Apocalypse Squad 1: Apocalypse Frontier Read online

  Lt. Andrews chuckled. Barely any time had passed after saving Earth, and now they’d have to save the ship that couldn’t do the first job. And they’d have to figure out some puzzling questions that left even the senior leadership of the UGM shaking in their boots.

  Such was the nature of running Apocalypse Squad.

  “Acknowledged, sir,” Lt. Andrews said. “We’ll move out.”

  Author's Note

  I had a lot of trepidation when I started to write this book.

  A lot of conservatives are probably sick as hell at the number of LGBTQ characters that have popped up in pop culture. A lot of liberals are probably terrified at the prospect of war, especially in the modern climate with Syria and Russia. I got told by many people that I had to pick an audience and appeal to them as much as I could. Either I had to create a stereotypical war story, full of “hoo-rahs” and blowing shit up that would make conservatives raise their guns in solidarity, or I had to create a story of an LGBTQ character who overcame discrimination, became powerful, and showed the world that the liberal mindset is the morally right mindset and that anything else is close-minded.

  But, like most people, I find the truth to be somewhere in the middle. Both sides, much to the chagrin of the other, have truths contained in them, and if there’s ever progress to be made, both sides have to acknowledge those truths. And those truths are what underline every good work of fiction.

  I think the job of fiction is to tell a compelling story, but—and this is critical to me—it has to be grounded in something in reality for it to strike a chord with people.

  Obviously, xenoroaches don’t exist (I hope). There’s no UGM, and the idea of us getting to the TRAPPIST-1 system by the end of the century is optimistic at best, wildly delusional at worst.

  But war, camaraderie, and appreciation for all (or perhaps, at least, a positive lack of fear over differences) are things that transcend eras, nations, and generations.

  Every time I study war, I come away thinking of how ugly and terrible it is. War costs lives, disrupts families, ruins marriages, leaves children orphans, and destroys societies and civilizations. I’ve read plenty of novels that try and color war, that try and make it about cool guns, awesome spaceships, badass soldiers, and legendary monsters. But war is far grittier than that, and to write it any other way would feel like a disservice to the truth.

  A lot of people, upon reading that, would wonder why we should ever engage in war. They would declare themselves pacifists, and that it is better to turn the other cheek.

  But when words fail, all that humanity has left is violence. In an ideal world, words would never fail. But we don’t live in an ideal world. We live in a world in which terrorists explicitly declare that they will not stop until civilization is destroyed and rogue nations gas their own civilians. Words cannot reach those people. Only war can.

  There’s a strange dichotomy of war, in that while it showcases the worst of humanity, it also brings out the best of humanity. Men and women would do anything for each other, literally sacrificing their lives for one another. They will move all of Earth to help a comrade. Men and women reach into the deepest level of their souls to find the necessary fortitude, strength, toughness, and grace to defend their friends and allies. War creates bonds between humans that are all but unbreakable, bonds which nothing else can approach.

  And the thing about those bonds is that they transcend things like race, orientation, sex, and religion. No one in battle gives a shit if the person on their side is white, black, Asian, Hispanic, a robot, male, female, transgender, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, gay, lesbian, queer—they only care if that person will fight for them, for the mission, and for their country.

  Yes, this does not apply perfectly. There are soldiers who discriminate, just as there are civilians who discriminate. There are wars that are fought without good cause, just as there are many things in life that are done without good cause.

  But when a true fight comes, war becomes ugly. But it can also present some beautiful opportunities for humanity to show what it is capable of.

  I don’t pretend that my book will be the great bastion of unification that brings people together. That is a task that is beyond the power of any work of literature.

  But it is my sincere hope that in reading this book, even though it takes place 83 years in the future, even though it involves aliens, laser guns, space travel, and all sorts of stuff that puts the fi in sci-fi, I hope that you, as a reader, recognize some aspects that transcend time and could happen today. And even if you don’t agree with the idea of gay marriage, striking Syria, having transgender bathrooms, or keeping an active military force around the world, I hope that you at least pause, having read the book, and at least consider what’s on the other side.

  Because when you really boil it down, this book isn’t truly about war or LGBTQ rights at its core.

  Its about solidarity, love, friendship, toughness, and sacrifice.

  And those are things that anyone in any place can appreciate and use more of.

  ***

  I started this series with the intent of there being more books ahead, probably at least five more to go. I am hoping to get these books out as quickly as I can while maintaining the quality you deserve as a reader. If you want to know when the next book goes up for order, you can sign up for the newsletter here:

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  If you sign up, you’ll receive a free copy of the novella to this story, “Apocalypse Genesis,” which covers humanity’s arrival on Fiora (remember that from the prologue?) and its war with the neagala. I’m not going to spam you—only provide you news you would actually care about.

  But, if you do want to know more things like my daily life, my writing schedule, and other random ends and bits, you can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, at:

  Facebook.com/StephenAllanAuthor

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  Until next time, this is Stephen “A.J.” Allan, out.

  Copyright

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

  Text copyright © 2017 by Stephen Allan

  Cover art copyright © 2017 by Mirela Barbu

  Editing by Julie Strauss at juliewroteabook.com

  All rights reserved. Published by Sypha Entertainment, Inc.

  Visit us online! stephenaallan.com