Flux
Page 36
He’s nervous. Rambling. “What are you really here to say?”
He smiles. “Not going to let your old man beat around the bush, huh?”
“You aren’t so old,” I tell him.
“Life sure has thrown us a screwball…” He exhales, watching his breath rise into the nighttime air. “And I reckon what I’m gonna ask you is par for the course at this point.”
“Shoot,” I tell him.
“Well, I was wondering… Well, I was hoping you’d be my best man.”
“Are you serious?” I say, voice booming. If not for the smile on my face, he might have taken my outburst as anger. “Holy shit. When?”
My father chuckles. “Well, I’m not exactly fond of living in sin. Inola and I aren’t sleeping in the same room…and she’s not a patient woman. So...”
“Soon, then?”
“Very.”
“Who’s livin’ in sin?” Owen asks. He’s standing behind us, holding a bowl of ice cream out to me.
“You know it’s below freezing out here,” I say.
He shrugs. “It’s our favorite.”
I take the ice cream and look back up at the stars. I stand there with my impossible family, admiring the cosmos.
“So.…” my father says.
“Of course,” I give him a sidelong smile and take a bite of the ice cream. The flavor transports me through time to memories that are far fresher for Owen.
Then I wince as a sharp pain slams into my forehead.
“What is it?” my father asks, an edge in his voice.
“Should I go get the others?” Owen asks, worried. “Should I fetch the guns?”
When the pain clears, I give my head a shake, smile, and put all their fears to rest.
“Brain freeze.”
While the pair has a good laugh at my expense, I do my best to laugh along while eyeing the dark forest around us. But it’s a challenge, because I’ve just lied to the two of them for the first time. It’s faint, but I’m struck by deep feelings of anger, sadness, and confusion, none of it belonging to me. The pre-human…the cryptoterrestrial…has explored our world, and doesn’t like what it’s found.
I try to emote a welcoming message for it to receive. Despite Delgado’s experience, I still consider the ancient creature an ally. But its presence fades, and I realize it had come only to say goodbye.
I linger by the door after Owen and my father enter my home. I look out at the dark once more as wind swirls snow across the open mountaintop. “Stay out of trouble,” I whisper, and then I step inside to rejoin my family.
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AUTHOR’S NOTE
If you’re a long-time reader, you’re probably thinking, “Will there be a book merging The Others and Flux?!” The answer is, “I’m not sure.” As always, it depends on sales. Honestly, I hadn’t planned on featuring the pre-human cryptoterrestrial until I reached the Cretaceous and had an “oooooh” moment, where I realized I had inadvertently set up the overlap. Once I realized it was possible, I couldn’t resist.
If you’re a new reader, you’re now thinking, “What is The Others?! Who the heck was Dan Delgado? What in tarnation is going on, y’all?!” Good news: I have a better answer for you than I did for the long-time readers! The Others is a novel that came out about a year ago, featuring Delgado and Winnie. Their search for a missing little girl leads them down a rabbit hole of Mormon cults, corporate espionage, and alien abductions. If you enjoyed Flux, you’ll love The Others!
Now, if you enjoyed Flux (or The Others) and would like to see them continue/merge, the best thing you can do is post reviews on your favorite online vendor or on Goodreads. Every review helps a ton, and I read every single one (even the bad ones).
As always, thank you very much for coming along for the ride, and I hope you enjoyed the books. I wouldn’t be here without the support of my awesome readers!
—Jeremy Robinson
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to Kane Gilmour for the awesome edits, as always, and to the best proofreaders an author could hope for, Roger Brodeur, Lyn Askew, Elizabeth Cooper, Dee Haddrill, Dan Delgado, Kyle Mohr, Sharon Ruffy, Becki Laurent, Kelly Tyler, and Julie Carter. Thanks Hilaree, Aquila, Solomon, and Norah, my very own tribe spanning generations. Love you guys.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeremy Robinson is the international bestselling author of sixty novels and novellas, including Apocalypse Machine, Island 731, and SecondWorld, as well as the Jack Sigler thriller series and Project Nemesis, the highest selling, original (non-licensed) kaiju novel of all time. He’s known for mixing elements of science, history and mythology, which has earned him the #1 spot in Science Fiction and Action-Adventure, and secured him as the top creature feature author. Many of his novels have been adapted into comic books, optioned for film and TV, and translated into thirteen languages. He lives in New Hampshire with his wife and three children.
Visit him at www.bewareofmonsters.com.
ALSO by JEREMY ROBINSON
Standalone Novels
The Didymus Contingency
Raising The Past
Beneath
Antarktos Rising
Kronos
Refuge
Xom-B
Flood Rising
MirrorWorld
Apocalypse Machine
Unity
The Distance
Infinite
Forbidden Island
The Divide
The Others
Space Force
Alter
Flux
Nemesis Saga Novels
Island 731
Project Nemesis
Project Maigo
Project 731
Project Hyperion
Project Legion
SecondWorld Novels
SecondWorld
Nazi Hunter: Atlantis
(aka: I Am Cowboy)
The Antarktos Saga
The Last Hunter – Descent
The Last Hunter – Pursuit
The Last Hunter – Ascent
The Last Hunter – Lament
The Last Hunter – Onslaught
The Last Hunter – Collected Edition
The Last Valkyrie
The Jack Sigler/Chess Team Thrillers
Prime
Pulse
Instinct
Threshold
Ragnarok
Omega
Savage
Cannibal
Empire
Jack Sigler Continuum Novels
Guardian
Patriot
Centurion
Cerberus Group Novels
Herculean
Helios
Chesspocalypse Novellas
Callsign: King
Callsign: Queen
Callsign: Rook
Callsign: King 2 – Underworld
Callsign: Bishop
Callsign: Knight
Callsign: Deep Blue
Callsign: King 3 – Blackout
Chesspocalypse Novella Collected Editions
Callsign: King – The Brainstorm Trilogy
Callsign – Tripleshot
Callsign – Doubleshot
Horror Novels
(written as Jeremy Bishop)
Torment
The Sentinel
The Raven
Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Novels
Hunger
Feast
Viking Tomorrow
Comics & Graphic Novels
Project Nemesis
Godzilla: Rage Across Time
Island 731
© 2019 Jeremy Robinson. All rights reserved.
Cover design by Jeremy Robinson ©2018
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and should not be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
&nb
sp; No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For more information e-mail all inquiries to:
jrobinsonauthor@gmail.com.
Visit Jeremy Robinson on the World Wide Web at:
www.bewareofmonsters.com.