ISBN 1-59201-000-8
Books Unbound E-Publishing Co.
http://www.booksunbound.com
Publication September, 2002
Cover Art by D. Lee
Beyond the Horizon
D. Lee and Kammy Bonias
Copyright July, 2000
All Rights Reserved
Chapter One
"C'mon, sugar. We're going to
the press conference."
Jade looked up from the article
she was typing. She knew better than to just take off with Sarah without
questioning her first. She had gotten them both into trouble more than once
with her antics. Jade was suspicious Sarah was up to something again.
"What press conference?"
"Well, what conference do you
think, silly?"
"The President? I thought Mike
and Bill were assigned to that."
Sarah pushed her straight dark
hair back over her ear as she checked her camera nonchalantly. She lifted her
head and smiled slyly. "They did... but they took off unexpectedly. Guess they
got a tip that the aliens had landed north of here."
"Sarah, you didn't!"
"They're a pair of pompous
assholes," Sarah muttered with a shrug.
"They fell for it?"
Sarah smirked. "Hook, line and
sinker. Chuckster didn't have a choice but to send us to cover the President."
Jade simply couldn't pass this
up. She gathered her things.
They rode the elevator down to
the parking garage. "I can't believe they were that dumb. They know most of the
sightings have been on the coast." Jade pulled her coat on. "All this talk of
aliens, what's gotten into everybody? How could two senior reporters pass up a
presidential news conference to go chasing UFO's?"
Sarah laughed. "With them it's
not hard. They're not the brightest flames in the fire." She opened the car
door and paused. "But the alien thing? I don't know. A fad I guess. It's cool
to be UFO chasers, and they have dreams of scooping the first pictures of the
aliens."
"Well it's one fad that I'll be
glad to see go. Let's bring back blue jeans instead."
Sarah grimaced. "You have any
idea what my fat butt looks like in jeans, Jade? Not all of us can be slim
things like you, ya know."
Jade rolled her eyes at her
friend's endless preoccupation with her weight. "You're not fat."
As Jade wove her way through
traffic, Sarah changed lenses on the camera. "Oh sure, you and your thick
blonde hair, crystal blue eyes, long slim legs, firm breasts, small waist--"
Jade interrupted her in
exasperation. "Sarah, you're perfectly fine and you know it. You're the one who
has to toss a coin on Friday nights to decide what date to accept. I sit at
home alone."
"That's because I'm easy!"
Sarah laughed, motioning to a gap in traffic.
Jade smiled at the truth in her
words and maneuvered her car into the gap. The conversation died as they neared
the White House. She pulled up behind the line of cars waiting to pass through
security.
"Looks like absolutely everyone
was invited," Sarah commented as she dug out her press identification.
They both flashed their ID's
and were waved through the gate. She looked around as they were led to the
press briefing room. "Does it seem like there are more secret service guys
around than usual?"
"How would I know? I've never
been to one of these before."
Jade let her gaze move over the
room, surprised to find empty seats near the front. "I gave up ever getting a
chance like this." They hurried to the seats directly in front of the podium
then found out why they were empty. They were so close to the podium, a clear
shot was impossible.
"Let's move." Sarah turned back
to look for another empty seat when a man approached the podium. His bald head
gleamed in the camera lights. He glared over his heavy rimmed glasses until
everyone fell silent.
"No one will be permitted to
ask questions until the President has finished. Then, all questions will be one
at a time. You know the drill." He cast his glare over the now silent crowd as
if daring anyone to speak. He looked towards the side door and nodded. "Ladies
and gentlemen, the President of United States."
Everyone rose to their feet
when the President walked out and stepped up to the podium. Jade studied him,
and nudged Sarah. "He looks pale," she whispered.
"Please be seated." His voice
was strained. He cleared his throat and looked at the television cameras.
"Ladies and gentlemen, it is my sad duty to inform you we are now at war."
The room gave a collective
gasp. Everyone leapt to their feet and the noise level rose as all the
reporters yelled the same question. "With who?" This was not what anyone
expected. There had been no war in years. Not since the Middle East had finally
settled down.
"Quiet, please!" The aide
stepped forward and barked into the microphone. "Sit down and the President
will explain."
Everyone sat, but the tension
in the room was thick.
The President pushed up his
glasses nervously and nodded his thanks to the aide. "Ladies and gentlemen,
this is going to be hard to explain. First, let me assure you I am not insane."
He paused as if trying to decide how to go on. "A race from outer-space called
the Pontenz have claimed Earth as their own." Everyone stared at him. A few
chuckled and looked around, assuming it was some sort of joke. A very bad one
at that.
The President continued. "We
have been aware of the Pontenz for a while now. We had hoped to work out a
treaty with them before informing the public. I have been in communication with
every leader on Earth to come to some sort of terms. But as of today, all our
efforts have failed."
"Where did they come from?"
someone asked.
"Another galaxy."
Press conference protocol was
forgotten. The room erupted into a barrage of questions. Jade and Sarah were
forced to stand when the crowd pushed forward. Everyone shouted at once. Jade
stumbled and grabbed hold of the podium to catch her balance.
She started to apologize, but
the words died in her throat when she saw a soft, green light shining on the
President. Her eyes widened when the beam spread, enveloping him, then her. It
was like a special effect out of a science fiction movie. Everything seemed to
move in slow motion. She stood frozen as the light engulfed them both.
"Sarah... SARAH!" She reached
out to her friend as the room faded from view.
Jade fell to her hands and
knees when the light disappeared. She realized the podium she had been holding
onto was gone. She blinked in confusion. In front of her stood a line of large
beings in dark armor. Since she couldn't see their faces, she didn't know if
they were male, female... or something else altogether.
"Mr. President, so nice of you
to join us."
The deep resounding voice
caused her to turn to a man standing near some kind of holographic image of
Earth. The Planet floated in mid-air with what appeared to be writing scrolling
along one side.
Jade could only watch in
stunned silence. The man reminded her of a statue. One of those huge works of
art in a museum. He was heavily muscled with a commanding presence about him.
He looked human... just
big
. He had a short, neatly-trimmed beard and mustache. His blue-black hair fell
to his shoulders and gleamed in the dim light of the room. His coal-black eyes
lifted slightly at the corners. Above his eyebrows, he had a dark blue pattern
that faded into his hair. It looked like a tattoo, but she noticed, now that
the crew had removed their helmets, they all had it with some slight
variations. She quickly assumed it was a natural marking. He had a thin scar
that ran from the inside corner of his left eye to his jaw. On his left hip, he
had a large, vicious looking dagger. On his right, he wore something she
assumed was a gun. Overall, he was an overpowering presence.
She remembered all the sketches
she had seen over the years, each depicting what aliens looked like.
Boy, were they wrong
.
"Commander... wh-why have you
done this?" the President stammered.
"Because you refused to listen."
"Your demands are
unreasonable... release us... release me."
Jade turned her attention to
the President in surprise.
He is crumbling!
She could almost smell his fear.
"We will open discussions
again, Commander. If you are willing to lower your demands."
The Commander's attention
shifted from the man to Jade. "Who are you?"
Jade blinked and scrambled to
her feet. She had never been brave and now was no exception. She was terrified.
"Come here."
Jade couldn't move.
Two armored men stepped up
beside her, gripped her arms, and dragged her forward until she stood in front
of the man. She had to tip her head back to look up at him.
"Who are you?" the Commander
repeated. His gaze moved over her openly. "You are female."
She shrunk back from him. "J...
Jade Lefet, Washington Central magazine." Jade lifted the ID she wore around
her neck and showed him.
The Commander turned and looked
at another who sat at a control panel. "Your beam a little wide again?"
"Sorry, sir. Did not want to
miss."
The Commander rolled his eyes
and turned back to Jade. "You have my apologies. You were not meant to be here."
"Where is here... exactly?" She
was surprised she could even ask.
"You are onboard my flagship,
in orbit around the planet you call Earth."
"Really?" she whispered. Even
with her fear, she felt a thrill of excitement. "You're pulling my leg, aren't
you?"
"Pulling your leg?" He looked
down at her leg, then back to her, confused. "No... is that a custom of your
race?"
Jade laughed nervously. "Ah,
no. It's just an expression."
"Oh, humor? Interesting." He
looked at her a moment longer, then turned his attention back to the President.
"You have seen the power we have. I will give you thirty Earth days to
reconsider your position. You do not want a war with us, Mr. President. Our
offer is real... and more than fair. This will happen with or without your
agreement."
The President was sweating and
struggling to maintain some composure. He nodded eagerly, seeing he was about
to be released. Jade watched him and was ashamed. The Commander nodded and
looked back at Jade. "You will remain." He flicked his wrist. The President was
encased in the shimmering light again, and vanished.
Fear seized her when all eyes
turned to her. Everything she had ever heard about alien abductions came back
to her. She stumbled back and held her hand up when the Commander took a step
towards her. "Stay away from me!"
The Commander stopped. "You are
a reporter, are you not? That is someone who informs the public about things
that happen?"
Jade's head jerked in a nod.
Her mind, as it often did when she was under pressure or scared, made
irrelevant observations. His accent and manner of speech was odd. He spoke
English perfectly...
that was it
... no slang or contractions like she was used to.
"Good, then we will talk and
you will inform the people." He snapped his fingers and a guard stepped
forward. "Show her to the guest quarters."
"No! I don't want to stay here.
You can't keep me here!" She jerked her arm out of the guard's grip. "Let go of
me!" She stood ready to fight them all.
The Commander turned back to
her, mildly surprised at the outburst. "No, no. Just calm yourself. You will
not be harmed. I just want to talk, nothing more. You have my word. Now go. I
will join you soon." He walked out of the room.
Jade had to run to keep up with
the guard who escorted her to her 'quarters'. The door hissed closed behind her
and she heard the unmistakable sound of it being locked.
"Some light would be nice," she
muttered. At her words, small lights imbedded in the ceiling cast a soft glow
in the room. She looked around, surprised at the beauty. It certainly wasn't
the cell she had expected. It really was guest quarters. It was small and the
colors were soft and warm. One wall had a large viewport. Curious, she walked
to the large portal. A soft gasp escaped her when she saw the planet below. It
glowed like a jewel on a bed of black velvet. "Holy shit," she whispered.
To her right a small door
hissed open. Curious, she walked to it and peeked in. She grinned a little when
she realized the computer had misunderstood her. She studied the gleaming steel
washroom a moment then returned to the viewport. The sight made her dizzy with
something like motion sickness and she had to look away. She touched her
fingers on the glass like surface, studying the material then the wall next to
it. Her hand was shaking with fear and an underlying current of excitement. Her
mother had always said her curiosity would cause her no end of trouble. Jade
had always been unable to resist an adventure, even though it scared her to
death.
"I don't think you'd believe
this, Momma," she whispered softly.
This is a sample chapter from
Beyond the Horizon
by
D. Lee and Kammy Bonias
We at
Books Unbound E-Publishing Co.
www.booksunbound.com
hope you will enjoy the entire book!
Stay tuned for this author duo's sequels, to be released later in 2002
Uncertain Horizons
War on the Horizon
Author's Bios
D. Lee
I live in B. C Canada with my husband, two grown sons, a cat and a dog.
Hobbies include computers and photography. Something of a late bloomer, I
didn't start to write until I was forty, although I've always been a
dreamer. Perhaps I had to live first, before I could sit down and
put my daydreams into actual stories.
Dreams are only unreachable if you stop dreaming.
Kammy Bonias
I started my writing career in the advertising industry. Though at the time I
didn't actually consider it 'writing'. I, like everyone else, moved into
cyberspace, where writing is a way of life, and good writing sets you apart
from everyone. As I learned my way around the Internet, I stumbled into some
literary clubs and gaming groups that role played games and simulations through
e-mail and other online mediums. This was how I met my co-author, D. Lee.
Like many of the text-based gamers, I began writing short stories, and then
novels, submitting them here and there, but nothing real serious until D. Lee
and I began discussing writing. She was writing too, and showed me one of her
stories. I added to it, made a few changes, expanded on the characters,
polished it up and sent it back to her. She loved it. We formed a partnership
that day and the rest is history. We've been together for years now, and still
have never met in person.
I am widowed, and live in Northwest Montana with my children, 3 dogs, 5 cats
and a parakeet named Skeeter.
Visit the Author's Joint Website
D. Lee and Kammy Bonias
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