The Silence Between

By J. Leigh Bralick

Dr. Song was looking for intelligent life. What he finds makes him rethink everything.

When Dr. Song volunteered to solo a discovery mission to Omicron Aa, he believed the planet held intelligent life. But when he crash-lands on the planet's surface, what he discovers makes him question everything he believed to be true.

A Writers of the Future semi-finalist story from the author of The Madness Method and The Lost Road Chronicles.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Vorona Books
• Release date: Nov 16, 2020
• ISBN: 9781941108253

J. Leigh Bralick

J. Leigh writes primarily fantasy and YA fantasy novels. She has made one foray into science fiction, and enjoyed it so much she may eventually publish that experiment, if she survives the effort. Her favorite thing about writing fantasy is the excitement of exploring new worlds and experiencing exciting adventures — all on a very low-cost budget! All you really need is coffee.When she isn’t writing, J. Leigh loves her other job as an ER nurse (most of the time). (Except at 3AM.) She spends the rest of her non-existent spare time wrangling her three big dogs, acting as glorified tree branch for her little parrot Pippin, attempting to not murder garden plants, and taking care of her husband.

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The Silence Between

A Short Story

by

J. Leigh Bralick

Published by Vorona Books

Copyright 2020 © J. Leigh Bralick

All Rights Reserved

This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, and events are the creation of the author, and any resemblance to actual events, locations, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

For my readers, new and old.

Thank you for your support!

The Silence Between

You do know what you’re getting yourself into, don’t you, Song?

I stepped back from my locker, hands full of the last odds and ends of equipment I meant to shove into my already over-stuffed expedition pack, and glanced over my shoulder. Lieutenant Greeves stood behind me in her battle greys, her hands clasped behind her back and her mouth hiding a secret. Worry, maybe. She would never admit that she worried about me.

What, you don’t think I can handle it? I thought, focusing on the bag slouched on the steel bench to avoid meeting her gaze. A six-day discovery mission on the silent planet? Shouldn’t be any problem. Take a few readings, observe the ground conditions, get back on board before a solar flare vaporizes me. What could possibly go wrong? After all, if there actually are any intelligent lifeforms down there, it’s not like I have to worry about talking to them.

That’s what I wanted to say. That’s what I would have said, if I could.

I kn-kn…kn-kn…

That was all I managed before I gave up, grinding my teeth and answering instead with a vague wave and a nod. I’d learned long ago to read the subtle play of people’s expressions—to see the exact moment when their thin veneer of patience toward my stuttering began to crack. Greeves was more patient than most, but with her I always gave up trying to speak faster than with almost anyone else. Maybe I just didn’t want to see her disgust. Her