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    Ouroboros Episode Two: Ouroboros - a Galactic Coalition Academy Series, #2
    Ouroboros Episode Two: Ouroboros - a Galactic Coalition Academy Series, #2
    Ouroboros Episode Two: Ouroboros - a Galactic Coalition Academy Series, #2
    Ebook288 pages4 hours

    Ouroboros Episode Two: Ouroboros - a Galactic Coalition Academy Series, #2

    By Odette C. Bell

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    About this ebook

    Trapped in the past, time is running out.
    Thrust back into Vex's history, Carson and Nida are thrust together.
    With no clue, no back up, and only a handful of weapons, they must battle through this alien world. If they can't find a way to save the entity, the galaxy will crumble and Carson's heart will follow.
    ….
    Ouroboros follows a hero and a bumbling cadet fighting through time to save a dying civilization. If you love your space opera with action, heart, and a splash of romance, grab Ouroboros Episode Two today and soar free with an Odette C. Bell series.

    Ouroboros is the 1st Galactic Coalition Academy series. A sprawling, epic, and exciting sci-fi world where cadets become heroes and hearts are always won, each series can be read separately, so plunge in today.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherOdette C. Bell
    Release dateApr 24, 2014
    ISBN9781498948968
    Ouroboros Episode Two: Ouroboros - a Galactic Coalition Academy Series, #2

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      Book preview

      Ouroboros Episode Two - Odette C. Bell

      1

      Carson Blake

      The void pulled them down through the very fabric of reality. He couldn’t see, he couldn’t hear – all he could do was feel as his body was ripped through history like a doll crashing down levels in a doll house.

      They traveled through time.

      Through time.

      He didn’t want to believe it – he couldn’t believe it. But it happened, and with a snap that felt like every bone in his body breaking only for them to be remade instantaneously, they arrived at the other end.

      His knees slammed against an unyielding floor, and his body jerked to the side as his balance was cut like a knife to string. Nida was still in his arms, and she went down with him, her shoulder slamming into a dusty floor as her hair splayed around her face.

      They huddled there, arms intertwined like links in a chain until he forced himself to move. He pried his bloodless fingers from around her back, and he pushed to his knees.

      … They were in some kind of house. He could see wooden floorboards, painted walls, and furniture.

      He locked a shaking hand over his lips, his armor scrunching against his flesh as he dug in with all his might.

      Minutes ago they’d been in a barren underground cavern, fighting for their lives against the Barbarians. Now they looked like they were in a house from old Earth.

      Carson… where are we? Twitching, her cheeks as pale as snow, Nida rose. She left a sweaty handprint on the dusty floorboards as she pushed up. Her eyes were wild with fright as she stared around the room. What is this?

      Carson went to answer. He stopped. Snapping up a hand and pressing a finger to his lips, he did what he should have done the second they’d got here, and he shifted warily forward. Though he couldn’t hear anything, and the scanners of his armor didn’t detect any nearby life forms, he had to check.

      Keeping his index finger locked hard against his lip, he circled his other hand in the air. Nida might not have been the best recruit, but she locked her lips shut and nodded. He pushed lightly onto his feet, making every move silent as he moved off to survey the house. When Nida shifted to follow, he held a hand out to her in a stopping motion.

      She didn’t argue. She stood there, her eyes wide with barely contained fright as he roamed the building, sweeping over every inch until he was satisfied they were alone.

      When he got back to her, she was standing in the middle of the room, one arm around her middle, the other hand soldered over her lips. She opened her fingers a crack like someone trying to speak through the bars of a cell. We just traveled through time, Carson.

      He stood there, cold all over, and he nodded. We just traveled through time.

      For too long, they just stared at each other as they collectively took that seemingly impossible fact in.

      Time travel was not real. Time was not some river you could paddle backwards through. It was a physical manifestation of entropy.

      But he was still back in time, right?

      And he was on his own. All he had was Nida.

      When he’d searched the house, he’d gone outside briefly to check the area immediately surrounding it. Thankfully, it was situated far up a lonely hill with nothing but rolling pastures and dense forests as company. It was a rare piece of luck, considering what had been happening to Carson recently.

      He could not be thankful for his fatigue. It was robbing him of the will to stand, second by second.

      The fight with the Barbarians had taken it out of him, but more than that, the use of that strange device the entity had given him had powered through his energy reserves like a 50-kilometer sprint through sand.

      He tried to hide it – he couldn’t. His cheeks were as pale as raw bone, and his breathing was labored.

      You should rest. Nida frowned. I’ll be fine. You’ve already confirmed this place is empty.

      He shook his head. We’ve just traveled through time, Nida – how can I rest?

      And what happens if you don’t? It’s quiet now, but we have no clue how long that will last for. You will need your energy later, so take this opportunity to rest while you have it. I’ll keep watch, and I’ll wake you if anything happens.

      He chuckled. It was hoarse, but he hoped it relayed his point. He wasn’t about to go have a lie-down. They’d just been transported through time to an unknown point in Remus 12’s history. He wasn’t going to indulge in sleep. He was going to find out where they were, what was going on at this point in the past, and how they were going to get back to their own time. Oh yeah, he also had to find a dimensional bridge before the entity possessing Nida killed her and everything in reality. So napping was out of the question.

      Nida didn’t uncross her arms from in front of her chest. She shook her head, doing an okay impression of a disappointed admiral. She channeled the terse severity of Admiral Lara Forest, but it didn’t last. It couldn’t with Nida. She had a round and cheerful face, even when she was trying to guilt you.

      I’m not going to sleep, Carson finally pointed out through bared teeth. Now follow your orders, Cadet, and continue to assess this property.

      She didn’t snap him a salute. She just stood there, tapping her foot on the ground. You look like you are about to fall down, Carson.

      Though it took a great deal of energy, he clamped his hands on his hips and regarded her with the authority of a lieutenant about to tell off a wayward recruit. He even cleared his throat menacingly. Cadet Harper, he began.

      Don’t give me that, she snapped. Just sit down, she pleaded.

      Shouldn’t you be the one sitting down? he questioned her honestly. You look like hell. Though he tried to keep the severe, authoritative note to his tone, he couldn’t. His voice broke, for more than one reason. It wasn’t just the lethargy creeping in and constricting his throat – it was the memory of what they had just been through.

      She brought her fingers up and tenderly touched her pale cheeks. Her eyes were hooded with shadow, and her lips were a worrying bluish pink. I’m fine, she said eventually.

      And the entity?

      She glanced down at her left hand. She pumped the fingers in and out as she stared at the faint trace of blue playing across her skin. She looked worried. She shook her head. It is just resting, she managed after a lengthy pause.

      Precisely, because it has just opened a time gate. Which means you should be resting too, he added immediately.

      She looked up at him, the move sharp. That is an illogical leap. Just because the entity is tired, doesn’t mean that I am, too.

      He let out a harsh, blast of a laugh. It was louder than he had intended it to be and it accentuated how drained he felt. Nida, look at yourself, he commanded. Your skin is the color of crushed bone.

      Her eyes blazed as she stared back at him. And what about you, Carson? You don’t exactly look like the picture of health. You look as though you’re about to faint. That or die.

      Cadet, he snapped, intending to threaten her with disciplinary action.

      She cut him short by walking over to him. Without warning, she hooked her arm over his and led him toward a chair.

      What are you doing? he asked incredulously, ashamed that his voice wavered slightly. It was either his fatigue or her proximity, and he didn’t want to admit to either. He tried to straighten up and ended up locking his feet in place. He used his armor to stiffen his body and prevent her from moving him even a nano centimeter.

      She struggled against his bulk, then finally gave up with a huff. You are so stubborn, she spat. We only have each other to rely on here.

      You’re forgetting something. The chain of command, he noted in a dark tone.

      She doubled back at the note of anger in his voice. She even blinked at him in a fearful but still kind of pretty move.

      Now, I’m giving you an order as a lieutenant— Carson began. Then something rather terrible happened. A wave of weakness washed over him, and he found himself stumbling backward.

      Immediately she was by his side, hooking an arm around his waist.

      She couldn’t hold him. He was larger than her, and right now he was in sophisticated armor that was a) hard to get a grip on, and b) as heavy as a planet.

      As he stumbled backward, he knocked her off her feet and sent her thumping into the cold stone ground.

      He swore, trying to pick himself up, but his shoulders and knees and hips were so tired and weak and wobbly that he could barely move.

      Carson? she asked worriedly as she wriggled out from underneath him. She kneeled by his side, picked his head up in her hands, and stared down at him.

      When he blinked at her, she pressed her lips together and shook her head. Looks like you need a rest.

      I’m fine, he tried.

      She just laughed.

      Then she let his head go gently.

      She took with her that slight, almost enchanting trace of warmth that danced over her hands and fingers. Maybe it was the entity, or maybe it was just her.

      … But definitely he shouldn’t be thinking about it.

      Clearing his throat properly, he locked his palms next to him and pushed up into a sitting position. It felt like he was dragging a mountain.

      The type of armor he wore was ridiculously heavy and relied on an internal motor and an operating system to assist the wearer with moving it. Each section of armored plating was made out of a special reinforced smart metal, and Carson would have no way of moving it without the help of the armor’s onboard systems.

      So as he sat there, his chest rocking back and forth as he panted, he suddenly wondered whether there was something seriously wrong with the armor itself.

      That could account for his weak knees and wobbling hands.

      With a labored breath, he reached to his side and pulled out his scanner. He opened it, his arm shaking as if he were holding onto an enormous boulder and not a tiny, featherweight computer.

      There must be something wrong with my armor, he explained through a raking breath that dragged through his chest as if his lungs had turned into hands grasping at every last scrap of air they could.

      Nida kneeled there by his side watching him. Well?

      It took a long time for Carson’s eyes to resolve the image appearing on the scanner. His brain wasn’t playing nice, and neither were his fingers as he tried to manipulate the controls. But eventually he got back the readings he wanted to… and they confirmed that there was nothing wrong with his armor. It was operating at 100 percent efficiency. Which meant the problem lay solely with him.

      He cleared his throat quietly. It’s malfunctioning slightly, he said in a high tone, intending to hide the truth from Nida, no matter what it took. While he was dog-tired, she was possessed by an entity from another dimension. If anybody needed rest, it was her.

      Don’t bother lying. She sighed at him as she rolled her eyes. She took the scanner from him.

      He tried to hold on to it, but he couldn’t. His hands were wobbling too badly. He’d probably have trouble holding onto a feather right now.

      She looked at the scanner briefly, then shrugged. Now, I might be the worst recruit in 1000 years, but I’m pretty sure this tells me that you, Lieutenant, she stressed the word, need to rest before you fall unconscious. Her voice bottomed out low. She looked at him, and a series of complex emotions flew across her expression. Frustration, worry, sorrow, everything.

      Though he’d been seconds from snapping at her that he wasn’t going to take any rest, the words died on his lips.

      We are back in the past, she noted quietly. She held the scanner with one hand and brought her other up to cover her implant. And we are far, far away from any Coalition help. We have your armor, this scanner, the entity, and that device. She nodded at the implement still covering his right hand. We do not have access to any medical technology. If something goes wrong, and one of us gets injured, we will… she trailed off.

      Nida, he said as carefully as he could, we will be fine.

      Yes, we will be fine, if we’re careful. Now, you’re the one who’s falling over from fatigue. I’m not. Just go up to one of the bedrooms and rest. I’ll look after things down here.

      No, there is so much we have to organize, he began, panic rising through his chest at the mere thought of closing his eyes and leaving everything to Nida.

      Perhaps she could read his mind, because the pleading smile on her face stiffened. What, do you think I will screw everything up if I’m left to my own devices?

      He opened his mouth, but he had no idea what to say. He mutely stared at his hands.

      Carson, I will be fine, trust me. I will stay in this building, and I will keep the scanner set to detect any incoming life signs. Now we are out of those tunnels, it has a pretty good range. It will work for a two-kilometer radius, and I’ll set it to constantly scan for any humanoids or sophisticated life forms. Okay?

      His shoulders deflated, and as they did, so did his resolve. Okay… Cadet, he answered out of habit.

      This caused her to give a soft laugh.

      Despite himself, he joined in.

      He let her help him to his feet, though there wasn’t much she could do while he was wearing his armor. She provided an arm against which he could steady himself, and finally he stood.

      He pointed to the door. Just up the stairs, there’s a room with this round… bed-shaped thing, I think, she said.

      He looked at her warily. Bed-shaped thing?

      She shrugged, looking sheepish. It’s flat and soft and appears to have blankets on it.

      How about I just sleep in this chair? he pointed out as he took a staggering step forward, locked a hand over the armrest of the chair, and maneuvered his body with great, ungainly effort until he sat roughly.

      He sighed and looked up at her.

      She pursed her lips and shook her head. You’ll hurt your neck if you sleep in that chair. You should go upstairs.

      He raised his hand. He settled his head back, secured his arms comfortably over his middle, and closed his eyes. Good night, he said pointedly.

      He heard her huff heavily. For ten seconds she stood there staring down at him, probably checking to see that he wasn’t about to jump back up again.

      He winked one eye open to watch her as she walked over to one of the small windows on the far side of the room. With one hand hooked tensely around the long sleeve of her uniform, she held the scanner with the other and stared at it with a morose look haunting her expression.

      He suddenly realized how lost and alone she must feel.

      Well, alone except for him. Though he wasn’t sure how much company he could be. While they’d been through a lot together, they still didn’t really know each other. He didn’t know what her middle name was, where she’d grown up, or what she wanted to do if she graduated from the Academy. He had no idea what she liked to do on the weekends, what her favorite food was, or what had made her join the Academy in the first place.

      These thoughts swirled through his mind as Carson began to drift off.

      One final thought occupied his attention before slumber took him.

      This was the lull before the storm. And quite possibly the last chance he would get to sleep for some time to come.

      2

      Cadet Nida Harper

      It didn’t take long for Carson to fall asleep. She knew that, because she had surreptitiously set the scanner to monitor his bio-signs.

      Not that she needed it. Five minutes later, he started snuffling. It was categorically the cutest thing she had ever heard. She had to plant a hand hard over her mouth to stifle the giggling. Carson Blake was meant to be a legend, a hero amongst men and women, the poster child of the Academy. Yet there he was, conked out on an alien chair, snuffling like a puppy.

      After her amusement at his sleeping habits finally ebbed, she got down to the task of investigating this place. Though they had already gone through every room, and had briefly toured the land surrounding the house outside, it was time to do a thorough job.

      She checked every room, this time accounting for how much food and other resources the building had. Using the scanner, she made a list of everything.

      She also piled together anything that appeared to have symbols on it.

      Though most races in the known galaxy spoke the Standard Galactic Dialect in her own time, she had no idea what date the entity had transported her back to. The symbols she stared at now were hopefully the equivalent of this people’s language.

      She found the symbols written on the sides of wooden boxes, on packets of what she assumed was food in the pantry, and finally on paper-like material that resembled old Earth books and magazines.

      She made a pile of them out in the corridor beyond the room Carson was snuffling in. She didn’t want to disturb him.

      She set to work using the scanner to assess each and every symbol. Once she was done, she sat there with her back pressed against one of the cold walls, trying to remember some of the lessons Commander Sharpe had given her over the years.

      After much head scratching, she recalled what she needed, then set to work forcing the scanner to analyze the airwaves for any kind of coherent information, whether it be radio waves, microwaves, or any of the modern forms of subspace communication.

      She needed spoken examples of this language if she wanted to translate it.

      After several minutes of waiting, with a thrill, she realized the scanner had picked up multiple radio wave frequencies.

      She forced it to record them all and start on the laborious task of translating them. With the examples of the written alien language she had collected from the house, and the spoken language the scanner would be picking up off the radio waves, in time the scanner would be able to create a coherent language model.

      While it was doing that, she set about looking for some clothes.

      She found some in one of the upstairs rooms and now gathered them together.

      Using the scanner again, she told it to monitor the airwaves for any kind of visual data, and finally it began to show her images, the pictures appearing just over the bed of the scanner in small 3-D holograms.

      Needless to say, it was a confusing mix of colors and forms. She saw what she assumed was the alien race, then examples of technology, plants, animals, rolling hills, and well-lit cities. It was a colorful jumble and made little sense to her.

      But she didn’t need to make sense of it yet. She needed to understand what the people of this time looked like and what they wore.

      Once she figured out what they wore, she sifted through the clothes she’d found, until she selected ones that matched what she assumed was the current tastes.

      A pair of black, sturdy pants for Carson, a white, high-collared shirt, and a brown, worn leather vest. And for her, a long skirt made of quite beautiful alternating strips of blue and green fabric. The green fabric had detailed little flowers embroidered over it and led up to a tight, almost bodice-like top with more embroidery over

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