Chaos Mortalitus Read online

  CHAOS MORTALITUS

  A NOVEL BY:

  MARK S. LAMASTER

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents 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.

  Published by Mortalitus Art©.

  3rd Edition

  Copyright © 2009 by Mark S. LaMaster

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

  Cover Artwork by: Dreamstime.com

  Cover Layout by: Michelle Koontz

  For Kara, Michelle, My Mother and Father And the Mausoleum Family,

  Thank you for your support.

  Live Liberated Friends

  Contents

  Mortalitus Prologue

  Chapter: 1- 3/10/2025

  Chapter: 2- The Pyramid

  Chapter: 3- Mortalitus

  Chapter: 4- Revolution

  Chapter: 5- Nightmares of the Cosmos

  Chapter: 6- The Artifact

  Chapter: 7- Deja Vu

  Chapter: 8- The Evolution of Liberation

  Chapter: 9- Vexicus

  Chapter: 10- U.S.S. Solitude

  Chapter: 11- Unification

  Chapter: 12- Requiem

  Chapter: 13- Dreams

  Chapter: 14- Diplomacy

  Chapter: 15- War

  Chapter: 16- And Freedom That Follows

  Chapter: 17- The Monarchy of Chaos

  Chapter: 18- Avothina

  Chapter: 19- Departure

  Chapter: 20- Hope

  Chapter: 21- 2035

  Chapter: 22- Lost Within Tides of Destiny

  Chapter: 23- Preparations

  Chapter: 24- Resurrection

  Chapter: 25- Blood Omen

  Chapter: 26- Chaos Mortalitus

  This battle will find you, regardless of avenue...

  CHAOS MORTALITUS

  MORTALITUS

  PROLOGUE

  It begins with an idea, a vision of the life we see and feel, the chaos that follows ever so close. I struggle onward to tell this story, maybe the truth and the test that defines it. Silently the universe moves to the sounds of chaos as desperate hearts cry out for a new day. Dreams wave amongst the beams of light that cut furiously through the darkest of black, telling a tale of the universe in all its majesty and of the manifestations it creates. Designed with the best of intentions, paving the way to a place known all to well.

  Time is running short as only the empty abyss might know the secret truths, every dream, every tragedy and every idea that changed a generalized consensus into something the universe has never seen. These are the origins of a legend, a dreamer crossed with an entity trying to find a home within this madness, friends balanced across the fine lines of eternity. I am all things; you will always be everything I can never be. Painting an image of a dream and a promise, one locked deep within these tattered pages as ink is pressed to them.

  Awaken this day to the call of destiny; see the dreams that dance ever so gently through a universe you can only begin to fathom. A freedom to all wonders in all places as a voice from the stretch of infinity reminds us of our purpose. We go to see they have their freedom, standing alone in these darkest of times, brothers and sisters of the revolution, we go to see you have your freedom. Humankind, the dreamers of the cosmos, the painters of legends of old, the symphony makers desperately searching for their meaning within the stars.

  13.85 billion years from the moment they were never designed to understand they search for motive, causality of it all. The universe, the grandest scale of all things known holds its secrets well as isolation sets in and these beautiful dreams become haunting nightmares. I've seen this long before the humans that live on the silent blue pearl known as Earth, long before many things lost to the abyss of space. Galactic nations, cosmic beings separated by vast distances and equally varying biology's, grouped within the chaos that drives destiny forward.

  Wars waged for the birthright of the universe we all share as home, justice falling short of the extinct worlds that time has all but forgotten. Where freedom for all is lost, tears reflect the universe and most dream of a day of peace, a unified cosmos where no being is ever alone. It was in the first years of the 21st human century, on the planet Earth that destiny finally came calling and the wheels of fate began to slowly turn. Humanity continued struggling to make good on the sacrifices from their ancestors, with resources depleting and a general state of anxiety spreading through the masses.

  Governments controlling citizens in a cost efficient direction, completely unaware of the epic sagas being waged across a vast universe and their importance in the revelations to come. The humans of Earth are a race that has gone relatively unnoticed to the rest of this universe, but for how long and to what end? Billions of concepts of life call this blue pearl home as it falls silently with its dark mistress. At 4.7 billion years old, the Earth has become the staging point for a new day, delivering one brave soul to stand against the dark forces clouding our universe. We will stay this course no matter the odds, on the brink of madness, through the ramblings of the forgotten peer into this truth to reveal the diary of a madman.

  2025 A.D. is the human year on the planet Earth, a celestial body part of a small system existing within the Milky Way Galaxy. Within human history it is common knowledge that there is no evidence of life elsewhere in the universe other than Earth. It was in the human lunar month of March, on the 10 th day, that a legend was born. This date shall be echoed through every age hence forth, for all beings shall bear witness to the birth of a warrior of truth, a servant of peace and a child of Father. It was in this year that I met the human Ashton Seth Mortal, and this is our story.

  CHAPTER: 1

  03/10/2025

  The buzzer to my cellular phone repeats the same annoying tone as dreamscapes fade and reality sets in. Rubbing my face, I continue to ask myself why I haven't changed that alarm, but it does the trick. My feet fall to the side of the bed as I reach over and click the touch screen device and simultaneously my bedroom lights up like a room prepped for surgery. "Damn it, what time is it?" I mumble, rubbing my eyes wishing I were still sleeping. "Angela I wish you would stop syncing the entire room with Omega, you touch one thing and the whole place lights up. Do you hear me?" I ask as my wife's eyes remain shut, her face resting against her pillow.

  Quickly, I roll over to get some reassurance that I'm not having a conversation with myself as I poke at the body next to me. "Hey! Angela! Wake up already, it's a big day."

  Up comes the comforter as my beautiful wife lifts her head with hair stuck to the right side of her face. Along the side of her cheekbone are light impressions of the floral pattern on the comforter she bought recently. "What time is it Ash?" She asks stretching her arms and curling her toes.

  "7:37 A.M. We gotta' get going, got a thousand things to do today." I remind her as I stand stretching myself.

  "What time does the show start tonight?" She asks with a soft voice not quite awake.

  Scanning through my thoughts, I sort through the list of things in today's agenda. "I'm pretty sure it starts at 7:30 P.M. I guess they're doing an interview with me. They need me there at 3:30 P.M. so they can put some sort of bio together for my work."

  Angela stares at me and in this moment I feel truly lost as I lay back on the bed she leans over and kisses me, so I kiss her right back ignoring the morning breath. "I'm so proud of you, I can't believe the entire gallery sold before opening night. Everything will change now, we don't have to worry about anything!" She says staring into my eyes.

  Suddenly a realization sets in and I instantly feel some
thing different, something new as I become aware of the fact that I didn't have a nightmare last night and for me that is a rare occasion. "I didn't have a nightmare Angela." The worlds slip out of my mouth carefully as if not to spoil a surprise.

  "Really?" She says taken back a bit. "You've got to be kidding?" Her beautiful green eyes stare back at me as her skin has a light olive tone to it, an exotic beauty. We've been married for three years, having been together a total of six. Every night since I can remember I've had a nightmare, vivid on a level I've never fully disclosed. "This is amazing Ash! I knew there was something special about today."

  If only we both knew, if only I could have grasped what the future held for me that day, maybe it could have been different. If only I would have done all I could to keep us in our bedroom, in our beautiful home on 4983 Utopia Drive, safe from the fingertips of destiny. Anxiety creeps down my spine for something is very weird about today, I can sense it. "I can't remember not having a nightmare babe, I mean not ever. Why do they suddenly stop today?"

  Angela waves her hand in front of my face as I stare off into space. "Hey don't read into things so much, loosen up already. Stop living under the control of these nightmares! You just have a vivid imagination, that's all."

  My wife throws off the covers and heads for our bathroom to turn the shower on. Wearing a small gown, black lace, she knows it's my favorite but always plays it off to coincidence. Pulling her hair back it gently lies upon her shoulders, with a dark shimmer for I've always had a thing for brunettes. Sometimes, I often wish she could see my view of her, a timeless beauty with a cute small frame. Angela is a year younger than me and I use that often to one up her in good fun. "I think I'm just gonna' lay here a sec and rest my eyes babe." I call out to her as I lay down again.

  "Ashton Seth Mortal! Get your ass out of bed, the shower's going!" She scolds. "Get moving!"

  Sitting back up I reach into the pewter nightstand next to my bed to get a cigarette from the stash spot I'm pretty sure she doesn't know about. Pulling a cigarette from the hidden pack I yell back to Angela over the sound of the running water. "I'll be there in a sec babe, I promise."

  "Hurry up baby, I'm lonely." She calls back to me having already got in the shower.

  Lighting my cigarette, I use these solitary times to reflect on life in general. Today is quite different though as I inhale deeply, for my dreams are my concern at the moment and something feels terribly wrong. With every convenience at my fingertips, I exhale slowly wondering why this feeling consumes me. Sitting in our room, I notice it has become very different from the rest of the house. Angela is usually very meticulous with the house, but our room is a completely different story. Clothes pile high in what was once the right corner of our room, a typical woman with nothing to wear.

  My thoughts run wild as I decide to catch the morning news for a bit. "News and mail Omega, two screens."

  "Yes Mr. Mortal." Omega responds.

  Two screens free flowing appear, one showing the daily news and current events, the other with my mail. Everything today is voice activated, the modern computer is not what it once was. Most homes are hardwired with a central processor unit that turns your entire home into your desktop. Any amount of knowledge, entertainment and life in general is but a voice command away. Today as always the tone of the news is the same, save one particular event I've been waiting for.

  "In today's world news, plans for the mission to our sister planet Mars, enter the final phase as the three astronauts make last minute launch preparations. They are still two months away from launch. Their primary function, to evaluate the state of the red planet and search for signs of present or past life on the Martian surface." The anchorman says in a monotone voice. "There has been talk of terra forming the red planet for use with future generations. Sadly most of the top NASA officials, and the United States government believe that is still in the realm of science fiction."

  "In other news, China's population has soared to a record 1.9 billion, with fear of famine widespread among the masses. The governing bodies of China have asked for aid from the United States and other major allied nations. There is talk of a declared state of emergency within China's borders, but no official word. The President of the United States is all set to meet with ambassadors of China later this week to discuss further preventative action. It is estimated that in China, there are over one hundred million suffering, locked in the grip of famine." The anchorman reads from the monitor as if it's already yesterday's news. Like it's normal to read the last will and testament on this early morning for millions of people.

  "Bullshit! This is ridiculous!" I say irritated by the broadcast. Extending my hand and pushing the screen in front of me to the side, I shift my focus. Pulling the second screen toward me, my eyes struggle to make out the small text in my mail. "Magnify thirty percent Omega, text only."

  Smoke from my nearly finished cigarette weaves through the holographic image interfering with its display. "Wall display please Omega." I say with a polite tone as if it matters. The walls of our home have tiny silicon screens layered into them. This allows the Omega System to transfer holographic data to basically any surface in my home for a larger display. Sitting up in bed I scan through my Emails and realize it's starting to seriously get out of hand. I suppose I have an issue with letting go, my Emails topping out at 3,756 unread at this point.

  Most are mindless attempts at getting me to buy something I just don't need, something to help fill the inner consumer void I share with so many. Scanning through the Emails briefly, I hear my wife singing above the running water and the stupid anchorman running off at the mouth on the holographic screen now moved to my side. "Show emails from contacts only Omega."

  The Omega System is definitely a great device most of the time, bringing up only emails from my friends and family and separating them by date and alphabetically. Sifting through them I come across a message from my father. My father is a physicist and absolutely absorbed by his work, but a great parent and even better teacher. Another message from my mother, believing my father has become overly obsessed; I wonder how it's taken her so long to figure that out. My father, Daniel Ashton Mortal, has always belonged to the stars, the very depths of the universe.

  He is aggressive in his beliefs, daunting in his intelligence, yet compassionate and good willed. I've always enjoyed our conversations of the physics of this universe, although I'm not so sure my mother shares our enthusiasm. She seems more preoccupied with solving the riddles of the human psyche in opposition of the universe. Reading on, there are messages from potential buyers, my partner and friends. I am a fine artist, a custom designer, the main bulk of my work is my paintings at least that's what I'm known for. Sometimes I do freelance designing when independently contracted and special order products.

  Message after message is read as I finally come to the last one and just stare at the screen at an urgent message from my best friend from high school, Tyler Morgan. I realize right then it's been about five years since we've spoken. I stare at the message heading that flashes red, in all caps, "Ash you need to see this, it's urgent," I read, weary of what this might mean. "Omega, open Tyler Morgan's message, large display."

  A video message begins to play on the wall in front of me. The lighting is extremely poor; the screen seems to be shifting a bit, like its tripod was secured on a boat. I can see multiple figures as one comes into the light, my friend from long ago. Behind him there seems to be a large structure, almost like a pyramid but I can't make it out for sure. Subtle ocean sounds in the background, the sound of waves breaking cast an eerie presence as Tyler begins to speak. "Ash, I know this must seem strange and pretty random but believe me, you don't know the half of it. I've been on a secret project funded by the government for the last six weeks."

  From what I've heard about his work, Tyler's become a leading archeologist, specializing in ancient language and code deciphering. Primarily I thought he had been stationed in Egypt and other spots in the Mid
dle East. "Something happened yesterday Ash, something I just can't explain and I know it has to do with you, somehow. I must be brief, I don't know how much time I have; this has become a very frightening situation. God willing, you will receive a package sometime today from me, inside I've enclosed everything you'll need to know. This is all I can say for now and know that whatever this may lead to, I got your back, I'm with you no matter what." Tyler signs off with tears in his eyes.

  Reminiscing of our friendship from years ago, I recall many good times with Tyler. He was the first person other than my parents, I told about my nightmares. So many years ago he had suggested art as a way to understand what these dreams meant, trying to get me to face the nightmare head on. He always believed in some grand purpose, something magical about these nightmares that haunted me so. I would indulge Tyler's theories simply because he was my friend, he is my friend. Checking the details of the message I find that it was sent only a few hours ago.