Barrier 3: Supersede by Pamela Caves - Excerpt

Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords (in many formats)! Look for it on your favorite online book retail site!

 

I.

Sky Legend

 

It had been the longest damned day of my entire career.

Wait... let me think on that a moment. Thirteen years of military service under my belt; yes, still the longest day.

But I hadn't known just how much longer it would really be.

I’d spent two weeks planning today’s events: the execution of the preparedness trials for General Hashan Zatokitan, the leading military general of the United Alliance. It was an honor to host such a guest but also a tiring burden. I was ready for a nice, hearty supper with my husband and my wonderfully soft bed (husband optional since our bed seemed smaller these days).

On the way to my closet, I happened by my full-length mirror and couldn't help but take pause. I was only thirty-three weeks pregnant but felt, and dare I say looked, as huge as a house. It was weird, though. I thought at the beginning of this journey that I'd mind the changes in my body but, honestly, they didn't really bother me. I felt my sons move and grow and it filled my heart with awe and love. Austin still found me attractive and my twins and I were healthy. Nothing else mattered.

I heard the front door to our apartment open. I left the bedroom to find Austin hunkered over the control panel.

"What are you doing?" I asked. I took a few more steps forward and was surprised to see his shoulders heaving with labored breathing. He was creating a new override code for the front door lock. "Austin?"

A gasp escaped my throat when he suddenly jumped up and ran toward me. He took one of my hands and lightly ran the fingers of his other hand over my protruding belly. Sweat glistened over his forehead and his eyes were laced with worry. "Sky, I love you."

"What is going on?"

"I want you to know that I'm sorry. I never meant for it to happen like this."

I swallowed a ball of fear and felt tears welling in my eyes. "You're scaring me."

"I love you and my sons more than anything. Please know that."

I jumped when something from the outside hit our front door so hard that a vase on a table nearby fell over. A series of heavy knocks followed.

"Chief Legend! Come out now with your hands up! We'll take you by force if necessary!"

I tried to ask again but the words refused to come; the horrified expression on his face was enough to stall my words. I breathed heavy with him and tried to keep the bile down.

"Whatever you do, please don't believe I had anything to do with it."

"I don't understand..."

"Jackson will explain..."

The code on the door didn't hold long. As soon as the door came open, a security detail rushed inside. I didn't know what I expected to see given that my husband was the head of security for Special Services Division 32, but I didn't expect a security team from General Zatokitan's personal staff.

One of them grabbed Austin and threw him to the floor, not an easy task given his muscular frame. When I screamed, another one grabbed my arms and pulled me away. I struggled but the security detail begged me to calm down for my babies’ sakes. Austin didn't seem to want to struggle at all, as if he knew he was defeated.

"Get your hands off of her!"

Jackson Montgomery, Austin's assistant and our long-time friend, came around the corner. At the mention of me, Austin tried to wiggle around as they cuffed him, yelling something I couldn't decipher.

"I don't take orders from you," growled the officer still digging his fingers into my bicep. I wanted to punch him, or, at the least, kick him in the balls, but I was afraid he'd hurt me in turn.

Jackson marched up to us, anger spreading across his face in one red swipe. He removed the officer's hand from my arm and proceeded to stand between us. "You just made me the acting chief of security by arresting my superior and this is my base, so yes, you will listen to me."

They pulled Austin up from the floor and began leading him out without so much as a word of explanation. This was ludicrous. Maybe this was my preparedness trial. Maybe this was a fake scenario designed to see how I would react. I grasped at this little lie and anything else that would help me make sense of what had just happened.

"Wait!" I yelled and started after them.

One of the general's officers stepped between me and the door.

I whirled around to Jackson and the officer who'd left his finger imprints in my arm. "What the hell is going on!?"

The officer barely glanced at me. Instead, he smirked at Jackson. "I'll let you have the pleasure of telling her about her traitor husband."

"Wh… what?" I stammered.

He finally addressed me. "In the meantime, you are to clear out of your apartment right now. We're commencing a search."

"On whose authority?"

"General Hashan Zatokitan."

Jackson put his arm around my shoulders. "Sorry, Sky, but we need to go."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I wasn't one to curse, but there it was. That's how ridiculous this entire scenario was. "Where am I supposed to go?"

"It will only be a few hours. We'll figure it out, okay? Please, just come with me and I'll explain."

I stood there a moment longer. Maybe to glare down the offending man? I didn't know. He'd already busied himself with something else, my shattered world apparently of no interest to him.



Face 2014 with courage

The beginning of 2013 didn't start very well at all. In fact, it ranks high with the beginning of 2004. Let's just say that I have no desire to relive any moment of the first few months of this year.

It did take a turn for the better, though. My family has, for the most part, reconciled, a little more of my house (that we've been remodeling for seven years) has been completed, we had one of the most awesome vacations I've ever experienced, I finished step one of my degree plan, and published another book.

My household has seen more than usual illness, though; my oldest son has been having stomach issues the last few months and it seems like any insignificant little germ that comes into this house turns into an all out immune system war in my body; like right now as I continuously blow my nose and battle a sinus headache. However, on a good note, we haven't had to deal with anything too serious and in a surprising twist, I'm managing my back pain much better than I have in years.

Going along between good and bad this year, the saddest event was losing my boss on October 24. A month later, I nervously left the store with a friend's words ringing in my ear, "Pam, do you want to get into the education field or stay in retail?" And she was right. I needed to stop being scared of a small money loss and head further in the direction I've been traveling now for the last few years. While Junior's passing wasn't the reason I left the store, it was a factor. My ultimate goals, combined with the loss, was enough to propel me forward. I am proud to say that I managed to get approved to substitute teach for the county and am also starting my new job as an English tutor at Northeast College next week. If I'd let that fear overtake me, I'd have missed out on those two jobs.

I'm certainly ready to tackle the next year.

I have a few writing goals. I want to have my short story collections, a new Barrier, and my prompt book out in the next couple of months and I hope to sell a few more short stories this year to different publishers. For personal goals, I could lose a few pounds, focus more when I'm working on projects ( I tend to flounder sometimes until the last minute), and I need to clear my house of junk. I'm also striving to be more giving, more forgiving, more patient, less judging, and more positive. If there's one lesson I've really learned over the last year is that attitude is extremely important in one's success. If you want something, and I mean really want something, you'll swallow that fear, put on a brave face, and do it.

I hope you have had a good year overall and I'm wishing you the best in the new one.

Peace, love, and on to 2014,

Pamela

Email campaign #3 - "Future Past" Announcement and Enter to Win!

Drop Content Blocks Here by: Announcement: Future Past coming in early August. Pamela Caves releases first fantasy novel. For ten years, Dayel struggled to survive inside the most infamous prison in the world with no memory of who she was before or what she did to get there.  Scars over her body and rumors of mass murder indicate that she might not want to know. She can't believe she could be such a monster, despite evidence to the contrary. All she wants upon her release is to live in quiet solitude. She soon finds that others have no intention of allowing her the normalcy she desires. On her path, she makes unlikely friends, escapes assassins, and battles unimaginable foes. Her memory begins to return and with it, magic begins to manifest. Terrified that she will hurt someone with her untamed abilities, she begins the journey to unravel her past, for doing so can only ensure her future is lined with peace. But what she finds is more horrifying than she ever thought possible and everything she thought she was comes crumbling down around her.

Drop Content Blocks Here by: Now Available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords. Coming soon to Kobo, Diesel, Apple, Sony, and more.   by: Sixteen year-old Lenya McKay is told that both her parents were killed when their vehicle imploded. She refuses to accept it, though, and goes off in search for them with the help of new Squad 13 weapon's officer, Corporal Zhoven Spiridon. Instead, they find something they could never have suspected; enemy infiltration. Growing up takes a sudden leap when she is Zhoven's only hope for survival against an unpredictable and brutal enemy. Meanwhile, Sabina has to adjust to her new life without the use of her legs and to a new job; it's the first time in her life she's felt less than adequate.   Drop Content Blocks Here by: Countdown to Future Past Promotions by: Did you know you can already get many Pamela Caves titles for free? Titles like "The Jump", "Theory of a Tramp", and "An Unusual Cupid" are free on all sites. But the best part? All other titles in Pamela's library will be offered for free throughout the summer! Keep an eye on Pamela's blog and her Facebook page to get coupon codes for free downloads. EVERY TITLE will be FREE at some point this summer in anticipation of the release of Future Past. Also, we will be doing a drawing for a free, signed copy of Future Past, exclusive to our mailing list subscribers. Current subscribers are already entered. If you wish to subscribe to the mailing list to have a chance to win, click here and register!                         by:   by: Read Pamela's new poetry, "The Thing About Love" on her blog.

Last chance for free copies of "Barrier"!

Three days only, starting today (Thursday, March 28, 2013) and lasting through Saturday (March 30, 2013), I am again offering for FREE, both Barrier titles in Kindle format. Here's how to get your free copies:

1. Click this link to go to Amazon and download a free copy of The Purpose of Pain: Will 16-year-old Lenya McKay find her presumed dead parents?

2. Email me at pamelacaves@rocketmail.com and request your free copy of Ethics vs. Duty: Will Sergeant Triana Kreeler turn over an innocent infant for execution?

It's that simple. Then you can be all caught up with Barrier thus far. I don't know when I'll be giving these away again so if you have any desire to read these at all, take advantage of this while you can.

Peace, love, and off into space,

Pamela

About "Barrier" and next projects on the agenda.

During their free promotion days, Barrier: The Purpose of Pain had a few hundred downloads. In addition, I emailed at least two dozen copies or more of Barrier: Ethics vs. Duty. One of the best things about doing a free Amazon promo like that is watching the rankings as people download. When I did The Influence, I watched my rankings in the sci-fi category climb all the way up to #27. I was hoping for higher this time but for some reason, Amazon never posted any rankings. That's part of the excitement about doing a free giveaway and I missed out on it due to what was likely an Amazon glitch. Maybe the next giveaway (I have a couple more days coming up) will be glitch-free.

In any case, I wanted to talk a little about Barrier and my plans for it.

When someone asks me about Barrier, I say, "Think of it as a television series in writing." I hope to do one to two "episodes" a year. I consider myself primarily a character writer so with Barrier, I've created a variety of personalities from a variety of social backgrounds tinkering around in a Universe in chaotic tumble.

When you consider the vast forms of culture and society within this world, it can almost be overwhelming. Every individual lives and breathes from their own perspective. Their personality is a product of their genetics mixed with their environment. When you consider that in a broader setting, several different worlds, for example, the possibilities are endless. And that's what makes Barrier so exciting for me to write.

In any case, click the links below to see excerpts and purchasing options:

Here is a teaser excerpt of Barrier: Duty vs. Ethics.
Here is a teaser excerpt of Barrier: The Purpose of Pain

I hope to have Book 3 of Barrier completed this year, but I do have some other projects to tackle first. My next project is a non-fiction venture that likely won't be released until later this year or early next year. It is an idea generator/brainstorming book for fiction writers of all genres. Next will be the release of my first fantasy novel, Future Past, and I believe I'm more excited about this one than I was my first novel! While I work on Barrier 3, I'm starting work on another non-fiction book for writers. And in between all of that, I have a historical novel pattering around in my head that I'm working on the outline for.

It's gonna be a busy year for me and I'll do my best to keep everyone updated! Thank you so much for your support. Until next time...

Peace, love, and bright ideas,

Pamela

Get both Barriers for FREE!

Quick update: I'm offering my newest release, Barrier: The Purpose of Pain for free, today and tomorrow (Jan. 18 & 19) only, from Amazon. Click over here and do a quick download.

(In my best infomercial voice) But wait! There's more!

While you don't need to have read Barrier: Ethics vs. Duty to enjoy Barrier: The Purpose of Pain, I realize that some may want to read the first one first. So... go download The Purpose of Pain from Amazon for free, then shoot me an email at pamelacaves@rocketmail.com and I will personally email you a copy of Ethics vs. Duty in Kindle format for free in an attachment. This offer is only good for today and tomorrow while the promotion for Barrier 2 is running.



Here is a teaser excerpt of Barrier: Duty vs. Ethics.
Here is a teaser excerpt of Barrier: The Purpose of Pain.

This is a limited time offer so if you've been wanting to read these, now is the time while both are free.

If you need other formats than Kindle, please be patient. I will run promotions on those later.

Peace, love, and happy reading!

Pamela

"Barrier: The Purpose of Pain" by Pamela Caves - Excerpt

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Lenya McKay

 

"You look really young to be out traveling the cosmos," Zhoven said.

I was going to be trapped in a cramped vehicle with this handsome man for a few days so small talk was pretty much inevitable.  I was tempted briefly to lie about my age and flirt with disaster, but like the good little girl my parents raised me to be, I spilled out the story about how my parents had gone missing and were now thought dead.

"You don't think they are?" he asked me.

"No. I mean, I know there's a possibility but they were fierce fighters. They may have been science nerds but they would've clung hard to life because of me."

I'd seen the expression on his face before.  It was skepticism.  But despite that, he looked over the map and said, "So I suppose it hasn't escaped your attention that we will be passing near their wreckage site.  When were you planning on asking?"

I was a little embarrassed but there was no use feigning ignorance.  "I was just going to casually bring it up in small talk."

"Hmmm," he hummed but I noticed a flick of a smile.

"What I don't understand is why they veered from their course. They should've sped passed the Afgar system."

"If their flight plan was anything like ours, then they should've passed through the orbits of the seventh and eighth planets; grav drive all the way."

"Something must've gotten their attention."

"You have a theory?"

Indeed I did.  It was like I'd had nothing else to think about the last few weeks.  To have someone finally listening to me was like taking a deep breath in nature for the first time.  "There wasn't enough wreckage left for them to tell me if the pods had been launched from their vehicle. There is one habitable planet in the system, Afgar II.  They said the pod signals weren't on the planet but..."

"But you don't think they looked hard enough?"

"What if they were damaged?"

"One pod's tracking signal being damaged I could believe.  But two?"

"I know, but you have to consider the atmosphere on that planet. It's very humid, hot, and the air pressure is twice what we, and our technology, are used to."

He squinted at the projection of the map and chewed his bottom lip.  "Yeah... maybe."

"You're skeptical, I get it. I'm not asking for much, but can we just make a quick sweep through? You know, just to see if there's anything unusual."

His expression softened.  "Of course. What are strangers for?"

"Thank you," I said. I hadn't realized until that moment how itchy I'd  been. I relaxed as relief swept over me.  If anything, I was going to see the area for myself and for some reason, that was the most important thing in the universe to me.

***

 

For the next sixteen hours or so, we talked about our lives, gossiped about celebrities, played games, and napped.  Zhoven was a very pleasant traveling companion and by the time we'd reached the Afgar system, I'd developed more than a passing lust; it was a full-on crush.

 

He nudged me with his elbow and I woke to see a large shining dot in the window; the Afgar's red giant.

 

Basic scanning technology came standard on most vehicles and while it wasn't exactly UA issue, it was all I had.  I knew that the scanners aboard a United Alliance cruiser would pick up more than a personal vehicle but desperation could also be a powerful tool.

 

Zhoven, however, wasn't using his scanners.  He was simply staring out the window.  "The reports say that their vehicle was found near Afgar II, right?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"I'm seeing a wave-length I don't understand."

 

I'd forgotten that Roens had the ability to see beyond a Human's capability.  Roens not only could see temperature differentials but also some wave lengths most species couldn't.

 

"What about the scanners?" I asked.  The readouts were blank and I wondered if he'd even powered them up.

 

"I checked before I woke you. Nothing."

 

"But my parents are Human.  They wouldn't have been drawn in by something they couldn't see and the cruisers would've picked up something if it were there."  Now look who was being the cynical one.

 

"Maybe they were drawn in by something they could see."  He pointed out the window at... well, nothing.  "That's an energy wave-length.  It's weaker and of a different build than anything else around it. Maybe there was a ship out here. Shall we follow the signal?"

 

"Uh... yeah. Of course."

 

He steered the vehicle on manual, following something invisible.  We followed that "nothing" for the next couple of hours at a steady pace.

 

"What would cause a vehicle to just drop out of grav?" I asked.

 

"It could've detected something in the flight path, another grav drive maybe.  Or maybe it was a malfunction."

 

"But you don't think so..."

 

He shook his head. "Something was out here and I bet they followed it in, just like this."

 

I could've continued to ask questions but I knew Zhoven wouldn't have the answers.  I watched him stare out the window and steer.  Suddenly, the vehicle lurched, knocking me back into my seat.

 

"Gravity well," Zhoven said.

 

"You can see a gravity well?"

 

"No, but I know them when I run through them.  This is really odd."

 

I kept trying to see what he was seeing, even though I knew better.  It was like trying to order the lights on in a room when you know the power is down.  "What?"

 

"The signal... there's no break.  There should be a break from the gravity well."

 

The ship stumbled again.  And then again.

 

"Where are we? Are we near Afgar II?"

 

"Almost."

 

When the ship shuddered again, Zhoven flipped on the sensor equipment.

 

"Could the gravity wells be responsible for the vehicle wreckage?"

 

"No.  It's just a space bump.  It's not going to hurt anyone unless they are zipping along at high speeds. But there really shouldn't be so many of them."

 

I could see the sensor display from my seat.  "They aren't registering on your sensors."

 

He sighed and the ship dipped again.  "This entire area is flooded with something artificial."

 

"How can you tell?"

 

"Because there's no way that I wouldn't detect at least some of these wells unless this area was flooded with something to mask it."

 

"Like to mask all sensors?  Make it look like nothing was here?"

 

"Right."

 

"Wouldn't the cruisers have suspected something if they couldn't detect the gravity wells?" The UA cruisers had said they'd performed a thorough investigation of the area. My heart fluttered. What if they hadn't?

 

"Cruisers are too big to physically feel the wells. They wouldn't have known they were there anyway."

 

We both knew the implications of what we'd found.  It might've meant that the cruiser's sensors had simply been blocked and that there really was a chance that my mom and dad were on the planet. Renewed hope flooded over me, filling me with new energy.

 

"You're forgetting the most obvious question, Lenya."

 

My mental celebration halted.  "Huh?"

 

"Someone had to have flooded the area on purpose to keep something hidden.  I'm guessing they've used a form of barium energy. Barium energy, in its pure state, will create gravity wells and block key sensor nodes."  As if on cue, the ship quivered again.

 

I knew what he was suggesting, but my mind refused to process it, like maybe if I didn't think about it, it wouldn't be true.

 

Unfortunately, he said it aloud, and suddenly, I had more to worry about than whether or not my parents were lost on some random planet.

 

"I think there may be a Snarl base somewhere out here."

 

"But... we're in UA territory."

 

"The galaxy is a war zone, Lenya. Infiltration is a common strategy.  We need to get out of here now and send a fleet. But we can't engage the grav drive until we've cleared these wells."

 

The second planet loomed in the distance, looking a little like a marble among the stars. My breath came in rapid pants and my heart started hammering my chest.  Zhoven's fingers flew over the comm console as he simultaneously steered the ship in the opposite direction. The marble fell behind us. The ship bucked again.

 

"What are you doing?" I asked, the tension evident in my tone.

 

"I'm sending a message to the base." He locked eyes with me in what initially looked like an attempt to comfort me.  He failed miserably.  "It's a long flight out of this system. We might not get out of here before..."

 

He didn’t finish his sentence.

 

All I saw was a flash of light and then total darkness.

***

I'd been dreaming of my parents, remembering some of the routine things I'd often overlooked. Most mornings, Dad would fetch his compad and a cup of black coffee, then go sit on one of the living room chairs where he felt the need to stretch his legs out and put his feet up on the coffee table.  Almost every morning, Mom would come out of the bedroom fiddling with her hair or smoothing her uniform.  "Get those stinky feet off my table!" she'd chide, and he'd remove them long enough for her to go into the kitchen. Once she was out of the room, back on the table his feet went, and he'd continue reading the morning news as if he'd never been interrupted. It had almost seemed like a game to them.

 

I remembered in my dream that I'd simply sat on the couch, staring at my father as if I didn't know him, or was confused about why he was there. I didn't speak to him; I just stared, feeling as though maybe I was underwater in which one nostril was below the surface and one nostril was above. I could breathe, but it never seemed like there was enough air. And then I realized that it was sorrow I felt and when I remembered why, I opened my mouth to finally speak to him.

 

But then I woke.  When that first bout of consciousness rolled through my foggy head, I shut my eyes tight and tried to will the dream back.  But as hard as I tried, I couldn't fall into that pit of sleep again.

 

A tear escaped as I realized just how much I missed them.  I needed to--no, I had to--find them. Then I remembered...

 

My entire body jerked fully awake.  All around me was darkness. I rose quickly but ended up crashing my head against something hard and stars burst in front of my eyes as pain slashed through the top of my head.  I tried to keep my grunting and whining to a minimum. I didn't want to attract any attention just yet.

 

After the worst of the pain subsided, I started feeling around me.  The dark space, which was only large enough to hold my body, was hard and seemed to have the inconsistent rolls and curves of rock. It was slightly damp, too, and I heard running water from somewhere. I thought I might be in a cave. 

 

They'd gotten us.  The Snarls had gotten us.

 

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I'm late for New Year.

With the end of the year, come the inevitable end-of-year blog posts. Yes, I'm a little behind but as long as it's done, right? As if my readers were anxiously waiting on this one blog post to get them through the rest of their first week of the year, right? Haha. :) The second Barrier was supposed to be out by now, too. Maybe the rest of the year won't find me struggling two steps behind.

This year, like the last few years, hasn't been bad but it hasn't been good either. I've been searching for a happiness that I've been unable to acquire and while I feel I'm closer now than I've ever been, I still have some inner searching left to do before I get there. For the purpose of the moment, I am happy. Cryptic? Perhaps.  Like any other normal person, I haven't gotten it all figured out yet and probably never will.

Over the last year, I've grown.  Last year, I thought nothing of airing frustrations and intimate details of my life on the internet. I also thought nothing of writing whatever crossed my fancy. I cared more about making what money I could without regard to who it might hurt along the way. Over the last several months, I'm a little more subdued in my writing. It's not because I'm censoring myself, I'm just trying to have a little more consideration.

My time is also very limited these days and I can't stop and dive into the businesses of those around me, no matter how much I think the public should know. The voters of Fyffe made it clear they didn't care what I thought and as a result, a good man lost his job and lively-hood. But I digress. I'm no longer living in Fyffe so I've been working to shift my focus from Fyffe. I still care, but I can't allow myself to become any further emotionally invested in the inner workings of the town, not when so much is going on with my personal life.

And that's what brings me to this reflection. I can't dive into the inner workings of what's going on in my life right now. I'm going through one of the hardest things I've ever been through but for the sake of friends and family, I will not write about it for the public to gape at. A year ago, I would have blogged about it and let my fingers run amok across the keyboard. Not any longer. And that's a good thing, I think.

In any case, I'm not sad, I'm not depressed, I'm not so busy that I don't stop and enjoy what I have every so often. I have my kids and my writing and that is happiness in its own way. I will not make resolutions. I think if you have to wait until the new year to make and follow through with resolutions, it is bound for failure. Instead, make resolutions year round. If you want something, strive for it no matter what time of year it is.  And as a personal message to a certain someone should they choose to read this, don't rely on others to define your happiness, go for it on your own. That is an awfully heavy burden for other people, big or small, to have.

My goal for the upcoming year is to simply push forward. I'll be starting another school next fall. I'll be releasing another novel this year. I'll be celebrating the arrival of new family members, namely my first great-nephew that I'm looking very forward to meeting! I'll rejoice that I've made it to 35 without any major catastrophes. The only thing I'll actually hope for (as opposed to "making it so") is to be in less pain in 2013.

In any case, I'll leave you with a poem I wrote for NewYear's last year; it remains one of my favorites. To each of you, Happy New Year. Be blessed, be kind, and be happy.

Peace, love, and pushing forward,

Pamela