benjaminkeyworth

Superworlds - Chapter 3 - The Calling

Matt Callaghan snored.

Curled up on his side, mouth slightly open, his limbs wrapped in a tangle of sheets and blankets, Matt slept soundly in the calm and quiet night. For a while Jane just lay there, listening to his breathing; watching the slivers of the city’s starlight flit across the ceiling, the patterns stealing around the black curtain covering the bedroom window. Little light, little sound, little dark. It was so peaceful, and for a moment all Jane wanted was to lay back and...

Poll - Future bonus supplementals

Hi all, 

Today's upload as you may have already seen is a supplemental entitled "The Practitioner's Guide to Telepathy in the Law". It is an extract from a larger supplemental I put together previously for higher tier patrons (so apologies to those folks, you'll likely have seen much of this before). 

This got me thinking that it's been a little while since I've done a Patreon-exclusive bonus supplemental, and while I've got a few ideas floating around I don't have one w...

Supplemental - A Practitioner's Guide to Telepathy in the Law

A Practitioner’s Guide to Telepathy in the Law’

The Law Society of New South Wales, 2nd edition

Selected extracts

…

Scope of Ability

1.4 Telepathic abilities are broken down into six overlapping functions or effects. These are:

1. Telepathic perception of the presence of another person

2. Telepathic perception of the thoughts of another person

3. Telepathic communication with the mind of a...

Superworlds - Interlude 2

~~ Interlude ~~

You step from the car and you are already drunk.

You pull the money clip from your breast pocket and throw notes at the limo driver, laughing as you insult his family, calling him ugly, a dog. His profuse thanks follow you and your friends as you pile out, though you are indifferent to his words. The money you leave behind is far more than he charged.

One of the girls stumbles on the gutter, almost breaking a...

Superworlds - 2.3 - Bittersweet

“Jane,” he said finally, “It’s not that I want to die. And it’s not that I’m not grateful, it’s just…” He waved his hands about, trying to find the words. “Time travel! You know! This is dangerous. You told me it’s dangerous. Didn’t you?!”

Jane didn’t answer. When she’d first travelled through time – during the Black Death’s onslaught, on the outskirts of Detroit, when she hadn’t known what she doing and when she’d used the power she’d just absorb...

Superworlds - 2.2 - Rising Tensions

“Basement?”

“Basement.”

“Hold on.”

Will scrunched up his eyes. Around them, there was a surge of noise, of flashes and shouting as the onlooking crowd suddenly realised what was about to happen – and then a moment later the cold light of the alley was subsumed beneath pressure and darkness and Matt felt himself hurtling through a tunnel of crushing, smothering black. About a half-second later the sensation passed, and Matt opened his eyes to the familiar smell ...

Superworlds - 2.1 - Exit Interview

[Hey folks. I'm away this again this weekend and for pacing reasons the last segment was a bit short, so here's another one to tide you over until I'm back. Enjoy - Ben]

--

“Stuart Louch.”

The police officer stood with one hand on her belt, the other clutching a palm-sized notepad. Around her, the alleyway still buzzed with people – though much more serious and official now, the police having pushed back and cordoned off the general public. At either entrance to the ar...

Superworlds - Chapter 2 - Matt Callaghan, Deceased

“NO!”

Time froze. The world around Jane fell silent, swallowed by the sound of her final gasping breath. The scene crystallised, the colours shining – a painting of perfect detail, suspended forever in gloss.

The bright-lit alley, moths floating, wings shining mid-beat beneath yellowed lights. The chipped brick walls, breathing softly with dust and moisture – wisping hints of steam rising from the bitumen, the distant cars and lancing headlights. The press...

Superworlds - Supplemental - United States v Callaghan

CASES ADJUDGED

IN THE

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

AT

OCTOBER TERM, 2000

–-------------

‘UNITED STATES V CALLAGHAN’

CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR
THE FEDERAL CIRCUIT

Argued August 3, 2001 – Decided August 6, 2001

-(Selected extracts)-

REHNQUIST C. J., delivered the opinion of the Court in which STEVENS, O’CONNOR, SCALIA, KENNEDY, SOUTHER, TH...

Superworlds - Interlude 1

~~ Interlude ~~

I wake at 6:48am for that is my custom.

I rest not more than 12 minutes, one unit, a fifth of an hour, so that I am about my day by the seventh chime. Over-rest is as debilitating as under-rest and renders soft one’s body and mind. I cannot afford to be soft.

Vigilance is the soil of greatness.

When I awake I check the cameras to ensure that my house is empty. Bedroom, bathroom, hallway, staircase, en...

Superworlds - 1.7 - Exit Stage Left

[Author's note: What's this? Two chapter releases in one day? No, I haven't misclicked a button, I'm just going away for the weekend and won't be at my computer to release the next chapter on time. Upside is, you get two fresh chapters instead of one. Patreon perks man...] 

*****

“Well that went pretty well.”

The pair of them, Matt Callaghan and Jane Walker, stood backstage as Today Show aides rushed around packing up their stuff. Everything they’d brought with th...

Superworlds - 1.6 - The Captive and The Audience

*

“Please. God. No. Please.”

In the darkness of the warehouse the teleporting soldier reappeared – but not alone. Now, he dragged with him a shaking shadow of a man – a trembling, mangled figure, clad in nought but rags, his hands shackled in thick iron manacles bound behind his back. All around the moonlit room, the looming soldiers drew closer, almost on instinct, like sharks sensing blood. For there was blood. Their captive’s skin was scarred and mottled, both feet pu...

Superworlds - 1.5 - Persons of Interest

*

“So what’s been happening since then?” Leno asked, “How’re you settling into this new life, where everyone knows who you are? Because you’re famous, you’re celebrities now aren’t you?”

“It’s weird,” agreed Matt, “I can’t go anywhere. People recognise me on the street.”

“I like it when it’s kids,” said Jane, “Kids always wave at me.”

“I get fan mail,” said Matt, “I mean she gets more-” he jerked his thumb at Jane, “-bu...

Superworlds - 1.4 - Blood Price

Inside the warehouse, nobody moved. Nobody so much as breathed. Spread out between the shelves and tables the soldiers tensed, hands gripping their weapons. The big man behind Salt trembled, his meaty hand clutched tight around the diamond, the woman across from him breathing quickly, her fingers slowly fanning out, eyes darting between the barrels of every glinting gun. Only Salt and the old man appeared unmoved by the sudden tension; and of the two of them, Salt’s free hand tremored and s...

Superworlds - 1.3 - Hair's Breadth

“Steady on guv,” the man in the pinstriped suit replied. He fixed the thin old man with a smirk, though no humour reached his eyes. “Let’s see them first.”

The old man made no move to get up from his chair, but instead slid his gaze over to the nearest soldier with a soft, weary sigh. “Jackson,” he said mildly, “Give Mister Salt his diamonds.”

The tall, hard-faced soldier scowled, appearing displeased at the order – perhaps at the thought of handing anything to...

Superworlds - 1.2 - Inside Scoop

A few moments passed and eventually Leno looked up.

“Thank you. Thank you everyone, I think we needed to do that. Because look tonight, tonight might not be about the victims-”

“No but they’re such an important part,” added Matt.

“Absolutely, such a pivotal, pivotal part. But I don’t think anyone’s ever going to forget that. I’m certainly not.” There were more sounds of agreement, a couple of interspersed sobs. “But look, I think, we’ve had that momen...

Superworlds - 1.1 - The Boy Who Lied

They came through the south-side entrance; a large man and a thick, greasy-haired woman, both in tight black shirts and cargo pants, both wearing sunglasses. Between them, at their forefront so they flanked him either side, walked a short, slick-haired man in a blue pinstripe suit, his brown leather dress shoes clacking the concrete with every step. They approached the waiting soldiers cautiously, heads turning as they took in their numbers, their positions, their guns. Traces of unease flick...

Superworlds - Chapter 1 - Fame

Fame

“Ladies and gentlemen, tonight’s guests need no introduction.”

In homes and bars across America – in hospitals, on phones, in booths manned by security guards – fifty million screens sat tuned to the same image. Tonight’s episode had been advertised for weeks, on billboards, on bus-sides and online. Simulcast live, internationally, the ratings were predicted to eclipse the Superbowl. The cost of ad time was in the millions. NBC had spar...

Superworlds - Prologue - The Hands of Death

In his death chamber, Tse stood unobserved. The room was stark and windowless – circular and lined with white square tiles, devoid of feature, with an open space in the centre where once might have stood a one-man bed. Tse had requested to die standing, and the lack of restraints was not unusual, given his composure and lack of resistance or escape attempts thus far. Yet as he turned, still restrained by his straitjacket, his eyes fell upon the sole object occupying the room, and for the fi...

Superworlds - Prologue - The Long Walk

Ten thousand miles apart, two men who had never met prepared to die.

For men of a similar age, facing similar fates, they had very little in common. The first, Tse Chi-li, was long, lean and wiry, a native son of Jiangxi with hair like black straw and a face riddled craterous with pockmarks. He moved very little and said even less, quietly awaiting his final step to annihilation with the same fatalistic silence with which he had approached every other. He sat in his cell in Ganzhou, sta...

The Mindtaker War (Full Story)

The complete novella of The Mindtaker War, including never-before-seen epilogue. 

Announcement - Superworlds & the future of this Patreon

Valued supporters, it is my pleasure to announce that the sequel for Superworld is now complete and will soon begin being released on Patreon and Royal Road. 

In preparation for release I have revamped the various tiers available to Patreon subscribers, and encourage everyone to check them out. As before, Patrons from Flare tier up will have early access to chapters in advance of those available on Royal Road, with release slated as follows:

- Later this week, a Superworld re...

Superworld Part 2 release and update on sequel

Hi everyone, hope you're all doing well. 

As you may or may not know, Part 2 of Superworld has just been released in audiobook, ebook and paperback. Link below :)

https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/1039414761?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tpbk_1&storeType=ebooks&qid=1668245048&sr=8-1

FYI if you'...

The Mindtaker War - Surface

A dream more real than waking. 

The Mindtaker War - Fall

And in the end, what did you accomplish?

The Mindtaker War - Smother

Speak as one. Burn as one.

Superworld - Now available on Amazon!

Hi everyone,

Hope this post finds you all well and that you've been enjoying "The Mindtaker War" so far.

As you may have seen on Royal Road, Discord or otherwise around the place, "Superworld" Part 1 is now (or will soon be) available on Kindle, Amazon and Audible as an ebook, paperback and audiobook respectively. Links for all three are below:

Audiobook - Currently available for pre-order, available 9 August 2022 - 2022-07-27 05:35:35 +0000 UTC View Post

The Mindtaker War - Scream

What will you say into the silence?

The Mindtaker War - Burn

We will all, in time, be ashes.

The Mindtaker War - Survive

The best laid plans...