by Gwynn White
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Spectral Shift Deleted Scene
Daniel Arthur Smith
The bar was crammed, the inner half packed with too drunk MidHi, escalating in bravado and volume in pace with their level of intoxication. The rest of the crowd became louder to combat being drowned out by the drunken snobs from up high. Between the two, there was a raucous crescendo of chatter, laughter, and cackle. The cyclone of sound ceased when one of the corporate clowns bumped a seated patron. The seated man erupted, slammed his chair to the side, and with a shrill, cried, “Scrato!”
Abby understood Maro, but he didn’t have to.
Scrato was a famous Maro from before the Planes War, and invoking his name was the Maro equivalent of calling someone out. Century-old muscle memory combined with nano override instinctively twisted Jazz and Abby’s focus toward the crash of the chair. Years of training and experience, coupled with adrenalin, boot-kicked their tactical mods and the diatomic molecules embedded in their optics produced a rapid phonon reaction, slightly shifting their perceivable spectrum to show them what the rest of the room couldn’t see: color coded overlays on top of every face in the room and the man’s true form—another reason one might have a shimmer.
There was an organic inspiration for the technology that some naturally possessed. The man, bald and heavily tattooed to everyone else in the room, was no man at all. Had Abby and Jazz veered toward him before, they would’ve picked up on the glowing ember eyes that their optics were honed to detect. With the nano-induced phonon reaction, they saw even more: the deep red pigment, visible only to them was that of a Maro. The man seated across the table from the first stood slowly–another Maro–and the tips of his crimson horns, hidden to Dre and the corporates, were changing color to a dark indigo. His clawed hand was moving close to the blade at his side.
“Outside!” bellowed the barman.
The two Maro glared at Dre, their blood-red irises piercing through the room. Then the first Maro noticed Abby and Jazz. His eyes cooled upon recognition. With a subtle twitch of his brow, the first Maro signaled the second to follow his gaze to the two men by the window. The two red beasts then turned back to each other. The color augment overlays quantifying everyone in the room were a pale shade of green, including the Maro. “Sorry,” the first said to Dre, then he gently picked up his chair and rejoined his friend at the table.
Jazz and Abby waited until both Maro were again seated and the chatter had returned before they rested their blade hands back onto the bar top.
Jazz blew a puff of air through his lips, “Pfft. Damn Reds. They should stick to their own plane.”
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Artwork and Coloring Pages for The Other
Marilyn Peake
Character Interview - Petra Valerii
Petra, Immortal Codex, Book 1
Cheri Lasota
One night, many years ago, I struck up a conversation with the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. You may think I speak simply of an unusually beautiful woman. No, this stunning creature said she was an immortal. She told me she had lived for millennia, since the days Ancient Rome. She had been sold into slavery and stolen from her home in Corinth, Greece. But the universe had other plans for her. Poison was the cause of her first death, but it was also the reason for her resurrection. She told me this in a darkened barroom heavy with the scent of wine and fear. Her fear. What was it that caused her to reveal so much of her life to me that night? To share secrets she had kept for centuries upon centuries? I will never know…
You are an immortal?
Petra runs a finger around the rim of her wine glass several times before responding. When she finally looks up at me, she waits patiently while I struggle not to lose myself in her mesmerizing gaze. Her eyes glow with the most saturated color I have ever seen. They stand out in the dim, seedy light of the loud bar like diamonds.
“As far as I know, I am the only true immortal. It is my blood—my blood alone—that keeps the others alive.”
Others? How many of there are you?
“Not so many as you would think. But our small enclaves keep to themselves. We do not move in the circles of men. We remain apart. For your sake and ours.”
So you mean humans no harm? You do not kill?
Petra sips her wine. Sets down her wine glass. Offers me a half-smile. “I didn’t say that. But I still believe we are human as much as vampire. We are simply more skilled than you. Stronger. More alive.”
Are you not true vampires, then? Are you not undead as we have been led to believe by all the stories and rumors of your kind?
“No, I don’t believe we are. My blood is not magic. Science has taught me that. But there is still much I do not yet know about its restorative properties.”
Do you not fear humans—or at least those in power—will try to capture and exploit you?
“I do fear it. Every day. Which is why I keep hidden most of the time. Men are so easily persuaded that immortality is the key to all their dreams. They believe it is freedom. But they are wrong. It is the heaviest weight of all. My most sacred duty is to protect those I love. I live and breathe them. I die for them. Again and again. If I did not, their deaths would be on my head. And unfortunately, I have an eidetic memory that will never let me forget the debt I owe them.”
Eidetic?
“I have an immortal memory. I am unable to forget the past. It is as eternal as my blood. I remember those I have lost with perfect clarity. My first loss, that of my parents, feels as fresh today it was the day I lost them. My burden is one I do not carry lightly. I honor my Essentiae with sacrifice and they honor me with loyalty. It is a pact we made centuries ago.”
Essentiae?
“It is what we call ourselves. It means ‘to draw out the life essence.’ This is how we kill.”
You don’t drink blood?
“Not all of us,” she says, lowering her voice. But she does not elaborate further.
Do you ever fear the future? Can an immortal ever dread what is to come?
“Yes. Oh, yes. A war is coming. A war I cannot stop. And I fear to lose those I love when that day comes.”
A war? Between your kind and mine?
“That I cannot tell you. It is better that you do not know what is at stake. Better that you never see what goes on in the lives of immortals. Live your life to the fullest. Love. Laugh. Explore. It will be over all too quickly.”
And what if I asked you to turn me?
“You don’t want this life, I assure you.”
Oh, but I do. Turn me. I beg of you.
Petra’s smile is enigmatic, seductive. “Never argue this point with an immortal. I may have the power to give life, but I also have the power to take it.”
At that, she rose from her chair with the most fluid of movements and threw money on the table to cover both our drinks. Then she put a finger to her lips to silence me and slipped away into the crowd.
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You’ve just read a character interview of Petra, the main character from Petra: Immortal Codex, Book 1 featured in the Dominion Rising Boxed Set.
Want to read Leander, Book 2 of the Immortal Codex Series? Don’t miss news of its launch day! Sign up for Cheri Lasota’s newsletter here: www.cherilasota.com or go to the series page here: www.CheriLasota.com/series/immortal-codex-series.
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About the Author
Cheri is a freelance author, editor, designer, and founder of www.AudaVoxx.com. Her bestselling debut novel, Artemis Rising, is a 2013 Cygnus Awards First Place Winner and a 2012 finalist in the Next Generation Indie Books Awards. Her second novel, Echoes in the Glass, is a half-contemporary, half-historical set on the Oregon Coast. Cheri also helped found the Paradisi Chronicles, a massive open-source sci-fi universe set on the fictional planet, New Eden. Her Paradisi Exodus series focuses on the early years of the hum
an exodus from Earth to the new planet.
Read more from Cheri Lasota: www.cherilasota.com/book-table
Maps from Death Plague
KJ Colt
A Brief History Of The Nothnocti Wars
(Blood For Stone Swag Piece)
Logan T. Snyder
"Hell has a face. When the portals opened, I stared Death in the eyes, and I knew, even then, we had truly been forsaken." -- Unknown United States Army Chaplain (circa 1983 AD/1 XP)
History tells us that the portals opened at a time of great turmoil for humanity. Some have argued that one catastrophe was averted so that another could take precedence. The first would have annihilated all of mankind; the second gave it a chance, however hopeless.
And nevertheless, humanity persisted. Against the monsters that poured forth from the portals, armed with little more than shotguns and kitchen knives, the people of Earth fought back. We have fought them for hundreds of years, and now we live alongside them.
This is our story. Well... some of it, at least.
* * *
Our knowledge of the time before the portals is somewhat limited, you must understand. Many of the historical records from that period were destroyed during the fighting that occurred, but our best historians are certain that the inciting event occurred during an era defined by a "cold war." This was not a conventional war as we understand it--a war of aggression--but one of deterrence. The phrase "mutually ensured annihilation" (or at least something to that effect; translations differ) is among the most frequently used in discussions concerning said war. The world knew peace, but only in the shadow of all-consuming destruction.
Whatever caused both sides to loose their weapons against one another is lost to us now. What we do know is that somewhere during the few minutes separating humanity from imminent destruction, the first of the portals opened. The combined effect created what we believe was a series of electromagnetic pulses, powerful enough to knock out every electronic device, beyond the most simple, on a global scale.
All at once, humanity went from confronting imminent death to fighting for its very existence.
And we did. Impressively so, in many cases, considering our sudden limitations. Our ancestors may no longer have had guided missiles or armored war machines to fall back on, but they still had conventional weapons aplenty, and they knew how to use them. Civilians on virtually every continent fought bravely to protect their families and property. Millions laid down their lives so that others could escape and find refuge elsewhere, anywhere. In the earliest hours and days of the invasion, it was these heroic sacrifices that undoubtedly paved the way for humanity's continued existence.
Meanwhile, the world's various militaries and standing armies acted swiftly in defense of their nations' interests, though it would be some time before they fought as one. By then the monsters had gained a significant foothold in less developed areas unable to resist the sudden, unprecedented invasion. It would be several weeks before the major powers could unite for a coordinated offensive. This was owing to many factors, including communication and mobilization issues, as well as the usual assortment of grudges stemming from the recent cold war and beyond. When at last they did, the monsters proved every bit their equal.
The First Nothnocti War may have laid the groundwork for humanity's resistance, yet there were still hundreds of years of darkness and despair ahead.
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Of the three Nothnocti Wars and the various sub-conflicts associated with them, historians agree that the second was the most pivotal for humanity. Over twenty years had passed between the first invasion and the hostilities that followed. The world's militaries were in shambles, most having gone from global powers to collections of patchy resistance units following the decades of conflict. There were exceptions, of course. The most notable, the Indo-Sino-Korean Military Collective, remained a dominant force in its sphere of influence for well over a century, continuing to produce crude ammunition and other arms by the ton while holding its borders against the invaders. While much of this materiel is now believed to have been made at the hands of slave labor, at the time of production it was distributed immediately to resistance groups worldwide (though the network has been described as ad hoc at best).
The history of the Nothnocti Wars tells us that in roughly the year 87 XP ("ex-portal"), the portion of gargoyle forces charged with maintaining the Indian subcontinent discovered the locations of many of the Indo-Sino-Korean manufacturing facilities. After coordinating with the Strigoi Powers of Siberia, they planned a grand assault that would put an end to humanity's last great manufacturing facilities.
As the gargoyle and vampire armies made ready upon the eve of the assault, finalizing and preparing their plans, a series of abrupt explosions rocked their various camps. As forces within the camp attempted to mobilize and respond, they were slain by cutting fire that leveled the first and perhaps even second waves.
Fighting commenced shortly after, with thousands upon thousands of the invading forces cut down by what would prove to be little more than several dozen surgically placed (and incredibly lucky) special forces teams hailing from all corners of their embattled Earth.
Accounts from individuals associated with the special forces teams have come down from history, and those that do exist tell roughly the same story: that Operation Trojan Force (as it has become known to history) was a planned military endeavor dating back at least three years prior, perhaps even five, depending on the sources consulted. All that can be said in this piece is that it was a mastery of the military long-con. For possibly half a decade, if not more, elements of the human resistance conspired across conflict lines, through means as simple as ham radio and carrier pigeon and some still unknown, to organize one of the greatest 'last-stand' scenarios in all our history.
As for the teams? They came from far and wide, crossing hazardous conditions and braving constant attacks over the course of months, if not years, only for the privilege to put their lives on the line for their fellow men and women. Some estimate that a quarter of the teams never made it to their destination. But those that did gave everything they had, and massacred every monster they laid eyes on.
The legends vary. A sniper team from America that crossed the perilous Pacific in a tiny sailboat. An old-school SAS intelligence unit that had been stranded behind enemy lines before finally coming forward to forge an alliance with the ISK. Gurkhas from Nepal who stood one-for-one against several vampire squadrons and emerged with not a man bit, dead, or turned. An ad-hoc team of former operatives who came out of retirement under the self-styled banner of the Annihilators.
The stories abound.
And so do we, thanks to all those who fought to die so we could live.
While not all of Earth's fighting forces were involved in the battle to prop up the Indo-Sino-Korean Military Collective, historians now agree that had it fallen, it would have only been a matter of time until there were simply no more bullets left to be fired, no more triggers left to be pulled.
To say that humanity had seized the advantage would be disingenuous, though. The forces destroyed during the ISK ambush represented less than a tenth of combined gargoyle and strigoi forces globally. Their larger command infrastructure was shattered, but it would not take long for them to resume their ambitions of seizing every square inch of earth they could stand upon.
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If the Second Nothnocti War was the most pivotal for humanity, the Third Nothnocti War was the most savage for all sides involved. Generations of on-and-off warfare had helped the descendants of both sides develop some of the most sadistic weaponry and tactics known to our shared history.
Phosphorous rounds. Solar flares. In previous wars, against our fellow humans, they would have been little more than simple ordnance.
Against our invaders, they were the instruments of crimes of war.
"Terrible devices speaking to a species that could hardly claw its way to victory short of its lethal contraptions," one
notable strigoi historian has said.
As if we cared to be taken over, let alone talked down to by our invaders. Humanity had been born into war, had fought and struggled against it every single day of our lives. There was not one among those who fought who had not known the horror of slaughtered families; of friends turned into mindless, savage beasts; of lovers torn from our grasp by winged monsters.
For our ancestors, the ends had long since come to justify the means.
The new weapons were, quite simply, a game-changer. Emboldened by the lethal technology, humanity pressed a renewed offensive against the otherworlders. Resistance groups finally possessed the firepower they needed to take control of contested areas. Within six months, many of those same groups began pushing into territory that had been claimed and held by vampire and gargoyle elements for hundreds of years. For the first time in generations, humanity had a chance to dramatically shift the balance of power. We wouldn't have won the war. But we could have rewritten the narrative, given the next generation a foundation to finish what we started. The sense of hope was palpable.
One month later, in the year 138 XP, the ISK facility that manufactured the weapons that had so dramatically turned the tide went up in flames.