Author: markswritingcorner

Mark Ahern was born in 1979 and is from Ireland. He attained a Degree in Commerce from UCD in 2000 and a Masters in European Studies in 2001. He has written three novels to date encompassing science fiction and thrillers. At times Mark has used his experiences as an individual with a disability to write from a truly unique perspective. "Chronicles of Martan" which is his sole science fiction work to date, is an epic space odyssey inspired by his love of Star Wars. This was followed by "Not the Usual Suspect" and "Paradigm". His current project is called "The Irish Ripper" and should be available late 2019.

Wheelchair Wars (Part 23)

Timothy did not sleep well that night. He turned away the four women who were offered. They were naturally shocked and insisted that they would return the following time cycle instead. He just wanted to be alone. All, except Audrey of his little band were now dead. Even, his father was unable to console him.

“They died gloriously.”

“It was a death they could have only dreamed of.”

His sleep was plagued by nightmares. All he could see were his comrades being torn from limb to limb. They were screaming at him asking to be saved. But there was nothing that there was never anything that he could do. He woke up shaking uncontrollably in a cold sweat. Then there was a knock on the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me Audrey, I can’t sleep. Can I come in? I can’t sleep”

“Yes, come on in.”

She entered wearing her pajamas in her ordinary wheelchair.

“I saw that you were alone and just wanted to be close to someone.”

Her voice was trembling.

“Get in here beside me.”

She drove around to the other side of the bed and got in beside him, resting her head on his chest.

“Thanks. I’d like to stay in your room from now on. You are all I have left. I know you must do your duty with the other women that come. That’s okay with me. I’ll even get involved if you like.”

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

Finally, he could close his eyes without the nightmares.

Wheelchair Wars (Part 22)

Please kill me and release me from this torment – Anonymous Alexi Slave

The noise and crowds grew larger, growing increasingly manic as they approached the stadia. By the time they reached the entrance, a cordon of soldiers was in place to help them get through. At times, though, the crowd pulsed forward blocking the way. Timothy was thankful that they were in their battle wheelchairs, or they would be in danger of getting crushed. At times, he could hear the roars of people whose feet had suffered that fate under a battle chair.

Finally, they made their way inside. Now they just had to wait for the large door to draw open and they could enter the arena. He turned round to speak to his comrades in arms.

It was dark and he could only just about make out where everybody was.

“Remember the plan. Today, we live or die as one. Each of you know what you have to do and what role you are expected to play. Glory to the Omega!”

He turned and waited.

The large door slowly drew open, and once more they were being hit by a wall of noise.

It was exactly as he had hoped. The lighting was extremely dim just like the home world of the Gargantuan. He could see it in the distance. It stood aloft on it six long legs and even from a distance, he could make out its mandibles.

His army of warriors filed out to take up their positions slowly surrounding the monstrous creature. From the videos, he knew that it had a curious nature and if unthreatened would give them the required time. It was an anxious few minutes before they were all in position.

The Gargantuan had seen enough now and began to take move.

Timothy roared “lights” through the communications device.

A light had been placed on the top of each battle chair and they now shone brightly dazzling the creature.

Each battle chair had been armed with a machine gun. They now all fired in unison aiming at its torso so that they wouldn’t kill each other.

It swayed back and forth before charging to its left where Caoimhne was positioned, its mandibles lifting and crushing her body in an instant before hurling it and the battle chair away.

Then it charged at another warrior and another. It was going in a circle killing one after another.

He gave the order to break formation and charge.

He stuck his chair on full speed and headed straight for it. He could only hope for the best now as he heard the roars of the others fall silent. His light still dazzled the creature and as he had broken formation it didn’t sense to lash out and kill him.

He had tilted the wheelchair as he had approached but the bullets were still not doing the expected damage. But, then he was under the creature, he noticed its soft underbelly. He stopped the battle chair and kept firing. Foul smelling blood poured over him. He could see that it was struggling to stand and expected to be crushed when it collapsed. But it fell on its side saving him.

The stadium went silent. He drove around to survey the dead monster and the body parts of his former comrades. Only himself and Audrey, were still alive.

Then the crowd started chanting hysterically –

“Glory to the Omega!”

Wheelchair Wars (Part 21)

Every day is a good day for you to die – The Emperor

Timothy thought that he was ready for anything. But when Timothy woke the morning of the battle the room was already shaking as sounds reverberated through. All he could do was wait the few minutes and listen till his Da arrived to get him up.

“What’s happening?”

“Everything is okay. The crowd is already building in the stadium. It’s already almost completely full, they say. The noise is so loud that it transmits through the structures of the city and that is what you are feeling now. The level of excitement is incredible. No matter what happens today son, I am so proud of you son.”

The next few hours went by in something of a haze for Timothy. Fortunately, his plans were already in place and all the preparation had already been done. He made sure to take the time to speak to each of his fighters.

“Trust in the plan. We will get through this.”

Some, such as Audrey looked back at him with steely determination. With others, such as Caoimhne you could sense the fear. Still, he trusted all to do their duty.

Finally, it came time to leave.

There were met by huge crowds each corner they turned, that roared their love. Some of the women even through their bras at them. But Timothy kept his concentration on what he would ultimately be facing. The exultation could wait.

The Irish language thriving? (comedy)

Ever since I was young, there was one thing you could be certain of. Well apart from death and taxes, that is. And that was that was the Irish language was on its death bed and soon would be no more.

It’s still dying according to the average person, even though I’ve never heard so much of it. Whether it be on the television, radio or when the Feile came to town.

They claim it’s Definitely Endangered. That young people no longer speak the language. This is despite the fact that 8 percent of students are now in all-Irish medium education.

Yes, things are so dire that I got a scam email sent to me in perfect Irish during the week. Does the Government have some secret deal with criminals, that a certain percentage of fraud must be conducted through Irish or they can’t claim some fraud grant. I wouldn’t put it past them!

Writing in Irish kind of worked too. I actually read the whole email rather than just deleting it. But the usual sob story wouldn’t work on me even if it was genuine, which it wasn’t.

I decided to do my own Irish exam yesterday. I know, the things I do for kicks. Even my parents looked at me funny when I told them about it. I got a D1 in ordinary level you see, something that my Dad loves to bring up. He got an honours in his, and it’s the only score of mine he remembers.

Anyways, I digress. After many years of watching and listening to Irish, mostly on TG4, I scored a B1 Lower Intermediate Irish. If things were really that bad for the language, I’d be heralded as part of the linguistic community. But I’m not.

Oiche mhaithe agat.

Wheelchair Wars (Part 20)

Gargantuans love tearing humans to pieces. It’s like a pasttime to them. They enjoy playing with their food – General Mudd

Timothy was relaxing on his bed. It was so much more comfortable at this level just like everything else. There was now just one time cycle away from going to battle. His preparation and research were now complete. Within the next two hours he would divulge his plans to his battle group. They would either agree to follow his battle plans to the letter or they would die.

There was then a small knock on the door, and he heard a quiet but recognizable voice. It was Caoimhne asking if she could come in. She always spoke so softly.

“Enter.”

She was in her manual wheelchair and only just about managed to push the door open.

“I was feeling.. I don’t know.”

“It’s alright, the big battle is not too far off, I understand.”

“Can I lay down next to you?”

“Yeah, sure.”

It was a large double bed so there was enough space. He had only shared his bed for sex though and he found his heart had started beating that bit faster.

She elegantly parked parallel to the other side of the bed before maneuvering herself on to it

“These really are so comfortable. I just wanted to be with someone. Tomorrow, one or both of us may be dead.”

“You shouldn’t think like that.”

“You know, I’ve never kissed someone. I know women are sent into you and the rest lads of the battles. They are usually so beautiful. I’d really like to experience it. Can I kiss you?

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

With that, she leaned towards and kissed. Then she wrapped her arms around him till it was time for the battle plan.

Wheelchair Wars (Part 19)

There is no such thing as good or evil, only servitude to your God – The Emperor

They were permitted just one visit to the legendary Groak stadium prior to their battle. It was not surprising. The stadium was much more famous for its glorious battles and raucous atmosphere than the planet itself and was well-known throughout the quadrant. Huge masses of people visited it every day even when it was not in use.

Timothy was mesmerized by what he saw. The stands were sheer like a cliff face and stretched upwards as far as he could see. The battle area was extensive. He noted that the surface was sandy, probably to suit the Gargantuan but it made it difficult for their wheels. They would need to change to tracks.

Some of the group started to pace around the battleground, making sure they understood its proper scale. Like a well-oiled machine they then all gathered in the center for a battle talk.

Audrey was the first to chime in.

“So, what’s the plan Timothy?”

“Space, we must use this huge battlefield to our advantage. That and work together. On our own we are nothing but as Omega we can destroy anybody. Yes, this Gargantuan is terrifying but so are we. This is our opportunity for glory and a life that we could never have imagined.”

Then the chanting began.

“Omega, omega!”

Timothy let the chanting reverberate through him. He looked at those around him and wondered if any would survive.

Wheelchair Wars (Part 18)

The Gargantuan world is bereft of Civilization due to their ferocity. But they escape extermination only due to my admiration – The Emperor.

It was like a different planet. They had come from darkness and sickness. But here, the tunnels were lit brightly, and they were spacious with marble floors. Even, the simple act of breathing was different on this level. There was no filth or dust in the air. Timothy noticed that his father had even stopped coughing. People were more beautiful on this level too; they all had their teeth and were dressed in immaculate white or navy robes. Nobody looked old.

Timothy noticed that they were lauded wherever they went. Crowds would reach out to touch them as they yelled and screamed their adoration. It made him feel awkward and unworthy. Their previous battles had been watched, even here at this high level.

They were provided with a new camp close to the Groak Stadium. It was the only place where they could talk together as a group.

“So how are you all finding Level 1?” Timothy asked.

“Incredible.”

“Like a dream.”

“Heaven.”

He nodded in agreement as he looked around at their new base. It even had windows where you could see the purple sky surrounding distant mountains.

The fight was due to take place in five time-cycles. There was much preparation that needed to be done. First, they would need to see the fighting arena though.

Review of “The Beijing Conspiracy” by Shamini Flint

Hi readers. Hope life is good with you all. I have just finished the above novel and thought I’d let you know what I thought.

First of all, the blurb from the book itself –

One man is caught up in a lethal global conspiracy in this explosive spy thriller.

“I need your support. There is no one else I can trust. Please help her. Please help our daughter.”

When ex-Marine Jack Ford receives a letter containing news of a daughter he never knew he had, he feels compelled to return to China, a country he hasn’t visited since 1989 when, as a young American spy, he fell in love with a beautiful student activist and found himself caught up in the horrors of the Tiananmen Square massacre. But why has Xia got in touch now, after a thirty-year silence?

On arrival in Beijing, Jack finds himself accidentally in possession of an explosive piece of information both the Chinese and American governments are desperate to get their hands on. Alone in a strange city, suspected of being a traitor by his own side, not knowing whom to trust, Jack is faced with an impossible dilemma: should he save his new-found daughter or prevent a new world war from breaking out? –

I think it can be best described as a political action thriller. And not one that the Chinese Communist Party would be too impressed about either. If I suddenly disappear, you can guess what happened! It starts off and ends at a frenetic pace. In between not so much and it was tough to keep on reading at times. The book is very long, contains a multitude of characters and can at times be difficult to keep on top of. The intrigue revolves around two different factions in the Chinese government – one wants the status quo, the other liberalization and democracy.

It also relies somewhat on coincidence, which I found a tad unfulfilling. One man after very many years of inactivity finds himself at the heart of two conspiracies at the one time. A bit of a long shot.

There were things I really enjoyed. The action scenes are enjoyable and very well written. I also found the relationship between Ford and Xia, his old love to be suitably complex and interesting.

All in all, I’d give it three stars out of five.

(Remember to subscribe if you have not already done so.)

Wheelchair Wars (Part 17)

The Emperor is your God. You must suffer for his glory – The Emperor

Timothy was still sleeping when the boom of the speakers called all fighters to the ready hall. He had been practicing new combat maneuvers long into the allotted sleeping time and was now late getting up. Unusually, he could sense excitement in what was usually a drone like voice. Just a minute later his Da entered his quarters.

“There’s a lot of excitement out there. We need to get up fast.”

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know son, but it’s big, really big.”

By the time he managed to get dressed and into the wheelchair, there were already roars of “Omega, Omega”.

He raced into the main hall. There was a euphoric atmosphere.

He reached his group, who looked more forlorn and serious than the rest.

“What is it?”

“We’re to battle Gargantuans on Level 1,” Caoimhne sobbed.

He felt his pulse race. Gargantuan were legendary creatures from a neighboring star system. They were huge and loved tearing humans to pieces. But was it fear or excitement that he was feeling, he was unsure. He also sensed an opportunity. The fight would be on Level 1 and the battle would be in the great Croak Stadium that could hold over a hundred thousand spectators. This could change all their lives forever. He just wondered if the others would be up to the task.

Then he roared out “Glory to the Omega”.

If nothing else, it would be a glorious death.

Wheelchair Wars (Part 16)

Eat, drink, train, repeat. That was now the story of his life. Each time cycle seemed the same as the last. For good measure, he would watch videos of other Wheelchair Wars videos in his spare time. He knew that his life and those of the rest of his warriors depended on it. It was impossible to know who their next opponents would be, so there was always more research that could be done.

There was a growing distance between himself and Audrey. She no longer accompanied him to review battles. He was unsure why, but it seemed she didn’t want to spend time alone with him anymore.

It saddened him. He had enjoyed the intimacy and the feeling that he could be special to someone. At times, his Da seemed to sense something was up.

“Why don’t you just go and talk to her?”

But he never responded.

Their squad had been given two new replacements to keep them at their original strength. There was Derek, whose only disability appeared to be his short stature. He didn’t use the wheelchair apart from fighting. Some of the others threatened to drive over him when they saw he was out of his wheelchair as if he was insulting them. The other was Caoimhne, who had no feelings below her waist. She had long, curly black hair and was quite attractive. She recoiled at some of the fighting though, which wasn’t a good sign for her long-term survival.

They were inexperienced but eager to learn. They readily accepted his leadership, never questioning what he wanted them to do. He just hoped that they could survive the next battle.