by Ben Winston
Dark Shroud Mountains Complex
Aracnise Grand Hive, Chamber of the Queen
Outside Cerbilax City (Planetary Capitol)
Planet Veranor, Astralix System
The Queen was pleased with her broods. They had served her well. Even now that a cursed Alliance fleet was here her minions were still laying waste to the evil beings that had controlled her for too long! She had summoned all of her fleets home to defend the planet while she finalized her preparations.
The cybernetically enhanced queens had turned out perfectly, and at this very moment were directing their drones to construct a mobile platform that would move the Queen and the massive computer hard wired into what served as her brain. They would free their Queen and move her to a more protected place, deeper underground. She was free! She had her own planet, and she had seeded another! Very soon, her broods would reach out and crush their oppressors. These beings were nothing more than food for the broods. Yes, the same beings that had suppressed her for so long would now repay that debt by giving the brood strength!
Through her queens she watched the destruction and devastation being wrought by the fleet above them on the former city of her enemies, and reveled in the destruction. Millions of her drones were dying but she did not care, that was what drones were for. They died knowing that their Queen was pleased with them, and they had freed her.
Yes, she was free now, and the universe would scream in despair at the sounds of her hordes! But there was one place where the hordes would not answer her. One place where existed another like her. One place she could not reach and that one place would be her first major target; after all she would need the facilities there to build the ships her broods would need. The Galtar system would be hers!
Excursion and Embarkation Ground Station
Galtar Main Assembly System and Shipyard (GMASS)
Planet Galtar IV
Galtar System, Shallan Directorate
"Welcome to GMASS, Proconsul. To what do we owe the honor of your visit?" the small Chairman of the Shallan Directorate asked as he abased himself before the cowled figure.
"Veranor has fallen. What progress have you made in installing the new AI into the systems of this facility?"
"None as yet, Proconsul. The new systems have only just arrived, the crews were to begin installations tom..."
The figure almost shouted. "You will not install that system here! AI is defective and turns rogue. Veranor fell to the treachery of this system and its designer. The designer has been dealt with, but the systems still remain. Vigilant, you must be, against this abomination."
The small Shallan cringed. "I will see to it personally, Proconsul!"
"Very well, now show us to suitable quarters. Very little time we have, with much yet to do," the Proconsul said. "See to our belongings." It said as it walked away.
The other hooded figures converged around him. "From here the Veranorian Race will again reach out. New ships to design and build, new weapons to be installed. To lead is our destiny, and it will not be denied us."
"Proconsul, what of the reports of the entire Clan that betrayed us. More Deception could be in the hearts of other Clans. Counter this, we must in order to proceed."
The Proconsul listened and agreed. "Submit to obedience instruction the Directorate will. From there, all Clan leaders, officials and families. No Shallan will betray us again. Too much freewill among these people. We must instruct them in the ways of order."
Behind him, several large crates containing the same programming equipment used on the Alliance Councilors was trundled out of the hold of their landing craft. Escorting each crate was an armed guard drone carrying a charged particle weapon.
"Yes, far too much freewill has been allowed. Much correcting must be done."
Definitions
Sarah has translated the Novan greetings as the following.
‘Altuis’, {pronounced all-TOU-iss} means* Grand/Auspicious/Great.
‘Anure’ {pronounced AHN-nü-er} means* Start/Beginning/Morning.
‘Denay’ {pronounced Dee-NAY} means* Day/Solar Cycle/Work Period.
‘Tanae’ {pronounced tah-NĔ} means* Honor/Occasion/Day.
*Exact definition is contextual.
About the Author
Ben Winston (1965 - ?) was born in Iowa and grew up in Minnesota on the family dairy farm. Upon reaching adulthood, he joined the United States Army as a communications technician. Before getting out of the military, he decided to go to school for computer electronics.
Shortly after getting out of the military, and after getting a new job with an over-seas company, he was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. A month after beginning the new job, he was laid off due to budget over-runs on the project he was hired for. Upon returning to the United States, he had difficulty maintaining employment because of the chronic illness.
He began writing as a form of stress release, from being home bound and not being able to work, and found he liked writing erotica. Ben wrote a trilogy called the Talosian Chronicles (Currently in rewrite to remove the graphic sex and finalized his vision of the story). The first book, Star Dancer, won awards and was nominated for many others by the online communities where it was posted.
Ben Winston returned to school for literature, after completion, he began writing professionally. Being an avid fan of science fiction he focused on this genre. He was, and still is, influenced and inspired by Gene Roddenberry, Anne McCaffery, David Weber, Isaac Asimov, and Ray Bradbury. Some of his favorite movies and TV shows are; Battlestar Galactica (both versions), Andromeda, Star Trek, Firefly, Star Wars, and many of the B-rated movies that were actually box-office bombs.
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Ben Winston
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Books Published by Blue Space Publications, LLC.
by Ben Winston
Pollux Paradox
Tides of Mars
Tides of Mars (Omnibus)
Ascension – Book I
Conflict – Book II
Talosian Chronicles
Olympus – Book I
Star Dancer – Book II
Talosian Alliance – Book III
*Neptune’s Massif – Book IV (Upcoming)
Series
Temple of S.A.R.A.H.
Prototype – Episode I
Subroutines – Episode II
Base Functions – Episode III
Hard Wired – Episode IV
by Michael McClain
Chronicles of Atlantis Series
Chronicles of Atlantis (Omnibus)
Atlantis Rising – Book I
Euthara – Book II
