A.L.I.V.E. (The A.L.I.V.E.Series Book 1)

by R. D. Brady

  Alien Implants. The idea that humans are abducted are implanted with a small metal object is not my creation. There is actually a doctor named Dr. Roger Leir who in his free time, removes small pieces of metal left in alien abductees. You can read more information on these implants here.

  Exoplanets and the Goldilocks Zone. Exoplanets are planets outside our solar system. As mentioned in A.L.I.V.E., there are over three thousand exoplanets that have been discovered and that number is growing daily. The Goldilocks Zone is also an actual term. It refers to a planet whose location from the sun allows it to be not too hot and not too cold to promote life.

  Alvie. Alvie is a fictitious character. He is however based on a skull found in Mexico in the 1920s. The star child skull is a unique structure that does not match human dimensions or characteristics. DNA test allegedly showed that it had a human mother and non-human father. For those interested in reading more on the star child skull you can Google the term or for those reading through an e-book, you can check this link here.

  Maeve's Dreams. Obviously, Maeve's dreams are fictitious. They were however inspired by how the star child skull was found. In the 1920's a fifteen year old girl was visiting relatives in Mexico when she discovered two skeletons in a cave in Copper Canyon. One skeleton, the star child skeleton, was buried underneath the human skeleton. But the human skeleton's arms were reaching down into the ground, holding onto the star child skeleton. The teenage girl removed both skeletons from the ground and left them in the cave to retrieve them later. That night, a flood washed away most of the skeletons except the skulls of each. The human skull was lost decades ago but the star child skull has remained in private hands since then and now resides in the United States.

  Janet Flights. There are unmarked flights that leave McCarran airport in Las Vegas and have been reported to be seen landing at Area 51 in Nevada. The planes are white with a long red stripe down the side. These flights are called Janet flights and some have traced them to the United States government.

  Majestic 12. Rumors of the Majestic 12 have been on the fringes of UFO lore for decades. Allegedly, the Majestic 12 had been created by executive order by President Harry S. Truman after the Roswell crash and a rash of UFO sightings. The committee was composed of scientists, military and intelligence agents whose sole focus was preparing the United States to defend against the alien threat. Some argue it was disbanded a few short years later. Others say it shifted into the shadows. And some say it never existed at all.

  Mothman. I don't know if Mothman is real. He's a bit of an urban legend. A tall humanoid creature with large wings like a bat was reported to be seen in Virginia back in the 1960s. But that was not his only sighting. There were also rumors and eye-witness reports of a similar creature who was inhabiting on Johnson Space center in the 1980s.

  US Atomic Bomb Testing. The information on the US atomic bomb testing is true. I was personally shocked to learn how many bombs we had set off just to see what the effect would be.

  Project A119 was real as well—there was a plan to bomb the far aide of the moon back in the late 1960s. Luckily, it was never enacted.

  Phoenix Lights. The Phoenix Lights are a real event that occurred in 1997. And to be honest, this is one of the most compelling UFO sightings I read about. A huge, slow moving triangular shaped craft was seen above Phoenix and was witnessed by hundreds of individuals as it covered three hundred miles in about an hour. The craft was the size of at least two football fields, according to eye-witness reports. The government said that it was not a UFO but the people on the ground beg to differ. If you're interested in reading more about the sighting, simply Google Phoenix Lights.

  Foo Fighters. During World War II, pilots repeatedly reported aircraft of incredible speeds watching them during aerial battles or simple flights. In fact, both allied and axis troops reported the sightings.

  Aurora Crash. The crash of a UFO as reported in A.L.I.V.E. is accurate to the best of my abilities. There were newspaper reports back in 1897 that spoke about UFOs being seen over Aurora Texas on and off for a year before the final crash. And as mentioned, the citizens of Aurora recovered a body from the crash. They gave the pilot a burial, complete with a tombstone. Later, the tombstone however was removed due to too much interest in the site.

  Kecksburg Crash. There was also a highly public crash in the woods of Kecksburg Pennsylvania back in 1965. Some say the project that crashed was a UFO. Others suggest it was a meteor and still others argue it was a Nazi time travelling bell. Seeing the crash, many citizens went to investigate but reported being turned away by the US military. And more importantly, they reported that the military then took something from the site under tarps.

  Doomsday Plane. There is a doomsday plane. As mentioned in A.L.I.V.E., the doomsday plane was developed to hold members of the government and military in the event of a catastrophe. It is said to be able to withstand a nuclear blast. It can fly for days without needing refueling. The prototype in A.L.I.V.E. is a figment of my imagination but is based on the idea that the real doomsday plane may have been created at Area 51 and therefore, there might be another in mothballs still hanging around the base.

  Tunnels under US Military Bases. The US did in fact get patents in the 1970s for tunnel diggers as described in A.L.I.V.E.

  Area 51. Area 51 is of course a real base. It was denied by the United States for the majority of its existence. And it was the overabundance of evidence of that existence, including Russian satellite photos of the base, that finally led the United States government to admit that it does indeed exist. The history of Area 51 however is still much debated. There is little doubt that cutting edge aeronautical vehicles were tested and perhaps developed there. But as for aliens, that is all rumor. For an interesting history of Area 51: An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base by Annie Jacobsen.

  So now I suppose a reasonable question is: what do I believe? Well, I do not believe we are alone in the universe. That seems mathematically impossible with the size of the universe. And I have to admit, some of the eye-witness testimony from pilots or government workers and just normal people with nothing to gain and lots to lose, can be very compelling. But I suppose we'll all have to wait for definitive proof to determine who's right.

  But I also wonder, whether or not we'd be allowed to see that definitive proof. Most think tanks that have researched how they believe society would react to the news of intelligent alien life seem to have reached the same conclusion: we as a society will lose it once we learn of their existence. I'm not entirely sure they're wrong. After all, we've all seen the footage of people on Black Friday losing it when they learn of the existence of a low price on a flat screen TV. I'm afraid those types of reactions may have doomed us from ever having a clear picture of what exactly is going on above our heads.

  Even so, it is fascinating to read the accounts from astronauts, members of the military, and just ordinary folk that come across something they cannot explain. This series will pull from those accounts and ask - what would we do if we ever came across an alien species?

  Thanks for reading. And if you get a chance, consider leaving a review. I hope to see you next time!

  About the Author

  R.D. Brady has been writing full-time since 2013. Prior to that, she was a criminologist specializing in international terrorism studies and early child predictors of delinquency. A.L.I.V.E. is the first full-length novel in her new series. If you would like to be notified about her upcoming publications, you can sign up for her mailing list on her website. You will only be notified when a book is being released. Starting at the end of August, people who sign up for her mailing list will receive a free copy of B.E.G.I.N, the short story prequel to A.L.I.V.E. People already on the mailing list at that time will also be sent a link to access B.E.G.I.N. If you'd also like to know what R.D. is up to, you can check out her website, desperateforagoodbook.com.

  Continue Reading for a sneak peek at the next book in the Belial Series,
The Belial Warrior.

  (Available Fall 2016)

  R.D. Brady

  desperateforagoodbook.com

  rdbradywriter@gmail.com

  120

  The Belial Warrior

  Sparta, Greece

  1,500 BCE

  A wind blew through the balcony doors, rustling the curtains and the sheets that draped Helen's bed. She breathed deep looking for some peace, but she was having trouble finding it. She did not trust Paris. But she could not simply turn him out, not without starting an international incident.

  And she did not like how he looked at Hermione especially. She had already sent Hermione to the mountain house and she would stay there until Paris left. And she had also sent notices to her brothers to make sure her sons stayed with them and away from home until Paris was gone. She did not want any of them here while Paris was here. And yet, she could not say exactly why she worried about the man.

  Sleep Helen. Sleep. Tomorrow you will deal with the idiot and hopefully he will take his leave. She closed her eyes trying to calm her breathing. Finally, she was drifting off when footsteps on the stones outside her room had her eyes springing open. She sprang out of bed as her bedroom door flew open.

  Four large men stormed in, all wearing the royal colors of Troy. Paris sauntered in after them, arrogance splashed across his pretty face. "Oh, no need to get out of bed. I was coming to join you."

  "What is the meaning of this? I demand you leave my room at once," Helen said even as her hand reached for the staff she kept leaning against the wall of her room.

  Paris smiled. "Oh I don't think so. I think you and I are going to have some fun."

  Helen captured his gaze and smiled. "Oh I think one of us is going to have some fun." She twirled the staff into her hand, swinging wide and catching the first guard in the face.

  The second lunged forward but Helen stepped out of the way, slamming the staff on the back of his head and knocking him cold. The guard who tried to grab her from behind got a staff in the groin and then his face for his troubles.

  The fourth was a little smarter than the other three. He held back, pulling his knife from the rope at his waist.

  Helen smiled at the sight. "Tsk, tsk, mines bigger than yours."

  The man lunged forward. Helen twirled out of the way, slamming the staff down on his outstretched arm, breaking the wrist before swinging it back into the man's neck. His eyes went wide and he grabbed for his throat. Helen slammed the staff on the back of his head. And he crashed to his knees before pitching forward.

  Paris scrambled back for the door. Helen swung the staff at his knees, and he crashed to the ground. He rolled onto his back his hands up and Helen aimed the end of her staff for his throat, stopping at the last second, the edge pushing against his Adam's apple. "How. Dare. You." She pushed the staff in further.

  Paris gagged. "Wait wait- if you kill me, you kill your daughter and your sons."

  Helen stilled, her eyes narrowing. "What did you say?"

  Paris slid along the floor so the staff was no longer at his neck. "Your children - in the last few years, your household has been sprinkled with people who are just waiting for my command. Their first job will to be to kill your daughter and then your sons."

  Anger, pure and white, tore through her. She spoke through gritted teeth, stepping forward, the staff once again at his neck. "I will kill you."

  Paris put up his hands, his eyes continually glancing at his soldiers who still lay on the ground behind her. His voice was shaky when he spoke. "You kill me and you kill all your children."

  Helen wanted nothing more than to end his miserable pathetic life. Even as those thoughts dominated her mind, she couldn't help but think of all the faces that surrounded her children. She thought she could trust them. But there was always a new face in her household and around her children. Which meant there was always a new threat. The idea of them being in danger had her shaking, her rage was so great. And she wanted nothing more than to rid the world of this pathetic excuse for a man in front of her. But she knew she could not take the chance. Not with their lives. Helen released the pressure on Paris's neck and stepped back.

  Paris, his hands to his throat glared at her as he made it to his feet. "You will regret that."

  "Letting you live? Yes, I'm sure I will."

  "You Spartans, you always think you're tough. But one threat on your children and—"

  Helen's staff came up lightning quick, stopping an inch from his cheek. All Paris had the time to do was widen his eyes.

  "And how do I know you're telling the truth?" Helen asked tapping his cheek. "What's to say I shouldn't kill you right now and all of this goes away?"

  "You kill me they die."

  Helen stepped forward and Paris scrambled back, speaking quickly. "Your daughter—her favorite toy is a bunny that your brother Castor carved for her. Your boys love archery and playing in the wine cellar." Paris rattled off fact after fact on her children. And with each word that fell from his mouth, Helen's fear and anger increased. He was telling the truth. He had somehow placed people within her household.

  The guards on the floor behind her groaned. Paris's gaze flicked toward them.

  Helen's voice was steel. "They won't be able to protect you from me, if I decide to kill you."

  "But you can't kill me." Paris studied her, his arrogance creeping back into his face. "Because you know I'm telling you the truth."

  Choking back her anger, she spoke through gritted teeth. "What do you want?"

  "I want you Helen."

  Disgust roared through her. "Lay a finger on me and I will make you a eunuch."

  Paris face grew red. "If I say-"

  "What do you want Paris? Because if it's to bed me, I assure you, you will not enjoy the encounter."

  He narrowed his eyes. "Maybe not. But to the world, you will look like you want to bed me. So much so that you leave your family to join me in Troy."

  Helen's mouth fell open. "Join you in Troy? Are you mad? That will start a war."

  He smiled. "I know."

  Paris's throat hurt like hell, only feeding his anger. Haughty bitch, thinking she could win against him. He had this planned out perfectly. She was under his control.

  But doubt crept through him as she stood uncowed before him. He had pictured this whole night differently. In his mind, he'd seen his guards pull her from her bed. She had been frightened and unsure, begging him to spare her children.

  But no, she had taken out all four of his guards—four!—in the time it took him to take three steps. Although anger seethed through him, so did a small amount of fear. But he shoved that down. "You will act like the besotted fool, enamored by me. We will take half of your treasury with us."

  "And my children?"

  "Will remain safe so long as you do what I say."

  Helen narrowed her eyes. "If anything happens to them—"

  "If anything happens to me, you will be responsible for what happens to them. Remember that."

  His guards were getting to their feet and he noticed Helen positioned herself where she could keep any eye on all of them. Just like a soldier. Just like he'd been warned. His embarrassment had his voice sounding even harsher. "Two guards will be left with you to make sure you contact no one."

  Helen raised an eyebrow at him and spoke in a bored tone. "And if I decide to simply kill the guards and send a note?"

  "You will not!" Paris screamed. He took a breath. "I am in charge. You need to learn that."

  She smiled sweetly. "And are you planning on teaching me?"

  "No. But maybe I'll let one of my guards teach your children it first."

  Helen was across the room in a flash, a knife held to Paris's throat. His eyes widened. Where had the knife come from?

  The blue eyes that minstrels sang about and compared to a perfect sky stared into Paris's eyes with the promise of death. "One hair on their head and I will end you—painfully."

  He swallowed, tears springing to hi
s eyes at the pain of her grip on his arm and he knew she was not exaggerating. She would do it. "That—that's up to you—their safety. Do what I say and they will be unharmed."

  Helen stared at him and for a breath, he thought she was going to do it. She was going to kill him. With a growl, she pushed him away. "Fine. I will go with you."

  "And you will play the besotted fool."

  She inspected him from foot to face, her lip curling. "As much as I am able."

  "We leave in the morning. You will convince the staff that it is your choice to go with me. Is that clear?"

  "Perfectly."

  He stood waiting, wanting to see fear in her face. But she gave him nothing. "Is there anything else?" she asked.

  "No." He nodded to two of his guards who were giving the Queen a wary look. "You two stay with her." Then he turned and stormed from the room. She would learn her place. Once they were back in Troy, she would learn to fear him. After all, he had the gods on his side.

  Books By R.D. Brady

  The Belial Series (in order)

  The Belial Stone

  The Belial Library

  The Belial Ring

  Recruit: A Belial Series Novella

  The Belial Children

  The Belial Origins

  The Belial Search

  The Belial Guard

  The Belial Warrior

  The Belial Plan (February 2017)

  Stand-Alone Books

  Runs Deep

  Hominid

  The A.L.I.V.E. Series Prequels

  B.E.G.I.N.

  The A.L.I.V.E. Series

  A.L.I.V.E.