Science Fiction
Date Published : 07-24-2025
Saddled with a dying sun, humanity has no time to catch its breath after
barely fighting off alien invaders. A defective yet determined super-soldier,
Lieutenant ‘Duck’ Diaz shoulders the task of proving
humanity’s worth to the Stellarans, an advanced alien species offering
salvation.
Haunted by his failures and mistrusted by those he fights to save, Duck finds an unexpected ally in Hannily, the Stellaran princess who believes in the potential for unity. Together, they must bridge the divide between two fractured worlds, confronting betrayal, cultural rifts, and their own doubts to give humanity a second chance at survival—or risk losing everything to the void.
Excerpt
The Girl Beyond the Horizon
The stars had become humanity’s enemy. Their bright futures had
been reduced to a flicker.
Holding this flicker close to his heart, a soldier expelled a chilling
breath through a tight-fitting breathing apparatus and plunged a stake
deep into the freshly dug earth. This makeshift headstone sat at the
tip of a steep drop-off on the edge of a lonely mountain. The wind
raged against the heavy clouds covering the sky. Bittersweet satisfaction
peeked across his face when the headstone didn’t waver amidst
the elements.
He brushed the dirt and dust from his mute black uniform. Then
he snapped his legs together and proudly saluted the grave before him.
“For your sacrifice and victory. You may be gone, but our best is just
beyond the horizon. I’ll…” he paused, contemplating his following
words, feeling their ever-present weight, “…take it from here.” He had
no tears for the dead. Instead, he offered his sweat.
He started walking away from the drop-off, passing many similar
graves.
The communicator on his ear chimed before a young man’s chipper
voice resonated from it. “Out there again, I see.”
The soldier smiled and couldn’t wait to reveal the news. “It’s finally
finished, Julian! I buried the last one.”
“I’m happy for you, Duck. Your dad would be proud seeing what
you’ve done for all of them.”
Duck’s face soured slightly. “He should be buried here, too.”
Julian joked, “The greats find more interesting ways to die.”
“That was him, alright. If only I—”
“Don’t even start. Just do what you can, and things will work out.
They have another mission for ya. Could be something valor worthy.”
“I bet it’s just more stray asteroids.”
“Then it shouldn’t take very long. You can hurry back, and we’ll
celebrate you finishing the memorial. I have some strong stuff I want
to try.”
Duck’s face tightened. “Ugh, no thanks. I’m not trying another
failure in your long line of alcohol experiments. Even a mad scientist
would have quit by now.”
“You baby. Getting sick is part of the drinking experience.”
“Usually preceded by a nice buzz. Not bleeding out the nose.”
“Suit yourself. Call me when you get back. Alcohol or not, I
wanna celebrate.”
“You got it, doc.”
Duck’s earpiece went silent. As the wind died, light came down
onto the gravesite, bringing his uniform to life. Its solid black color
gave way to glimmering silver stripes and a holographic American flag
patch on his right shoulder. On his left was a golden iris insignia. The
sun caught his eyes as he looked up. They were silver and artificial. As
his augmentations adjusted, he bathed in the intense light from the
sun. Earth’s bright yellow star had grown large and ominous.
“Hang in there, big guy. We still need you.” He then called, “Masterpiece,
let’s go!”
About the Author
I am a working new father and served in the US Army where I drew
inspiration for Earth’s Last Encore. I am a nerd at heart for Anime,
Kpop, TCG’s, you name it. When I’m not writing overly
introspective work I’m playing with my Corgi and new son. I currently
reside in the Minnesota Twin Cities.
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