Alpha Dawn: Book one of the Teragene Chronicles Read online

  Alpha Dawn

  By Morgan R.R. Haze

  Alpha Dawn Copyright © 2017 by Morgan R.R. Haze

  Cover Art by Amy Caves © 2017 by Morgan R.R. Haze

  Copy Editor & Page Designer © 2017 by Timothy A. Martinez

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means – graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, Web distribution or information storage and retrieval systems – without the written permission of the author.

  Dedication

  For our parents thank you for always encouraging your children’s creativity.

  And Mom, I. Had. That

  Thank you to our Aunt, close family and friends for providing inspiration, feedback, and supporting our work.

  Thank you to our spouses for putting up with their crazy writers.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue:

  Hunter’s Guild Cruiser, the Seeker -3221 A.T.D. Day 374- Jason Singer

  Planet of Heliu -Day 377-Jason Singer

  The Peregrine -3226 A.T.D. Day 336-Elliot Singer

  The Waylay -Day 336- Peter Singer

  The Waylay Departing Talia -Day 336- Jason Singer

  The Waylay Med Suite -Day 336- Willow Linn

  The Waylay Crew Deck -Day 336- Peter Singer

  The Waylay Docking Bay -Day 336- Mark Driver

  AlliedCorp Frigate D-373-446-XF -Day 337-

  The Waylay Captain’s Quarters -Day 337- Ell Singer

  The Waylay Great Room -Day 337- Mark Driver

  The Waylay Bridge -Day 337- Jason Singer

  The Waylay Great Room -Day 337- Willow Linn

  The Waylay Docking Bay -Day 337- Gabriel Carter

  The Waylay Captain’s Quarters -Day 337- Ell Singer

  AlliedCorp Zeta Sector Station- Day 338-

  The Waylay Bridge -Day 346- Mark Driver

  The Waylay Crew Deck -Day 346- Peter Singer

  The Waylay Bridge -Day 346- Jason Singer

  The Waylay Approaching Ramses Supermax Space Station -Day 350-Jason Singer

  Neil Allister Journal Entry One -Entry Date: Unknown-

  New Ireland -Day 352- Mark Driver

  New Ireland -Day 352 -Aria Forge

  New Ireland -Day 352- Willow Linn

  Neil Allister Journal Entry Two -Entry Date: Unknown-

  The Planet of Fell -Day 346- Bree Reiter

  New Ireland -Day 354- Jason Singer

  Mondragon Industries Freighter -Day 346- Bree Reiter

  Neil Allister Journal Entry Three: Entry Date: 3226 A.T.D.

  Mondragon Industries Head Office on Fell -3226 A.T.D. Day 347- Neil Allister

  The Latitude in Route to the Coalition -Day 354- Kendric

  New Ireland -Day 355- Ell Singer

  The Latitude in Route to the Coalition -Day 356- Damian

  The Latitude in Route to the Bounty Hunter Ship -Day 356- Natasha Hastings

  The Latitude in Route to the Bounty Hunter Ship -Day 356- Damian

  The Latitude in Route to the Waylay -Day 356- Kendric

  The Waylay Great Room -Day 356- Jason Singer

  The Waylay Vault -Day 356- Natasha Hastings

  The Waylay Med Suite -Day 356- Bree Reiter

  The Waylay -Day 356- Jason Singer

  The Waylay -Day 356- Neil Allister

  The Waylay Med Suite -Day 356- Bree Reiter

  The Waylay Vault -Day 356- Kendric

  The Waylay -Day 356- Jason Singer

  The Waylay Great Room -Day 356- Gabriel Carter

  The Waylay Great Room -Day 356- Kendric

  The Waylay Great Room -Day 358- Ell Singer

  The Waylay in Route to Jakodi Station -Day 358- Peter Singer

  The Waylay Encounter with the Annabel Lee -Day 358- Jason Singer

  The Waylay Encounter with the Annabel Lee -Day Day 358- Ell Singer

  The Waylay in Willow’s Quarters -Day 358- Bree Reiter

  Annabel Lee -Day 358- Jason Singer

  The Waylay Approaching Jakodi Station -Day 361- Jason Singer

  Jakodi Station -Day 362- Ell Singer

  Jakodi Station Arena and Droneplex -Day 362- Bree Reiter

  Jakodi Station and Droneplex Arena -Day 362- Damian

  Jakodi Station -Day 362- Ell Singer

  The Waylay in Route to Talia -Day 362- Bree Reiter

  The Planet of Talia -Day 369- Bree Reiter

  The Waylay Approaching Mecca Prime -Day 378- Bree Reiter

  Classified Location -Day 379- Fenix Strike Team

  Fenix Battle Cruiser -Day 379- Bree Reiter

  Fenix Battle Cruiser in Route to Unknown Destination -Day 380- Jason Singer

  Mecca Prime Neil’s Villa -Day 380- Ell Singer

  Fenix Battle Cruiser in Route to Unknown Destination -Day 380- Mark Driver

  Fenix Battle Cruiser in Route to Unknown Destination -Day 381- Bree Reiter

  Fenix Battle Cruiser Interrogation Room -Day 382- Jason Singer

  Fenix Battle Cruiser in Route to Unknown Destination -Day 383- Bree Reiter

  Fenix Battle Cruiser Interrogation Room -Day 383- Mark Driver

  Fenix Battle Cruiser in Route to Unknown Destination -Day 384- Bree Reiter

  The Waylay -Day 380- Ell Singer

  The Waylay in Route to AlliedCorp Zeta Sector Station -Day 383- Aria Forge

  The Waylay Approaching AlliedCorp Zeta Sector Station -Day 385- Ell Singer

  AlliedCorp Zeta Sector Station -Day 385- Bree Reiter

  AlliedCorp Zeta Sector Station -Day 385- Neil Allister

  The Waylay -Day 385- Jason Singer

  About the Author

  Prologue:

  Why am I here? Where am I from? Where do I belong? Such questions were all too common on Terra Prime. Being born on the singular planet, humans looked to the past or to the stars for answers. Driven by ambition or by their natural curiosity, most opted to look to the cosmos to unravel the mysteries of their existence. After all, any solution that was too simple was considered either out of date or too narrow minded and therefore became decreasingly accepted by the masses. Many even speculated that extraterrestrial beings lived beyond the edges of explored space. Yet, beyond mere speculation there was no factual proof that they truly existed. Whatever lay beyond Terra Prime, that's where they believed the answers to all of life's questions would be found. Space mission after space mission, they delved deeper into their solar system.

  Just as the scope of space exploration missions expanded, so too did the problems on Terra Prime. Inequality, corruption, conflict, and a rapidly deteriorating eco-system were the symptoms that those in power sought to remedy, or to create by their actions. Regardless of the plethora of ideological views, the one thing humanity actually agreed upon was that something had to be done, and soon, or no diplomatic effort or far flung research mission would save what would be left of Terra Prime in the coming decades.

  Despite their shared recognition of their impending extinction, there was not a united front on how to actually deal with the problems. Thus, hope continued to fade and mankind persisted in their attempts to dominate one another rather than cooperate to save their planet. It appeared that any logical person would have resigned themselves to their fate, trying to live their life to the full with the few years that they had left before the end.

  But the most unexpected thing, or more specifically… person, happened; his name, Dr. Benjamin Erehart. He was a quiet man who had spent his life learning, studying, and exploring. He travelled on several space expeditions within Terra Prime's solar system, but would have been
the last person who would have been noticed on the ship. What he lacked in interpersonal skills, he made up for with his extreme focus and intelligence. Before the end of what would be his last space mission, he discovered a strange ore deposit on an asteroid belt. It was unlike anything from Terra Prime and radiated a strange kind of energy. Being a cautious man, he handled it only after he suited up in protective gear and contained it in a highly reinforced cargo hold. Upon returning to Terra Prime, his preliminary research uncovered that the ore did not match anything within the periodic table of elements. This caused the doctor to speculate that in order to understand the undefined ore; he would need to expose it to other elements of terra; flora and fauna, all within a controlled laboratory environment.

  To doctor Erehart’s astonishment, the ore caused certain elements to grow exponentially. Once he moved past experimentation with Terra Prime minerals and materials, he forged on, to the realm of limited DNA manipulation. Upon a series of tests, he concluded that the ore could also be used to rapidly rehabilitate the planet’s water sources, soil, flora, and fauna. This convinced the doctor, he had found the solution to the impending extinction of Terra Prime! He would propose that the planet be terraformed to save the world’s fragile eco-system.

  Though many in the scientific and political community were skeptical of the doctor's claims, it seemed reasonable to at least allow him to try his outlandish theories.

  Months later, and after many trials proving that the ore could regenerate swaths of previously spoiled land, into fertile soil with fresh vegetation, it was abundantly clear to authorities that this ore could be the answer. New mining expeditions were planned, with ships launching towards the asteroids where it had been discovered.

  Doctor Erehart dubbed the dynamic ore, Teragene, (commonly pronounced Tara-Jin). Teragene has the meaning of two things. First, to regenerate elements of humanities home ‘Terra.’ Second to regenerate, or manipulate the ‘genes,’ or DNA of species. This discovery was celebrated earth-wide as the single most important discovery in the history of Terra Prime. Therefore, it came as no surprise that the year Teragene was discovered, 2652 A.D., was named the era of the Discovery of Teragene, and all calendars would be reset to 1 A.T.D. (After Teragene Discovery).

  It was during this time, due to the various solar years, rotations, and orbits of planets in their solar system and beyond, the Terra Prime High Council decided to create a simplified and universal time keeping system to maintain interplanetary order. Thus, the standard year would be changed to four hundred days, divided into ten months of forty days each, rather than the three hundred and sixty-five-day-year which had been the standard on Terra Prime.

  The planet appeared united as Dr. Benjamin Erehart addressed a global audience in what became known as his famous “Teragene Founding Speech.” He resolutely admonished those in power that, "mankind now has the responsibility to use Teragene with the highest morality, ethics, and consideration for our planet and people." While the doctor intended Teragene to be used to heal the planet and give humans a bright hope for the future, there would be others over time who would not share his view. Regardless, it seemed humankind's home was saved and a new era of prosperity, optimism, and technological advancement would usher in.

  As Terra Prime's climate issues were being cured however, this did not heal the inequality or prejudices that were rife between humans, which continued to pollute the social fabric of the planet. Though doctor Erehart was positive about the future for the majority of humans, he himself passed away of an untreatable illness only a few years after his discovery and subsequent success. Along with the doctor's death, so too, died his ideals and influence. While he would be remembered as a man who saved the planet, the rest of his legacy would be dismantled in only a few years by the powers that be and in the scientific community, who did not share Dr. Erehart's "naive ideological view." They reasoned that something more than a healthy planet had to be achieved to quench mankind's primal need for dominance over each other. Thus, the Hybrid program was born.

  There were no qualms about what the Hybrid program was intended for. The outcasts of humanity, namely criminals, the poorest inhabitants, and social pariahs would all be subjected to the program. With the scientific foundation already laid by doctor Erehart's early research in Teragene’s manipulation of DNA, eager scientists seeking to take doctor Erehart’s place in history as the new saviors of humanity went to work. Much was concealed from the public as to what went on in their laboratories, but as mankind's living conditions improved due to a regeneration of the planet, the "quality" of the Hybrids also improved. Soon, they were creating strong enough prototype Hybrids to begin mass production.

  Eventually, one-fourth of Terra Prime's population would be made up of Hybrids (a sub race with various attributes of Terra Prime fauna, molded into their DNA by Teragene.) Their primary use was to be slave labor. However, this didn't stop scientists from continuing to make strides towards “perfecting” their creations. With further research carried on in secret, they explored the possibility of creating a weaponized version of this new subspecies. It seemed that there was no limit to the innovations that could be made through science, all fueled by the power and seemingly endless possibilities of Teragene.

  Those in power declared that all unaltered humans should no longer pursue a course of conflict with one another, but that it was Hybrids who should be dominated. Thus, humanity finally had a thinly veiled reason to unite, while preserving their primal craving for dominance over those who they perceived as inferior.

  With the majority of the planet united, technology advanced by leaps and bounds. Teragene’s application to space technology opened the possibility of rapidly expanding beyond Terra Prime’s own solar system. With the enslaved sub race to be the backbone of the workforce for building new civilizations (not to mention Hybrids could handle Teragene directly due to their immunity), humanity set out to establish new worlds.

  Prior to the colonization of any planets that were terraformed with Teragene, an Oath of Interplanetary Neutrality was written by the High Council of Terra Prime and signed by all global leaders. Any new planet founded beyond Terra Prime could operate with its own government, laws, and deal with its domestic planetary conflicts in any way it saw fit, as long as it did not interfere with other planets. Thus, Terra Prime would serve as the seat where all interplanetary disagreements, primarily trade disputes, would be judged or resolved.

  An interplanetary peace keeping force was also established, and at the right time an entire planet in the most strategic part of the known universe would be terraformed as a central base for the force. This would allow interplanetary conflicts to be resolved quickly, maintaining order among worlds. The Terra Prime High Council would maintain oversight of the military order.

  Over the next 1200 years, mankind's dream of colonizing distant planets became a reality. Anyone with enough wealth, power, and Teragene could establish their own colony, society, or dynasty however they saw fit. At the whim of those in power, time periods or ancient civilizations could become a reality again in these new worlds. In over a millennium, thousands of planets were colonized beyond Terra Prime’s own solar system. It seemed that the opportunities were endless and that peace would reign.

  However, in 1291 A.T.D. a mysterious event occurred. The light of the known universe, the cradle of mankind where it all began, Terra Prime, vanished in an instant and all life in most of the Alpha Sector ceased. This left humanity, now living on colonized planets in outer space, alienated from their first home world.

  The Terra Prime High Council had strictly prohibited off-planet research, so along with the loss of their home world, humans lost the ability to create new species of Hybrids. All the research and archives on DNA manipulation had disappeared into the ether with Terra Prime.

  Though it is still a mystery why Terra Prime or "Old Earth" as it would come to be known, went dark, new answers were given to age old questions. If someone asked, "Why am I here?"
They would be given the commonly accepted answer, "Your planet was brought to life by Teragene." If someone asked, "Where did I come from?" They would hear the response, "Old Earth,” the planet which was located in the Void, where all humanity originated." Terra Prime, what used to be the very place humans asked these questions to begin with, would over centuries be considered a mysterious otherworldly or mythological place, and many new beliefs were formed about it.

  Though humanity had once possessed the ambition to be galactic pioneers, pushing beyond their frontier of the now colonized thirteen sectors of the known universe, they became stagnant after the loss of Terra Prime, ceasing all exploration of unmapped space.

  While the human race was preserved, living on thousands of planets amongst the stars, mankind lost the sense of who they really were. Their understanding of true history was deluded. Many books and writings had survived the loss of Old Earth, as they had already been transported to hundreds of other planets. Yet, these were only fragments of the true origins of mankind. Thus, facts became obscured and were viewed as myths. Conversely, myths would somehow morph into revered historical events over the centuries.

  If someone on Terra Prime, prior to the discovery of Teragene, had been able to look into the future, they would have felt the future inhabitants of the colonized planets were odd, backwards even. Rather than looking toward the mysteries of unexplored space, humanity looked back to the Void where Old Earth once was, as the greatest mystery of the cosmos. For all they had achieved and lost, they had no proof and were no longer interested in finding out if there was in fact life beyond their own worlds. They had left their home planet, lost their original home, and then in a way, became aliens themselves. Rather than continue to ask the big questions about life, most would stop questioning their existence. As time passed, those born on planets within the thirteen sectors surrounding the Void had no curiosity about life beyond the confines of colonized space. They didn’t need to consider why they were there and where they came from. For most of them the matter was settled and there was no need to look any further.