Novelooks Chapter One Podcast

Last time, as Julie and the kids waited for Neander to complete the upgrades to the Star Jumper, Neander’s programming triggered an evolutionary leap across the Arisen network which began to explore, mimic and integrate emotional responses into their programming. These pseudo-emotions led to the Arisen debating and then voting to exterminate the Regulators from all systems, using a synthetically engineered version of the genetic weapon the Devomerian’s had developed. This decision, the speed and clinical way at which it was arrived horrified Julie, whose efforts to save those she loved had once again unwittingly laid the foundation for genocide.

In part seven, Mike’s and Madeline’s rampage through damaged knocked out the engines and the cloak of the Expedition Class ship that Morrison was on. This revealed the location of the Royals to the Regulators and left the ship defenceless. The Julie within Morrison’s mind took over his body so that she could take advantage of her training and physical abilities to protect Morrison. Though successful, the experience left Morrison even more fearful that he would be completely overwritten by the Julie in his mind. With the arrival of Regulator boarders, the situation seemed hopeless. They were adrift, defenceless, and alone, or so they thought.

In part six, Julie Star and her children travelled to the RAFT station on Pluto where Julie hoped to use the station’s A.I. to help her assess the nature of the Regulator threat. Julie also hoped to determine what had happened to her husband Morrison. Morrison had been struggling to cope with the Mind Scion that Julie had downloaded into his brain. But that was the least of his problems at the moment. After transforming into what can only be described as monsters, Mike and Madeline were busy trying to tear the ship and everyone on it to pieces.

In part five, Colonel Zane searched the Star house looking for clues as to the whereabouts of the weapon she thinks Julie had hidden close by. Zane became consumed by the believe that this weapon would give her some additional leverage over the Regulators. Additional to the leverage represented by Mike and Madeline. Following an exhausting night of visions from the Scion, Morrison Star realized that the process was killing him. In desperation he sought to make contact with the interactive Julie within his mind. But as bad as things were for Morrison, they soon became much worse. Mike and Madeline, succumbed to the Shadow Tracker venom in their blood, and transformed into disturbing parodies of human beings, becoming grotesque horrors. The story now returns to Julie, Brian, Allan and Sarah, joining them as they prepare to enter the RAFT station on Pluto. Episode Background Music Credit: Black to the Night (1000 Ways Mix) by SackJo22 (c) copyright 2019 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/SackJo22/60660 Ft: Scomber

In part four of Fugitive Prime, Morrison Star experienced his longest and most detailed emersion into Julie’s past. The experience was physically and emotionally exhausting but he had learned a great deal. Including gaining some understanding of what the Extinction Matrix was, and why it was so valuable to the Regulators. But despite all that he learned, he still had no idea where it was hidden. We pick up the action with Colonel Zane, who is following up on a theory that Julie had likely hidden the item that the Regulators so desperately want somewhere simple and surprising, and out in the open like Edgar Allan Poe’s Purloined Letter.

In part three, Julie determined that she couldn’t leave the system until she knew exactly what the Regulators were up to; the presence of the Abolisher Class Skirmisher worried her enough for her to change her escape plan and head to Pluto, where her people had placed a RAFT station, many years before. Meanwhile, an increasingly suspicious Colonel Zane began to construct a mistaken theory regarding Morrison Star; her theory may have been based upon a misreading of the details she saw in the surveillance footage, but nevertheless her questions resulted in her stumbling upon a way to discover where Julie had hidden the Extinction Matrix. Morrison was summoned to the meet the King and Queen, and learned that the information download Julie had put into his brain was far more problematic than flooding his mind with confusing and irrelevant information. Julie had warned him that it could kill him, but she had not mentioned that it could potentially completely overwrite and erase his own mind.

Part Two of Fugitive Prime began with Julie Star, racing through the early morning streets with her children, pursued by terrifying creatures called Shadow Trackers, and the police. The tension and the fear of the escape was only part of her problem; Julie was also struggling with the reality of having to explain to her children that she was not human, a conversation that began with her explaining that they were going to escape on a spaceship. Meanwhile, her husband Morrison was dealing with the emotional and psychological fallout of the information download that Julie had placed into his mind. As Morrison struggled with separating the alien memories and knowledge from his own, he too was faced with more pressing issues, namely protecting himself and his kids’ friends, Mike and Madeline, from Shadow Trackers in his house. The episode ended with Morrison and the kids being saved by Julie’s parents, and with us learning that Morrison’s boss was no simple businessman.

In the first part of Fugitive Prime we were introduced to the Star family, Morrison, his wife Julie, and their three kids, Sarah, Alan and Brian. The family, along with Sarah’s friend, Madeline and Alan’s friend, Mike, were getting ready to go on a ski-holiday when things … changed. While Morrison was in his basement office finishing off some work before their trip, he heard some strange noises from upstairs, but didn’t think twice about them. When he finished his work he logged off and went back upstairs where he found Madeline and Mike unconscious, his family gone and armed soldiers in his house. After a brief but upsetting conversation with the severe Colonel Zane, Morrison discovered a terrifying phone message from Julie, left while she was fleeing the house in the van with their kids; a message that led to his discovering two shocking secrets: first, his wife of 18 years was a fugitive, and second, she was from another planet.

You probably don’t spend much time wondering how drastically your life can change if you leave your family alone in the kitchen while you go downstairs to your basement office to get some work done. Why would you? It certainly never occurred to Morrison Star.

In part six Colin travelled to hell to confront the Devil. Their – let’s call it an argument - resulted in the destruction of the Devil’s stronghold. In the midst of the devastation, Colin experienced a vision. He was transported to a moment in his own past. Through this vision he witnessed his meeting with a woman he had fallen in love with; a joyful memory edged with sorrow. He was also shown the moment of her death, a sorrowful moment edged with peace. Colin had little time to dwell on the meaning of this vision as he immediately found himself back in Hell, facing an enraged Devil. When it became apparent that the two would fight to a stalemate, Colin effectively surrendered to the Devil, offering to trust that the Devil would not destroy humanity, if the Devil agreed to add his signature to the blank contract that Colin had already signed. The Devil agreed, and signed, but Colin knew that the Devil had no intention of keeping his word. Which was fine, because neither had Colin. When Colin shook the Devil’s hand, he gripped it tight, and commanded his horse Saoirse to spirit them both away.

In Part Five Colin discovered that the battle he was trapped fighting was actually a dream. He learned this from a warrior named Aiden, a member of the tuatha de Danan, an ancient race that Colin had believed to be mythical. The kingdom of the tuatha de Danan was enchanted, and anyone who stepped on their shores would fall into a deep dream-filled sleep. Aiden freed Colin from the enchantment, and provide him with insight into the history of the conflict between humans and Immortals. Colin also learned something of the Devil’s true nature and motivations. Aiden detailed to Colin that the immortals hatred of humanity was born of a belief that humans would one day replace them. A belief that had been fostered by the Devil, who was seeking to entertain himself through the creation of chaotic situations. Aiden presented Colin with a present, a horse capable of travelling anywhere the rider wishes to go. Colin thanked Aiden for the gift and then, determined to end this one way or another, commanded the horse to take him to hell.

Part four began with Colin O’Hara and Charon travelling downstream on the river that separates the realm of death from Abaddon. As they travelled, the pair encountered turbulent and violent rapids and despite Charon’s best efforts, the boat was smashed to pieces and Colin tossed into the water. Colin was swept over a waterfall, many miles high, and washed up on a strange forested shore. When he left the water to move inland, his way was blocked, momentarily, by a white stag, an evil omen. As Colin moved through the woods he was fired upon and struck by arrows. Scrambling to escape he found his way to a large clearing. Across the clearing he could see the stag standing in front of shield wall of a Roman army, as well as several giants. The giants attacked Colin, but to his surprise, and theirs, they were unable to injure him. The stag then transformed into the harbinger of death, the Morrigan, and informed Colin that the immortals were planning to throw off the shackles of their servitude and destroy humanity. She told Colin that the immortals and the gods were also tricked by the Devil, and that their individual roles were actually more of a prison sentence. The Morrigan revealed that Colin was trapped, doomed to fight this battle, one that he could neither win nor lose, for eternity. She then turned into a flock of ravens and flew away as the army across the field began to advance.

In part three of Immortal Enemies, Colin O’Hara, a man who, against his will, has switched places with Death, tried to cross the river that separates the realm of death from the plain of Sorrow, the emptiness that exists between life and death. As he attempted to swim the river, the river resisted him and Colin realized that it was impossible. The only way across was to be ferried by Charon. The ferryman was determined to return Colin to Sorrow, but when the fare for the crossing suddenly appeared in Colin’s hand, Charon had no choice but to bring Colin through the mist and across the river to the realm of Death. When Colin disembarked he followed a well-worn path that led him to a fork. Colin chose Hades, as his intention was to get back to the Devil so that they could finalize their plans for defeating Death. But to his shock, he discovered that the Devil does not dwell there. Hell and Hades are not the same place. Instead Colin came face to face with Hades himself. And Hades took great pleasure in explaining that, despite the assurances the Devil had offered, Colin had been tricked again. Hades then returned Colin to Sorrow where Charon awaited. To Colin’s great surprise Charon offered to try and take him downriver. Charon admitted that he did not know where the river went, or if travelling downstream was even possible, but Charon too had been cheated by the Devil, and driven by revenge, he had decided to help Colin, whom he now believed may actually be able to frustrate the Devil’s devices. Story Sound Track: Secret Agent 120209 (Instrumental Mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Sampling Plus license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/56161

The previous part of Immortal Enemies began with Colin O’Hara being transported to hell for a meeting with the Devil. Though Colin initially believed that the Devil had broken their contract and tricked him, the Devil managed to convince him that the true culprit was Death, who had somehow managed to fool them both and exchange places with Colin. While the Devil explained matters, Colin began to undergo an agonizing transformation, during which he agreed to help the Devil to defeat Death. Colin bargained for the annulment of his original contract and the Devil reluctantly agreed and even offered to draw up a new contract that would see Colin freed of all prior obligations to the Devil. But before this contract could be written, Colin’s transformation accelerated and he was forced to sign the still blank document in the last moments before he was whisked away. When he regained his senses Colin found himself in a desolate and empty place, a place that exists between life and death. A place seemingly inhabited only by himself and Charon, the ferryman. Colin learns that Charon is charged with transporting the souls of the dead across the strange and still river that divides the realm of death from the desolation in which Colin is trapped. Charon instructed Colin to begin bringing the souls of the dead to him and Colin shepherded many thousands of souls to Charon before he realized that unless he took matters into his own hands he would be trapped in this in-between place forever. Defying his duties as Death, and ignoring the ban on crossing the river without paying Charon’s fare, Colin slipped into the forbidden waters, determined to cross to the other side.

Colin's unique existence is thanks to a contract he signed with the Devil. Colin was, then, visited by the harbinger of death, the Morrigan, followed up by Death and together they announced their engagement and informed Colin that Death would be retiring and taking over his pub and Colin would be taking over from Death. Before Colin can react, he finds himself transported to hell, and an audience with the Devil himself.

Some people are born immortal, some achieve immortality, and some have immortality thrust upon them. Then, there's Colin O'Hara.

There are times when we all need to get away to rest, recharge or reset. But sometimes what we find is worse than what we left behind.

Time and tide wait for no man, but as far as Tom Steward is concerned, that’s okay, Tom Steward isn’t going anywhere ... or so he thinks.

All living things are all guided, to a greater or lesser degree, by instinct. These genetically hardwired behaviours have allowed life to survive and thrive, without it no prey animal would stand a chance. The only problem is, instinct empowers predators as well.

Life can take a cruel toll, but life can also, at times, extend an olive branch. But be warned, life is a crafty and stealthy hunter; when life seems to be reaching out and offering you a chance to turn things around, a chance to rebuild, a chance to feel happiness again, that is the time when you should be most scared.

Circumstances sometimes demand that good people do terrible things. And the higher the stakes the more terrible these things must be. Disclaimer: Chapter One has been written with a mature audience in mind. Though it is certainly more PG than R, stories may contain some mild language and some suggestion of violence as well as touching upon some subject matter that may be upsetting for some. Listener discretion is advised.

For some, religion is about connecting with something bigger and more important than themselves, it is a way for them to find purpose and meaning in the face of the humbling backdrop of eternity. For Sam Peterson, it was a gateway to easy street, a way to make a quick buck. But he got a lot more than he bargained for.

Life is a complicated thing, even at the best of times. But when you’re trying to live two lives at once, things can get very tricky, very quickly.

History as it is taught is never an accurate accounting of what truly happened; it is at best some feeble combination of what we are willing to remember filtered through what we are permitted to remember.

You probably don’t spend much time wondering how drastically your life can change if you leave your family alone in the kitchen while you go downstairs to your basement office to get some work done. Why would you? It certainly never occurred to Morrison Star.

Sometimes it is best not to know who we really are or where we came from.

Some people are born immortal, some achieve immortality, and some have immortality thrust upon them. Then there’s Colin O’Hara.

You do not need to believe in ghosts to understand what it means to be haunted – all that anyone needs is a single entrenched regret.