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Transcript of 9 chapter preview of Star Chosen
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Star Chosen cover preview
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A nine-chapter preview of
Star Chosen
a science fiction novel written and published by
Joe Chiappetta
2209 Northgate Avenue
North Riverside, IL 60!6, "#A$0%&'69&2099
(rinted boo)s of the full&length novel can be ordered
through the #tar *hosen website su++er 200 at-
www.joechiappetta.blogspot.com
.eel free to voice your opinion about #tar *hosen at
the above website as well/
#tar *hosen c1 200 by oe *hiappetta
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Chapter 4: A Fiery Circle for the
Nullifier
In the su++er, a covert operation too) place that
brought staggering conse3uences on not 4ust the
citi5ens of *hicago, but also upon the entire )nown
universe/ A s+all, unassu+ing spacecraft landed inthe +iddle of a cornfield in Illinois/ nown for its
genetically&altered cara+el corn crops, downstate
Illinois was one of the sweetest regions on the
planet/ 7he young +ilitary father fro+ *hicago, plus
two other +ilitary officers, one fe+ale and another
+ale, ca+e out of the craft and stepped into the
sugary aro+a of fresh cara+el cornfields/ 7he
fe+ale officer carried a pyra+id&shaped device
about the si5e of a large pu+p)in/
8ou )now, the original idea for this device ca+e
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to +e in +y sleep,8 said the wo+an/ 8It:s true/ In +y
first wee) as a cadet, when I was deployed at upiter
#tation, I fell asleep at +y post/ ;y co++anding
officer caught +e and wo)e +e up/ I told hi+ the
sa+e thing< :#o+e of +y best ideas co+e to +e
while I:+ sleeping/: =ut that didn:t see+ to i+press
hi+/ In fact, he +ade +e do laps around the space
station wearing gravity boots set on high/ 7hat:s
what they call heavy duty/ Anyway, where do you
want +e to put down the Nullifier>8
7he young father pulled out a gun, ad4usted the
settings, and fired it in a spiral pattern on the
ground/ 7his only a+plified the honey&li)e scent in
the air/ ?ense corn stal)s in that area incinerated to
for+ a fiery circle, leaving a s+all open area of
s+oldering dirt/ 8(ut the Nullifier right there,8
replied the shooter, pointing to the center/ Away
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fro+ his fa+ily, he was a soft spo)en, yet blunt and
inti+idating sort of fellow- the )ind of +an that
anyone would want on their side in a fight/
7he three officers entered the circle and the
wo+an placed the pyra+id device on the ground at
the center of the circle/ A case of nerves suddenly
+ade it i+possible for the fe+ale officer to contain
her fears any longer/ 8Let +e go on the record here,8
she e@clai+ed in a louder&than&needed voice, 8and
state that even though I designed this device, I still
a+ not convinced that using it is the best course of
action/ I cannot stress enough how dangerous it can
be if this thing +alfunctions/ It:s so powerful that we
can:t even test it/ I had to use unstable particles to
+a)e the Nullifier wor), and naturally, these
particles brea) down 3uic)ly/ =ecause of this
instability, we now either have to use it or lose it/8
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7he older and senior +ale officer responded
without hesitation, 8.irst of all, you )now that none
of this can ever be :on the record/: owever, your
reservations are noted/ ;y apologies to you in
advance if this ends up destroying the universe, and
us along with it/ =ut I have co+plete confidence in
your ability to deliver/ I always have/8
8=eside that,8 continued the tall +an, 8this is war/
7he ene+y doesn:t even thin) twice when they
launch their attac)s on us/ 7hey don:t doubt whether
or not they should launch their physical or +ental
weapons against us< they 4ust do it/ Now it:s our turn
to attac)/ Activate the Nullifier, darling, now/8
7he young wo+an opened an access panel in the
little pyra+id device, typed a few co++ands, and
said, 8Nullifier progra+ countdown begin- @ +inus
three, @ +inus two, @ +inus one, launch Nullifier/8
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7he far+land:s dar) of night transfor+ed into a
s)y saturated with tiny spar)les that e+anated
outward fro+ the strange device/ If not for the
destructive nature of the Nullifier, the sweet
s+elling and spar)ling at+osphere would al+ost be
considered as attractive/
8ahB8 the senior officer e@clai+ed as he put his
hand on the wo+an:s shoulder/ 8I:+ so proud of you/
*ontact with the genetically&altered corn is
accelerating the e@panding force of the Nullifier
even faster than your co+puter +odels predicted/ At
this rate, the +o+entu+ will be unstoppable long
before the spar)les even reach the Indiana border/8
7he younger +ale as)ed, 8Are you sure we don:t
need to ta)e cover, or at least close our eyes> ;y
wife would never forgive +e if I ca+e ho+e dead/8
87a)ing cover won:t change anything,8 the wo+an
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replied/ 8I told you that already in the final briefing/
7he Nullifier will either wor) e@actly as planned
with no casualties, or things could get ugly in a
+atter of +inutes/ If the Nullifier doesn:t wor),
well/// the released co+ponents will destabili5e and
+ultiply in a deadly, uncontrollable fashion/ 7he
universe will +ost li)ely dissolve 3uic)ly, li)e salt
in water/ A hel+et or a bun)er won:t protect anyone
fro+ universal destabili5ation/8
As the spar)les e@panded everywhere, and see+ed
to pass har+lessly through the officers, the young
+an said, 8I:+ closing +y eyes anyway, 4ust in case/
7ap +e when it:s over/8
Chapter 5: Wipeout Like Never Before
7har3uinn 7hane, an aspiring teenage scientist, sat
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typing by the window of his +other:s high&rise
condo/ e was an average loo)ing youth of +ediu+
height with big, wavy hair, 8but not too wavy,8 his
+other would add/
7he wall ad4acent to the 7hane:s )itchen had a
nu+ber of 7har3uinn:s school science awards and
also a hologra+ displaying pro+otional i+ages
fro+ so+e of his +ost widely distributed theories
and hypotheses/ is 8Cirtual Reality without a
angover8 poster holographically faded into 8Db4ect
Dpacity 7echnology for Living Drganis+s,8 then
8;agnetic I+plants for Life,8 and so on, in a
continuous loop of self&pro+otional scientific wall
decoration/
7he condo unit, currently overloo)ing the *hicago
River, was set at 8shuffle/8 7his +ade the whole
living unit physically rotate, albeit slowly, upwards
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and then downwards, along with a trail of other
condo units/ #uch buildings loo)ed so+ewhat li)e
s3uare .erris wheels/ .or those who could afford
this living lu@ury, it was pro+oted as a roo+ with an
ever&changing view, ideal for creative types, the
adventurous, and those with attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder/ *o+bined with ob4ect
opacity technology DD 7ech1, which 7har3uinn
always set at transparent for his outer walls, this
+ade for a spectacular living e@perience/
87har3uinn, dinner is al+ost ready,8 his +other
ane called to hi+ fro+ the hallway/ 8Are you
slouching again> 7hat:s bad for your bac), you
)now/ Anyway, this afternoon I +et so+e of those
:Advocate: fol)s/ I accidentally dropped +y '?
ca+era down a sewer, and while I was all in a
flutter, a fa+ily ca+e up to +e/ 7he +an, who was
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rather tall, said, :I:+ #ha+us/ 7his is +y wife #arah
and our daughter Reyna/ ou go on and en4oy so+e
girl tal) while I go and fish out that gi5+o for you,
young lady/ I don:t believe in luc), but if I did, I
would tell you that you are very luc)y because I a+
a fisher+an of sorts/:8
ane suspected that her son wasn:t listening, so she
spo)e louder< 8*an you believe that, 7har3uinn>
7he fisher+an called +e :young lady/: Isn:t that
nice> #o, #ha+us pops open an old sewer grid and
4u+ps in/ e reaches around in the +uc), bare
hands +ind you, and finds +y ca+era/ Now all the
while his wife and daughter are tal)ing to +e about
so+e sort of boo) club or so+ething/ 7hey weren:t
even watching #ha+us splashing around in the
underbelly of *hicago/ 7heir focus was on +e/ 7hey
were trying to invite +e to attend their boo) club/
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7he daughter, Reyna, was very cute/ I thin) you:d
li)e her- 4ust your type, with long brown hair and
thic) eyebrows/ Ne@t ter+, she:ll be enrolling in the
science acade+y/ ou +ay even have a class
together/8
As 7har3uinn:s +other poured her son so+e soy
+il), she continued tal)ing, 8Anyway, Reyna gave
+e an invitation to that boo) club/ It:s a handwritten
note on a leaf/ *an you believe it, a leaf> I )ind of
felt sorry for the+/ 7hey can:t even afford electronic
paper/ 7he girl does have nice handwriting, though/
(en+anship&&now that:s a lost art/8
8;oreover, the funny thing about this boo) club is
that, apparently, they only tal) about one boo)-
so+ething called the .%th.ile/ 7he wife even
bea+ed +e a copy over to +y wrist co+puter and
said that I had to read it and then study it with her
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for so+e sort of life&changing e@perience/ 7hose
people were so nice, honey/ A little odd, but +aybe I
should read their boo) so+eti+e/ 7har3uinn, are
you even listening> Anyway, dinner is ready/8
8D)ay, ;o+, I:ll be right there,8 said 7har3uinn,
8but 4ust give +e one +ore +inute/ As soon as I
finish this closing sentence, +y latest hypothesis
will be totally finished/8
8ou didn:t even hear +y story,8 replied ane with
a whine, 8but I:ll cut you so+e slac) because it:s not
every day that +y son finishes his ne@t great
+asterpiece/ It:s about ti+e/ ou:ve been wor)ing on
that thing for, what, the whole year>8
ust as 7har3uinn finished saying 8not 3uite,8 an
une@pected wave of spar)les crac)led its way
through the entire building/ 7he air outdoors was
infiltrated with spar)les as well/ In every direction,
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the world loo)ed to be suddenly decorated with
wireless holiday lights/ 7he spar)les lingered for a
few +o+ents and then +oved onward, e@panding
out with ever&increasing radius fro+ their hu+ble
beginnings at the fiery circle in central Illinois/
8Ehat was that> ?id you see that>8 whispered
ane/ 8It:s outside too/ Eait/ Ehy a+ I whispering>8
8=ecause this is frea)y,8 +u+bled 7har3uinn/ 8It
was/// everywhere, but now the sea of spar)les
see+s to have passed through us and left us behind,
li)e a giant wave of +igrating fireflies/8
8ey,8 ane added, 8your hologra+ stopped
wor)ing/ And where:s the hypothesis you were
finishing on screen>8
7har3uinn:s eyes glared at his co+puter +onitor
with e@tre+e concern/ e tapped away at his
)eyboard, but with undesirable results/ 8It:s gone>
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NoB 7hat can:t be/ *o+puter, retrieve +ost recent
hypothesis file/ *o+puter, ac)nowledge/
*o+puter>8
7he co+puter gave no response at first, but then
+ade a +ost dreadful sound/ 7he generic factory
default start&up 4ingle played, followed by the
fa+iliar default introduction- 8ello, I:+ your new
co+puter/ Five +e a na+e, followed by a few
co++ands of your choice and let ;ycro;a), the
universal leader in software, do the rest because we
do data best/8
7har3uinn hadn:t na+ed his co+puter when he
first got it, and he certainly wasn:t about to na+e it
now/ *onsistent with the surveys, the +a4ority of
+ales tended not to na+e their co+puters, while
+ost wo+en tended to na+e their co+puters/
7har3uinn frantically typed away at the )eys to do
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a +anual search on his unna+ed co+puter, this ti+e
loo)ing for any scientific files, ne@t for any
narrative files/ 8No/ 7his can:t be happening/ 7his
doesn:t happen any+oreB ;o+, everything I:ve ever
written since/// well, since I was a little )id, and
every boo) I:ve ever collected, they:re all goneB Dur
whole library, and +y life:s wor)/// it:s all gone/
*o+puter, open hypothesis file :Cirtual ;agnetic
#)ates/:8
8I:+ sorry,8 said the co+puter cal+ly, 8but that
file does not e@ist/ ou can create it if you:d li)e/
=ut as your new co+puter, don:t you want to give
+e a na+e first> ;ycro;a) co+puters are fully
custo+i5able for all your///8
8No/ NoB *o+puter, your na+e is 4ust
:*o+puterB:8 shouted 7har3uinn/ 8Now search
bac)ups and sub&bac)ups/ #earch re+ote locations
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as well/ #earch other co+puters and the Internet/
?isplay all narrative files, boo) files, and any other
te@t files written by 7har3uinn 7hane/8
8No 7har3uinn 7hane narrative files, boo) files,
or any other te@t files are found,8 said the co+puter/
7har3uinn:s +ind was racing/ 8ow could this
be>8 he thought/ 8Ehy would anyone wipe out only
+y wor) and +y collection, and how is that even
possible>8
is +other responded, 8;aybe it wasn:t 4ust your
wor)/ ;aybe everybody:s wor) was wiped out by
those little spar)le things/8
7har3uinn followed up with another co++and-
8*o+puter, search for any narrative files written by
anyone, anywhere in any +edia, on any hardware/8
7he co+puter replied, after a few +o+ents of
bleeping- 8I:+ sorry- none found/8
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7har3uinn slu+ped deeper in his chair during
dinner while ane pondered aloud, 8*an you have a
boo) club without any boo)s> I guess I won:t be
reading that .%th.ile after all/8 As ane said this,
she tossed the handwritten invitation to the
Advocates: boo) club toward the recycling bin/
owever, she +issed the bin and the leaf landed on
7har3uinn:s foot/
7har3uinn pic)ed up the invitation and said, 8I
thin) I:+ going to chec) out this boo) club, ;o+/ If
a whole group is devoted to one boo), +aybe they:ll
figure out a way to restore their lost data, and then
+ine/8
8=esides,8 thought 7har3uinn, 8in the co+pany of
a very cute girl who is 4ust +y type, what have I got
to lose>8
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Chapter 6: Goodbye Silly addy
7he younger of the two +ale +ilitary officers fro+
the fiery circle arrived ho+e 4ust before sunrise/
Assu+ing that his wife and toddler&age daughter
were still sleeping, the officer sat 3uietly in the
)itchen, trying not to wa)e anyone/ #taring blan)ly
at the glass of grape 4uice he had 4ust poured
hi+self, the +an clenched one fist with restrained
anger, and clutched the glass tensely with his other
hand/
8Eelco+e ho+e, honey,8 said his wife as she
4oined hi+ in the )itchen/ 8Ehat:s wrong>8 she
added/ 8I:ve never seen you so upsetB8
?ragging a pin) stuffed ani+al in one hand, their
little daughter Angie also entered the roo+/ #he had
a super&cute baby face, with chubby chee)s that
were usually irresistible to her daddy/ e al+ost
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always greeted her with a )iss and a s3uee5e on the
chee), saying 87hat:s +y sweet babyB8 owever, no
such greetings were given out on this occasion/
8I:ll be fine, Gdenisia/ ?on:t worry about it,8 the
husband replied to his wife, trying not to appear
upset/ 8I:+ surprised you:re both up at this hour/8
8Eith all the activity, we couldn:t help it,8 replied
Gdenisia/ 8ou should have seen this place earlier/
7he +ost bi5arre ar+y of little spar)les spread
throughout our entire ho+e, and apparently all over
the universeB Dn the news they:re saying it:s so+e
sort of deliberate attac) and that historical records,
literature, and +ost culture has been irrevocably
wiped out/ Ehat )ind of sic) people would do such
a thing> ow could they even live with
the+selves>8
At that, the +an:s grip on the glass tightened
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uncontrollably, and the glass bro)e into hundreds of
tiny pieces, spraying the dar) 4uice all over the
roo+/ 7he cup was s+art&glass though/ #o the
frag+ents 3uic)ly began to draw bac) together and
reshape itself into its original cup for+/
7he 4uice, however, was another +atter/ It
splashed all over the stuffed ani+al, and sent their
daughter into a loud bout of over&tired crying/
8ou wrec)ed +y Hoo Hoo dollB8 Angie
e@clai+ed in dra+atic anguish/
Ehile pic)ing up Angie to console her, Gdenisia
ca+e to a stunning conclusion as she watched her
husband:s odd behavior/ In a flash of intuition, she
declared to hi+, 8ou had so+ething to do with the
attac), didn:t you>8
7he absence of a 3uic) reply fro+ her husband
confir+ed it for Gdenisia/ 8ou didB Ehat were you
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thin)ing> I don:t thin) I even )now youB Ehat )ind
of +ad+an are you>8
#he didn:t wait for an answer/ Instead Gdenisia
handed the baby to her husband and said, 8old
your daughter while I find so+ething to clean up
this +ess/8
In an atte+pt to get his daughter to stop crying,
the +an said to his child, 8Eatch this< Hoo Hoo doll
)nows I:+ thirsty/8
7he +an proceeded to ta)e the soa)ed stuffed
ani+al and hold it above his head/ 7hen he s3uee5ed
it, opened his +outh and a strea+ of 4uice poured
into his +outh and all over his face/
"tterly surprised, Angie paused for a +o+ent and
started laughing/ 8#illy ?addyB8 said Angie as she
gave hi+ a big hug/ 8ou:re +y silly ?addy/8
7his high point of conversation ca+e to an abrupt
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end after they put their toddler bac) to bed/ Gdenisia
de+anded answers fro+ her husband, 8I )now
you:re stressed out/ I )now you:ve been up all night,
and I )now the +ilitary e@pects you to )eep your
+outh shut, especially in war ti+e/ =ut honey, I
need to )now the truth, and I need it now< what
e@actly has you:re involve+ent been with these
destructive spar)les> And why would you want to
destroy all of society>8
8ou )now I can:t discuss +y wor),8 the +an
stated fir+ly, but with a heavy heart/ 8;y hands are
tied/8
8I was afraid you:d say that,8 replied his wife/
Gdenisia really did loo) afraid&&afraid of what she
felt she had to do/ Later that +orning, while her
husband was in the shower, Gdenisia pac)ed up
so+e bare essentials, too) Angie, and left/ is wife
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and daughter:s face would fade fro+ the fa+ily
+an:s +e+ory as an endless flow of painful and
lonely years ca+e and went/ e wondered if he
would ever see the+ again/ is dear daughter:s last
words that day would never leave hi+< 8#illy
?addy/ ou:re +y silly ?addy/8
Chapter !: "he Wife Who Stole #er
#u$ba%d&$ Space$hip
?espite the fact that her own spacecraft was +ore
co+fortable and )id&friendly, Gdenisia too) off at
top speed in her husband:s personal spacecraft/ 7his
was very strategic/ Dver the years, her spouse andhis +ilitary buddies had +odified his ship off the
record for e@tra stealth/ 7he vehicle was co+pletely
untraceable/ It was this ship that Gdenisia and Angie
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+ade their secret and sad e@it within/
8Ehere are we going, ;o++y>8 as)ed Angie as
the ship left Garth:s airspace/
8I don:t )now,8 replied her +other/ 8I:ll tell you
when we get there/8
8;o++y, where:s +y Hoo Hoo doll>8 as)ed
Angie/
Gdenisia loo)ed around 3uic)ly and then huffed in
reali5ation as she said, 8I forgot it, Angie/ I:+ sorry/8
In between bouts of crying, Angie whi+pered
repeatedly, 8I want +y Hoo Hoo doll/ Fo get it/8
8Ee can:t go bac)/ I:ll get you a new doll,8 said
her +other/ 8=ut we can never go bac)/8
Angie as)ed in confusion, 8Ehat about ?addy,
;o+> 7his is ?addy:s ship/ e never lets you drive
it/ Let:s get ?addy/8
8Ee can:t do that,8 replied Gdenisia/
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8Ehy not, ;o++y>8 as)ed Angie as she stopped
crying/
87his is ;o++y:s ship now,8 replied Gdenisia,
so+ewhat distracted/ 8Now Angie, I really need you
to )eep 3uiet for a little while/ ;o++y needs to
figure out e@actly where we:re going, and to do that,
I can:t be tal)ing/8
.ro+ the blac)ness of space, Angie as)ed in
surprise, 8ou don:t )now where we:re going> Are
we lost>8
8If you )eep 3uiet,8 replied her +other, trying to
stay patient, 8then we won:t be lost/8
8D)ay, ;o++y,8 replied Angie/ 8Loo) at +e
now/ I:+ being 3uietB8 7hen Angie added, 8=ut if we
do get lost, I:+ sure ?addy will find us/8
8No he won:tB8 thought Gdenisia with silent
deter+ination/ 8As long as I can help it, that +an
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will never find us again/8
Chapter ': La$t ay$ of the Faith War
7hose old enough to re+e+ber have a saying< 8the
.aith Ear started in secrecy, e@panded with a
spar)le, and ended with a bang/8 7his short but
unconventional war was nearing its ghastly end/ In
every +a4or city around the universe, all the
registered non&religious citi5ens received free
pac)ages in the +ail on the sa+e day/ About the si5e
of bowling balls, these unassu+ing pac)ages ca+e
with si+ple instructions///
8(ut the enclosed gas +as) on i++ediately/ 7his
is not a drill/ ?o not re+ove gas +as) until the all&
clear signal is given/ If you have received this
pac)age, then your city is on the target list/ 7hough
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it is not advisable to re+ove your +as), if you do
re+ove your +as) in order to eat or drin) during
this period, watch for the co+ing of a red gas and
put on your +as) without delay/ =oing&Hoing
*orporation:s +as)&+anufacturing division shall not
be held responsible for any deaths or side effects
resulting fro+ +isuse of its products/8
It was within this chaos that two +en fro+ very
different religions stood atop the world fa+ous
7elepho+ic 7ower in *hicago/ 7hey had +anaged
to escape the gas attac) by retreating too high for the
ground&deployed poison vapors to reach the+/
owever, a +ilitary hovercraft spotted the+ and
swooped over to entrap the+/ Against their will,
these two +en were now bac)ed up to the edge of
the roof of the 7elepho+ic 7ower/
7he wind at this height was relentless, and it was a
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long way down/ ?ue to an oppressive ca+paign
against all religions, the two +en were un)nowingly
the only re+aining religious leaders left alive in the
)nown universe/
#ha+us Radd, that sa+e +an who fished out the
'? ca+era fro+ the sewer before the spar)le attac),
was one of these +en/ e was a tall and respectable
loo)ing fellow with short hair, e@cept for the top of
his head, which had a long section of wavy loc)s in
the front/ 7he other +an was his religious rival,
=aala- short, s)inny, and serious loo)ing/ =efore this
+o+ent, the pair would agree with deep conviction
that they had nothing at all in co++on/ et with
their heels both at the edge of a building once the
tallest in the world, the two +en suddenly had too
+uch in co++on/
Eith waning confidence, #ha+us wished he had
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stayed with the rest of his people, )nown at the ti+e
as the 8Advocates/8 ;inus #ha+us, the Advocates
were hiding out in the deep, secret tunnels of the
outlying forest preserve, far beyond *hicago city
li+its/ #ha+us: friend *huc) Heller had gone to
great lengths to construct those unregistered tunnels,
and right now, they see+ed to be the only thing
protecting his people fro+ e@tinction/
Eith so+e regret, #ha+us recalled what *huc)
Heller warned hi+ of the last ti+e they spo)e in the
forest/ ust before #ha+us left for *hicago, *huc)
cautioned, 8I built these tunnels so that our people
could live together in ti+es of trouble/ #urely, below
a s)y filled with hostile warships, this is one of
those ti+es/ All our other leaders have been )illed/
ou are the only one left/ Ehy give your life away
when you )now you can save it>8
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8#alvation is fro+ the Advocate,8 replied #ha+us/
8ou )now that/ I believe that going out there to
represent the Advocate is his will/8
8I believe the first part of what you said,8 *huc)
stated, 8but that doesn:t +ean you have to wal) into
a trap/8
87i+es co+e,8 said #ha+us, 8when what a +an
believes to be right beco+es the +ost unpopular
course of action/ 7his too you )now/ Ehen you first
invested in building these tunnels, everyone thought
you were a fool/ Gven your new bride was against it
at the very beginning/ et loo) at all of us now,
surviving in what was once called :*huc) Heller:s
#illy *ellar/:8
8I )now/// and no one calls +e :#illy *ellar Heller:
any+ore/ 7hat very point is all the +ore reason to
trust +y instincts,8 replied *huc)/ 8I believe that if
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you go into *hicago now, you will be attac)ed and
our world will radically change/8
8I believe the sa+e thing,8 said #ha+us, 8but I
have faith that great things will co+e fro+ +y
stepping out there/8
Chapter (: Chica)o Sho*do*%
7hat conversation between dear friends only
deepened #ha+us: desire to enter the windy city/
Inevitably, he was lured to downtown *hicago by
the false hope of a +ilitary&offered peace treaty/ 7he
+ilitary generals clai+ed that this treaty could end
the war for good/ In reality, it was a cunning tactic
to draw the re+aining religious leaders out into the
open, force the+ to renounce their god or gods, and
integrate with the rest of society/ It was either that or
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death, as the religious leaders of the world,
including #ha+us, soon found out/
Dn the streets of *hicago, the electronic billboards
were synchroni5ed to announce, in unison, an
ulti+atu+/ Eith soft techno +usic pu+ping in the
bac)ground, the billboards declared, 8Attention,
people of faith, act now/ 7he cities of the world are
obligated to present you with two free choices-
Dption 1 ?eath by poison gas, or///
Dption 21 Renounce your religion i++ediately at
the nearest (ublic Dpinion ios), and you will
receive a co+pli+entary gas +as), courtesy of
=oing&Hoing *orporation, while supplies last/8
It was an eerie sight to see +ost people going
about their usual activities with gas +as)s on, while
an unwavering few wal)ed the streets in defiance,
breathing in the windy city air/ 7he registered non&
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religious were shopping, sociali5ing, and doing their
4obs fro+ behind the filtered screen of a gas +as)/
7he sidewal)s beca+e deserted when the red gas
was finally released< but right up until that point,
people went about their business/ #ha+us and
=aala, who )new of each other, but had never +et,
had the sa+e idea when they heard the
announce+ent- get to high ground and pray for
deliverance/ Dnly one of the+ would achieve both
goals that day atop the 7elepho+ic 7ower/
7he +ilitary hovercraft that faced these two
cornered +en wasn:t 4ust any hovercraft/ It carried
so+e of the top leaders in the +ilitary- Feneral ?on
=esto, his beautiful young daughterinventor,
Lieutenant ?arla =esto, and their chief pilot, )nown
only as Archilli/
8#tay in the hovercraft, ?arla,8 Feneral =esto
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ordered his bron5e&s)inned daughter/ 8"se facial
recognition to run off a list of )nown associates for
these +en, including recent converts/8 As ?arla
started pressing buttons, ?on =esto and Archilli
hopped down to the roof of the 7elepho+ic 7ower
and +enacingly approached their prey/ Archilli
cornered #ha+us, while ?on =esto cornered the
other religious leader, =aala/
?on =esto had to yell to be heard above the wind
at this height/ 8I:+ sure we gave both of your people
plenty of chances to renounce your various religious
practices and integrate with the general population/
et still you refuse/ ow has such defiance helped
you> Ehere is your god now>8
8ou will see,8 said =aala, 8and you will hear the
thunder of his wonderful voice/8
.ro+ his +any years trying to convert all sorts of
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+isguided people to the truth, #ha+us recogni5ed
=aala:s cryptic state+ent/ It was a diabolical threatB
Chapter +,: ealt a eadly #a%d
.ro+ the +ilitary +en:s distance, it loo)ed li)e
=aala had his hands above his head, clasped
together in so+e fanatical prayer/ =ut to #ha+us,
who was a little nearer to =aala, one of =aala:s
hands loo)ed unusually stiff/ =aala suddenly yan)ed
on this stiff hand, proving it to be a phony/
?etaching it 3uic)ly, =aala threw it toward ?on
=esto/
8Fet downB8 yelled #ha+us as he instinctively
dove into Archilli, )noc)ing hi+ to the ground as
=aala:s fa)e hand e@ploded in +idair/
7he blast sent one of the tower:s two giant
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antennae ripping down the side of the building and
then crashing to the ground below/ #ince the streets
beca+e +ostly deserted when the poison gas was
released, no one was around to have a large building
appendage fall on the+ fro+ on high/
Atop the 7elepho+ic 7ower was a different story/
Feneral ?on =esto was )illed instantly by the blast/
?arla leapt out of the hovercraft screa+ing and
shooting repeatedly at =aala until he lay +otionless/
#tanding over =aala:s s+oldering body, she then
turned her gun to #ha+us/ e was laying on the roof
ne@t to Archilli/ =oth +en were still stunned by the
e@plosion/
8And to thin) I:ve even read so+e of your
precious verses loo)ing for answers,8 ?arla =esto
said bitterly to #ha+us fro+ the barrel of her laser
pistol/ Li)e her father, ?arla taunted, 8Ehere are all
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your answers now>8
#ha+us didn:t +a)e a +ove, but cautioned ?arla
in his southern accent, 8oung wo+an, +ove away
fro+ that fanatic:s bodyB Eith his )ind, usually
where there:s one bo+b, there:s always a bac)&up
bo+b too/8
#ha+us only )new this because he and *huc)
Heller had recently helped to convert so+eone fro+
=aala:s fanatical group over to the way of the
Advocate/ 7he new convert had confessed this bac)&
up bo+b practice as #ha+us went through the
Advocate study series 8(ri+o (rinciples8 with hi+/
7he Advocates were big on confession/
As ?arla was three steps into heeding #ha+us:
warning, sure enough, another concealed bo+b went
off fro+ =aala:s body/ 7he blast brought ?arla to
her )nees, but not to pray/ It crippled her for life and
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left #ha+us and Archilli unconscious/
Chapter ++: "he -iddle
#ha+us regained consciousness first and stu+bled
over to ?arla/ e did his best to put what was left of
her legs in tourni3uets/ #cra+bling over to the
+ilitary hovercraft, #ha+us considered +a)ing his
escape with the hope of not being shot down by
other +ilitary vehicles/ 7hen he closed his eyes and
stood still for a +o+ent/ 8Re+e+ber your training,8
#ha+us said to hi+self, 8you are the light of the
world/8 .inding a sedative in the hovercraft:s glove
bo@, he rushed bac) to give it to ?arla, who was half
conscious/ As #ha+us was about to in4ect the pain
)iller, he heard a faint voice/
8Eait,8 said ?arla/ 8ust give +e half a dose for
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now/ I have so+ething to show you/8
#ha+us did so, and then ?arla, despite great pain,
pulled out a long, sharp instru+ent fro+ inside her
4ac)et/ At first #ha+us winced, thin)ing the sharp
instru+ent was so+e sort of weapon/ =ut it was 4ust
an old souvenir writing pen/ ?arla continued,
8I+pressive/// your actions were i+pressive today/
Read this/ ?o you recogni5e it>8 7o #ha+us:
a+a5e+ent, ?arla:s sha)ing hands showed hi+ what
could only be one of the lost scriptures of the
Advocate, rewritten in the for+ of a riddle on the
side of a plastic souvenir pen/
#ha+us began reading out loud< 8Ehose eyes are
a fla+e of fire, and on his head are +any crowns>
Eho has na+es written and a na+e written which
no one )nows but he hi+self>8 #ha+us read the rest
of it to hi+self 3uic)ly and silently, li)e a starving
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+an being finally fed/ Reading out loud too) too
+uch ti+e/ e consu+ed the words in his +ind with
great 4oy and a+a5e+ent/ 7hen #ha+us as)ed ?arla
in eagerness, 8Are you giving this to +e>8
8No, not yet,8 groaned ?arla, 8but ta)e the ti+e
right now to +e+ori5e what:s written on the side of
the pen/ ;y sources have reason to believe the
riddle is adapted fro+ a verse describing your god/8
?arla was interrupted by the wind blowing her
long, straight hair into her face/ (reviously, her
blac) hair was neatly tied bac), but the two
e@plosions had loosened it/ =eing too wea) to
re+ove the hair fro+ her own eyes and +outh,
#ha+us gently pulled her hair out of her face, as a
father +ight care for a daughter/
"p close, #ha+us noted that ?arla appeared to be
4ust a little older than his own daughter, Reyna/
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owever, the two young wo+en loo)ed nothing
ali)e/ #ha+us: daughter Reyna had light s)in and an
oval&shaped face< whereas ?arla had dar) s)in and a
s3uare 4awline, al+ost sculpted&loo)ing/ ;oreover,
Reyna:s yellow&green eyes were 3uite different fro+
?arla:s eyes/ ?arla:s were 8rainbowed,8 an
e@pensive procedure that +ost people could not
afford/ Gvery few breaths, her eyes would shift fro+
one color of the rainbow to another/ #ha+us noted
that ?arla:s eyes had 4ust shifted fro+ orange to red/
;eanwhile, ?arla noted the irony of the situation<
the +ilitary, herself included, ca+e to this rooftop
fully prepared to end #ha+us: life/ et this +an
#ha+us had shown the +ilitary nothing but
)indness and +ercy/
?arla continued with an uneasy gasp/ 8Now listen
carefully/ I will allow you to tell only one other
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person about this riddle/ ;a)e the+ +e+ori5e it as
well, but do not tell the+ that I told you the riddle/
Never publici5e this to anyone else/ Let this be a test
of trust between +e and you, and between you and
your people/ It is no stretch to see that you yourself
have honor/ =ut as for the rest of your people, only
this test will show +e/ If this riddle gets publici5ed,
I will )now that your people cannot be trusted/
87hat:s not a proble+,8 replied #ha+us/ 8I )now
e@actly who to tell&&*huc) Heller/ e:s a co++itted
and trustworthy +e+ber of our group/8
8Actually, that:s not what I:+ loo)ing for&&too
easy,8 said ?arla/ 8I a+ thin)ing that this should be
a very recent convert/ #o+eone untested/ If that
person you tell forgets the riddle, then it will be a
sign to +e that your religion cannot be trusted to
build faithful and reliable +e+bers/8
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#ha+us as)ed, 87hen how will you )now which
one person I will tell the riddle to>8
8I will select hi+ for you,8 said ?arla/ 8Dur
database has 4ust co+piled a list of your +ost recent
converts/ ere is the list/ Read +e the last na+e on
the list/8
#ha+us read the na+e aloud and added, 8Dh,
you:d li)e this one/ I )now hi+ personally/8
8Cery well,8 said ?arla faintly/ 8Ehen the ti+e
co+es, he shall be tested/8
8Ehy is this so i+portant to you>8 as)ed #ha+us/
As ?arla briefly closed her eyes and 4er)ed
unco+fortably on the cold rooftop, she answered,
8;y father co++itted his life, and now his death, to
eradicating people of faith/ ;any of the+ clai+
things that are nothing +ore than lies, foolish
traditions, and +anipulation techni3ues/ et there
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are ti+es when a few of you actually +a)e sense to
+e, if only for a +o+ent/ Now +y father is gone,
and so I +ust )now< has his life and +ine been in
vain>8
#ha+us gave ?arla the rest of the sedative, and
4ust before she do5ed off, #ha+us spo)e/ 8our life
can +atter/ It can +atter for eternity/ =ut if you don:t
+ind +y saying so, young wo+an, you have to
follow the Advocate/ As long as you:re still in the
land of the living, there:s ti+e to change, but don:t
ta)e too long/ No one )nows the hour in which the
Advocate will return to 4udge the world, so you +ust
be ready/8 #ha+us then started to wal) bac) over to
chec) on Archilli/ =ut Archilli had been awa)e and
crept over to listen to their entire conversation/
Gven though he was startled, #ha+us loo)ed into
Archilli:s green eyes and said, 8Fod has spared your
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life too/8
Archilli ignored the state+ent and grabbed an
ite+ fro+ his belt/ ?espite being a short +an,
Archilli was well built, co+pact, and strong loo)ing,
li)e an Italian lifeguard/ #ha+us too) a few steps
bac) in fear before he reali5ed what Archilli had in
his hand&&a radio/ 8Lieutenant is down/ ;edical
assistance needed i++ediately at 7elepho+ic 7ower
rooftop,8 said Archilli/ 7hen he turned to #ha+us
and said, 8.or a religious guy, you:re pretty brave/8
8It:s not +e who gets the credit for bravery,8
e@plained #ha+us/ 8It:s the Advocate/ =y his power
all things are possible/ And we:re not an e@clusive
group/ ou too can be part of Fod:s chosen people/8
8*hosen>8 +oc)ed Archilli as he chec)ed the vital
signs of ?arla, still unconscious/ 8Ehat are you,
so+ething special>8
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8Not by +y own efforts,8 said #ha+us, 8but I
have been chosen, and I e@tend the invitation to
you/8
As they braced the+selves against the high winds
that swooped down to blow the red gas away fro+
the lower city and out into La)e ;ichigan, #ha+us
continued, 8;y na+e is #ha+us/ (erhaps the
Advocate has great things planned for you/ Is it too
+uch to as) that you spare what:s left of +y people>
our intelligence reports can confir+ that +y people
have not ta)en any +ilitary actions against anyone
in the entire history of this war/ 7his is +y one
re3uest- peace for +y people, the Advocates/8
8our people>8 as)ed Archilli, surprised by
#ha+us: attitude/ 8Aren:t you worried about your
own life first> Ee didn:t co+e up here to have a tea
party/8
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#ha+us replied, 8No/ ou ca+e up here thin)ing
two people were going to die, and what do you
)now> 7wo people did die/ It:s not e@actly the two
that were intended, but surely fro+ this height you
have learned so+ething about the people who
follow the Advocate/8
8I don:t understand youB8 said Archilli in a +ost
pu55led tone/ 87he fanatic with his threats and his
fa)e hand and the bo+b/// hi+ I understand/ =ut
you/// why did you help us>8
#ha+us answered with a 3uestion of his own,
8Ehat do you )now about trees>8 Archilli gave
#ha+us an i+patient loo), so #ha+us added, 8=ear
with +e/ 7his will answer your 3uestion/8
8I )now which trees are good for +a)ing
weapons,8 said Archilli with a huff, 8and which trees
you can get food out of/ Gvery good soldier )nows
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that/8
8AhaB #o you would agree that the tree is )nown
by its fruit,8 replied #ha+us/ 8;a)e the tree good,
and its fruit will be good/ ;a)e a tree bad, and its
fruit will be bad/ ;oreover, the sa+e can be said
about people/ 7a)e the fanatic/// the fruit of his life///
what was it> ?estruction/ And we are surrounded by
the bad fruit of those dreadful actions even now/
7hen there:s +e/ I:+ not saying that I:+ perfect, but
the fruit of +y life, at least since I have been
following the Advocate, is about helping people, and
you )now that firsthand/ 7here is no denying it/ ou
are alive right now because of the fruit of +y life/
7hen there:s you/ Ehat )ind of a tree are you> Ehat
is the fruit of your life>8
Archilli didn:t answer, but he too) a deep breath/
*learly, he was listening/
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Chapter +.: "he All/Clear
Archilli reached for his belt once again/ e switched
his radio to the universal channel and said,
8Attention all units, this is Archilli with Feneral
?on =esto/ "nder general:s orders, effective
i++ediately, the war is over/ I repeat/ 7he war is
over/ Cictory is ours/ #ound the all&clear/ 7reaty is in
place only with group for+erly )nown as the
Advocates, now called the :*hosen/: I repeat/ #afe
passage and reintegration shall be granted to all
*hosen people who follow the Advocate, by
general:s orders/ Archilli, out/8
#ha+us than)ed the Advocate in a silent prayer
and then turned to Archilli as the +edical hovercraft
too) ?arla away/ 87han) you, sir,8 said #ha+us/
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8Dn behalf of Advocates everywhere, we are very
grateful/ =ut I should clarify< our na+e is the
:Advocates,: not the :*hosen/:8
8Loo), pal,8 said Archilli, 8I 4ust did you a favor/
ou said you were :chosen,: so live by it/ I changed
your na+e for your benefit/8
8ow is that>8 as)ed #ha+us/
Archilli answered, 8our people will have a better
chance of surviving the post&war reconstruction
period if you change your na+e/ ?on:t worry/ I:+
not saying to change your values/ =ut I:ll tell you
this, since +y order went out, no one will be loo)ing
to )ill the *hosen/ 7hey:re not on any hit lists or
blac) operations since I 4ust now ca+e up with that
na+e/8
8Eell, how can I argue with that>8 #ha+us
replied/ 8I can:t thin) of any doctrinal reason that
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would restrict us fro+ being called :the *hosen,: so,
o)ay/ It actually wouldn:t be the first ti+e that we:ve
been rena+ed by nonbelievers/ 7herefore, I:ll get the
word out that we have a new na+e/ =ut I +ust ad+it
that I:+ a little confused by so+ething else you said
on the radio/ Ehen did your general give you that
order of treaty with us>8
Archilli replied, 8;y general didn:t, but I i+agine
that yours did/8
8=ut, good soldier,8 said #ha+us, 8I have no idea
what you:re tal)ing aboutB8
8?on:t call +e :good soldier,:8 replied the +ilitary
+an/ 8;y na+e is Archilli/8
8Nice to +eet you,8 said #ha+us with a curious
s+ile/ 8I a+ #ha+us Radd/ Now then, as I was
getting at earlier, we are not a warring people/ Ee
have no generals a+ong us to give such an order/8
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8(erhaps not,8 replied Archilli/ 8=ut I:+ tal)ing
about the guy that you:re always tal)ing about/8
#ha+us declared, 8;y goodnessB ou +ust +ean
the Advocate hi+self/ After such a short ti+e,
Archilli, have you now co+e to believe>8
Archilli answered, 8Listen, #ha+us, you see+ li)e
a nice guy, so I:+ going to pretend that you:re not
trying to convert +e right now/8
#ha+us fearlessly replied, 8?on:t pretend/ ou
need to follow the Advocate/ #urely you )now that
belief is not enough to be///8
Archilli interrupted, 8Juit while you:re ahead,
understand> And as for +y beliefs, I don:t )now
enough to believe +uch of anything right now,
#ha+us/ Fuys li)e +e, we:ve seen too +uch and
done too +uch/8
#ha+us closed his eyes for a +o+ent to gather his
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thoughts, and then turned to respond to Archilli, but
it was too late/ Archilli had silently +ade his way to
his vehicle and was ta)ing off to follow ?arla in the
+edical hovercraft/ As Archilli rode away, he +ight
be surprised to )now that this was the first ti+e a
person of faith prayed specifically for his own well&
being/ It wouldn:t be the last either/ ;oreover, it
would not be without effect/
ust then the all&clear signal was given/ In an
instant, the .aith Ear, which had uprooted the entire
hu+an race, was finally over/ 7he Advocates ca+e
out of hiding to find the+selves with a new na+e,
and in a new world where no other religions were
left/ It was 4ust the+, and the non&believers/
8/9/2019 9 chapter preview of Star Chosen
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/9-chapter-preview-of-star-chosen 55/55
***END O S!A" C#OSEN E$CE"%!***
7he full $ chapter version of #tar *hosen goes on
sale as a paperbac) novel and in e=oo) for+ats
su++er 200 at http-4oechiappetta/blogspot/co+