by Will Crudge
I shed a tear from the splendor of it. I see the frags detonate in sequence. Scatter bits of ruined metal and slag fill the space. To an untrained eye, the seemingly chaotic spray of debris would seem random and brutal. It’s not for me, however. It’s a gorgeous display of physics in slow motion. Slow motion? Shit! Time seems to have slowed down for me.
That doesn’t shock me though. The source of the Rage may still be only theoretical, but we do know it comes from beyond our physical dimension. Perhaps from an alternate universe. We may never know for sure. We can only see it once it’s crossed the threshold of our reality, so it’s only a guess. But beyond what we know of our universe, time, space, and matter may not behave the same way. Linear time may not even be a thing there. By these energies certainly effect my senses in some kind of non-linear time dilation. At least that’s what it seems like to me.
Four defenders are left unscathed. Four more survived major injury from the frags since they were knocked off of their feet before they went off. But four of them are decidedly deceased. But under the influence of the Rage, I finally see what the elders always meant by the saying ‘death is only an illusion’.
Their consciousness has changed form into some kind of ethereal energy. Some may call it a soul, but I’m speaking from known physics. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. It can only change form. Thus, so does the abstract notion of the soul. It’s as if they’ve been liberated of the density that causes all suffering to occur. I’m pouring tears of happiness now.
I never thought I would snap three necks, and slice a woman in half while shedding joyful tears… while on my period… But it’s happening. #HappyDay
Kyle and Onslaught mop up the rest of the bad guys, and in a flash, we enter the CIC. Two men, and one woman are standing there. They all have Crimson Fleet Officer uniforms on. One of the men has greying hair, and a leathery face. His shoulders are adorned with a Lieutenant Commander’s insignia. The woman was a Commander, and she had short cropped dirty-blonde hair with a tired face. The other man was an Ensign, and he looked as if he was barely old enough to leave his parent’s home.
They all stood silently. Their faces wrinkled with fear, and their bodies gave off a stench of hormonal doom.
“I am Commander Ludwig.” The female officer announced. Her voice was straining to project confidence, but she was obviously holding back a defeatist vibe.
“Do you surrender your ship?” Onslaught says calmly.
She looks at him with shock. Granted, not too many living beings ever get see a real-life Zodiac. Ever. But this one is soaked in fresh blood, and looks anything but ‘courteous’.
“Y-yes.” She struggles to say. She takes a deep breath, releases it, and then renders a salute. Onslaught bows his head slightly. I suppose if he attempted to approximate a human salute, he would look like a monstrously ungainly puppy trying to paw a dab of peanut butter off of his snout. The Rage is still ever present, so I try extra hard not to laugh. I’m just so happy right now!
EPILOGUE
Kyle and Onslaught are back on board the Mercy. They’re giving a full report to the remaining cadre members. I’ve elected to stay on the Nova, in order to get better acquainted with my LRF-90, and its two eccentric personalities.
The gunship, as we’ve recently discovered, is called the Void Reaper. We still don’t know the true mission of the ship, but we do know that it’s a new class of gunship. Slightly smaller than a typical frigate, but much larger than a sloop or a cutter. Its weapon systems are overpowered for its hull type, but it can maintain impressive speeds in normal space flight.
Acting Commander Conrad turns out to be female. A very friendly one, at that. She’s almost as imposing as a typical female War Master, but I’m guessing the UAHC’s augmentation processes aided in that regard. Every UAHC Soldier is a one man… err one woman Army. Still not as deadly as a War Master, but they each spend fifteen years of training before they hope earn the rank of Private. They have no true officer corp. Commissions are only granted during times of war. Their government is afraid of their own military, after all. Having a slew of power-jockeying career officers had almost costed them victory in the bloodiest war they’d ever fought. The bloodiest war any human has ever fought, for that matter.
We’ve become close in the past several days. We have to wait until we reach the edge of the system before it's safe for the Mercy to transition to FTL, so we’re flying the dreaded slog through normal space. But I don’t mind. I haven’t been in space in seven decades, so as long as nobody is shooting at me, then I’ll be fine.
I’ve made friends with the ship’s AI, Trixie. We share jokes, and geek out over new tech. She and I have become improbable besties.
If only I had known then, what would happen next... We never did make it to our jump point. The shooting is not over. The Crimson Fleet will not relent.
My story is just beginning…
The End of Book 1
The story continues with Katherine: Forged in Exile..
I hope you enjoyed this entry into the Humanity Weapon Universe. It’s a distinct departure from the style I used to craft the War for Humanity Saga, which started off with Sovereign Protocol: A Soldier’s Rise Book 1. But rest assure. This series will converge with it. For those of you that have read United Front: Book 3, then you already have been introduced to Katherine, and already know what lies ahead… Or do you? Read on to see for yourself!
As always, if you enjoyed this book, then I humbly ask you leave your honest review on Amazon, or on Goodreads. Feel free to follow my Facebook page for news, as well. Read on for the afterword. Thank you!
-Will Crudge, Pendleton 2018
AFTERWORD
The entire Humanity Weapon Universe is a labor of love. It is a long-evolving concept that has been brought to light through grit and determination.
Not all of the Humanity Weapon books will have the same light tone, as this one does, but this particular series is light by design. I always thrive on witty banter, and embarrassing dialogue, but that’s only a small piece of the pie.
I don’t want a universe that is overly complex, but this one is turning out to be more dynamic than I had originally intended. So, I ask you to continue reading onward with an open mind.
I owe a great deal of thanks to NY Times Best Selling Author, M.D. Cooper. His mentorship has been invaluable. As an Indie Author, we have to help each other, after all.
I would be remiss if I didn’t thank my majestic wife, Katherine. She’s my rock… My center… My muse.
Read on, my friends… Read on!
THE BOOKS OF HUMANITY WEAPON
War for Humanity
- Book 1: Sovereign Protocol: A Soldier’s Rise
- Book 2: The Battle of Tangine
- Book 3: United Front
- Kara’s Flight – Saga Companion Story #1
- Broadsword – Saga Companion Story #2
War Master Candidate
- Book 1: Katherine: The Monster Within
- Book 2: Katherine: Forged in Exile
- Book 3: Katherine: I Am Vengeance
- Book 4: Katherine: A Woman At War
- Book 5: Katherine: War Master
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Will Crudge is a long-time military vet, and a devoted family man.
He shares his home with his beloved wife, his amazing daughters, a cat, and a dog. He also shares headspace with his insanity. Although most people suffer from mental illness, Will enjoys every minute of it!
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