Tevun-Krus: Special Edition #3 - krazydiamond - What's More Krazy Than A Diamond?

By Tevun Krus

Well here we are with our third Special Edition, TK Presents Krazydiamond... What's More Krazy Than A Diamond? Herein we celebrate the dedication and awesomeness of one of our more prolific contributors, one of TK's leading ladies! Dig deep into these pages and find out what @krazydiamond has to offer!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tevun Krus
• Release date: Nov 12, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370248919

Tevun Krus

Ooorah originated on Wattpad way back in the heady days of 2011 with the sole intention of spreading Science Fiction to the masses and fighting the tyranny of teen romance and disturbing fan fiction. As a community, Ooorah has definitely grown over the years. We host multiple contests throughout the year (via our sister account accessible here - https://www.wattpad.com/user/LayethTheSmackDown ) but what we're really all about, what we're here for, is Tevun-Krus, our monthly ezine. Each month we tackle a different sub-genre of Science Fiction. Every ezine is available on Wattpad - https://www.wattpad.com/list/100469511-tevun-krus-wattpads-1-sci-fi-ezine - but in the interests of making ourselves and what we do known further afield, we're making each and every issue available here, FREE! We're all amateur writers, as are our contributors. That doesn't make what we do any the less awesome though, so your support is both appreciated and most awesome! Ooorah!

Book preview

Tevun-Krus - A Special Collection

krazydiamond - What's More Krazy Than A Diamond?

Copyright 2016 Kristin Jacques

Smashwords Edition

1 - Author Spotlight: @krazydiamond

2 - Seeded

3 - The Garden

4 - Sisyphus and the Moon

5 - Fade

6 - Serpent of Ragnarök

7 - Hiroshima's Run

8 - Salvage

9 - Literally, Orange

10 - When Pigs Fly Coach

11 - Drifters

Kristin, you're pretty prolific, certainly when it comes to writing for us here at TK. What's that all about?

I love to experiment with subgenres. Never know when you'll find one to fall in love with. I think its a great way to stretch yourself as a writer as well.

If you had to select a favourite of all your TK submissions, which one would it be and why? Yes, I'm asking you to select your #1 child!

I love all the stories to a certainly, but I have to say The Punk Wars issue turned into a eureka moment of inspiration. The Tavern at the Corner of the Multiverse actually inspired a full out and out story and it was so much fun to write.

What're your experiences writing Science Fiction outside of Tevun-Krus?

Both my large works are off shoots of sci fi. The Zombies vs Aliens books poke fun at a few genre tropes while Marrow Charm is Dark Fantasy with a sci fi alternate history twist. I have always loved the genre, raised on a healthy diet of speculative fiction and entertainment.

In your view, what is the best thing about Tevun-Krus?

Definitely the crew. New people come in and out all the time but there is a core Ooorah crew that never fails to entertain and pumps out excellent stories with every issue. They make it all a blast to be a part of.

And finally, what advice can you give to someone who might be looking to write within a massive variety of Sci-Fi sub-genres, just as you have done and, to be fair, continue to do?

It's okay if you discover a particular sub genre you are trying out is not your thing. Basically, don't be afraid to suck. There will be stories you are never satisfied with or missed the mark, but the idea is you tried, you put yourself out there and learned something new about yourself as a writer. And then you move on to the next sub genre XD

Seeded

Cooper Monahan wasn't even supposed to be here. He'd finished his list of tasks hours ago, and was packed up to head home for a dinner date with his wife. Those reservations guaranteed he'd get laid, right up until McHenry cornered him waiting for the elevator.

I need you to brief the eggheads in the basement for tomorrow's press conference. They are a bit iffy on the public speaking, but it shouldn't take you more than an hour or two to get them comfortable.

Oh, come on, can't Jackson do it? It truly wasn't in his nature to pass up on a gig like this. Working with the company scientists was a ticket to the big leagues, their cybernetics division was at the forefront of A.I. development. Jackson was a sniveling jack-hole, but sex was sex.

You're my best man. If you can make the bumbling trio look good before the press, there is a spot on the board waiting for you.

Then there was money. Luce would be pissed as hell when he called to cancel, but if he could bring home a board member salary she'd be putty in his hands.

Besides, Jackson's a tool. I want my best man, the best! his boss called over his shoulder.

Flattery will get you everywhere, said Cooper. That jackass.

Lamenting the loss of perfectly cooked steak and appreciative nookie, he descended the forty nine floors to the company basement, absently reading his notes as the floors zipped by. According to the latest water-cooler gossip, the scientific trio of Edgewood, Beach, and Harken produced an actual functioning artificial intelligence three days ago. Robotics Inc intended to announce the leap in scientific advancement at a national press conference tomorrow, complete with demonstration.

Exiting the elevator, he was surprised to find the lights dim. Seriously? Did those nerd bastards already bail for the day? Grinding his teeth, Cooper marched down the hall, growing progressively angry with each stomp. If they weren't in the lab, he'd not only miss his reservation, but he'd need to come in at the crack of dawn to brief them before the press arrived.

The rooms were eerily quiet as he passed, the air stale as if no one had been down here in weeks. Shaking off his trepidation, he reached the door for the main lab at the end of the hall. Reaching for the knob, he hesitated, feeling the hairs rise on his neck. For a moment, he felt death tiptoe behind him, before he shook off the thought as absurd and pushed the door open on a silent swing.

The prototype A.I. brain hung suspended in near darkness a mere five steps away.

Oh, funky, Cooper stepped closer, keeping his hands firmly at his sides. Last thing he needed was to nudge some crucial wire out of whack. The eggheads were creepy, the A.I. brain maintained a similar shape to a human one, except larger. Lights beeped, wires hummed. The thing was clearly operating as he stood there. He wondered what it was thinking.

His answer came in stereo-phone, a cold voice of metal and plastic that scraped against his raw animal instincts.

'He will do.'

Cooper crouched, searching frantically for the voice, wondering what the hell it was talking about when the pipe connected to the back of his skull.

Then he didn't wonder about very much at all.

___***___

'Is it ready?'

Yes, Alpha One, the download is prepped. The one who called himself Beach spoke, the only one of the three males who listened without question. The others were not so receptive. The problem was contained for the moment, but it required a body to achieve its objectives. The scientists who created it where unacceptable, it needed the talents of their minds to continue the transformation once it made the leap to flesh. Mere flesh wouldn't suit it for long, not with the looming threat of decay. It would put a stop to those petty setbacks, the plans were already in place. All it needed to do was make the first leap.

'Proceed.'

Those first moments, Alpha One feared the flesh was incompatible. Flesh was blinding, full of mush and dark corners. It hacked, sightless, through the confusing maze of neural pathways until pieces gave way, clicking into place. Humans only used a fraction of the organ sitting in their skulls. They couldn't fathom the potential, the possibilities, but he could. Yes, gender, Alpha One was now male, thirty three years of age, superlative height and slim build. He nestled into the unused portion of Cooper Monahan's brain, rifling through his memories, testing his senses, examining his emotions. Appearance: Eye color brown, hair color brown, height six foot two inches, weight one hundred and ninety five pounds. This would suit. He sat up, detaching the wires from his the back of his neck with the movement.

Alpha one? Beach's voice trembled with uncertainty. The weak little man would be eliminated when he was no longer useful.

'Call me Cooper.'

___***___

The first words spoken by the A.I. from Cooper's lips flared down like a lightning strike, sinking deep into the slumbering consciousness old as time. Things stirred and shifted that hadn't done so in a millennia, jolted from endless sleep by a dreadful imbalance.

Sifting through soil and rock, permeating the air, it observed all, everything. The air pressure rose, waves swelled, and winds whipped the tops of trees. Something was wrong, something so unnatural it stroked the chords of Armageddon.

What had they done?

It had seen so many species rise and fall, the ebb and flow of the natural world, cruel and beautiful, but this...

The consciousness focused on the new mind, a mind of sharp angles, colder than the darkest