Kyle West - Extinction

“I’m going into the pool,” I said.

No one said anything, understanding my intent. My mind reeled from all the changes in the past few days. The Wanderer’s death. My marriage to Anna. And now, Ashton’s death.

The Elekai needed a fully-fledged leader.

I turned to face Anna.

“Your eyes,” she said.

I brushed a strand of hair from her face. “I know. Soon, they’ll be that way forever.”

She looked at me a long moment before answering. “I knew what this meant, to marry you. I did, anyway. Because I love you, Alex.”

“I’ll always love you, Anna. Nothing will change about that, no matter what happens in there. I promise.”

She nodded, but I couldn’t tell what she was really thinking. It was time to accept my role in full. The Elekai needed a strong leader to survive the coming storm.

I kissed her, let go of her hand, and faced the pool. I waded in, the ichor wrapping around in embrace. I continued to walk, facing almost no resistance, even when the ichor reached my chest.

Soon, my head was submerged. I opened my eyes, waiting.

A Voice then spoke, not quite his, but deeply familiar.

Are you ready?

I am.

Then step forward.

I continued to walk, my vision fading to black. I walked until there was nothing but stillness — no senses — only my consciousness entering a dark void.

Time was absent as I swam through vivid images, absorbing the history of the Elekai. Dreams of fallen worlds and the stories of a thousand races flowed through my mind. I didn’t speak; I could only stand, mesmerized, as a thousand histories became my own.

And then, at the end of it all, came the prophecy from the Voice, the one the Wanderer had said was as deep as energy.

Though a thousand worlds will fall, one will remain.

But would it be ours?

In time, the images ceased, and all that was left was the void. Stars appeared, studding the cosmos, thicker than seemed possible.

The Universe is in your hands, Elekim, the Voice said. The Secrets of Creation lie within, Guardian of the Stars. The spirits of a thousand worlds fly with you. You are never alone, because even in darkness, the stars still shine.

The starry black void slowly reverted to the pink shimmering of the ichorous pool.

I paused a moment, collecting my thoughts. I felt no different than before. I still had no idea what came next.

One thing was certain; when I returned to that shoreline, I wouldn’t be my former self. While that part of me remained, there was also this new part, given to me by the Voice and its visions.

When I returned, I would do so as Elekim.

Kyle West is the author of The Wasteland Chronicles. From a young age, he has been a voracious reader of sci-fi and fantasy. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Professional Writing. He writes full-time and resides in the bustling metropolis of Oklahoma City.

Find out immediately when his next book is released by signing up for The Wasteland Chronicles Mailing List. Be sure to follow him on Facebook for updates, book giveaways, and general shenanigans. Xenofall, the final installment of The Wasteland Chronicles, will be released this summer.

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10,000, The:This refers to the 10,000 citizens who were selected in 2029 to enter Bunker One. This group included the best America had to offer, people who were masters in the fields of science, engineering, medicine, and security. President Garland and all the U.S. Congress, as well as essential staff and their families, were chosen.

Alpha:“Alpha” is the title given to the recognized head of the Raiders. In the beginning, it was merely a titular role that only had as much power as the Alpha was able to enforce. But as Raider Bluff grew in size and complexity, the Alpha took on a more meaningful role. Typically, Alphas do not remain so for long — they are assassinated by rivals who rise to take their place. In some years, there can be as many as four Alphas — though powerful Alphas, like Char, can reign for many years.

Askala:Askala has two meanings — one is the name of the Radaskim Xenomind dwelling in Ragnarok Crater, while the other form refers to the dragons the xenovirus spawns. While Askala and xenodragon (or just dragon) are interchangeable, the Askala themselves (at least the Elekai Askala) refer to themselves as Askala.

Batts:Batts, or batteries, are the currency of the Wasteland and the Empire. They are accepted anywhere that the Empire’s caravans reach. It is unknown how batteries were first seen as currency, but it is rumored that Augustus himself instigated the policy. Using them as currency makes sense: batteries are small, portable, and durable, and have the intrinsic quality of being useful. Rechargeable batteries (called “chargers”) are even more prized, and solar batteries (called “solars,” or “sols”) are the most useful and prized of all.

Behemoth:The Behemoth is a great monstrosity in the Wasteland — a giant creature, either humanoid or reptilian, or sometimes a mixture of the two, that can reach heights of ten feet or greater. They are bipedal, powerful, and can keep pace with a moving vehicle. All but the most powerful of guns are useless against the Behemoth’s armored hide.

Black Reapers, The:The Black Reapers are a powerful, violent gang, based in Los Angeles. They are led by Warlord Carin Black. They keep thousands of slaves, using them to serve their post-apocalyptic empire. They usurped the Lost Angels in 2055, and have been ruling there ever since.

Black Files, The:The Black Files are the mysterious collected research on the xenovirus, located in Bunker One. They were authored principally by Dr. Cornelius Ashton, Chief Scientist of Bunker One.

Blights:Blights are infestations of xenofungus and the xenolife they support. They are typically small, but the bigger ones can cover large tracts of land. As a general rule of thumb, the larger the Blight, the more complicated and dangerous the ecosystem it maintains. The largest known Blight is the Great Blight — which covers a large portion of the central United States. Its center is Ragnarok Crater.

Boundless, The:The Boundless is an incredibly dry part of the Wasteland, ravaged by canyons and dust storms, situated in what used to be Arizona and New Mexico. Very little can survive in the Boundless, and no one is known to have ever crossed it.

Bunker 40:Bunker 40 is located on the outer fringes of the Great Blight in Arizona. It is hidden beneath a top secret research facility, a vestige of the Old World. Many aircraft were stationed at Bunker 40 before it fell, sometime in the late 2050s.

Bunker 108:Bunker 108 is located in the San Bernardino Mountains about one hundred miles east of Los Angeles. It is the birthplace of Alex Keener.

Bunker 114:Bunker 114 is a medical research installation built about fifty miles northwest of Bunker 108. Built beneath Cold Mountain, Bunker 114 is small. After the fall of Bunker One, Bunker 114, like Bunker 108 to the southeast, became a main center of xenoviral research. An outbreak of the human strain of the xenovirus caused the Bunker to fall in 2060. Bunker 108’s fall followed soon thereafter.