by Sam Hval
The Breakout Series:
Angels Can't Fly
By Sam Hval
Text Copyright©2015 by Sam Hval. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used, reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law, or in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Angels Can't Fly (The Breakout Series: Book 1) is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Dedicated to my family,
Who always support my crazy ideas.
Note from the Author
First off, I would like to thank you for checking out 'Angels Can't Fly'. If you liked the book, please feel free to leave a review. I love reader feedback and consider it a vital part of my writing process.
The Breakout Universe was my attempt at creating a fully realized fictional world that seamlessly blends Science Fiction and Fantasy.
I found that most stories are usually Science Fiction, with Fantasy elements. Or, Fantasy, with Science Fiction elements. I wanted to challenge myself to find a unique way to blend the two together.
What if spaceships, lasers, and futuristic cityscapes coexisted with mystical creatures, swords, and sorcery?
That's essentially where the idea for the series sprouted from. I hope you find that I succeeded in this endeavor, and that you enjoyed the book.
Thanks again for reading, and stay tuned for more content in 'The Breakout Universe'!
- Sam Hval
THE BREAKOUT UNIVERSE
To be released**
- Not Too Distant: A Breakout Universe Novella**
- Crossing the Great Beyond: A Breakout Universe Novella
- The Breakout Series Book 1: Angels Can't Fly
- The Breakout Series Book 2: Demons Will Fly**
- The Breakout Series Book 3: A New Flight**
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
PART TWO
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
PART THREE
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
In an unknown region of space,
On an unknown planet,
The ground shook, and soon enough, exploded in an unexplainable event that killed many.
The pieces of the planet almost soared out into space, before being pulled back in by the strong gravitational pull of the red, hot planet core.
The pieces of mass now orbit the glowing ball, and were distinguished as 'Sectors'.
Decades passed, societies rebuilt themselves, and an extraordinary source of power was discovered.
From there, life changed forever.
There was no longer a need for horses, swords, and farmlands.
Technology advanced, and life prospered.
But some choose to ignore this power,
Others abuse it.
The 'Breakout' may have caused much destruction,
But in turn, a new age began...
PART ONE
Chapter 1
Here we go again, William Glenwood thought to himself, as he steered The Whiskey into full speed through the starlit beauty of space. Damn pirates. He quickly veered the ship around in a tight curve, ducking it underneath a floating piece of rock in the process. He pulled the ship back into hiding, hoping to lose his pursuers. The cluster of floating debris around him seemed like it could camouflage with the drab gray-brown of his ship.
Then, a brilliant flash of green light shot into view from the cockpit. Sneaky bastards, William pushed forward on the control stick. The Whiskey blasted off toward the blue outline of Sector 3, with the pirates trailing not too far behind. William felt his muscles involuntarily tense, as he held on tightly to the control stick.
He flipped a few switches, smashed a couple of buttons, and pulled down hard on the lever to his left. The gunner beneath the ship switched into automode, and the screen to the right of him buzzed on.
William could now get a good first-person view of the gunner below, and aimed the turret toward the enemy. He locked on to both of the small ships, and fired, blasting them into a spectacular explosion of floating debris. He shut down the gunner, took a deep breath, and relaxed back in his seat as the ship flew into the thin atmosphere of Sector 3.
Alright, he told himself, time for a drink.
***
The ear piercing sounds of cranking metal filled his ears. The transition from a quiet stillness, to a busy noise, echoed through the cargo hold. He took a small step out of the entrance. His brown, bushy beard was blasted by the hot air swirling around him.
William casually strode down the steep ramp of his R5-36 brand cargo ship. He had stolen the ship at a young age from this very shipyard. The high whines of ships passing overhead mixed with the clanks and rattles of ships landing created an aura of community. Ships of all sizes flew in and out of the runways. Whether it was a small cargo holder like his own, or a large, bulky vessel, everyone had a love for the main source of transportation in Sector 3. William didn’t care too much for them. As long as they start up and stay up I’m fine, he thought to himself.
As he navigated his way through the maze of parked ships, he found himself wondering what drew so many people to this particular yard. There was the market, of course, but everyone always seemed to be standing around and conversing about their ships. He shrugged the thought off and continued on his way. Eventually, William found himself standing at the gate entrance to Parker - the town he once called home.
It was relatively small and uninteresting compared to most post-breakout communities William had been to in his lifetime. After all, Parker was one of the newer towns formed after the cataclysmic event that reshaped, both literally and figuratively, the world.
These kinds of towns and cities were all communities formed after ‘Breakout’: a shocking seismic event that blasted the planet from the inside out. Millions perished in the unexplainable occurrence that happened within the planet’s core, but because of the core’s strong gravitational pull the pieces of mass that almost floated out to the expanse of space were pulled back in. All of these landmasses now orbit the glowing red core, and have been separately distinguished as numbered ‘Sectors’.
Parker was at first glance, clearly a post-breakout community. While it was devoid of any towering futuristic skyscrapers, the marketplace and the surrounding buildings were clean, shiny, and pristine. The glowing red core’s light glimmered across rooftops during the hot evening. The marketplace bustled with eager shoppers willing to waste away their Sectorial Credits on the latest technology the town traders had to offer. William bumped his way through the mobs of
citizens, traders, and tourists to make his way to the town commons. He was in need of a cool, refreshing drink.
Clouds of dust kicked up from the powdery dirt ground. The hot winds pushed the stinging particles in William’s face. He walked a little faster now, hoping to get inside, so he wouldn’t have to bear the temperatures and claustrophobic crowds of the outside marketplace. The rush of cool air blasted his body in a satisfying fashion as he entered the main commons.
It was almost as crowded in there as it was outside. Luckily, there were large tables to suit the many patrons of the food court. William squeezed his way through the crowds and tables.
His thirst was really starting to kill him now. He sometimes felt self-pity for his strange attraction to alcohol. He knew the stuff wasn’t good for him, but it was his personal escape from the harsh reality that only he saw. William wondered how anyone could live in a world with murderers, thieves, and crooks and feel happy, especially without the support of a good depressant like alcohol.
He exhaled with relief once he made it to the small, lifeless bar he had spent so many hours of his youth in. It was a sad sight to witness. Joe, the overweight town drunk, was passed out on the card table, Paul, the longtime bartender was sound asleep in his chair behind the counter, and William sat in the middle of the three stools at the counter.
“Place hasn’t changed a bit, huh Paulie?” William said. Paul continued to snore, wheezing in and out in an odd way. William knew that he wasn’t going to wake up until someone made him. He picked up a half empty glass of wine left on the counter and tossed it in Paul’s face.
Paul was jolted awake by the stale, lukewarm liquid dripping down his face.
“Dreaming about getting off this rock again Paul?” William chuckled as he spoke. He squinted at William and then widened his eyes. William presumed his rough, carpet of a beard was probably the key feature of recognition.
Paul laughed, “Actually, I was dreamin’ about an empty glass. It was pretty terrifying,” William wondered how Paul had survived to the healthy age of 71. Most citizens of Parker only lived until about 55.
***
Paul was William’s only good friend in Parker. William had met him when he was 11. William was a street rat in the eyes of most people. He had no parents or home, which was rare. One quiet, lonesome night, William had had his stock of piled up leftovers from the kitchen stolen. He knew the alleyways weren’t a safe place to keep it, but there wasn’t anywhere else to hide them. A couple of days later, William blindly stumbled into the commons, moaning with hunger.
The place reeked with a foul stench of rotten food, and sweaty cooks. Tables were knocked over, chairs were upside down, and overweight drunks leaned over the edge of counters. He never really cared for the commons.
Paul happened to notice him as he was stepping out of the bar, and quickly ran to one of the chefs in the food court and got him a loaf of bread.
William stuffed the bread in his mouth and swallowed it so fast he almost choked. Paul looked William in the eye and said, “Hello there.”
He bent down and gently placed his hands on the boy’s shoulders. “My name is Paulie. You got a name kid?”
William nodded.
“Well, tell me and we can go look for your parents,” Paul replied.
“My name is Will. My daddy’s gone,” he said.
Paul’s eyes widened. “Gone where?”
“I dunno.”
“Well he’s got to have gone somewhere. Maybe we can find him.”
“He never told me where he left off to, just said to forget about him.”
Paul looked at William, smiled, and said, “Well don’t you worry about him. I’ll let you stay here at my place. I got a spot just for you,” William smiled too and swallowed his last bit of food.
Paul extended his hand outwards and looked down at the scrawny little boy. He winked, and softly said, “Come on in kiddo.”
Chapter 2
Angel tied her long, blonde hair up behind her head and dug her hands deep into the unpleasant texture of pig food. She lifted a good handful and dumped it into the bin on the ground. Several plump hogs waddled their way over to the bin and stuffed their snouts in the pile.
“Eat up boys,” Angel commanded. She sat on the bale of hay next to the barn door and watched the pigs indulge themselves. She knew that most teenage girls didn’t work on a farm, especially on a Post-Breakout area like Sector 3. She looked beyond the pig pen at the shiny rooftops of Parker. Angel wondered why she was placed in this lifestyle. She would rather be out exploring, discovering new species, and visiting new places instead of working the only farm in Sector 3.
Her grandparents expected of her to find a strong, healthy man to accompany her on the farm before they passed. The reality was that Angel didn’t care at all. She felt she was fine on her own. Why would she need to wait for some guy to come along and help her?
She had lived on this wretched farmland for her whole life. While it was beautiful and scenic, the place wasn’t entirely comfortable. Especially when she considered the fact that she worked all day, and every day. Her grandparents always seemed to be out running errands for seemingly no reason at all. She didn’t find it too suspicious, though. They were quite old, but they always kept her healthy, she figured they deserved to go out whenever they felt.
Even with the all of the work, and lack of comfort, she had a nostalgic soft spot for the place, a feeling that, despite being vague, was still there. She welcomed it. It really was the only happiness she could find out of the farm.
Angel was stuck, and she hated it.
***
“So what brings you back to Parker Will?” Paul asked.
“I heard there was another opportunity to help out.”
“What? You mean a job?”
“No, I heard about a bounty.”
“Oh, well whoever told you about it was probably lyin’ to ya. Board’s been empty for a few months now,” Paul said, as he wiped up the counter.
William was taken aback by this claim. He’d gotten an exclusive tip that there was a band of Oldies that had been infiltrating the town. According the source, the mayor put up a bounty on the men.
“Huh. Well there goes all the fuel it took to get here from Sector 9,” William said, as he looked down at his glass of wine. He got an idea. William thought that since Paul was a bartender, maybe he might have some clues on their whereabouts. People come into the bar with new rumors every day.
“Have you happened across any tidbits lately?” William asked.
“Anything in particular?” Paul replied.
“Well I heard from a reliable source that some Oldies snuck into town.”
“Oldies?” Paul reflected back on the conversations of the past few weeks. “Last time I heard about Oldies was a few days ago. Heard they were headed over to the Tom’s farm, but you never know what kinda whacked up stories people come up with here. I wouldn’t believe it.” William did believe it. It would seem most likely that they would leave their mark on the most unlikely area.
He hated Oldies. He thought their whole ideal was ignorant.
Despite all the excitement of new technologies during the rise of Post-Breakout life, many people preferred the old way of doing things. These people used horses and carriages instead of ships and hover vehicles. They would rather hand pick their crops, than have machines do it for them. That’s specific towns and cities like Ullicar in Sector 5 or Vordor in Sector 2 were labeled “Pre-Breakout” communities, because of their preferred methods.
Why not just embrace the future and move on? William thought to himself as he took one last sip of his drink. It didn’t make sense to force the old ways on a Post-Breakout community to him.
“I better go head over there and see what the deal is just in case,” he said as he got up from the stool. “Thanks for the drink Paulie. I really needed it.”
“Don’t mention it kiddo,” Paul told him has William walked out the door. “Oh, and Will,�
� William turned around to see the old man staring at him with a look of worry on his face.
“Be careful out there.”
***
Angel was almost finished with the dishes when she heard a knock at the door. It must be Grandma and Grandpa coming back from their errands. She thought, as she cleaned the last plate.
“Come in!” she yelled. She heard the door swing open, but it didn’t close. That’s odd. She started to dry her hands when she heard footsteps behind her. “How did it go?” she said.
No answer.
“Did you get anything good during the sale?”
There was an unnerving stillness in the air.
She turned around and was just about to open her mouth before she saw it. The silver glow of sword pulled out of its sheath.
***
William walked towards the door of the farmhouse. He looked down at the ground as he walked, but shifted his head back up to notice that the door was left open. That’s odd, he thought. A scream ripped through the air from inside, startling William in the process. He ran into the house. William kept his hand on his blaster as he stepped into the kitchen. A tall, middle-aged man had his sword pointed at a young girl’s throat. His other hand had her backed up against the kitchen sink. William saw the pale look of fear that shone over her face as she resisted.
“Stop right there!” William yelled and pulled out his gun. Before he got a chance to shoot, the young girl kicked up her knee straight into the man’s gut. He fell back on to the ground and dropped his sword. William stepped over and pulled out his stun stick. He lunged down into the man’s stomach. His whole body convulsed and twitched before passing out cold. William turned the man’s body around and tied his wrists together.
He looked up at the scared girl. Her actions surprised him.