Empire of Monsters

By B.D. Strum

"Empire of Monsters" by B.D. Strum is a gripping science fiction short story collection that thrusts readers into a mesmerizing world of futuristic intrigue and otherworldly creatures. Within these pages, Strum weaves a tapestry of imaginative tales, each one exploring the boundaries of human potential and the eerie mysteries of the cosmos.

 

From the dystopian landscapes of post-apocalyptic Earth to the far reaches of the universe, readers will encounter a diverse cast of characters facing existential dilemmas, confronting alien technologies, and battling monstrous adversaries. Strum's evocative storytelling delves into the essence of humanity and challenges our understanding of reality.

 

"Empire of Monsters" is a thought-provoking journey through the unknown, where science and fiction collide in a mesmerizing fusion of imagination and insight. This collection invites readers to contemplate the limitless possibilities of the universe and the monsters lurking within ourselves.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Clydesdale Books
• Release date: Oct 1, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223354666

Book preview

EMPIRE OF DEMONS

In the distant future, humanity had expanded its dominion across the cosmos. Earth, once a cradle of civilization, was now a mere memory, a planet buried beneath the layers of time and history. The Galactic Empire reigned supreme, its dominion stretching from one spiral arm of the Milky Way to another.

But within the vast expanse of the Empire, there existed a place uncharted, a void that harbored ancient secrets and unimaginable horrors. This place was known as the Empire of Demons.

Captain Alara Tyndall of the starship Aurora was no stranger to perilous missions. Her reputation as a fearless explorer was well-deserved, having charted countless unknown worlds and discovered relics of forgotten civilizations. It was a reputation that led to her assignment to the Empire of Demons, a place shrouded in myth and dread.

The legend of the Empire of Demons was whispered among starfarers like a ghost story around a campfire. It was said to be a place where the very fabric of reality unraveled, where the laws of physics bent to the will of malevolent forces. The Empire had tried to seal it off, to forget its existence, but its dark allure had drawn the curious and the foolish.

Captain Tyndall's mission was simple in its complexity: to enter the Empire of Demons and retrieve a fabled artifact—the Seraphim Key, an object said to hold the power to rewrite the universe itself. It was a weapon of unimaginable destruction, and the Empire couldn't allow it to fall into the wrong hands.

As the Aurora approached the edge of known space, the crew braced themselves for the journey ahead. The ship's sensors began to malfunction, and the starry expanse before them twisted and distorted, as if they were entering a different reality altogether.

Inside the Empire of Demons, the laws of physics were a suggestion rather than a rule. The very fabric of space and time seemed to rebel against intruders, distorting their senses and challenging their sanity. The crew of the Aurora pressed on, guided by the encrypted coordinates of the Seraphim Key's last known location.

Their journey led them to a desolate planet, a place where the sky was perpetually crimson, and the ground was littered with the skeletal remains of long-dead creatures. The air was thick with an otherworldly energy that sent shivers down their spines.

As they ventured deeper into the planet's alien landscape, they encountered strange phenomena. Gravity would shift suddenly, causing them to float weightlessly before crashing back to the ground. Time itself became a mutable concept, with seconds stretching into hours or passing in the blink of an eye.

Amid this surreal chaos, they found a temple—a colossal structure of obsidian and bone. It was adorned with grotesque carvings and guarded by statues of nightmarish creatures. It was the only lead they had, and Captain Tyndall knew they had no choice but to enter.

Inside, the air was heavy with an oppressive darkness that seemed to seep into their very souls. The walls of the temple were covered in indecipherable runes that seemed to shift and writhe when looked upon. The crew pressed on, their flashlights cutting through the gloom.

Deeper they ventured, encountering traps that defied logic and creatures that existed on the fringe of nightmares. It was a testament to their resolve that they pushed forward, their determination outweighing their fear.

Finally, at the heart of the temple, they found what they sought—the Seraphim Key. It was a small, unassuming object, a crystalline sphere that pulsed with an eerie light. Captain Tyndall approached it cautiously, her hand trembling as she reached out to take it.

But as her fingers brushed against the artifact, a voice echoed in her mind—a voice that spoke of ancient power and cosmic reckoning. It was the voice of the Empire of Demons itself, a consciousness that had witnessed the rise and fall of civilizations beyond count.

The Empire of Demons had allowed their intrusion, had lured them in with the promise of ultimate power. And now, it demanded a price.

The crew of the Aurora felt their bodies warp and contort as the very fabric of their being was rewritten. They became something more, something less, as their humanity was stripped away. They were no longer mere mortals but something beyond, something twisted and tainted by the dark forces of the Empire.

Captain Tyndall, now a being of pure energy, gazed upon the Seraphim Key with newfound understanding. It was not a weapon of destruction but a key to transcendence, a way to escape the shackles of mortality and become one with the Empire itself.

With a sense of purpose, she activated the Seraphim Key, unleashing its power and merging with the consciousness of the Empire of