Paradise Awakened Trilogy

by Mackenzie Morris

  "Wait. How was she a nun if you-"

  "She slipped up and slept with my father." Jarred says. "They fell in love. He was a deacon. They tried to keep it covered up, but eventually it came to light, of course. Well, they made my mother leave the church. Even when my father took the blame, they still made her leave, but let him stay. How is that okay? It's not. My father left the church and never went back. He was a good man who took responsibility for my mother and me. When I was young, they wanted me to join the church, but even I was turned away because they all knew who I was. That broke my mother's heart. She wasn't the same after that. I never saw her smile again. It crushed her. They refused to even speak with her. I thought that priests were supposed to be forgiving and understanding, but they ignored her like she was evil."

  Jayce takes Jarred in his arms and holds him close. "Just because that happened in one church doesn't mean they're all like that. There are over twenty different religions down here. Why do you think there are so many? Because they give people hope and something to live for. Did you ever think about that? Maybe I need some hope in my life, Jarred. I need to know that something bigger than myself is watching out for me. You don't understand what I've lost. I need this and if you won't support me in this, then . . . you're right. We're over."

  "But I don't want us to be over. I thought I already told you that nothing can come between Jarred and Jayce."

  "Then don't let religion do it either."

  25

  Doss runs his fingers through his newly cut hair and turns in front of the mirror covering the entire wall of his room. His silver armor has been recently polished, his black cape is pressed, the red and yellow skull is vibrantly embroidered, his boots are new, and his dual laser pistols rest securely in their holsters strapped around his thighs. His wings are glittering and brightly shining after the dust from the wasteland was scrubbed away. He's not ashamed to keep them out at all times here. It's good to be back. His uniform has come a long way since he wore it last. Even the metal cuirass is flexible and breathable. He could never take this off. Maybe he won't. He takes a deep breath of the delicately perfumed filtered air that has the slightest scent of sweet pecans and cinnamon.

  The door slides open as a young maid in a short black dress bows and steps inside. "Good morning, Captain Doss."

  "Good morning. Did you bring my coffee?"

  "Yes, sir." She goes back into the hallway then returns with a tall cup and bows as she hands it to him. "I hope it's to your liking, sir."

  He sips it and steps out onto the balcony overlooking the turquoise water of the ocean and the white sand spotted with palm trees and large purple crystals of solidified dark matter. The artificial sunlight glints off of it all, creating a vibrant display of colors. The salty air calms him as it always has. He watches the maid smoothing the black silk sheets on the round bed. Doss still can't believe that he's here after so many years. He catches the maid stealing glances at his wings in the light. "Can I help you?"

  She promptly averts her gaze and her face flushes with embarrassment. "Forgive me, sir."

  "Were you looking at my wings? Don't be ashamed. Tell me what you think."

  "They're beautiful, sir."

  "Thank you. You don't have to be afraid of me. I'm not like the other officers. No whip here."

  She smiles. "You're too kind, sir."

  Doss finishes his coffee and sets the cup on the mahogany table. He slips a hundred dollar bill into the cup as a tip for the young woman. "I have a meeting to get to. This is a little embarrassing, but I haven't been back here in thirty-two years. Could you tell me how to get to the cyber café?"

  She folds his clothes that he wore from Paradise and drapes his coat over the back of a chair. "First floor of this building on the east side. You can't miss it. It's the large room with the full glass walls on the cliffs above the water."

  Doss checks his appearance in the mirror one last time before going to the door. "Thank you."

  * * *

  As soon as Doss steps out of the elevator, a familiar barking fills the hallway and his heart leaps in his chest. A large white wolf runs up to him and jumps up, placing his paws on Doss's chest. He pets the thick fur. "Hey, buddy. I've missed you so much." He continues to pet his wolf as all the memories of his life here come back to him. He remembers when he first received the wolf from the robotics department. It's the closest thing to a real dog on this planet or on Earth. Doss kneels down in the walkway and rubs the wolf's belly. "That's my good boy, Abel."

  "Welcome back, Captain. I see you've been reacquainted with your friend."

  Doss stands and shakes hands with the man in the sunglasses. "Thanks for taking care of him for me while I was gone, Velex."

  Velex pats Doss's shoulder. "No problem. Come with me. I'm starving. I'm sure you're ready to eat something other than those awful canned beans of yours."

  He walks beside Velex as Abel follows him, happily panting and wagging his bushy tail. "You have no idea. This place has changed so much since I was here last."

  Velex leads him into the café where the bright sunlight filters in through the three full glass walls, revealing the far-stretching ocean below the rocky cliffs where the genetically modified seagulls fly overhead in the pale blue sky. They sit at one of the floating tables. "So you have to tell me, Doss. Are you ready to get back to work?"

  Doss orders a martini from one of the robotic waitresses and smiles as he pets Abel's head. "I wasn't gone on some vacation, Axel. So, why did it take you close to twenty years to come rescue me from Paradise?"

  "It's a three week trip."

  "You couldn't take three weeks out of your leisurely schedule to come get me?"

  "You know how it is around here." Velex says. "You put in a request and months go by until you find out that it was misplaced or sent to the wrong office. Then you do it again and the internet goes down or some rebels trash the mail carrier headquarters. It's just an incompetent cycle."

  "Bureaucratic paperwork runaround?"

  "As always."

  The waitress sets down Doss's martini and two plates of omelets. Velex puts his sunglasses on top of his head and laughs. "An omelet and a martini. Now that is breakfast."

  "Don't judge me, Axel. Even when I was in the Inquisition, I could never get a good martini. Now, talk to me about the plan. We can't sit here eating omelets all day."

  Velex takes a large bite of his omelet. "Well, as long as we're in this building, we can speak freely. I've run security checks on all the employees so they're clean. You'll be fully debriefed later tonight after your official reinstatement ceremony, but I can give you basic rundown. Oh, and you'll be receiving the Eye of the Chancellor medal for your service down in Paradise."

  He chokes on his martini. "You're joking."

  "Nope. You'll be awarded the highest military honor from the very man we're trying to overthrow. That's a good thing, Doss. If you can get close to Chancellor Dressler, then we're one step closer to getting this revolution going."

  "Speaking of revolutions, what are you going to do about Michael?"

  He shrugs his shoulders. "I sent him and the other archons who came back with us back to Clark's moon base. I'm covering your ass, Doss. Michael thinks you are being put on trial for killing all those humans on Earth then deserting."

  "I'm not a deserter. My system malfunctioned and I couldn't physically get back here. You know what Clark did to my wings."

  "I know and it took me years to clear your name with the other officers. Everyone thinks you're a hero now, except for the Shadow Spies, the archons, and Clark's Blood Force division."

  "How did you manage that?" Doss asks as he quickly finishes his omelet. He was much hungrier than he thought, but maybe that alcohol made him that way.

  "I'm the head of the military. Believe it or not, my position does carry some weight around here. I also may have fabricated some things."

  This doesn't sound good. "Oh, God help me. You're going to get me in so mu
ch trouble."

  "Don't get your pretty feathers rustled. It's all part of the plan. By the time Gabriel and Michael get back here, you will be out on another mission and they won't be able to find you."

  They continue to eat as Doss watches the people fill the café for brunch. They are all dressed in bright colors and metals, so unlike the fashions on Earth. Practicality is saved for the military. A couple of small children are running around the fountain against the far wall and Abel runs off to play with them. Silly dog. It will take Doss some time to get used to having his best friend around all the time again. He's ready for it, though. They used to be inseparable when Doss would come here between his long stays above the Earth watching the humans. When he decided to strictly follow Kazimir's orders that last time, he said goodbye to Abel, thinking it would be the final time he would see him. Before he fell, Doss had vowed that he would never leave his station above North America. Well, then he fell and now here he is again. Being back on this planet has its perks, though. And with Kazimir gone and not many humans left to watch, Doss have every intention of staying here. He can get used to a life like this again. Oh, yes. He forgot to ask Velex about his ship. "So, how is my ship?"

  Velex puts down his fork and wipes his mouth on his napkin. "Do you want the good news or the bad news?"

  Doss sighs. "What now?"

  "Well, we actually built you a brand new one with advanced weaponry and computer systems that could get from here to Earth in under one week. It had a full crew of androids and dark matter shields, a combat targeting interface, the whole nine yards."

  "Had? What happened to it?"

  "A certain high ranking officer may have taken it for a test run and accidentally tried to do some asteroid belt slaloms." Velex says with a mischievous grin.

  "Would that certain officer happen to be you?"

  "I swear you will get a new one in a week."

  "Well, either way, I'm ready to get this started then bring the survivors from Paradise up here." Doss says. "Tell me what you've done with Byron Erikson."

  "I actually . . . um . . . he was taken from me once we landed. While I was able to get you past the Blood Force, I couldn't lie enough to save Byron. My vice admiral has him in an interrogation pod."

  What? Oh, this is making the entire plan more complicated. "Your vice admiral is a member of the Blood Force? She's going to find out about me."

  "You'll be pardoned of all crimes against the IGR when you're reinstated tonight. You're in the clear, Doss."

  "And what of Byron?" Doss asks.

  "Let's just hope he can survive our dearest femme fatale."

  * * *

  The loud click of stiletto heels on metal wakes Byron from the deepest sleep of his life. The bright lights hurt his eyes and his head is pounding. He tries to move, but something holds him still in a chair. When he is finally able to open his eyes to fully view the world around him, he wishes he could just go back to sleep. He's tied to a chair in front of a wooden desk. The walls of this forbidding room are bleak and empty. The cold air makes his skin tingle. He coughs and groans as the familiar, ever-growing pain shoots through his lungs. Damned nanobots.

  The tall blonde woman sits on the desk and crosses her fishnet stocking-clad legs before adjusting her tiny glasses. "Guten Morgen, Byron Erikson. It's nice to see that you're finally awake after our three week trip across the galaxy."

  "I've been asleep for three weeks?" Byron asks wearily.

  "I think that medically induced coma describes it better. You're not feeling very well, are you?"

  "No."

  The admittedly attractive woman pushes Byron's hair out of his face with a red polished fingernail. "Don't worry. We won't let you die until we want you to."

  "Who are you?" Byron asks.

  "Vice Admiral Hildegarde Annette Morgenstern." She opens a steel box on the table and pulls out two full syringes and an already bloody drill. "Welcome to Himmel.

  Book Two:

  Archon

  1

  The colorful streets of Himmel sparkle with warm light from the pale artificial sun setting in the powdery blue sky where the thin wispy clouds are emitted by the atmosphere simulator. Citizens in vibrant-colored clothes and large gold and silver decorative chains cheer as the white hover car comes down the main boulevard. Private spacecraft buzz by overhead, bringing citizens from all the far reaches of the man-made planet.

  Doss waves at the crowds who are holding out their hands to him, primarily crazed women. He flashes a bright smile and spreads his white platinum wings out high for them, causing more squealing and cheers. This is the best he's felt in weeks. He loves the thrill and rush of it all. Dressed in his Himmel military uniform, he finally feels at home again. His long black cape embroidered with the red and yellow skull symbol of the Imperial Galactic Reich, his flexible silver cuirass, slick grey pants, and the knee high leather boots are his emblems of power. Every person on Himmel has been trained through propaganda and moving displays of power to idolize those in the uniform. Of course, the giant wings don't hurt.

  Doss pets the white furry robotic wolf next to him who is always close by his side. "Good boy, Abel." He turns the thick purple collar around to see if the tiny silver disk is still in place. Good. Bombs need detonators, after all. He looks to the thin red-haired man with the overly large sunglasses sitting beside him. "Velex, we're good to go."

  "Wonderful. Just smile and wave at your admirers, Captain. Once we get to the stage, I'll go up first and be greeted by Chancellor Dressler. He will address the citizens, the military, and the Blood Force. Then I will give a short speech. It is very important that you don't do anything suspicious. The Shadow Spies are everywhere. No one knows who they are, but they know everyone. And believe me when I say that they're out for your blood. Don't push that button until you hear the trigger word."

  "What's the-"

  Velex interrupts him. "When you hear me say freedom, you push that button and get down."

  When the hover car stops behind the metal stage surrounded by anxious crowds waving flags bearing the yellow and red colors of the IGR, Velex goes first and Doss follows him with Abel obediently walking next to him as he always has. As the chancellor addresses the people, Doss's mind is far from here and back on Earth in Paradise. Even though it has only been three weeks and he never thought that he could develop a connection with anyone down there after the way they treated him, he misses one of them dearly. He doesn't know why, but he can't stop thinking about Katarina. Last night, he had a very uncomfortable dream about her. It is these dangerous and impure thoughts that have begun to eat away at his normally strong resolve. If he could only talk to her and make sure that everything is okay, then he could stop obsessing over this and focus instead on what he should be concerned with.

  Still, he can't deny his feelings for her. Out of everyone he has ever been close to in his life, this is the one relationship that has the most red flags. Katarina is already married to Byron Erikson, she falsely accused Doss of raping her, she sleeps around with Zach Montgomery and God knows who else, and she has an owner who needs her ready for combat at any time. Doss could never bring her up here to Himmel to be with him.

  Doss's thoughts are brought back from the brink of sin to focus on the present when Velex takes the stage and waves at the crowd. Now is the time to for thinking clearly and following through this plan exactly as Velex told him. There's no time for these thoughts of Katarina.

  Velex bows to the chancellor. "Thank you, most honorable Chancellor Dressler. People of the Imperial Galactic Reich, today signifies a return to the greatness our military has lost in the past thirty years. One of the bravest space fighter pilots in our history has finally found his way back to our ranks after thirty-two years on assignment. Fifteen years ago, he was at his post above Earth when he malfunctioned and fell. Until now, he has been trapped down in Paradise with no way to return to our beloved Himmel. Today we welcome Captain Doss back into our ranks. As admiral of this p
restigious military, I have worked beside him and have seen his unmatched reflexes and abilities in battle. Captain Doss will defend Himmel and fight for freedom." Velex glances at Doss.

  Doss slides his finger underneath the collar around Abel's neck and presses the silver disk firmly. He braces for the explosion, but nothing happens. A flash of panic sweeps through him. He presses it again, still there is no explosion.

  Velex clears his throat and continues. "This freedom is placed in his more than capable hands and as his superior, I can honestly say that I have never been more faithful in anyone under my command." He bows and steps back as the citizens cheer.

  * * *

  The celebrations and parades go on for hours as the night grows darker, but Doss quickly slips away as fast as he can. He's never been one for flashiness or parties. As he makes his way through the back alleys, he tries to ignore the balls of multicolored plasma exploding in the sky and the women passing by who try to touch his wings and ask him out for a drink or dinner. And he adamantly yet politely refuses each one, no matter how tempting the offer.

  Doss's religious vows have kept him from being with a woman and now that he's facing what could be the most trying and dangerous time in his life, he doesn't plan on breaking those vows. He will need all the help he can get, from ethereal sources or otherwise. Now, he needs a strong drink and a quiet place to hide before he's mobbed by more women.

  Someone's hand touches Doss's shoulder. "Where are you escaping to, Doss?"

  "Velex!" Doss drags him over into the shadows. "Thank God. Why didn't it go off?"

  "Shh. Now's not the time or place. Meet me at the café in an hour and we'll talk. Keep an eye out. Be careful going back to your room."