A Sneak Peek: The Kepler Incident — The Continuing Adventures Of Bill Jones And The USS Enterprise
Regular readers may be familiar with Bill Jones, the main character of my story, “The Armstrong Incident” and the nine-part series “Where No One Has Gone Before.”
If not, you can catch up here:
Where No One Has Gone Before, Pt. 01
Where No One Has Gone Before, Pt. 02
Where No One Has Gone Before, Pt. 03
Where No One Has Gone Before, Pt. 04
Where No One Has Gone Before, Pt. 05
Where No One Has Gone Before, Pt. 06
Where No One Has Gone Before, Pt. 07
Where No One Has Gone Before, Pt. 08
Where No One Has Gone Before, Pt. 09
The adventure continues, this time in “The Kepler Incident,” an ebook published on Amazon (Kindle Unlimited) as part of the Erotica Consortium’s “Sexy Shipwreck” series. I normally don’t do this, but I decided to give you all a sneak peek.
Here, then, is the prologue of “The Kepler Incident”:
Prologue
Friday, April 11, 2111, 0600 hrs CST
The thin, emaciated man stood before the large, well-stacked pile of wood upon which the dead body of his beloved Lisa lay. Of the 30 members of the expedition that made it to this planet, she was the 29th to go to her eternal destination, leaving him to face an uncertain future alone. He had laid her out as nicely as he could manage and had brushed out her hair tenderly in memory of the spirit that had made this mere flesh so beautiful.
His freshly brushed uniform hung loosely over his frame, but his medals, buttons, and brass shined brightly. His long graying hair, beard, and wrinkles belied his 37 years. He had given up shaving long ago but brushed out and trimmed his beard, wanting to look his best for this event. Lisa deserved far more, but that was all he had to offer.
With tears, he pulled the lighter from his pocket, activated it, and set the kindling ablaze. He watched as the flames licked over the dry timber and consumed Lisa’s frail body.
“Goodbye, my love,” he managed to force out of his tight, dry throat. “May you rest in peace in a much better place than… this. I’m so sorry I couldn’t get us home. I tried as hard as any man could. I love you… More than you will ever know. Thank you for everything, my sweet, sweet Lisa. I suspect that I will be seeing you again… soon… if God and the crew forgive me.”
With that, he dropped to his knees, his weak body wracked by sobs. He was alone now and had no pretensions or examples to set for anyone. More than once, he contemplated throwing himself on the funeral pyre to join his Lisa in the afterlife, but something held him back. It was almost as if her spirit was encouraging him to continue.
After several hours, the fire died as the wind blew her ashes over the field where the ashes of his other shipmates now rested. He looked at the scenery around him. It looked so beautiful, so idyllic. Lush green fruit trees lined a crystal clear stream teeming with fish. To the north was a large hill covered with more trees and bushes, all filled with tempting fruit.
But it was all a lie. It was so inviting, but almost all of it was deadly to humans, as he and his crew learned in the three Earth years they had been stranded here. By the time they realized the hidden danger, it was too late. He had ordered the survivors to stay away from the native fruit, which was so tasty and filling.
Most of them had obeyed, but besides being tasty, the local offerings were addictive, almost like a drug. Lisa tried hard to refrain but was unable to for very long. She suffered painfully for months, organ after organ failing due to the alien prions before her body finally shut down.
The red sun set as the last of the embers died out. Wiping his face, Captain James Stewart, Commanding Officer of the USS Kepler, a faster-than-light science vessel, turned and walked back to what was left of the damaged command module. He changed into an olive drab flight suit and walked to the bridge.
Thanks to the solar panels they deployed upon arrival, there was enough electricity to run most of the remaining serviceable systems. He turned his computer on and entered the daily log, noting the funeral of his counselor, soul mate, lover, and partner in life, Lisa Sharpe.
He shut the computer down when he finished to save battery power, then turned to what remained of the communication station. He tried everything he could imagine, think of, as he had so many times over the last three years. But nothing worked. Nothing ever worked.
Frustrated and angry, he stood up and kicked the console. Nothing happened, so he kicked it again, and again, and again, screaming his despair out at the station to work.
“WORK, you stupid piece of shit,” he yelled as he continued kicking. After one particularly nasty blow, he saw an indicator light blink — the only sign of life the console had shown since their arrival. Hopeful, he knelt before the console, his eyes focused on the panel.
“Please,” he begged. “Work for me. Just once.” Hot tears fell down his face as the console remained blank. Sobbing, he beat his head against the panel over and over. “I can’t stay here like this… All alone. So alone… Please…” Then he heard something behind him that instantly shot chills up his spine.
“You are never alone, James Stewart,” a familiar female voice whispered. Surprised and shocked, he whirled around to see who spoke to him.
“Wh… Who… are you?” he asked demanded in a shaky voice, seeing the ghostly outline of a female form.
“I am here for you, James Stewart,” the form replied soothingly. “As long as you remember, you will never be alone.”
…
To read more, go here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CF18LW7M
