by Scott Baron
“Freya, what’s tha––”
“Daisy Swarthmore,” a young man’s voice called over open comms. “I’m looking for Daisy Swarthmore. Do you copy? I have an urgent message.”
“Yes, I copy. This is Daisy Swarthmore. Who is this?”
The hum in her ship had rapidly increased, and the force behind it felt almost tangible as Freya’s power reached its peak.
“Freya! Shut it down!”
“I’m trying, but I don’t know how!” the young AI said, alarm clear in her voice.
“Kill the power feeds from the orb.”
“It won’t shut off!”
“Keep trying!”
Daisy slapped her harness release and lunged from her seat to the relay console across the command pod, quickly disconnecting what she could manually.
The warp bubble surrounding the ship shimmered, then changed color, the expected light blue crackling across the vessel suddenly replaced with a warm, golden hue.
“What are you doing, Daisy?” Freya asked, panicked.
“Killing power to the drive system!”
“Wait! That’s not the way to––”
With a massive jolt, Freya’s maxed-out drive systems suddenly engaged, and the ship vanished from sight, a slight, crackling gold ring the only evidence of the ship’s departure.
“Daisy Swarthmore, I have an urgent message for you,” the mystery man repeated.
Radio silence hung heavy in the vacuum of space.
“Um... hello?” he queried into the void.
There was no reply.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The void of space was dark and silent, just as it was now, and just as it had been forever.
With a gold-tinged crackle, Freya popped back into the visible spectrum a fraction of a second after her contact with the mysterious vessel was so abruptly cut off. Her scanners kicked into action, reading her surroundings, finding herself comfortably drifting between Earth and the Moon.
Something, however, was different.
“This isn’t right,” Freya said, more than a little confused as she scanned the familiar blue orb beneath them. “This isn’t right at all.”
The scores of exploding ships visible in the distance, crashing into the atmosphere, as well as each other, were immense. It was clear at a glance that the once-hopeful fleet was now in the final stages of its demise. Soon, their cold remains would make up the bulk of a massive debris field orbiting the planet.
Daisy observed the carnage in shock and realized she recognized several of the ships. Not from being aboard them, at least not in the conventional sense. Rather, she had salvaged pieces from their floating wreckage on more than one occasion.
“Is that...” Sarah was at a rare loss for words.
It is, Daisy replied. The second planetary assault fleet.
“But that was over––”
I know.
Freya’s scanners worked overtime as she mapped the destruction happening right in front of her.
“Daisy, where are we?” she asked, a hint of fear in her voice.
“Where isn’t the right question,” Daisy replied with a quiet gasp. “I think when would be a better one.”
But Wait, There’s More!
Follow Daisy on her continuing adventures in the fourth book of the Clockwork Chimera series: Chasing Daisy
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Craaxit’s Journey - An Origin Story
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Thank You
Reader word of mouth is an independent author’s lifeblood. It is your voice that truly helps indie authors gain visibility, so if you enjoyed this book and have a moment to spare, please consider leaving a rating or review on Amazon or on Goodreads, or even sharing it with a friend or two. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
~ Scott ~
About the Author
A native Californian, Scott Baron was born in Hollywood, which he claims may be the reason for his rather off-kilter sense of humor.
Before taking up residence in Venice Beach, Scott first spent a few years abroad in Florence, Italy before returning home to Los Angeles and settling into the film and television industry, where he has worked as an on-set medic for many years.
Aside from mending boo-boos and owies, and penning books and screenplays, Scott is also involved in indie film and theater scene both in the U.S. and abroad.
Also by Scott Baron
Novels
Living the Good Death
The Clockwork Chimera Series
Daisy’s Run
Pushing Daisy
Daisy’s Gambit
Chasing Daisy
Daisy’s War
Odd and Unusual Short Stories:
The Best Laid Plans of Mice: An Anthology
Snow White’s Walk of Shame
The Tin Foil Hat Club
Lawyers vs. Demons
The Queen of the Nutters
Lost & Found