Alpha Nebula

  Hey, that rhymes.

  Finally Val slid down, struggling to stay on his feet while doing so. The plug finally…well…unplugged. Laurelle slid down the slanted platform. Val crashed onto it after her and grabbed the cord, falling down with her. He quickly grabbed a dangling wire, and they both came to a halt. Laurelle now dangled well over the edge. Val was on one knee and struggling to hold to Laurelle in one hand as well as the wire in his other. Vanakis noticed the platform had fallen dramatically lower on one side after his landing. Several crates then slid towards him, they would surely knock him down and kill them both. He quickly got up on his feet—what a struggle it was, too—while still holding on tightly with each hand. He raised his foot to hold the crates at bay—only it was not one, but two crates which were now behind the first one he held. A couple others also tumbled over the edge. Vanakis strived to hold on. He held a terrified child from a cord in one sweaty hand and held onto his own life with the wire in the other sweaty hand, all while crates tried to push him and his damsel in distress over the edge. On top of that, the wire was starting to cut through his hand. The warm blood trickled down his arm.

  ‘Can this day get any fucking worse?’ Vanakis asked himself.

  I was just about to say that. At least it can’t get any worse—today at least; it's late. Tomorrow it still might, I suppose.

  Debris was starting to drop from above them. As a massive collection of steel scaffolding dropped. Vanakis let go of the wire, and both he and Laurelle now fell to their deaths. As they fell, Val grabbed Laurelle and held her close and they both closed their eyes. The rush of adrenaline was overpowering, almost enough to drown out Laurelle's constant high pitch scream. As they plummeted downward, a grey spacecraft arrived and hovered below them. A loud clank was heard as they made contact with the steel exterior. The Azura swerved out of harm’s way as the debris came crashing down. Vanakis and Laurelle were safely aboard the Azura—well, sort of; they were on its roof, anyway.

  Slade landed the ship nearby. The man who had once been out to kill them had saved both of them.

  You see that? Growth.

  TWENTY EIGHT

  The sun shone bright on the pyramid city of Nova. Queen Amorae commended Vanakis, Slade, and Laurelle for their actions. They stood on one of the huge landing areas where all the horizon could be seen.

  “So, what happens now?” Laurelle asked as she and Vanakis stared at the gorgeous view.

  “I’m not sure,” Vanakis replied. “These events will upset the balance of power in the galaxy. Only time will tell what awaits us in the days ahead,” he explained.

  “So, what do we do?” she wondered.

  “Who knows? Let’s just, wait and see what happens.” Vanakis gave her a very informal salute, then made his way.

  Laurelle had a slight smile in the corner of her mouth as she watched him walk off. This smile grew exponentially as she turned to look at the sunrise on the horizon and the golden dove that flew overhead.

  Slade held the photo of the woman in his hand once again.

  “She’s pretty,” Vanakis commented. “Who is she?”

  “One day, I’ll tell you.” They walked off together towards the Azura to start another adventure together. “But first, you owe me a drink,” Slade claimed.

  “For what?” Val laughed.

  “You, you shit head. You cost me my bounty,” Slade responded.

  Vanakis laughed, “Fine, that’s what I get for ruining the reputation of Slade the bounty hunter, aye,” he replied sarcastically.

  “Raul.”

  “What?” Val's eyebrows scrunched.

  “It’s my name—Raul De Towa. ‘Slade’ is just another name I go by.”

  “Holy shit, you have a codename?” Vanakis said.

  “It’s not a codename,” Slade clarified.

  “Hey, do I at least get to pick my own codename?” He said.

  “It’s not a codename,” Slade insisted.

  As they continued their approach to the Azura, Val carried on. “What about ‘the destroyer?’ Ooh, ‘Vanakis the great?’”

  “I’m going to regret this,” Slade told himself.

  “I’ve got it—‘super-Vanakis.’ Maybe I need a costume, too,” Val continued. “What do you think about capes?”

  “I’m going to need two drinks,” Slade rolled his eyes.

  EPILOGUE

  Emperor Shaldrom of the Avayans sat atop his throne, having just been made aware of the events on Rynok.

  “We’ll bring those Tarians to their knees,” Mad Madison promised with a cheeky smirk.

  “Prepare every vessel and every man,” Shaldrom instructed. “As of right now, we are at war.”

  END OF VOLUME ONE

  OUTRO

  Well, there you have it. A story about courage, loss, regret, and a little hint of ‘not being such a dick all the time goes a long way.’ Am I right, Vanakis? Well, it's over now. There’s no more here. Go do something productive for a change. Play outside or something. Go in the sun—you know, that big bright thing in the sky? Or just keep reading stupid books that don’t really make any sense anyway, I don’t care; I’m finished.

  What?... Sequel?... No!... Why?... Do I have to narrate it again?... I know I’m called ‘the narrator.’ So what?... Why can’t we just have one? What’s wrong with just one?... This book wasn’t even that good; it was stupid. Now I’ve got to narrate another one? God, I hate you, James. Your book sucked, buddy. I’m only here ’cause I got money for it… What?! I don’t even get paid for this? Well, then what the hell am I doing here?! I’m going to go suffocate myself now. Bye.