Before Alandra E-Book

Adrian Tanase

• Herausgeber: Subspace Transmissions Publishing
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Seitenzahl: 74

Beschreibung

The year is 4010. Alan is a simple Earth citizen, enjoying life like anybody else. He has a corporate job as a chip programmer and a girlfriend, and he lives in an expensive apartment in one of the tall glass towers of New York. It was all working perfectly for him until he makes a mistake that will be going to change his life radically. This is the prequel/introduction of "Future Imperfect", book one of the "Non-Linear Time" trilogy.

Leseprobe

Before Alandra (prequel of "Future Imperfect")

Adrian Tanase

ISBN: 978-3-98756-150-4

© 2022 Adrian Tanase

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Author: Adrian TanaseCover : Adrian Tanase Publisher : Adrian Tanase

www.adriantanase.ro

Chapters

1. Just another Sunday 2. The credits 3. The day 4. The officers 5. The trial 6. Embarking 7. Arrival day

Chapter 1

Just another Sunday

It was 9 in the morning. The Manhattan fog was still lingering among the massive blocks of steel and glass that had appeared in the city. Nothing old had been left standing since the InterSkyTransport Corporation had come to Earth. All of America was rebuilding and new corporations were rising everywhere. The landscape of New York was changing every day, and one could see construction sites everywhere. The corporation that had changed America in the recent years had brought in a lot of trade and commerce especially from the planets in the constellation Lyra, with which it had many trade links, being a major hub in the Galaxy. Interplanetary agreements had paved the way for prosperity, and the government had awarded hundreds of building grants in the past few months.

Alan had just woken up and was preparing his morning coffee. He always liked the fine mist that hung between the floors below him and the few upper floors that remained, because he could see the new city that had risen in just six years from where he lived, from the 32nd floor. Soniya had not woken up yet. She worked late night shifts and liked to sleep in on Sundays. Her thin, slightly brownish, blond hair made Alan forget what he was doing and stare at her for seconds, marveling at her femininity. That's what had attracted him to her ever since he'd seen her. Alan used to go to Manhattan bars, which now looked like they were from another world. That's where he'd met her, in one of the cafes on the ground floor of a glass block. She sat there and drank her coffee alone, looking out the window, with a few rather thick books on the table. The first time their eyes met, something happened. He knew immediately that he had to go and talk to her. She felt it too, and confessed this secret to him after several weeks of them being together every day. Their love was special, sincere, and even tumultuous at times, and since they had moved into their new apartment together, their relationship had evolved into almost a dream come true.

The coffee was almost ready and the fragrant smell filled the living room. Alan had also lit a couple of green Japanese scented sticks, the kind he could find in the shop he had found a few blocks from where he lived. His passion for Asian things had taken off lately, especially since a few simple but chic oriental shops had appeared in the area where he usually shopped. He took the kettle and poured gently into the two cups he used every morning. His was a little bigger, because he liked to have a big mug of coffee when he woke up. He took Sonia's pink mug and carried it gently into her bedroom, trying not to wake her by putting it on the nightstand. He then walked over to the windows of the apartment, which stretched across the entire west side of the house, and looked out. He felt the scent of the coffee perfume his whole morning as he looked forward to the new day. He was thinking of the far corner world where Japan was, which had now become the commercial centre of the planet.

"Alan? Are you awake?"

He turned and looked at her.

"Yes. Breakfast isn't ready yet, my dear."

Soniya turned over on the other side of the bed.

"Then I will sleep a little bit longer. See that you have some fruit in the fridge," she told him with her sleepy and sweet voice. Alan had recently bought a lower bed, which he had spent a lot of credits on. The mattress that took the shape of his body was still quite firm, and made him dream well almost every night. But for the past few nights, he'd woken up as if he'd slept somewhere else, somewhere where everything was different somehow. For the past few months he had been having rather eerie dreams, where the atmosphere was similar to the one in his room, only things were a little more crowded and he felt very alone. He couldn't explain it, but he knew that the dreams had their own meaning, perhaps yet undiscovered.

He went into the kitchen, and began to prepare breakfast. Soniya liked breakfasts where fruit predominated. They also had croissants with butter, jam, fruit and a few kinds of nuts, and coffee or tea was never missing. In five minutes she had everything ready. He placed everything on the small table in the kitchen and pulled the chairs out from under the table. He walked slowly over to Sonia's bed and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Soniya opened her eyes and smiled.

"Alan, I was dreaming of something so beautiful..."

"I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to disturb you. Just know that the fruit is on the table and the coffee is ready. Would you like me to go downstairs and get the daily paper?"

"Ah, you don’t really have to, Alan. Only if you want to."

"All right, stay in bed, Sonyia. I'll go and see if I've got any letters. I'm also expecting a package since a few days ago."

Alan put on a thin coat, his dark blue sneakers, and opened the door. It was quiet in the hallway. It was quite early in the morning and the neighbors were not yet awake. He went to the elevator and pressed the button. He usually had to wait 30 seconds for the elevator to reach the 32nd floor, even if it was stopped on the ground floor, and that's where he usually found it in the morning. This time the elevator was on the 24th floor.

"Good. I'll be down soon," he thought.

The elevator arrived in ten seconds and the doors slid silently open. He stepped into the elevator, and selected the ground floor. He always enjoyed admiring the view as the elevator sped down. After 30 seconds, the elevator reached the ground floor. Alan walked casually to the area where the mailboxes were. At apartment 848, the morning paper was half out of the mailbox. He picked it up, glanced at it in a hurry, and got back into the elevator that was waiting for him with the doors open. He pressed the button on the 32nd floor and turned the paper to take a closer look at the latest news. The last shipment from Sinnia had brought a load of the finest whiskey they had. The local government had released private transports to Sector 4, adjacent to the Pleiades IV solar system, and 10% of the money for access to the fast lane was now coming directly into the New York City treasury. A local television station had begun airing the second season of Sky and Stars, a much-loved series. Alan closed the newspaper and waited a few seconds more for the elevator to reach the floor he lived on.

He stepped out and the elevator door closed. Suddenly he had a very strange feeling. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a shadow almost glowing silver disappear down the stairs, to the left of the elevator. A chill ran through his stomach and he turned his head. There was no more footsteps. He walked slowly towards the service stairs and looked down. No one.

"Maybe my imagination is playing tricks on me," he thought to himself, and walked slowly towards his apartment. All the doors were looking the same, made of mahogany wood, and the numbers were written in rounded, golden numerals. He went inside. Soniya was already at the table eating.

"I waited for you but I got an appetite and bit into a peach."

"Ah, no problem. There was only the newspaper downstairs."

"The coffee is very good," Soniya said, tasting it again. "What do you want to do today, Alan? Shall we walk around the Japanese quarter again? Would you like to take me around?"

Alan had just kicked off his shoes. He looked at her for a few moments and smiled.

"Of course, my dear. We'll definitely go, you just know I love walking around the Japantown."

"Let's eat then. I want to spend a lot of time together, today. I know you like it too, so sit down and eat your breakfast."