The Habitats Of Allcon E-Book

Luis Feder

• Herausgeber: BoD - Books on Demand
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 228

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Lennart, a seemingly "ordinary" 33-year-old man, finds his life turned upside down when a car breakdown and a series of coincidences lead him to an undiscovered Nazi bunker in Staaken, near Berlin. Inside, he stumbles upon a machine that unintentionally catapults him to Allcon, a world 40 light-years away. The hostile environment makes returning home nearly impossible, despite his many creative attempts. Lennart's life changes drastically. But then, he meets Zafina, an Allconian who captures his heart. Will she return his love? Will he find a way back? Join Lennart on this thrilling adventure!

Leseprobe

THE HABITATS OF ALLCON

Luis Feder

Contents:

Chapters:

Foreword

Chapter 1. Day-to-Day Life

Chapter 2. Arrival

Chapter 3. Habitat

Chapter 4. Hope

Chapter 5. Respiration

Chapter 6. Representatives

Chapter 7. Dialogue

Chapter 8. Todax

Chapter 9. Downward Spiral

Chapter 10. Freedom Fighters

Chapter 11. Judgment

Chapter 12. Assistance

Chapter 13. Unexpected

Chapter 14. Proof

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Disclaimer:

All names, characters, and events in this book are fictional and entirely invented. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or real events is purely coincidental. The author therefore expressly disclaims any potential claims related to these similarities.

Copyright:

This book is protected by copyright. Copying, reprinting, public performance, or distribution in any form, whether in full or in part, is prohibited without the explicit permission of the author and will be prosecuted. Texts, graphics, and illustrations by Luis Feder.

Copyright © 2019

Translated from the German original using artificial intelligence .

Special thanks to the team at OpenAI

Journey Through Life

Through the mind we roam;

Doubt sank below,

Fear let go;

And opened gates to home.

At first, a narrow trail;

Experience taught,

And to a wide path brought,

To keep and never fail!

Whole worlds arise,

Vast and free,

Where deeds and words lose ties,

Beyond all time and humanity.

Now, all makes sense at last;

Pure power reveals its might;

A harvest from the past,

A triumph from the fight.

Where no one’s harmed or bled,

Where no fright takes hold;

Only here, as has been said,

Is a judgment good and bold!

Poem by Luis Feder

Copyright © 2019

1. Day-to-Day Life

Berlin, Germany’s beautiful capital. It was a warm summer day in the heart of Berlin, and there was something special about the city in summertime. Though modern Berlin still bore the scars of its political past, these wounds were slowly healing. Of course, the last world war wasn’t so long ago. There were still people alive who had witnessed it first-hand, although they were becoming fewer each year. The young Nazis of that era were now old men and women, and the survivors who had fled back then now had descendants of their own. Ultimately, Berlin had come to embrace the idea that Earth was a shared home for all nations, with space enough for everyone in abundance.

The architecture was a mix of old and new. Some of the beautiful old buildings had been repurposed into museums, while others had been painstakingly restored after being damaged. And then there were the impressive modern structures—tall, striking, and beautiful. It was a symphony of old and new. Everywhere, life was thriving. Green spaces were lush and flourishing. Bright, fragrant flowers and deep green leaves brightened the cityscape, and birds filled the air with their songs— along with, of course, the buzzing of insects.

Lennart was single. It wasn’t that he was unattractive or that he couldn’t be charming, but he didn’t feel he had much to offer. His relationships fizzled out quickly because he wasn’t financially able to go out much, which left his dates feeling he was either a little boring or a bit stingy. Not willing to go out of his way to live beyond his means just to "buy" companionship, he decided to keep to himself. He saw himself as the master of his own fate and believed he could be happy on his own. When he did want to be around people, as he did that day, he’d head to Berlin’s city center, where he could be among the crowds. He lived a few kilometers north of Berlin in a small 45-square-meter apartment. Occasionally, he’d meet up with his one true friend, Felix. His parents lived in southern Germany, and he’d sometimes call his mother and pass along his regards to his father. All in all, he was doing well.

Though he was a 33-year-old adult, Lennart had an obvious fear of insects. It was often so childish and unfounded that he’d keep his windows shut on hot evenings just to make sure nothing could crawl or fly in. His friend Felix had once advised him to put insect screens on his windows so he could let in some fresh air at night and avoid suffocating. But because Lennart never took his advice, Felix would tease him a bit, though he kept it lighthearted and never went too far. Once, Felix joked dryly about Lennart’s single status and his aversion to insects: “Hey, Lenni, if you happen to meet a ‘fly girl’ with huge black eyes, don’t just run away.” After a pause, he’d continued with a serious face, “It’s just sunglasses, not compound eyes!” They’d known each other for years and understood each other well.

On this particular day, dressed lightly in jean shorts and a loose cotton T-shirt suited to the warm weather, Lennart was standing in a very crowded post office downtown. In his left hand, he carried a dozen small packages in a large plastic bag. The people in the line grumbled, which was understandable, as no one liked waiting. Most felt it was outright rude that, in such a busy post office, only two of the six service windows were staffed. Behind him, someone in the crowd muttered, “This is ridiculous! The least they could do is put a fan out here if they’re going to skimp on staff!”

Lennart wasn’t thrilled about it either. The poor air and the heat were starting to get to him, but he’d promised himself not to let anything ruin his good mood. After a few unsuccessful days, he’d finally made some online sales, and he was here to ship his items to his customers. The slow pace was frustrating, but the thought that he could once again cover all his bills with his online business made the wait more bearable.

His business was based on making his own products. He had a 3D printer at home and used it to produce small, everyday items as orders came in, helping him keep afloat. He’d print things like combs, chess sets, phone holders, and he was always coming up with new ideas. This time, he’d managed to sell some plastic car parts to several customers, which was turning out to be pretty profitable.

And so, there he stood, sweating in line, telling himself, “Thank goodness—this month’s covered.” His goal was to live entirely off his webs-hop income. Though it was tough sometimes to make ends meet, he’d always found a way to get by. He felt as happy as a kid, knowing he’d be able to cover rent, utilities, car insurance, gas, and internet, and still have enough left for food. And this was just the first week of the month.

Since he had time to kill, he decided to call his buddy, Felix, to share his good mood. “Hey Felix, what’s up? I have something to tell you…” The call ended up being pretty long, but that was the point; it helped pass the time. By the time he hung up, there were only three people left ahead of him in line. “Alright, man, I’ll catch up with you later.” Glancing at his phone (something he did out of habit), he noticed his battery was down to just 12%. But since he only had a quick shopping trip planned, he didn’t mind much, even though he’d forgotten his charger at home. Normally, he checked his email regularly to see if any new orders had come in.

Finally, his turn came, and once he’d finished that important task, he got into his car and drove to a big supermarket nearby. He was in a good mood and felt like treating himself because the past few months had been full of financial stress and sacrifices. There were nights he’d woken up from worry and couldn’t fall back asleep. Many times, he’d thought about giving up because working so hard for barely enough money just didn’t feel worth it. But today, he was optimistic and wanted to reward himself. So, he went up to the cheese counter and asked the clerk if they still had a piece of the delicious French Saint-Nectaire cheese. He loved this cheese. Somewhat indifferently, she replied, “Yes, we have it. How much do you want?” Lennart answered, “Eight slices, please.” She quickly cut eight slices, wrapped them up, and put them on the counter without asking if he needed anything else. He took his beloved cheese without a word and put it in his cart. He grumbled inwardly, a bit annoyed by the clerk’s lack of friendliness.

Then he wandered through the aisles, adding two bottles of water and a pack of whole-grain bread to his cart. He still felt good. Maybe it was the soothing music playing quietly throughout the store or the following announcement: “Dear customers, become a grill master! At our meat counter, you’ll find our summer specials on sausages. Our friendly staff is here to assist you for any occasion.” Lennart chuckled a little and thought, “If ‘friendly staff’ includes the lady at the cheese counter, then that barbecue will surely be a hit.” He was looking forward to going home and having a sandwich with his favorite cheese. This cheese was usually too expensive for him to buy regularly, but today was a treat for his taste buds.

He was surprised to realize how carefully he’d had to watch every cent in recent months and how he’d barely managed to get by. He’d even neglected his car the whole time. Sometimes the engine would stutter in third gear, but there was nothing he could do except get used to its quirks. The car was old, a bit rusty here and there, but it got him from point A to point B. He shrugged slightly and went straight to the checkout line. Compared to the post office, this line was quite short. It would have been twice as fast, though, if the guy in front of him hadn’t bought so much. He could have let Lennart go ahead with his small purchase, but it was what it was.

Finally, it was Lennart’s turn, and he was quickly through the line. He left the store briskly, loaded his groceries into the trunk, and took off with the window open. After all, he still had quite a drive ahead. Lennart lived outside the city, driving from downtown to the northern outskirts. Rent was at least somewhat affordable out there. He drove down the long Kantstraße, which eventually became Neue Kantstraße. Soon, he hit a major roundabout and found himself in a real traffic jam—typical for Berlin at this time of day. He crawled forward for half an hour, barely making any progress. Eventually, Kantstraße became Heerstraße, which stretched out even further. He knew the cheese needed to stay cool in this warm weather. Soon, he’d reach Staaken and leave Berlin. By then, the traffic should’ve cleared up. But it didn’t. He looked far ahead between the cars and saw nothing but traffic stretching as far as he could see. He kept checking his phone for the time; it was already showing a low battery of eight percent at the supermarket.

There were just too many cars on the road. Finally, he saw a left turn onto a small forest road toward Kladow. It was a detour of a few kilometers, but he knew this small, narrow, and secluded road was rarely busy, and he could smoothly drive home that way. A real insider’s tip. Once he turned, he breathed a sigh of relief—this little trick had left the traffic jam behind him. He drove along the forest road for quite a while.

It was still quite a distance to his home. The endless wait at the post office, then the grocery shopping, and the long traffic jam made the day pass by in what felt like a blur.

The battery had died, and the phone turned off with a pleasant melody. “Oh well,” he thought to himself; he’d be home soon enough and could charge it there. It was early evening by now, and he was getting really hungry. But more than that, he was thirsty. The whole ordeal had really worn him out. Dusk had begun to settle quietly around him. He debated stopping briefly to grab the water from the trunk since he still had about 18 kilometers to go. "Might as well," he said to himself and pulled over to the side of the forest road. He turned off the engine but left the key in the ignition. When he opened the driver’s door, he noticed that there wasn’t a soul in sight.

He slowly got out and retrieved the shopping bag from the trunk, with the wonderful cheese, whole-grain bread, and water inside. Then he got back into the car and spread everything out on the passenger seat. At this time, no other cars were passing through this part of the forest. Technically, he could have kept driving and would’ve been home soon, but his thirst got the better of him. Eagerly, he opened the bottle and drank with big, loud gulps. Pausing for a breath, he noticed a swarm of mosquitoes in the air. Lennart hated mosquitoes. He quickly rolled the window up; there must have been a pond or lake or some other water source nearby.

Yes — Lennart and insects. But the ones that bit or sucked blood were especially off-putting to him. He capped the water bottle and set it on the seat next to him. “Mmm, Saint-Nectaire,” he whispered softly. He couldn’t resist and opened up both the cheese and the bread. Then he placed two slices of cheese perfectly onto the bread, covering it entirely. What a treat. He forgot everything else around him and took his time savoring his sandwich. After finishing the first one, he promptly made another, assembling it with the same precision. He enjoyed the second sandwich just as much.

Outside, it was gradually growing darker. Lennart packed everything back into the bag and placed it behind the passenger seat, but it kept tipping over. He picked up the bag, quickly got out of the car, and in record time, tossed it back into the trunk to keep the flying insects from biting him. The air outside had turned refreshingly cool. He got back in the car, buckled his seatbelt, and turned the key to start the engine. “Chug... chug... chug... chug.” The car wouldn’t start. “Huh, what’s this?” he said out loud. Nervously, he tried five more times in quick succession, but nothing happened. “This can’t be happening,” he thought, panic setting in. “Damn it!” he muttered to himself. What was he supposed to do? He had to think of every possible way to get help here in the middle of the woods.

He instinctively reached into his right front pocket and pulled out the dead phone. He turned it on, hoping for just enough battery to call his friend Felix to come to the rescue. The phone turned on, and just as he entered his unlock PIN, it went off again with that familiar, soothing melody. He tried again, but this time, it wouldn’t turn on at all. It was completely drained. “Oh no!” he groaned in frustration. If only he’d remembered the charging cable. Right now, that cable would’ve been the easiest solution to his problem. From here on out, he would need to keep a clear head. He had to make a decision.

He mentally went over his options: wait for a car to pass by and hope for a jump start, walk back to the main road where he’d been stuck in traffic, walk straight home, try to fix the car somehow by himself, or spend the night in the car and look for help in the morning. As the darkness set in, he understood he’d need to find a solution fast.

He immediately dismissed the idea of sleeping in the car. Spending the whole night alone in the woods felt creepy. Walking all the way back to the main road to try and find a phone? If he used that same effort to walk toward his apartment, he'd be home before long, and he could deal with the car the next day in peace. He chose that option. First, he'd try to get the car started. If that didn’t work, he'd make his way home directly. And if he came across anyone or a passing car along the way, he’d ask for help. That seemed like the most logical approach.

With that, he pulled the stiff lever under the steering wheel to unlock the hood. He switched on the headlights, jumped out, and went around to stand in front of the hood. Reaching under the grille, he released the small safety latch and opened the hood. Under the dim light, he checked the battery connections, jiggling every wire and cable he could find. He couldn't see much, but even if he’d had better light, it wouldn’t have helped much, since he didn’t really know much about cars. He lowered the hood and latched it shut, got back in the car, and turned the key in the ignition again. Nothing happened. The car still wouldn’t start.

Quickly, he got out again, went to the trunk, and took out the warning triangle. He unfolded it and set it visibly on the rear shelf. Then he took out the bag with the groceries. He pulled out the keys, locked all the doors, paused briefly, and then set off at a brisk pace in the direction he’d been driving. His sense of direction told him to stay on the right. If he spotted any shortcut, he’d take it immediately to save time.

At first, he walked with lots of energy and large strides, scratching his head frequently because he kept feeling like he was getting bitten by mosquitoes. He’d slap his neck, then his thigh. The further he went, the itchier he felt all over. He started to sweat. The footpath branched southeast off the road, which would save him valuable time. But his head was spinning with all sorts of negative thoughts. After about forty-five minutes of walking, it was getting very dark, but his eyes had adjusted to the night well enough. He could still make out the silhouettes of trees and bushes. He decided to stick to the rough path to get home faster. So Lennart, driven by his fear, walked on like clockwork, slipping deeper into the forest without noticing. His legs and arms were already covered in mosquito bites, and he even felt bites on his forehead, just above his left eyebrow. He’d scratched that spot so much and so hard that he eventually realized he’d scraped the skin. He felt a stinging sensation and some dampness under his fingernails and above his brow. Now he was bleeding, too. He felt more and more at the mercy of nature.

The path grew narrower, blending seamlessly into the denser forest. It was pitch black. The uneven ground looked like a black void. He could only make out the shapes of nearby trees. He felt like he was still walking in the right direction, but after about an hour of walking, he was exhausted. Resting wasn’t an option, though. He drank as he walked. The grocery bag felt heavier with every step as his exhaustion increased. Before long, he’d finished one of the two water bottles and tossed it on the ground. It felt good to quench his thirst and lighten the load at the same time. He wanted to be well-provisioned when he finally made it home. He could’ve eaten the cheese along the way if he’d felt hungry. And so he kept going for the next hour, walking steadily, weaving his way toward the safety of home. Occasionally, he took a sip from the second bottle. The bag kept switching hands. He was gradually ignoring the increasingly frequent mosquito bites on his arms and legs. He was sweating more and more, and the exhaustion was becoming impossible to ignore. Clearly, something had gone wrong with his calculations. He’d figured he’d reach the edge of the forest in two hours if he’d gone in the right direction. By now, he should be close to his town. But there was no sign of it. He was worn out and scared to the bone. The forest swallowed the ambient light and all sound. Lennart felt utterly helpless in the face of his own fear. Nervously, he scratched at the countless bites covering his body. He was lost. He no longer knew which way to go. At some point, he’d veered off course. He should have made it through the forest by now.

Overcome by exhaustion, his pace slowed. The slower he went, the colder he felt. He could barely see anything anymore. The ground was uneven, and he jumped at every little noise he made, glancing frantically around himself. Then, he accidentally stepped on a thick, dry branch, and the sharp snap froze him in place. His heart raced. He resolved to get out of this dark forest as quickly as possible, no matter what it took.

In his hurry, not watching the uneven ground, he stumbled, his left foot catching on a solid tree root. He tried instinctively to regain his balance, lunging forward, but couldn’t get his right foot in place quickly enough and tumbled forward uncontrollably. His bag of groceries fell from his hand as he crashed to the ground, arms outstretched to break his fall. “Ouch!” he yelled out. Lennart lay flat on his stomach, every muscle in his body tensed. At least he had managed to shield his face from the uneven ground with his outstretched hands. Shocked from the fall, he lay there motionless for a few seconds, breathing in the intense, earthy scent of the forest floor, close to his nose. He could practically taste the ground. His T-shirt had ridden up, exposing the cold leaves beneath his skin. He started cursing under his breath, repeating over and over like a mantra, “Damn it, damn it, damn it!”

He quickly tried to get up, pushing himself off the ground with his hands. He got to his knees and tried to stand, but his left ankle throbbed, and putting weight on it was agonizing. He brushed the dirt and leaves off his body, noticing his hands and face were smudged with grime. Scrapes on his thighs burned like tiny fires, caused by sharp stones he’d slid over as he fell. His T-shirt was filthy all over, but right now, he couldn’t care less. He’d twisted his ankle badly, and all he could do was hobble with a pain-wracked expression, doing his best to keep weight off his left foot. The cool air gave him goosebumps. Slowly, his whispered “damn it” mantra faded as he tried to calm himself. He looked around, hoping to spot a branch or stick he could use as a crutch, but he couldn’t see anything. What was he supposed to do now?

Instinctively, he looked for any kind of shape that might serve as a shelter. He knew he wouldn’t get far. His apartment, his car, the road — all of it felt impossibly distant. There was only one idea left to him: find some sort of shelter and wait it out until his ankle felt better. Then — he saw something. About 20 meters away, a large, overgrown boulder or piece of rock jutted out of the ground. Picking up the bag he’d dropped nearby, he hobbled determinedly toward the rock formation. His face twisted in pain, fear, and exhaustion as he reached his target. He found a hollow space big enough for him if he curled up. The rock was thickly covered in shrubs and partly blanketed with moss.

At least he’d found a small shelter where he could endure the menacing night with some protection. It dawned on him that he’d made a bad decision. If only he’d stayed in the car—he could have locked the doors from the inside and reclined the padded driver’s seat. That would have been like a "five-star hotel" compared to this Stone Age hideout. He clutched the shopping bag to his chest and squeezed into the small crevice, pressing his back against the leafy, branch-covered wall to make a little more room for himself.

Then everything happened in a flash. The overgrown wall that Lennart had mistakenly thought was solid gave way, and he fell backward, tumbling a good two meters into a pitch-black void. With a dull thud, he landed on his back and the back of his head, and at that moment, he lost consciousness.

Meanwhile, Felix was sitting with Nicole and Evelyn at a café in northern Berlin, a popular, trendy spot. They were lounging on one of the many wooden benches on the summer terrace, enjoying the atmosphere. The place was filled with friendly people chatting about everything under the sun, laughing and having animated conversations. In the background, relaxed electronic chillout music played, and bits of conversation and laughter floated in from all directions. The waitstaff bustled about, bringing beautifully arranged salads, drinks, and endless snacks to the tables.

Felix had met Nicole a few weeks back through a coworker who was throwing a small birthday gathering. They’d started talking, hit it off, and exchanged phone numbers. After a few dates, Felix suggested they do a group hangout sometime. Being a bit of a sly one, he asked Nicole to bring along her best friend, so she showed up tonight with Evelyn in tow, and Felix thought it’d be a good opportunity to introduce Evelyn to his single friend, Lennart.

As the three of them relaxed and laughed together, he found himself trying repeatedly to get through to Lennart, but with no luck. Part of him was a little disappointed, and part of him was a bit worried—after all, it wasn’t like Lennart to just switch off his phone. “Hmm, that’s strange,” he commented. “We talked earlier today, and he said he’d check in with me later. This just isn’t like him.” But, distracted by the company of two charming women, he brushed off the worry. They laughed, cheerfully sipped wine spritzers, and chatted enthusiastically, well into the night.

Whenever the conversation turned back to Lennart, Felix tried calling him again using his phone’s speed dial. Eventually, he gave up and left a message on Lennart’s voicemail: “Hey, Lenni, it’s Felix. Just wanted you to know your buddy here’s thinking of you! I’ll fill you in when we see each other next. Enjoy your evening—I'm sure doing that here!”

Later, Evelyn began to feel like a bit of a third wheel and apologized, saying she didn’t want to intrude on Felix and Nicole. But Felix wasn’t having any of it and insisted she stay a bit longer, promising he’d drive both her and Nicole home. He’d kept to the spritzers, after all, to make sure he could still drive. They continued chatting for a little while longer, ordered the check, and each contributed their share as the waitress went around collecting payments.

Together, they piled into Felix’s car, and after a 15-minute drive, they reached Evelyn’s place. She got out and said goodbye with a parting, “Well, maybe next time your friend Lennart can join us.” Felix then dropped Nicole off at her place. Despite the failed attempt to make it a group outing, he hoped she’d enjoyed the evening. He asked her if she’d had a good time, and she smiled, said yes, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, waved, and disappeared into the hallway of her building. Content and relaxed, Felix drove home.