by Dave Welch
Then, another slug came from under the window.
This slug was much smaller than the first one.
But as this slug trailed in, so did another one. Then, another. Then another. And another followed from under the window.
“Oh shit! Fuck no! NO! NOOOoooo!” I hollered as the slugs approached.
Just then, a host of slugs came crawling through the vents.
“Shit!” I screamed while squabbling over the floor.
Then, from above, I felt rain, or what I assumed to be rain.
I looked up. And with my dumbass mouth wide open, dozens of slugs dropped clean into my esophagus.
I gagged and vomited as more slugs rained from the vents above.
This occurred for an awfully long time.
The slugs insisted on plunging into my microscopic inlets, burrowing through my skin and pores.
I started bleeding from my mouth as a burning sensation covered my skin. My flesh began to cook. The pain grew into a demonic nightmare.
I see now why it was so cold.
Suddenly, my teeth fell from my gums, one by one, like salivating drops of drool.
I held my hands in front of me, only to catch my nose as it dropped from my face.
All of my hair fell out.
My penis singed clean off my pelvis.
Then, my fingernails and toenails oozed off, spewing like small faucets of running blood.
The slugs frolicked about as they battered their way into my bloodstream. And I could not stop this.
The easiest way of escape was to let them finish.
Or maybe, there was no escaping…
The slugs eventually filled the capsule with a slimy acidic trail. I was literally waist-deep in slimy mollusk. They were all burrowing into my flesh, leaving this corrosively acidic mucus behind. My skin diluted into this cohesive bond.
As my voice box ruptured, I ran out of tears. My eyeballs cooked out of their sockets, and the last few inches of my God-known flesh melted away. And I could feel everything, seeing that all my muscles and nerves were completely exposed.
Moments later, into this sluggish onslaught, my confines sat twelve feet deep in slime. But a new encasing fused to my structure, covering my entire body. This new skin conversion transitioned smoothly with the filing of this acidic bath. I had been fully coated in this cooking remainder, this ungodly frying of scummy residuum.
I gathered that after years of agony, the final slug entered into my corpse. The gunk and I were the only things left within this capsulated death jar. I drowned in midair, insubstantially flawed, in this muck of smothering secretions.
Reaching the pinnacle of this repulsive sludge, the acidic slime thickened to a concentrated mold.
I became just as dense as the Layian asteroid.
Virtually, the transformation wiped my memories away like a reformatted hard drive.
And this was how I died.
In the end, there was no more Crane.
My karma accumulated so much back pay that this was my only way of outing. Man, what a way to go.
But I couldn’t complain.
I finally got what I wanted…
Thank You
Dear Reader,
Crane here!
I know, I know… I just died. Lucky for you, I recorded this message beforehand. And you've come a long way through space. How’d you get here?
Never mind that…
I love that there are others in outer space who enjoy taking that galactic trip away from it all. So… You ready for book two?
How about book five? Ha!
Friends! Book reviews can do so much, especially for indie authors. In fact, every time you share a good review, an angel gets his wings…
That shit ain’t true at all.
But feel free to leave an honest review on Amazon, Goodreads, or anywhere you find Evolving Crane. And if you enjoyed this book, tell your friends. Be sure to get together and draw up your own plot twist.
Welp, I'm off to die now…
You never know where evolution will take you.
For Correspondence:
Dave Welch
P.O. Box 6402
Macon Ga. 31208
www.davetheauthor.com
Email me: [email protected]
Review Your Purchases (amazon.com)
Acknowledgments
First, I’d like to thank the higher being (God, the universe, or whatever you would like to label it). Second, I want to thank my mother and Father for putting up with me and my crazy antics. Finally, I would like to thank all of my sisters, Joe, my brother, nephews, and all of their kids.
I want to thank all my friends and fans of the M.O.S movement: Darnell, Eli, Barnum, “Frank Castle”, Bernardo Gomez and the Family, “Hater” Chris, “Black Gabby”, Tron, Thoom, Pendergraph, Titus, Kurt, IP, “Ice-Man”, “Homebwoi Fi”, Lundi, Lance Darden (my nemesis), Alan Bardwell, Able Melody, Mike McGill, Tom Biondolillo, Tom Grant, Paul Orlando, Val, Bubby Mitchell, Q, Lathan, “Quan more time”, Big Stephen Eakin and Family, Big Gainey, Chris, Tyree, Red, Terri, C.B., Courtney Ruth, Matthew Baker, Cat and Monotone Cat, Big Hob, Jake Joe, Robert Evans, Nadine, Sky Wind, Damian, RTB, Mr. William Kingpop Floyd, Kius Scales, “Sloppy Flow”, Big Perm, John Haze, Thomas Dunscombe, Aharon Eran Yashar’al, Huie, Taylor, Byron Johnson, “Big—Yeah” Brian Edwards, Gruel, David Capoferri, and the Family, Chuck Lilly Jr., Omar, Vince White, Scott “Attkins”, Thomas “Thanos” Marroquin, Jihad Griffin, Miz Dreekull, Cliff Hangerman, D.J. Hawk Cannon, D.j. Welch, Jeffery Scott, and all of those I missed. Thank you all for your support and your belief in me. This one's for you and for the soon-to-be fans of this new era in cartoon animation.
RIP Shenean and Carlos.
I love you, Data!
Glossary
|in alphabetical order|
7-Dial (Seven Arola)— A man abducted from the planet Omnipu who had undergone a process that swapped his brain with the brain of an ancient alien slug. The results created a god of intellect, wisdom, and so much knowledge, that he conducts the unexplainable. The mad Titan was said to be a nonexistent legend but was yet somehow saving an ancient race from extinction.
2. APA (Android Programmed Administrator)— The APA was created by the Xarchanzians. This robotic computer stands and acts just as any human or alien-like species. Everything was recorded with an APA. There only true reason for existence was for documentation.
3. Denser Speed— The light speed traveling rate of an object over one ton.
4. Djellaba /de—ja—la—bah/— A very heavy hooded cloak made from an unknown alien material. It was often used to generate an invisible presence. The cloak was normally worn by a certain group of highly skilled agents. It was usually one color and was typically connected to the wearer’s Layian Telepathy.
5. Dr. Phlaxlur /flax—lure/— A wise doctor that played a large role in many of the mind-driven experiments designed by Arola. Phlaxlur has aided with the continuation of an ancient race. He was also well known for the highly advanced portable chamber that can produce computerized images into reality.
6. Ebluemis 2 /e—blue—miss/— The Blue Lands. It was the coldest area in the Layo Galaxy as it sits at the farthest tip of the massive asteroid, far from other planets and suns. Ebluemis 2 (aside from its counterpart Ebluemis 1), was said to be the birthing grounds of the thinking matter Tierun.
7. Feuler /few—ler/— A highly skilled agent or spy whose sole purpose is to promote The Symbassy and their overall cause (by any means necessary).
8. Flavius /fly—v—us/— A distinct brand version of the taxonomic slug. This derivative was very rare and still very strong and intellectually bound to the creation of cosmic events.
9. Grand Valla /gran—ala/— A indestructible, beautiful structure that stands over a thousand feet. The structure is located in Upper Riaxon and was used to conduct sacred meetings and further plans to ensure the completion of Symbassy control.
10. Gray Feuler /grey
—few—ler/— A spy whose actions are unsound and completely irrational. The acts of the Gray Feuler benefit neither side of any war. This fact only proves that there must be a third party at work whose plans are somewhat unclear.
11. Gastropoda Gray Garden— An ancient derivative of the slug taxonomic that was designed to blend with other alien races. A hybrid classification that can telepathically communicate with other races and beings from any span of universal distance. This breed was also exceedingly rare.
12. Horace Vaideen /or—wrist—vey—dean/— Better known as The Bomb King, was a normal human being that was abducted from Earth. Horace survived an experiment conducted by The Symbassy that switched his brain with the brain from a Xarchanzian. As a result, he became a wiz with explosives and terrorist acts. He later played an even major role in Project: Rapture.
13. Illian Cronz /ill—e—an cronz/— A very high ranking Vice President of the Symbassy and Chief of Demographic Separation.
14. Inatechs /in—na—teks/— The first defense against the Pokidod insects that literally sprouted out of Tierun plant life and into the harsh Layian environment. They later became the first to technologically conquer the Pokidods while mistakenly birthing a new race of computerized beings into reality.
15. Info Gram- A particle related device capable of infinite storage. The Xarchanzian contraption can shrink and enlarge in size for quick and easy repository.
16. Kontiemar /con—tea—mar/— A style of martial artistry that incorporates the sport of tennis. This style of combat was very dangerous and can increase in its destructive nature with every serve. It usually requires a Moly Board, a Poly Sphere and two individuals at opposite poles of polarity.
17. Layian Telepathy /lay—in/— An extremely old and outdated form of telepathy and telekinesis. This ancient ability developed along with the Layo Galaxy. This powerful trait spawned from the depths of Tierun itself. Even though this Layian skill was archaic in nature, it was still extremely powerful (in different degrees of severity) and widely used by countless beings of the Layo Galaxy. When Layian telepathy was channeled through to a single directive and numerous quantities, its reach became infinite. Yet this ability can only be countered by other Layian beings that possess substantially higher frequency levels.
18. Layo Galaxy /lay—o/— A very massive and oversized asteroid about the size of several galaxies. However, over several eternities, the asteroid collided with other structures. This event sent extremely large pieces scattering throughout space. The result gave way to the further development of future Suns and various other Galaxies. Now the rock was said to be the center point of all gravity as it affects the propulsion of universal and planetary alignment, space expansion and all existences— fictional and nonfictional.
19. Light Drive— A disk storage space made of light that can be as large as a quarter or even a planet. The disk stores various calculations that can instantly trigger a ship to reach speeds up to 186,000 miles per second. This device works in conjunction with multiple engines and Neon Drives. The unison, in usage, will allow an entire vessel to move at the speed of light.
20. Light Ware— An ancient form of Layian technology that uses light in its physical form to create: tables, computers, guns, spaceships, etc.
21. Molecular Board (Moly Board)— A racket forged out of pure Dark Matter and Tierun. The Moly Board can instantly absorb an uncharted amount of weight before redistributing an even heavier Denser Speed. The Moly Board was purposely created for the Poly Sphere. However, the Board could be considered highly destructive in any avenue of usage.
22. Neon Drive— A form of computerized storage units that can calculate vast distances through space by communicating with radio waves, black holes and various radiations from black stars and suns.
23. Neriya Hatcher (Meth) /na—rye—ya/— A young dangerous and very explosive agent for hire. The female, in oddity, derives from the Ancient Slug family. 7-Dial allegedly murdered her family. Ruckus of Xarnan later adopted and trained Meth was later adopted and trained by Ruckus of Xarnan. During her younger days of training, Meth discovered her ability to generate Poly Spheres directly from the palms of her hands. She now fights along the side of her trainer (Ruckus) and The Symbassy. Meth will not stop until the legendary 7-Dial is destroyed.
24. Omnipu /om—ne—poo/— An inhabitable planet quite similar to Earth. The planet was over one zillion light years North of the Layo Galaxy. Omnipu was one of the earlier planets to fall under Symbassy Ruling. This choice brought about the abduction and the later creation of the mad Titan, 7-Dial.
25. Ordis Dant /or—dis/— Governor of Upper Riaxon and supporter of Symbassy Rulings.
26. Paymer Ijan /pay—mir—e—jan/— A Lower Quadrant examiner obsessed with the discovery of 7-Dial and his various creations or attempts to refurbish a dying race. Paymer was probably the only being with the heart to travel into the Lower Quadrant. A possible scout from Arola’s coterie.
27. Phlaxlur’s Chamber— The one and only instance of a portable factory that was surgically implanted within the rib cage of a patient. It was primarily used to create a weapon out of high-definition lasers and pixels. The weapon was usually chosen by the patient and can be generated in a matter of seconds. The internal CPU system contains a script for creations and solid conversions. The image was then sent to a miniaturized factory and a system of conveyor belts that instantly design and stitch the weapon together using a mixture of solid pixel and light. From there, the pixelated device shoots through a small opening along the sides of the patients’ rib cage and into the atmosphere. Once the highly advanced weaponry embraces the air, it instantly transmogrified into a tangible, fully functional weapon.
The factory itself was highly advanced and totally composed of Light Ware and other devices. This makes the portable factory very lightweight. However, the chamber’s creation and the overall procedure were unknown. It has only been completed twice in all of Layian history. This was mostly because Phlaxlur never documented the operation in its formation. He simply memorizes every step. Hence the term, Phlaxlur’s Chamber.
28. Piayas Grosine /pie—yes—grow—sin/— The president of Zenickdale and one of the highest-ranking officials to ever live. Piayas was a very peculiar Inatech descendant as he was responsible for the demise of nearly the entire Slug family. He has an even odder strand of DNA that can alter illnesses and diseases at the spur of the moment. His hairs can change colors along with the colors of the environment. It was unsure why this occurs, but it was believed that Piayas could be a mixture of several different races.
29. Pokidods /po—key—dods/— One of the earlier existences of life to establish itself within the raspy Layian environment. The Pokidods were a very poisonous group of monstrous insects. They supposedly went extinct after Tierun created the Inatechs in its defense against the ravenous race.
30. Poly Sphere— A very dense and tightly wound sphere (about the size of a tennis ball) of alien molecules that Meth can only generate. The Poly Sphere increases in weight as its velocity increases, thus creating a Denser Speed. The Molecular Board was the only instrument designed to withstand the huge amounts of weight associated with the Spheres’ Denser Speed. As a result, the Poly Sphere can supposedly reach Denser Speeds, which could level an entire population and even smaller planets.
31. Project: M.O.S— This project, in all, was the counter move against Project Rapture. 7-Dial devised project MOS. In his attempts to conserve the ancient race of godly beings, he created four of the most powerful Hybrid slug species. The four would be irreversibly engineered and indestructibly designed to withstand any attack from the Cosmos and its environment. Thus, the project would theoretically restore the slug lineage, destroy any instance of evil and bring about the end of all Symbassy’s control.
32. Project: Rapture— A universal plot designed to abduct a vast number of beings from the face of a planet. The beings would be brainwashed into mindless soldiers that would later aid the Symbassy in th
eir ultimate quest for Universal tyranny.
33. Qusar Gominis /gu—zar go—me—nes/— Quadrant Divisor of Riaxon and supporter of Symbassy Rulings.
34. Riva Aakush /rye—va ah—cush/— Governor of Ebluemis 2 and supporter of Symbassy Rulings.
35. Simma Fice— (Chest Pain) A half Inatech half Xarchanzian breed, deadly agent and older brother to Velleayan Fice. Simma was highly skilled in hand-to-hand combat and has an even more credible eye for shooting. Chest Pain possesses the Layian ability to summon organs from the bodies of other beings. However, this gift was only effective if the opposing force has a substantially lowered rate of Layian telepathy.
36. Straton Mage— Inatech President of Interdimensional Travel. Most space voyages and transportations would have to pass his approval before travels could commence.
37. Teledeck— A small platform that was used to convert beings into light and then transport them to a certain destination. Teledecks must communicate with one another in order to successfully teleport within a matter of seconds.
38. Tele Pod— A circular housing unit with different size ranges. The pod was used to teleport beings, large devices, heavy merchandise, and various other shipments throughout the voids of space and into other solar systems, sectors and even other planets.