It`s my new book. The first one I started in English, so it could be not very good. Anyway, i`d be pleased if you read it and then tell me something about it.
The Story
Prologue 1630 A.C. Alternative history. Planet Earth is corrupted with ancient evil that came out from it`s core. That day was called the Collapse day. Evil fighters – Shagans – are extremely powerful soldiers, fighting with remaining human forces of planet forces. They are formed by the dark material expanded from the core, and they use some sort of corruptive necromagic that turns people not even in zombies – insects, totally changing their structure. The new inhabitants were called Novaterrans, and they are totally out of the control, wandering all over the planet. They had power, they had superior vitality and stamina, but their brain, transformed by mutation caused necromagic was completely gone. Now they can thing only in large groups, forming large mental activity. After this half of the Earth population was turned into Novaterrans, and another half of half was killed during endless fighting between Shagans and military forces. Remaining people now live in towns, protected with huge walls and lots of turrets cause Novaterrans always attack them in search of food. Between-town communications are performed with satellite systems and air transport. Old roads that lead from town to town are abandoned because of their extreme danger. Even SUPERs, the best military teams try to avoid destroyed towns. It is believed that coming there is equal to death…
Chapter First. Darkness, Light and Shadow
Meet the dusk The streets were empty. No people, no cats, no dogs. There were no birds even, because they leaved this old town, searching for food. Also there was another reason for their migrating – they imply want to live. Transformed planet is mortally dangerous for it`s former children. Even trees that stood here during the Collapse are now no more trees at all, mutating in another live forms. And not often they were peaceful to their ancestors. Nothing interrupted the silence of the dead town. If looking for a long time you could notice that the tree branches are moving like paws, and cracks on the tree body are more like mouths…
Suddenly something happened. He silence was still complete, but there was something else – more like sensing than hearing. Strange sound that actually was not sound at all came from nowhere, quickly spreading over the street. It was lasting just for a few seconds – but every single being of old world that remained in this town for some unknown reasons heard it. It was the Call. The Call for Novaterrans to come from their sanctuaries. The Call of coming night. And everyone understood that now they should find a shelter to wait for the sunrise. Cause night belongs to the Novaterrans and Shagans that can`t stand sunlight. Humans love Sun for this – Sun mean safety and warmness. But when moon rises over the sky – better search for a hideout.
If you want to live.
- Jack, - said Nikki, sitting on the tree – What shall we do now?
- Sit calm and try to stay silent. I don`t think the tree is a safe place but it is high after all.
- We are too far from our house… - whispered the girl, carefully watching the road – How could we get so far?
- I think it`s my fault, - the boy looked at the short sword in his hands.
- What are you talking about? - interrupted Nikki – It`s not your fault. We just couldn’t find food in old markets so were forced to move far away. Don`t blame yourself.
Jack smiled.
- Yea, I think you’re right.
He looked at the sunset. The red sun was almost gone, disappearing behind houses. Theoretically they could seek hideout there, but it could be even more dangerous than staying in the street. Novaterrans hate sunlight. So they sometimes stay in abandoned houses, waiting for dusk to come out.
- Hope everything will be all right, - finally said he.
- Everything will be all right, - Nikki tried to cheer him up – After all, several months passed after that Collapse stuff and we are still alive.
- Well, I guess... They just don`t believe in that someone could survive so long… After all, there was an expedition two weeks ago.
Nikki sighed. The last time they saw the light of rescue buoy, Nikki was laying in the hideout, too seek even to move. Jack was traveling around the town when he saw the light. He could escape – but he didn’t want to leave without Nikki. So he ran for the girl and carried her half of the way when a Novaterran attacked the rescue ship. That time it were not human-like insectoids, it was a large dark creature with six wins and sharp claws. Jack then said it was a dragon, through Nikki still believe dragons were just legends. It vaporized the ship and Supers that were guarding it in a single shot. Huge slash of demonic flame – and there was nothing more than some ash and burning metal. Lucky they hadn’t reached the ship for that moment, otherwise they would die too. Otherwise… Jack topped thinking about it. No way. They will live, they will survive this dreadful nightmare. They will find way to get to secured towns. One day…
Suddenly Jack noticed something dark flew from the clouded sky and landed somewhere in the town.
- Did you saw it too? – asked Nikki. The girl was really scared – that something was in size like an airplane – What was that?
- Are you sure you want to know?
- No, but there was something familiar. That shapes…
She jumped, and so did Jack. Huge beam of white light came fro the place where that thing landed. It hit the clouds, illuminating the city.
- Rescue ranger! – shouted boy – Come on, we need to get there!
- Right! – Nikki jumped from the tree on the ground.
Jack took her hand, and together they started running towards the light.
The streets were still abandoned – no one came to the light, except them. For some time they lost the light because they entered the underground tunnel. They tried to run as fast as possible – in spite of close rescue, they should be especially careful now. Novaterrans could appear at any moment. Both Jack and Nikki were able to fight, and they also had some unusual powers that saved them after Collapse, but the were still young to fight in the full strength. Jack always dreamed that one day he will become the Super and fight everything that he feared during nights, laying in their hideout…
- Look! – suddenly stopped Nikki – The second beam!
Jack blinked. There really appeared the second beam of condensed light. They were nearly equal, but one was pulsing, and the other was not. But was the most important – the pulsing one was closer to them than the other beam.
- Hurry! – Jack pulled her towards the closest beam – There are two ships, let’s try to reach the nearest!
Hunger, thirst, fear – all was forgotten. The shining hope to escape this place of horror and death made them run as fast as they could, not thinking about monsters that could watch for them from the darkness. The light of the sun was almost gone, so they should hurry to avoid meeting Novaterrans. Or worse – Shagans… They crossed the street, rounded the Municipal house and run out on the square…
And stopped, shocked by what they’ve seen.
- All right… - Nikki step back – Is this supposed to be rescue team? For me they should look like something else…
Jack grow cold with terror. There was neither ship nor Supers with guns and blades. In the center of the square was something like gigantic sack of skin with hundreds of tentacles moving swiftly. It hold it`s huge tail mounted and the beam… The beam was coming from that tail, imitating rescue beam!
And what was the worst – there were hundreds of Novaterrans, from mutated dogs to real Novaterrans, huge (nearly 2,5 meters tall) people with six arms and three eyes on sharp head.
- What a hell… - whispered Jack.
Novaterrans turned to them.
- Do you think they will let us go? – Nikki was too scared to move.
- I guess the best we can do now… - Jack griped her hand – Is to run away!
They turned around and start running from the square. Hungry roar from the back said that monsters are not going to miss their prey. Jack, squeezing the sword, pointed at the second beam that was still hitting the skies.
- We should reach the real rescue ship!
- Are you sure this is not another imitation?
- It`s our last chance to remain in one peace! And I remembered that shapes of the flying object! It`s an war battleship, Zeus model! Are those nasty creatures after us?
- Are you kidding? I`m not looking!
- So we better hurry up!
They were running across the park, and they were really close to the rescue beam, but their stamina was running off. Monsters, pursuing them, were approaching fast.
- Run! Run!
- I`m trying… Au!
Nikki stumbled over the stone and felt. The nearest monsters gave up really horror full roar.
- Nikki! – boy stopped.
- Run! You still can escape!
- Never!
He mounted his sword, and it became alight. The closest monster – big dog – jumped on him. The sword pierced the mutant body, and the dog turned into dust. Another dog jumped on him, and he blocked it with his weapon. The next second it was slashed by the blade, but there were more dogs, and huge cats, and…
Grey cat jumped at him like a lightning, and the only thing he could was watch long sharp claws…
Small fireball appeared left from him, and cat disappeared in cloud of dust.
- Be careful! - Nikki stroke with her spear another Novaterran.
- Thanks, and now – run!
- And you?
- RUN!!! I`m just after you! Come on, we need to get to that damn ship!
But they couldn’t run as fast as was needed, and kids understood that. Monsters were too close, and they were too tired from running…
- No! – shouted Nikki when she saw another Novaterran, huge bird that one time was a pigeon, swooping at Jack. The boy tried to block it, but the time was lost…
Shhha!
A beam of sharp light came out from nowhere, disintegrating closest monsters. Jack could see someone ahead, sitting on the motorbike with a huge blade in his right hand. His left one was all in grey light. It was sure that he just saved the kids, shooting a magical arrow.
- Run! – Nikki grabbed Jack, and together they jumped on the bike. Stranger, covered with black cloak, reaped the handle, and motorbike rushed away from the monsters.
- Thank you, you`ve just saved us! – said Jack to the stranger.
- It is nothing, - the man moved his sword – You’d better hold on!
He swinged the bike, and the cat that jumped at them hit the building instead. Other Novaterrans managed to pursue the bike but it was too fast. In a few seconds they escaped from pursuit and entered another square.
- Yeah! – shouted both Jack and Nikki.
They saw a big armored battleship staying in the center of the square. It`s cannons were active, searching for Novaterrans. They were to shoot the motorbike but stopped when saw who was on it.
- Good! – said the nearest SUPER helping kids to get off the bike – It`s nice to see someone else survived.
- Someone else? – asked the bike rider.
- For this time – only you.
Jack finally could look at their rescuer. He was not wearing SUPER`s armor and weapons. The stranger in black cloak looked more like a monk, but Jack never heard of a monk able to use magic. Magic was something that was brought from the core, and only Shagans used it. Does that mean…
But wait. The illness. Yes, the illness that came from the Core. It turns people into Novaterrans, but for some of them it gives some sort of magical power instead. Jack and Nikki were infected too, but their powers were small – cast a fireball or summon wind. They were lucky – they survived the illness, through Jack was not sure it is completely gone. It`s like a bullet that hit you. In time you won’t even feel it, but it will remain in you…
- Thank you, Dan, - said the SUPER commander – Your help is always appreciated.
- What will you do now? – asked the stranger.
- We`ll wait for another to come to the rescue point and then move to the base. What are your plans? Coming with us?
- No, - the stranger turned around – I`ve got work to do.
- Alone? – SUPER commander looked at the darkness covering the town – Dan, are you sure…
- Like I have a choice. I need to find out whether there is something new here. Can`t you cense it?
- Well, I can`t. After all, I`m not a Phoenix team. Why are the others not with you?
- It`s too dangerous for them to come.
- Isn’t it dangerous for you?
- My life is my life.
- Hey! – another SUPER with test computer looked at children – They are infected with SIN!
Other soldiers immediately took aim on kids. Nikki pressed herself to Jack. The boy reaped his sword.
- Calm down! – stranger put his hand on his sword, warning SUPERs – Can`t you see he
hadn’t changed? He is a human, just like me!
- Yes… - SUPER commander put away his gun – I`ve forgotten. Phoenix team.
- That`s right, - stranger looked at kids – So, you passed the illness? It`s good. Jass, take them to our headquarters. One day they can become our tamers.
He jumped on the bike and put sword on backsheath.
- See you around!
The bike rushed and disappeared in the darkness of the streets.
- Hope we`ll meet not here but in the headquarters… - sighed commander, turning to the kids – Sorry for that. We are a little nervous here, you know.
He smiled.
- Come on, get in the ship. We`ll start in a few minutes, till then you can have a cup of hot tea. Relax. You’re in safe now…
Thu May 15, 2008 5:55 am
