David Gaughan's Blog

The thing that fascinated Aaden most when he was in this state was his sense of time. He felt as though it wasn’t in the present as he knew it now … but he wasn’t sure whether it was a future time, or a past era. In a way it didn’t matter. When he was in that state, there was no future or past … there was only the present.
He had tried to get a name, but each time he got a word that made no sense to him. It was more of a rank or position than a name … ‘BlueStar’.Lying there, staring at the spot on the ceiling, he allowed his eyelids to close. Then, peering into the inner darkness, a pinpoint of light appeared. Aaden concentrated on that pinpoint of light until it started to grow. The more he concentrated the faster the ball of light grew, until it appeared to suddenly come rushing towards him. Bursting through the orb of light in his mind’s eye, he emerged in familiar surroundings.  The outline of a spaceship control panel formed in front of him. He was once again in the pilot’s seat, staring at an alien craft that was visible through the transparent hull of his ship …


Chapter 2

Through the transparent exterior of his spaceship, Zakeera, BlueStar Commander, stared at the alien craft that was cruising ahead of him. The entire top dome of his craft was transparent, the only indicator of a barrier being a slight distortion in shape of stars and other objects – the force-shield separating him from outer space. Even after countless years of service in the Astar fleet, Zakeera still found it somewhat unnerving to be in what appeared to be an open-topped craft flying through space. It was as though he was standing on a platform that was suspended in the middle of the universe. He looked around the full circumference of his craft to ensure no other alien spaceships were in the vicinity. The only spaceships he saw were those of his own Astar fleet, all of them appearing as solid craft, including their domes. Zakeera waved his hand over the control panel and dome of his craft solidified around him, except for a viewing panel directly in from of him, where he could view the enemy ship. Feelings of anger surfaced as he gazed at the alien craft, but then he remembered the words of his mentor, Varoon, who had always tried to impress upon him the importance of controlling one’s thoughts. “Your individual thoughts have the power to affect the universe,” Varoon had said. “They can be used to empower the positive or feed the negative.” Zakeera always remembered those words whenever he was placed in a situation like this. Earth, the planet he’d been entrusted to protect, was being threatened by an alien foe and he had no option but to eliminate the threat. Even so, using his telepathic abilities he projected his thoughts towards the alien craft to ensure there were no humanoids on board. It didn’t take him long to satisfy himself that there were only cloned creatures piloting the spaceship. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the exterior of the craft, searching for a vulnerable area to attack.A voice came over the intercom. “There seems to be only one – although a reasonable size.”It was Arkaydo, Zakeera’s comrade and most trusted friend, calling from an accompanying craft. “I have to admit I’m surprised,” Zakeera replied.The spaceship that was cruising in front of them was circular in shape, similar to the Astar scout-ships, although almost four times the size and shaped with a flat top, rather than a dome, similar in shape to a rubbish tin lid.“Our shielding device is working well – they don’t know we’re here,” said Arkaydo.“Varoon and the WhiteStar Council were wise to set up a base on Mars to monitor intrusions into this solar system. The Darkets obviously thought this would be an easy conquest, the people of Earth not having the technology to defend them.”“So they send one battleship?” Zakeera smirked. “Arrogance! Without our presence here, which they’ve not expected, they’d have had an open entry to this solar system, so a single battleship would be all they’d need. Technology on Earth is in its infancy. The people of that planet have nothing to counteract the Darket force.”“They don’t appear to be aware of our presence yet, Commander?” said the pilot of one of the other patrol craft under Zakeera’s command. “I think it’s time we gave them a wakeup call.”Zakeera passed his hand over the monitor screen in front of him. The alien battleship was soon displayed on the monitor screen. He zeroed in on the primary power drive on the enemy ship. With a flick of his hand he sent a laser bolt hurtling towards it.“Wakey, wakey!” said Arkaydo, as the power drive on the enemy craft exploded.Zakeera imagined the sudden panic and confusion aboard the Darket craft. He was not surprised when the battleship suddenly disappeared.“Huh!” said Arkaydo. “These clones are so predictable.” “They sure are,” said Zakeera, altering the frequency of his own craft to match that of his opponent.For the next few minutes the accompanying Astar spaceships and the alien battleship appeared, then disappeared on and off, as each tried to discover the frequency of the others. When the alien saucer finally gave up, Zakeera had already anticipated their next move.“Activate barrier force-shields,” he barked over the intercom.A bolt of energy flashed from the enemy battleship, a force powerful enough to destroy all of the Astar patrol craft in one hit. However, Zakeera’s foresight had once again proved his superiority in battle. The force-shields surrounding their hulls easily deflected the energy bolt without damage to their spacecraft.“That’s it.!” Arkaydo exclaimed. “Without their primary driver they’ve just used up their reserve power. They won’t be able to do much now.”The Darket craft disappeared once more.“Well, I’ll give them full marks for trying,” said Zakeera, his eyes sparkling.He didn’t bother to try to match their frequency; he already knew they would use the cloak of invisibility in an attempt to escape. He relied instead on his monitor screen, as did the other Astar pilots, tracking the energy signature of the alien craft as it tried to flee.Zakeera’s eyes flashed with the excitement of the chase. He was sure he had them, but he felt no compassion – after all, they were only soulless creatures, mutations cloned by Belial’s regime. They were a combination of intricate circuitry and biological organs and membrane, obtained from mutilated animals collected on previous trips to planet Earth. He had often encountered these vile creations and was always repulsed by their appearance, which was rather grotesque, although humanoid in shape. Despite their ugly appearance, they were highly intelligent, a wonder of mechanical wizardry, able to think and reason for themselves, but devoid of emotion.The Commander knew that because of this lack of emotion they would accept failure as casually as they would acknowledge success.“Herd them towards the Arctic wastelands,” he commanded his squadron, “away from the populated areas of the planet.”With each strategic move of the confederate patrol craft the Darkets were becoming more restricted in their options of movement. They were diving closer and closer to the planet surface. As the craft skimmed the treetops of the Siberian forest, the creatures, true to their pre-programmed natures, pushed the self-destruct lever on their control panel, for they were encoded to leave no evidence of their technology for others to glean.Zakeera had also expected this move. “Reactivate the force-shields,” he shouted, imagining the bewildered response from the people of Earth.The resulting nuclear explosion sent shock-waves travelling the planet’s circumference. In one blinding flash, millions of trees were flattened and people in neighboring areas were blown off their feet by the resulting high winds.High above the planet, the patrol-ships stabilized themselves after the impact of the blast over Tunguska. The craft were protected from the full force of the blast by the force shields surrounding them, but the impact of the explosion had blown them into the outer atmosphere. They regrouped and descended to the planet surface to survey the damage. “What a mess,” said Zakeera. “The people down there will probably think it’s a meteor strike.  Technology on Earth is in its infancy – they haven’t discovered nuclear power yet.”“So they won’t know they’re under surveillance?”“No! But they will if there are more explosions like this in future. This can’t happen again. We’ll report the incident to the WhiteStar administrators and see if they have a solution. Now let’s head for home.”Zakeera passed his hand over the console in front of him. A replica of his craft appeared on the screen. As he touched his hand lightly on a point on the perimeter of the diagram the energy of the craft was altered to match that of his home base. The ship was immediately drawn, like a magnet, to the base, while at the same time repulsed by the planet Earth vibration. Within only a few minutes the red soil of Mars appeared through the transparent viewing panel of his craft.As Zakeera’s spaceship entered the concealed portal and docked in the underground station, he received a telepathic communication, instructing him to report to the administration sector of his community. It didn’t faze him that this sector was a long way and concealed underground from where he was presently. He simply headed for a nearby teleporter, one of many situated throughout this community on Mars.“Zakeera, wait a minute,” called Arkaydo as he disembarked from his own craft. “Let’s meet in the canteen to celebrate our successful mission. It’s not often we bag such a prize as a Darket battleship.”Zakeera pursed his lips. “A celebration might be a bit early,” he said. “I’ve just had a telepathic message to report to Varoon and the WhiteStar Council.”Arkaydo’s eyes widened. “Oh!”“I have a feeling they’re not going to be happy about that big blast over Tunguska on planet Earth.”“It would’ve shown up big time on the Astar monitors,” Arkaydo agreed.“Yeah! Although we didn’t have much choice at the time, I think they’re probably worried about the impact on the people of Earth.”Arkaydo nodded. “That blast would’ve shocked the hell out of them. The light from it would have been visible half way around the planet.”“I think that’s why they want to see me so urgently. You carry on – I’ll catch up with you later.”“Good luck, Commander,” one of the other pilots called out.
Zakeera acknowledged them with a brief nod and then turned to the teleporter unit. As he stepped into the cubicle, the circular crystalline tube closed around him. He punched in the co-ordinates for the Administration Sector. He then closed his eyes, forcing the memories of the Tunguska blast from his mind as he concentrated his thoughts in preparation for the journey. The teleporter dissolved his physical body into millions of molecules and beamed the mass to a receiving module in the administrative sector.

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Chapter 3

With the memories still fresh in his mind of the destruction of the alien craft in his trance the previous night, Aaden struggled to concentrate during the history lesson. “Okay,” said Brian Masters, catching Aaden’s attention. “We’ve covered the main battle in today’s lesson, but not what led up to this. For your assignment, I want you to research the main events leading to this confrontation. I want that returned by tomorrow.”‘No!’ Aaden thought in panic, staring at the teacher. ‘I need time to check out Tunguska.’Masters, who had turned to clean the whiteboard, suddenly turned back and said, “No, you need time to check out Tunguska.”As soon as he’d said the words, he immediately baulked. The shocked expression on his face showed that he’d had no intention of saying such a thing. Aaden was amazed that he’d repeated his very thoughts. The other students, who were all preparing to leave the room, stopped and looked at Masters.“Tun … what?” said one of the students. “Is that a hint of what we need to research?”“No!” said Masters quickly. “I … uh … I’m not sure where that came from.” He shook his head, as though to clear a confusing thought. “Ignore that. Have the assignment ready by tomorrow.”The students went back to clearing their desks, preparing to leave. Aaden continued staring at Masters, amazed that the man had repeated the words he’d been thinking. He wasn’t sure whether it was some strange coincidence, so he decided to test it. He thought, ‘Make it two days for the assignment.’Masters immediately said, “Make it two days for the assignment.”Again, as soon as the words were out of his mouth, his jaw dropped with the surprise of having said them. “Two days?” one of the students repeated. “Not tomorrow?”Masters looked around the room, appearing somewhat stunned. The students had all stopped and were looking at him for confirmation.“Yeesss …” he replied, looking strained. “You can have two days.”Aaden struggled to conceal his glee. He thought, ‘On second thoughts, make it three days.’Masters immediately repeated, “On second thoughts, make it three days.”Astounded by what he’d just said, Masters immediately grabbed his satchel and fled the room. The students filed out after him, all smiles at having gained such leniency on the timing of their assignment. Aaden was still coming to terms with what had just happened when Fleur joined him as they walked from the room.“That’s a bonus,” she said. “Three days for the assignment – we only need one.”“Hey!” said Aaden, raising his hands in mock submission. “Who’s complaining? Have you heard of Tunguska?” Fleur gave a sideways glance. “Masters mentioned that – what is it?”“Let’s go check it out in the library.” “But Masters said it wasn’t anything to do with the assignment.”Aaden’s eyes sparkled. “Let’s check it out anyway.”With a shrug, she followed him to the library and watched as he did a search for ‘Tunguska event’ on the computer.“1908!” Aaden gasped. “It happened over a century ago.”Fleur leaned closer to the screen. “Who cares?”Aaden shook his head. “I didn’t know it was so long ago. But it actually happened. I thought it was just a dream.”Fleur pulled a face. “What?”Aaden ignored her questioning stare. “Ah … nothing. Let’s see what they say about it.”“Tunguskais in East Central Siberia,” said Fleur, reading the text. “This has nothing to do with our assignment. What’s so great about Tunguska?” “I heard there was an explosion there.”“So? There have been explosions all over the world throughout history.”“This was a major blast … bigger than the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima.”Fleur’s eyes widened. She looked closer at the screen. “No way! An atomic bomb in 1908?”“Not an atomic bomb according to this info,” said Aaden, disappointed. “They think it was a meteorite.”“There was no crater,” said Fleur, reading. “Meteorites are mainly rock, iron and nickel. Something that heavy would’ve made a massive crater. You reckon it was big enough for an explosion like an atom bomb. How can that be?”“Because it wasn’t a meteorite,” said Aaden. The words were out before he could stop himself.Fleur glanced at him, but then thought about it.“Ah!” she said, clicking her fingers. “It was a comet.”Aaden grinned in surprise. “A comet? Where did that come from?”“From out of space, of course,” she said with a straight face. “A comet is more ice, isn’t it? That’s why it has a tail, because the ice evaporates as the comet gets closer to the sun.”   Curious as to where this was going, Aaden said, “Go on.” “That’s why it might’ve been a comet, which vaporized with the friction of entering the atmosphere, causing an explosion, but no debris or crater on the ground.”“H’mmm!” said Aaden, acknowledging her logic with a nod and a faraway look. “Good idea … and it’s possible a meteorite could do the same thing.”“Ah, come on … how can rock vaporize?” “Not so much vaporize. Think about it – we have this massive rock, hurtling through space and it hits the atmosphere.  It’s the same as when you dive into a pool and belly-flop. It causes a shock that’s enough to break up the bigger rock into smaller stones, which all explode and incinerate, causing a massive shockwave, but no crater on the ground. There could be lots of debris, but because the particles are so small, there’s no evidence on the ground. There’s just one big fireball, followed by a shower of fragments.”Fleur stared at him. “But you said a minute ago that you thought it wasn’t a meteorite.”“Yep! I still think it wasn’t a meteorite, or comet or anything like that.”Fleur laughed. “Knowing you, you probably think it was a spaceship.”Aaden looked directly at her, saying nothing.“Oh, come on Aaden. You’ve got to be kidding me.” “Okay, it might sound a bit strange … but you’ve got a good point. Let’s do a search on ‘Tunguska UFO’.”“Hold on,” said Fleur in an indignant tone. “The UFO thing wasn’t my idea.”“Let’s do it anyway,” he insisted, making it sound like she had suggested it.Fleur put her hands on her hips. “Aaden, a comet makes more sense than an exploding spaceship.”He ignored her jibe, typing in the search term. Just as he did so, all the lights in the library dimmed and the computer screen faded. Aaden and Fleur both looked around.“What’s happening?” “Looks like a power surge.”Aaden looked back at the screen, which was powering on and off. It faded out altogether and then, suddenly, the usual search screen was replaced with a dark crimson image against the black background. There was a face in the murky background. Aaden blinked. The normal screen came back, but then faded to black again. This time the image of the face was stronger, outlined in the same dark crimson hue. Aaden recognized the brooding features immediately – it was the face he’d seen when he’d been struck by the lightning bolt.“WHOA!” he yelled, pushing away from the screen, bumping his chair into Fleur.She cried out, “What are you doing?” “Did you see that?” Aaden stammered, pointing to the screen.“See what?”“THAT.” He said, pointing.Fleur glanced at the screen and then looked at Aaden with concern. “It’s a blank screen. The power’s gone off.”Aaden stared at the screen, but kept his distance. He could still see the image, although it was dark against the black background. He was amazed that Fleur couldn’t see it. Studying the image, he thought, “Who … are … You?”As if in answer to his thought, the facial features dissolved, the lines rearranging into letters, forming a word in the same dark reddish hue – Belial.
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Chapter 4a

When Zakeera opened his eyes again he was at his new location, but he waited for awhile before exiting the teleporter unit. He had learnt from past experience that too hasty an exit could result in an embarrassing stumble, where his body had not fully materialized, his legs still feeling leaden, almost alien from the rest of his body. When the sensation normalized throughout his entire torso and limbs, he stepped forward. The blue-star emblem on his epaulette flashed momentarily, an indication of his rank in this society.“Welcome, Commander Zakeera.”The telepathic greeting was strong and clear. He barely had time to acknowledge the welcome before it continued.“Please proceed to the violet room.”The curved doors of the circular room slid open as he approached them. Walking with confidence, he headed for the column of violet light in the centre of the room. He could see the figures of the WhiteStar members who were seated around the perimeter of the chamber. They were all illuminated in a suffused pale mauve light that was coming from the pelmets above their heads. They didn’t greet him verbally, because they seldom used speech, but relied instead on the direct link-up of mind to mind, as was normal with all members of BlueStar status and upwards.As Commander Zakeera entered the violet ray his mental shield was relaxed and the witnessing WhiteStar tribunal reviewed the Darket craft encounter. In normal situations, even members of WhiteStar status could not intrude on the thoughts of another without that person’s permission. It was only possible when two individuals’ vibration rates were synchronized. Even then, it was private, unless others could discover the right frequency to make the connection, as though tuning in to a radio station. The violet ray, however, allowed a mind link-up to all individuals within the violet field.“We’ve noted the problem.” The telepathic reply came from Varoon, the WhiteStar spokesperson. “We thought this might happen. Ever since the rebellion, when the Astar League was formed to fight the tyrannical power base of the Darkemire Realm, the Darkets have continued to spread their influence to the outermost planetary systems of the universe.”“And that’s why we have observation posts on these remote systems,” Zakeera acknowledged. “We chose this seemingly dead planet of Mars so that our underground stations would go unnoticed. But now that the Darkets have discovered planet Earth, what are our options? It’s best not to let the people of Earth know that their planet is being observed by opposing alien forces.”“We’ve already discussed this and we feel we may have a solution. We don’t want widespread destruction from self-destroying Darket craft.” The WhiteStar members looked around at each other with thinly veiled humor. "We feel the problem may be avoided by the use of telepathic coercion."Zakeera’s mouth opened in surprise. He wouldn’t have considered it because it went against the code of ethics that had been instilled in him from an early age. He still had vague memories as a youngster of using telepathic coercion on weaker people to get his own way. Through mind control, he’d been able to get these people to do things against their will. They were generally members of lower Star-status of red or yellow, who didn’t have the metaphysical capacity to counteract his mental command. But even then, it was fairly innocent child’s play, to get extra cookies or toys or to escape punishment or a reprimand.“We note your concern.” The spokesperson smiled, amused with the vision of the high-jinks the young Commander had got up to. “Please remember, what is morally wrong to use on your peers is not necessarily wrong when used as a defense against an aggressor.”“But is it possible to use telepathic coercion over such distances?” the Commander asked. “And will it be effective in controlling beings in another craft?”“Definitely,” Varoon replied. “You must remember that the ‘creatures,’ not ‘beings’, that are flying these craft are manufactured composites, designed to function by using normal thought patterns. They have mental capacity, but no metafunction abilities, and therefore would be easily controlled by a strong projected command. We feel a BlueStar would have no problem telepathically re-programming these creatures. If it were their Darkemire creator Belial, or one of his cohorts manning these craft it would be another story, but it’s to our advantage that the Darkets use their hybrid creations to run their errands for them.”A thin smile crossed Zakeera’s lips. “I’ll have to brush up on my latent powers.”“Yes!” Varoon replied. “We see you have considerable talent in this field. You should enjoy the challenge. The Darkets will probably resort to their smaller infiltration craft, rather than risk a repeat of having to abort a larger invasion attempt. These smaller craft should be easier to divert to wasteland areas, to disappear without a trace.”Zakeera’s eyes narrowed. “What are you proposing?”“We don’t want to draw attention to ourselves or the Darkets. The people of Earth shouldn’t be influenced one way or the other. Now that we’ve made the Darkets aware of our presence in this solar system, they won’t attempt to take Earth by force. They will now try to infiltrate the planet’s community by manipulating key people in the world governments and societies. We can’t allow this to happen.”“We can’t allow the people of Earth to become aware of our presence either,” said Zakeera.“Yes … we must act as silent guardians, thwarting the efforts of the Darkemire Realm in their attempt to unduly influence the earth society. The people of Earth must choose the positive or negative path of their own freewill.”“I’m still not sure what you’re saying?”The WhiteStar members smiled in unison.“We cannot have you blowing the Darket craft out of the sky, for all to see,” said Varoon. “Neither do we want the Darket craft self-destructing over populated areas. You’ll have to use your powers of telepathic coercion to merge with and control the pilots of these craft, guiding them to remote areas and crashing the craft before they are able to make a spectacle through their self-destruction, as they did with this recent episode.”Later, Zakeera caught up with his friends in the café and explained to them Varoon’s instructions.“Whew! That’ll be a challenge,” said Arkaydo.“Yeah!” one of the other pilots agreed. “Do you think it’s possible?”“There’s only one way to find out,” Zakeera replied.There was a momentary silence while each of them contemplated the likely outcome.“You know,” said Arkaydo. “It’s possible this could backfire on us.”Zakeera gave a curious glance. “How so?”“If we’re not able to exert enough control over these craft to crash them into desolate areas, some of the debris may be recovered.”“It’s possible,” Zakeera conceded.“So what’s the point? If that were to happen, we’d make our presence just as noticeable as we would if we simply blew the Darkets out of the sky.”“Not necessarily.”All the pilots looked at Zakeera. He took another sip of his drink, taking his time as he thought about why the WhiteStars would have suggested this tactic.     “There’s distrust between countries on planet Earth. If what you say is right and some of the debris is recovered, they’re more likely to think it’s a secret weapon of an enemy nation.”“Okaayy!” said Arkaydo, “So what you’re saying is that if any debris is discovered, the military of these countries will keep it secret, in the interests of National security.”“Yep. Even if some of the debris is discovered, it’s more likely to be seen as terrestrial in origin, a secret weapon of an enemy nation. The knowledge of such discoveries will be restricted.”“And do you think we’ll actually be able to do this?”“I can’t see why not,” said Zakeera. “We all did it when we were younger, until it was instilled in us that it wasn’t morally correct. It’ll be an interesting challenge to see if I still have the same proficiency after all this time.” ****************************
Chapter 4bCommander Zakeera didn’t have long to wait to put the new strategy into practice. On his next patrol of planet Earth a smaller Darket craft was located, just as Varoon had predicted.“Keep close-by for back-up should I need it,” he said, relaying the message to the other patrol craft.  “But let me try a solo attempt first.”The Commander, focusing his thoughts, soon felt his primal energy start to spiral up his spine and surge into his head. He visualized the instrument panel in front of him merging into a new format, as though he were viewing the interior of the Darket craft through the hybrid pilot’s eyes. The Darket creature clearly felt the intrusion and reached immediately for the self-destruct lever on the console. Just as its hand reached the lever, the full force of Commander Zakeera’s telepathic influence took control and the hybrid stiffened, obeying the new commands without question.Zakeera steered the Darket craft by controlling the hybrid’s body. At first the flight pattern of the aircraft was erratic and uncertain. He concentrated his thoughts even further, until he felt as though he had become one with the creature and was in complete control of the Darket saucer.Captain Arkaydo monitored the operation from his own craft. Suddenly the commander’s ship began to career wildly.“ZAKEERA – YOU’RE LOSING IT!” Arkaydo yelled over the intercom. “ZAKEERA! GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!  YOU’RE LOSING CONTROL!!”The BlueStar, with a convulsive shudder, brought his full consciousness back to his own body, relaxing his projected control over the Darket creature.“Whoa!” he said. “I am out of practice.”“Yep!” said Arkaydo. “You almost lost it.”Zakeera wiped the sweat from his brow with the sleeve of his uniform.“Do you want me to give it a go?” said Arkaydo, a hint of rivalry in his voice.Zakeera grinned. “No! I’m only just beginning. You just hold off and watch the pro.”“Yeah, sure,” said Arkaydo with a short laugh. “I just watched the pro almost crash his craft.”“I’m just out of practice,” said Zakeera, his friend’s jibing making him even more determined to succeed.“Okay!” Arkaydo laughed again. “I’ll pick up the pieces of your craft if you do crash.”“I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction. Now watch how it’s done.” The hybrid pilot, released from the mental stranglehold, had taken a few moments to orientate itself. When it finally realized what was happening, it reached for the self-destruct lever. Its fingers tightened around the lever and its hand shook as it tried to find the strength to push, but couldn’t. It was again under the control of the confederate commander’s projected willpower.Sweat poured from Zakeera’s brow as he struggled to maintain the mental projection. At the same time, he was trying to retain enough consciousness to stay in control of his own craft. Both spaceships were flying erratically, only barely remaining airborne. He was tempted to ask the others for help, but his pride wouldn’t allow it. After all, it was only through his determination that he had achieved the rank of commander. With tenacity, he persisted with his projected command, adamant that he would succeed, like he’d always succeeded in the past.He had pre-chosen the nearest deserted area on the planet and he instinctively guided both craft toward that location. With each passing moment his mental stamina was being drained and it took all his concentration to keep both craft in flight. As he descended gradually towards the planet surface he positioned his own craft considerably higher than the Darket saucer. He didn’t want to crash along with it.The designated mountain range came into view. Rather than guiding it towards the more desolate areas, Zakeera decided to crash the Darket craft into the nearest peak. The mental fatigue was extreme and he couldn’t risk downing his own craft along with his quarry.The Darket ship disintegrated on impact, but the explosion was small in comparison with the force of nuclear fission that would have occurred had the pilot been able to hit the lever. Zakeera took a deep breath and wiped the perspiration from his brow.“Well done, Commander,” said Arkaydo.“Yeah, thanks,” he replied, breathing heavy. “And thank you for warning me when I was losing it earlier on. Once again you’ve come to my rescue in the nick of time.”“You’re welcome, brother,” Arkaydo replied with genuine concern in his voice. “That’s one up for me,” he added with a hint of rivalry.“Okay, I owe you one … and I’ll need more practice. I think we’ll have to work in pairs from now on.”“H’mmm … we might have a problem there.”Arkaydo said no more, but Zakeera knew his friend well and could pick up on his thought patterns.“You think we might lose a few if they increase their numbers and stretch our resources too thin?”“That’s exactly what I’m thinking. All our Confederate pilots are of BlueStar status, but few are as adept in their coercive techniques as you are.”“Well thank you for the acknowledgement, my friend. I was waiting for you to admit that.”“Okay, okay … don’t get big headed about it. The others will all manage to prevent the hybrid pilots from hitting the self-destruct levers, but few will be able to guide the craft to isolated mountain ranges before crashing them.”“Yeah!” Zakeera replied in a somber tone.“So are we doing the right thing here with this tactic?”Zakeera sighed. “We have no choice, my friend. The WhiteStars believe this is the best option, so we’ll run with it. We’ll just have to see how it develops and be prepared to change if needed.”
Chapter 5a

Aaden and Tiffany were both taking their time over breakfast before heading off to their morning classes. When their dad’s mobile phone sounded its chirpy chorus, Aaden glanced at the phone and looked around at his dad, who was in the kitchen, seemingly oblivious to the sound.“Phone dad,” said Aaden, stating the obvious.His dad continued pouring his coffee and finally sauntered over to the breakfast bar. Picking up the chirping phone, he waived it briefly in the air and said, “If there’s one thing I learnt at an early age, it’s never to let the phone rule your life.”He looked at the caller ID and took a sip of his coffee before finally answering. “Adam Greene … how are you Jim?” Aaden reached for another piece of toast, ignoring the interruption, which was a regular feature of their mealtime routine, despite their dad’s insistence that the phone wouldn’t rule his life.“Not this weekend, Jim. I’m heading to Roswell.” He gave a haughty laugh. “No, I’ll be staying well clear of the UFO festival.”Both Aaden and Tiffany looked surprised at the unusual comment from their father. “I’ve been invited to speak at an environmental conference,” he continued. “It’s being sponsored by The City of Roswell and the Keep Roswell Beautiful committee. Sorry I can’t make it, Jim. Maybe next time. Okay … we’ll catch up later.”He clicked off and raised his coffee mug to take another sip, oblivious to the stares from both Aaden and Tiffany.“UFO festival?” said Aaden.His dad laughed. “Roswell is the UFO capital of America. Didn’t you know?”“Why’s that?” said Tiffany.He flashed a comical frown, indicating his skepticism. “It dates back to an incident that happened in the 1940’s. Some people are convinced that an alien flying saucer crashed on a ranch out there.”Aaden blinked. “A crashed alien saucer?”His dad waved his hand to dismiss the idea. “It was later found to be only a crashed weather balloon.”“If it was only a weather balloon, why do you say Roswellis the UFO capital?” said Tiffany.With another skeptical look he said, “Because there are a lot of gullible people out there. They’ve even got a so-called International UFO Museumand Research Centre.”“Sounds like fun,” said Aaden, surprising his dad. “Can we come with you to Roswell?”His dad stared at him for a moment, seemingly unsure whether he was joking. “You don’t want to get caught up with that lot – besides, I’m not going anywhere near that museum.”“No, but while you’re attending your conference, we can visit the museum. It’ll be fun, won’t it Tiffany,” said Aaden, winking at his sister.“Ah, yeeahh …” she replied, staring at him. She sounded none-too convinced, but he knew she’d back him. She always did.Their dad sat back, looking somewhat surprised. “What about the baseball game this weekend?” In his enthusiasm to visit the UFO museum, Aaden had totally forgotten about the game he’d been keen to attend. He now had to weigh up which was more important. His visions of crashing spaceships and his need to find any tangible proof of such crashes won out.“It’ll be a great game,” he said. “But you won’t be there and I was really looking forward to seeing it with you.”His father seemed taken aback.“We’ll catch the next game together,” said Aaden. “You’ll find a good home for the tickets, won’t you?”“Well … yeah!” A thin smile formed. “They’re great seats – I could win some favors by giving those away. I know one person in particular who would love to get those tickets.”“It’s done,” said Aaden. “Can Fleur come with us?”Tiffany flashed a surprised look and Aaden immediately wondered whether he’d overstepped the margin. Although Fleur often came with them to shows, this was the first time he’d asked for something that involved a plane ticket. But he felt strongly that Fleur should come along and he knew his father could well afford it and was generous enough to pay. “Sure,” his dad replied, without hesitating. “I’ll get my secretary to check if there are seats available on that morning flight.”“Great!” said Aaden. “Thanks, Dad.”***************************The next Saturday morning they arrived safely at Roswellairport. Their dad pushed a wad of cash into Aaden’s hand. “Here’s some money for the cab,” he said. “I’m heading off to my conference – make sure you’re all back here by five this afternoon, in time for the flight home.”He gave them a wave and raised his hand to hail a cab, but then turned back to them. “Oh!” he said with a grin. “And make sure you don’t get abducted.”  Aaden and the girls laughed at the unexpected remark. “Don’t worry,” said Aaden. “If we do, we’ll try and send you a message … in a bottle.”They all laughed again and Aaden waved down an approaching cab. “We want to go to the International UFO and Research Centre,” said Aaden to the driver as the three of them got into the back seat. “Do you know where it is?”“114 North Main St,” the driver replied smoothly. The driver looked in the rear-view mirror and Aaden was taken aback by the intensity of the young man’s stare. He seemed to be studying each of their faces with more than just idle curiosity. Finally, he gunned the engine and pulled away from the curb.After a few moments driving in silence, the driver said, “I guess you’ve heard of the UFO crash that happened back in the 1940’s?”“I heard it was just a weather balloon,” said Tiffany.He glanced in the mirror at her and there was amusement in his eyes.“It was no weather balloon,” he said. “How do you know?” said Fleur.He didn’t answer immediate. They all could see from the reflection of his eyes in the mirror that he was considering how much to say.“My grandpa was a young boy when it happened,” he finally said. “He told me everything that happened.”Fleur and Tiffany exchanged glances.“But if your grandpa was only a boy, he would only know what he was told, wouldn’t he?” said Tiffany.The driver nodded. “Yes, but the one who told him knew more than most. You see, my grandpa was friends with the son of Major Jesse Marcel, the one who picked up all the debris from the crash site.”“Ah!” said Aaden, taking more interest. “So where did the idea of the weather balloon come from?”“It was after they had already issued a statement saying that the remains of a flying saucer had been found. They needed a way to debunk the whole thing. Major Marcel had taken samples of the debris to a commanding officer and laid the stuff out on his desk for display.  The general wanted to see the exact location of the site, so he and Marcel went to the map room down the hall. When they returned, the wreckage that Marcel had brought had disappeared and in its place were the remains of a weather balloon. The famous photo of Major Marcel with the debris spread out on the floor was taken at that time and the report said the General recognized the debris as that of a weather balloon.”“So what was the real debris like?” said Aaden, enthused. “Did your grandpa hear anything about that?”“More than heard about it,” he said. “Ah, here we are.”Aaden looked at the building they were approaching. Other than the large ‘UFO’ sign on the outside, the building was rather ordinary, although the lamp-post in the form of an alien face and small saucer embedded in the building gave enough evidence to show it was anything but ordinary. “There’s another museum under construction,” said their driver. “It’s about eight blocks from here and it’s an amazing design, resembling a crashed saucer shape.”“Can we go see it?” said Fleur.“Too early yet – there’s nothing to see. All the information is here for the time being.”“Oh!”As though sensing their disappointment, he said, “Let me give you a guided tour of this museum.”Aaden checked the money in his pocket and realized it was only enough for the cab rides and food money. “I haven’t got enough to pay for your time.”“Don’t worry about that. I got an early start to my run this morning – I’ve worked long enough today. You just pay for the ride – the rest is on me. I’ve studied this since I was a young kid, ever since my grandpa told me about it. My name’s Ben.”“Thanks for the offer, Ben. I’m Aaden.” He indicated to the girls. “This is Tiffany and Fleur.”“It’s a deal then,” said Ben, nodding to the girls. “I’ll find a car-park and meet you back here soon.”The first thing they saw as they walked into the reception area was a life-size model of an alien, holding a welcome sign. Aaden didn’t give it much notice, but both Tiffany and Fleur thought it was great.“Take a photo,” said Fleur, handing her mobile to Tiffany and putting her arm around the shoulders of the alien mannequin.
Aaden watched as the girls took turns in taking photos of each other, but all the while he had the unnerving feeling that they were being watched. There were several people milling around the museum, but when the hairs on the back of his neck started rising, Aaden glanced around and immediately saw the source. A man on the far side of the room was staring at him and although Aaden didn’t recognize him, the energy coming from the man was familiar. It was the same foreboding energy that he’d experienced when he’d been struck by lightning and, more recently, associated with the face that had appeared on the computer screen in the library during the power surge. This is an excerpt of Aaden BlueStar – check back soon for the next installment (or earlier ones) … or you can download the full story HERE!

An ordinary boy discovers he is Extraterrestrial

As they ambled across the courtyard towards the park, Aaden felt the hairs on the back of his neck starting to rise.  Since the lightning strike he’d developed a heightened sense of awareness to the point where he could sense danger. He scanned the crowd in front of him and to each side as much as he could without moving his head – he didn’t want to make it obvious that he was sensing danger.The feeling of urgency increased to the point where he instinctively bent down on the pretence of tying his shoelace. He did so just in time to dodge the missile that sailed over his head. It was a rubber balloon, partially filled with water so that it would burst on impact. Only this time, it burst on the wrong person. Still pretending to tie his shoelace, Aaden looked back to see Simon Damon’s eyes widen with the realization he’d missed his target. When the water bomb hit the teacher in front of Aaden, the splash was intermingled with startled gasps, not only from the teacher, but those around him. Spinning on his heal, the teacher immediately recognized Simon as the culprit, whose bulging eyes and gaping mouth gave him away.   “YOU!” yelled the teacher, pointing directly at Simon, “To my room, NOW!” Simon seemed rooted to the spot, still gaping in disbelief. To Aaden, the image of a yapping Chihuahua was morphing into the form of a gulping goldfish. He kept his head low to conceal his mirth and it was only then that Simon seemed to realize he’d been set up.  “MOVE!” yelled the teacher, stomping towards him.  Fleur chuckled as she watched the teacher escort Simon back into the building. “That’ll teach him. Stupid idiot – what was he thinking?” “Yeah!” said Aaden as he stood up again, beaming. “Come on, let’s catch up with Tiffany.”Tiffany was laughing when they reached her.“I can’t believe how dumb that guy is.  He still hasn’t figured out that you’re one step ahead of him – you know what he’s going to do.”“It’s not that I know. It’s more of a feeling I get when I’m in danger. I can’t read everyone’s thoughts at will. And I’m glad I can’t – some of the thoughts that go on in peoples’ minds.” “Thank God for that,” said Fleur. “I like you Aaden, but I don’t like the idea of you knowing my every thought.”Tiffany frowned. “Yeah! Stay out of MY head.”Aaden gave her a playful pinch. “Don’t worry – I won’t tell anyone about that guy Peter in your class.”Tiffany blushed and glared at Fleur, who looked stunned. “That was meant to be our secret,” Tiffany snapped at Fleur. “I didn’t tell a soul.” Tiffany glared at Aaden. “You keep that to yourself.” “My lips are sealed,” he said, but with a glint of mischief in his eye.Tiffany kept glaring. “Ever since that lightning strike, I can’t keep anything secret.”“Hey, I didn’t ask for it. When I woke up from that coma and blurted out a few things, I had to learn to keep my mouth shut pretty quick. I could see the nurses thinking I’d lost it.”“Huh!” said Tiffany, “You never had it in the first place.”Fleur simply smiled and shook her head. Aaden knew what she was thinking. She had often mentioned that few people would believe they were brother and sister because they related more as friends than siblings … even their physical appearance was different. Aaden was stockier than his younger sister and at fifteen years old it was obvious that he would never resemble Tiffany who, although only fourteen, was quite tall and slim. They continued the banter as they wandered home, which was not far from their school – only a couple of blocks away. When they turned the corner of the avenue leading to their home, Aaden suddenly pointed to where he could see a car parked in their driveway, further down the tree-lined avenue. “Dad’s home!”“So?” said Fleur.“He promised to get tickets for the baseball playoff this weekend.”Tiffany flashed a concerned look, tinged with sadness.“Yeesss… but you know Dad’s promises. His work always comes first.”Fleur glanced at Tiffany, then to Aaden. “He has an important position, being a Senator and all.”“Yeesss … which means we don’t see much of him,” said Tiffany. “Either he’s away on tour or working late at the office or locked away in his study. He’s always got some public function to prepare for.”Aaden shook his head. “No, this time he promised we’d go to the game together. I’m running ahead – see you later.”He gave them a wave and broke into a jog. Being more enthusiastic in nature than his sister, he still had faith in his dad’s promises. When he reached the house he burst through the door.“Hey … Dad?”“In here, Aaden,” came the reply from the kitchen area.Aaden went through to find his parents sitting at the breakfast bar, having a coffee – a rare moment when they were both home at the same time. Aaden was pleased to see them taking the time to share an intimate moment – other than the occasional breakfast or dinner, they rarely spent much time together. He went straight to the kitchen to grab a container of yoghurt, his favorite snack, and then joined his parents. “Did you get the tickets?”His dad reached into his pocket and pulled out two vouchers.“Great! Are they good seats?”“The best. I gave strict instructions to my secretary.”Aaden grabbed the tickets and looked at the seat placements. Beaming, he laid them down and then started eating his yoghurt. “It’ll be a great game,” he said, still staring at the tickets.  “Yeah!” his dad replied in a guarded tone. “Wish I could be there.”Aaden had just placed a spoonful of yoghurt in his mouth and he slowly licked the spoon before lowering it in a resigned fashion. “What do you mean?”“I’d love to go, son … you know that. An important engagement came up for this weekend … I won’t be able to make the game. It’s something that was arranged for me unexpectedly … I can’t get out of it.”Aaden looked away, determined to blink away the moisture in his eyes before his father noticed.“But I got you great tickets,” said his dad. “You can go with Tiffany, or Fleur.”“You know they’re not into baseball,” said Aaden in a resigned tone. He shook his head and added with a hint of sarcasm, “I may as well take Simon Damon.”“Hey, great idea,” his dad replied, unaware of the irony of Aaden’s comment. “As you said, it’ll be a great game – have fun. We’ll catch the next game together.”“Yeah … right,” said Aaden slowly, amazed that his dad didn’t get it that he just wanted to spend some time with him. “… next time.”“I have to go over some of my notes,” said his dad, draining the last of his drink. Aaden turned his back so his dad wouldn’t see his disappointment. He stepped off the barstool and, with slow movement, walked to the kitchen. His father went the other way to the study. Aaden glanced at the recycling symbol on the yoghurt container in his hand and looked at the recycling bin. He then tossed the container into the trash that was beside the recycling bin.His mother, walking behind him, saw his action and glanced back to make sure Adam hadn’t seen it. She looked back at her son, with sadness in her eyes.          “Aaden, why do you do that? You know he hates it when you don’t recycle.” “He’s too uptight about these things,” said Aaden. “One little container won’t make a difference.”She gave him a reproachful, but tender look. “Environmental issues are important to him; you know that. It’s his life. I know he spends too much time with his work, but he’s doing it because he cares about you and Tiffany and he wants a better life for you both.”Aaden waved his hands in mock surrender as he left the room. “Yeah … okay … next time.”When he got to his room he slumped onto the bed, rolling on his back, looking up at the ceiling. He lay there for awhile, his eyes moist. Then, forcing the disappointment from his mind, he fixed his gaze on a spot on the ceiling.It wasn’t that he felt tired, but the only way he knew to sidetrack his disappointment was to try and relive the experience that he’d had when he’d done this previously. He had somehow been able to go into an alternate reality. Some would say that it was a vivid dream, but to him it was more than just a dream – it was too real. Although frightening at times, each time he’d enjoyed the experience so much that he regretted coming back to the so-called reality of his life as Aaden Greene. In the alternate world that he ventured at those times, he was no longer a teenage boy. What amazed him most was that he wasn’t just an older version of himself, but a different person altogether.Whenever he found himself in that body, while in the trance state, he was flying – not like a bird, but in a craft. He was flying a spaceship. As a teen he had only basic knowledge of driving a car, but in this alternate reality he was a competent pilot. The thing that fascinated him most when he was in this state was his sense of time. He felt as though it wasn’t in the present as he knew it now … but he wasn’t sure whether it was a future time, or a past era. In a way it didn’t matter. When he was in that state, there was no future or past … there was only the present.He had tried to get a name, but each time he got a word that made no sense to him. It was more of a rank or position than a name … ‘BlueStar’.
Lying there, staring at the spot on the ceiling, he allowed his eyelids to close. Then, peering into the inner darkness, a pinpoint of light appeared. Aaden concentrated on that pinpoint of light until it started to grow. The more he concentrated the faster the ball of light grew, until it appeared to suddenly come rushing towards him. Bursting through the orb of light in his mind’s eye, he emerged in familiar surroundings.  The outline of a spaceship control panel formed in front of him. He was once again in the pilot’s seat, staring at an alien craft that was visible through the transparent hull of his ship …

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This is an excerpt of Aaden BlueStar – check back soon for the next installment (or earlier ones) … or you can download the full story HERE!

An ordinary boy discovers he is Extraterrestrial
Aaden could hear his name being called, but it seemed to be from a distance. The tugging on his sleeve finally brought him out of the fog of his half-sleep state. His eyes focused in the direction of the voice. “Aaden … answer the teacher,” Fleur said in an urgent whisper. The chuckles from the others in the schoolroom finally brought him to his senses and Aaden looked around, dazed. His eyes settled on the man at the front of the room. He hadn’t seen the man before and he assumed this was the replacement teacher he’d heard was coming. But how had he missed the man’s entrance? Either he’d fallen asleep or it was another one of those missing moments in time. He decided not to think about it for the time being – all eyes were now on him.The man was in his early forties, with tight curly dark hair, graying at the temples. His expensive jeans and stylish open-necked shirt showed he was trying to look cool, but his choice of frames with his glasses betrayed his more natural nerdy side. He had a bemused expression, surveying Aaden with one eyebrow raised. “Nice of you to join us,” the man said in a comical tone. “I’m Brian Masters, your new teacher for this term.” He glanced at his watch. “I officially start tomorrow, but I wanted to briefly introduce myself before classes finished today. And now, it’s your turn … tell me your name.” “Dreamer Greene,” quipped one of the other students.Aaden wasn’t surprised to see that it was Simon Damon who had made the remark. Although offended, the image in Aaden’s mind of Simon as a yapping Chihuahua dissipated his anger at the boy. He even had to suppress a grin. “I’m Aaden,” he stammered, looking back at the teacher. “Aaden Greene.”“Well Aaden,” the man replied, “just so we understand each other, I expect my pupils to pay attention in class.” “He can’t help it,” said Fleur. Aaden did his best to conceal his smile. Yet again his pixie princess was jumping to his defense. It was always a sure thing, especially when Simon Damon was leading the charge. “Of course it’s his fault – he’s a dreamer,” said Simon.“He was struck by lightning,” Fleur snapped back, fire flashing in her eyes. “Yeah, and it fried his brain,” said Simon. “He’s never been the same since.” “You only know the half of it,” said Aaden, the words coming out as though he was talking to himself. The teacher raised his hand.   “What do you mean by that?” the teacher asked Aaden, his eyes narrowing.  Aaden stared back at him. Very few knew the full story of that strange day. He’d told only the two people he could trust – his sister Tiffany and his best friend Fleur, both of whom he swore to secrecy.“When Simon said you’ve never been the same since,” Masters repeated, “you said that he didn’t know the half of it … what did you mean by that?”Aaden concentrated on the energy field surrounding the man, which was a pale lemon color, a much more refined aura than the murky red and green aura that surrounded Simon Damon. He wasn’t sure what to say, or how much to say. “Sometimes … I know things … that others don’t.”Brian Masters leaned forward. “Like what?”Aaden hesitated. Despite the pressure of all eyes in the classroom on him, he fixed his gaze solely on Brian Masters. The man held his gaze without blinking, the two of them studying each other for some moments, oblivious to the others in the room.“One thing I know,” Aaden said slowly. “You recently put money into a finance company. It’s not a good investment. If you don’t get your money back soon, you’ll lose it.”Masters was dumfounded. He simply gaped at Aaden. Even Simon Damon was too flabbergasted to say anything.The teacher recovered quickly. To Fleur, he said, “Struck by lightning … you’re joking … right? Most people being struck by lightning have ended up being very dead.”Aaden was amazed at how quickly he’d changed the subject, but he saw the confusion in the man’s eyes.“Not this time,” said Fleur.“H’mmm. Okay,” said Masters as he surveyed Aaden. “Tell me about it.”With all eyes again on Aaden, Simon Damon gave a loud yawn. Two other boys, his closest friends, chuckled in support, but Masters promptly waved his hand to quiet them. Aaden took a deep breath. He’d told the story so many times before, but each new person who heard of it always wanted to hear the details.  “I was climbing a tree in the park,” he began, glancing over at Simon, “trying to get my prize baseball after that guy threw it into the branches where it got stuck.” Simon raised his arms in a gesture that indicated he was proudly accepting an honor. His friends laughed. “Okay,” said Masters, waving his hand to quiet them. “Then what happened?”“There was a storm. I knew I shouldn’t be near trees in a storm, but I thought I had time to get the ball before the lightning got closer. I got it wrong. I don’t remember anything after that.”“The whole tree lit up,” Fleur said. “I was there in the park – I saw it happen. Aaden was thrown from the branch he was on and he landed on another smaller bush that broke his fall before he hit the ground.”The teacher’s expression was typical of everyone who heard the story for the first time – a mixture of amazement tinged with disbelief. “You’re seriously telling me that you were struck by lightning and you survived?”Aaden nodded. “Because I was in the tree, not grounded, I got a jolt and was thrown from the branch … I woke up later in hospital.”The bell sounded, interrupting Aaden’s story. The pupils filed out of the room a lot slower than usual, with many of them glancing back at either Aaden or the teacher. Brian Masters indicated to Aaden to stay, and waited for the room to empty. When finally it was just him, Aaden and Fleur in the room, he sat on the edge of a nearby desk and leaned towards Aaden.“That was a strange thing you said earlier,” he said in a low tone. “What amazes me is how you’d know that I’ve invested money in a finance company that was recommended by a friend. I checked into it – they’ve had good returns over many years. It seems like a good investment.”“You should get your money back,” Aaden repeated.“We’ve got to go,” said Fleur, standing and pulling at Aaden’s arm. “We’re meeting Tiffany … remember?”Aaden glanced at her. There was no rush to meet his sister – they always met after school to walk home together. Fleur immediately turned towards the door, glancing back at him, but with her face turned slightly away so Master’s couldn’t see her insistent expression. Aaden raised his hand to Masters in a brief wave and followed her out of the room. “Why did you do that?” said Fleur as they walked down the hallway.  “I had to warn him. He’s going to lose his money. I didn’t think it was right not to.” “But in front of the whole class!” Aaden grinned. “They’ll forget it soon enough. They’re all too caught up in their own lives. But Masters won’t forget – the message was for him. It’s up to him now what he does with it.”Fleur flashed a critical parent look. “You have to be more careful not to show your powers. People will fear you like you’re a freak … or they’ll hound you for predictions of the future.”Aaden didn’t bother to answer – he was sure she’d know he wouldn’t take any notice of that one. The exasperated look on her face showed him she’d picked up his thought.Exiting the main building, they descended the large stone steps to an open courtyard that was now buzzing with students and teachers, all heading in different directions. The beautiful park beyond, which was always a welcome scene at the end of the day, was already teaming with people milling along the many walkways amongst the tall trees and sculptured gardens.Even with the horde, Aaden was able to spot Tiffany waiting for them by the fountain. It wasn’t only her trademark bright top that made her stand out in a crowd - Tiffany had a presence, a quality that Aaden was always able to spot. Perhaps it was simply their close bond as siblings, but Aaden was sure others could also see that special quality about his sister that made her different. 


******************************This is an excerpt of Aaden BlueStar – check back soon for the next installment… or you can download the full story HERE!

Aaden BlueStarAn ordinary boy discovers he is Extraterrestrial

Prologue

Aaden seems a normal teen until a lightning bolt changes his life forever. Able to sense danger, see people's auras and occasionally read their thoughts, it seems his life could not get any more unusual - that is, until he realizes his connection with an otherworldly race and their fight to prevent an environmental disaster on Earth. Initially confused by this revelation, Aaden struggles to balance his life as he knows it with increasingly vivid recollections of another life. With his sister, Tiffany and his best friend Fleur, who are the only two he can confide in, he discovers his heritage and the special connection with two inter-dimensional champions and their mentor, Varoon. His grip on reality is challenged even further when he realizes that one of these inter-dimensional champions and his father, Senator Adam Greene, are interconnected.They have all been brought back together at a time when the Earth is threatened, not only by the darker forces working against them, but also by ecological disaster, brought about by humanity. Their journey emphasizes The Power of Attraction, where the combined concentrated positive thought energy of the masses can bring about miraculous changes in our world. Their nemesis, the dark Lord Belial, is just as determined to influence human development and dominate the world. Throughout their trials it is Varoon’s wisdom and influence that helps them rise to the challenge. The ensuing battle with the darker forces results in a climax that challenges the reader to determine the truth in Varoon’s words… “Life is a dream and you are the dreamer.”


Chapter 1a“You come up and get it,” said Aaden. “You’re the one who threw it in the tree.”Simon shrugged and his grin transformed into more of a sneer.“Not my ball … don’t care if it stays there.”Fleur’s eyes flashed. “You’re jealous. You know Aaden’s father gave him the baseball for his fifteenth birthday – it’s signed by his star team. He’s not going to leave it for you to get later. You knew that when you threw it up there.”Aaden glanced down at the girl and his heart skipped a beat. Naturally pretty, her anxious expression accentuated the intensity of her hazel colored eyes. Although her short-cropped hair gave her a somewhat boyish appearance, it also emphasized her attractive pixy-like features. He did his best not to show the panic in his eyes, although her look showed him she already knew he was struggling with his fear of falling.His sister Tiffany stood beside Fleur, saying nothing, but holding her hand to her mouth, eyes wide. They were a long way down and it reminded him of how high he’d climbed. He looked back at the baseball that was stuck in the finer branches, out of his reach. Nervous about going out on the finer branches, he tried to shake the tree from where he was – the ball wouldn’t budge.“So what’re you going to do?” Simon taunted him. “If you want the ball … you’re going to have to go out … further.”  ‘What is it with that short skinny runt that makes him such a pain in the butt?’ Aaden thought. There was something about Simon’s sharp features and short, skinny body that reminded him of a Chihuahua dog, trying to prove its worth by yapping at bigger dogs.It didn’t help that Simon knew about his fear of falling – that’s why he’d thrown the ball in the tree, to try and make him look foolish in front of the girls. But Aaden was determined to overcome his fear. It wasn’t just the ball … it was the fact that his father had given him the ball. He wasn’t going to leave it there.A clap of thunder rolled in the distance. Aaden looked around at the darkening sky. The sun, that had been so warm just a few moments earlier, was now blanketed in dark clouds. A chill filled the air and even the baseball, which only moments earlier had been glowing like a mini sun perched in a sea of green, was now dull, its allure diminished.“Aaden, don’t do it,” said Tiffany. “It’s not worth it. There’s a storm coming. You know better than to be near a tree in a thunderstorm.”  A flash of lightning forked down and it wasn’t far away. Aaden flinched at the flash and the instantaneous clap of thunder. The temptation to climb back down was almost overwhelming, but doing so would give Simon the victory and the encouragement to do worse in future. He also didn’t want to look foolish in front of Fleur. With sweat moistening his brow he looked back at the ball that seemed so close. He just needed to go out a little further. Determined not to leave it there for Simon to get later, he knew he had to move quickly. He hadn’t seen a storm whip up so suddenly and it looked weird. Giant black, billowing clouds came rolling inland from the horizon, resembling massive waves fueled by strong winds. But the strange thing was that Aaden couldn’t even feel a hint of a breeze.With the rumbling of the thunder building crescendo, he put the thought of danger out of his mind and concentrated on the ball. Reaching out for the thicker branches, he moved forward, testing the weight each time before moving on to the next one. Stretching out, his fingertips touched the ball and Fleur and Tiffany both gasped in unison. The tree limb groaned under the strain of his weight as he reached further. Pawing at the ball with his fingertips, he coached it towards him until … he finally had it in his grasp.The branch suddenly gave way beneath him, but he barely had time to panic. Everything around him was ablaze with light. It was as though he was on stage and a million spotlights were trained on him in his triumph. The whole sky, which had been darkened with heavy rain clouds, was now dazzling light. The jolt of electricity through Aaden’s body hurled him through the air and everything seemed to transform into slow motion. Scenes flashed before his mind’s eye. He’d heard that a person’s life flashes before them just before they are about to die, but these scenes weren’t of his life as he knew it. He was captivated by what appeared to be a darkened sky on a moonless night, the stars sparkling like a million diamonds suspended in space. The strangest thing was that he was standing on a platform, suspended in the midst of this glory … on what appeared to be a small stage in the middle of the universe.  Although he was on the platform surrounded by space he had no fear of falling – somehow he felt assured he was safe, that some unseen force was surrounding him. There were cabinet-like structures around the perimeter of the stage and he was standing at a podium that had electronic gear built in – like a control panel.Suddenly a face appeared … a sinister, brooding face. He knew that face and he loathed it, although he couldn’t remember from where. Those dark, angry features had often appeared in his dreams and his visions, ever threatening to take his life.The blazing eyes seemed to pierce into his brain and Aaden knew that the unusual storm and this menacing face were interconnected.Suddenly he came back to earth with a crash. He slipped into unconsciousness, with the image of that loathsome face glaring at him.
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This is an excerpt of Aaden BlueStar – check back soon for the next installment… or you can download the full story HERE!

Metaphysical books often explore the possibilities that are inherent within every one of us. Scientists have proven that we use barely ten percent of our brain capacity. If we would gain access to the other ninety percent through spiritual practice, we would automatically develop the metaphysical (mystical) side that is within all of us.

Have a look at the books Star Bred Prophecy and also Aaden BlueStar. They read like fiction but they show the possibilities of the metaphysical powers that are dormant within every person.

The idea of a Parallel Universe has appeared in many science fiction films and novels. But is it possible? There are many who believe that it’s simply a state of awareness - that there are Parallel Universes (mirror worlds) happening simultaneously. We are simply not aware of that with our limited third dimensional viewpoint.

Just as dogs can hear sounds beyond our human hearing capacity and bees see colors of a higher frequency that is visible to the human eye doesn’t mean these sounds and colors don’t exist - scientists have proven they do. Using barely ten percent of our brain capacity we have limited awareness of the possibilities.

Two books that explore the idea of a Parallel Universe and other metaphysical forces are Star Bred Prophecy and also Aaden BlueStar. They read like fiction, so you can enjoy the story along the way.

Human Beings have always held a fascination for Time Travel … but is it possible? There are many who believe it is and the possibility of that idea is evidenced in the numerous science fiction books and films that have come out over the years.

Science theory shows that Time Travel is possible – we’ve simply not developed spiritually or technologically to be able to achieve it yet. However, there are some who claim to have experienced time travel spontaneously.

The possibilities of what can be achieved if Time Travel were possible can be both exciting and empowering. Check out Aaden BlueStar and also Star Bred Prophecy.

I hope you haven’t been affected by cancer in some form or another, but unfortunately these days it seems highly unlikely. Most people have been touched by it personally or have had someone close to them afflicted by the dreaded disease.
When my Dad died of cancer when I was twenty-four it was a shock to the whole family. When my mother also got a form of the terrible disease a few years later I was determined to try and find a natural solution to help fight the disease. It seemed like the medical profession had no answer for a cure and even years now after a former US President declared war on cancer, it appears they’re no further ahead, despite claims of new breakthroughs.
Watching my father go through the whole Chemo bit convinced me that was not the way I would choose for a cure. My mother decided not to do the Chemo but, although her end was less traumatic, she died all the same.
In my quest at that time to find an answer, I came across a research company based in the US that were experimenting with taking a patient’s blood and oxygenating it, then reinserting it back into the patient’s bloodstream, apparently with great results. The theory was that the extra oxygen killed the disease.
When I approached the medical doctors who were treating my mother, they were skeptical of the claims. I was so convinced the research company was onto something good I even bought shares in the fledgling company, but they were eventually shut down by the medical authorities before they could progress to human trials. It seems like any alternative to established medical treatment is shut down pretty fast.
It was around that same time that I came across a quote that seemed on the surface to be a little cynical but appeared to sum up why natural alternatives are often suppressed. The quote I saw said, “there are more people making a living from cancer than dying from it”.
Luckily these days the proliferation of information on the internet allows easy access to all forms of treatment, both traditional and alternative. The only problem with researching a cure is the amount of information is so vast it’s hard to wade through it all, to determine what’s worthwhile and what’s not.
Having had close friends and family die of cancer over the years, I decided to research alternative treatments and put them in a form that’s easily followed. This will save you a lot of time and energy in research because the e-book   Is there a Cure for Cancer contains the more popular natural treatments in simplified format. Take for example the idea about oxygenating the blood. There are now many doctors who agree that many diseases are a result of lack of oxygen in the bloodstream. And although the original system I saw was actually taking the blood from the patient, oxygenating it and reinserting it in the patient, there’s a far simpler way of doing it.
Food grade hydrogen peroxide is being touted by some to be the answer to many diseases. Now, before you read on, make sure that you’ve taken in that it’s food grade hydrogen peroxide, not the product that’s available at you local drugstore, which has preservatives in it and is for external use only. There are several places online where you can buy food grade hydrogen peroxide, but there’s a specific protocol for taking the substance and it’s essential that you follow the correct method.
On its own it can be corrosive and it needs to be in specific dilutions. An important part here is that it should be taken with distilled water, available from you local food market. If used with ordinary tap water, the chlorine in the water is accentuated and most people would find that hard to stomach.
For those of you who are unsure of what hydrogen peroxide is, its chemistry symbol is H2O2 (two parts hydrogen to two parts oxygen) whereas ordinary tap water is H2O (one part oxygen). By diluting the food grade hydrogen peroxide in distilled water the body is flooded with extra oxygen that permeates the cells and helps fight disease. It’s as simple as that.
But as I said, there is a specific protocol and generally you start with a couple of drops in distilled water three times a day and slowly build up to higher concentrations. There are several books on the market that are specifically dedicated to this form of treatment. However, it’s just one of several natural treatments that can be used for cancer.
In the e-book, Is there a Cure for Cancer I’ve tried to include the major treatments that are more commonly used for treating cancer and I’ve simplified the information to give basics without being too over-wordy.

I hope you find it helpful. Please share this article with your twitter and facebook friends.

Do you really think that we on Earth are alone in the Universe?
Right from an early age the simple astronomy lessons showed how vast this universe is. Our nine-planet solar system is on the outer edge of what we’ve called the Milky-Way galaxy, so-named because of milky appearance of the millions of stars in the night sky.
When we consider that each of those sparkling stars is a sun, just like our sun, with planets revolving around them, we get some inkling as to how big this universe is - and the majority of us who live in cities only see a fraction of those stars. We need to get away from the neon lights and out into the countryside to see the magnificence of the firmament.
In comparison, our own sun has been likened to a grain of sand on a beach, with all of the other grains of sand representing suns with planets revolving around them. If even one planet in each of those solar systems is capable of supporting life, then we’re still talking thousands, if not millions of planets throughout the universe that has life similar to what we know on Earth.
Okay, it’s one thing considering the possibility of life on other planets, but another to consider that those civilizations are more advanced than us. At least we’ve come some way from our earlier historical viewpoint where the religious leaders of those times preached that the whole universe revolved around us. But how advanced is our civilization in reality?
I have to admit I’ve met the extremes of people in my quest for knowledge in this area. There are some I’ve met who still believe we are the center of the universe. And there are others I’ve met who believe they are reincarnated extraterrestrials. I even met a Russian American who claimed to have been part of a government experimentation that involved time travel and teleportation, using extraterrestrial technology.
Yep I admit that’s going from one extreme to the other, but each one of these people believed that their reality was genuine.
Some believe that life on this planet Earth was the result of extraterrestrial genetic experimentation, whereas others believe in the more traditional religious interpretation. Some believe that there are extraterrestrial civilizations overseeing development on this planet - and even these viewpoints range from one extreme to the other.
Some believe that US officials have been in connection with extraterrestrial races since the early 1950’s and the information of these negotiations has been kept secret from the public to avoid causing panic. Others believe that extraterrestrial races range from benevolent to antagonistic and there is competition between these warring races for control of our planet.
Yeah, my life experiences have been a little different from others in this life journey from early childhood and some may find it somewhat unnerving. The book Star Bred is a combination of experiences from various people I’ve met along the way. Some of the ideas might seem outlandish to some, whereas possibly not to others. Comments I’ve had back have ranged from “thought-provoking” to “beyond belief”. However, the experiences were real to the ones who witnessed those events. I can guarantee that no matter what your current viewpoint, your ideas of reality will be challenged … Enjoy the ride!

When we consider we’ve come a long way from our earlier historical viewpoint, where the Earth was flat and the whole universe revolved around the Earth, we can now perhaps agree that what seems true on one level of consciousness is often not so when viewed from a higher perspective. Regardless of whether you read Star Bred as a work of fiction or a thought-provoking premise, do leave a comment in the review section on the Amazon site. I’m interested in your feedback.

Wow, there are so many natural disasters happening these days - it’s getting frightening. Turn on the news any day and there’s some tornado, killer storm, floods, earthquake or volcano happening somewhere in the world.
I remember reading a prediction many years ago that prophesied that natural disasters would increase in intensity like the birth pains of a pregnant woman. Maybe it’s my imagination, but it seems that the prophecy is coming true.
Even on the local news and TV advertising these days the Civil Defense is often advertising for people to be prepared for disaster … and yet, how many of us do anything about it. We think about, maybe add it to our “to-do” list, but never quite find the time to get around to doing it. Maybe, in our busy lives, it just seems too hard to get it together. Again, maybe there’s just too much information out there on the internet, it seems overwhelming. People find it too hard to wade through to decide even where to start.
When I sat down and discussed this with my good friend Alex, he had some very practical and easy to follow ideas – things that anyone can put into practice. One thing I’ll give Alex, he keeps things simple, yet effective. If there’s an easier way to do things, he’ll find it.
We decided to do more research and the result was the e-book Self Sufficiency Survival , an easy to follow guide and manual. The book covers the full spectrum from food storage to medical, through to transport, shelter and ablutions. Of course, your situation will determine how much you can prepare. However, even if you’re living in a high-rise apartment in a city, there are things you can put in place to prepare for the unexpected.
I hope you find the ideas helpful. Please do leave a comment in the review section of the Amazon site for Self Sufficiency Survival . 
I value your feedback.