and she shook her head. She didn’t like where this was going any more than he did.
“He’s doing something he knows he shouldn’t,” Quentin said.
Bobby finished removing the tarp, revealing a mound of tiny black and white pea-sized particles. He put his hand on the edge of the mound for a moment and then backed away.
Even from the patio, Quentin could hear the particles beginning to move. They chittered like millions of tiny crickets, and the mound started shifting.
A few minutes later, the backyard was dominated by a sleek, black aircraft with down-turned points at each end. It was so long that one end hung over the bank of the Sittee River. The aircraft looked exactly the same as when it had first been created, except for one difference. In large white letters on its belly was the name Bobby and Ashley had chosen for it, Miranda.
Bobby walked back to the patio. He looked at Quentin and Lindsey. “We’ve been hiding here long enough. Now we have a mission.”
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Author’s Notes
I must first say that in writing Profusion, I intended no disrespect to the people of Puerto Rico. If the story contains any descriptions that are incorrect or offensive, I apologize. And to the people of Puerto Rico: I’m sorry I destroyed your entire island!
As in Diffusion, Infusion, and Savage, a good portion of Profusion takes place in Papua, the Indonesian province that makes up the western half of the great island of New Guinea. Sinanie’s tribe of Papuan men and women have characteristics resulting from thousands of years of living with the Lamotelokkhai. Obviously, therefore, I have taken liberties in developing the descriptions of this particular tribe. But I intended no disrespect to the unique cultures of the Papuan peoples by doing so.
That being said, the descriptions of the Papuan cultures, wildlife, and ecosystems are as accurate as I could make them, based upon the research by authors listed below.
I adapted the language of Sinanie’s tribe from the amazing work of Gerrit J. van Enk and Lourens de Vries in their studies of the language and culture of the Korowai, a Papuan community of treehouse dwellers of southern Irian Jaya (now called Papua). Astoundingly, the Korowai had never come into contact with outsiders until the early 1980s.
The following are recommended books (and one video).
Flannery, Tim. Mammals of New Guinea. Chatswood, New South Wales: Reed Books Australia, 1995. Print.
Flannery, Tim. Throwim Way Leg: Tree Kangaroos, Possums, and Penis Gourds – On the Track of Unknown Mammals in Wildest New Guinea. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1998. Print.
Marriott, Edward. The Lost Tribe – A Harrowing Passage into New Guinea’s Heart of Darkness. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996. Print.
Merrifield, William, Gregerson, Marilyn, and Ajamiseba, Daniel, Ed. Gods, Heroes, Kinsmen: Ethnographic Studies from Irian Jaya, Indonesia. Jayapura, Irian Jaya: Cenderawasih University, 1983. Print.
Muller, Kal. New Guinea: Journey Into the Stone Age. Lincolnwood, Illinois: Passport Books, 1997. Print.
Souter, Gavin. New Guinea: The Last Unknown. New York: Taplinger Publishing, 1966. Print.
Van Enk, Gerrit J. and de Vries, Lourens. The Korowai of Irian Jaya – Their Language in its Cultural Context. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Print.
Wallace, Alfred Russell. The Malay Archipelago. 1869. Print or ebook.
This astounding work, which is in two volumes, is now in the public domain and can be found in a variety of print and ebook formats. If you are at all interested in the exploration of this part of the world, I highly recommend reading Wallace’s work.
Sky Above Mud Below. Dir. and Perf. Pierre-Dominique Gaisseau (organizer and leader) and Gerard Delloye (assistant leader). Lorimar Home Video, 1962. VHS.
This is an amazing video filmed as it happened in 1959, when a group of explorers set out on a seven-month attempt to cross the jungles of Papua (then called Dutch New Guinea). Winner of the 1961 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
About the Author
Stan Smith has lived most of his life in the Midwest United States and currently resides in Warrensburg, Missouri. He writes adventure novels and short stories that have a generous sprinkling of science fiction. His novels and stories are about regular people who find themselves caught up in highly unusual situations. They are designed to stimulate your sense of wonder, get your heart pounding, and keep you reading late into the night, with minimal risk of exposure to spelling and punctuation errors. His books are for anyone who loves adventure, discovery, and mind-bending surprises.
Stan’s Author Website
http://www.stancsmith.com
Feel free to email Stan at: [email protected]
He loves hearing from readers and will answer every email.
Also by Stan C. Smith
Have you read the entire Diffusion series?
Savage
If you have found this book, the end of the world has already begun.
Discover how it all started. In 1868, Samuel Inwood tragically stumbles upon the most sign
ificant discovery in human history, the Lamotelokhai. His story is one of wonder, survival, and gradual realization of the state of human civilization. And it is a warning to all of us….
Get your copy of Savage.
Blue Arrow
And if you have not read DIFFUSION and INFUSION, you are missing important pieces of the puzzle.
Get your copy of Blue Arrow.
Diffusion
What would you sacrifice to bring to light the greatest discovery in human history?
It’s been 150 years since Samuel discovered the Lamotelokhai. Quentin Darnell and his group tragically become stranded in remote Papua. Soon they realize they aren’t alone.
Get your copy of Diffusion.
Infusion
Who would you trust with the power to alter the destiny of humanity?
Quentin and his group struggle to return to civilization. But transporting the greatest discovery in history is not as easy as it might seem.
Get your copy of Infusion.
Profusion
How can you save humanity if your only hope is to call upon the entity that could destroy us all?
Quentin and Lindsey take off for Papua in hopes of finding their lost son. One the other side of the world, Bobby and the Lamotelokhai find themselves locked in a struggle to save civilization.
For more information on these novels, as well as updates about new releases and exclusive promotions, visit the author’s website and join his email newsletter at:
http://www.stancsmith.com
Acknowledgements
I am not capable of creating a book such as this on my own. I have the following people, among others, to thank for their assistance.
When it comes to editing, my son Micheal Smith is extremely talented, and his tireless and meticulous suggestions are invaluable. If you find a sentence or detail in the book that doesn’t seem right, it is likely because I failed to implement one of his suggestions.
My wife, Trish, is always the first to read my work, and therefore she has the burden of seeing my stories in their roughest form. Thankfully, she does not hesitate to point out where things are a mess. Her suggestions are what get the editing process started. She also helps with various promotional efforts. And finally, she not only tolerates my obsession with writing, she actually encourages it.
I also owe thanks to those in my Advance Reviewer group. They were able to point out numerous typos and inconsistencies. Several of them went above and beyond, particularly Mandy Walkden-Brown, Tammy Fiess, Lisa Sherman, Sherri Rusch, Ilene Roberts, Elizabeth Copeland, Linda Brand, Lois Welsh, Rosemary Standeven, and Sue Williams.
Marifer Walter and Lana Spaller-Little provided valuable assistance with Spanish dialogue.
Finally, I am thankful to all the independent freelance designers out there who provide quality work for independent authors such as myself. Donna Harriman Murillo created the cover for Profusion (DHMDesigns at 99designs).
Profusion
This is a work of fiction. All the characters and events portrayed
in this book are either products of the author’s imagination
or are used fictitiously.
Copyright © 2017 Stan C. Smith
All rights reserved.
Profusion Page 37
