Jimmy Im

First chapter. Note: Since my book's main antagonist is entropy causing parallel universes to merge, the first pages of my book are alternate realities of the main characters, who are getting a peek (at the same time as readers) of entropy descending in the other worlds of their other versions. The first is a "medieval America" era (followed by a character in a Biblical future-past, then one in a far-distant future), but the rest of the book is written as contemporary fantasy. Thanks! Jimmy The Living Book Of Cosmic Matter first pages.docx

1. Story Statement: In the near future, time and space become infected. Four high school boys with sudden cosmic powers learn entropy is annihilating the multiverse—and our world is next. Chosen to help humanity ascend, John, J.J., Smokey and Dalton must band together to fight an ancient god who unleashed “The Great Collapse” on both Earth and the time-space continuum. But entropy requires chaos, and it’s already ravaging America, while cruel Societies hunt the four “gleamers,” forcing them to face their darkest realities—and end of existence. 2. Antagonists: God of Chaos. While the primary conflict is four “gleamers” saving mankind by fighting god of chaos, the novel is also a detective story: who is the god of chaos? Gleamers share a secret frequency in their consciousness that sources wisdom and knowledge from the oldest, most sacred book in the cosmos: The Living Book of Cosmic Matter (or Osmose). Here, they learn entropy was incited by the god of chaos, who roams our planet disguised as one of us. After decoding a series of numbers that power the universe—4, 12, 12,000, 25,960—the four suspects are unveiled: leaders of wicked Societies causing great chaos, a signature of The Great Collapse (entropy), which began when a rare disease began vanishing teenagers (Fizzlers). Gleamers must journey through a dystopian America to confront the four suspects and stab each of them with an ancient relic called fractal. It’s the only way to reveal the true god of chaos, who will bleed dark light. Can gleamers stop the true god of chaos before the blood moon rises? *Each protagonist (John, J.J., Smokey and Dalton) has a corresponding antagonist, but their paths cross in many ways, in which they share multiple antagonists. The four primary antagonists: President Parker Sky, New World America Overseeing New World America (formerly United States of America), President Parker Sky sparked a “war” between teenagers (Risers) and adults (Gerbils) by prioritizing a “new order of the ages” that dismisses Generation R. As part of his agenda, the rights of Risers have become limited (ie: strict curfew, banned from leaving the country), and he suspended support to research the disease affecting Generation R (why spend billions on a generation that’s going to vanish anyway?). Tension mounts when John learns of PROJECT EMPEROR, a light manipulated magnetic stimulation “brainwashing” intended for remaining Risers in America. John vows to take down Sky and the government, but they’ve launched a manhunt on him. Secondary antagonist to John: Peter Fresno, his father, secretly in cahoots with President Sky. Valdek, Kingdom of GeoJurats Kingdom of GeoJurats, an ancient society dating thousands of years, worship Prime Empress Tessa (Mother Earth), who Valdek claims they’ve been “taking care of” to ensure her health. This requires ritualistic human sacrifices. But overpopulation and climate change due to the negligence of our species has made Tessa fatally sick. So sick, in fact, it’s time for “reEarth,” a cataclysmic death and rebirth purging of our planet, with mass extinction, to ensure her well being. This process requires the ritualistic sacrifice of the young that feed her nutrients of pure soul. When Valdek learns the presence of gleamers, he goes after J.J. first, since the powerful soul of gleamers can expedite Tessa’s healing—and the new Earth. GeoJurats wear human masks in public during blood moon ceremonies. Since they are everyday people throughout America who remain anonymous, they could be anyone: your parents, teachers, law enforcement…. Pastor Tom, Ministry of Truth In 2036, organized religions are virtually extinct, but some people go great lengths to revive fellowship, like delusional Pastor Tom, drug lord of trending drug Q, and also leader of Ministry of Truth, a fast-growing religious cult where his members Fundaments see Fizzlers as a sign of The Rapture—Jesus’ return. Ministry of Truth destroys anything that could offend Jesus upon his return (nightclubs, bars, certain books), and get away with it, since much of law enforcement and government officials have converted across America. On the day of the blood moon lunar eclipse, which Jesus was born and died on, Pastor Tom wrangles groups of Risers in large fight rings across the country, where they must kill each other until one is left (so no blood is on his hands). The survivor is forcibly sacrificed on a cross, which will expedite The Rapture and Tribulation—because the Good Lord told him so! When Pastor Tom sees Dalton is a gleamer, he’s certain the spawn of Satan has arrived, and thus begins the manhunt for Dalton’s head. Leara, Learo A beautiful entity from another galaxy, Leara (and her son Malachi) crash-landed on our planet as a runaway. She needs to mine ‘fractal’ to return home, and for decades, has been transforming the homeless and runaways into half human, half marine coelenterate who live peacefully in Seahorse Democritus, the damp, underground cities and tunnels they built. When gleamers reach Apotheosis, the significant impact disrupts Earth’s electromagnetic field, which threatens Learo’s haven. Learo quickly hunt to kill. Leara uses her army of Learo to orchestrate large scale disasters, tragedies and fatalities in America to keep the scent off their secret species—according to legend—and she transforms runaway teenagers into learo. What is her true agenda? No one has ever seen a learo (they are only a myth) until Smokey connects the dots to find their subterranean lair, the first time in history—which puts learo is serious danger. There’s a point in the book a temporal blitzkrieg puts the gleamers on new timelines, thus introducing new antagonists. Dr. Pacifico and his Pinches -An award-winning scientist and Darwinist with God complex, Dr. Pacifico has known about the four Chosen after a run-in with their MasterDescendent 16 years ago. He’s monitored them since they were born, patiently awaiting their Apotheosis. In the meantime, he’s created an army of AI-human-animal hybrids—Pinches—preparing to “introduce” them soon to the world. He has big plans for gleamers, which requires careful mutilation—and he’s kidnapped gleamers’ friends and lovers to lure them to his 100-acre lab in the Ozark. Garth Luanne - A famous screenwriter who can somehow rewrite reality based on what happens in his script. When John finds out, Garth writes the reality of John captured and tortured. John needs to figure out how he can rewrite the script to escape—and defeat Garth. Final antagonist: Dupes: “Dupe” is the term for your other self in worlds in the multiverse. John, J.J., Smokey and Dalton merge with their dupes, experiencing their realities, and are often haunted by them throughout their journeys. 3. Book Title The Living Book Of Cosmic Matter Gleamers & Entropy Of The Omniverse Gleamers The Incredible Story Of The End Of The World Teen Hero Republic (original title when I started writing the book, since it’s the title of the movie script in the book coming to life) 4. Comps Gone by Michael Grant (meets Michio Kaku) What if there is a quantum physic-related explanation for people vanishing into thin air? Or physiological molecular structure allowing gleamers to harness abilities that power our galaxy? Or a larger, cosmic force that influences humanity? Jumper by Steven Gould (meets Christopher Pike) In Jumper, a teen learns he’s “different” with unusual abilities seeking others who are like him - but powerful people hunt him to weaponize him. Throw in the beautifully odd, often metaphysical “who-dunnit” and “end of world” style Christopher Pike is known for, making my novel unique. Summoner, Book One, The Novice by Taran Matharu I like the adventure of the protagonist, including self-discovery, rite of passage and the large stakes that determine his rise or fall. With my novel, the four boys don’t have their MasterDescendent (guru), nor is there anyone on Earth like them (there can only be 4, based on the sacred math of our galaxy), so they are truly alone until they first connect with each other in Osmose. Hardy Boys meets DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths Sleuthing high school kids turned cosmic metahumans must stop the greatest threat to humanity—the collapse of the multiverse—as parallel universes merge. 5. Hook Line When entropy starts rotting the multiverse, four high school boys—with sudden cosmic powers—embark on a strange quest through a chaotic America to fight a dark god who broke the time-space continuum. alt: 1. When teenagers begin vanishing into thin air, four boys with sudden cosmic powers must hunt down dangerous Societies to fight a cruel god who unleashed entropy across the multiverse. 2. When strange, utter chaos descends upon humanity, four boys with sudden cosmic powers must hunt down dangerous Societies to fight a cruel god that unleashed entropy. 6. Other Matters Of Conflict Inner conflict: All four boys go through the immense uncertainty and fear that comes with saving the world, especially when they are “green” as gleamers, as well as growing pains with the duty to help humanity ascend, and incredible doubt in correctly identifying the god of chaos. Inner conflict goes a little deeper for each character. John Fresno - Rich, famous, handsome, white, John lives in an elite bubble of privilege and power, which includes his girlfriend (senator’s daughter) and friend Laird (son of tech billionaire). During the Fizzler endemic, when his generation begins fizzling (vanishing), and adults turn their backs, he uses his privilege to lead his generation in revolution when no one else steps up. Thus begins a civil war between generations. His inner turmoil is embracing humility and not being the anti-hero. Also, when he learns his father signed his HoloHalo (basically a death certificate), he’s betrayed by certain friends and the entire US government and military are after him, John realizes privilege can only get you so far, and surrender may be his best solution. J.J. Jurado - Suffering extreme panic disorder since he was abandoned as a child, foster kid J.J. is terrified of the gleamer he’s become and the wild powers he’s capable of. More terrifying are the number of cults trying to kill him now. His inner conflict is defeatism, especially when his girlfriend doesn’t requite his love seconds before fizzling. He creates fears and excuses not to save the world. He doesn’t believe he’s a hero. Smokey O’Malley-Hwang - A 16-year-old brainiac with temper tendencies, aka “en-psycho-pedia boy,” Smokey refuses to acknowledge his powers. His inner conflict is that he had a mental breakdown in middle school and was admitted to an institute for the gifted, Quigley Pond, which was absolutely traumatic. Gleam triggers him in many ways, making his past resurface to haunt him, thus he continues to oppress who he truly is. Dirty Dalton: Scrappy, rebellious and a former racist bully, Dalton found empathy and now vows to be “good.” The only problem is his former buddies were released from juvie, including his best friend Monkey, who really wants him dead. Dalton plans to illegally cross the Canadian border to escape America when he’s confronted by the local sheriff and Pastor Tom. They put his mother in jail when she didn’t convert to Ministry of Truth. They promise Dalton if he does a baptism the night of the blood moon (the night he plans to flee), they’ll let her free. His other inner turmoil is related to Monkey. After Monkey tries to kill him (twice), they realize they’re more than friends and in love, but can’t be gay in their small Virginia town. Monkey runs away with Dalton. Dalton abandons gleam for love, but does Monkey, who’s lied before and literally tried to kill him, have ulterior motives? And if the world is ending… who cares? At least he gets to end it with Monkey… which is why he shuts himself off to the gleamers so they leave him alone. Secondary conflict: As tensions mount with a teen revolution/protest, evil Societies hunting gleamers, and entropy in Phase 3 (so much chaos!), a sudden temporal blitz scatters reality. Gleamers somehow return to (or move up) various timelines (a bifurcation), which exposes a handful of other villains who could be god of chaos. Who caused the blitz? Was it them? God of chaos? Entropy? John Fresno: John learns Garth can create reality based on the script he writes. John’s future self sent him messages in Osmose, where he learns Dr. Pacifico kidnapped Kelly and is god of chaos. He also learns his father is not his father, which, despite their differences, breaks his heart. He also learns his brother Rooster, who he snapped at, was killed by Learo, and his weakness leads him to a trap. J.J. Jurado - On a flight to confront Learo in Seattle, J.J. learns the god of chaos has changed, thus they have to get off the plane and turn around, but the plane is about to crash. It crashes. He meets Magritte, a park ranger, who drives him to Dr. Pacifico’s to unite with the gleamers… but it’s at this point Phase 3 of The Great Collapse begins - people start physically merging with their other selves from other worlds, which wasn’t supposed to happen so soon. Smokey O’Malley-Hwang - He’s at NYU library, just discovering a crucial key to god of chaos when Learo and Pinches attack. Huge battle along with S.P.U.M.E Patrol (female “ghostbusters” he befriended). He has a sudden flashback to Quigley Pond, a momentary weakness. Pinches defeat them and secure Smokey. Also, he just really doesn’t trust S.P.U.M.E Patrol but has a crush on one of them (Christina Kale). Dalton - Before the temporal blitz, Monkey is killed by Dr. Pacifico right before his eyes. Dalton shifts to a future timeline in a car driven by classmates Sally and Tahir. Even though he’s on a new timeline, Monkey is still dead (well, he never died… that will be a big surprise to Dalton later). His classmates are driving him to Dr. Pacifico’s but Dalton is devastated. The dark side he left behind comes back to haunt him, and he does dangerous things with his powers. 7. Setting: Contemporary America, year 2036. After WW3, and a mild Civil War, the country has come together like never before, in solidarity where old systems have crumbled (such as religion, politics, economical, social media, etc), Spirituality is more embraced, astrology is taught in high school and aurals (a person’s aura) are starting to manifest visibly. Hologram is all the rage, such as Holophones and pop-up virtual assistants, and technology is at its peak: 6G Network, propeller-less helicraft, nano drones, AI-powered fireworks and Geronimo, a secret app used by Risers to communicate, which doesn’t require cell or Internet service. Space tourism, with a moon resort, has arrived, along with major breakthroughs in astronomy, including the discovery of the multiverse via Riggs Particle and learning there have been four Big Bangs. Then Spontaneous Evanescent Disease hits. It only vanishes teenagers, destined to wipe out the entire generation within a year (it comes in “waves”). Teens (Risers) are shocked when the government declares the disease should run its course. New World America takes a dark turn. A war is brewing between the young and older generations—the first “phase” of The Great Collapse. As the novel begins, the biggest teen protest in American history is about to take place on the night of a portending blood moon lunar eclipse, which carries different meanings for each Society—and Risers. Other settings include the home cities of gleamers (Los Angeles, Austin, NYC and Newton, VA), and their alternate realities, as well as the underground city of learo (Seahorse Democritus), Dr. Pacifico’s lab estate in the Ozarks and Shine Studio, the largest Hollywood Studio in America.