Authors: Alex G. Paman
Bodega Bay, California
May 25, 2032
Melinda Reed stared out her window and shook her head again. The military convoy was back in full force, dragging the Bodega Bay shoreline with its flotilla of military hardware. There was no telling how much longer they were going to be in the area, regardless if they found what they were looking for or not. Almost sleepless the entire night before, she was just going to lounge around the house and wait for her husband to come home. What was good to cook this morning?
Sipping her coffee, she was halfway into the manuscript when her cellphone suddenly rang.
“Hello? Hi, hon! Where have you been? I’ve been waiting for your call since last night.”
She placed her cup down and retrieved the cover page from the manuscript, holding it under the dining room chandelier light.
“Your package finally arrived. It had a full novel inside, but the author’s name was scratched out. The title says, ‘
Herc
…
Herculanium
.’ Is that how you pronounce it? Did you write this?”
“A friend of mine did,” said the voice on the other end. “I wanted to know what you thought of it. How far did you get? Is it any good?”
“Well…it’s creative; that much I can say,” she said, fumbling for the right words. “It’s not my genre, but it reads okay. I’m about halfway in. A basketball player wakes up from an airplane crash and goes to the future? Sounds like something Preston would write, that nut. He always
was
into science fiction. If he did write this, it’d be pretty ironic, given that he doesn’t like to fly…”
There was nothing but dead air for the next few seconds.
“Max honey, when are you coming home? The military is all over our area, and I haven’t the faintest clue why. Something about a downed satellite…?”
“I’ll be home as soon as I can, Mel. Something really important came up here at the office. I’ll tell you when I get home. In the meantime, be sure to keep that manuscript in a safe place. I have a feeling people are going to be talking about it in the months ahead.”
“Yes, dear,” she said. “Call me again, ‘kay? And give Preston my love. I’m sure he’s having a grand time at the Olympus Space Station.”
Max kept his gaze squarely at the conference room television, which was broadcasting the military’s recovery efforts nonstop.
“I will, hon. I’m sure he can use all the prayers he can get right now.”
# # #
Alex G. Paman is a professional writer and graphic illustrator based in Sacramento, California. Originally from the Philippines, he graduated from Sacramento State University with a degree in Fine Arts. When not writing or drawing, he enjoys exploring world culture, staying fit, and going on exotic food runs. His other works include “Asian Supernatural, including Hawai’i and the Pacific” from Mutual Publishing, and “Filipino Ghost Stories” with Tuttle/Periplus.
He also wrote “Diary of a Superhero Sidekick,” and “ZOO.F.O.’s,” available on Amazon.com.
Connect with him Online:
https://www.facebook.com/Alex.Paman.Author
or
https://twitter.com/AlexPaman