Tuesday 30 September 2014

SRC - A Novel Sneak Peek 1 [Network]

NOTE: This preview is from an old draft, remaining here for preservation purposes. The current draft preview is available in all of my self-published novels.



[05/04-0085]
Two spacecraft, a Y/26t Galaxy and a G/0ld45 D.O.T., were lined up at the starting line. A place of empty space between two other vessels, in the hangar bay of a dark grey plated capital cruiser. A blinking red light flashed between the two racers. Then suddenly, it flashed green. The two spacecraft sped out of the hangar bay and into the deep black of space.
Outside, the race had entered a small asteroid field with the Y/26t falling behind. The asteroids were a dark reddish-brown, with a few of them drifting lazily around. The G/0ld45 had gained an early lead. Gold in colour, it was shaped like an oblong, with a long, thin rotating turret attached on either side, with two red thunder decals on the sides of the main part of the ‘craft. It flipped and rolled over the asteroids, opening up with speed when the driver thought he could chance it.
The Y/26t Galaxy on the other hand, was taking things at a much slower pace. Dark blue in colour, this ‘craft was also shaped like an oblong, but with a spoiler-like rectangle at the back. The decals on this ‘craft were green with two arrows pointing inward on the spoiler and a green arrow pointing centre front on each side of the cockpit. Instead of the fancy tricks the G/0ld45 was performing, the Y/26t just lumbered along and around the asteroids. An asteroid hit the ‘craft and rocked it. Hard. The shields winked out.
The last of the asteroids blasted past the G/0ld45 and soon it was back around to the beginning of the asteroid field by going the longer way, following the course. Soon the capital cruiser the two racers had started at came back into view.
By this time, the Y/26t was edging closely toward the capital cruiser as well. The finishing point was at the same hangar bay the two spacecraft had started at. Unfortunately, the Y/26t scraped the capital cruiser, and with no shields, disintegrated.
Inside the hangar bay of the capital cruiser, the G/0ld45 D.O.T. came to a gradual stop and landed. Then, weirdly, red words of ‘YOU WON’ flashed on the screen. A faint whine could be heard and all was back to reality.
“Yes!” Tom Hughs shouted, “Another victory for me.”
“Well done,” his friend, Lee Johnson said darkly. “Again.” This was a very faint whisper. But Tom heard it.
“What was that?” Tom said sharply.
“I said great work, and also well done for winning,” Lee replied. Then added in his thoughts for the fifteenth time this year.
The two boys were in a room generally called the games room. This room was plain white, and with good reason. The game the two boys had just been playing, Space Racer, was played on the Virtual Disk. This Virtual Disk could project 3D reality images into a plain coloured room to play games, films, music and video viewing channels.
The two boys however, were a lot more different in appearance. Tom was 15 years old with peachy skin and short, brown hair. Lee was also 15 years old with pale skin and spiky, light brownish red hair. Both boys had light blue eyes and there was only 2 centimetres difference between the two. Tom was 145 centimetres and Lee was 143 centimetres.
“Wouldn’t it be good to actually be in a Space Race Championship?” Lee questioned aloud as he unstrapped himself from the supporting seat he was sat in.
“Suppose it would, yeah,” Tom replied absently.
“Come on. You know you want to,” Lee goaded. He had a light, airy sort of voice.
“How can I if I don’t even have a spacecraft!” Tom almost raised his voice to a shout. “And then there’s the transportation and the training and the mone-”
“Okay. Okay. I was only wondering aloud,” Lee hastily backed down.
Tom doesn’t have to know yet. He can’t know yet.