I'm pretty excited about my new release, Alcatraz Burning, A Short Story Collection. I began writing the tale many years ago, but the original manuscript was lost. Over last Christmas holiday, I decided the time had come to re-write and re-imagine the entire work.
Here's a short excerpt. I hope you can read and review it soon!
With a terrific forward rush, the pod
was catapulted out of the Alcatraz’ launch bay and into space. The engines came online; rear burners glowing
a deep red. Derek eyed the visual
display, which showed their travel progress.
The burners stayed on for just a few moments, then automatic maneuvering
thrusters fine-tuned the pod’s course.
The background of stars ahead began to vanish, obscured by the black
hulk.
Derek could feel all eyes on the
display. He inched back slightly, so
more could catch a glimpse of their mysterious destination. An uneasy quiet filled the pod.
“Anne, will you hit the spotlights? Let’s see what we can make out.”
“Forward lights are coming on,” she
replied, activating the pod’s high intensity exterior lighting via the control
panel to her right. The powerful beams
should have lit up the object with great clarity, but something altogether
different was happening.
“What the… Are lights on full?”
“Yes sir,” Anne replied. “There’s something moving there, I think. It’s like ripples in a lake—not that I’ve ever
seen much of a natural lake in real life.”
“I see it, but I don’t understand what
I’m looking at. It’s like some kind of
an automated or natural response to the light.”
Its surface rippled and undulated with
a movement like dark water. Blackness
retreated from the light. Anne swept the
beams a different direction, and the surface could be seen flowing away from
the light again. The proximity alert
sounded, and the braking rockets fired several times.
