The Fractured World, page 1
The Fractured World
David Aries
Copyright © 2020 by David Aries
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
All survival tips contained within are poorly researched and happily misused whenever convenient. If you ever find yourself trapped on an alien planet, please refer to an actual survival guide and don’t take advice from a fiction novel with a half-dressed hottie on the cover.
This book contains a harem of alien beauties, plenty of steamy sex, and a ton of monster-slaying violence. You’ve been warned.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Epilogue
Author Notes
More From Me
Chapter 1
“This year alone, nineteen people have gone missing on this mountain.”
I refreshed my parched mouth with a long swig of water. “I know. This has to be the nineteenth time you’ve told me.”
“Yeah, but… bro! You’re not seeing the bigger picture. You slack here and it could be twenty. You wanna be a statistic, bro? You wanna be on the back of a milk carton?”
I sighed. A passerby might have mistaken this for genuine concern, but I knew Keith better than that. “You just want me to hurry up.”
Keith grinned. “I’m serious, Brandon. Who’s gonna protect you if I go to the summit alone?”
“Why am I the one being kidnapped in this hypothetical situation? You’d be just as vulnerable as me.”
“Pff! Nice one, bro. Like any poacher’s gonna come after this.” He flexed and nearly burst through his sleeves.
As much as it pained me to admit it, Keith wasn’t wrong. You’d have to be pretty stupid to target a showboating muscleman when there’s a pale runt hanging around. We’d both traveled the same hiking trail and he was still full of beans. I was on my ass, sweating like a pig.
It wasn’t even warm.
Keith jogged on the spot. “Come on, bro. We’re almost there. Just a little more.”
“I know. I get it,” I said, forcing myself back to my exhausted feet.
He slapped me on the back. “I knew you wouldn’t quit on me. That’s what I like about you, bro.”
“I hope that’s not all.”
“Pff! Of course not! We’re bros! Now get that ass moving.” Keith set off up the forest-lined trail with vigor unbefitting of a man who’d been climbing for four hours.
My groan-filled shuffle was far more appropriate.
It took me maybe ten seconds to regret giving in. Every step scalded my whining feet while my calves burned hot enough to melt steel. The air was devoid of oxygen, putting a dampener on my underdeveloped recovery abilities. This was what I got for following an exercise regime focused primarily on the left click.
After a good half hour, an amount of time far longer than I felt had been advertised, we reached the summit.
The moment we arrived, I threw my rucksack down and dropped to my hands and knees. Beads of sweat poured from my brow and soaked the dirt ground.
“You did it, bro!” Keith said without a hint of exhaustion. “I knew I could count on you.”
“I’m the real deal alright,” I said between tortured breaths. “Please never ask me to do this again. Next time someone bails on you, find someone else.”
Keith scoffed. “Bro! Did you really believe that?”
“Huh?”
“All that stuff about needing to cancel? Fake news, bro.”
“What?” I tried to snap, but I was too tired to raise my voice. “Why?”
“Ain’t it obvious, bro? Because I wanted to come hiking with you. I knew you wouldn’t leave me hanging if I said I needed your help. That’s the sort of guy you are.”
“So, everything about being ditched and having to cancel your trip was…”
“Just a little white lie,” Keith said. “You never would have come if I’d asked normal.”
Well, he wasn’t wrong about that. Coming to another country to climb some backwater mountain wasn’t my idea of a good time.
“You bastard,” I panted.
“Don’t be like that, bro. You had fun. Admit it.”
“What part about sweating my balls off is fun?”
“Hanging with your best pal,” Keith said with a grin.
I… didn’t have much to say about that. Even though he was a dickhead, he had a point. However, I could have done without the exercise bit.
People were always surprised that we got on so well. We seemed like opposites and, truth be told, we pretty much were. Keith was a tanned muscle head with flashy blond-dyed hair while I was a fairly standard representative of nerd-kind. We were chalk and cheese, yet we just clicked. Always had, ever since we’d met in our teens.
As we got older, our differing hobbies meant we spent less time together. It was nice getting to catch up.
If only if hadn’t been under false pretenses.
“No need to sulk, bro,” Keith said. “What’s done is done.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” I wheezed.
“Don’t be that way. You ain’t even seen the best part yet.” He yanked me to my feet, scooped an arm around my shoulder, and pulled me along.
I was on the verge of complaining when something caught my eye.
Holy—
The mountain peak gave the most pristine view down Mother Earth’s ample bosom. Vivid green spread to the horizon where it melted into perfect airborne blue. It was flanked by brown and gray crags that jutted high above the treeline.
Mankind’s dirtying touch was nowhere to be seen in the wild valleys created by nature’s whimsy. This was a space preserved for those who had enjoyed its benefits for thousands of years.
You couldn’t find a sight like this back in Blighty. Even a photo wouldn’t do it justice. This was the sort of breathtaking view you had to see in the flesh to truly experience.
“Nice, innit?” Keith said. “If I just wanted a workout, I’d stick to the gym. Gotta do the tough stuff to get the real rewards.”
It took me longer than it should have to answer. I was too entranced. This was a real eye-opener for a guy who did most of his sightseeing sat behind a screen.
“I never knew you cared about this kind of stuff,” I finally said. “I thought you only came here to find some kidnappers.”
“No way, dude. That’s what you think of me? Come on, I know how to enjoy a swanky bit of scenery.” He rustled his dyed blond locks as he turned away. “But I guess I wouldn’t have complained if some bozo had tried to pull something.”
“Knew it,” I grumbled.
Keith laughed. “It’s just a joke, dude. Ain’t nobody nabbing people up here. It’s just people getting lost in the forest. What do I always tell you? Don’t go off the trail. You know how easy it is to get lost in a place like this?”
I sighed. “Yes, Bear Grylls. I remember.” Any other answer would have earned me a survival lecture.
“Good man! That could save your life one day.”
I rolled my eyes.
If there was one thing Keith loved more than being outdoors, it was showing off how knowledgeable he was about the matter. He was the kind of guy who loved rattling off ‘survival tips’ you’d never use. Thanks to him, I knew half a dozen ways to light a fire.
None were as effective as grabbing a box of matches.
“So, bro. I won you over yet?” Keith asked. “I’ve got a ton of other places I’d like to take you. Some of them will blow your mind.”
“Thanks, but no thanks,” I said. “This walking stuff isn’t for me.”
“But, bro! The adventures!”
“Get yourself a proper PC and I’ll take you on a real adventure.”
“Pff! This is the reason you’re still single.”
“As are you the last I checked,” I reminded him.
“That’s coz it takes more than one woman to handle all this.” He started flexing like some gaudy bodybuilder.
I couldn’t even look at him.
Keith snorted out a laugh. “Look, man. I proper need a slash. Why don’t you stew in this sight or something? Get that adventurer’s spirit flowing through your veins.”
“If it’s that or watch you have a piss, count me in,” I said.
“You know it, bro,” he said as headed for the bushes. “Back in a few.”
Without Keith nattering on, I realized just how quiet the summit was. It couldn’t be a popular climbing spot. We hadn’t spotted anyone else on
It was nice. If only if didn’t take hours of climbing to get here.
Reality would be so much better if it had a fast travel function.
Getting a picture was the least I could do. I pulled out my phone and lined up a shot.
Just as I got things how I wanted them, the sky turned black.
I clicked my tongue in frustration.
Where’d those clouds come fro—wait, what the fuck?!
Clouds? Yeah, no. There hadn’t been a flash weather change. That would be far too simple for my first hiking outing. What blotted out the sun defied logic. It was a vast black hovering metallic monstrosity that had appeared in an instant.
I considered myself a level-headed person yet the word that came to the tip of my tongue was anything but.
“Spaceship,” I said, unable to rip my eyes away from the underside of the gigantic sky-swallower.
What else could it be? It wasn’t a plane or a helicopter. That much was clear at a glance. And, as far as I knew, there was no other object that filled in the gap.
The machine’s base opened like a glowing mouth. It barfed out a column of light mere feet in front of me. Two figures descended within, touching down without so much as a ‘pat’ despite their size.
I couldn’t take my eyes away from them. My height was average and theirs was anything but. Making a quick and unscientific judgment, they had to be over seven-foot tall. Perhaps closer to eight? And that wasn’t paired with a stick figure physique. Each was built like a barn. At least, that’s how they appeared. Their bodies were perfectly hidden within mighty suits of metal armor. Of the sci-fi variety rather than fit for fighting dragons. Not that I would bet against them in a duel versus something that breathed fire.
Their faces were hidden under jet black helmets that reflected my terrified expression back at me.
An ice cold sweat poured down my brow. Every cell in my body screamed at me as one.
Run!
I bolted away from the pair and down the trail. Blisters and sore muscles were relegated to concerns of the past. Adrenaline was my fuel and self-preservation my objective.
Stomps chased me down.
I glanced back over my shoulder and let out a throttled shriek.
One of them was in pursuit and, for its bulk, it was fast. Each step closed the distance between us. And if that wasn’t bad enough, it held something in its right hand.
There wasn’t any way to be certain about what the object was, but I was smart enough to make an educated guess. It had to be a weapon. One meant to be used on me.
Is it a knife? A gun? How much range does it have?
Does it even matter? Its gaining on me!
My head start had been all but devoured. If I didn’t do something drastic, I was done for.
There was only one option left to me.
I bolted off the path and into the unmanned wilds which Keith had warned me to avoid. No matter how dangerous getting lost might be, it was better than allowing myself to be captured.
The density of the trees favored my smaller build. I weaved through a maze of brown and green until I could no longer hear any footsteps but my own. Only then did I finally take the chance to pause and collect my thoughts.
What is happening? That was… are those things behind the disappearances?
It felt safe to presume so. Either that or this was one cruel and elaborate prank set up by Keith.
My heart sunk. Keith! He was still up there.
I’d been squeezing my phone the entire time without realizing it. I tried to call my friend but got everybody’s favorite news. Out of range.
Useless piece of shit! Now what?
Keith was my friend. I couldn’t ditch him even if those… things were out there. He could beat anyone in a fight, but I didn’t like his chances against whatever they were. And if he couldn’t beat them then what could I do?
I scoured my pockets to see if I had anything useful. Besides some food wrappers, there was a compass and small knife that Keith had insisted I take. Unless he truly covered all bases, it hadn’t been meant for combat against armored giants.
Still, it was the only weapon I had.
Finding my way back to the path wasn’t happening. Keith hadn’t been joking around about how easy it was to lose your bearings in a wild bit of jungle. That didn’t mean I couldn’t head up.
Self-preservation could kiss my ass. I wasn’t going to abandon Keith.
I battled through the untamed wilderness while yelling his name, but there was no reply. Dread filled me. What if they had found him already? How was I supposed to know? The forest was a knowledge-smothering monster that sought to keep the two of us apart.
My throat turned hoarse before I heard a word back from him. I tried my phone again, but nothing had changed.
“Dammit, Keith,” I croaked. “Where are you?”
As if on cue, some nearby bushes rustled.
“Keith!” I said.
A colossal slab of black emerged from the foliage.
I stumbled back and caught my leg on a root. The fall didn’t hurt, but it didn’t need to.
The masked beast approached. Blue light flickered from the weapon in its hand.
“Get back,” I yelled, holding up a tiny trembling knife.
It did not. Instead, it pointed the weapon at me and pressed down.
A jolt of lightning surged into me. I spasmed as the current plundered my nerves and fried my mind. All of my strength was sapped away. When I was finally done being shocked to within an inch of my life, I dropped everything I was holding and collapsed in a daze. The world rapidly fell out of focus, turning from a dense green to a complete black.
Something gargled in a language I didn’t recognize.
I was in no condition to be deciphering gobbledygook. My adrenaline waved the white. I feebly lost a battle for my future as my consciousness faded.
Chapter 2
It had been years since I’d woken up from a blackout with a headache that could kill. I thought I’d put those days behind me. And yet here I was reliving one of those shameful moments.
With a groan, I pried open my exhausted eyes.
Out of all the strange locations I’d woken in, this one had to take the cake. Grated metal dug into my flesh, and it’s more solid cousin greeted me from most angles. There was only one spot that wasn’t some shade of gray and that was a glass panel covering what looked like a doorway.
“What did I do this time?” I mumbled as I rubbed out the sandman’s touch. If only I could remember—
I tensed and jumped up. It had come back in a flash. The ship, those men in black, and Keith. How could I forget? I cursed myself and tried to force my way out. The moment I collided with the glass, there was a small spark, and I was flung back across the compact room.
“What was that?” I groaned as I pulled my sore body up and traced it with my gloved hands.
It wasn’t glass. While it was just as transparent, it was a very different object. It managed to feel like both nothing and a solid wall at the same time. A blue tint chased my fingers, giving the illusion of being malleable without any of the benefits.
I’d seen something like this before but not in reality.
“Is this supposed to be a shield?”
They were common in the sci-fi genre. Walls made of light or matter that provided more security than normal doorways. And a doorway it was if the corridor outside was anything to go by.
If this is a shield, I’m either dreaming or all of that was real. I’m on an alien—
“ZGHKII.”
I jumped and scurried away from the voice.
A man occupied the other side of the cell, a place I’d barely glanced at after the entrance had stolen my attention.
While I called him a man, that was misleading. It suggested he was a human, but that was wrong. He could be nothing but an alien.
His skin was bright red and he had big black eyes that looked like they’d been plucked straight from the ‘stereotype’ category. On that subject, he didn’t have a lick of hair. It was as if a fresh tomato had grown sentient. Well, almost. Where you should have found ears, or at least total smoothness, were these antennas that sprouted from the side of his head. They swirled like the skin of a peeled orange before ending in spherical nubs.
