Nebulous Pilot Episode II Part Two: Story Time With Tim

Greetings and salutations, faithful followers of this blog! I’m Timothy Scott Purvis and you have found yourself at the last blog of the year! True, I could do a few things here and there but it’s now the Christmas season and I’m thinking this will have to be it for the year. Sorry to say. It’s been a long year with a lot happening. I had a mental breakdown, went through two jobs, and suffered from severe medical disorders. Meanwhile, we got a new president and the world has tried to tear itself apart! Of course, that’s not really surprising given the world we live in.

I’ve tried to entertain and delight. And I’ve tried to put up some extra material when I had the chance. Didn’t happen too often, but I think I had a fair shake at it. I might have one more blog before the end of the year. We’ll see. Maybe something very special. For now, though, let’s do that shameless plug for my other work and come to the end of the post to see my final thoughts! See you down at the bottom, folks! You know how this works by now!

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SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION STARTS!

I would appreciate if you have Kindle or even if you want some paperback goodies if you’d head on over to my page and maybe show me some love there. I mean, if you’ve been reading a while and see something you like, wouldn’t you like to have it in your personal library? I have some cool short stories available for cheap. Also Tales From A Strange Mind that collects my short stories (there’s also a Kindle edition but, for some reason, Amazon wouldn’t let me link them together) , Tales From A Strange Mind II which collects my old novellas, Red Star Sheriff (Which also has a Kindle edition but Amazon, am I right?) my first novel ever released, though, yes, it does have some grammatical errors and drags on for way too long, sigh. But I still love it and I will be writing a follow up sometime within the next few years. I have a collection of my poems called MisAligned: The Heart Waxes Poetic which collects my old poems but not some of my newer ones included those flash fictions! I’ll probably do that in the future as well. And if you love the perfectly inane, why not check out my Star Cloud scripts presented in book form? Star Cloud The Original Scripts. Another one where Amazon was being difficult with me in connecting the Kindle and PB versions. Still, the paperback they let me sale for cheap and it’s well worth a look if I say so myself. Or, if you don’t want to click on individual links (all of which will take you to my author’s page anyway), just click on my author’s page directly by tapping my name: Timothy S Purvis See for yourself what all I’ve published since I began this venture in 2016.

I mean, if you like my work, of course. No pressure. Just trying to find my way in this world without working menial tasks and suffering physical and mental issues as a result. If only I could merely stay home and write. That would be my most epic fantasy brought to life. Well, if you don’t want to do that, you could also donate to my cause down below after all is said and done. It would help. You know, if you liked what you saw and all. Up to you. I don’t have a lot of reviews on my materials because of low sales. I mean, very, very low sales. In the single digits. Right now, I have to rely on Pubby for reviews and those people only read your synopsis and recap it for a five star review. I want honest opinions. Not mean ones, but honest. So, if you ever find yourself buying some of my work, I’d certainly appreciate some feedback. Again, up to you.

End Shameless Self Promotion!

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Alright, everyone, this is the second and final part of Nebulous my pilot series. I don’t have anymore to share with it but it’s still something amusing. Keena the space pirate assassin is chasing the other space pirates trying to reclaim the newly christened Nebulous. Why? Well, that’s a story for another day. Right now, this is the end of this anime’ inspired venture. But, I do have some more stuff coming after the new year. For now, I hope you enjoy this old writing and how badly it’s presented! HaHa!

Man, I kind of suck at this, don’t I?

Episode II Part 2

Soon, Maavyn and Karson rush into the bay from the opposite direction. Not far behind, is an extremely upset Keena and her soldiers in tow.

  “Think she’s pissed?” Asks Maavyn.

  “About me or the sock?” Karson inquires with a grin. Maavyn responds with the same and they speed up the landing ramp. Karson punches the ramp controls as the ramp closes. Then he hits the same switchboard.

  “Kookie! You up there?” Karson calls.

  “Aye, sir. All present and accounted for.”

  “And our ‘guest’?” Karson wonders.

  “Resting comfortably… oh… scratch that, he’s on the bridge.” QuKi replies.

  “I’m coming up!  Get us out of here!” Karson says as he and Maavyn run up the corridor leading to the elevator to the bridge.

“Sure. All he ever wants out of me. ‘Get us out of here!’ Hmph! And how praytell am I to do that? The gate’s locked and is fire proof!” QuKi says to Marcus whom only frowns.

  The strange robot thing comes over to a unit set out well before the helm station. It overhangs the glass giving one a panoramic view of everything from above to below. The robot starts to operate the system at the device. Seconds later, the huge gate into the hangar bay opens. Emergency systems flare up and the soldiers retreat, dragging an angry Keena with them. Weapons stop firing as the golden ship lifts off and navigates 180 degrees and leaves the docking bay.

  QuKi takes control then, and sets a course beyond the Outer Rim and far from Continuum space. Maavyn and Karson arrive on the bridge. Karson takes the Captain’s chair and looks at his crew.

  “Great job, guys! Got us out of here in just the nick of time!” Karson says.

  “Don’t thank us, completely that is… the… uhm…” QuKi starts but doesn’t want to seem rude to the quizzical robotic lifeform before him.

  “Gate!” Marcus pipes in. “He opened the gates to the docks! Let’s call him ‘Gate.’” he smiles.

  “Alright. Gate it is… what do you say? Gate sound good to you… Gate?” Karson asks the being. It smiles its robotic smile in response but solemnly looks out to the space beyond.

  Karson and Maavyn exchange looks of curiosity. Both feel that based on what they learned, the thing should at least be capable of talk. But time didn’t allow for that consideration. Battleships approach the ship fast. They come in strong from the main docking passway. And hail them to stop their engines and give up.

  “Battlestations!” calls Karson.

  QuKi puts full power to shields and Marcus mans the turrets. Maavyn takes the station nearest Karson… it is the tactical station. Wave takes his place upon the communications station and repeats his message to the oncoming ships.

  “That’s a negative, Capitol ships. We have the right of way. Please make way for the…” Wave looks around suddenly.

  “Oh, wonderful! Some pirates we are! We never christened the damned ship!!” yells Nellene.

  “Just… tell em the uhm… give em our title!” replies Karson.

  “…The who? We didn’t receive that last part, please?” comes the voice. Wave is taken aback.

  “Wow. Polite bastards, aren’t they?” Wave receives smiles to his notice. “This is the ‘Shadow Ghosts,’ notorious outlaw, renegade space pirates barreling down yer throat!! ARRRR!!” Wave replies and starts busting out laughing. The others just look at him. “Hey! I can have a little fun! Call it Cherokee humor if you want!”

  “Or maybe Wave just has a bad sense of one!” Marcus pipes in. Wave wave’s him off with his hand.

  All the while, the Continuum ships seem to pause at the last bit, giving the golden ship a clear opening to shoot right past them. Open space lay between them and their destination now. But before the subspace jump comes, a blast rocks the ship. A voice cackles over the Comm speakers.

  “Ha Ha Ha! No sock is going to keep me from catching you! Surrender now or be destroyed!!” comes the voice of Keena.

  “Man, this chick just doesn’t know the meaning of ‘quit’!” shouts out Maavyn.

  “Come on now, Maavyn, you know she’s still miffed about the sock. Put her on view!” Karson commands.

  “Geez, she obviously can’t let anything drop either.”  Maavyn quietly says to himself.

  Meanwhile, QuKi has patched a video feed on top of the audio feed to get a good view of the Captain in the attacking ship.

  “Visual identification achieved. Vessel Tanahi Maaryu attacking.” comes QuKi as he patches through the feeds.

  “Hmm, that’s a Kriss name.”  Karson says to Maavyn. He looks doubtful.

  The image of Keena comes over the primary glass section of the bridge.

  “Wow. That’s a nice feed! I told you I LOVE this ship!” says Maavyn.

  “I wouldn’t recommend getting too attached to it then, Maavyn Coorus!” says Keena standing erect with her saber drawn and perched on her right shoulder. “Karson Montonie, Nellene Qroatch, QuKi Eason, the Cherokee warrior Wave, Marcus Truelight… You are wanted by the Capitol Continuum for theft of Continuum property and murder to Continuum soldiers! You will surrender now or be…”

  “Yeah yeah, destroyed, got it! Now get to what we don’t know!” Maavyn shouts out in irritation.

  “Look! I don’t know why you should even care! And… why have us ‘surrender’ when before you were content to kill?” Karson asks trying to buy time. The edge of the Outer Rim was coming up fast.

  “A girl’s got her reasons… so stop delaying!” she says as a volley of shots scores the underside of the twisting ship.

  “Well, if you want the property back, better stop trying to destroy our ship!” Karson points out.

  “Your ship? You stole that too! They want it back.” A shockwave distorts any further communication.

  “What?!” Karson grabs hold of the upper bridge rail and sees a sudden Nebulous appear out of vapors.

  “Strange. No Nebulae should be anywhere remotely near this star system.” QuKi says calmly.

  “Can we navigate it?” Karson asks.

  “Apparently, with ease.” QuKi says while the ship skates through the Nebulous.

  Once out of the ominous cloud, they hit subspace warp. And they all breathe a collective sigh of relief.

  “Well, now I know what to christen the ship.” Karson speaks.

  “Oh?” Maavyn asks with a wry look.

  “Nebulous!” Karson winks. Maavyn smiles as the stars fly by.

Within the cloud… the Tanahi Maaryu struggles to gain control. It is then that the cloud dissipates and a new view comes across their screen.

  “Where is that ship?” demands a voice. Keena stands erect grabbing ahold of the bridge rail, her sword laying at her feet.

  “Well, heh, a sudden uhm anomaly popped up.” Keena scratches her head. “The ship vanished past the Outer Rim. They must be deep into Niburian territory by now.”

  “Anomaly?” comes the voice with irritation. Keena bows her head.

  “My apologies, Empress. It seems to have been a Nebulous. It wrecked havoc on our operation systems. I… I have no idea from whence it came.” Keena grovels. Her crew looks at her but she shoots a ‘kill’ look upon them all forcing them back to their prospective stations.

  “Find them, Ms. Develon. Bring that ship to me. Do as you will to the crew.”

  “Of course, Empress.” Keena replies as the view screen disappears. She grimaces. “Incompetents!! I told you to secure that ship! Oh… hurry up and get us running again!! And find out where they’re going! Now!!!” Keena shouts and angrily leaves the bridge.

  Donovan Kestrel watches his Captain leave. He refocuses his attention towards the view port.

Elsewhere…

Terras Prime…

Within the Ulyssian Nation perimeters…

A lone figure watches a feedback image of the battle that had occurred several days earlier. His armored form belies nothing of his emotions. But behind him, a female entity draws near. She speaks not. It is the Overlord whom speaks first.

  “It would seem that the Continuum had planned an assault on Terras Prime. I have taken steps to ensure no other vessel comes as close as that one did.”

  “Its cargo was precious.” says the lady bowing her head.

  “Yes… and now they know. The time draws nearer. All else has been prologue.” The Overlord says after a moment of silence.

  “Then you saw?”

  “Did you think I would miss?”

  “If not for the interlopers… perhaps not.”

  “…” If his helmet were drawn off, the lady in silken robes would have seen the grimace upon his visage. “…Indeed. None of my forefathers would have allowed such a mistake to have occurred.”

  “You give them too much credit. As men, you have all made errors. Fortunately, none so grievous as to cost the greater good. But now, this is no error.”

  “No…

By the light

It shall be seen

The invisible.

Now is here

What once was gone

It arrives!

This it says

When thus it comes

Be still!

And verily witness

The bride of shadows

Bringing light.

“The time is come.” The Overlord finishes his recital of an ages old prophecy of times to come.

  “Ulyssian poetry… simple yet complex.” Says the lady knowing the furrowing of brows under the Overlord’s helm.

  “Not poetry… prophecy.”

  “Tomato… tomato.” Says the lady with a smile and a graceful glide out the door from whence she came. The Overlord laughs outloud and switches off the viewscreen.

Yeah, I kind of suck at this. Mostly due to the fact I have so much going on in my personal life. If all I had to do was write, this wouldn’t be an issue. But, I have a wife, an infant son, a full grown son who hasn’t moved out yet, medical issues preventing me from working, dishes needing to be done, a house full of duties and cleaning necessities that nobody else seems inclined to contend with, and a whole litany of other issues just waiting for my attention (not the least of which is two rabbits and a psychotic cat who thinks he’s a dog).

Even so, I think I’m doing pretty well. So, I hope you enjoyed Thanksgiving and will have a great Christmas! I know I’ll do my best! I’ll read to you all again next year and maybe I’ll have a blog or two unrelated to all of this before all is said and done for 2021. Take it easy everyone, and thanks for reading! Read to you again soon!

~Timothy S Purvis

PS: If you purchase a few of my works, that will be that much less I have to beg for money to continue my endeavors. Just saying. None of us get where we are without those all important bucks supporting us in the long run. Oy. Sucks, doesn’t it? I’m not that bad of a writer, am I? Let me know in the comments below.