A Rude Awakening

Chris Hall26 Comments

interior of a space ship

Previously…

‘Wake up, Jemma. Wake up!’

Someone is shaking me by the shoulder. I open my eyes to see the worried face of Stevens looming over me.

‘What?’ I rub my eyes. Did I just doze off? ‘What is it, Stevens?’

‘It’s Harris. There’s something the going on with him.’

I shift my seat into the upright position and peer across the starship’s central console at Harris. He’s staring blankly ahead. His two thumbs are working away against his cupped fingers but there’s nothing in his hands.

‘Looks like he’s gaming in his sleep,’ suggests Stevens.

I lean over and wave my hand in front of Harris’s face. There’s no response. ‘Maybe he’s in some kind of trance.’

At that moment, Harris lets out an excited yell and punches the air. ‘Yesss! High score Harris!’ He beams at us, wide-eyed and triumphant, holding out his hand for a high five. Stevens leans over and obliges.

Red warning lights start to flash and the familiar rising wail of the siren blares. The viewing screen flashes a message.

WARNING! SHIP UNDER ATTACK! WARNING!

Shields, need to activate shields, I think to myself.

SHIELDS ACTIVATED

The message fades and is replaced by a view of our surroundings. The stars don’t look familiar at all. But there’s no sign of any immediate threat. So why does the ship think we’re under attack?

As if in response, a group of small star fighters flash past us on the right-hand side of the screen. There is a crackle of static from the ship’s console.

‘This is Red Leader. Good shooting, Harris! Cover me, I’m going in!’

‘Roger that!’ answers Harris excitedly, extending his right hand and curling his fist around an imaginary joystick. Our ship banks to follow the star fighters.

The view of the unfamiliar stars is replaced by one huge dark sphere.

The Death Star from Star Wars

Has Harris been recruited to the Rebel Alliance? Are the Cadets about to be caught in the crossfire? Tune in next time for the third episode of Space Cadets Series Two.

Image credits: Hanson Lu on Unsplash, StarWars.com

The Sisterhood’s Welcome

Chris Hall21 Comments

figures in a dark landscape

Sinead felt the muscles in Moonsprite’s neck tense as she buried her fingers in her unicorn’s silvery mane. Her right hand was already clenched around the hilt of her sword. As the circle of torch-bearers closed in around them, Sinead felt the Crystal pulsate inside her jerkin.

A tall stately figure emerged from the circle, dark hair flowing to her waist. The woman stepped forward. Her eyes met Sinead’s, gazing into them steadily. Then she nodded and bowed her head.

The woman turned to the members of the circle, holding her torch aloft. ‘It is she!’ Her clear voice announced. Her eyes flashed in the torchlight.

Turning to Sinead, she spoke more softly. ‘I am Eileran. The Sisterhood welcomes you.’ She held out her hand. ‘Come, you must rest. When the sun rises again, we must summon the Dwarf of the Deep Mines. Without his skills all will be lost.’

Image credit: Sevenics on Deviant Art

Previous episodes of Sinead’s Final Quest

On the Threshold

Chris Hall35 Comments

The image shows an old bearded man standing on a stone staircase that is leading to a tower. In the background you can see mountains enshrouded in clouds.

Each time he asks:
life well-lived or just a bystander?

Young soul or old,
are you still curious?

Will you go round again?
do more, or better this time?

The wheel of life: 
treadmill or merry-go-round?

Will you go round again?
learn more, and see more this time?

Turning on and endlessly on
the wheel of life

Will you go round again
or leave at the terminus?

Your choice.
Will you go round again?

 

Written in response to Sadje’s What Do You See #38 photo prompt.
Image credit: Stefan Keller on Pixabay

The Journey Continues

Chris Hall31 Comments

Hanson Lu on Unsplash

Series 2 Episode 1

The lights flash back on and I’m blinking in the brightness. Captain Kirk and Spock are gone. I glance across the star-ship’s command console; Harris and Stevens are wearing puzzled looks.

‘Hello, Cadets!’

We spin round in our seats to see our Professor emerge from the doorway at the rear of the flight deck. She trots over to us and perches on the edge of the console.

‘Are you all right, Professor?’ I ask. ‘The mind-worm, has it gone?’

She smiles serenely at me, her usual calm and confident self, touching a hand to her ear. ‘It’s if it was never there, Jemma.’ 

The viewing screen blinks into life revealing Matt Smith’s version of the Doctor pointing a frustrated finger at us. ‘You lot!’ He yells, wagging the finger furiously. ‘Get off that ship now! How many times…’

‘Okay, Doctor.’ The Professor flicks a switch and the screen goes blank. ‘It seems that we are free to leave.’ She shrugs. ‘Come, Cadets, let’s go.’

She stands and leads us to the doorway. A blast of fresh air suggests a hatch to the planet’s surface has opened.

We follow. Harris flexes his fingers and Stevens walks with a slight limp. My legs are stiff from sitting. How long have we been on the ship?

So much has happened, so many dangers averted; after all that we’ve been put through by our captor, can leaving really be this easy?

The Professor reaches the doorway. She stops and turns, blocking our path. Her face begins to fade and she grows taller. She is transforming into…

We take a collective step backwards.

A towering humanoid looms before us. One whom we all recognise. We saw him on the star-ship’s viewing screen when we first arrived. It’s the Zyborgatron and this is his ship.

The shiny silver mouth opens. ‘Return to your seats, Cadets. I haven’t finished with you yet.’

The ship’s engines start to hum.

~~~

What has the Zyborgatron done with the Professor? Could they be one and the same? (after all, we’ve never seen them together) and what are his plans for the Cadets?
Tune in next week to find out.

And if you we’re wondering what on Earth (or off-Earth) is going on,
you can catch up with the entire first series of Space Cadets here

 

Written in response to a prompt from Susan T. Braithwaite
Genre Scribes Friday Fiction Writing Challenge #48

The challenge this week was path.
Photo credit: Hanson Lu on Unsplash

Torches in the Darkness

Chris Hall36 Comments

Two torches shining in the darkness with water in the backgrond

Moonsprite took off at a gallop, her silver hooves beating out the passage of time. The late afternoon shadows were lengthening more quickly than Sinead would have ever anticipated. Her unicorn sped on into the sunset’s orange glare. They were aware of nothing but the dazzling sunset and the need to complete their journey before the day ended.

Sinead tasted the tang of salt in the air and felt the freshening breeze on her face. Moonsprite’s pace was slower, her progress hampered by the deepening sand under her pounding hooves. Flecks of foam appeared her flanks as she desperately pressed on.

The flaming sky turned purple as the last lip of the sun disappeared below the horizon in a final orange flare. Moonsprite’s steps faltered in the soft sand and Sinead slid from her back.

Torches borne by shadowy figures flared around them, moving ever closer in the velvet darkness.

Image credit: Harlekin Kid on Deviant Art

Previous episodes of Sinead’s Final Quest

The Atonement

Chris Hall43 Comments

For visually challenged reader, the image shows a woman holding her hands in supplication. In front of her a hummingbird is hovering in air. There are flowers in the background.

Meditating in the moment
watching silent wings beat softly
in bright iridescence
inhaling the essence
of fragrant flowers
before being laid to rest
on their beautiful bower.

She, who today, has been chosen
to atone for all our sins
the balm to soothe the breast
of our broken mother, Gaia.

 

Written in response to Sadje’s What Do You See #37 photo prompt.
Image credit: Stefan Keller on Pixabay

Coming soon…

Chris Hall18 Comments

Hanson Lu on Unsplash

Space Cadets: Series 2

If you’re new to the series or want to catch up and remind yourself where we left off, the previous series is here: Space Cadets Series 1

Kirk and Spock Space Cadets lunasonline

How the last series ended:
‘Fascinating,’ observes Spock. He puts the tricorder down. ‘Let me try something, Captain.’
Spock reaches across the console. He presses three keys, one after the other: Ctrl-Ale-Delete.
Everything goes black.

What next for our gallant Space Cadets? Tune in on Friday!

The Race to the End of the World

Chris Hall27 Comments

Black and grey image of tree trunks

Sinead opened her eyes. Charred tree stumps and scorched earth were all that remained of the beautiful forest. The centaur had gone, the forest creatures, too. Safe, she hoped. Had the Crystal of Nor caused that? But why?

She knew that the Crystal was an agent of protection. A relic from before the time of the Oppressors. It had fallen to her to carry it with her; not to question its purpose.

Sinead reached into Moonsprite’s saddle bag from where it still glowed. She held it aloft. It brightened, pulsating like a heartbeat, pointing a finger of light on the path ahead.

The bridge arched upwards, climbing more steeply than before. The distance remaining, impossible to tell. The sun, now a great orange globe, was beginning its descent. Moonsprite shook her silvery mane and stamped her hooves. It would be a race against time to reach the end before sunset.

Image credit: VulpesErin on Deviant Art

Previous episodes of Sinead’s Final Quest

Nostalgia

Chris Hall50 Comments

The image shows a camera capturing the image of a woman in colour, while the rest of the image is in black and white. There are lots of tools on the wall behind the camera.

Sunshine and sandcastles,
warm hugs and gap-toothed grins.

Short skirts and high heeled shoes,
deep kisses and long-lashed smiles.

Memories colour a drab existence,
a façade over a pretty face.

Worn, wrinkled and age-faded,
behold the deceitful mask of time.

 

Written in response to Sadje’s What Do You See #36 photo prompt.
Image credit: Ariadne-a-mazed on Pixabay

What I’ve been reading #2

Chris Hall22 Comments

chris's #armedwithabingo book update Q2

 

#ArmedWithABingo is a year-long reading challenge hosted by Kriti Khare & Ariel Joy and this is my end of June update. 

The books I read for the challenge in this second quarter of the year are outlined in yellow, and straight away I’ll tell you that my stand out book was Trevor Noah’s ‘Born a Crime’. If you’re curious to know what I thought of this or any of the books I’ve read, pop over to Goodreads where you’ll find my reviews. I do think it’s important to support authors with reviews – I know how much it means to us.

You can also find out more about my reading habits and my response to the #ArmedWithABingo challenge in an interview I did with Kriti Khare at the beginning of this month.

And now, with only four more books to go to complete the challenge, maybe I’ll try do a second bingo board for the second half of the year. Meanwhile, if anyone has a suggestion for a book with a food in the title, please let me know.

Footnote
How much the world has changed since I did my first ‘check in’ for the challenge. Here in South Africa we were about to go into lockdown. We thought it would be for just 21 days, but it continued for 100 days. Like most of the rest of the world, the country is only just beginning to open up.

My reading has continued and so has my writing. Most of all though, I’m so grateful to all of you, my online friends, for being there and being you! 

Stay well, stay safe.