How would it feel to be one of the first pioneers to colonize Mars? Raphaella signed up for the Mars First mission on an impulse. But the Red Planet ruthlessly tests her will to survive, driving her to extreme measures. Fans of The Martian will enjoy this timely take on Mars exploration. Felix R. Savage is the author of The Elfrida Goto Trilogy, comprising the first three books in the Solarian War Saga of high-powered space opera thrillers. Finity is NOT part of the series! It is a stand-alone short story, set much closer to our own era. Enjoy!

On Earth, time is the ruler of all things—but time is not on Oliver’s side It’s the beginning of the end. With the Anointment complete and Emalie gone, it seems that nothing can prevent Oliver from being summoned to the Nexia Gate to fulfill his terrible destiny. Illisius is coming. Oliver and his parents are being carefully watched by the Half-Light Consortium. There will be no mistakes this time. One sliver of hope remains: If Oliver and Dean can solve the baffling mystery of the Triad of Finity, there might still be a chance to change the future. But without Emalie, is it even possible? Time is running out, the battle is beginning, and Oliver, teenage vampire, is about to find out what it really means to be human.

Have you ever stopped and wondered about a man standing in front of a colossal mountain? Many people are out there having different obsessions and different amusements that beguile their minds and mesmerize their souls. But a man with his mind revolving around climbing over a mountain sounds a bit odd, right? He does not know what lies ahead of him; he does not know what is on the other side of a mountain, yet he still wants to do it. His energy and anticipation of getting to the other end are far more captivating than the strain, labor, and physical exertion required to get to that other end. To the mind of that fella, all these are secondary and subordinate. The only desire that matters to him is to overcome the height and stand on its peak. The hurdles and dolorous sensations to be encountered would be visible to all the other people around him except to that one man whose passion would surpass it all. But does he know what lies ahead? Should he be concerned about what is going to come in the next moment? Should the dangers coming his way stop him from doing what makes his heart alive and brings his poignant soul back to life? What is he to do? Should he take that one step that is going to change him forever, that one step after which he will not be the same person that he used to be? Or should he calm his racing heart down, take a deep breath, and set foot on the journey that would make him transform into someone else, maybe a far better and stronger human than what he actually is, perhaps the best version of himself? What would you do if you were that man? What you pitch to that man is what I presume you would do yourself. Well, as for me, I took that one step…