Shattered Heaven: Sins of the Soul

Prologue

Audio Version of the Prologue - http://azure-productions.com/SoTS-Prologue.mp3

“Una dies aperit, conficit una dies.”

Rain pounded heavily throughout the boroughs of New York. Thunder boomed with intensity as streaks of lightning across the night’s sky. It was an ominous night as shadows scurried from the light, making their refuge from the storm in the crevices of the dark. The year: After Rebirth 91, a time where nations were biding their time to reclaim superiority and where lives were manipulated by thin lines of deceit; the night that set everything into motion.

“You’ve run out of time. Are they ready?”

“No…and they won’t be.”

“Ah, so that’s how it’s going to be played then? I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised. So, do tell, what changed your mind?”

“Our children, we don’t want to bring them up in a world where we’ve contributed to its destruction.”

“Your kids?” The man paused while sighing in disappointment; he leaned up against one of the terminal computers in the mechanics area with his arms folded across his chest. “You’re making this much harder than it should be Edward. I really didn’t want to have to resort to this, but the Chimera project will be completed, with or without your assistance.”

“We burned the data, and the prototype Frame will never work without-”

“I don’t need it. I’ve already obtained a copy from Mathew. You know, he was actually smart; he listened.”

“Mathew…did…what?”

“It was to protect his daughter. Unfortunately I can’t have you two running around with all the knowledge you possess. You two understand right?”

“No! Wait! LU….”

Before the words could form a bullet launched from the barrel of a concealed pistol, within a fraction of a second two bodies collapsed to the floor in unison with explosive thunder from the heavens. Amongst the darkness a single man stood grimacing slightly as thickened blood trailed alongside the creases of the tiled floor. The businessman’s custom fitted shoes divided the flowing torrent of liquid while he merely looked back at the frightened children behind him.

“Don’t worry, none of you will remember a thing. It’ll be for the better.”

Slowly taking small steps in his approach the eldest child, no more than 10 pushed the other two behind his arm, his fingers firmly grasping around a portable torch used in the manufacturing process. His eyes glared coldly back at the man, preparing himself to do whatever it took to protect those around him.

“I must say, this is a unique surprise. Your eyes, do you want to kill me?” The boy remained silent, only glaring back at the man while his hands shook holding the blowtorch.

“You may be of some use to me yet. The Chimera will need a proper pilot when all is said and done.”

Chapter One: Dreams of Flight

Audio Excerpt from Chapter One - http://azure-productions.com/Shattered_Heaven_Novelscene1.mp3


High above the bustling skyline of Manhattan the stars shone brightly as dozens of jets created aerial spectacles for the entertainment of those below. Nearly a hundred years had passed since the world took wrought away from the chaos created from the single Artificial Intelligence machine known as Atlas. It was a time for celebration and joy; it was the New Year. Of all the places to properly bring it in with pomp and circumstance, Genesis’ New Years Bash was the pristine gala amongst the nations of Earth. It was an event that brought high ranking military officials and politicians together under the roof of their prime benefactor.

Genesis had quickly risen in popularity, garnishing numerous military contracts with the United States Government in the process. A very public and open organization, their appeal to the up and coming generation was second to none. The idea of an armored powered suit was all too attractive to the highly impressionable minds of the nation’s youth, it was something Genesis took pride in and began setting up Intern programs across the board. Opening up their company to the teens and young adults of the America, Genesis quickly became the most renowned organization in all of North America.

Their knowledge and dedication to the advancement of Frame material for the military attracted countless amounts of youths; all who desired to get into the business of Frame development. With their Intern program Genesis took in the brightest young minds that applied and giving them firsthand experience with the technology they loved so much.

Genesis’ corporate office in Times Square was the center of the festivities. Hundreds of thousands of people lined up alongside the compacted and clustered city streets, all hoping to catch a glimpse of the presentation. Traffic was halted and police barricades were set up across the metropolitan area, all in hopes of keeping the night under control.

Celebrities and other public, recognizable faces had their seats reserved while reporters scurried to get quick glimpses as the private event being held high above the street level on Genesis’ roof structure.

The corporate office’s roof was transformed into an elegant ballroom to the night’s sky while men and women of importance moved along with making small talk. Ivory drapes outlined the railings, matching the pristine décor of the room. At the center was a podium, lifted a few feet above the tiled floor while clear glass tables and chairs arranged in a circular pattern extended outwards. Finding himself overwhelmed by the sheer amount of people along with their individual statures in high society, Adam Novus, a young teen enrolled in the Genesis Intern program stood leaning over the far end railing. His dark mahogany hair flapped from the air pressure created from the air show that was still proceeding. He sighed for a moment to take a pause; his eyes glanced back at the bustling crowd behind him. They made it all look so easy, conversing with one another, being social with complete strangers. He admired their ability to appear so involved over tedious things. At times he wished he could be the same way, it was a sort of envy that he often fought against. But for the moment he didn’t mind, he was focused at what was in front of him.

Prototype Frames recently developed by the team in which he worked for were dazzling in the night’s sky above. His hands parted the dangling strands of hair that continued to furiously block his view. He was captivated by their splendor. His heart raced with anxiety while his fist clenched without his knowledge. Not much further behind him was his friends, fellow Interns from Genesis. He could hear them snickering and making snide remarks, most likely at his own expense. They had all come together after receiving an invite from their team leader, Mathew Amare, known to them as Professor from all the lectures he lead to their class. Out of all the officials in Genesis Professor Amare was the only one to take a proper liking to his Intern class.  Adam sighed briefly and turned to face his friends who were still sitting at their assigned table.

“You know I can hear you guys right?” Adam remarked.

“Oh look, he’s alive. Why don’t you stop spacing out and actually have a good time for once?” His friend, Mike Aquilus, another test pilot for their class replied back to him. Adam chuckled, brushing off his comment. The two were close, best friends who had shared the same interest in Frames for as long as they could remember.

Before he could even take a moment to reply, Amy Caecus, a petite and beautiful girl with ravishing auburn hair stood up from her chair with a smile.

“Last I checked it wouldn’t hurt for you to space out once and a while. You know, to give us all break from your consistent rambling,” Amy chuckled as she watched Mike’s expression drastically change as he swallowed his pride and embarrassment. Watching Mike being verbally castrated was something that changed the atmosphere, for an evening littered with high end society as well as military tense pressure, joking around was something they needed to lighten the mood. Sean Repens continued to laugh vibrantly at his friend’s expense, pushing his hand forward onto Mike’s shoulder, something that nearly caused him to fall from his chair. Adam remained quiet with a smile as he watched his fellow Interns laugh with one another. It was something so carefree and innocent that he couldn’t help but feel left out.

“So what’s with you?” Amy casually asked as she began to lean her back against the railing next to Adam. Upon hearing her voice he quickly snapped back to reality. Amy was essentially the reason why he enjoyed working; every morning was a new chance to see her brightly lit green eyes and angelic face. She smiled back at him, something to his own amazement as she quietly began to chuckle. Her pristine teeth, pearl white in color accentuated her budding pinkish lips which stretched across her cheeks as her smile emanated brightly amongst the sky and the crowd. He could only feel shy in her presence and quickly turned his head back around in order to face the sky above once again.

“Nothing…really…” His words were mumbled and hard to understand.

Dozens of thoughts raced through his mind all at once, he couldn’t deny the crush he had on her, his problem was trying to hide it from the rest of the world. But even with that, he still had other concerns; to him, being a part of Genesis’ Intern program was a great opportunity, but it wasn’t going to define who he was. He wanted more, much more, and the thought of taking to the skies and venture out into the unknown captivated his soul even more so than his crush. He flinched at the slight grace of fingers caressing his leather jacket.

“Adam, we’re going to be heading to the main platform to get a closer look at the show. You’re coming right?”

Adam slightly chuckled to try and hide his own discomfort, even if it was a transparent effort. He smiled, knowing that he should probably go on ahead with his friends. However, he felt content where he was, borderline complacent. Upon further thought he realized that Amy would be going with them and this would possibly be the most appropriate time to break the ice, or at least try to.

“Adam?” She persisted.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, I’m coming. Thanks.”

His friends moved away from their table taking their jackets with them. Mike and Sean began to walk away, making jokes with each step. They looked happy with their lives; it was obvious just by their facial expressions. Christina Efflorenso and Jen Fama, both good friends and Interns grabbed hold of their purses but paused to look back at Adam and Amy.

“Time’s winding down you two. They said there’s going to be a big announcement. Something that’ll most likely affect us as Interns so don’t waste too much time back here,” Christina exclaimed.

“Yeah, I know. I won’t be long, promise,” Adam replied.

“What’s up with you lately? You’ve been acting strange, more so than usual.” Jen Fama, a friend and fellow Genesis Intern inquired as she approached his left side. Adam glanced back to her, his eyes still peering back at Amy, enough for Jen to get the hint.

“Strange? I’m fine, there’s nothing going on.”

“You’re joking right? It’s obvious; I’m talking about how you’ve been so quiet around us…well…not just us, with everyone. You’re always acting so serious; to be honest you’re becoming a downer.”

“I guess…I’ve just had a few things on my mind, that’s all. Nothing important.”

“It’s about the match you had the other day with Stephen isn’t it? You should get over it.”

Adam began to reply only to find he had nothing to say. It had almost escaped his mind, the battle he was training so hard for. A few days prior he met with his older brother, Stephen in a Virtual Reality training session; he lost.  Regardless of Stephen’s experience and skills, Adam took the loss to heart. A brotherly rivalry born out of jealousy, Adam tried his best to match his older brother but at the end of the day, it wasn’t enough. Out of all the interns enrolled in Genesis’ VR training package, he took it the most seriously.  He was undefeated until he fought with Stephen.  Most of the trainers that oversaw his performances always commented on how comparable he was to the men and women that pursued Frame piloting as a profession. But Stephen was a professional, serving as a Frame pilot for the Trinity Alliance’s military.  It was only natural, or at the very least, understandable that he would lose to someone with more real life experience, but even still, he refused to accept it. Adam sighed once again in disapproval. His eyes looked back at the sky while Jen smirked in his peripheral.

“Nah, I let him win.” Adam replied, trying to mask his embarrassment.

“I’m sure you did. Last I checked, you didn’t even touch him. You must have been feeling extremely generous huh?”

Her sarcasm was penetrating, Jen was known amongst their group of friends for it. She was able to pick apart someone’s greatest weakness and strike with little mercy. Adam winced at the blow to his ego while he tried to play it off. They were good friends, but even still, Adam hated that about her, holding in his pride as best as he could, but all of that didn’t matter as Amy began to rub his back with a smile, a soothing feeling that he never expected.

“I think he had a pretty amazing performance.” Amy replied with her uplifting voice, much to Adam’s surprise. Even though he wanted to feel better and accept what he felt was unwarranted praise, he shyly scoffed in disagreement.

“Amy…thanks…but…”

“I’m sorry; I didn’t realize that an amazing performance came hand in hand with a hit percentage of zero.” Jen replied, cutting Adam off.

Adam chuckled, even though on the inside he felt a bit embarrassed.

“Thanks, but, I, uh…I wasn’t that good during my match with Stephen. I couldn’t even touch him.” Adam continued to stumble with his words as his awkwardness continued to increase with every passing moment.

Amy continued to giggle with her right hand covering her lips. Adam, feeling a bit uneasy began to scratch his head and once again turned his attention back to the brilliant display of stars lining the sky above. Amy slowly approached toward Adam’s right side, lifting her head up so she could stare alongside him in an attempt to figure out what had taken a hold of his attention for so long. At first, her curiosity and interest shocked him, but he soon found himself accepting it and discovered a new found sense of ease take over. Jen remained standing behind the two of them shrugging her shoulders, trying to keep from ruining the moment that was developing before her eyes. Everyone in the internship program knew how Adam felt and most of them were growing sick of his lack of confidence.

“Well, we’re going on ahead. If you two decide to follow give us a call so we’ll know exactly where you are in the crowd.” Jen nodded as she headed off with the others.

“We’ll be along shortly,” Amy replied.

Adam’s eyes wandered over to Amy’s face in utter bewilderment. The phrasing she chose in particular caused him to feel confused.

“You know, you don’t have to stay here. You can go on ahead with the rest of them,” Adam muttered softly.

“It’s okay; they’re just going to end up rambling on about who knows what. Mike will try to be the life of the party, cracking really bad jokes while Sean and Christina will pitch in from time to time. It can get a little boring.”

“Like staring at the sky with me is much better? You’ve got a weird perception of fun,” Adam tried to wave off Amy’s act of kindness as just that, being kind. He didn’t want to inconvenience her.

“I don’t mind. Besides, Jen has a point. You have been acting a bit more serious lately, we’ve all noticed and we’re concerned. So honestly, what’s wrong?”

“Well…the truth is…” Thunderous sounds began to burst through the darkened sky, interrupting him. Dozens of vibrant rainbow hued explosions littered the sky as the fireworks were launched in celebration of the upcoming New Year.

“Wow! They never cease to amaze me!” Amy’s left hand abruptly grabbed hold of Adam’s forearm. Her fingers squeezing into his muscles, bringing her body closer to his, Adam turned, looking down back at her, not sure of what to make of the situation he just remained silent, enjoying the rare moment in time. Remaining silent didn’t prevent his heart from racing though; this was, after all, the girl he had been infatuated with for about a year now. And now, for some unknown reason, she was latching onto him. To say the least, he stood there with a loss for words. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but his own fear prevented him from figuring out how to say them.

“…Yeah…they’re amazing.” Adam replied sullenly. As the words flowed out he instantly became overrun with regret at the thought of saying something so bland and uninteresting. He knew he could have easily said something like, “they’re amazing, but not as amazing you,” as trite of a phrase as it was, it was a general statement of how he felt. But yet again, his lack of courage and confidence halted him from proceeding with it.

“Its times like these that make you wonder what your purpose in life really is, don’t you agree?”

Adam slightly nodded; he knew this was the right time to tell her what he was feeling, and yet he was extremely hesitant on doing so.

“Yeah, I agree,” Adam replied as he once again took his eyes off of her and placed them back to the stars and fireworks.

“So, now what is it that has you staring at with such persistence?”

“I’m looking at my future, my destiny,” Adam replied as he smiled back at her, his grin wide and his aura exuding nothing but pride.

“Your future is up there?”

“Yeah, I’ve heard rumors that Mars has been terraformed. It’s a new frontier out there now, a new planet that is finally habitable, who knows what they’ll find on Mars. Not just that, but the UN is discussing the possibilities of colonizing it. I want to be up there, doing something. Not working for Genesis as an Intern. I need to be doing something meaningful, and I know if I can get out of here that I’ll be able to make a difference somehow.”

“I see. You’re enlisting aren’t you? I mean, it makes sense now that I think about it. My dad told me about the military exam in the coming weeks. That’s why you’ve been so quiet lately, that’s what’s been on your mind.”

Adam gawked with a blank face, his initial instinct was to deny everything she was saying, but he knew he’d be lying to the girl he has such strong feelings for, and that wasn’t something he wanted to shoulder.

“Yeah, I am.”

“I knew it, especially with all the training you’ve been doing lately as well,” Amy turned back to him as she replied with a gleaming smile. Her hair flowed through the breeze that was overtaking the sky.

“Well, I feel out of place when I’m not piloting. Ever since I was little I was interested in these machines, and always dreamed about flying them. I’m tired of Genesis, of being a measly intern filling out paper work.”

“You…you don’t like working with us?” Amy asked while still looking away.

“No, no. I definitely enjoy it. To tell you the truth that’s the only reason I enjoy going to work. But, it isn’t enough. I see the prototype machines in the facilities, and I see the pilots testing them out. It appeals to me, it’s calling me. I have to do this.”

“I see, and what about us?”

He didn’t know what to say to that, he was stunned. Never before had he realized how much his life affected those around him. Once again, he found himself with nothing to say, he continued to stutter like a fool. He scratched his head, looking around, glancing at the crowd of people that gathered atop Genesis’ headquarters, all the while making it obvious just how confused he was.

“Just be careful, okay?”

“Amy?”

“I lost my mother when she worked for the Alliance. Things are dangerous even when we’re not at war time. You never know what can happen. I suppose…I just don’t want to see the same thing happen to you.”

“Amy…I…” Adam paused; he didn’t know what to say. He knew Amy lived with her father but he never heard the story of what happened to her mother. It was a surprise to him, for her life to have been so deeply affected by the Alliance’s military in such a fashion. “I’m sorry…I didn’t know.”

“It’s ok. How could you? It’s not something I enjoy talking about often. You remind me of her, at least from what my dad’s told me of her. You both wanted to give your all for a cause, you have this trait that allows you to see the good in people, no matter how clouded they may be.”

“Well I’m not sure about all that honestly. But, your mother sounds like she was a good person.”

“She was! She worked in third world nations bringing them supplies and medicine. She put her life on the line for people she never even met. She’s the type of person I want to grow up to be.”

“We’re the same…” Adam’s voice trailed off with the sudden revelation of Amy’s mother. It was something he could never have fathomed for her to have experienced, but it still pleased him deep down. He had always wanted to find a way to connect with her on some level; he just never expected it to come in this form.

“We are. We both want to help people. But I want you to promise me that you’ll come back in one piece if you go. ”

“Amy…I…”

Amy quickly turned back around smiling which caught him off guard. He couldn’t find anything to say to her, her beauty meagerly captivated him. Suddenly the crowd burst out into applause, screaming as loudly as they could. The ball in Times Square had fallen and Genesis’ prototype Frames were dashing amongst the fireworks in an extremely graceful sequence of formations; the New Year had officially been brought in. Adam looked around, confused as ever. Soon he found Amy embracing his body, her arms tightly wrapped around his back, her chest pressed up against him and her head softly resting on his shoulder. For the first time in a while he smiled and slowly embraced her tightly. Amy’s lips began to part near his ears; the slight sensation of her breath caressing his ears soothed his nerves.

“What’s your New Year’s resolution?” Amy whispered.

“Huh?”

“Mine, is to have no regrets, and to follow my heart without fail.”

“Amy….”

Her budding lips softly grazed across his cheeks and to his lips.

“If you continue to fight, then I’ll stand by your side,” She quietly mumbled.

“And what if I decide to stay here, and to continue this life that has already been laid out before me?”

“If you do that, then I’ll still stand beside you.”

For the first time since he came to his decision, Adam began to doubt his willingness to move forward. What was the point if he had finally obtained what he had wanted, someone to share his life with? After all the years of being on his own; his parents died when he was younger and his older brother left for the military. He was always alone for as long as he could remember, and suddenly before him was finally a proper salvation from his loneliness. The sky rattled as ten more machines quickly flew through the fireworks. His eyes gazed into the sky watching the Frames and with a smirk he knew his answer. He knew that was his destiny, to find someone that was willing to accept the dreams he wouldn’t be able give up on so easily.

“If that’s the case then I know I can follow through with this. We’ll help people much like your mother wanted to.”

“I’m glad. You’re the only one I can entrust her will to.”


Full novel is available on Kindle. - http://www.amazon.com/Shattered-Heaven-Sins-Soul-ebook/dp/B007QOVL38/