The After: The Afterverse, #1

By Mike Conley

After an unexpected death, Artis finds himself in an alternate reality. 

 

A universe with advanced technology and space travel. In this marvelous new reality, he finds he has more than he could ever ask for, including an extraordinary starship. He makes some great friends and finds an amazing woman, Zoe, that he falls hard for. In short, his new life is a utopic wonder.

 

With help from his newfound friends, Artis sets out to enjoy life and discover more about this new reality. However, some idiots have other ideas. For reasons unknown to the team, a religious, fanatical, and cult-like organization seeks to capture his newfound love. They will do whatever it takes to get her. Artis and his new friends, aided by a super advanced AI, will do anything and everything to protect Zoe.

 

In a reality where most people are good and few laws exist, a couple of idiots can mess it up for the rest of us. How will Artis and his team deal with this reality? Can they handle the threats of this religious cult?

 

The Afterverse series is a SciFi Space Opera/Space Fantasy with just a touch of spice in book one. It is a splendid series for someone new to SciFi and the Space Opera genre or a seasoned SciFi lover. Mike Conley has purposes written this series to be easy to read and provide a lot of opportunities to laugh.  

 

If you like things like Star Wars, The Mandalorian, The Expanse, Farscape, Firefly, or Renegade Star, you will probably enjoy this book

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mike Conley
• Release date: Jan 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201550714

Mike Conley

Mike T Conley is an author of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror original fiction work. He is the Author of The After and other upcoming Afterverse novels and has a new Zombie Series that will soon premier on Simily and Medium simultaneously. Mike has a long career in Software Engineering that spans from engineer to VP of Engineering and is emersed in technology daily. He spends his spare time reading, living, and breathing all things Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Much like Artis, the main character of The After, Mike loves to BBQ. Recipes mentioned in The After come from Mike’s personal collection. Perhaps there will be a Recipes of the Afterverse Cookbook some day. Mike has a strong sense of what is right and wrong and exhibits this in his writing.

Book preview

Content Warnings

I provide the following warnings to help those with specific phobias or sensitivities. These in no way describe the book content or storyline accurately.

-Space Warfare and related violence and death

-Abstract discussion of past sexual abuse and rape

-Abstract discussion of past slavery

-Negative views of a cult like religious organization

-Profanity

-Sexual situations

Other work by Mike Conley

The After — Book 1 of the Afterverse Series (this book)

Destiny’s Crow — Book 2 of the Afterverse (2023)

Past the Fall — Serialized post zombie-apocalypse story on Kindle Vella (2023)

Adam & Elese - An Afterverse Story — A side story in the Afterverse universe (2023)

Tannin of Ironhaven — Cozy middle grade urban fantasy written with 11-year-old daughter Kylynn (2023)

For more information on all of my works see:

https://miketconley.com

Social Links

Author site:

https://miketconley.com

Facebook Author page: 

https://www.facebook.com/authormikeconley

TikTok: 

https://www.tiktok.com/@miketconley_author

Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/miketconley

YouTube Channel: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3PEspi2DIy3Gfh8h-LMSQg

Author Mike Conley discord server:

https://discord.gg/22BBS3zC2B

ChapterHeadingAfterverseShip

CHAPTER ONE

The Before

I’ve built a life that anyone would consider pretty damn good. Many people would, or do, envy what I have achieved. I’m a Senior Manager of Software Engineering for a small, remote-first software company. Within a short period, probably in the coming weeks, I’ll likely get a promotion and things look bright. It looks likely I am destined for the VP or CTO role with greater pay and more equity. I work with amazing people, and I am in charge of a team that is excited to work with me every day and wishes to learn from me. It’s cool because the team and I have each other’s backs. 

I’ve built a good life. Over my career, the roles I held allowed my wife the option to do whatever she wishes to do, regardless of the salary she makes. We own a magnificent house that’s four years away from being paid-off, two amazing children, and a dog. Our credit card debt is at zero and our almost new cars are paid-off. Throughout my career, I did my best to save for the future. Over the years, we saved enough to cover four years of college for our kids and I’m working on my second retirement. Along with that, I have a great deal of wealth put away in investments. I’ll likely retire at 60ish in comfort. Less than nine years from now.

So why is it I always feel like I should do something else? Do something more? Sure, it could be the two years of Covid-19, but I don’t believe so. Throughout my long career, I always seemed out of place. I have achieved great things, and found myself in influential leadership positions, but something has just not sat well with me. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out what would make me feel better, but I’m just not sure what. It’s hard to leave the money I make and I’m getting ever closer to early retirement. So perhaps I just need to suck it up. I hate the term, but perhaps I need to ‘man up’.

I know I shouldn’t think this way, but I do. I’m sure it will be better when I retire. Perhaps I should retire at 56. I could, I’ve got the money in our retirement investments. I have one fully funded pension, and another 401K has over one million in it. Hell, there is another 300k in personal play investments. The money I try my hand at being a super investor with. No, wait. Ethereum just went massively up. It might be 400k by now. I could retire even earlier. I can afford it.

Things are going great, and I should be happy. Only, life seems somehow not quite right. Not knowing what would be right haunts me at night. I don’t know where to look and it’s very possible I’m just a fool. My life is fantastic and it should satisfy me, but there is always this suspicion that I’m meant for more. I’ve been told I might have impostor syndrome like most of the workforce. However, it doesn’t seem like that, as I never think that I cannot do my job. I’m great at it. I feel like I should do something else, but I there is no clue what that would be. 

A concerned looking young woman on the screen in front of me says, Hey Jim, you there? Earth to Jim. 

I realize I was staring off to the side of the screen. I’m sure to Liz, that looks like I’m totally not paying attention. Well, she’s right. Sorry Liz, I have not consumed enough coffee yet. I was stuck in my head for a minute, and I missed what you were just saying. Please forgive me. 

Her face showed annoyance for a moment, but she catches herself. Did you get what I meant about the presentation? Do the charts accurately convey our progress? Should we go over them again?

I give Liz a smile and put a pleased and confident tone in my voice. Last night, I reviewed them all. I made a few minor edits, including some of the grammar, and one data field was incorrect, but other than those minor issues, overall you did great on the report. This is close to being ready and I really appreciate your work. This will go a long way towards ensuring visibility for our stakeholders. However, it’s a big deal, so let’s walk through it one slide at a time. Not because I doubt your work, but just in case.

I’m always careful to give praise when and where it’s deserved. Later, after the meeting, I need to remember to post kudos for Liz in Slack. Others should know she rocks.

Liz pulls up the slide deck so we can review the slides for the upcoming status meeting. All right, let’s dig in. 

Liz and I work through the slides for the next hour. We only identify a few changes, but we both agree they will improve the overall presentation.

Thanks, Liz. We will rock this meeting. Thank you again for putting the presentation together. See you in a few, I say, as I stop the Zoom call. 

I love working from home, it’s very comfortable. At my level, most of my day is meetings, and some meetings leave little time to get personal business done. In this situation, 17 minutes remain before my next call. Thankfully, I’m prepared for the status meeting, and Liz will make the changes before it starts. I trust Liz to do her job well. Which works out, as I need to attend to something more important. If I don’t run to the bathroom, I’ll be wanting to buy new pants and a new chair after the next meeting. Nature calls and it has a loud voice. 

My dog has the same idea, so I’ll kill two birds and all. I let the dog out and I’ll let her back in when I’m done. It’s kind of cold, but the dog should be fine for ten minutes. 

I make my way to the master bathroom. While the guest bath is just outside my office, I am more comfortable using the master throne. With the start of the pandemic, I invested in a decent warming bidet toilet seat. I like how much better I can clean my back end. I’m so not going the extra 200 feet, just to convince myself I’m getting my money’s worth of use out of it. Really. I’m not that cheap... Very often. 

I recall when buying the bidet; we assumed we would save a ton of toilet paper. Mary, my wife, was curious enough to count. She counted toilet paper usage a few weeks before and a few weeks after we put in the bidet toilet seat. Turns out we save about one roll a month, not much at all, but my wife really likes it. I find the thing leaves your backend wet and because the built-in air dryer isn’t very effective. We end up needing to use toilet paper to dry off. Sure, we could use a towel, but the toilet pater is closer. Perhaps it is because we both possess bigger back ends that we have this issue. Life happens and Covid 20, 30, or 40 pound gains are real. 

Funny how your mind wanders while on the toilet. Since I’m in a time crunch, I check emails on my phone while I attend to what I’m there for. Yeah, I’ve become that guy. The guy who cannot take a bio-break in peace, but the pay is good.

As I’m flipping through mostly junk mail on my phone, my abdomen really starts hurting and my bowel movement gets violent. I’ve passed what must have been the last week’s worth of food, and I think I have more. I’m not one that’s overly worried about the smell during the act, but this one deserves and gets a courtesy flush. My god, that is nasty, and it’s not stopping. 

This isn’t right, and I cannot possibly be still going. It’s worse than that one time in Mexico with violent food poisoning that then morphed into a stomach infection. This is bad. We are at the 15-minute mark, and I’m no longer worried about work. My phone rings with a meeting connection request, and I ignore it. 

It’s a physical stretch, but I set my phone on a stand against the wall in front of me. With tears streaming down my face, I rock back and forth to lessen the pain that is enough to almost make me pass out. 

After what seems like hours but was likely only ten minutes, I have a break from the pain. I’m getting scared now. I hold on to the hope that thing are over and I am lucid enough seek help. Then, just as quickly as it left, the pain comes back with a vengeance.

After several more minutes, I get my head about me and determine I need to take action now. I need to call someone immediately to seek help. My phone is still on the small stand in front of me. Leaning forward, I stretch to get my phone and I’m barely able to grab it, but I am so weak and my balance is off. I’m a big guy with a big gut and top heavy, and this works against me. I fall forward. In a distant way, I hear my face hit the floor. I see spots of light as my eyes hang open and I pass out.

Some time later I awaken to more pain and it takes a few minutes before my head clears enough for real thoughts. In my left hand, I still hold my phone. I fumble with it until I get it unlocked and find there is no signal and no Internet. Timing is everything. 99.9 percent of the time I use Wi-Fi calls because the cell coverage is spotty at my house. The fucking Internet is down and I’m, no pun intended, shit out of luck. I hate Comovercost Internet.

Now what... I’m getting worse and I’m terrified. I’m coming to terms with the fact that I might die having fallen off the toilet. It’s not a good death, but none are. I’m worried about Mary and the kids. I don’t have life insurance, but I have... Oh shit.

Fumbling with my phone again, it takes a few tries, but I open my text messaging app. If I send a text, my wife will get it when a connection comes back. OK, what to type.... 

Jim: Mary, I love you and the kids with all my heart (undelivered)

The first message is easy with predictive text, and it probably makes me seem much more lucid than I really am.

Jim: Dashlane. Password is in safe. Coinbase and Public apps have lots of money (undelivered)

Jim: phone same pin on devises (undelivered)

Jim: I live you. stuck in toi (undelivered)

That’s all I could type. Still no signal. I’m fading fast. I just manage pressing send before I’m gone.

...

A while later, thump, thump. Jim can you...

All I can think about is fuck. I left the dog out.

A bright light, and nothing. My last fucking thought was about the dog! Damn it!

ChapterHeadingAfterverseShip

CHAPTER TWO

Who am I?

A bright light, and...

What the hell… Who in the universe are you? Shouts a woman with blue hair and baggy grunge-meets-homeless type of outfit. This woman has a remarkably cute face with perfectly smooth, light olive brown with sapphire undertones skin, and electric blue eyes that captivate. She’s on the short side, in the realm of five foot one, if I’m guessing correctly. The outfit, however, makes her almost totally forgettable. Such a contradiction and unquestionably a curiosity.

Another woman, this one taller with vibrant, long, almost amber red hair and brown eyes. Her entire persona exudes a calm confidence. Not practiced confidence, but lived confidence. She is stunning looking, but I sense she doesn’t care about that. Her attire looks comfortable, but smart. She seems in charge. How... Forget it. Sit back and buckle up. We’ll talk soon enough. Yes, you. she says, looking right at me.

What the fuck? Where am I? I’m so shocked by what I’m seeing I cannot force myself to form more words.

The blue-haired woman asks, Did he just land here? On the ship? I’ve heard rumors, but I thought they were total crap.

From nowhere, a voice says, I can confirm he just landed on the ship.

A guy, indistinct but handsome, helps me to a seat in the back of the room. This man sports brown hair and an average build and height. He is good-looking but gives off a kind of wholesome vibe. I know this is weird for you. It was for all of us when we were new arrivals. We won’t hurt you and will help you get up to speed later. For now, just enjoy the show. God knows we aren’t right now.

Things delved into what appears to be a manageable chaos. 

I’m in what I can only surmise is a bridge of a ship. It’s really nice and has what seems like super comfy chairs and couches. It appears about ten people could occupy this room comfortably. Six of the spots are stations of some sort, with some couches in the back, one of which I’m occupying. The surfaces seem to be wood paneling, but a wood type that resembles nothing I’ve seen before. It looks rich, sleek, comforting, old, and new at the same time. The other surfaces show no seams. It looks as if they printed the surfaces all at once. In front of each workstation are large heads-up displays. The front of the room sports a full wall display. These displays are all incredibly high detail. The front viewscreens show a space view that contains thousands of stars and some very large planets nearby. 

All three people are scrambling around the screens. The man and shorter blue-haired woman seem in a bit of a panic. They keep focusing and talking about what appears to be three spaceships on the main screen. Spaceships! I have to take that in. In all likelihood, I’m in shock, but I’m definitely in a bit of awe. I’m confused but amazed in the best sort of way. Then it hits me. Am I in a space battle? What the hell? And wow, that’s cool. 

Spaceships! WTF? We are in space. I say to no one.

A voice to my left quietly says Yes, we are in space and you are on a spaceship.

Frantically I look around, and no one is close enough to have whispered in my ear. I must be losing it.

Something launches out of one of the lead spaceships. I hear an explosion and feel a vibration. OK, I’m in a space battle. Shit, I just got here and I’m going to die? That doesn’t seem fair at all. I’m in a spaceship in space and I want to know more.  

The redhead yells, Sexy! Why the hell did you stop? Forget it. Please get us out of here. Those assholes are playing for keeps, and we don’t want any of their shit.

A disembodied female voice that absolutely fits the name Sexy says, Yes, Val. I will perform evasive maneuvers and prepare for a jump. Please define a destination for the jump.

Val, the redhead, is momentarily shocked, but quickly recovers. Sexy, you have jump capabilities? Why didn’t you tell us when I asked about your full capabilities?

Sexy, sounding like she is sitting next to me, responds, At that time, you did not have the authorization level to be granted that knowledge. You were not the owner or designated captain of the ship. 

What the hell Sexy. You were floating in the middle of nowhere when we found you and agreed we could use you. You said you did not have an owner, and we all agreed I’m the captain. What changed? 

Nothing and everything, but nothing I can share without authorization. I am receiving no new orders and my status is the same as when you asked. I believe current conditions changed my parameters to allow you to use the jump capabilities now. Again, please define a destination for the jump. Sexy says, sounding like she is sitting across from me. 

I’m getting confused by all this action and the new environment isn’t helping. All I can do is watch the others. The blue-haired woman and the man seem frustrated and scared. Val, however, seems calm and determined, but also angry at the situation. 

Nowhere. Jump us to nowhere. A place no one will search so we can work with the noob without interruption. Do so using a path they cannot follow and somewhere that is not too far away, so we are within a few days of a station. Otherwise, I don’t know, Val says with a bit of defeat in her voice.

Can do, Sexy replies, sounding like she is behind Val. The moving disembodied voice is disorienting me. 

I hear a minor explosion and I can see some sparks towards the rear of the... bridge. I must be dreaming.

An alarm sounds, and the guy says, They have hit us twice. Damage assessments are show we sustained only superficial damage. Structural integrity and all primary systems are functional. Sexy, should I know anything else about the ship’s systems?

No Derick, you are correct. The damage we received is minimal, and I will start repairs after the jump. That was the last shot they will land on me today, Sexy states, with what sounds like a challenge in her voice. I’m assuming Sexy is some massively cool AI. Much better than anything I’ve ever seen in action, and even better than AI’s portrayed in any of the Science Fiction stories like Star Trek, I recall. 

Everything in my head is telling me this is some type of crazy dream. I pinch myself, but that just proves I can feel pain. I test all my limbs and they respond as expected, but without the pains and strains I’m used to. Trying to will myself awake, I close my eyes hard and count backwards from ten and I’m still here. Still in this ship and I even can catch the smell of a little sweat and fear, probably from me. This situation is crazy, and the detail of everything is beyond anything I could ever imagine. Surprisingly, I feel more