EXPLORE THE BOOK
The Unknown Hero is the first book in a science fiction trilogy brimming with daring schemes, vibrant characters, and intricate worlds. Recommended for everyone 12+.
Explore the synopsis, prologue, and preface by clicking the section headings below.
SYNOPSIS
Something had flinched in the darkness. He scanned the scene, his eyes straining to penetrate the walls of rain and mist. Then he saw it, a giant form as pitch black as the night.
Why have they come? Fear and speculation ripple across the solar system when an immense warfleet shows up out of nowhere. The leaders of the seven inhabited worlds must scramble to determine a course of action. Together, they can stand against the threat, but their own underhanded schemes divide them. Swept into the political panic, a timid, young rancher will have to unravel the secrets of the solar system that he holds dear. He will come face to face with the invaders and witness the first acts of war. To survive will take bravery, strength, and more than a little cunning.
PROLOGUE
“Line them up!” The order echoed off the thick walls of the throne room.
Eight prisoners, handcuffed and blindfolded, were escorted in under the guard of the palace sentinels. The guards stood the prisoners side-by-side before the throne and then dropped to one knee in unison.
“As you wish, Emperor.”
The grand throne rotated silently to face them. The Emperor’s eyes glowed bright as he looked the eight over. Some had taken badly to the chemical treatment, large, discolored splotches strewn about their bodies. Steepling his fingers, he addressed them sternly, “If you help us, you will live. This is your one chance. Don’t try my patience! We will find your solar system—it’s a matter of calculations now—so consider your service penance for the destruction you’ve brought here!” The Emperor beat his fist on the armrest but then slouched back. “We will overlook your crimes. Step forward if you will lead my scout ships where they won’t be detected. Your colleagues cannot see, they’ll never know.” No one moved. He waited just a moment, though, and then announced, “Ah, one shows himself wise!” The fear of being the only one was broken, and a hefty Wulvry hopped forward. He was a scientist, like most of the prisoners, and insisted on being called Dr. Kazacara. “And another,” the Emperor declared. He looked to the palace sentinels, “Escort these to the launch pads. Remove the restraints once aboard the scout ships. Now dispose of the others.” At the last moment, a second prisoner stepped up before the sentinels fired a blazing, blue laser through the unyielding six. The bodies collapsed like stacks of bricks. Only when it seemed that everyone else had left did the Emperor call out, “Furygon!” The tall figure emerged from the shadows. “Exactly how long would it take to ready an invasion scale fleet?” Furygon didn’t respond, so the Emperor blurted irritably, “Approximately!” This time the mechanical answer came at once, “1.7 orbits.” “Initiate preparations.” “Yes sir.”
PREFACE
The Unknown Hero is a story nine years in the making. The original concepts for many of the planets and characters came when I was twelve years old. Maybe two or three of those have survived to this final draft. The plot was secondary at first, gradually developing from the setting and characters.
I was never much of a reader growing up. I wasn’t good at it and couldn’t find a book that really interested me in our home library. I knew what I was looking for: a science fiction adventure without the plot holes and excessive aberration that you come to expect from the genre. An old, space series on the top shelf eventually caught my eye. I started reading it. To this day, I don’t know how I made it through the first book. From my disappointment, came the aspiration to write my own book. If I couldn’t find the story I wanted to read, I would write it. Not long after I put my pen to the paper, however, I stumbled across a fantastic young adult novel, Outriders by Kathryn Mackel. That further inspired me. I saw what a good writer could do. My best friend and fellow writer, Jesse Ramsdell, then loaned me some of his favorites. He opened my eyes to the literary world. The lack of reading in my youth was a blessing and a curse. Mostly a curse because I didn’t have a clue how to write a good book or what it should sound like. The reason I still count it as a small blessing is that it forced me to develop my own writing style instead of piggybacking on a favorite author. This book has been my school of writing. At the beginning, I was the worst of writers! I had to completely rewrite the story three times, and we’re not talking about rough drafts or the countless edits in between. Each time I wrote it to the very best of my ability, for better or for worse, and each time I could see the improvement from the early chapters to the latter ones. My advice to anyone who wants to get into story writing is to just start writing. No doubt you’ve heard advice like that before, if not word for word, but there’s good reason for it. Writing is an art form. So much of it can only be learned by doing the work. It doesn’t matter if your story is awful at first; you’re going to rewrite it anyway! Advice aside, you wouldn’t be reading this today if it wasn’t for my grandma. As a former English teacher, she made the perfect editor. Bit by bit, she imparted her mastery of grammar to me. I never would have made it this far without her encouragement. That was the greatest blessing. She is always engaged with the story and always eager to explore the next chapter. I couldn’t thank her enough if the 70,000+ words in this book were divided exclusively between “thank” and “you”.
AUTHOR'S SKETCHES
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Midek face. Excerpt:Kiiyeepo waddled in, his giant eyes struggling to stay open. He was average for a Midek, almost two units shorter than Caltow with towering, pointed ears that equalized them. He was covered in thick fur, dark gray except for a lighter patch on the front of his chubby body. His giant arms and hands could nearly touch the floor, because of his short, squat legs.
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Sinos. Excerpt:A horn, distinctive of the males, extended from the back of his head. He had deep blue eyes, a short snout, and a V-shaped tail. Large legs with back-facing knees set him right at eight units in height.
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Deurtex (work in progress). Excerpt:Their natural appearance mattered little, however, for they were covered in dense, gray suits that fit like a second skin. It shielded them from the air, which would burn their flesh, even wrapping into their mouths to a one-way exhale valve. Inhaling pulled air directly into their tracheas through modifiers that filtered and treated it.
Affixed to each suit were innumerable black, metallic panels, forming an armored shell. The suit itself could only be seen through the gaps between the panels that allowed the wearer to move freely. That is, with the help of many small motors to counteract the extra weight. Though this artificial exoskeleton made them rather indistinct from one another, it had become who they were over the orbits.
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Furygon. Excerpt:...long face was typical for a Deurtex yet so unlike the large, black sphere he’d learned to call his own head. It had been twenty-six orbits since Furygon saw his true face, twenty-six orbits of seeing through bright yellow slits and speaking through a metal face-plate. Everyone knew about the combat injury, a terrible blow to the head, that had given him this sphere. It was said that without it he would die.
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Orranian guide. Excerpt:Some would stare at him but never say a word. Then again, it always looked like an Orranian was staring, having a single gigantic eye for a face. He faced his guide rather than stare back. The being’s diminutive, feeble body toiled to hold up his oversized, cyclopean head.
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Nighdra, Queen of Rodeous. Excerpt:Her blue and silver gown glittering as she bobbed to an unheard melody. She was short and stocky. Indeed, all her features were bulky but also pronounced, like chiseled stone. Most astounding, however, was her super long hair, every unit of which was dyed a different color. It wrapped three times around her shoulders, acting as a shawl, and then cascaded almost to the floor.
NOTEBOOK DOODLES
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Allanoi. Excerpt:Prodek gazed down at the beautiful, green globe the fleet was parked beside. He couldn’t help but imagine it as a young planet, unsullied.
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Ascendancy (Top) and Sovereignty (Bottom). Excerpt:Parallel to Sovereignty was Ascendancy, an immense dreadnought that eclipsed the four coordinate long size of the mighty flagship. Both capital ships had an additional landing frigate and an orbiter docked to their undercarriages.
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Midek body and hand (Kiiyeepo). -
Drone. Excerpt:Bit by bit, the metallic silhouette emerged from around the bend, first a long arm bearing a pointed apparatus and then a giant, rotund body. ... Kiiyeepo snatched the spyglass from Valexs and zoomed in. The drone had come fully into view, revealing a menacing pincer on its left arm. An armored, turret dome was affixed to the slanted top of its body. Scopes, lenses, and alien devices protruded from all sides of the dome, giving it the appearance of a ten eyed monster. The turret rotated gently as the drone glided on a pair of continuous tracks, triangular in shape with the drive sprocket at the peak. A support reached up from its back to a laser cannon, enabling the weapon to tilt and pivot in any direction.
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Wulvry. Excerpt:He had a broad, oval head that seemed to bulge from the front of his thickset, fuzzy body.
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Zulans.
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