Prime VectorThe Immortal Oath
D. A. Hicks
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.
PRIME VECTOR
COPYRIGHT © 2020 by Diana A. Hicks
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or HMG, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Cover Art by J Caleb Design
Publishing History
First Edition, 978-1-949760-25-5
Published in the United States of America
Dear Readers,
Thank you for downloading Prime Vector, The Immortal Oath! I hope you enjoy Catita and Tek’s immortal ride in this first episode.
So why serials?
Prime Vector is my book version of the television series I love to binge watch. Each one-hundred-page novella is set up like an episode, where you get a complete story arc that also moves the story forward for the entire series or season.
Each episode will pick up where the previous one left off.
If you like immortals in space, romance, and fast-paced thrilling action, you’ll love Prime Vector!
One-click to download episode 2 now and find out what happens when Catita and Tek meet up again.
Happy Reading!
Diana
About the Author
D.A. Hicks is the alter ego of Diana A. Hicks, an award-winning author of steamy romantic suspense and science-fiction romance.
When Diana is not writing, she enjoys kickboxing, hot yoga, traveling, and indulging in the simple joys of life like wine and chocolate. She lives in Atlanta and loves spending time with her two children and husband.
Connect with Diana on social media to stay up to date on her latest releases.
www.DianaHicksBooks.com
Contents
1. Watch It, Pet
2. This Riot Isn't Nothing
3. Hide Me?
4. We’re Out in the Open Here
5. More Time Would Be Nice
6. Don't Say Good-Bye Yet
7. Out of Uniform. And Out of Place
8. Until the Blood Runs Red
9. You Really Are a Full-Time Job
10. But Your Killer Hasn't Paid
The Immortal Oath
By the grace of the Forever Queen,
we are granted eternal life.
Our bond with the Ukruum virus shall heal us.
It shall give us strength, and abilities beyond what is human.
We are the keepers of the peace.
We are the protectors.
We pledge our bodies to serve as hosts.
Forever young, we belong to her and her alone.
Until the blood runs red.
1
Watch It, Pet
Mars Year 103, Month 7, Sols 414
(Universal Solar Time)
Earth Year 2148, April 15th
Catita
My watch buzzed on my wrist with a reminder to report for tactics training at oh-six hundred hours. If I hurried, I could still get a full-night sleep. The halogen glow that replicated daylight on board the Epoch1955 turned a darker shade of gray. Yeah, time to go.
I shot one last glance at the wide window and the Old Planet, Earth, in the distance. The second I spun around to head back to my bunk in the blue quadrant, I found myself face to face with a worker dressed in greasy orange overalls.
“Sorry.” I mumbled.
We did an awkward dance, where she went left when I went left and then right when I went right.
“Sir.” She ducked her gaze and stepped back to the side to let me pass.
I opened my mouth to tell her that kind of ceremonial display was wasted on me, but when I rounded on her, she recoiled and scurried down the hallway.
Right. The uniform.
The Forever Queen’s coat of arms embroidered on my sleeve commanded respect, fear. The worker had no clue I wasn’t a commando in the Forever Queen’s immortal army—the Queen’s Elite Cadre, or QEC as the rest of us called them. But I was military. She had to play it safe. If she only knew I wasn’t supposed to be here either. The red quadrant was for QEC only.
The elevator slid open, and a unit of QEC lieutenants pounded out of it, laughing and shoving each other. Within seconds, they covered the length of the corridor. They huddled around me, their cruel gazes searching mine. If I’d had time to react, I would have done what the worker did. As it was, the immortals were too damn fast for me.
“Watch it, pet.” Mak, the commando with the mean, round face, squinted at me and pushed me out of the way.
I stalked back and let him through. His little display would be over soon.
“Just when I thought this day couldn’t get any worse.” Mak adjusted his jacket, eyeing me with disdain.
I got a different look from my sister Ry, the dark-haired, clad-in-full-QEC-gear lieutenant. I conceded to her and focused on my boots instead.
“Night.” Ry planted herself inches from him to block me from view.
Anyone else faced with a bored QEC unit would be praying for the floor to open up and swallow them whole, but Ry was here—my immortal twin sister and protector.
“What?” Mak’s tone turned to an annoyed one. I was the mouse he intended to toy with, and Ry was in the way.
“It’s nighttime.” She pointed at her wristband. “And keep it down. If the captain says we’re needed on the planet, we go. Period. Keep your mouth shut before you lose your tongue.” She crossed her arms—slowly. For an immortal with superspeed this was deliberate, meant to remind him she was stronger and in charge. “Go.”
One moment her unit of eleven commandos was there, and the next they were gone. Their laughter and chatter trailed behind them like an echo.
“A little reverence wouldn’t hurt you, you know?” Ry faced me, hands on her hips.
“Yeah, I’m sorry. I’m just tired.”
She flashed me her bigger-than-life smile. “You okay?”
I nodded. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“You know I did.” She placed one arm around me. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here. Bad dreams again?” She tightened her grip on my shoulder, as if wishing she
