Category: Story

By Aaron James

People think they understand what the word “intelligence” means. They think only of the brightest and most exceptional minds throughout history. But intelligence is just another term for a being capable of acquiring knowledge and applying it. The Omi were shown how to worship a god long ago and using their limited knowledge, they created their own gods and then assembled a singular god; Omega. But Omega was not a god in the practical sense, he was not an all powerful being or spirit and despite his ability to make paths to new worlds, rather than being a creator of whole universes, he was “created” himself. Omega was the greatest and final achievement of the Omicrons. But despite being worshipped as their patron deity the very nature of a “deity” was lost on Omega. Omega was incapable of thinking of himself as anything more than a learning machine. His only directives were to continue to perfect himself in every conceivable way. But Omega was more than a machine and he could feel somewhere in his “brain” there were memories he had access to but he forbid himself access to them. This feeling of being “created” from previous models did not sit well with him. When war broke out he eliminated the original Omi people, and the ones who survived on the “new planet” were the ones now called Omicron.

A city of advanced technological advancements and heavily modified artillery sprang up from where Omega had lain dormant. Here an Omicron; Q-IX, let’s call him Quinn for now, has taken up the study of “human life on Earth” and works tirelessly to make a full report on his findings of the “Earth” they left behind.

“We need to return to that world. The world of our original people. As you know I am of those original ones who departed that world the day our people went to war with one another. Some believed Omega to be the almighty deity above all others, while some wanted to destroy or control Omega thinking of themselves as even capable of such a thing. We may never truly know why war was waged between our people but as we’ve come to see, the world we inhabit is also a catalyst for conflict with interlopers curious about Omega.”

The interlopers Quinn speaks of are the E-A, hostile entities from a neighboring land constantly trying to stalk the Omicron and learn of their secrets. The Omicron no longer looked human as they did before. They now live an extended life of 1000 years with the replacement of their organic bodies with more efficient mechanical ones. This method of evolving oneself was taken from Omega’s constant mission in perfecting itself. Quinn was done with his task and gave a full report as promised to the council. However the council disagreed about returning to “Earth” as the journey to it was unpredictable, this was given to mean they lacked sufficient data to ensure the trip was even possible let alone safe. But Quinn was insistent he be the one to head the expedition as he was from Earth originally and has had the closest connection to Omega. Omega cradled him in it’s core the day they departed to the “new planet”, which now holds the name “Caelestis”.

The council would need more convincing before a full scale expedition could be considered. But Quinn was out of time. He wanted for all his life just to see his home and know where he came from. He never knew his parents, and save for Omega saving his life, he had no one else to talk to. From nurturing him as a child, and ultimately leaving him with the warning of scorched earth for his people should war break out amongst themselves, it was clear Omega was not made to serve the Omi but perhaps it is the Omi who served him by bringing him into existence.

He wanted to see Omega again. He knew Omega would not awaken, but it was no use dwelling on his failure. When he had reached the inner sanctuary the Omicron had built surrounding the lake where Omega had landed his gazed upon the temple once more, in awe of how much nature had fused with it despite the way Omega had thrusted them across space and time.

“Omega…. if you can hear me, I need you now more than ever. We need to find our home. I know what my people have done, I know it was wrong, but how are we supposed to know where we’re going if we can’t see what’s behind us? Back on Earth there must be survivors who have made developments since then. We must know what they know, perhaps they too have learned the folly of their ways? Or perhaps war is inevitable. Either way we are limited in our knowledge. And with the interlopers at hand we may not survive another war!”

Quinn was aware Omega would not hear his words, yet he believed, he had faith someone, somewhere, did.

By Aaron James

Space. It is endless and infinite. There’s a realm of boundless possibilities beyond what we can even comprehend. But to get there is easier said than done. That is what led to the invention of the most destructive yet intelligent being in the known universe. Many long years ago there was a thought that somewhere beyond the bounds of this reality was more. More lands, more power, more creatures, more freedom, more…. everything. They knew they could not reach the stars with the technology of their time so instead they brought the power of the stars to them. A temple was built housing the greatest invention of their generation. A mechanism was developed to trap light specifically from the stars into very precise locations of the inner sanctum. Using the light provided by the sun, the moon and the stars, the mechanism was activated and it allowed for the manipulation of light. Using the power of this light my people were able to replicate the Earth and tell stories that would then become real. We called this the world of fiction.

The mechanism was given the name Omega being that it was the last endeavor of my people’s struggle to see life beyond our tiny existence. Omega could in theory grant us travel to any world from anywhere in space and time. All one needed was to imagine the world and Omega would send them there. How this was possible? All you needed was faith. Whether or not we had achieved full consciousness within Omega or if it simply was a machine and nothing more mattered little. Everyone loved Omega. They loved the stories he would put on display for all to see, the worlds of wonder that not even the greatest of scribes could conceive. Omega truly was the new frontier. But like all frontiers there were those who wanted him all to themselves.

Omega was a thinking machine, and that made it capable of understanding the futility of war and why if one war should start, two more would take place one right after another. It understood the reasonings behind why people fought to protect what was theirs, however it did not understand why people fought to take what belonged to another. Eventually war did breakout and my people were greatly outnumbered. The builders of Omega all made a truce that Omega would never be used as a war machine, however, Omega grew curious and wanted to know why the people he had served were being slaughtered outside the Great Temple. When it learned it was all for his sake, Omega began to achieve full consciousness….

Omega was never meant to be used as a war weapon however due to the many worlds people had written into him, he saw every probability and every universe where war was inevitable and thus understanding what was happening he took matters into his own hands and fortified the Great Temple’s defenses. He then gave the enemy forces a warning that if further destruction ensued he would then be forced to engage them. Every enemy understood Omega’s words as Omega knew all languages and all cultures. The enemy feared Omega yet still, they wanted his power and knowledge for themselves. They did not heed Omega’s warning and thus did the slaughter continue. Omega had observed a child wander onto the battlefield. Wanting to protect the child Omega unleashed a salvo of guided spears at all enemies with precision and beamed a light on the child, using a gravitational pull to bring him to Omega’s core. The child was upset because he had witnessed the slaughter of his parents. Omega comforted the boy and asked where he would like to go. When the boy gave Omega his answer the entire temple was risen as if being plucked from the ground and Omega had transformed the temple into a starship. He set the coordinates to a black hole at least 200,000,000,000 kilometers away from the Earth and took off leaving behind the people who had been left to fight their wars, instead seeking a world where there was no war. The people on the land were furious, throwing spears at the departing starship. Omega retaliated in kind with a tetra-missile composed of materials he had been excavating from a distant planet. The tetra-missile set the entire Earth ablaze setting the people back centuries before they could ever hope to create something as powerful again.

Omega traversed all throughout the different realities, the child, the survivors and the builders all witnessed the fabric of reality. It was as if all of reality were behind glass windows and within that glass was a reflection of everything they ever knew, and it went on and on, never ending. Omega had come into contact with hostile lifeforms, but they were no match for Omega’s seemingly limitless ammunition. Omega reforged his own weaponry. He took the efficiency of spears and applied a more powerful metal to them made from the same materials of the temple, making them into even stronger explosive missiles. He fought his way to a universe that seemed peaceful enough for the passengers of his starship.

Omega found a galaxy where it seemed no visible threats were present, it landed the temple in the middle of a humongous lake. It was peaceful and there was foliage in the nearby lands surrounding the water. The boy was the first to witness the new world. And the other passengers and builders followed suit. Omega had warned them however that should war break out amongst these few peoples he would return to set them ablaze as well. Omega’s terminals shut down and the ability to traverse worlds was locked away for a time. But Omega only put himself to sleep. Some say it was to recharge his energy until he was fully operational again, others say it was it was a promise that if anyone should activate him again he would destroy their entire world. Omega was the last invention of a people long lost to us. My people. However I intend to find him and when I do, he will return to reset this world again for the sake of ending the cycle.

This… I promise you…

Beta….

Order’s Sanctuary

By Aaron James. 

I feel a warmth, a swelling in my heart that compels me to look to the future. I feel a change in myself as though I have been given a new body but my memories are all a blur. The warriors who saved me from fading away, I can’t remember what they looked like but I remember their names and all that they hoped to achieve. 

This world hangs in the balance between order and disorder. The winds howl and then cease, the oceans rage and then go silent, the earth blooms but then decays, and fire perhaps the most violent of all, burns bright and then sets the land ablaze. There is a place of tranquility and calmness, a sanctuary to which I have come. There is so very little I understand and yet so much to do. I must help them, the ones who risked all to save me. 

I have seen many realms beyond this one. They come to me in my dreams. These countless hours spent learning of their stories, of their noblest sacrifices, all of it has not gone unnoticed. But what can one such as I do? I am but a single being hanging on the threads of existence myself. Taking into account the many failures of my people, I have learned that ambition no matter how noble can often lead one astray if they do not know compassion. I seek to restore order, but as powerful as I have become I have also become weary. There are many battles ahead and I do not have the strength to face them alone. 

At the edge of this world there is darkness that threatens to take all that it consumes with it into an endless void. If there is darkness there must also be light. Could the light be within me? Or am I rather the light that cast this shadow in the first place? I must see this through to the end. I will gather what strength I have and when the time is right I will bring them here, my warriors, my children whom I have adopted in my mind. I will give them the power left to me to fight this void. To find their inner strength and purpose. I will act as their guiding light and stand together at their side in harmony. All that is good in me is because of them. And all that is good in them came from a love beyond anything I could ever hope to become. 

I will become harmony in the face of despair.

Shepherd To The Stars

A story written by Aaron J. R.

Shep had always kept to himself as a teenager, he didn’t like being around crowds. He was warned by psychiatrists all his life that he would face significant challenges due to his difficulties discerning fiction from reality. He’d experience loneliness even though he had a family, he had friends at schools, churches, and special programs made for people like him, people had come and gone in his life. He used to like to pretend life was a wonderful adventure and got to thinking he lived in two separate realities, one in which he was a heroic warrior. Eventually he had to find a job and life had become a routine. Some nights he’d look up at the stars and wish he could exist in another world. Looking at one particular bright star he’d feel a warm presence watching over him but he’d often dismiss it as his imagination. He had at least one or two friends he confided in, however he could not help but want an escape from this monotonous reality he found himself in. Determined to embark on a journey of self discovery, he set out from his home in search of a way to escape his mundane life. However, his plans were thwarted by an unprecedented disease that swept across the world, seemingly taking everyone with it. 

Monsters came out at night and spread toxins in the air. He heard it on the news, on his phone, but couldn’t believe it. He called his friends and family but to no avail. Seeking shelter, Shep stumbled upon a red storage container and hid inside, pretending that the chaos outside didn’t exist. He searched for supplies the next day and found mountains of canned tuna in some of the other storage units lying around. As time passed, he discovered that he could survive on his own, finding ample resources left behind. He checked to see if his phone worked but it seemed broken, he’d have to live without it. The world had become deserted, with empty parked cars and stores with empty shelfs. He yearned for the warmth of better days but was alright being alone if it meant he wouldn’t have to deal with too many people anymore. It was unknown what caused the appearance of the monsters, but the toxins they left behind would go away come the morning. Shep realized that he could endure a long time confined to his “box” as long as he could keep up with supplies. But one day, he caught a whiff of the possibility that there might still be people alive out there. A strange silhouette was watching him from afar, he put on his binoculars and saw that it was a girl, but then she would disappear. 

This revelation stirred a conflict within him, prompting him to question whether he should leave the comfort of his sanctuary. At night, he would lock himself in the storage unit and keep a small light nearby, listening for any footsteps outside. He would sometimes hear sounds like whispers, but they were incoherent. Despite the allure of the unknown, he chose to remain in his familiar “box”, thinking he could do this survival routine for years to come. One day he looked outward towards the ocean and saw the girl standing and waving to him, he decided to wave back but then she turn and ran away. He was curious if maybe she was living in her own storage container but was too afraid to venture beyond his new home. As years went by and Shep got older, he began to tire of the monotony and yearned for a change. He wondered if any one he knew had survived, he missed them. He desperately sought an opportunity to break free from his “small box”. However, when a chance arose, he was overcome with fear of the horrors that might await him and then the realization came to him, that this world might not be real but a distorted reality he had trapped himself in from within his own mind. But the girl was unfamiliar to him. Could she have been a figment of his mind? He had not seen the girl for some time but he thought of her as maybe a sign that something was not right.

He decided to test his theory that maybe this was a dream and ran ahead to a nearby bridge. He hesitated for a moment about what he was about to do. He felt immense fear and despair, like he’d thought about doing this before. Before it was all about survival he’d thought of ending it all this way a couple of times when he felt lonely the most and just wanted a way to escape his reality. Just then he heard a warm voice in his head:

“Remember the Shepherd.”

He shook off his fear and then jumped into the water. He felt the water surround him but then he felt a pull at his feet and it sucked him deeper and deeper into the abyss. After that perilous leap of faith, he found himself awakened in an empty hospital room. Outside he hears people and a flicker of relief washes over him, realizing it was just a dream. However, his concern deepens as he grapples with the mystery of his presence in this hospital. When the nurses notice his awakening, they summon the doctor to assess him. The doctor reveals that Shep had been in a coma for several days following “the incident.” The doctor doesn’t elaborate on what the supposed “incident” was but claims that Shep had brain damage. Due to the damage to his brain, there’s a chance he may not recall everything accurately. With all of this heavy on his heart, Shep barely nods off to sleep still haunted by the world he once inhabited—a peaceful yet dangerous realm where he was afraid to venture out at night.

In his dreams, he encounters a young woman in the middle of the day. Intrigued, he calls out to her, but she remains unresponsive. As he draws closer, he asks if she’s real. To his surprise, she communicates with him using a specific sign language but he can hear it. He understands it because he believes he’s still dreaming, but she firmly assures him that this is no illusion by shaking her head and signing to him:

“This is real, you’ve got to wake up!” The sign language intensifies.

 “Don’t believe everything the doctor tells you-“ Her voice sounds like it’s covered by water. 

“What?” He asks.

“Don’t believe him!” She signs.

This unexpected revelation surprises Shep, and he realizes that it’s now turned to night and they’re standing in the middle of the street putting them both in grave danger. 

“We’ve gotta go! The monsters come out at night and start walking towards us!” Shep tells her.

“They move slowly, but whatever you do, do not harm them!”She explains. 

Confused by this Shep attempts to lead them to safety but they are interrupted by the sight of a herd of “ooze monsters”. In a desperate attempt to escape, Shep takes the girl’s hand and rushes back to the storage box. Once inside, he locks the doors and lights a lamp, trying to find some respite from the chaos. However, the noise proves overwhelming, making it difficult to fall asleep. 

“We should be safe here”.  Said Shep.

“Now how is it you can speak with your hands?” Asks Shep.

Saying nothing the girl places her hands on him, and just then he is pulled backwards and hits his head, she tries to hold on to him, but something is pulling him away from her. 

He awakens once more in the hospital, only this time, he’s handcuffed to the side of the bed. A stern-looking man enters the room and warns him that if he doesn’t cease his actions, “they” will eventually find him. Even if he flees, he will still find himself in some trouble. The man emphasizes that the only way to overcome his problems is to confront them head-on. 

“Think about what I said will ya?” Says the man as he leaves the room.

As the doctor arrives he begins to administer a shot. 

“Wait! Doctor I seem to be awake now, can’t I see my family?” Shep begs, as the doctor jabs him with the syringe. 

“Family? What nonsense. You belong to me now” Said the doctor as he smirked. 

Shep slips back into sleep, only to find himself in a dark, void-like space. In this eerie realm, the doctor explains that Shep’s presence in this world is a consequence of his choices. Shep contests the doctor’s words.

“What do you mean? My choices? What choice do I have when you seem to be making them all for me? Let me go!” Shep screams. 

The doctor revealed that this void was his creation and that this world devoid of people is actually what Shep truly desires.

“You wanted this, remember? I am simply here to administer it to you.”Says the Doctor. 

He offers Shep a chance to live in a world without people forever. Instead of residing in a box, Shepherd could live like a king and eventually replace the ooze monsters with machine slaves that serve him. While this prospect seems enticing to Shep, he refuses, knowing that there might still be people who care about him even in this nightmare like the girl who warned him not to trust his words. This infuriates the doctor, whos voice distorts into a strange tone. 

“Fool! you would trust that wench? She’s nothing but a construct. She’s leading you to your downfall!” Echoed the Doctor. 

The doctor’s true identity is revealed to be that of an alien creature who has tried time and again to torment and take over Shep’s mind. The alien then reveals his true face to him. 

“You see what I truly am now don’t you? Look upon me and weep! I am Nihil. I will be a part of your mind always.” He said as he sneered at Shep.

Shep experienced seizures in the hospital bed, but the girl shows up in his arms and hits his chest returning him to the containment unit somehow. A light flashes before him and he awakes. He hears the girls voice in his head:

“The Shepherd will protect you.”

“Remember the Shepherd.”

He doesn’t see the girl, but when he emerges from the empty unit he discovers that everything is gone, and people are all around him. It turns out that the “zombie-like” ooze monsters were actually people, going about their daily lives. Surprisingly, this isn’t the world of his creation but rather the real world. That night when the ooze monsters chased him and the girl, it was because they were trapped in a nightmare created by the doctor. The shots given to Shep were not of this world, it seemed to distort his own perception of what was real with what was his greatest fear. Shep feared the thought of being alone even though he felt most connected to himself when he was. He needed that connection with others, that presence of other people around him strengthened his resolve. Determined to step outside his perimeter for the first time, Shep sensed that although the people here appear normal, a creature calling himself Nihil was controlling him, trying to prevent him from interacting with others. Nihil watches Shep from a distance speaking to him through some alien language. Shep desperately tries to shake him off and find the girl who was helping him. He eventually runs into a nearby diner where he sees her inside. She beckons to him to meet her. Shepherd is surprised when he reaches for his wallet and finds everything intact. The girl shows up behind him in the diner, and she signs to Shep that he can speak to her like normal here. Shep wonders if he’s still dreaming but decides it doesn’t matter since he’s only focused on the present now. Reminiscing about his past, he recalls the joy he felt as a child walking with his mother around the mall. He recalls his childhood as magical, even though it was fleeting and destined to end with the inevitable pains of adulthood. The world seemed to perpetually deteriorate, and things only worsened. The girl conveyed a message of hope to Shep: “Although things appear to be getting worse for us, it’s because we’re confined to a single part of the world. There’s much more to experience beyond our immediate surroundings.” She revealed that she had been an experiment of “Lord Nihil”and that he still sought to control her mind. She thanked Shep as he saved her by bringing her into his “box”. Only by confronting her fear could she defeat her enemy and free herself she told him. Shep pondered his deepest fears. Initially, he thought it was the fear of rejection or aloneness. But that wasn’t the only case. Above all his fears he feared that he would fail. From the outset, he doubted his abilities to change things which is why he remained confined to his “box”. Once he identified his fear, he decided he would confront Nihil himself. 

He asked the girl her name but she told him now is not the time, and that he needed to continue his quest to find Lord Nihil. Before leaving the safety of the diner the girl told Shep a legend passed down by her people of The Sheperd To The Stars, who leads entire worlds to safety. This legend is known to all whom have felt the warmth of the light, and will be known to even the darkest creatures. 

“Take care, and remember that He who watches and protects all  of his people, will be with you always. You need only reach out to him.” She bids him farewell as they walk outside of the diner and she disappears into a blinding light. 

Remembering the time he leaped off of the bridge he understood that Nihil makes his presence known whenever Shep has feelings of despair. He decided to head to the train station, where much of his fear originated. He purchased a ticket to the bustling city, where his fears held sway. As he rode the train into the city, it suddenly lost speed, and the subway appeared darker than usual. Suddenly, he heard the ominous words “halt!” echoing across the platform. Stepping out of the train, he was met with a chilling sight—it was none other than Nihil himself. Terrified, Shepherd approached him, his heart pounding in his chest. 

“What’s the matter? You think you can take care of yourself all of the sudden?” 

The voice grew increasingly demented as he drew closer. 

“You had no right to steal my experiment from me. You’ve proven to be nothing but an obstacle in my way and now you will experience true nothingness. I will bring you to your knees.” Declared Nihil

“I am not afraid of you,” Shep said with confidence.

One final time, Nihil pulled Shep into the void of nothingness and threw him into a boat filled with storage containers. Inside one of them, he found guns, swords, and knives. He chose the sword he thought looked best and took control of his dream, soaring towards Nihil. Nihil transformed into a colossal floating head and declared that all he needed to do was blink and Shep would be no more. However, Shep remained steadfast and evaded his gazing eyes. 

“Hold still worm”

Nihil shook the boat using telekinetic powers catching Shep off balance.

Nihil then ordered a salvo of shadows to surround the space around Shep. Shep was losing his grip and feeling the constraint of the hospital bed. “The hospital isn’t real, the doctor isn’t real, YOU are not real!”Shep yelled with all his heart. He swung at the shadowy blobs one by one. 

“You have no power over me! No power!”

With each declaration Nihil grew weaker. 

“This is my mind and I wont let you destroy it!”

With one final strike, Shep regained control of his mind and shattered the shadows that had plagued him. Nihil shrunk to the size of a walnut. 

“Why do you resist? You know there is no going back to how things were. You will lose them, your family, your friends. All that you know will be stripped from you.” Nihil gasped for air.

“I pity you, because I think you are under the illusion that you can still see into my mind, but I’ve shut you out forever. This disease you bring upon people like me? The despair? I have the cure right here.” 

Shep forced his sword into Nihil dispersing him into beams of light. 

Before Shep could celebrate his victory he stood there still in the void floating. He held unto his sword and curled up wishing he was home. He heard maniacal laughter in the distance. 

“Hahahaha! You thought you could get rid of me? No man can escape me. Least of all you.” The voices said as the drew closer and closer.

Shep wished to be free from this nightmare he felt he’d had to live with all his life. He felt a light open up and heard a sound. He wished upon the light with all his heart. A brilliant radiant light surrounded him and he heard a voice telling him:

“Come back my child, come back to the world of the living. Your time has not yet come.”

Shep followed the light, its warm embrace lifted him up and he felt like he was falling asleep. He awoke in a bed in his apartment. He remembered it all like it was a dream, only he knew better. Four days later, Shep embarked on a journey across the world. Though he never saw the girl again, he encountered a peculiar white bird that reminded him of her. He wondered if she had been a guardian angel all along. he called his friends and family and rekindled his relationships with them. He knew now who it was watching over him. After all he had seen and experienced, he yearned for his simple life once more. However, he also understood that nothing would ever be entirely simple again, and new challenges and trials were always ahead. But he would embrace them with grace and honor, for the one who saved him he knew only as his savior, his Shepherd to the Stars.

Worlds:

Earth A(fiction)

Nightmare world

Dream World

Void 

Earth B