The Crystal Bridge (The Lost Shards Book 1) by Charlie Pulsipher Page A
Authors: Charlie Pulsipher
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rewriting their programming to allow for an early response and to compensate appropriately. It shouldn’t be a problem in the future. I truly think this was a special case.”
“It better be. You’ve managed to salvage your position today, but I want you to keep a close eye on our Dr. Iverson. No more mistakes with this one, Stephens. Now…about this progress you mentioned?”
“His brainwaves are substantially altered and more active and he seems to be healing faster than anticipated, though it’s difficult to tell based on the small puncture wounds from the surgery.” Dr. Stephens sat a little taller as he related the progress.
Vander Carlson wrinkled his nose in disgust at the man. Spineless. “Come back when you have more than beliefs and difficulties. I’d arrange for some injury that will be easier to analyze. You are dismissed, Doctor.”
Relief flooded the thin man’s face. “Yes, sir! Thank you, sir! I won’t let you down, sir.” He backed toward the door, once again a cautious animal, afraid, but at least smart enough not to turn his back on the predator.
“Oh, Stephens, make sure the man can still work with his injury. He has much to do, so much to do.”
Ten thousand glassy black eyes snapped open in the void, the endless space between countless universes and the dark god’s prison. Rho had slept for over seven hundred years. It wasn’t true sleep. Rho never truly slept. Its inhuman mind calculated escape while continually tormenting the sentient souls in the worlds of matter, beings Rho hated.
The moment Rho awakened, over two million souls screamed in their sleep on Earth as their dreams soured and grew dark. Adrenaline burned through their veins and many jolted awake with sweat and urine staining their sheets, skin crawling with fear that did not leave them even with consciousness.
Many awake on the other side of the planet froze with unexpected fear. Cars screeched and slammed into one another. Forks quivered with food untouched. Words stopped halfway spoken.
Nine point four light years away on a large planet that rotated a red star, a monk named Feustis felt the quivering touch of Rho’s hate and stood with his four arms raised high. “It is time, brothers and sisters.”
His voice rolled through the great hall, amplified by his thoughts, reaching the thousands of others who meditated within as blue smoke from incense floated over their shaved heads. “Rho has awakened once more.”
The room buzzed with the whisper of cloth as each devotee sat taller and clasped their arms together. Feustis sat back down and did the same. Between his twin clasped arms formed a flickering image of a blue planet. He poured emotion through the portal as he had been taught so many years before by the gods themselves.
I will do my part. Earth is where the true battle will be waged. The gods tasked him alone with protecting this one planet while the others would split their attention across a dozen or more. They would also work in shifts while he would only take brief breaks when absolutely necessary. It is what the gods demand.
The monk glanced toward the far door where two men stood, identical in almost every way, at least on the surface. One gave him a solemn wave and nodded his head. The other waved enthusiastically, grinned, and then gave him a thumbs up before they both vanished in a circle of light. Even if the gods are strange.
Back on Earth, a sense of peace and well-being filled hearts and pushed back the fear. Dreams returned to normal while those awake shoved stained sheets into the laundry or picked up their conversations where they’d left off. All tried to forget the touch of Rho.
Chapter 6: The F Word
A ren hated hospitals. Her father had died here, five years ago, from cancer. Just another tie that held her to Tracy, who also lost her father too soon. She wanted to throw her clothes back on and run out the door, but she resisted for her mother’s sanity.
She rubbed her arm where the nurse
“It better be. You’ve managed to salvage your position today, but I want you to keep a close eye on our Dr. Iverson. No more mistakes with this one, Stephens. Now…about this progress you mentioned?”
“His brainwaves are substantially altered and more active and he seems to be healing faster than anticipated, though it’s difficult to tell based on the small puncture wounds from the surgery.” Dr. Stephens sat a little taller as he related the progress.
Vander Carlson wrinkled his nose in disgust at the man. Spineless. “Come back when you have more than beliefs and difficulties. I’d arrange for some injury that will be easier to analyze. You are dismissed, Doctor.”
Relief flooded the thin man’s face. “Yes, sir! Thank you, sir! I won’t let you down, sir.” He backed toward the door, once again a cautious animal, afraid, but at least smart enough not to turn his back on the predator.
“Oh, Stephens, make sure the man can still work with his injury. He has much to do, so much to do.”
Ten thousand glassy black eyes snapped open in the void, the endless space between countless universes and the dark god’s prison. Rho had slept for over seven hundred years. It wasn’t true sleep. Rho never truly slept. Its inhuman mind calculated escape while continually tormenting the sentient souls in the worlds of matter, beings Rho hated.
The moment Rho awakened, over two million souls screamed in their sleep on Earth as their dreams soured and grew dark. Adrenaline burned through their veins and many jolted awake with sweat and urine staining their sheets, skin crawling with fear that did not leave them even with consciousness.
Many awake on the other side of the planet froze with unexpected fear. Cars screeched and slammed into one another. Forks quivered with food untouched. Words stopped halfway spoken.
Nine point four light years away on a large planet that rotated a red star, a monk named Feustis felt the quivering touch of Rho’s hate and stood with his four arms raised high. “It is time, brothers and sisters.”
His voice rolled through the great hall, amplified by his thoughts, reaching the thousands of others who meditated within as blue smoke from incense floated over their shaved heads. “Rho has awakened once more.”
The room buzzed with the whisper of cloth as each devotee sat taller and clasped their arms together. Feustis sat back down and did the same. Between his twin clasped arms formed a flickering image of a blue planet. He poured emotion through the portal as he had been taught so many years before by the gods themselves.
I will do my part. Earth is where the true battle will be waged. The gods tasked him alone with protecting this one planet while the others would split their attention across a dozen or more. They would also work in shifts while he would only take brief breaks when absolutely necessary. It is what the gods demand.
The monk glanced toward the far door where two men stood, identical in almost every way, at least on the surface. One gave him a solemn wave and nodded his head. The other waved enthusiastically, grinned, and then gave him a thumbs up before they both vanished in a circle of light. Even if the gods are strange.
Back on Earth, a sense of peace and well-being filled hearts and pushed back the fear. Dreams returned to normal while those awake shoved stained sheets into the laundry or picked up their conversations where they’d left off. All tried to forget the touch of Rho.
Chapter 6: The F Word
A ren hated hospitals. Her father had died here, five years ago, from cancer. Just another tie that held her to Tracy, who also lost her father too soon. She wanted to throw her clothes back on and run out the door, but she resisted for her mother’s sanity.
She rubbed her arm where the nurse
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