The Sovereign Era: Year One: The Sovereign Era, #3

By Matthew Wayne Selznick, PG Holyfield, JC Hutchins and 5 more

The Sovereign Era: Year One is an anthology of seven short stories set in the first year of the Sovereign Era, when the appearance of individuals with remarkable powers forever alters human destiny.

 

ABOUT THE SOVEREIGN ERA: YEAR ONE

Presenting a glimpse into the first year of the Sovereign Era! The seven stories in The Sovereign Era: Year One take place between the events depicted in the two volumes of the Charters Duology (Brave Men Run and Pilgrimage).

 

The Sovereign Era began in April of 1985, when Dr. William Karl Donner revealed that super-powered metahumans existed, declared their autonomy, and demonstrated his ability to enforce that demand. Arrangements between Donner and the government of the United States resulted in the establishment of the Donner Institute for Sovereign Studies, a compound in central Montana where the "Sovereigns" could find refuge and learn more about themselves.

 

Over the next twelve months, while the world struggled to deal with the political and social repercussions caused by the existence of the Sovereigns, the metahumans themselves mostly tried to find their place in the world.

 

That's what these stories are about.

 

FEATURING CONTRIBUTIONS BY…

Mur Lafferty | Jared Axelrod | Nathan Lowell | P. G. Holyfield | J. R. Blackwell | Matt Wallace | J. C. Hutchins

 

Cover art by Jeffery Himmelman.

 

30,400 words.

 

THE SOVEREIGN ERA READING ORDER

0) Hazy Days and Cloudy Nights: How It All Got Started (free online serial)

1) Brave Men Run

2) The World Revolves Around You

3) The Sovereign Era: Year One

4) Canary In A Coal Mine

5) Pilgrimage

6) The News From Bewilder Pond

• Language: English
• Publisher: MWS Media
• Release date: Apr 6, 2010
• ISBN: 9781498907019

Book preview

The Sovereign Era: Year One

edited by

Matthew Wayne Selznick

The Sovereign Era

mws_media_500x250

Editor's Note

2013 Edition

As one might gather from the title of this collection, the seven stories presented in this anthology are glimpses into the first year of the Sovereign Era, that period in the late twentieth century when the appearance of individuals with remarkable abilities rocked the delicate Cold War balance of power and forever altered the course of human destiny.

The Sovereign Era began in April of 1985 (as depicted in Brave Men Run -- A Novel of the Sovereign Era), when Dr. William Karl Donner declared that metahumans existed, demanded their autonomy, and demonstrated his ability to enforce that demand. Arrangements between Donner and the government of the United States resulted in the establishment of the Donner Institute for Sovereign Studies, a compound in central Montana where the Sovereigns could find refuge and learn more about themselves.

Over the next twelve months, while the world struggled to deal with the political and social repercussions caused by the existence of the Sovereigns, the metahumans themselves mostly tried to find their place in the world.

That's what these stories are about.

-- Matthew Wayne Selznick

April 22, 2013

Long Beach, California

You Must Be My Lucky Star

by

Mur Lafferty

April 18, 1985

Alice stopped coloring Alice and Corey on her math notebook when the phone rang. She stretched across her bed and snagged it before her mother could and was delighted to hear her best friend Meredith's breathy voice on the other end.

Oh my God, turn on the TV now!

I don't have a TV in my room, butt-head, Alice said.

Go get the living room phone, then! I'll wait.

Alice sighed and put down the phone. She padded down the hall to the living room where her parents were both staring at the television just as the Washington Monument changed from white to black. She picked up the phone. So what, is David Copperfield in town?

Her dad answered, like he always did when she was on the phone in the living room. No, I don't really think so... He didn't look away from the television, where a man spoke to a stunned group of observers.

Alice shrugged and hung up the phone, retreating to her room to continue her conversation with Meredith in private. I thought you were gonna tell me Corey had a new movie. She wedged the telephone against her shoulder and picked up her pen to continue her doodles. She drew a big heart around Alice and Corey.

Are you even listening? Meredith said. Didn't you see what was going on?

Yeah, some magician tried to outdo David Copperfield. But he definitely wasn't as cute as David.

You don't get it. There's like, people with powers or something. This guy says the people with powers are better than us, and get to go hang out with him at his institute or something, and he'll beat up anyone who threatens his people.

His people? What does that mean?

There are more people with power like him. That's what I'm trying to say, Alice! Meredith sounded flustered.

Alice chewed on her lip. I bet Corey's one of them.

Meredith sighed. I'll see you at school tomorrow.

~

Meredith was moody the next day, Alice noticed. Maybe she was getting her period. She hadn't asked to Alice to surreptitiously walk behind her in the hall to make sure her pad hadn't slipped, though, and the two occurrences usually went hand in hand. Maybe her mom and dad were fighting again. One time Meredith came to school with a bruise on her face, but she had said it had been a volleyball accident.

In gym, Meredith was picked first as usual, but she didn't attack the volleyball court with her usual gusto. Alice ended up on the other team and preoccupied herself with wondering what amazing things Corey could do. She missed the ball three times when it came her way, but that was nothing new.

If Corey was like that Donner guy, and Alice had actually read about him in the newspaper this morning (once she could take the front page away from her dad, citing civics class requirements), he'd probably be amazing! People with powers. Too cool. Too bad Alice didn't have anything like that. She'd fly to Hollywood and propose to him or something. Alice was abysmal at gym class, pudgy enough to be called fat but not so fat she never got picked to do anything at school. Not terribly smart, but not dumb enough to need special attention and shuttling off to the Achiever's Room to get help in reading comprehension. Invisible, she'd call herself.

Not Meredith, though. She was the opposite. Those who actually knew Alice just considered her Meredith's shadow, her second. Meredith was the smartest and nicest girl in the high school. She wasn't the prettiest; her long blonde hair had too many other shades in it and always looked like it needed a good combing. Her glasses were too small for her face because her folks couldn't afford new ones. And her figure, as Alice's mother liked to put it, had yet to blossom.

But heads turned when she came into the room. When she spoke, people shut up. She was captain of the JV basketball team and had been pulled aside by the varsity coach, who told her the only reason she hadn't made the team was they had a policy of only having juniors and seniors. And when it came to speech class, Meredith would shine.

But not today. Alice's best friend since third grade seemed dull, lifeless, as she plodded from class to class. She wouldn't pass notes with Alice in Math class (So I think Corey is one of those Sovereign guys, what do you think?), they were separated for second period where Alice had Art and Meredith had French, then in third-period English, Meredith did the most troubling thing of all.

She didn't volunteer to be first to perform Death Be Not Proud in front of the room.

Everyone looked at her sidelong when Ms. Massey asked for volunteers, and to save her from further embarrassment, Alice raised her hand.

Ms. Massey blinked. Alice, wonderful. Come up and stand at the podium.

Alice blanched, realizing what she'd done. The poem had been easy to memorize last night in her room, but now, here, in front of everyone, in front of David Simpson (who was the person she thought about when she didn't think about Corey), in front of Meredith, whom she knew she'd never measure up to...

Death be not proud, though some have called thee... she said woodenly. Meredith seemed to perk up a little, watching Alice, and gave her a small smile.

Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so, for, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow -- she paused again. Meredith nodded. Smiled broader. Alice's spine straightened, she pulled air into her lungs like her speech teacher had taught, and spoke.

Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill me. Her forceful delivery made the class blink as one and focus on her as if they had never seen her before. Meredith smiled broadly at her, and she finished the poem strongly, getting a rousing applause. She blushed furiously and walked back to her seat, head down, her brown hair hiding her face, and her smile.

~

Wanna come sleep over at my place tonight? My mom's making tacos, Meredith said as they walked to the bus.

Alice was still buzzing from her success in English class. I'll ask my mom and call you later.

Honestly, Alice didn't like going to Meredith's house. Her folks were always fighting and Meredith was always playing the peace keeper. Her dad drank a lot. But her folks were strict and never let her come over to Alice's, so she had to go there for sleepovers. And her mom did make good food. They always had Little Debbies around (Alice's mother didn't approve of sweets.)

Her mother was fine with the trip over to Meredith's house, and dropped her off at seven. The girls sequestered themselves in Meredith's room immediately with the latest Teen Beat.

"That guy from The Breakfast Club is cute," Meredith said, pointing at a picture of Anthony Michael Hall.

He's a geek! Sure, he's kinda cute, but, Alice started, and Meredith joined her, – he's no Corey!

They reached the pull-out posters and Alice squealed when she saw one pull-out featured Corey from one of the very cute scenes in The Goonies. Meredith smiled. That one's yours, of course.

Alice appraised it. I really do think he's one of those magical guys. How could anyone be so amazingly sexy?

Meredith frowned. I don't know. If he were a Sovereign then wouldn't I think he was the dreamiest thing ever too?

Alice felt monumentally stupid. You mean, you don't?

Well, no. Sure, he's cute, but he doesn't really blow my skirt up.

Alice didn't giggle at their favorite phrase. But...

Meredith sat up on the bed. "I prefer