The Resurrection Incident

By Sheila Lee Brown

For the human race to survive, teenage Jarem and his team must use their evolved intuitive abilities to help find a way to stop the resurrect creatures that have been targeting Earth humans for several generations and decimating their species. Once their plan is in motion, the pressure is on and timing is everything. Either they find the answer quickly or remain on the run and hiding forever. Even worse, they could end up like all the Earthers in the past that were taken by the resurrects. That's not an option Jarem and his team will even consider.

Zelwa is also a teenager trying to figure out her place in the world. Little does she know, her life is about to be turned upside down and nothing will ever be the same.

 

The Resurrection Incident is a story of loss and friendship and the struggle of Earthers to overcome insurmountable obstacles to have the freedom to live life on their terms. It's a story of evolving to be more so that you can do more. Join Jarem and Zelwa as their individual stories unfold and uncover the truth behind the origins of the resurrects and the possibility of stopping them. Filled with tragedy coupled with hope, their story is a tale of humans learning to forge their destiny.

• Language: English
• Publisher: TZ Books
• Release date: Jan 7, 2024
• ISBN: 9781946651136

Sheila Lee Brown

Sheila Lee Brown is a writer, artist, and generally very curious person. She was born and raised in South Carolina where she spent her childhood playing outdoors in the surrounding woods and making up stories with her three siblings.Sheila currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband and their dog. She enjoys writing, reading, drawing silly cartoons, and always learning and growing.

Book preview

The Resurrection Incident

By

Sheila Lee Brown

Copyright 2023 by Sheila Lee Brown

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, by photography, or xerography or by any other means, broadcast or transmission, by translation into any kind of language, nor by recording electronically or otherwise, without the permission in writing from the author, except to quote brief passages in critical articles, reviews, or academic works.

This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental (and strange).

Cover image was created by Sheila Lee Brown through prompts on NightCafe and then edited in Adobe Photoshop. According to terms of service through NightCafe, this image is considered Sheila Lee Brown’s intellectual property and can be used for commercial use.

ISBN-978-1-946651-13-6

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Published by TZ Books

www.tz-books.com

Contents

Chapter 1:  Time To Jump

Chapter 2:  Into the Dark

Chapter 3:  Something is Coming

Chapter 4:  The Impressing

Chapter 5:  Unwelcome Surprise

Chapter 6:  Something New

Chapter 7:  Looking for Something

Chapter 8:  The Swirling

Chapter 9:  Someone New

Chapter 10:  The Caves

Chapter 11:  Decisions

Chapter 12:  Another Unwelcome Surprise

Chapter 13:  Freak Out

Chapter 14:  A Connection

Chapter 15:  The Fight

Chapter 16:  Things are Getting Real

Chapter 17:  Raising the Stakes

Chapter 18:  Enough is Enough

Chapter 19:  Is This the Real Life?

Chapter 20:  And Now?

About the Author

Chapter 1:  Time To Jump

Jarem

A panic attack was not a part of the plan. Fists gripped tight, Jarem turned away from the crowd walking the inner circle around the Big Mek space portal. His chest constricted as he struggled to control his breathing.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Jarem pulled the hood of his cloak further over his face and leaned his shoulder lightly on the outside wall of the shop beside him.

You okay? Tock asked from behind.

Jarem gave a quick nod. He didn’t want Tock nor the rest of the team to see this or feel this. He was scared. Terrified. They needed him to be more than that. Jarem released his fists and began tightening and releasing different areas of his body. He slowed his breathing as much as he could, remembering that his team surrounded him and that they had been in much more dangerous situations and got out unscathed. He tapped into the feeling of security he felt from them.

I am safe. I. Am. Safe.  

After several brief moments that seemed strained and unending, the pressure subsided. Thankfully, the attack had been mild.

This is where they found you, right? Nelly whispered next to Jarem. She scanned the surrounding area to make sure no one was listening.

Jarem turned to fully look at his friends, but he wasn’t ready to speak yet, so he gave another quick nod. Nelly and Tock stood closest to Jarem. Behind them was the rest of the team. All together, the team was Jarem, Tock, Nelly, Peet, Rema, and Kin–six young Earthers, not long passed puberty and on the brink of adulthood. Old enough to be thinking about a future, and, hopefully, capable enough to create one worth living.

Over there, Jarem said, softly. He indicated three platforms between two shops further down the inner circle with a quick glance—no reason to point and risk being noticed. On each platform was a different species for sale. And, sure enough, one platform appeared to have half a dozen Earthers sitting on it, waiting to be bought. Jarem knew from experience that a force field surrounded each platform to prevent escape.

Are you sure you’re okay? Tock asked again.

I’m fine. A little lightheaded. Just needed to adjust my oxygen aura, Jarem lied.

Tock gave Jarem a long, hard store, but let it pass. He didn’t necessarily believe Jarem, but he also wasn’t overly concerned. Jarem was good at covering his emotions from the others. Their feelings were always available to him, though. Jarem’s empathic nature and telepathic ability were his biggest assets to the group. Those abilities had made it possible for them to be together. It also put a lot of pressure on Jarem to live up to some ideal of what the Yacca had seen in him years ago. He wasn’t sure he was up for whatever they were going to find at the end of this journey. Just being in Big Mek again was enough to unravel him. It was useful that the other Earthers were all a little nervous now. It helped to move the focus off Jarem.

Don’t pick at it, Rema whispered to Peet.

Peet’s hand stopped just as he was about to rub the blue spot painted on his forehead and instead scratched at his nose. Nelly surveyed their surroundings with her quick, careful eyes and gave the nod that all was clear. No one had noticed.

All six Earthers had the spot painted there, large enough to cover the center part of their forehead. They also had the same blue color running in two lines down on both sides of their necks in the manner of Visnaillan beings. Jarem could feel the paint as a tightness across the skin and the temptation to touch it was strong. He didn’t dare, though, as the discovery that it was not a true genetic trait would bring suspicion about who they were, and, more seriously, what they were. One of the luckiest breaks Earthers had was that so many beings looked similar to them and could be easily imitated if you had the right resources. And hiding what they were was absolutely necessary, because being an Earther, most days, was not a lucky thing at all.

A light breeze passed through the avenue and the pungent smells that were wafting through went with it. The neutralizing mist was nice to have in a place where so many species commingled and produced odors that may or may not be appealing to other species.

Whew! Grateful for that breeze. I was starting to smell myself. Why did you have to spray so much of that pheromone on me? I’m going to have to take five showers to get the stink off! Peet said.

Are you trying to ruin this mission by saying things like that? Rema whispered again and elbowed Peet in the ribs.

No one can hear me, Peet said with a grin. Dr. Yac and I added a proximity feature to our comms so that our combined auric field can contain the vibration of sounds.

Dr. Yac? Jarem asked.

That’s what I call the Yacca that came with us, Peet said. I saw the title of Doctor in an Earth book once, he continued speaking, but began making more adjustments to his wrist comms with finger-pressure commands and eye movements. It describes someone advanced in their field of study.

We should still be cautious, Nelly said. Besides, you’ve smelled worse. Remember Gagua?

They had found Rema and Peet on the planet Gagua. They had survived by hiding out in the sewer systems and scrounging whatever food they could when they could. For years, they had been each other’s only companions after their family was taken.

Rema snorted, and Peet smirked at the jab. That they could find the humor in their past showed how far they had come. Each person on the team had been through horrible things that they never wanted to talk about or remember. But they had. Each one was still going through a process of healing. It was necessary in order to do the work they were doing.

That may be true, Peet replied. He finished his adjustments and looked at the group. I’m just worried that some other Visnaillans might pass by when the neutralizer wears off and we’ll find ourselves being confronted with a proposal to start a marriage community.

You’re not very attractive by Visnaillan standards, Kin said.

The team turned to look at Kin, surprised at her apparent attempt at a joke. Rema gave Kin a playful nudge and Kin smiled sheepishly. Peet snickered and the rest of the group laughed.

Jarem relaxed as a feeling of camaraderie spread through the Earthers. The team became quiet and settled in to watch the moving crowds and wait. Their energy was less anxious and more hopeful.

The Mekla portal station (aka The Big Mek) was a small city on the planet Hanu. Hanu was the home planet to the Yacca. However, they had deemed their portal technology to be a resource to be shared. They created this domed city as a trading post for travelers. It was a popular jump off point for different species and unlike the rest of the planet, the city operated under the law of the local solar system and not Yacca law. Because of this, the Yacca had limited authority and could not guarantee safety for Earthers despite their desire for that.

The Yacca did not interfere with other species unless challenged and they would also not interfere directly in the fate of Earthers. However, they assisted the Earthers in ways they determined did not violate their code of ethics. Here, a Yacca was gaining portal access for them. The Yaccan representative was less likely to be challenged, and it was important that the Earthers go unnoticed. The Earthers had kept their distance in case things didn’t go as planned and they had to get away quickly. That was their default mode of operation and it had served them well.

It shouldn’t be much longer, Jarem reassured them.

Still apprehensive of having another attack, Jarem cleared his mind and focused on his team. He regularly checked in with their energetic and emotional wellbeing. Tock was the heart of the group and kept them all together. He had been with Jarem at the beginning of this project, the mission to preserve and save Earthenkind. Nelly, standing next to Tock, had also been there since the beginning. She and Tock had become more and more inseparable over the last two years. If they weren’t on a mission, they were always together. Nelly wanted to save everyone and she was a force to be reckoned with in any situation. She was a true warrior and watched everyone’s back. Next to Nelly were Rema and Peet, a sister and brother. They had joined the team seven missions ago. Siblings were a rarity amongst Earthers, as few families ever survived to produce more than one child. The last member of the group was Kin—she was quiet, capable, and nearly as good an intuitive empath and psychic as Jarem. Jarem noted that she and Rema shared another long smile.

Passage has been procured. Begin making your way to the portal.

The voice in Jarem’s head was the Yacca representative that had volunteered to help his team get portal access. Dr. Yac, as Peet called him. Jarem was the only Earther able to communicate with the Yacca telepathically. Having Yaccas willing to help the Earthers was another lucky break. If everything worked out as Jarem hoped, Earthers wouldn’t have to rely on luck so often. If they could find what they were looking for, maybe they could even return home - to Earth itself.

It’s done, Jarem told the group. Time to jump.

The Earthers shifted into mission mode and began walking down the avenue with others heading towards the portal. They walked in two columns of three, mimicking the orderly style of Visnaillans, not moving too fast and attempting to blend in. Jarem and Tock were at the head of each column. Jarem could sense