Dammit.
The short story was written by Craig Martelle, based on the original WWDE Document as authored by Jeff Morris.
Look around the Kurtherian Gambit books, you will find his name in the front of a few and I promise his job is interesting.
The only reason my name is part of this short story is Jeff and I spoke about it in the beginning (imagine The Author sitting at the feet of the wise old man, receiving instruction, nodding his head) and the story is set in the Kurtherian Universe. So, I get some credit.
So, you could label this document as fiction.
Or, another way you could label this short story would be, "Shit I don't want to ever, ever, ever think about."
If you would like to read about the WWDE, just click here to go see it on Craig’s Website (it is a PDF file.)*
http://www.craigmartelle.com/apps/blog/show/44388059-world-s-worst-day-ever-wwde-
*We can’t just embed it in this book because of Restrictions by Amazon for Kindle Unlimited books where the content is shared elsewhere, sorry!
NOMAD SUPREME
Book 04 - The Terry Henry Walton Chronicles
PROLOGUE
“General Lance Reynolds, son of a bitch!” Terry exclaimed out of the blue, slapping his thigh and nodding to himself. “We need to go there.”
He sat up straighter, proud of himself for reaching a conclusion based on information he’d had in his mind for only the past twenty-five years.
“You don’t think a couple thousand miles is far enough to travel? Not good enough for my hunk of man candy?” Char asked, sticking her tongue out. She tossed her head, sending her hair flying in the wind. Her purple eyes seemed to drink in all that was Terry Henry Walton.
“Huh? What I’m thinking is that he commanded the a base in the Colorado mountains. He wasn’t there at the fall, but I bet he was ready for it. We need to get into the mountain.”
“What if it’s still glowing?” Char countered, not dampening his exuberance.
“That would put a crimp in my plans.” Terry chuckled. “As long as it was an air burst, then the radiation would probably be gone already. If they hit it with a nuke penetrator, well, then no one will ever know what was stored in there.”
They’d ridden from northern Chicago, leaving the others behind a week prior. Although Terry was driven to get back to New Boulder, he was taking it easy, treating their return trip like a honeymoon. They’d stop whenever they wanted, to do as newlyweds did.
He had promised to do his best to make up for the two lost years. Char was holding him to that.
A lead running from Terry’s saddle pulled the third horse along. They’d taken to using it as a pack animal, loading it with food and other items they’d scavenged as they went.
Terry continued to search for a thermometer, because curious minds, and all that. And clothes. He wanted a pair of jeans. His camouflage utilities were growing thread bare.
And they rode on, at a leisurely pace, expecting to take a month to make the trip, getting back to New Boulder around the end of November. If they could encourage the townspeople to leave a week or two after that, the group would travel past the Wastelands in the heart of the winter.
It would be the coolest period for a while. Who knew what kind of blast furnace next year would bring?
CHAPTER ONE
As they rode through what used to be Minnesota, Terry and Char saw people in the distance, but they disappeared before the two could get close. It was frustrating.
Terry wanted Char to point out the strangers so he could yell at them that he and Char weren’t a threat. She politely declined. Winning them over wouldn’t be done through intimidation.
“But I don’t intimidate people!” he argued. “Just look at me. I’m a big pussycat.” He gave her his winningest smile.
“Of course, you are,” Char purred.
He bit the inside of his cheek. “Next time we come back, we’ll send ambassadors to say ‘hello.’ Who could refuse the likes of Antioch and Claire?”
“No one in their right mind!” Char smiled and then turned serious. “How many people have you killed, TH?”
Terry looked into the distance. He didn’t know how to answer that. He’d kept track at one point in his life, as a source of Marine Corps pride, then it became just part of doing the job, then it was critical for survival. And now he killed to save mankind. Tallying the number didn’t make sense.
“Too many,” he finally answered. “I’m afraid we’re not done with that either, not by a long shot.”
“Does it matter?” Char’s question went to the heart of his thoughts.
“Don’t all lives matter?” he replied. It was obvious that he wasn’t done talking, so Char waited. They spent a great deal of their relationship in silence. That’s how they knew they were a perfect match, because they were equally comfortable conversing or not. “If we are to help humanity recover, we need people to live. We need people to thrive. They can’t do that if they are afraid of getting killed. Like those people we see in the distance who run from two people riding nearby.”
“The Force is about security, right?” Terry nodded. “The sooner people know that, the better off they’ll be. Keep the people safe and they’ll thrive. You only create the conditions. The people have to take care of the rest, but the name could be a little off-putting, don’t you think?”
“Force de Guerre?” Terry asked.
“The War Force with you as the Secretary of War, not the Secretary of Defense. Maybe something a little kinder to the civilians, as you call them, something like the Force for Defense and Grandeur,” Char said. She couldn’t think of another word starting with G that made sense.
“Grandeur? Gravitas. Gillyweed. Goonballs,” Terry snickered to himself as he recited words that began with ‘g,’ and took a deep breath of the humid air. Winter didn’t feel like it was right around the corner. It felt more like the late summer. “When I was conducting those first interviews, the only thing I could think of was, ‘Fucking Dickless Groupies.’ They were just bullies and thugs. We didn’t have much to choose from, back then, did we?”
“Gillyweed? More Harry Potter? Dickless? Do you mean me? I say, Terry Henry Walton, had I known your vocabulary was so limited and vulgar, I’m sure I would not have married you,” Char countered, laughing to herself.
“Do you believe in fate?” Terry asked, watching Char’s purple eyes sparkle as they rode toward the setting sun…
MORE TERRY HENRY WALTON CHRONICLES IN JUST A FEW WEEKS…
Because Awesome Craig is on the job! ;-)
What is REALLY funny about this whole thing is Craig has NO IDEA that I’m sharing the whole “Awesome Craig” with you. So, if everyone starts addressing him as Awesome Craig on Facebook?
It will be Priceless!
Craig Martelle Social
For a chance to see ALL of Craig’s new Book Series
Check out his website below!
Website:
http://www.craigmartelle.com
Email List:
http://www.craigmartelle.com
(Go 1/2 way down his first page, the box is in the center!)
Facebook Here:
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCraigMartelle/
Michael Anderle Social
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http://kurtherianbooks.com/
Email List:
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The Terry Henry Walton Chronicles
A Kurtherian Gambit Series
Book 1 – Nomad Found
Book 2 – Nomad Redeemed
Book 3 - Nomad Unleashed
Book 4 - Nomad Supreme
Book 5 – Nomad’s Fury
Book 6 – Nomad Justice
Book 7 – Nomad Avenged
Book 8 – Nomad Mortis
Book 9 – Nomad’s Force
Book 10 – Nomad’s Ga
laxy
Free Trader Series
Book 1 – The Free Trader of Warren Deep
Book 2 – The Free Trader of Planet Vii
Book 3 – Adventures on RV Traveler
Book 4 – Battle for the Amazon
Book 5 – Free the North!
Book 6 – Free Trader on the High Seas
Book 7 – Southern Discontent (January 2017)
Book 8 – The Great ‘Cat Rebellion (2017)
Book 9 – Return to the Traveler (2017)
Cygnus Space Opera – Set in the Free Trader Universe
Book 1 – Cygnus Rising
Book 2 – Cygnus Expanding
Book 3 – Cygnus Arrives (2017)
End Times Alaska Series, a Winlock Press publication
Book 1: Endure
Book 2: Run
Book 3: Return
Book 4: Fury
Rick Banik Thrillers
People Raged and the Sky Was on Fire
The Heart Raged (2017)
Paranoid in Paradise (Short Story – 2017)
Short Story Contributions to Anthologies
Wisdom’s Journey (stand alone novella)
Earth Prime Anthology, Volume 1 (Stephen Lee & James M. Ward)
Apocalyptic Space Short Story Collection (Stephen Lee & James M. Ward)
Lunar Resorts Anthology, Volume 2 (Stephen Lee & James M. Ward)
Just One More Fight (stand alone novella)
The Expanding Universe, Volume 1 (edited by Craig Martelle)
The Expanding Universe, Volume 2 (edited by Craig Martelle – June 2017)
The Misadventures of Jacob Wild McKilljoy (with Michael-Scott Earle)
The Tide, a multi-author, single story extravaganza
Metamorphosis Alpha, Chronicles from the Warden (with James M. Ward – Summer 2017)
Michael Anderle
Kurtherian Gambit Series Titles Include:
First Arc
Death Becomes Her (01) - Queen Bitch (02) - Love Lost (03) - Bite This (04)
Never Forsaken (05) - Under My Heel (06) Kneel Or Die (07)
Second Arc
We Will Build (08) - It’s Hell To Choose (09) - Release The Dogs of War (10)
Sued For Peace (11) - We Have Contact (12) - My Ride is a Bitch (13)
Don’t Cross This Line (14)
Third Arc (Due 2017)
Never Submit (15) - Never Surrender (16) - Forever Defend (17)
Might Makes Right (18) - Ahead Full (19) - Capture Death (20)
Life Goes On (21)
**New Series**
The Second Dark Ages
The Dark Messiah (01)
The Darkest Night (02)
The Boris Chronicles
* With Paul C. Middleton *
Evacuation
Retaliation
Revelation
Restitution 2017
Reclaiming Honor
* With JUSTIN SLOAN *
Justice Is Calling (01)
Claimed By Honor (02)
Judgement Has Fallen (03)
Angel of Reckoning (04)
The Etheric Academy
* With TS PAUL *
ALPHA CLASS (01)
ALPHA CLASS (02)
ALPHA CLASS (03) Coming soon
Terry Henry “TH” Walton Chronicles
* With CRAIG MARTELLE *
Nomad Found (01)
Nomad Redeemed (02)
Nomad Unleashed (03)
Nomad Supreme (04)
Nomad’s Fury (05)
Nomad's Justice (06)
Trials and Tribulations
* With Natalie Grey *
Risk Be Damned (01)
Damned to Hell (02) Coming soon
Hell’s Worst Nightmare (03) Coming soon
SHORT STORIES
Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 01 (7.5)
You Don’t Mess with John’s Cousin
Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 02 (9.5)
Bitch’s Night Out
Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 02 (13.25)
With Natalie Grey
Bellatrix
Rise of Magic
* With CM Raymond and LE Barbant *
Restriction (01)
Reawakening (02)
Rebellion (03)
AudioBooks
Available at Audible.com and iTunes
The Kurtherian Gambit
Death Becomes Her - Available Now
Queen Bitch – Available Now
Love Lost – Available Now
Bite This - Available
Reclaiming Honor Series
Justice Is Calling – Available Now
Claimed By Honor – Available Now
Terry Henry “TH” Walton Chronicles
Nomad Found
Nomad Redeemed - Coming Soon
The Etheric Academy
Alpha Class
Alpha Class 2 - Coming soon
Anthologies
Glimpse
Honor in Death
(Michael’s First Few Days)
Beyond the Stars: At Galaxy's Edge
Tabitha’s Vacation
Nomad Omnibus 01: A Kurtherian Gambit Series (A Terry Henry Walton Chronicles Omnibus) Page 60