《The Summon》Christmas Special
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Jonathan sat before a window. It was cold, snow could be seen everywhere. He estimated at least 30 centimetres or around one foot for those that still followed a hopelessly outdated measuring system of snow lying around outside. He sighed and leaned back. He had prepared the last few weeks for that, and his smartphone, which right now he could only use sparingly, said that it was Chrismas today. He began the spell. Soon glitter could be seen in the air around him, forming into an old man with a red suit. Outside of the school building, a sled and reindeers were forming. The old man laughed in a strange way, sat down in the sled and began to move through the world. Elise came along the corridor and asked: "I felt you using magic. Why? And what did you do, that was not an insubstantial amount of mana you used there?" Jonathan laughed and answered: "Oh, I only invoked something from my world, do not worry, it is not dangerous:" Elise loudly wondered: "But your world has no magic, so what could you invoke through magic?" Jonathan did not answer that question. When Elise went back to her room, there was a box, with a red wrap around it. On it written were the words: "You did good this year. Santa Claus".
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Bone And Amber: The Inside Story On The Return Of The Dinosaurs
A miracle has been achieved: non-avian, Mesozoic dinosaurs have been brought back to life - not by a technical university or a government programme, but by a venture capitalist concern, for reasons of profit. The social, economic, and political ripples of this development will do much more than enable the simple launch of a theme park for the rich: they will change the world. FAQ: Do I need to know anything about the Jurassic Park franchise to enjoy this? No. This story is not exactly a Jurassic Park fanfic - it is a story about the de-extinction of Mesozoic dinosaurs. While the story begins with some of the events depicted in the Jurassic Park universe, it is very much its own creature, and designed for readers with no prior knowledge of the franchise. It will begin to diverge quite quickly, as well: the dramatic focus will not be on people running around tropical islands trying to be eaten. The whole point of the exercise is to explore the profound consequences and ripples an event like the mass-cloning of extinct animals would generate.Do I need to know anything about dinosaurs to enjoy this? Also no! Sensing a theme yet? Although, if I’ve done my homework correctly, a newbie to the subject will be able to pick up something - not just about the animals themselves, but about their role as a vehicle to better understand the history of life on Earth, and the application of the scientific method to a sadly fragmentary puzzle.Without further ado, please enjoy!
8 76The Fallen
Wishing to back out of her suicide attempt only after she hit the ground, the fallen human finds that she is unable to move. When a voice offers to save her for a price, she is too terrified of the darkness to do anything but accept. At first the voice seems helpful, promising to guide her out of the Underground so that she can see the sun again. But as time goes on and her control over her own body begins to slip away, she is forced to face the horrible truth of what she has allowed herself to become. Now she seeks the answer to but one question: can a soulless person save the timeline from shattering?
8 90Contact First
2039 - Earth A narrow beam energy signal appeared aimed squarely at earth from the TRAPPIST system. The communication consisted of a layered set of repeating data over several thousand wavelengths. Over the next few months scientists discovered that the lower wavelengths carried an encoded numerical language which could then be used to interpret the more complicated messages carried on the higher wavelengths. After half a year of painstaking work the signal was fully decoded. It described a small satellite launched along a precise trajectory towards the fourth planet of our solar system. Included was a package of advanced research that humanity would need to have ready in order to receive the satellite and decelerate it safely. The alien data provided the kick that humanity needed to turn from petty squabbling and unite to explore the final frontier. Major government and corporate leaders worked together to create the framework for the United Federation of Sol. UFS spaceports went from scaffolding to daily launches in every major city around the globe. Ships floated like dandelion seeds, spreading on solar wind to grow into colonies. 2397 - Mars orbit, Egeria Station The command center was a hive of activity as checks were conducted and systems initialized. Scientists flitted by like mayflies as communicators beeped and holoscreens spat out green tinted readouts. Nervous energy was thick in the air as everyone anticipated the culmination of over three hundred years of work. Massive fusion reactors under the planet's surface thrummed with barely restrained power as energy fed into a gleaming metallic maze criss crossing the planet. Metal fingers reached up, overshadowing the mighty olympus mons and trying to grab the stars. All over the solar system, people quickly turned to look as gigantic energy lances shot from the dusty fourth planet. Two years later. The same people that clapped loudly at the successful activation of project Hermes now wait with baited breath. A silver capsule trailing bright photonic sails is captured by a net of grav beams and guided with care bordering on reverence into the station. Holoscreens across the headquarters project an image of the sleek craft settling in the bay. Data connections are established and the holoscreens blink to white. Slowly an image forms on the screen. Across the headquarters people stare in wonder as a wholly alien face stares back. "Contact established. Welcome to the universe."
8 155A Story less Told (The legend of Adrian Michael Greggarious, book 1)
In an age of gods and dragons, where man is merely a pawn of the deities, a drifter of mysterious origin searches for where he belongs. A humble blacksmith with an unnatural mastery of the blade, begins a quest to unravel the mystery of what he is, who he will become, and his part in an ancient prophesy. Hero or villain, Adrian Michael Greggarious of Gnor (commonly known as Greg) embarks on a path few dare to travel, with the balance of power in the ancient world resting on the tip of his sword. A world of magic, dragons, and dark forces stands in his way, as heroes far and wide unite under the banner of change, as Greg follows his own path of revenge. Along the way, he meets friend and foe, a fearless Dwarf with his honor to prove, a young girl with strange abilities, and a suit of armor that just wants to live free. He faces mythical challenges to learn what he is truly made of, and that destiny is what you make if it, what you forge for yourself, not what the prophets tell you to be. Join the tale, a story less told and lost to time, for vengeance, power, glory and the answer to one question: Can you really slay a god, or are we all just slaves to their will?
8 149Dead Emotion
After the rises of mysterious towers all over the world, the rises of hunters came to existence to raid the towers. With the power of aretisites, hunters can wield special abilities. A young man name Lyden enter a tower without an aretisite to protect him. He only had one to chance to become a hunter, but the unexpected happens. In the tower, he turned into a powerful monster when he obtains a strange aretisite. Now with his new body, will he be hunted by the hunters and killed or will he become a being that would fight against the human race?
8 61Activation
Will was a normal guy in his mid twenties, living in small town America. He was relatively aimless. Then he got struck by lightning. Waking up reminded him why falling asleep in strange places had stopped being a pleasant adventure for the next day, years before. Then, the crazy started. Life would never be the same, but he wasn't aimless anymore. Plus, you know, super powers are cool. Warning: There will be swearing and casual conversation about subjects that might have some people clutching their pearls. There will be dirty jokes. There will not be graphic depictions of sexual activity, or harem shenanigans, as I'm making my mother read this. That would be very uncomfortable.
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