The Shattered Trinity: Book One of Ayun’S Trilogy

By Mike Pearson

On the planet Findang, the people of Yhaar are becoming desperate. Crops are failing, invaders from the south fast approach and an unseen force is consuming what is left of the surrounding stars and planets.

As the universe gasps its dying breaths, one glimmer of hope remains. A cybernetic being named Krohl must race against time to uncover three ancient and powerful artefacts which will grant him the means to save all life from total oblivion.

The path ahead of Krohl is bloody and uncertain. How far can he push himself to save a world he barely knows?

A unique blend of cyberpunk and fantasy adventure, The Shattered Trinity explores the awakening of a loners sense of identity and purpose in a life dominated by beguiling technology, ruthless conflict and the unknowable forces of the supernatural.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Apr 12, 2017
• ISBN: 9781524562007

Mike Pearson

Mike is a high school teacher who loves encouraging young writers to bring their fictional worlds to life. His own writing stems from a range of influences from a lifetime of gaming, travel, reading and misadventures. Ohu’s Rage, Mike’s second novel, returns to the Ayuniverse with a new adventure and some familiar faces.

Book preview

THE SHATTERED

TRINITY

BOOK ONE OF AYUN’S TRILOGY

MIKE PEARSON

Copyright © 2017 by Mike Pearson.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2017905163

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-5245-6202-1

      Softcover      978-1-5245-6201-4

      eBook         978-1-5245-6200-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 12/07/2017

Xlibris

1-800-455-039

www.Xlibris.com.au

757599

Contents

Dedication

Glossary Of Characters

Prologue

PART 1

Arrival

Sunlight

The Report

The Solution

Astronomy

Clenching

Covert

Kidnapped

Unwelcome News

Freedom

The Violet Palace

Flight

Anonymous

Return

Dilemma

Invasion

Penitence

Preparation

Battle

Traitor

Immolation

Awol

Change Of Hands

The Plan

Retreat

Interview

Launch

PART 2

Welcome

Searching

Fugitive

Closer

Reacquaintance

Gift

Mercy

Empathy

Overload

Darkness

Revenge

Consensus

Harvest

Peripheries

Abyss

Judgement

Ring Of Death

Out Of Options

Convergence

Birth

Family

The Choice

Devotion

Apocalypse

Assault

Triumph

Epilogue

For Veronica, 

whose kindness saved me from despair

and set me on a journey for the rest of my life

filled with love, hope, and sexy magic zombie cyborgs.

Map.jpg

GLOSSARY OF CHARACTERS

PROJECT TRINITY

Krohl – the Fist of Yhaar, cybernetic assassin

Flamberge – the Sword of Yhaar, cybernetically altered Human

Svalinn – the Shield of Yhaar, cybernetically altered Human

FINDANG

Owen Tenok – emperor of Yhaar

Marcus Tenok – the Human alter ego of Krohl

Clark Todd – general in charge of the Human Yhaar forces

Arthur Bowman – head scientific advisor of Yhaar

Julian Mihos – Overkill weapons operator

Blake Hoskins – sergeant in charge of the Gyaen expedition

Catherine Reeves – sister of Christine, mother of Joshua Todd

Christine Reeves – mother of Stephen Todd, former intelligence officer

William Todd – father of Stephen Todd, sergeant in the Arm of Yhaar

Stephen Todd – son of Christine and William, Arm of Yhaar soldier

Dominic Todd – son of Clark Todd, former drop-ship pilot

Joshua Todd – young son of Catherine and Dominic

Elise Todd – daughter of Clark Todd, former intelligence officer

Acobruh – senior Amorean scientist

Skraar – junior Amorean scientist

Sormahl – high general of the Skorchawk armies

Verkahl – Skorchawk Bezerk, plasma whip wielder

Arkadahl – Skorchawk Bezerk, plasma claw wielder

Atul – leader of Chiru, avatar of the Star Devourer

GYAES

Maleikon – fallen demigod

Kantron – cyborg conqueror of Gyaes, avatar of the Star Devourer

Nicole Sanyasi – robotics engineer, cybernetically altered Human

Charlotte Micallef – leader of the Gyaen Humans

Carl Burgess – Human guard

Craig Miller – Human guard

Axel Davis – Nicole’s deceased rescuer and lover

The Hive – gestalt entity consisting of myriad artificial intelligences

OHU

Fajun – king of the Obsidian Fortress, avatar of the Star Devourer

The Herald – Radham guide and greeter for new arrivals

The Molten Raptor – a mysterious and vicious severed head

The Judge – a deity worshipped by the Radham

Yuro Divi – leader of the Kympar resistance forces

Demiv Divi – a young Kympar warrior

THE ETERNAL PLANE

Ayun – the universe’s creator and sustaining force

Meiloh – Tabetoren, creator of Marcus

The Star Devourer – consumer of the universe

PROLOGUE

We are all destined to die once and, after this, face judgement.

— Ayun’s Breath

Intrusive colour crashes through my head. Aching sensation jolts across my body. Painful, unsympathetic noise crackles in my ears. Life furiously wrenches me from nothingness.

My mind is unable to grapple with the information pouring in. I hate this feeling of having no control. Movement, words, purpose are all smothered by a haze of light and fear. I’m unable to react in any way; I am so helpless.

In this instant, I feel everything and nothing.

Every emotion and thought is splashed together, and I cannot tell them apart. Focus, disruption, forwards, upwards, inside, outside—all mean nothing. I can’t tell the difference between what I am and what the world outside is.

There is only my desire. I must have order. I must have purpose.

Someone, anyone … I want out of this. Please.

PART 1

ARRIVAL

Acobruh

From his humble beginnings as a mundane tool of war, the Fist of Yhaar became the living symbol of contradiction and unity, killer and saviour, servant and leader, disciple and master, student and teacher, man and machine, weapon and wielder, problem and solution, war and peace, vengeance and forgiveness. But always, inextricably, unceasingly, he was their symbol of hope. He was their hope then as he is our hope now.

— Project Trinity: The Aftermath

Relief coursed through the two Amorean science technicians as their workstations burst to life at Krohl’s awakening. Their nation’s delicate grip on hope had once again held against the odds. Neither had been able to bear even the notion of failure. Their enormous eyes were fixed on the video screens in front of them. Every confused movement from Krohl’s fingers and his brow was precious to them. Acobruh, the senior technician, relaxed his long, spindly arms and sat captivated as Krohl’s eyes darted around the room, their aimless movements belying the fact that they were guided by the cold precision of the most proficient weapon system ever devised in the history of the universe. Krohl’s mind, once mature, would be capable of near-instant reactions, calculations, and decisions no other being could possibly challenge.

For a split second, Acobruh glanced involuntarily at Krohl’s restraints. Acobruh was comfortable working with machines fashioned from titanium-steel superalloys, but this was the first time it had been shaped into a humanoid weapon with a pair of hands quite capable of disembowelling him before his brain could even register what was happening.

A loud moan burst from Krohl’s mouth. Acobruh squeezed his eyes shut, silently hoping with each passing second somebody more at ease with Krohl, and by extension more insane, would arrive and take him away. All thoughts of hope for their nation’s glorious future instantly evaporated with the arrival of his sudden urge to bolt from the room. All he could think about now was his sudden and violent demise.

Acobruh’s mind raced ahead, leaving him in a rapidly sinking pit of anxiety. What if Krohl decides he does not wish to serve Yhaar? What if he decides to carve his own vicious path through the world, starting with the first ribcage he sees? What if he decides this in the next minute? The next second? The console room suddenly felt very lonely.

Normally, the Amoreans were a daring race who boldly challenged the limits of science, medicine, and engineering—daring, that is, as long as they observed the results through a pair of binoculars or preferably from inside a nuclear bunker. The killing machine in the birthing chamber was far too close. The plexiglass barrier was far too thin. The Amoreans’ squat, stumpy legs were far too short for them to escape should they need to, which seemed more likely at each passing moment. Acobruh exchanged a quick glance with Skraar, his junior. He looked decidedly nervous.

Emperor Tenok is taking far too long. Maybe this is not the first time Krohl has been awakened. Maybe this has happened eight, nine, ten times before, but it has been kept secret by the Humans and my fellow Amoreans. Maybe there are hidden cameras, gun turrets, and homicidal Human guards lying in wait to disable Krohl but only after carefully observing how far the blood sprays from our necks, soon to become unceremoniously separated from our heads. Maybe Tenok is not coming. Maybe through some cruelly ironic twist of fate, we are, in fact, the test subjects.

It would not be the first time the Humans treated their allies like this. It was plain for all in Yhaar to see that, as far as the Humans were concerned, the ends justified any means. Even the lives of their own kind were treated with the care and warmth of an avalanche. Despite their personal feelings towards this, the Amoreans, as well as the Skorchawks, recognised that the Humans were far more dangerous as enemies than allies. Until the ever-present threat of Chiru invasion and their subsequent enslavement had passed, the Amoreans would tolerate the volatile alliance with the Humans and the Skorchawks for as long as necessary.

Acobruh shook his head resignedly, his long neck wobbling slightly from side to side. Playing the part of the Humans’ pawns is risky, but anything is better than wearing the collar of Chiru. Thank goodness the Amoreans have our own secret food stockpile. Those Humans eat like the world is ending tomorrow.

Acobruh’s hunched torso shuddered at the memory of the specimens from Chiru. This thought, although momentarily distracting, gave little comfort as Krohl’s arms began to strain purposefully upwards, testing his restraints within his birthing chamber. These restraints, originally designed to protect Krohl from crashing through the chamber and startling himself, were grossly inadequate should he decide to escape. Although mentally he was an infant, there was no telling what his personality and temperament would be like once he awakened fully. The core programmers had told Acobruh and Skraar that, without control, his power was unfocused and therefore harmless. It had seemed so reassuring at the time, but as an untested theory, it meant nothing now.

Krohl’s cold blue eyes locked onto them with horrifying acknowledgement. Their blood froze like ice in their veins. There was now only Krohl, his intense stare stripping away all awareness of sound, movement, and time. Neither could remember how to breathe. Neither noticed when Emperor Tenok strode into the control room. ‘Happy to see everyone’s alive,’ he announced with his infamous deadpan delivery, making him sound equal parts relieved and disappointed. ‘So here we have it.’ He came to a halt behind them. ‘The fabled Fist of Yhaar, first of the Project Trinity cyborgs. Talk to me. How is it doing?’

Only through this direct question were the Amoreans able to unlock their gaze from Krohl. Acobruh looked up but was unable to hold Tenok’s gaze. He looked at the emperor’s boots and quickly wished he could trade places with them, mostly because they were never expected to maintain eye contact with a Human, especially a Human with hard, angular features, tightly cropped light brown hair, and prominent cybernetic facial prosthetics. Even when looking down, Acobruh could feel Tenok’s robotic left eye burning through the back of his head, digging for an answer. Gradually remembering how to form words, he stammered what he hoped was a sufficient response before attempting the painfully awkward Amorean version of a sidle out of the control room, motioning to Skraar to follow suit.

SUNLIGHT

Owen Tenok

Because of the increased risk associated with air travel at this time, all essential personnel are forbidden from sharing the same Knarr. Failure to comply will lead to disciplinary action, to be determined by Emperor Tenok.

— Security Directive 15.3B

His many years as an elite drop trooper brought Emperor Owen Tenok a sense of dread whenever entering a Knarr light transport airship. In his career, he had been shot down four times; during the latest crash, jet fuel had splashed onto his face before catching fire as he crawled from the wreckage. He had fought on, despite being almost blinded, killing the Chiru unit that fired the surface-to-air missile before navigating his way alone through 30 kilometres of the northern Chiru steppes, which were densely populated by Djodask warriors. Once his body had been repaired by Amorean medical specialists, he was rewarded with a promotion to captain and assigned as a trainer to other elite warriors in the Arm of Yhaar. It was from this position he began his swift rise to the upper echelons of command, guided by his unerring sense of purpose and self-confidence in all decisions. Unlike many others in the Arm of Yhaar, he genuinely believed victory against Chiru was ultimately possible. And like so many others of his kind, he knew he was living on borrowed time, exponentially simplifying his decision-making.

It was with this outlook that he had seized control of Yhaar and wrestled the three races of Human, Skorchawk, and Amorean from a loose association of peoples whose only common ground was a hatred of Chiru. He almost single-handedly moulded the modern incarnation of the Yhaar Empire. The three races no longer functioned separately, and all reported to him above all others. There had been great resistance towards this, but there was no stopping Tenok’s grand plan for Yhaar and its tireless pursuit of freedom and independence.

He sat down in his place at the back of the Knarr, concentrating hard on the fact that he was taking a leisurely flight, transporting Krohl from the Hidden Fortress to the cyborg’s training facility, not deep into enemy airspace. The anxiety waned quickly when he imagined the cold, sharp shapes of the mountain from which they came, giving way to the gentle slopes of the Yhaar forest landscape, the imposing mountain now inconspicuously mingling with the surrounding hills as it receded into the distance.

In a world where hope was scarce and death swift and violent, it was difficult to maintain the loyalty and trust of those beneath him, just as it had always been once the Humans had awoken from within the great seed ships that had brought them from across the stars. Although there was no point in pretending they were ever safe from Chiru, the people of Yhaar were always willing to believe there were ways to improve their chances. Now with the hordes amassing towards the southern border and their food stores running lower than ever, they were more willing to believe than ever before—willing to go to further lengths and to sacrifice more than Tenok had thought possible.

He glanced at his friend Clark Todd in the nearby Knarr. His exact opposite in every way, Clark was the perfect partner and confidant, able to see things from every other angle that Owen could not. If he was going to take a step into the unknown, Owen could not think of a more reliable guide.

He continued to think about his friend as they lifted off, his anxiety disappearing altogether.

THE REPORT

Sormahl

Despite making no attempt to hide his resentment of the Human government, Sormahl raised no objections about being appointed as the high general of the Skorchawk armies.

— Colonel Giann Steinman, head of security

‘High General!’ The lean reptilian Skorchawk lancer burst into the warlords’ meeting room, breathless with terror. The massive breach of protocol seemed to be the least of his concerns as were the weapons levelled at him by the hulking Bezerk bodyguards.

The other warlords’ heads snapped to face Sormahl, only recently elevated to commander-in-chief of the Skorchawk armies by Emperor Tenok. The consent of the other warlords had not been considered or sought. This last point seldom left their minds. Generations of competition between the clans for supremacy of the Skorchawks were undone in a few minutes, and the sting of the moment unceasingly progressed from cold shock to feverish resentment.

‘What is the meaning of this?’ I have no choice now. I can’t pretend to be equal with the warlords anymore.

‘The Human radar system sees movement from south!’ The lancer steadily grew more aware of the bodyguards’ weapons and how easily they could skewer him if he made any sudden movements.

The high general and the warlords stood up in unison, their blue fists pounding on the rounded table they had been sitting at. ‘There are movements from the south every day, lancer.’

The lancer nodded before babbling, ‘Big movement,’ his head never stopping.

He was shoved swiftly to the side as the Skorchawk war council rushed out of their claustrophobic meeting space towards the war room. ‘Why is Sormahl worried?’ muttered Razeif to Braado as they walked briskly onwards. ‘He can just ask his masters for help.’

Beak clenched and head remaining forwards, Sormahl shot back with ‘You know very well the Humans need our help as much as we need theirs.’

‘We know you are the only one who needs the Humans and the Amoreans. We got on fine for hundreds of years without them,’ returned Braado, emboldened by Razeif’s show of scorn.

‘Had so many of our children been stillborn when we were getting on fine?’

Silence.

‘Had we ever fought against this many Djodask?’

Silence.

‘Had we ever fought against our own best warriors, bent on exterminating our own race?’ I was the only one not arrogant enough to ignore our own limitations. My brothers hated me for this, but they respected strength, and signs of weakness meant death for the leader and their clan. How can they show each other strength without a prize to compete for?

The open archway gaped its welcome to the respective heads of the Skorchawk clans. The dark yellow stone, hewn roughly by the construction workers over the prior years, seemed to watch on gloomily as the procession briskly crossed the gap between the entrance and the large radar panel in the centre of the room.

The lancers cleared the way for the war council, almost as much out of self-preservation as it was out of obedience. The foul moods of the warlords were famous, even amongst the gruff and stand-offish Skorchawk race.

‘All of you are so preoccupied with Sormahl that you have lost sight of our real problems. It is our responsibility to lead our people, not to squabble over petty names and titles,’ announced Bardakk, determined to have the final say as they approached the radar panel. ‘Your names will be remembered as those of fools who let their people die whilst they thought about themselves.’

‘Your words are lengthy and mask your true weakness, Bardakk. You have always leaned on Sormahl for a source of true leadership,’ returned Razeif.

‘The emperor and I both support Sormahl because he is the strongest leader.’ Sormahl had never counted on Bardakk’s support because he was about as helpful as a vegetable peeler in a machete fight. All he could manage was a curt nod of gratitude. Despite the lukewarm response, Bardakk continued. ‘The Skorchawks have always been at their strongest when there has been one leader. Or have you all forgotten, Krystan, wielder of the Kraken Fang?’

‘Do not begin to compare Sormahl with the tempest king!’ replied Razeif indignantly. ‘You spit on his name with your foul blasphemy!’

Sormahl could no longer allow Bardakk to do all the talking. ‘Weren’t you the one declaring weakness at Bardakk’s lengthy words? It must be a new trick of Clan Valadian to assert power through hypocri—’ Sormahl saw the radar and his words dropped away inconsequently from his thoughts. The end of his sentence was already a distant memory. How was this reading possible? Sormahl gripped the edge of the radar display and held on tightly as if to check if it was not a dream.

Everyone had known it was possible, even likely to happen within their own lifetimes. Little else besides the decimation of Yhaar seemed to interest Atul, and the Djodask must have grown weary of losing strong young fighters on a daily basis.

Eight hundred thousand troops from Chiru. Eight hundred thousand. How was it even possible to move a host that large through the desert? The ocean of warriors to the south, no longer content to slap at them with the usual whitecaps, was closing in with a tsunami that would flatten and then drown their whole world. A message indicated itself on the display. ‘The Humans request an audience over this matter,’ Sormahl remarked to everyone present.

‘You mean they demand one,’ corrected Braado.

‘Don’t pretend I have a choice. You know how much damage they could do to us with their Overkill weapons and their control of the supply line from the northern seas. Or at least you would if you would stop only worrying about yourselves for a change.’ Sormahl regretted taking the petty shot at Braado as he reached over to respond to the message. Being named high general came with even more baggage than he had been expecting.

THE SOLUTION

Arthur Bowman

Bowman, the preeminent scientist of Yhaar, to his credit, was a brilliant thinker, the only Human who was in any way comparable to the Amoreans. History will remember him as a monster, but could he really be blamed for being dominated by such dangerous and charismatic people?

— Stephen Todd

When Bowman was young, he had been taken from his mother and younger brother to train in the Arm of Yhaar. Foolishly, self-centredly, he thought it was something that he had done wrong, that he was a disappointment to his family. This childish misconception did not last for long. The most important lesson Bowman learnt in his training in the Arm of Yhaar was that life became much simpler when it was distilled down to a series of problems and solutions.

Bowman sat at his computer terminal and solved the puzzles the other children could only wonder at. He was the star pupil. From the age of seven, he had been fast-tracked on an illustrious military science career. All he had to do was keep his head down and follow the star-studded trail set before him, do as he was told, and not make a fuss. All he needed was a problem, and he could solve it.

The conflict between Yhaar and Chiru was a problem. The constant need to assert control over the Amoreans and the Skorchawks was a problem. The subjects of Project Trinity and their persistent inability to interface with their cybernetic components were a problem. Starvation was a problem. The threat of the Overkill truce being broken was a problem. The inevitable fracturing of the council under the pressures of feeding their people and resisting Chiru was a problem. All of these problems would eventually be conquered by the power of Arthur’s ability to solve them.

Finding the solution was always an enjoyable experience. Sometimes it was simply a case of improving his understanding of the problem; the more he learnt, the more he realised there was even more to learn. Sometimes it was like a hunt through a series of improbable alternatives. Sometimes it was simply a matter of changing his perspective.

Bowman typed away on his handheld computer tablet and almost finished solving one of them. He looked at his dim reflection in the screen. His plain round face and immaculately parted brown hair belied the magic that happened at the tips of his slender fingers.

He caught his breath when he noticed a stray strand ruining the straight part in his hair. His fingers flew up from the keypad to hastily fix it. It popped straight out again. He fervently licked his fingers and tried again, successfully this time. Problem solved, he thought, gratified.

He wiped his hand on his pants and then resumed his work. He typed away and thought wistfully about what a shame it was that he would not be able to physically see the effects of his latest solution. This was the price of his work—always finding out about his achievements vicariously through people who had but an infinitesimal appreciation for his work. But it was a price he paid gladly. No cheap thrills or words of validation from his peers on the security council could match the satisfaction of solving a problem.

Arthur triumphantly entered the final keystrokes and smiled. Problem solved.

ASTRONOMY

Owen Tenok

From very early in its history, the Amoreans observed that all the light from the stars on one side of the night’s sky was stretching, moving towards the red end of the spectrum, or redshifting, suggesting that they were moving away from Findang. All light on the other side was doing just the opposite and moving towards the blue end, or blueshifting. One side moved towards Findang, and the other moved away. It seemed they were the only ones who were immune to the vast and deadly ballet of stars that were hauled to their doom at the ravenous hands of the Star Devourer.

— Bertrand Peters, cosmologist

‘You’re going to have to repeat yourself, Denisov. It sounded like you’d just said another solar system is about to fly right past ours,’ Owen said curtly as he continued to walk through the underground corridor in the labyrinthine Nursery, the nickname given to Yhaar’s cybernetic training facility. He disliked being ambushed with an astronomy lesson when he had been mentally preparing himself for an intense early learning session with the world’s most deadly infant. He was also baffled by anyone seriously prioritising the movements of stars over the war.

‘It has been moving not towards us but towards the Star Devourer, and it is accelerating,’ said Denisov.

The Star Devourer was another thing Owen detested. It had started off as a whimsical nickname for an empty space in … space. All observable objects in its vicinity moved rapidly towards it before disappearing entirely either because of something obscuring the observers’ vision or by moving too far away to see. Or rather, as more and more people apparently believed, it was because they were being consumed. The theories had not advanced very far because there were only two stars left in the observable universe.

‘The … something is pulling it past us?’ asked Owen reluctantly.

‘We can’t tell, and we can’t tell why that same force is not pulling us as well. It’s almost come past us. In less than six months, it will be gone and moving too fast for any of our ships to catch up to—’

‘Pardon my humble understanding, Doctor,’ apologised Owen unapologetically, his patience worn thin. ‘But why the hell would we be interested in doing that?’

‘We have just discovered another habitable planet there, sir.’

Tenok stopped dead in his tracks. Another habitable planet? This changes everything. Everything.

‘And there are Humans there, sir. There is a seed ship in orbit around the planet. It looks identical to ours in every way.’

‘Has there been any contact attempted?’

‘We’ve sent simple messages via radio waves asking them to confirm they can hear us and that we would like to communicate.’

Finding it simultaneously irksome that he had not been told beforehand and excited to hear what progress had been made, Tenok asked if there had been a reply. There had not. And what was more, it was quite likely the Chiru Empire was aware of them trying to make contact. Naturally, their single-minded and unquenchable desire to enslave all sentient life would extend to their extraterrestrial counterparts.

This would necessitate the use of the Skoll, the only surface-to-space vessel on Findang. They would not be able to move the entire nation of Yhaar to this new planet, not even if they only sent the Humans. Perhaps these people held the answers to how they had come to be here. Perhaps they would be able to help against Atul and his Chiru armies.

But also, perhaps not. Perhaps their world was just as burnt out and degenerate as their own. Perhaps they were not replying because they were not interested or had even lost the capacity to do so. Perhaps they would have to rely on Project Trinity after all, which meant he still had to proceed with Krohl’s lessons. Still, action would need to be taken immediately. He had to consult with his science advisor. ‘Where the hell is Bowman?’

‘An urgent security matter, sir.’

‘This just took priority.’

‘As you command it, Emperor Tenok.’

CLENCHING

Owen Tenok

At one month, most babies will turn their head and eyes towards light, will watch faces whilst being fed or talked to, and may smile to show pleasure.

Between one and three months, most are becoming stronger, are able to lift their head and upper chest, and may support themselves with their arms when on their stomach, showing an increased awareness of people and expressing their emotions through both voice and movement. It is during this period that babies learn to turn towards sounds, look at, and follow things with their