The night sky stretched out behind the window, and below buzzed the city of Initia with its glimmering lights and colourful crafts zooming between the buildings. Beyond the city the suburbs faded to an endless lush forest.
It was good to be back. It was as if nothing had changed. The past had become the present with Jill back in his life. He still found a sense of calm in Jill’s company but, at the same time, also the same anxious unease he had as a boy.
Some things never changed.
All the while, everything had changed.
EPILOGUE
TOMMY OPENED HIS EYES, but there was nothing to see. He lay shut inside a tight box in one of the Excalibur’s medical chambers.
He was angry. He had been strapped down and robbed of sight and sound. He could only wait.
He was angry with Tristram for ruining his plans. He was angry with himself for giving him the opportunity. He was angry with Aino for not trusting him. He was angry with Jill for choosing the wrong side. He was angry with Aalto for misguiding him to that lonely planet. He was angry with himself for failing to deliver Aino to Nenetl. He was angry with himself for missing the opportunity and having to wait.
Anger and waiting, however, were impermanent. Things were going to change. The whole universe was going to change.
He recalled the first time his goddess had called out for him. First, just a single whisper in the dark, Nenetl had given him a taste of love and pleasure above what a mortal man could imagine. It was a promise of an eternal ecstasy together, ruling the new universe as celestial beings, gods, with the new breed of humans as the children of their love. The only thing standing in their way was this universe and its rubbish. His love knew what to do, but she was unable act alone. As her partner forever, he had sworn to do anything. She had wanted the child, a special one, like him. Aino.
It had all made sense, until that wrong god had misguided him to that forsaken place, tricking him away from his goddess. Aalto had even brought those blasted chumps around. The pain Tommy had suffered when he realised he had been played.
All the same, suffering was impermanent too.
This is how it’s meant to be, inamorato. You must be patient. Our time is coming, love, and together we cannot fail. Nenetl spoke softly inside his head.
He knew why she had wanted him of all the men in the universe. Because he was no ordinary man, had never been, and with his unique ability he was already closer to a god than anything else in this world. He had this sensitivity, like an inner radar, to identify things in his vicinity. He could detect light, sound, electricity, radiation, and more; he had also learnt to detect E, which he himself drew upon. It had been easy to locate the girl through her veil of E. He could sense it, unlike everyone else around him, even those who could wield E – like his old friends.
They, however, would never be as powerful as he was. It had been easy to fool them into believing he had gone mad, the same with the clueless navy doctors, who had no idea about his real powers, and had resorted to putting him in this ridiculous box.
So, waiting was a choice. Most of the time he spent roaming the rooms and corridors of the Excalibur, keeping himself entertained with the drama and intimate secrets of the navy officers. His body of course stayed in the box. He had no need to move a finger, because with his sense he could go anywhere inside the battle cruiser, and feel anything, hear anything, and see anything, just like a god.
Once Nenetl was ready, he would leave this damned ship for their future together. The restraints would only serve as a minor nuisance then.
He sensed others with veils of E in the ship. Brothers of Eura, they hid their true selves and served the navy, but not for long.
In due course, the righteous would gather, and release their one true leader.
It will happen soon. You must be patient, love.
TO BE CONTINUED
THANKS FOR READING
If you enjoyed Starcrasher, it would be awesome if you could leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads.
Also, look out for the next instalment of Shades Space Opera, Stardreamer, also by Rock Forsberg. To be among the first to hear more about it, join Rock’s email list.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank the many people without whom this book would not have been possible. First, Minna and Kuura for their patience, love and support when I had no idea what I was doing. My parents, Ritva and Kille, for no less than everything. My niece, Heini, for helping us around the house when I was writing the first draft while working in international business consulting. Lynk Australia for structural guidance. Caroline Smailes for structural editing. Julie Fergusson for line editing and proofreading. James at GoOnWrite.com for the cover design. Riku Talvitie and Gregory Pellechi for their comprehensive feedback. Everyone in Helsinki Writers’ Group for feedback and great discussions. My friends and colleagues for support and understanding. You’ve all made me better writer, and a better human being too. I am truly grateful.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rock Forsberg is an emerging author of space adventures. He loves a good story, especially fantasy and adventure, and started writing so that he could create epic worlds and stories of his own. He has also written songs, poems, and short stories, both in English and in Finnish. He considers writing to be a long game, with a lifetime of learning, and dozens of novels to write.
A dual citizen of Finland and Australia, he splits his time between Helsinki, Finland and Sydney, Australia. If he not writing, he’s either reading, tending to a business, keeping fit (he’s a health geek), or enjoying time with his family and friends.
Connect with Rock:
@rockforsberg
rockforsberg
www.rockforsberg.com
[email protected]
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Part 1
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Interlude
Part 2
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Interlude
Part 3
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
INTERLUDE
Part 4
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Epilogue
To be continued
Thanks for reading
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Starcrasher (Shades Space Opera Book 1) Page 44