Temp Defense

By Viola Grace

Haley is on her second week of a file-sort contract. She’s cleared to work with military records and has been slogging through years of research on artifacts that are only referred to vaguely. She is looking through a file and finds a piece of jewellery in the file with a lot of notes. She grabs the file and the bracelet and slips down the servants’ stairs to hand them off to the researchers in the basement, and that is where things go wrong.

The world is in danger. A rift of temporally stuck, highly radioactive marauders manage to saw through the space between worlds every six centuries. They are due any day now, and the military and family responsible for the defense are struggling to find the means to unlock the weapons they need. There are never any clues left by the original defenders, just the vague weapons.

Haley’s attempt to sneak the file into the lab is thwarted when a test subject is turned to ash. She’s caught, and she’s next.

• Language: English
• Publisher: eXtasy Books Inc
• Release date: Mar 21, 2024
• ISBN: 9781487441883

Viola Grace

Viola Grace (aka Zenina Masters) is a Canadian sci-fi/paranormal romance writer with ambitions to keep writing for the rest of her life. She specializes in short stories because the thrill of discovery, of all those firsts, is what keeps her writing.An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls you around and sets you down with a smile on your face is all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the cheap laugh.

Book preview

Haley is a temp on a short-term contract. It turns into an experiment and a fight for the survival of her world.

Haley is in her second week of a file-sort contract. She’s cleared to work with military records and has been slogging through years of research on artifacts that are only referred to vaguely. She is looking through a file and finds a piece of jewellery in the file with a lot of notes. She grabs the file and the bracelet and slips down the servants’ stairs to hand them off to the researchers in the basement, and that is where things go wrong.

The world is in danger. A rift of temporally stuck, highly radioactive marauders manage to saw through the space between worlds every six centuries. They are due any day now, and the military and family responsible for the defense are struggling to find the means to unlock the weapons they need. The original defenders never leave any clues, just the vague weapons.

Haley’s attempt to sneak the file into the lab is thwarted when a test subject is turned to ash. She’s caught, and she’s next.

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

Temp Defense

Copyright © 2024 Viola Grace

ISBN: 978-1-4874-_______

Cover art by Angela Waters

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

Published by eXtasy Books Inc

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www.eXtasybooks.com

Smashwords Edition

Temp Defense

Written by Fate, Book One

By

Viola Grace

Roll for Short Story

This is book one of a series in which all major plot points have been decided with DnD dice. Each book will contain a list of elements to be included. Setting, female lead, and male lead are the primary elements. They must all make an appearance in the story.

Settings

Paranormal theme

Survival

Mansion

Military

and... Workplace romance

Female lead

Black hair

Average build

Thin

Non-human powerless

Human-range skin

Working class

Flirty

Male lead

Blond

Average build

Non-human powerless

Human-range skin

Upper class

Flattering

Chapter One

Haley showed her identification at the third gate and smiled. Thank goodness it’s Friday. Nice creases on your uniform.

He checked her biometrics with a scanner and nodded his shadowy head. It is Friday. Congratulations.

Haley took her card back and smiled. Thanks.

He paused as he was about to trigger the gate and looked at her with the red eyes and smoky grey skin of a warlock. His low creak of a voice rumbled out, Happy birthday, Miss Preller.

She blinked and saw his smile. White teeth on black gums. She smiled back and gave him a happy shrug. Thank you.

The gate opened, and she drove down the lane and up to the mansion of the Renith family. Military vehicles overran the parking area, and her little sub-compact looked like a colourful toddler in the parking lot.

She got her thermos and lunch and headed inside. She was a temp with security clearance and a completely clean criminal record. It was weird being the only working person in the building without a uniform, but she used the opportunity to dress like