Alpha: Book One: First Alpha-Sapiens

By Stanley L. Bradley

In "Alpha: Book One: First Alpha Sapiens," a thrilling blend of science fiction and superhero mystery, we find our world in the first half of the 21st century where an accidental transformation experiment will forever alter the lives of four men.

Stan, a seventy-year-old substitute teacher, finds himself at the epicenter of this life-altering genetic experiment. Possessing the power to transform his anger into an incredible beast, he must juggle his newfound abilities with his duty to protect those around him. He communicates with animals, forms a loyal pack with wolves, and shares his secret only with his beloved wife, Pat. His life walks a razor's edge, teetering between extraordinary and dangerous.

When three brothers - Allan, Diego, and Yoaan - are exposed to his genetically altered blood in a desperate situation, they, too, are blessed and cursed with these potent abilities. The boys discover they can solve mysteries with ease, utilizing their telepathic abilities and superhero-like alter egos.

As their powers grow, they catch the attention of a covert government agency that seeks to employ their unique skills for missions too challenging for ordinary agents. The exhilarating journey is filled with action and adventure, testing the boys' control over their inner beasts and their commitment to keeping their secret, especially in the challenging environment of their school.

Inspired by the brothers' struggle, we're reminded of the power of persistence, the value of teamwork, and the resilience of the human spirit. This thrilling science fiction about genetic engineering cleverly weaves themes of self-control and perseverance with the timeless story of personal growth and the pursuit of purpose.

"Alpha: Book One: First Alpha Sapiens" is a brilliant addition to action and adventure books. Readers will be captivated by the engrossing plot, dynamic characters, and innovative concepts. From intermediate readers to adult fans of science fiction and thriller fiction, this tale of transformation, courage, and camaraderie will leave readers eagerly awaiting the next installment. Be a part of this extraordinary journey and discover your inner beast!

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jun 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9781665561266

Stanley L. Bradley

Stanley L. Bradley is a retired school teacher. He holds a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Education from State University of New York College at Fredonia. While originally from Western New York he now resides in a small community in the Piedmont region of Central North Carolina. His six grown children live close by and he and his wife of over 50 years enjoy them very much. To date he has published four books. He started writing when he had an article published in a local magazine. It was entitled "Special Guests" and presented a special event that had happened with his children. After that he was bitten by the writing bug.

Book preview

THE BEGINNING….

IVAN WAS HEADED BACK to his lab. He was as angry as he had ever been. He felt betrayed by the people he had been working for nigh unto thirty years. Genetic modification was his specialty. He had achieved several great things that would enable farmers to produce more meat on livestock without spending more money on special nutrient rich feed, and so many other amazing things. His work was world renowned. But he was not interested in fame and fortune. He delighted in the creation of new and exciting things that would help all humankind.

His pet project for the past fifteen years had been perfecting a process that would allow for the splicing of genetic materials of several organisms to create super food generating hybrids. He had kept his work to himself and had been carefully guarded about whom he allowed in his workroom. He had thought that it was understood to be top secret. Two years ago his most trusted assistant had retired to take care of his wife. That meant that Ivan was alone, no confidant, no support and his most prized specimen had escaped because of a young assistant’s fear of dogs.

As of late he had felt very uncomfortable with the number of outside people who were getting tours of the outer parts of the lab and seeing the sample results of his work. They pressed more and more trying to convince him that he should take visitors into his workroom, which he simply would not do. He knew that there was something in the wind so he was prepared for it when it came to pass.

He had just left a very awkward meeting with the corporate honchos where they told him that he was to give his research over to a team of government scientists who would be using it to improve soldiers’ stamina and such. When he protested he was reminded that his work was the property of the corporation and he had no say in what they would do with the fruits of his labors. He had never intended for it to be used on humans. They told him that the entire project had to be ready to transport in three days or he would be dismissed. He was furious but he struggled to appear calm. He was relieved that he had worn his sunglasses in the meeting

What really infuriated him was that they had done this as a source of ready cash... three billion dollars was the first installment! All the years that he had been working for a group that he thought were trying to save the world. The greedy bastards sold him out for a few billion dollars. He was very organized, and had always meticulously planned for every contingency. He felt he would be able to accomplish his escape and hide out until he could find somewhere to continue his research

The one error he had made a few months ago would follow him to his grave. Just out of curiosity he had injected a small amount of the mutated genes into his bloodstream. He had been excited when changes in his body started taking place. When he started morphing he panicked and stopped the injections. He could feel the changes starting and he fought to hold back his anger and remain in control until his goal was accomplished. He was breathing faster and sweating profusely...this was no time to be losing his grip. He could feel the sleeves on his jacket beginning to tighten.

Please God, not now… he muttered.

He stood and closed his eyes, while he started the relaxation techniques. When he regained control he reentered what had been his lab. He walked quickly into the room and closed the steel doors. Then he went into the secured computer banks. He engaged all of the privacy protocols that he had created to give him time to get away.

The lights in the room dimmed as multiple security systems were activated. When he finished this he opened a single icon and activated a file called simply: black star. In three minutes the system would self-destruct. He opened a small safe and took out a fairly heavy lead box and stuffed it in his valise. It was his personal copy of all of his work.

In another part of the building alarms sounded and people started trying to undo what he had done. More than a dozen heavily armed men were dispatched to his lab. They were a few minutes too late.

Ivan climbed into the tube that would carry him to his car and with any luck his escape. As the steel doors buckled, sparks shot from different digital units in the room spraying the men with jagged shrapnel who dared enter his sanctum. They could hear a strange whooshing sound amid the racket of electrical discharges.

Ivan trundled to his Jeep Renegade and jumped in. He was in motion before the door had closed. Engine revving and tires squealing he headed for the exit. As he expected there was a roll up door lowering in his path. He smiled like he had expected such a turn of events. He saw the security people waving at him as he veered left of the door and crashed through the glass enclosed office. The heavy duty ram bar he had put on the front end worked like a charm. He roared down the road and through the dropped barrier. He could hear the snap of small arms fire behind him. He knew they were playing for keeps. A couple of slugs bounced off the security glass on the back of the vehicle. He turned off the paved road and rumbled through the woods towards the rising sun.

41301.png CHAPTER ONE

STAN WAS DRIVING HIS small blue sedan down the winding mountain roads. The GPS had predictably led him nowhere. There was no cell reception in this isolated area, so the phone was useless. He had been lost for a couple of hours and was growing tired. It looked as though it would storm any minute as distant flashes of lightning loomed ever closer. He decided that it would be better if he parked the car and let the storm pass over him.

He fell asleep as soon as he shut off the car. He had slept for what seemed like an hour or two as the storm raged. After the rain and hail there was an eerie silence in the remote area. It was a touch chilly in the car. To his right the sky was lightening ever so slightly.

Maybe I slept longer than I thought, He said to no one. He was worried that his wife would be upset that he had not called her. So he pulled out his phone and turned on the power. Still no signal

He was about to get out of the car and stretch his sixty plus year old body when he heard it. The sound of a revving engine shattered the silence. To his left he saw a vehicle plowing its way through the underbrush in a frantic effort to reach the winding road.

What an idiot! Stan said aloud to no one. He hoped that the car would reach the road and not hit his little sedan. As he watched the car broke through the aged guardrails and slammed into the wall of stone on the other side of the road. As the car went airborne there was a brilliant flash at the back of it and it sailed end over end down the narrow road coming to a stop on its top with flames licking at the back of it.

Stan got out of his car and hurried to the wreckage. He could hear a man talking.

Vell, dat deed not go accordingk to de plan… mumbled the upside-down driver.

Are you okay? asked Stan.

I am shtuck and dere is qvuite a beet of blood so you should stay bach for your own safety, said a voice with a strong accent.

I will try to get you out of there…

Stan hurried around the car when he saw that the driver’s side window was pretty well crushed. The passenger door was torn in half so he climbed in as best as he could and received a six inch cut on his arm for his efforts. He saw that the man was rather large and very battered from his wild ride. He saw a pulsing spray of blood and he tried to press against the torn arm to slow it. The blood sprayed all over his injured arm.

Nefer mind me… dere is no time to vaste. Take dis box and geet as far avay from here as you can. Dey are only several minutes behint me! Dey will not hesitate to kill us both!

But you are hurt…

Do as I say… I apologyze for vhat I have done to you and I pray dhat you are immune to de gene therapy I have exposed you to… Take de box and run for your very life…. Drive mit your lights off in case they are closer than I think.

I do not understand…

In the box dere are discs. Vatch the first one and you vill haf an idea… may God help you…

They were both quiet for a moment and the thumping of a small helicopter could be heard in the distance.

Go! ordered the man. Hide until the leaf. Then git far avay from here. Do not let them see you! I will pray for you

Stan hid in a ditch a hundred yards from his car and watched anxiously as he held the box tightly to him. The gash in his arm pained him but felt very different than any other injury he could recall. He watched them as they approached the car and talked to the occupant. Moments later they fired a single shot. Minutes later a larger copter showed up and the car was loaded onto it. They fixed the guard rails, pressure washed the road and rock wall and left the area looking like nothing had happened. Stan waited about thirty minutes before he went to his car to be sure they were gone.

Could it have been a dream?" he asked. Then he remembered the box he was carrying. He recalled that he had cut his arm so he looked at the nasty gash. It was all but gone. His shirt was sliced and covered with dried blood. He looked a little closer when he was in the car. Only a fine pink line remained. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end as he realized what had happened.

T-this is real… they actually killed someone and erased the evidence… Lord, help me!

He sat and listened for a bit then he started the car and continued down the road with the lights off and the lead box under his seat. About an hour later he stopped in a small town and tried to use his cell again. This time it worked. She answered on the third ring.

Where are you? came her worried voice.

I stopped the car during a storm when I got lost in the hills and fell asleep. I tried to call but there was no service and the GPS was useless as usual. I woke up about an hour ago. I am going to stop at the next motel I see and rest. I should be home tomorrow late.

You missed a great day at the zoo with the grandkids.

I know, I am sorry that I did not make it back in time…

We are used to it… she teased.

Sometimes I wonder why you put up with me for all of these years.

Me too. Just a comfortable habit, I guess. Be careful and call me when you are getting started again.

I will sweetheart… I love you.

I love you too. Be sure you call or you will not be glad to see me!

He ended the call and rested his head on the steering wheel. Then he looked down the street to see if there was a place to get some breakfast. The street was pretty empty but it was about seven in the morning. There were some local stores and a McDonald’s so he headed for the familiar golden arches. Before going in he took off the damaged shirt and pulled on a T-shirt, tossing the torn bloody shirt in the trunk. He gingerly ran his fingers again over the place where the cut had been. There was no trace of the gash, not even the pink line was there. It was completely gone.

After he had three breakfast burritos, and two large sodas, he felt more like himself. The sun was washing over the small town as it cleared the steep hills in the east. He stopped and refilled his glass before heading towards the car. He pulled out of the parking lot and started in what he thought was the direction of the interstate. He decided that rather than drive too far he would stop at a hotel and try to figure out what was going on. He checked in and dragged himself into the room. He carried in his duffel and the metal box. Someone wanted that metal box very badly… badly enough to kill for it so he kept it close to his side.

41301.png CHAPTER TWO

IT WAS LATE AFTERNOON when he snapped awake from a really strange dream. He was soaked with sweat and there was a strange aroma in the room. He sat up in the bed and tried to clear his mind of the cobwebs. He had been running in the dream, through a forest. He had been running incredibly fast hunched down close to the ground. There was one word that was burned into his mind that he had heard in a deep ethereal voice: ALPHA!

He got up and strode to the shower. About halfway there he realized that he was not experiencing any of his usual wake-up aches and pains, even though he had slept for several hours. Even his arthritic shoulder did not hurt. He took a hot shower and scrubbed as hard as he could. He felt totally energized. When he finished he was wiping the mirror with the towel when he noticed another strange thing. As a child he had injured his head and carried a scar that was in plain view. That scar was gone.

Just need to clean the glasses, he muttered as he readied the toothbrush. He started scrubbing his teeth when he felt something different. There was an area on his lower jaw where teeth had been removed surgically when he was about 16. It was full of firm teeth. He traced his tongue across his mouth to a large cavity that he had had for over twenty years. The cavity was a solid tooth, there was no cavity. When he went to pull on his socks all of the toenails were clear, the fungus he had had for decades was gone

What the hell…?

Then he recalled something the man