H.A.L.F.: The Makers Read online

  H.A.L.F.

  Book Two

  THE

  MAKERS

  NATALIE WRIGHT

  A Boadicea Press Book

  Copyright © 2016 by Natalie Wright

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to events or locales is coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of the author. For permission or other information, contact the author at: [email protected].

  For teaching tools and book group discussion questions, please visit the website: http://www.NatalieWrightAuthor.com.

  H.A.L.F., The Makers and associated logos are registered trademarks of Natalie Wright.

  ISBN: 1523820926

  ISBN-13: 978-1523820924

  For Pete

  and

  Sarah.

  In loving memory of

  Mom, 1940-2015.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  April, 2016

  What a year it has been since H.A.L.F.: The Deep Beneath launched! I travelled over 10,000 miles and more than 200,000 people passed by my display at book festivals, comic cons and book events from Portland to Santa Fe and points in between. Thank you to the many readers who have loved The Deep Beneath well and encouraged me to continue the tale.

  I pulled together the same great team that worked on The Deep Beneath to bring readers the follow-up, The Makers. I think it’s my best book yet. I hope you’ll think so too.

  Much gratitude and my eternal thanks to Alyssa, content editor extraordinaire at Red Adept Editing and Publishing; thank you to Jason G. Anderson for flawless eBook formatting; to Dane at eBook Launch for another great cover; and last but not least thank you to Pauline Nolet for final line editing. Cheers to a great team!

  In a year of great loss, a special thank you to my sister Michelle, who helped me get through it all.

  Thank you and a shout out to the lovely folks at Brewd coffeehouse. You supply the caffeine that keeps my fingers moving!

  And thank you as always to Pete and Sarah. Together you form the shore to my sea. The ocean pitched and rolled this year, but you kept the light on for me.

  PRONUNCIATION & DEFINITION GUIDE

  Pronunciation Definition

  badi bädē Father.

  baji bäZHē Female servants that care for children.

  banch banch Butt.

  Council of U Council of ōō The ruling body of the M’Uktah people.

  danx daNGks A sweet yet tart fruit used to make wine.

  dashi däSHē A term of endearment.

  Doj ZHō The spiritual leader of the M’Uktah.

  Doj’Owa ZHō ouä The head of the Temple of Doj.

  Dra’Knar dreknar U’Vol’s intergalactic starship.

  drosh drō SH A black, hard, carbon-like metal.

  Eponia Tu’Vol epōnēya too väl U’Vol’s third wife.

  flaghen flag en Conflict.

  Ghapta gäptä A lush, watery planet with plentiful game. Harvested by the M’Uktah.

  Ghozam Tu’Vol gōzam too väl U’Vol’s fourth wife.

  K’Sarhi k sari The M’Uktah name for Earth.

  kagha kägä Bad luck.

  Kreelan krēlan A planet harvested by the M’Uktah but on which there was an uprising.

  krindor krin door Mechanized exoskeleton.

  Lij lēzh The administrative ruler of the M’Uktah.

  M’Uktah mooktä A race of hunters from the planet Uktah.

  mach mäSH The toilet.

  madi mädē Mother.

  manthruin manTHrooin A spice similar to cinnamon.

  Mocht Bogha mäk bōZHä A naturally occurring vortex in space that allows the M’Uktah to travel quickly across the galaxy. It’s cyclical and appears approximately every three years in the Uktah solar system.

  Navimbi nävimbi One of the planets that the M’Uktah have harvested.

  phlegering flegi(e)rng A large, feathered, winged beast from Ghapta.

  Quelander keylander Someone from the planet Queland.

  raichta rayshä A small rodent on U’Vol’s home planet of M’Uktah, similar to a kangaroo rat.

  Sarhi sari The M’Uktah name for humans; earthlings.

  scryr skrier A psychic and seer.

  Shree’ka Tu’Vol SHrēka too väl U’Vol’s first wife and head of his household.

  Threka Tu’Vol THreka too väl U’Vol’s second wife.

  threkka THreka The lead servant in a ruling-class household.

  thukna thuknä A hairless, horned beast that lives on the planet Ghapta.

  U’Baht ōō bäht U’Vol’s friend and mentor. The representative of the Vree class to the Council of U.

  U’Fengh ōō fang A member of the Council of U.

  U’Vol Vree ōō väl vrē Captain of the Dra’Knar.

  Uktah ooktä The M’Uktah planet in a star system in the Milky Way but 1000 light years from Earth.

  ulv ōōlv The wolf-like ancestors of the M’Uktah.

  Vij Tu’Vol vēZH too väl U’Vol’s youngest child.

  Vrak Tu’Vol Vrak too väl U’Vol’s oldest son.

  Vrath vraTH The current Lij of the M’Uktah.

  Vree vrē The space-faring hunting and harvesting class of the M’Uktah.

  Vree’Kah vrēkä The hunters of the Vree class.

  Vree’Sho vree shō Farmers/ranchers of the Vree class.

  Wa’Nar wā nar U’Vol’s landing ship.

  zheshamine ZHeSHamēn A type of vine with sweet-smelling flowers.

  Zhichta ZHiktä The capital city of Uktah.

  Table of Contents

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  PRONUNCIATION & DEFINITION GUIDE

  1 - ERIKA

  2 - STURGIS

  3 - JACK

  4 - TEX

  5 - ERIKA

  6 - JACK

  7 - ERIKA

  8 - STURGIS

  9 - JACK

  10 - TEX

  11 - JACK

  12 - ERIKA

  13 - U’VOL

  14 - ERIKA

  15 - JACK

  16 - ERIKA

  17 - JACK

  18 - ERIKA

  19 - U’VOL

  20 - ERIKA

  21 - TEX

  22 - ERIKA

  23 - JACK

  24 - ERIKA

  25 - TEX

  26 - ERIKA

  27 - JACK

  28 - TEX

  29 - ERIKA

  30 - TEX

  31 - JACK

  32 - ERIKA

  33 - JACK

  34 - ERIKA

  35 - JACK

  36 - TEX

  37 - ERIKA

  38 - JACK

  39 - TEX

  40 - ERIKA

  41 - JACK

  42 - ERIKA

  43 - JACK

  44 - ERIKA

  45 - JACK

  46 - ERIKA

  47 - JACK

  48 - ERIKA

  49 - JACK

  50 - ERIKA

  51 - TEX

  52 - JACK

  53 - STURGIS

  54 - ERIKA

  EPILOGUE - U’VOL

  NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  1

  ERIKA

  The cold void that had swallowed Erika’s scream as she entered the alien ship enveloped her. Her once-again boyfriend Jack was no longer below her. Ian was not beside her. She didn’t know where Tex or Dr. Randall were. She was surrounded by darkness, the only
sound the frantic beating of her heart.

  The fat, wet tears that had spilled onto her cheeks evaporated into the cool, dry air. She’d feared being compressed into nothingness, but the pressure subsided. She tried to kick her legs and run, but she was paralyzed, able to move only her eyes.

  She couldn’t tell if she was floating in the center of the alien ship or hovering in a void of nothingness. She could have been upside down and not known it.

  Erika screamed for Ian, but no sound came from her. Despite the chill in the air, sweat dripped from her temples. Her eyes flitted wildly from side to side, trying to see something – anything. She closed her eyes in an effort to shut out the unnatural vacuum around her, but it was no good. The dark inside her mind was no better than the black emptiness of the ship she presumed she was in.

  Don’t panic, Erika. Maybe they immobilize us for our own safety. Since humans had not achieved interstellar travel, there was no reference point for how it was done. She remembered Jack’s words. “Cowboy up,” he’d said. Erika wasn’t sure she was cowboy enough for space travel.

  As much as she tried to talk herself out of abject terror, fear wound itself into every fold of her grey matter. She couldn’t shake the feeling roiling away in her gut like a bubbling cauldron that she had made a big mistake. And she’d pulled Ian along with her into an abyss of the dark unknown. But did I really have a choice? If she’d stayed at A.H.D.N.A., Commander Sturgis would have finished the job she’d started. The thought brought her no comfort. Jack was alone now in Sturgis’ hands.

  Erika’s head shook uncontrollably from the cold, and her stomach muscles ached from trembling. She wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be able to endure the physical pain and emotional anguish.

  Something brushed against her hand. Erika screamed, but the sound of her voice didn’t make it to her ears. Then it – whatever it was – brushed against her face. A stick or maybe a finger. The thing was dry and thin. It touched her again and her heart picked up its pace, beating wildly in her chest.

  Her breath was shallow and her lungs burned from lack of oxygen. She tried to get a grip on herself before she flew apart, madness overtaking her.

  The thing brushed against her again, this time at her temple. Her eyes flew open. Something flickered in front of her face. Maybe it’s a mirror. A quick flash of small light. A shadow. There it is again.

  There was something – or someone – mere inches from her. Without her eyes to guide her, Erika had to rely on her other senses. The temperature of the air around her was slightly warmer. A faint stir in the air. Breathing.

  Another light touch, this time at either side of her head. Tiny, bony fingers pressed against her temples. The touch was soft. Gentle.

  Another flicker before her face. What is that? Erika peered into the darkness.

  Two huge, black eyes mere inches from her face watched her. Unflinching, dark and empty, a terrified face stared at her from the creature’s mirrored eyes. It was her face. She wanted to turn away from the image.

  But her head was fixed forward, immobilized and compelled to endure staring at her own puffy eyes and face forced into alarming gauntness from lack of food and sleep. As her head trembled, the eyes staring at her wavered and shimmered.

  Erika’s breaths were shallow and quick. She knew she was in danger of hyperventilating or passing out. The possibility of blacking out was more appealing than continuing to hover in a cold, dark void with the two black eyes staring at her. But if she passed out, she’d lose any semblance of control. At least if she was awake, she knew what was happening to her even if she couldn’t stop it.

  The light touch at her temples became a subtle pressure. Her mind buzzed as though she had a million bees in her brain. An ache spread throughout her skull. The pain wasn’t like the icepick-through-the-head pain that Tex’s hybrid sister, Alecto, had caused her. Alecto’s virtual dagger through the skull made her feel as though her head was being split open. But the ache was pervasive and frightening just the same. Bile rose in Erika’s throat.

  There was a voice, soft but clear above the din of the incessant buzz. She tried to shout. “Ian!” But her words went nowhere, caught in her throat.

  The voice again said, “Sleep.”

  I can’t sleep. I have to find Ian, Tex and Dr. Randall. “Ian!” she yelled. Again there was no sound. The realization dawned that the voice she heard was spoken directly into her mind. They’re in my brain. Of all the things she had lived through in the past weeks, nothing frightened her more than the idea that a being – or beings – could infiltrate her mind. Am I heading to a place where I’ll never again have a private thought? She’d been so ready to run from Sturgis, she hadn’t considered that she’d be going to a world full of beings that had Tex’s same frightening ability to read her thoughts. She’d distrusted Commander Sturgis so much, she dismissed the woman’s talk of war with the greys as lunatic ravings. Sturgis had fired at the ship. She had started the fight. There’s no war. Right? Or have I given myself over to an enemy we didn’t know we had?

  “Sleep,” the voice said.

  Erika’s eyelids were leaden. The trembling stopped. The pain subsided. In an instant, a veil of darkness fell over her racing mind.

  2

  STURGIS

  Commander Sturgis’ back ached from bending and dragging dead men, some nearly twice her size, across the now bloody bricks of Aphthartos. She’d never been in combat before. The smell of so many dead was new to her. Her stomach churned and threatened to dump its contents, but she would not allow herself to vomit. As always, Lillian Sturgis did what was required of her. She stoically carried bodies and body parts to the center of the town to be identified and returned to their loved ones for burial. The only consolation for her, and for the families, was that the men died heroes, bravely fighting the most virulent enemy the country had ever known. At least now it will be in the open. They’ll know about the heroic work we’ve done down here.

  The eerie near-silence of Aphthartos was shaken by the boom of a strong, low male voice speaking in a British accent. “The blonde woman – there – take her into custody,” the man said.

  Commander Sturgis gently laid the arm she’d been carrying down. Her back was to him, but she’d know the voice anywhere. It was William Croft, leader of the Inner Council of the Makers, an international covert organization of which her father was a founding member.

  She rose slowly and turned, her hands outstretched to her sides and covered in blood. A small army of men dressed entirely in black surrounded her, their rifles raised and pointing at her as if she were the alien threat.

  The men surrounding Sturgis were nearly indistinguishable from her own black-clad mercenary force. The only difference was that Croft’s men wore the Makers’ symbol embroidered on their chests, a gold emblem of two snakes eating each other’s tails set against a pyramid background.

  Croft strode toward Sturgis as if he weren’t stepping over dead bodies. Not a hair was out of place on his neatly trimmed salt-and-pepper head. His prominent chin was thrust out, his dark eyes set on her.

  “What’s the meaning of this, Mr. Croft?” Commander Sturgis asked. Her hands remained outstretched at her sides. She tried to keep her voice level and assured, but there was a small waver in it. She hoped he didn’t notice it.

  He was close enough now that she smelled his spicy cologne. He was a small man, no more than five feet eight, and slender. Without her heels on, they faced each other at eye level. He wore a look of disdain on his clean-shaved face. “You are under arrest.”

  “For what? Under what authority?” Sturgis’ voice had gone pitchy and high.

  Alecto had been bent down over a body nearly thirty yards away from Sturgis. But now she walked quickly in the preternatural way that the hybrids had of moving. It looked as though Alecto was on a conveyor belt.

  Croft took a few more steps toward her. He was less than two feet from Sturgis. His eyes held no mirth. “I am the authority. This is my city,
and you’ve gone and shot it all to bloody hell.”

  Croft was a commanding presence. His dark eyebrows hooded his eyes, and his cheekbones were sharp, creating dark hollows on either side of his face.

  But Commander Sturgis held her ground. “Your city? You may lead the Makers, Mr. Croft, but the American people paid for this city. It belongs to them and I built it. I will not be pushed out like a piece of trash.”

  A loud crack of flesh smacking against flesh filled the air. Croft hit Sturgis’ face so hard, it whipped her head to the side. Croft’s handprint was hot on her cheek.

  “You created nothing but messes for me to clean up. You couldn’t even keep that hybrid in line, and now I’ve lost him.”

  Sturgis shook her head slightly as though clearing cobwebs from her brain. She thrust her chin out and pulled down on the hem of her jacket. “You can thank Drs. Randall and Dolan for that. It was their hand –”

  “Funny. I thought you were in command here.”

  Commander Sturgis stared evenly at Croft but held her tongue.

  “If you were anyone else, I’d order a firing squad instead of a court-martial. You can thank your brother when you see him next for invoking the right on your behalf.”

  “How kind of him.” Her words were icy and lacked any hint of gratitude. She had been close to her brother, Robert, when they were younger. But she got sent to the proverbial basement to do the dirty work while Robert got to live above, enjoying all the perks of being on the Inner Council. They’d grown steadily apart as each became ever more entrenched in their work. They were now family mostly by name, though Commander Sturgis had been able to maintain a good relationship with Robert’s daughter, Anna.

  “Well, you are of the blood. But that does not excuse what you’ve done here. You will be punished for your crimes.”

  Croft’s words still hung in the air as he gasped for breath and fell to his knees, his hands at his head. His eyes were wide and bulging, his breathing loud and labored.