Nino Laquidara

Chapter 1: Liz eased the door closed behind her. She clicked the lock into place, took off her shoes, and tiptoed toward the stairs. At this hour, Dad would be in his workshop, but Liz wasn’t going to take any chances. She placed a gentle foot onto the first step and waited to see if its groan would give her away. Mercifully, the old house obeyed her unspoken command to remain silent. She gripped one hand around the railing and began her ascent. She just needed to make it into her room, and she’d be in the clear. Dad wouldn’t see – “Liz!?” Dad’s voice stopped Liz in her tracks. She peered over the railing, down the hallway, and toward the kitchen. Dad was still dressed for work, wearing a lab coat, a buttoned shirt, and a tie so loose, Liz wondered why he bothered wearing it. He held a half-eaten sandwich up to his lips before dropping it to the floor. How could she have forgotten? She had the worst luck imaginable. “Liz!” Dad shouted again, sprinting down the corridor. Liz considered running up the stairs, but she knew the futility in attempting an escape. Her shoulders sagged, and she hopped off the steps. Liz held up a hand to slow her father’s approach. “Dad, it’s not as bad as it –” Liz winced and sucked in air as Dad’s palms touched the sides of her face. A quick burst of pain arced across her cheek while Dad inspected her right eye. “What happened?” Dad asked, moving Liz’s head back and forth. “Are you okay? Lord, your eye is practically closed shut.” “I’m fine.” Liz pressed a palm against Dad’s chest, hoping against reason that would keep him at bay. “I fell on my way off the bus. It’s nothing.” Dad scoffed. “Nothing?” He took a step back, planting hands on hips. “You expect me to believe you fell off the bus and landed on your eye?” He leaned closer. “And that your fall created a perfectly fist-shaped mark?” “Dad, I…” Dad steeled his jaw and pointed behind him. “Kitchen! Now!” *** “Thanks,” Dad said into his phone. He hung up and placed the phone on the kitchen table. He threw his lab coat over the back of one chair and tossed his tie onto the seat of another. “How’s the eye?” “Better.” Liz removed the bag of frozen peas. The world worked its way back into view on her right side. “Good.” Dad walked over and examined Liz’s face again. “The swelling is going down.” The oven beeped and drew Dad’s attention away from her. “Stay seated, young lady. If I am to believe you, your balance is off today. I don’t want you tripping and cracking a rib.” He rolled up his sleeves and jogged over to the oven as a savory aroma filled the kitchen. Liz grimaced while he had his back turned to her. If she was quiet, he’d give up, and she could go upstairs to her room. Her plan might have worked if her stomach hadn’t betrayed her with an audible roar. “It sounds like someone can’t resist my cooking!” Dad chuckled as he set a plate in front of Liz. She took one whiff of the bubbling pizza, and her mouth watered in an instant. Liz huffed and turned her nose up at the plate. “Reheating the pizza I ordered last night is not cooking.” “I don’t know.” Dad took the seat next to hers. “Seems good to me!” He picked up his slice and chomped into it. Immediately, he spat out a molten glob of cheese and waved a hand over his protruding tongue. “So hot!” Drops of grease spilled onto his wrinkled dress pants. He gasped and helplessly dabbed the stained fabric with a napkin. Liz resisted the urge to laugh. “Aren’t you a doctor?” she mused. “Not too smart for a doctor though, are you?” “My degree is in astrophysics.” Dad took a long sip of water. “Not pizza-ology.” “That’s not a thing.” “How would you know? Are you a doctor?” Dad grinned before remembering he was supposed to be angry. His curling lips reversed course. “Don’t try to change the subject.” “Change from what?” Liz asked, raising her brows. She lifted her slice of pizza and made a show of blowing air onto it before taking a bite. Dad’s frown deepened. He pointed toward his phone. “That was Jane’s mom. Since I know getting the truth from you is like trying to pass light through a blackhole.” Liz narrowed her eyes. She hated that she understood his terrible analogy. He crossed his arms. “A fight Liz? Really?” “I didn’t start it!” Liz wanted to walk away from the table, but her empty stomach wouldn’t allow it. She took another bite. “That’s not what Jane told her mom.” “Jane is an ungrateful idiot!” Dad recoiled and nearly fell from his chair. “Jane is your best friend. You shouldn’t–” “Was my best friend,” Liz corrected. “I don’t have friends anymore.” Dad tossed his crust back onto his plate before pushing it away. He twisted in his chair to stare directly at Liz. She saw herself reflected in his bright blue eyes. Wow, she was a haggard mess. Her black curls frizzed in every direction, her blouse managed the rare feat of being more disheveled than Dad, and a massive welt on her right side marred her dimpled cheeks. Her reflection dulled as the sparkle faded from Dad’s gaze, and his shoulders dropped. He knew the truth in her words, but he fought against it anyway. “Honey, don’t say things you don’t mean.” “I do mean it! I stood up for Jane, and do you know what she did? She yelled at me! Said I embarrassed her. Can you believe that? Becky was harassing her, and as usual, being a spiteful bit–” Liz stopped herself as Dad’s eyes widened. “And of course, Phebie sided with Jane and made some snarky comment that I take things too seriously. Can you believe that? I just wanted to make Becky stop. Everyone knows Jane is too much of a coward to do it herself.” Dad shrugged. “Jane is shy. Nothing wrong with that. When I first met your mother –” “Don’t,” Liz said through gritted teeth. “Don’t start with this again.” Dad worked his jaw and ran a hand through his close-cropped hair. He looked behind Liz toward the family portrait on the back wall, and she could sense the dark cloud forming above his head. That cloud spewed a hailstorm of guilt onto Liz’s soul. She really was the worst daughter in the world. “Sorry honey,” Dad muttered under his breath. “But this isn’t like you.” He started counting her misdeeds, lifting an ink-stained finger with each accusation. “You stay in your room all night. You quit softball. Your grades are slipping. You and Jane haven’t talked in over a month.” He threw out his arms. “And now you’re getting into fights!” He sighed and pinched between his brows. “I spoke with your school’s counselor. She thinks you need to talk about it.” Liz shot up. Her guilt be damned, she wasn’t going to sit here for another second. “You talked with Donna!?” Dad remained seated, looking up at Liz with a concerned expression. Or was it pity? “Ms. Richards is worried about you. So am I. Honey, I know it’s been tough.” He placed a hand on his chest. “It’s been tough on me too. I just want to do anything I can to make you feel better.” “And what if I don’t want to feel better!?” Liz shouted. “Why wouldn’t you want that?” “You wouldn’t understand!” Liz wanted to say more. Wanted to ream him out. All she managed was a groan before stalking away. “Young lady…” “Shut up!” Liz yelled behind her shoulder. “I’m done talking with you.” She rounded the corner. “I – well, I never thought I’d have to do this, but I think I have to ground you,” Dad called out. He then whispered to himself, “How does that work?” Liz rolled her eyes. “It means we don’t speak for the rest of the night. No, scratch that. We don’t speak for the next week.” She reached the stairs just as the regret hit. Why was she acting this way? She couldn’t manage a single conversation without snapping. She needed to retreat into her room before she did any more damage to the people around her. She dashed upward, readying herself for a night huddled under the covers. She reached the second-floor landing, pulled out her phone, and – Why wasn’t her phone connected to the Internet? She opened her settings. The screen read, “No Wi-Fi signals found.” Liz moaned loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear before clomping back down the steps. She had to hand it to her father; he was good at getting under her skin. Dad sat in the same spot at the kitchen table with a smug grin. The plates and silverware had been replaced by an unplugged router and some sort of headset with wires sticking out of it. “I can’t believe you,” Liz said, walking back into the kitchen. “A little petty, don’t you think?” Dad gave an apologetic shrug. “Oh, most certainly. But grounded girls don’t get to have fun upstairs on their phone.” “Grounded woman,” Liz corrected, gripping the seat opposite her father. Her knuckles paled as she attempted to snap the wooden frame in half. All she managed to do was dig a dull pain into her palms. “Women don’t get into fist fights at school. Little girls do,” Dad said, then stuck out his tongue. And I’m the one acting like a child? – Liz thought. Liz took a deep breath before sitting down again. She looked around the room. A thin layer of dust covered every surface. Tumbleweeds of hair gathered in the corners. The tiled floor had lost its sheen to months of neglect. Except for a few kitchen appliances, nothing in here had been touched since – that night. The only noise left in this dying home was the hum of Dad’s equipment emanating from the basement. The door to Dad’s workshop was ajar, and Liz could just make out the glow of the computers inside. As she shifted her gaze back toward her father, she caught a glimpse of the shelf on the far side of the room. A portrait lay next to the tray with Dad’s keys. Three smiling faces stared back at Liz. A reminder of the last time she was happy. “I’m sorry Dad,” Liz said, feeling defeated. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you.” Dad pushed his chair closer to the table. “You’re right. You shouldn’t have.” He stared down at the tablecloth as if it held the solution to their insurmountable divide. “And I should have been more sensitive. I’m sorry too.” “Apology accepted,” Liz mumbled. Dad cupped a hand over his ear. “Sorry, what was that?” Liz returned that comment with a flat look. Her reaction tugged on Dad’s lips. Liz pointed toward the black box. “Can I have the router now?” “What year was I born?” Dad asked. Liz raised an eyebrow. “I don’t remember.” “Good. So at least you know I wasn’t born yesterday.” He laughed at his own joke. “No router while you’re grounded.” “Seriously?” “Yes!” Dad patted the headset to his left. “But I can do you one better than those videos you watch all night.” He scooped up the device and moved toward Liz. “I know you love my gadgets.” I used to love your gadgets. When I was eight. – Liz decided to keep those comments to herself. Dad placed the device down. “Can you guess what it is?” “Dad…” Liz and her father used to play this game all the time when she was a kid. Dad would show off his latest invention, and a better version of Liz would be dazzled by her father’s handiwork. Even now, Liz could remember the joy of working together on a new project in the basement. When their minds were fully in sync, it felt like they could do anything. It felt like all was right in the world. But that was before. Before Liz realized her father wasn’t as perfect as she once thought. Before the daughter her father had idolized was long gone. “Liz?” Dad took the seat beside Liz. He reached out a hand and placed it on hers. She broke from her stupor and glanced into Dad’s eyes. A tiny speck of hope ran across his pupils. “I thought this could be fun. Maybe it could make you feel better...” What he didn’t have to say was how this would make him feel better too. Liz wasn’t sure if she succeeded in a believable smile, but the glow in Dad’s expression was a good sign. Creases formed beside his eyes as he slid the device toward her. She took a deep breath and leaned over to inspect the headset. It looked like a crown made from steel with sensors welded onto the inner part of the circle. Wires connected the different sensors together to form a kind of hairnet. A long cord extended out the back of the headpiece. Liz rubbed her chin. This was interesting. Were those neural modules? They were used to detect brainwaves. What were they transmitting? The device reminded her of Dad’s invention from last year. If she remembered correctly, it could make someone’s thoughts appear as text. How exactly did it work again? “Want me to give you the answer?” Dad asked, smiling. Liz held up a finger to silence him. The old Liz, which had remained buried deep within her being, slowly resurfaced. She loved a good puzzle. She needed to figure this out on her own. “Can I check the basement?” Liz rotated the device in her hands. The rest of the room faded away. “If you’re referring to my lab, then yes. Go right ahead.” Dad waved toward the open door. Liz took the device and strode over to the workshop. She bumped her shoulder into the doorframe without thinking. Dad let out a yelp, then he moved to help Liz down the steps. After reaching the basement, she took the cord at the back of the device and inspected it one more time. It ended in three prongs. Liz looked up. The basement had been rearranged – again. Dad said he couldn’t think unless he changed his surroundings on a regular basis. Evidently, complacency in his environment stifled his cognitive function. Or so he claimed. He wasn’t making this easy for her. Randomly assorted junk sat in the middle of the room with a nest of wires hanging overhead. Each wire led to a different machine or computer haphazardly placed in the space. Tables and chairs lined the walls, each with gadgets and monitors resting atop them. Liz moved a standing telescope out of the way and started peering behind the various pieces of equipment. She was searching for – “Got it!” Liz said aloud. The cord fit perfectly into Dad’s mega-server. The whirring piece of machinery looked like an old computer from the sixties. It extended from floor to ceiling, radiating with dozens of blue and green lights. Liz plugged the headset into a vacant port, and a nearby monitor lit up. She sat in a rusted stool opposite the monitor to read prompts on the screen. “It’s just the device that shows the words in your head as text on the screen,” Liz said with a tone she hoped conveyed her disappointment. “You’ve shown me this before…” “Have I?” Dad asked. He rested a hand on her shoulder and motioned toward the screen. “Look closer.” Thick cables connected the monitor to the server and the computer at Liz’s feet. A program was already running on the computer that appeared to be recording something. She clicked on the window to reveal dashed lines on a solid black background. The lines formed a graph with a thick, green line laid flat at its center. Liz considered for a moment before snapping her fingers. She put the headset on, and the green line bounced up and down. It danced and formed a wave pattern on the screen. “It’s recording my thoughts,” Liz whispered. This was nothing she hadn’t seen before, but on another window, there was a text box reading, “ready to transmit.” “Transmit?” Liz asked. She peered down at the keyboard. A piece of red tape covered one of the function keys. Instinctively, she reached a finger toward the key. Dad grabbed her wrist. “Don’t touch that!” Liz looked up at her father, her mouth forming a line. “Then how am I supposed to know what it does?” “Sorry sweetie, but I haven’t tested it yet. I don’t want it to hurt you.” Dad rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. “But I’m sure you have a good idea what it does now.”

Assignment #1: Story Statement My novel follows Tish Robinson, a teenager who recently lost her mother. After her mother passed, Tish can no longer understand the meaning of life. In her estimation, if any of us could die at any moment, what’s the point in it all? In a moment of weakness, she asks for Earth to be destroyed. Unfortunately for Tish, her wish is granted. She wakes up the next morning aboard the capital ship and capital city of The Galactic Empire, Terminus. She also wakes up in the body of an alien – Sorgoth, The Devourer of Worlds. Sorgoth had a similar view to Tish. So, Sorgoth decided to blow Earth to smithereens. He has just called for a full-scale invasion of Earth, and it is up to Tish to stop his evil plans. Tish must overcome her fear of death – and her cynicism about life on Earth – to convince the rest of the aliens that Earth is worth saving, not destroying. Along her journey, she must team up with Sorgoth’s crewmates…and clean up the mountains of mess he left in his wake. Oh, and there is the small problem that Sorgoth is running around on Earth in her body. Who knows what kind of havoc he could get up to? Assignment #2: The Antagonist Our primary antagonist is Sorgoth, The Devourer of Worlds, and more specifically, the trail of destruction he left behind for Tish now that she is inhabiting his body. Sorgoth is The Galactic Empire’s Grand Adjudicator. It is his job to decide which planets deserve entry into The Galactic Empire and which…well, he’s called The Devourer of Worlds for a reason. Needless to say, his job left a lot of unhappy customers on Terminus. Sorgoth left Tish with his minions: Zee – a murderous AI who is implanted inside Sorgoth’s brain and wants to learn more about emotion; Telnir – Sorgoth’s first mate and a cowardly blob who wants to learn to stand up for themselves; and Minamii – Sorgoth’s stalker and the deadliest assassin in the universe. Sorgoth is also our story’s other protagonist. He was born and raised to be a great Giltrinite warrior, and he’s lived life in service of conquest. Unfortunately for Sorgoth, he is now in the body of a pitiful human. But is being a weakling all that bad? Sorgoth gets to have friends. He’s never had those before. He gets to have a loving father. He’s always wanted that. Maybe, just maybe, Sorgoth likes being Tish. Assignment #3: Title 1. Sorgoth: The Devourer of Worlds vs Tish: The High School Junior - This was my main working title. On the cover, I imagined the title separated into three lines with “Sorgoth,” “vs,” and “Tish” all on their own line. 2. Tish Robinson vs The Devourer of Worlds - Based on books in the genre, this title seems more viable as it is shorter and gets straight to the point. Assignment #4: Comparable Works “Sorgoth vs Tish is Freaky Friday meets War of the Worlds and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” Freaky Friday relates to the main story conceit. War of the Worlds relates to the main conflict our characters must overcome. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy relates to the tone, characters, and world building. Assignment #5: Core Wound and Conflict (Hook Line) Primary: After swapping bodies with the alien leading an invasion of Earth, a grieving teen must overcome her fear of death to prevent her planet’s destruction. Alternative: A grieving teen must prevent her wish for Earth to be destroyed from coming true…after she swaps bodies with the alien who is leading the invasion of her planet. Assignment #6: Secondary and Internal Conflict Internal Conflict: Tish’s internal conflict is triggered by the death of her mother. Her mother was a firefighter who died from lung cancer. Right before her mother died, she smiled. This has eaten away at Tish. How could her mother smile when things were so bleak? This is a line Tish will go back to several times throughout the book. After her mother’s death, Tish has undergone an existential crisis any young adult must one day face: if death is inevitable, then what’s the point in living in the first place? Like most teens, Tish is also hard-pressed to discuss her internal conflicts with those around her. She’s pushed away friends, family, and her school counselor in hopes she never has to talk about her mother’s death again. As Tish puts it in the book, “If I say it out loud, then it becomes real.” All of this has resulted in Tish’s fear of death. It constantly hits her during her journey through Terminus, especially when the complete destruction of Earth looms over her head. Her feelings come to a head when she meets with The Galactic Council. She pleads with them to overturn their decision to annihilate Earth, and The Council gives her a simple task: if she can explain why the fleeting lives of Earthlings matter, Earth will live. Unfortunately for Tish, she can’t articulate how it’s possible for life to have any meaning when one’s death only leads to more tragedy in the world. Tish has to come to understand a few things. From Zee, she learns to be more introspective about her emotions. By teaching the AI about human emotion, Tish learns how to tap into her own feelings. From Telnir, she learns to express herself. By teaching the cowardly blob monster how to stand up for themselves, Tish comes to understand that she needs to be more open and honest with people about how she feels. Finally, through Minamii – an assassin whose job revolves around both life and death – Tish learns that life – no matter how short – is precious. In the end, we pass on a piece of ourselves to family, friends, and perfect strangers. In that sense, a human never dies. They live on forever in the collective consciousness of the world. Only after this realization can Tish face The Council again. Secondary Conflict: Before Tish can speak with The Council, she must defeat Minamii in a duel. You see, The Council is on vacation, and they really can’t be bothered talking with the human teen again. So, they send their trusty assassin, Minamii, to stop Tish. During their first encounter, Tish wondered how she’d ever be able to face a foe as powerful as Minamii. Minamii has centuries worth of training. Tish has several minutes worth of training…and most of that was spent trying to avoid sticking herself with the heated end of a lazblade. But Minamii taught Tish that a true warrior does not need training, they simply need to let go of their fears. As Minamii put it earlier in the book, “You can fear neither death nor life if you are to become a warrior.” At this point, Tish has learned why her mother always smiled. She smiled because she knew she was leaving Tish behind to make the world a better place. Tish can’t let her mother’s memory die. She fights Minamii and wins. Well, she actually loses horribly, but her courage inspires Minamii to concede defeat. Assignment #7: Setting The book has two settings: Earth and Terminus. Terminus is the capital ship – and capital city – of The Galactic Empire. Hundreds of years ago, the universe was ruled by a different empire: The Giltrinite Empire. The Giltrinites were a fierce group of warriors who conquered and enslaved all the cosmos. Their leader, God Emperor Deloth, believed a man should make his own name and bellow that name to the far edges of space. Deloth was known by his moniker: The Devourer of Worlds. However, Deloth did not account for something. He’d left behind countless planets and peoples who despised him. While Deloth might have been a god made flesh, even a god can be felled. Every galaxy, every planet, and every person rallied together to defeat Deloth and his Giltrinites. Only one Giltrinite survived the assault: Deloth’s coward of a son, Sorgoth. To prevent the whole Giltrinite situation from happening again, The Galactic Empire’s Council created a new position. One that would weed out any race of people before they became an unstoppable threat like the Giltrinites. They founded The Grand Adjudicator. The Grand Adjudicator’s job would be to judge planets and their peoples. If they were deemed worthy, said planets would join The Galactic Empire. If they were deemed unworthy, they would be destroyed. While The Galactic Empire might have been able to defeat the Giltrinites, they are pretty terrible at governance. For example, to become The Grand Adjudicator, one must defeat the previous Adjudicator in a duel. They didn’t really think this one through, since after Sorgoth defeated the bookish geriatric they’d given the position, a madman became their Grand Adjudicator. Now, Sorgoth is trying to make up for his past cowardice by taking his father’s title and running with it. Sorgoth lives with his crew on Terminus, dispensing his twisted form of justice to the universe’s inhabitants. Things on Terminus run in a way that’s strange, and some might say counterproductive, when Tish arrives. The ship extends on for thousands of miles, and for a time, Tish is stuck in the ship’s bowels. All in all, the bowels of the ship are rather pleasant, if a tad boring. It’s full of automatons from Delbin Nine, who are a nice change of pace from the hull’s other inhabitant: Z1985644. Z1985644 – or Zee for short – is an artificial intelligence created by the Delbin. She was crafted to make the tough decisions mortals are too emotional to execute. Most of those decisions involve literal executions, so you can understand why Zee is not well liked. It’s also why Zee was forced to stay implanted in Sorgoth’s brain. The Council figured that if Terminus has two murderous psychopaths in their midst, they might as well be paired together. Once Tish escapes the ship’s bowels, she encounters the city proper. The place defies logic with architecture and technology never seen on Earth. Some of the highlights Tish faces include: - Telnir – a Gelmin. They are one of a race of people made entirely from gelatin. The only organ a Gelmin possesses is their brain, which shifts color depending on their mood. In order to use other sensory organs, muscles, bones, etc, a Gelmin must take said organs from another living creature. Well, they used to have to do that. Now, there are artificial organs that the Gelmin use to sustain their lifestyle. The Gelmin also hate to show their emotions. They view it as a sign of weakness. The Gelmin all feel this way…with the except of Telnir. Telnir is expressive – and some could argue a bit over expressive. They love to flaunt their stuff, much to the chagrin of those around them. But Telnir loves life, and you can’t take that away from them. In an effort to take that away from them, Terminus has stuck Telnir in the hull of the ship. At least they’ve made Telnir Sorgoth’s first mate. Telnir always wanted a title to match their sensational attitude. - Minamii – a Delvani. She is one of many assassins whom The Council employs to do their bidding. Minamii became an assassin after losing her sister in war. Minamii has fought her whole life to understand the meaning of life and death. She then imparts that wisdom onto Tish. Oh, and she wears all leather…and is madly in love with Sorgoth. She just wishes Sorgoth would reciprocate her love. - The Council – six men and women who run Terminus. Their members consist of: another Gelmin who loathes Telnir, a hive mind of insects who want to use humans as hosts for their larvae, a monstrous teddy bear who speaks in a language no one understands (but they are all too scared to admit), a shapeshifter who looks like a middle-aged man, a mermaid whose head is a Rorschach test that always shows something far too specific, and Gorlock – a one-eyed flying meatball with teeth. In the story, Earth serves to juxtapose Terminus. Everything on Earth is quaint, peaceful. Sorgoth hates it. He can’t understand why everyone is so nice all the time. He has to contend with Jane and Phebie – Tish’s best friends, Becky – the school bully, Donna – the school guidance counselor, and Gary Robinson – Tish’s loving father. Bullies, Sorgoth can handle. But there are actually people calling Sorgoth his friend? There is a man who loves Sorgoth unconditionally as his father? Sorgoth can’t believe this madness. Friends? A father? For him? On second thought, would that be such a bad thing? The setting focuses heavily on the clash of cultures between Tish’s Earthly ways and Sorgoth’s villainous attitudes. Much of the story also centers around the idea that therapy can heal a broken heart. For Tish, her therapy is immersive. A lot of Terminus revolves around Sorgoth and the trail of death and destruction he left behind for Tish to clean up. She is constantly facing reminders of death, and she must overcome them. Sorgoth, on the other hand, goes through a more direct form of therapy. Between Donna, the school counselor, and Tish’s friends, people keep prodding Sorgoth to open up and express how he really feels. The love and kindness they show Sorgoth slowly starts to mend his blackened, decrepit heart.