Nexus Runner 1 - Bloopers

Another bonus chapter! This is a fun new addition to the end of book 1 - some Bloopers!

Like with any creative work, not everything in the first draft ends up in the final revision. Some ideas don’t work out, and others were discarded before they were even written. These bloopers are a series of fun what-might-have-been moments.

Enjoy.

One thousand humans hurtling toward the surface of Arasha made a truly inspirational sight. Cyrus watched in excited anticipation as he manipulated forces beyond the baby humans’ understanding, splitting them apart and targeting optimal placement.

His initial scan of the contestants had resulted in wonderful possibilities, and calculations for optimal team placement had taken only a fraction of a second. This was going to be such fun!

With a flick of his will, Cyrus removed their clothing, replacing them with boxers, bikinis, and variations on the starter pack that best fit each human. They were such a fascinating species. It would be a joy to speak with each and every one of them.

The contestants struck the surface like a thousand incoming meteors, but unlike the huge mass of earth and elemental material he’d just integrated into Arasha’s core, the humans splattered like melons tossed from the roof of a skyscraper.

For a long moment, silence settled over the mountains and valleys of stage 1. Nothing moved, not even an insect dared hum as all of creation seemed to suck in a collective gasp.

“Remaining survivors: 0” his assistant said, her voice hesitant.

Cyrus sighed. “Ah. As the humans like to say, that could have gone better.”

The Persian hoarder suite was a mess, with pillows flung everywhere and stuffing still floating lazily in the hot, still air. I paused to take in the scene and nearly dropped my facade of a brainless servant in the first second.

Ruby and Jane were both hanging suspended from silk streamers attached to the ceiling. Tomas and Steve were strapped into what looked like giant high chairs, wearing huge baby-blue bibs. They all looked exhausted, food smeared across their haggard faces.

Abbie had changed into a baker’s apron and tall toque hat over a skin-tight suit that honestly looked to be made out of aluminum foil. She was cackling with delight as she stood behind an open-topped grill, flipping enormous hamburgers with a spatula as big as a shovel.

“Enough,” Ruby moaned. Everyone looked like they’d put on several pounds. Had she been force-feeding them while I was out?

“You’ve heard of death by chocolate?” Abbie exclaimed as she flipped the burger onto a giant-sized bun. “That’s a cake walk compared to what happens to those who try to end the feast!”

Okay, that was just gross. She was destroying one of my all-time favorite weekend activities.

My pair of sporks dropped into my hands and I shouted, “Hey! Jane’s gluten free!”

I reached Tomas and the others in seconds. They looked battered and bloody, even though they’d already taken healing potions. Tomas gave me a hug as soon as I jumped off Switchblade.

Thumping me hard on the back, he laughed. “You got here just short of too late, little brother. Thanks.”

His face was bloody and 4 thin white lines across one cheek marked the spot where one of the Maze Fiend’s claws had nearly ripped his face off. “The poison was rough. Had to use 3 full healing potions.”

“Here. These will help.”

I withdrew 4 Laundry Day potions and handed them over. That was nearly half my stash of the amazing potions, but every one of their team looked horrible. They needed them way more than I did.

In moments, the miraculous potions left them all sparkling clean and fresh. “I need to find more of those,” Jane said with a happy smile.

“If any of the crafters get a chance to start manufacturing them, they’ll make . . .” Tomas started, but then grunted in pain, his face scrunching up as he clutched at his chest.

“What’s wrong?” Jane and I both asked together.

“I don’t know. It’s like . . .” His body spasmed and he screamed, falling to the floor and convulsing.

Jane dropped to her knees beside him, while I crouched on the other side, pulling another healing potion from my inventory. Jane moved faster, pouring one into his mouth, but Tomas batted it aside. His face was covered in a sheen of sweat, and he screamed again.

Then his armor disappeared, leaving his torso bare. He grabbed at his chest as something started hammering at his ribcage from the inside.

“I thought that Fiend looked familiar,” he moaned, then collapsed as a tiny nightmare monster right out of Aliens erupted from his chest.

One of Bristleback’s giant rear legs caught me in the chest. Even with my armor and Energy Ward, the blow catapulted me up onto another flat step and I got to enjoy another bone-rattling crash into the cliff wall.

“Major offset impact. You’ll need more than a chiropractor after that one,” my jacket said.

“Oh, shut up,” I growled as I spat blood. My bracelet was working overtime to keep me in fighting shape, but the battering was taking a toll. Groaning, I staggered back to my feet, but slipped on a loose rock and fell hard to one knee.

In the process, I bit down on my tongue hard enough to draw blood.

Energy roared through me and my back arched, my limbs flailing, totally out of control. As if from a great distance, I heard Eva speak.

“Congratulations, Lucas! For casting Death Bite on yourself, you receive a platinum Darwin Award loot box.”

I could cast it on myself? Why hadn’t I thought of that? The lingering vestiges of werewolf that had been lurking in the shadows of my soul, erupted into my mind, howling with eagerness to embrace the power that only came with a magically-altered body.

In seconds, the magic tore down my body with exquisite agony before rebuilding it anew. All of my senses came flooding back and I flowed back to my four legs, ready for battle.

Except, something was wrong. The world seemed hazy and distant, the angles all wrong, as if I was still lying on the ground, even though I was definitely standing up. Where was the endless power I remembered as a werewolf? Then Eva’s voice cut through my confused thoughts.

“Congratulations, Lucas! Death Bite successfully transformed you into a mini-were-koala. All stats cut by 80%. You are suffering the condition: Sloth.”

Bristleback fell over onto his side nearby, laughing so hard, tears flowed down his boar-like features.