Upon A Far Distant Shore

By Michael P. Dunn

Section Alpha is a clandestine organization dedicated to handling situations outside the mandate of normal law enforcement. Extraterrestrial, extradimensional, and paranormal threats all fall under their jurisdiction. As an agent for Section Alpha, Artemis Xian had seen a lot in the years she's been with the agency...including the incident that lead her to join up. But while responding to an alert, she finds herself swept away to a deserted town, with no idea how she got there or how to escape. Joined by a mysterious woman who knows more than she says, Artemis has to find the way back home while facing a long time adversary and the aliens that may be behind it all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael P. Dunn
• Release date: Jul 28, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463812785

Michael P. Dunn

I was born in New York, and currently lives in Florida with my cat, Brynna. I discovered science fiction at an early age, growing up on Lost In Space, Captain Scarlet and The Thunderbirds. I've always had an active imagination, and started writing the day after he saw Star Wars. I divide my time between working full time and writing. Writing is probably the only thing that keeps me sane.

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Upon A Far Distant Shore

By Michael P. Dunn

Published by Michael P. Dunn at Smashwords

Copyright 2018 Michael P. Dunn

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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For Mom & Dad

Linda & Joseph

…and…

In Memory of

Thomas J. Dunn

1966 – 2018

…miss you. Tom…

Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;

I have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night.

Sarah Williams

The Old Astronomer

The air was cold, colder than the pavement on which she lay face down. She could feel pain in the back of her head and welcomed the growing headache. It reminded her that she was still alive.

She lay still for a few minutes, taking stock of herself and her surroundings. She flexed muscles and confirmed there were no injuries. She extended her senses to their fullest, hearing only wind whistling between buildings. All she could smell was the dampness in the air.

Artemis Xian opened her eyes and thought, Well that could’ve gone better.

She stared across the pavement as confusion raged through her mind. She wondered how long she had been unconscious, and how long it would be before Balthazar continued his rampage. She wondered what happened to the police that had responded and the civilians caught in the middle. She wondered if they were still alive.

Artemis took a deep breath, rolled over and sat up, wincing at the stiffness in her back and sides. Her eyes scanned the deserted street, lingering on the unmarked, windowless buildings that lined either side. The buildings reminded her of boxes arranged in neat rows, none taller than three stories. Evenly spaced street lights ran along the curb, throwing weak light onto the street and buildings.

There was no sign of danger.

There was also no sign of life.

Artemis massaged her eyes and blew into her hands to warm them. This doesn’t look like downtown Lakeland, she whispered. Toto, I don’t think we’re in Florida anymore.

She got to her feet and patted herself down, checking her equipment. Artemis was relieved to find her combat batons still in their holsters, strapped to her legs. Her service issue Glock Twenty-three had been lost, along with her spare magazines. Her cell phone and the rest of her equipment were still in place, in the pockets and pouches of her equipment belt.

Artemis sighed. You always did believe in hitting first, Balthazar. How did you start a tornado inside the mall?

A breeze blew down the street, tugging at her short, dark hair. Artemis rubbed her hands together again, beginning to feel the cold through her tactical suit. She looked down the street, seeing nothing but the same unmarked buildings. She looked in the other direction and sighed.

Well, here I am, she muttered, wherever here is. Time for recon and shelter. She checked the street again then jogged to the nearest three story building.

Artemis looked over the bare, painted front of the building then up at the roof. She brushed her hands over the siding, sensing the condition of the aluminum. Artemis concentrated, increasing the attraction between her body and the wall. She winced at the coldness of the aluminum siding, took a deep breath and started to climb.

As she climbed, Artemis thought back to the alert she had responded to. A mutant known only as Balthazar, with a reputation for extreme violence, had started rampaging through a local mall, razing stores and threatening shoppers. City police and county sheriffs had done their best to contain him though their efforts had been in vain. After checking in with the officers on the scene, she had charged into the mall, intent on doing her best to contain Balthazar until her backup from Section Alpha arrived.

She rushed by officers and fleeing civilians, heading for the mall’s food court…until she was hit by high wind that came from nowhere. She lost her footing as the floor beneath her twisted into what looked like a whirlpool.

There was darkness and a sense of falling.

Then she woke up on the street.

Artemis stopped climbing, looked up into the cloudy night sky and thought, You’ve never shown any teleportation or energy manipulation abilities before, Balthazar. Our abilities were always similar though I never saw you climb walls. Did your abilities come from the same place as mine? Did you have an encounter with a hollow metal sphere? Are you still mutating? Am I still mutating?

She closed her eyes. I hope not. It’s taken me five years to get used to being able to lift more than half a ton and climb walls like a spider. Although being more flexible than an Olympic gymnast does have its benefits.

Artemis sighed and continued climbing.

She paused when she reached the roof and extended her senses. When she heard nothing, Artemis pulled herself up. The roof was wide, flat and empty. She turned back to the street. It stretched in opposite directions, disappearing into the distance. Artemis walked to the back of the building, hoping to get a better sense of where she was.

All she saw was darkness.

"Tā mā de," Artemis muttered. She looked into the night sky again, crossed to the front of the building and climbed down.

Artemis leaned close to the front door and extended her hearing. She could hear no sound from the other side. She drew one of her batons and reached for the door knob. Lights came on as she opened the door and stepped through.

The room was spacious, decorated in dark colors. A large desk stood opposite the door, its top empty. On either side of the room were clusters of chairs and tables. Abstract paintings hung on the walls behind the chairs. Low pile carpeting covered the floor. To one side of the desk was an open door that led to a corridor. On the other side were stairs leading up. The only sound she could hear was the quiet hum of air conditioning equipment.

Artemis frowned, holstered the baton and closed the door. A hotel lobby?

Her eyes went from the corridor to the stairs as she crossed the lobby. There was nothing out of the ordinary behind the desk. On a shelf were rolls of paper towels, a spray bottle filled with