Solace: Uncharted Territory

By Amanda Schmidt

For her entire life, Karissa and her sisters have been serving Omatha. Unlike her sisters, Karissa is always being forced to take on impossible missions across the galaxy (which have brought her closer to death more times than she cares to think about). Years of living under Omatha’s rules has taught Karissa that the only way to survive is to stay focused and get each mission accomplished by any means necessary.

When she is sent to Earth, she finds a creature named Jack. She is confident he will be the key to her freedom. In her hasty attempt to bring him before Omatha, she winds up in a tailspin of cataclysmic events that hurls her into uncharted territory. Could it be true that what she believes to be evil will be the one thing that saves her?

Solace is an adventure story that is recommended for ages 14 and up due to suggestive language and mild violence.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amanda Schmidt
• Release date: Apr 15, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476454481

Amanda Schmidt

I graduated from Eastern Michigan University and live in Rochester, Michigan. I am a single mother of three amazing children who have helped me rediscover my love of writing. I started writing in 2009 and discovered there were many stories within me that I wanted to share. With the help of my family, friends, and fans, I have gained confidence in myself and in what I love, allowing me to live my dream to be an author who finds inspiration everywhere: my past, listening to music, in laughter, and even random moments while out hiking or practicing Tai Chi.I discovered the hard way how important it is to believe in yourself and your dreams. With each story I write, I hope to take my readers into a world that will captivate their imagination. I hope my stories remind you to believe in your dreams, allowing you to think outside the box and become more than you thought you could be.

Book preview

Solace:

Uncharted Territory

By Amanda Schmidt

~~~~

Cover Art By:

Amanda Schmidt

~~~~

Solace: Uncharted Territory

Published by Amanda Schmidt at Smashwords

Copyright 2012 Amanda Schmidt

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

~~~~

I would like to thank my family and friends for all the faith and encouragement that they have given to me. Thank you, Marie Schmidt, Chemaine Hamelin, Meg Foster, and Teresa Wiley, for taking time out of your busy lives to help me with feedback and editing. Thank you, Patrick, Robert, and Alivia, for giving your mom the love, support and time to write, edit, and revise, and a reason to keep smiling through it all. Thank you, Lord, for blessing my life with so much love and a passion to write.

Thank you for taking the time to read my book. I hope you enjoy the adventure that awaits.

#####

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Lost: Chapter 1

Other Books

Connect with me online

~~~~

Chapter One

I awoke to the bright lights of the hibernation chamber feeling better than I expected. As my eyes adapted to the oxygen filled air, and tears cleared away the sludge that comes from sleeping while traveling to other worlds, I looked at the screen that was showing me information about the planet I had arrived on. I hastily re-focused my eyes on the stats a few inches from my face which were of more interest to me - my vitals.

My vitals were not where they should be, and I rolled my eyes with irritation. Hibernation wasn’t my favorite way to travel, mostly because it took too much time for my body to be ready for action.

I glanced back at the only thing my body was ready for - the screen of information about this planet. I had done a little research before I left, and I was not impressed in the least. As the information continued to flash in front of me, I became less and less thrilled to be here, which I hadn’t thought possible since I didn’t want to come in the first place. The creatures were ugly, and the planet was pathetic. As I found myself hoping that my vitals would stay where they were, I stopped watching the images moving on the screen.

I continued to lay calmly on the bed, continuing to stare at my readings. A tinge of excitement arose as vitals increased – the rest of my body was finally beginning to awaken. I was relieved that it wasn’t taking as long as I expected to get back to normal. Even though it was quite impressive that my ship had landed only a half a day ago, my mind was overly ready to get this mission completed so I could leave.

This planet was a fairly simple planet where all life seemed to co-exist. The plant life depended on the other organisms to put the element it needed into the air, and in turn the plants gave off the element that the other creatures needed.

Unfortunately for me, the element that the abundant plant life put into the air was one of my least favorite - oxygen. I hated oxygen. Not only did this element smell horrible, but it had the most disgusting taste. I dreaded the opening of the hibernation chamber because it wasn’t that there was just a little oxygen on this planet. Oh no, it was an oxygen rich environment. The oxygen was in everything: the organisms, the air, the fluids, and apparently the creatures that Omatha had sent us to get couldn’t live without it… or with too much of it. Well, at least until we got a hold of them.

Why Omatha sent my sisters here was beyond me. I wasn’t even sure how she had discovered this stupid planet. It wasn’t surrounded by much of anything, let alone an object that she would have found interesting. However, what was more perplexing was why she wanted these creatures at all. The intelligence of the creatures, as a whole, was not impressive, and everything that I had learned about them was gross.

They enjoyed wasting their short lives in front of a screen, taking in all the information that was available, but hardly doing anything with what they learned. Although, I suppose, it was possible that they couldn’t learn much. They appeared very inferior to the Omathans, and they didn’t seem to learn very quickly.

For example, they had a wide variety of extreme likes and dislikes, ideals and beliefs, what is considered corruption and acceptable among them - and it all varied across the planet. Which alone wasn’t a tragedy, but they did not seem to understand that their bodies were too fragile for violence to be the means of dealing with each other… it is a wonder that they still exist.

Their bodies… I shuddered at where my mind took me.

Their bodies craved affection, and as if that wasn’t bad enough, they tended to show this with touching: handshakes, hand slaps, pats on each other’s backs, arms draped over or around each other, putting their mouths on each other. They are very creative on how to get this done, but either way it was wrong and disgusting.

Most beings that Omatha sent us after were smart enough to distrust us when we landed. I believed it was the creatures’ survival instinct, because we were after something that they had. These particular creatures didn’t take into account that Omathans were willing to kill all others to get what we were looking for, especially my four eldest sisters.

Instead of being suspicious, this planet welcomed my sisters. The humans’ mistake. My four eldest sisters loved collecting males, and they did not do it kindly. They believed that only the strongest survived, and therefore they would practically terminate an entire species to find what they wanted. In this case – as it was with every mission I was sent on - the sisters wanted males for Omatha.

In Omatha’s attempt to create a species of her own design, she sends us to search for the perfect gift: a male that is a champion, so to speak. She won’t settle for anything except the best. I scrunched my nose at the mere thought of the extent at which Omatha would go - and continues to go - with the creatures we bring to her.

As the pictures of these creatures continued to flash before my eyes, I tried to understand what it was that had enticed her here. The males of this planet were… blah. They had very little color to them, and nothing to set them apart from the other. They all had two legs, two arms, two eyes… their bodies are perfectly symmetrical, fragile, and inferior.

I realize that my body was very similar to theirs, but I was not colorless or fragile. If I was, I would hope that someone would have come along and destroyed me. These creatures did not feel that way, which was why I was here.

These creatures had put up a good fight after my sisters began the attack. They actually took out a large amount of Omatha’s fighters. However, my sisters had knocked a great deal of their numbers down across the planet since the day they arrived, which was expected. To my amusement, these creatures and my sisters had come to a stalemate.

My four eldest sisters had trapped a large group of creatures in a shelter that they had created, and now my sisters could not get at them. There had been nine sisters sent here and four of my sisters have been here far too long. This meant that they had found what they wanted. They were Omatha’s favorite four, and Omatha was not pleased that she had to send me to get the job done.

The hibernation chamber finally opened, and I slowly sat up. I instinctively breathed in deeply, wishing that I hadn’t. What was that I just inhaled? It was worse than oxygen. I could taste the other elements in the air that were clawing at my lungs.

The creatures of this planet apparently felt it necessary to add their own flavors to the already disgusting base of their air. My research had shown that these creatures had used their crude intelligence to create chemicals that were bad for all the organisms of this planet, probably due to their need to be dominant over everything.

After I stopped coughing, I quickly moved my legs over the edge of the chamber and hopped onto the ground. My irritation climbed another notch - I did not like their gravity either. I could feel the added weight making me slower.

I stretched upward against the gravity, tightening and relaxing my muscles. It felt good to be moving again. I didn’t despise the hibernation chamber. It made the trip seem shorter, but I did not like being incapacitated. Traveling to get here wasn’t the longest trip I had ever taken, but it was longer than I had wanted to travel for this mission.

Karissa! called my eldest sister, Sarsa, from outside my ship. Karissa! I thought you said she was awake, she growled.

Look. Her vitals spiked and then disappeared, a male voice informed her. The voice must belong to one of her many males who was showing her the screen that was linked to the hibernation chamber.

Maybe she died. Wouldn’t that be just like her? Omatha asks her to do something simple, and she fails miserably.

No, she isn’t dead, the male replied with caution. There were few who would tell Sarsa she was wrong, and fewer that she let live for doing so.

That’s too bad, she breathed out.

My irritation was almost at full capacity. Sarsa, and all of my sisters, did not like me. I was not nearly as beautiful as they were - they looked like Omatha. Well, Omatha in her original state. Omatha had five beautiful purple eyes, a large eye on one side of her face and four on the other. Her long red hair was magnificent against her beautiful light green skin. Me, I looked like my father, or so I was told - fathers didn’t usually live very long.

Sarsa, Omatha sent her because… the male began, but stopped as he saw me.

She’s wasting our time. Why Omatha sent her—

She sent me, because she’s sick of waiting on you, I growled as I stepped out of my ship. "Because she knows I’ll get the job done."

Sarsa glowered down at me.

If I was as small and ugly as you, I wouldn’t be mouthing off.

And if I—

Oh, you’re up, Tania cut in as if I had been sleeping in. It’s about time.

Technically, she woke up earlier than…expected, the male said as he swallowed hard.

Whatever, Tania rudely replied, glaring at him. After towering over him intimidatingly for several moments, she turned her evil stare on me.

Tania, you don’t frighten me, I growled.

She leaned down closer to me, pointing her long, slender finger in my face. I knew she thought she could just crush me, and if I wasn’t so quick and close to indestructible, she might have been right.

I grabbed her finger with my hand and squeezed, forcing it away from my face. Who were you calling ugly, Sarsa? I curtly inquired.

An appalled look came over Tania and her eyes lit up with purple fire that looked absolutely amazing against her mint green skin. She was furious, and I smiled because I knew it.

"Did you just call me ugly?" she stated in a forced calm.

She wouldn’t do that. She’s not that stupid, Algeas piped up.

Oh, yes she did, and yes she is, Jazzia haughtily stated.

I turned to glare at the two sisters who had come to add their unneeded input.

You with your stubby fingers, two short legs… Tania began.

Well at least I don’t look like a giant Galatician Sryorf!

All four sisters gasped, and I knew that I was about to take a beating. I turned to run, but felt the long thin fingers spiral around my left shin and I hit the ground. I grabbed viciously at Tania’s fingers and she screamed out, but refused to let go. She grabbed my forearm and pulled one of my hands away from her grasp on my leg. I reached back and grabbed one of my blades, slashing at her third hand that was reaching for me. She screamed and let go as her dark green blood oozed down her skin. I instantly started running again.

You little abomination! You will pay for that, she growled.

I grabbed my other blade and held them both out, ready to lash out at the first sister to attempt to touch me. They were glaring viciously at me, as though I had attacked them all. I heard footsteps behind me, and I turned with my blade leading. My blade hit his dagger, causing the male to drop his weapon. It was the distraction that my sisters needed. Their hands wrapped around my arms and legs before I could slay the stupid creature for interfering. I glared at the male, and I saw the fear in his eyes.

Tania and Jazzia lifted me off the ground as I struggled to free myself. With a lot of effort on their part, they pulled my arms and legs away from my body so that I was defenseless.

Ugly, huh? Tania angrily said. At least…

Daughters of Omatha, Sarsa’s male yelled to be heard.

"…we don’t…" Tania continued.

…you are supposed to get the…

…look like… Tania growled.

humans, Tania and the male said together.

Oh, now that is very interesting, Sarsa said cruelly as she stepped in front of me, and everyone looked from her to me.

"I do not look like those… creatures!" I snarled.

Yes, yes you do, Sarsa slowly replied. She stared into my eyes, wrenching my blades from my hands. I could see that she was devising a plan that would both humiliate me and put me into a predicament where I would most likely end up dead.

My skin is green, and my eyes are more vibrant, I retorted. How dare she compare me to those nasty, oxygen breathing creatures!

You have two legs, two arms, and your body is unbelievably symmetrical, Sarsa remarked slowly, pulling her plan together, a plan I was sure I didn’t want to be a part of.

Sarsa, what are you thinking? Algeas inquired excitedly.

I hate to agree with Karissa, but she is a better color than they are, Jazzia remarked.

Yes, and they’re not that stupid that they wouldn’t notice, Tania commented.

Do you really think the males will care about that if they see less clothing? Sarsa commented as she ripped the sleeve off my arm and then the other arm. You’ve seen their files, they love female flesh. I doubt at this point that they’ll be very picky. You remember how their bodies reacted when we stepped out of our ship.

My sisters started to laugh. Tania pulled out her blade with a smile. She proceeded to cut my pant legs off several inches below my hips, not being at all careful of my skin. I screamed out as her blade cut across my leg, and I tried harder to escape them.

Be careful, those males will want her to have legs, Sarsa remarked as she dragged my blade across my torso, slicing off a section of my shirt, leaving just enough material to barely cover my small chest. My blood wasted no time sliding down my stomach and Sarsa laughed happily.

I was breathing hard, wanting to kill all of them. You’re insane if you think that I’m—

You will, or we’ll send you back to Omatha empty-handed.

I scowled at her. We all knew that we could not return home empty-handed. If a sister didn’t return, Omatha would have you hunted down and returned to her. At which point she would arrange a slow and painful death. That was the catch of being able to leave our home planet. In order to return we had to bring a gift for Omatha - one that she would like.

Tania and Jazzia carried me to the edge of the camp. I stopped struggling as I looked out across the vast brown land that stretched towards the stone wall of the mountain where the humans must be hiding.

I don’t see anything, I said through clenched teeth. Perhaps you haven’t caught Omatha’s male because you’ve been wasting time sitting here.

They’re there, Sarsa hissed with confidence.

Tania and Jazzia held my bloody body out away from them, as though they were showing the humans that they didn’t want me.

Don’t worry you get to take your blades, Sarsa informed me as she carelessly slid my blades into their sheaths that were hidden in the waist of my pants. I felt more blood running down my back before she was done.

The male you’ll be looking for will be hidden in that mountain, Sarsa stated. He’ll be strong, smart, fearless—

If he’s smart and fearless, then what is he doing inside that mountain?

Even beings at this inferior level know that the strong must survive or their race dies, Sarsa remarked, annoyed at my interruption. "Now remember, you need to find me the right male. They will take you inside because they will be curious about your female similarities."

"I do not look like them!" I growled.

Sarsa’s curved blade came up to my face as she glared into my eyes. A smile came to her lips as a thought entered her mind. Your right. Let’s hope that they don’t kill you where you land because of your disgusting attempt to resemble them.

All of my sisters started to laugh. As Tania and Jazzia prepared to heave me through the air, I narrowed my sights on Sarsa. I wanted to rip out one of her misplaced hearts and shove it down her throat.

Don’t get any ideas. They will only fail, and I will make sure Omatha hears about it, Sarsa pleasantly said, and nodded to Tania and Jazzia.

They launched me up into the nasty oxygen filled sky, and the planet’s horrible gravity quickly pulled me down. I landed on the hard barren ground and tumbled uncontrollably. I could feel the brittle soil scraping into me until I rolled to a stop. It was like the planet was punishing me for being in the air.

If I survived this mission, I would be taking the male Sarsa had chosen and give him to Omatha myself.

~~~~

Chapter Two

I stared up at the grey sky above me and shook my head. There was nothing pleasant or beautiful here. It was as ugly and bland as the creatures that populated the land before my sisters’ arrival.

Let’s get this over with.

I got to my feet to see the disgusting earth sticking to my amethyst-colored blood and I clenched my teeth. I stared at the stone wall to see that no one had started to advance. I tilted my head curiously, my eyes searching for