Episode 4 Sneak peek ( behind the scene style)

Just a quick sneak peak of episode 4 . This one is a behind the scenes style sneak peek.

 

https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-4-sneak-23972553

Production Update #3 Seven Gates Where Angels Fall.

It’s that time once again, the weekly production update. The interest and continued support for this project has amazed me and I am grateful for everyone’s interest and continued support.

The addition of the world will burn‘s music as the soundtrack has inspired me to make new additions and changes that I feel have vastly improved the over all project.  I have started the script finalization of episode II and will be sending that to the cast shortly. Along with those two major developments I have also obviously continued with the creation of the animation itself.

The easiest way to get distracted with a project is to constantly spend to much time tweaking work already completed. There is a major difference between correcting an obvious issue and re-shooting a scene because you think it could be better maybe if you do this or that.It’s needed sometimes especially when you have to make a scene flow better. The challenge is finding that balance between wasting time and actually improving the product.

I have noticed that this happens to me when I feel I am not up to the task of meeting the expectations I feel others have. I want to make sure that I do the talent involved justice. I have to remind myself that I can only do my best and making mistakes means I am trying and learning.  In faith , in charity and in patience is the direction I need to always remind myself to go.  Faith in the vision and direction of the project, charity or generosity in overcoming my own struggles and patience not to rush the process.

I hope that in the end of this project and these updates that those working on their own project etc can learn and hopefully gain something that will help them in their own projects.  So the focus of this update is patience with your project and own work. Learn and move forward. If what you create today is better then want you created when you started, be grateful that you have progressed and do not waste time going back to rework something that doesn’t need reworking.

The signs are everywhere.

 

 

“I remember looking up at the night sky when I was a child. The stars and the vast blackness beyond held me transfixed. The moment was frozen in time and nothing else existed but the stars and the wonders that they held. I couldn’t comprehend the idea…”

Noah hit the delete key in disgust and sat back in his chair. He knew what he wanted to write, but the words seemed to fail him. He was frustrated. The gnawing sensation in the pit of his stomach continued to push him. He knew something was driving him and guiding him. The problem was where was it drawing him to.

“Aliens. Seriously?” Noah grumbled as he stood and walked over to the window.

He watched a small squirrel skitter across the backyard. The squirrel stopped and its tail twitched as it looked in Noah’s direction. The small creature looked at him intently and then looked up at the sky above before it ran off to disappear in the nearby hedges. Noah smiled as he felt a calm fall over him for a moment. The squirrel was doing what it did best, being a squirrel.

Noah sighed once again and returned to his desk. He sat staring at the computer screen. He wanted to write about the change that was coming to the world. He wanted to warn people about the dark path they were traveling. The protests and unrest that had been rising over the last few decades was only getting worse. The government response was not quelling it, it was feeding it. The increased control of their lives and even their thoughts was growing each day. The world was spinning out of control.

“And all I can think about is aliens and what’s happening beyond our world.” Noah covered his face with his hands and leaned back in his chair as the frustration he felt intensified.

Even his dreams had been pushing him into this line of thinking. Dreams about lost planets and coming devastation. They haunted him, even during the day. The images never fading from his mind. He had spent hours reading about aliens and conspiracies. None of it made sense to him, but it all seemed to consistently merge into the same message.

“Something was coming. The signs are everywhere.”

The phone rang. The sudden shattering of the rooms silence startled Noah out of his thoughts. He looked at the caller ID on the phone’s screen before answering it.  Judah Corp.

“Hi Tony.”  Noah answered as he went to the window again.

“Hey Noah. Have you seen the news?” Tony’s voice echoed slightly. He was most likely on speaker phone,  either in his car or sitting in his office.

“Not yet. I try to start my day off on a positive note.” Noah answered.

The muffled sound of helicopters flying over head drew his attention to the sky above his house. A large number of military helicopters heading toward the city seemed to blacken out the sun momentarily as they passed.

“Well I think you might want to turn it on.” Tony answered.

“Please tell me its not another press conference of yours. The great Anthony Judah sky rockets Judah Corp to new heights with his latest innovation type thing.” Noah smiled as he turned the television on. He loved getting Tony all worked up.

“No. I would have simply broadcasted that directly to every device in your house, that way you wouldn’t forget to watch it, like you did the last time.” Tony answered with a bit of mirth in his voice.

The news cast was showing what appeared to be the scene of rally of some sort. The scrolling news feed across the screen giving details of what he was watching.

“Dulce, New Mexico. Senator Calvin to hold press release.”

The large armored robots flanking the center stage gleamed in the sun light and created an impressive image of strength. The mech’s as they were being called were the newest military weapon that the government has been parading around. They had turned the tide of the last war in the middle east and proven that the United States was once again one of the only super powers left in the world. That was at least the message the news media wanted you to swallow.

“What am I watching, Tony?” Noah had no interest in the rally for Senator Calvin. Politics as of late was nothing more than a stage act. A show to make the people believe they had a voice, when in reality everything was predetermined before hand. It was a puppet show for the masses.

“Senator Calvin is announcing, or should I say disclosing everything the government knows about alien life.” Tony answered nonchalantly.

Noah wasn’t sure if he had heard that right. Alien disclosure from the government?

“What?” was the only word Noah could muster in response.

“That’s the word, full disclosure on what the government has been hiding in regards to alien life outside our planet.” Tony answered.

“Why would a sitting Senator do that?” Noah’s mind was racing. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He had gone down this rabbit hole so many times in his mind, ever since he had started dreaming about alien life and conspiracies.

“I don’t know. The word is its in response to the governments expansion of the mars project. Ever since we colonized mars we have had our eyes on the asteroid belt beyond mars. The minerals and ores are worth a fortune.” Tony knew Noah wasn’t listening anymore. He could tell his friend’s mind was already far off somewhere else.

“This is amazing. I was just reading about that. Some people believe its the remains of a planet. The true fifth planet of our solar system.” Noah answered. The anxious feeling in his gut intensified for a moment as he his mind started reeling with the possibilities.

Tony remained silent for a moment. Noah took notice and forced himself to focus on the conversation.

“There’s more isnt there?” Noah asked.

“Yes.  Senator Calvin will never make it off that stage.” Tony answered.

“What do you mean?” Noah knew exactly what Tony meant, but he asked the question anyway.

“The government will never let him disclose what they know. There is to much at stake for them.” Tony answered.

“Yeah in the form of control and power. Not to mention money.” Noah answered.

“I want you to start exposing it.”

Tony’s last statement shocked Noah. He couldn’t believe Tony was asking him to expose something he knew nothing about.

“What?” Noah’s lack of words frustrated him once again. He wanted to scream “No are you nuts?” and “Why would I risk my life doing that?” but none of that ever came out of his mouth.

“You heard me.” Tony answered.

“I don’t even know anything about this.” Noah answered as he sat down on the couch. He needed to let this all sink in a bit.

“You will. I have a car outside waiting for you.” Tony hung the phone up, leaving Noah with no chance to say no or to argue.

 

 

 

 

What if?

“What if?”

Those were the last words the old man had spoken to Thedra before the guards had taken him away. She wasn’t sure if it was a question or a statement.  She vividly remembered his eyes, void of any expression, looking directly at her as the guards dragged him across the detention yard . She recalled wondering about what he may have been thinking before his execution later that day.

Was he thinking on those two words?

Was he pleading with his God?

That was nine years ago. The words though still haunted her. She  had never understood what he had been trying to say to her. In the still moments when she was alone with her thoughts, those words would echo in her mind. A bell ringing in the darkness pointing the way to somewhere.

Movement on the street below pulled her back to the moment and focused her thoughts on the present. A routine patrol unit was passing by. It was one of the human enforcement units, otherwise known as the Earth Security Force or ESF.

Thedra crept  into the shadows of a nearby ruined building. She remained motionless and waited. The large hover tank slowly rumbled by with two guards following behind. They would look around occasionally but otherwise seemed only partially attentive to what was around them. They were just following orders and going through the motions.

As long as she remained hidden they wouldn’t see her, they were a nuisance more than anything. The real threat was the Valderann patrols. They wouldn’t hesitate to kill her on the spot. The patrol drones accompanying them would also be scanning and surveying the area, making it harder to hide.

Thedra put her swords away as the patrol rounded the corner into the next street. The weapons were crude, but elegant. She was a trained assassin and in her hands they were just as deadly as a laser rifle, maybe even more so. She had found them in an old abandoned shop, just hanging there in a shattered display case. Her escape from the slave pens had left her with nothing but the clothes on her back, and the swords had been a welcomed sight. They also had given her a quiet sense of security and comfort just having them on her.

She had several hours before curfew was enacted and it was best to find somewhere to hide out till then. She would use the cover of darkness to access the portal gate and hopefully get the parts she needed. The plan was simple. She would use parts from the gates to equip a shuttle with a cloak, then fly off the planet. Once she accomplished that she would find the nearest working gate and leave this all behind.  The data she had stolen would also guarantee that someone out there would give her safe harbor. The Valderanns had more enemies than friends so she wasn’t too concerned about finding a buyer.

The top of the ruined building was the perfect spot. It had only taken her a few minutes to scale the shattered shell and make it to an intact  segment of the roof. She had the perfect view of the portal gate and the surrounding city. All that she had to do was settle in and wait.

The large digital billboards around the city all went dark at the same time. The advertisements and Valderann propaganda slogans all disappeared.  The boards flickered back to life seconds later, but this time they all were displaying the same image. A large man standing in the shadows of a dead and fog filled forest. He was wearing a hood that obscured his facial features. The image flickered a few times once more before the image settled in. The black and white image was mirrored a thousand times all across the city.

“Hello. My name is Israel. I am the voice in the dead woods.” The hooded cloak’s voice was distorted slightly and the delayed timing from each billboard gave the audio an eerie and haunting sound that echoed each word all across the city.

“What if there was a better way? What if we could live in peace with those who would oppress us. Would you listen? Would you entertain the thought of setting aside our petty differences in a unified effort to bring peace and love to this dark world?”  The hooded figure paused as he waited for his words to settle upon the ears of those listening.

Thedra wasn’t sure what to think or how to react to the sudden reinforcement of the old man’s words from so long ago. Was this the old man’s message? Was this what he was trying to say to her?

Thedra leaned forward as she waited in anticipation for the hooded figure’s next words. Never in her life had see felt anything like this. She was anxious and excited at the same time, she could feel her own heart pounding as she waited for the man to speak once more.

“I’m not talking about surrender. To surrender would simply be to give in to the darkness and the demands of those that strive to control us. I am talking about opening your eyes to the truth…”

The image froze and the billboards shutoff. The Valderanns had cut the transmission short. All the billboards flashed the same words written in Valderann.

Illegal transmission aborted. Please stand by.

 The advertisements and various  slogans all returned once again. The hooded man was gone and Thedra sat there wondering about those two words once again.

“What if.”

 

 

 

Survival is our only choice.

 

Afallon Incursion is now available !

The second chapter in the Afallon series has arrived. Check out the bookstore page for details.

Also on April 23rd I will be launching the series with a signing at Pulp716 in Lockport N.Y.

The First Wave Has Arrived.

The first day of the Valderann invasion is nothing more than a distant memory. The nine years of occupation has changed us, hardened us and molded us. We see the universe and our place in it differently now. We no longer fear the darkness, instead we defy it.  We are no longer asleep. We have awoken and  our awakening has given us a new sense of purpose. The universe may rise against us and try to extinguish our flame but we will not go silently.

Our world now faces a new threat and even our occupiers are unable to resist. Undaunted by the long dark night we  will continue on.  Survival is all that we have left, and survive we will.

 

The second installment of the Afallon series is on it’s way.  The release date is set for early April. Once the editing is finalized I will post more details.

I know it has been a while since the blog has seen updates and that is due to a busy and hectic schedule. I have been running events and working on the next installments as well as more animations.

Check out the news and announcement sections for upcoming events.

The following images are a few screen shoots from the new animation that I hope will draw you deeper into the evolving story of Afallon.

Ushering in the future

The Marshall Kaine Journals –  Encounter at Dulce Part II

“They tell us it doesn’t matter what we think or do. In the end it is out of our control. I’ll be the first to admit I have felt this way as well. Everyday it seems another nail is driven into the coffin we call society.”

I sigh and put the pen down. I cannot find the right words to express what I feel. I’m frustrated, not for myself but for the world and for others. I know what’s coming, but no one will listen. They rather  believe the lies they have been told and live in blissful ignorance. They do not even bother to seek the truth, they simply hunker down in their own beliefs. Anyone that believes or thinks differently than them are labeled as the problem.

The train arrives in Dulce and I can see the city is already under lock down. The streets are lined with soldiers standing guard and several large mechs walk up and down the streets. The message is clear, any  protest will be dealt with swiftly and with force. I’m not surprised. The government has long since become an iron fist ruling by force. The old idea of by the people and for the people has been abandoned. The new motto is for the state and by the state at all costs.

The large digital billboards floating above the city all flash the same logo.

“Ushering in the Future”

What future are they referring  to? The Utopian ideal that the government keeps feeding us? The one where they claim everyone will be equal as long as we believe and embrace whatever they tell us to? Something tells me that future they are referring to isn’t what everyone thinks it will be.

We wait for our turn to go through the security check point. We do not speak nor  do we look around as is required. I can feel Sasha tremble slightly as we approach the scanners. We have nothing to hide. Why is she nervous?

“ID please.”

The guard holds out his hand. You can tell he is bored and just going through the motions. We hand him our ID chips and wait as he scans them through the system. The system seems to be taking longer than usual to process our chips. The guard looks up at us and then down at the terminal again. I’m starting to get nervous as well. He frowns and then bangs the edge of the terminal.

“I hate these things.” He grunts as he turns to the guard next to him.

“Shut this one down and move everyone to the next one. I’ll process these two myself.”

The other guard nods and starts directing those behind us to move to the next terminal. Something doesn’t feel right and I can feel myself tensing, my instincts tell me to get ready for what ever comes next. The guard hands our chips back to us and shuts the terminal down.

“Follow me please.” He turns and starts to walk off.

We follow him with out saying anything. Sasha seems to be relaxed now and she smirks at me when I look at her. Was this planned? I have a feeling I’m not being told everything.

***

I have an upcoming event on January 22nd. Anyone who lives in the area should stop on out. Details are listed in the news and announcement section.

Encounter at Dulce.

The Marshall Kaine Journals – Encounter at Dulce – Part 1

“I am only one man, the single watch at the gate.”

I struggled for years, endlessly trying to awaken the sleeping masses to the larger truth.  I wanted people to see and awaken to the truth that we needed change.  Our universal view was petty and self centered. We saw only ourselves and our desires, ignoring the pain and misery of those around us. We did all this in the name of power and glory. The greater good was sacrificed at the altar of greed.

 In time I came to the point where I realized it was not my mission to enact the change that we needed.  My mission was to reveal the truth, prevent and expose what I could. I am the one who will prepare those already awakened for that one defining event. The event that will forever change our world.

Is this event fixed? A point in time and history that no matter what we do will still happen? If so who or what ordained it? What is this event? Why must we endure it? Why can we not stop it?

They say the definition of insanity is repeating the same thing over and over expecting a  different result each time.  I must be insane. I keep trying, day in and day out. I think maybe if I say things just the right way or present the correct evidence I can move them into action. The reality is I am simply moving myself into action, for this path is my path. The road before me is mine to travel. I thought I was the guide, the one to point the way. I was in the end the traveler not the traveler’s guide.

I close my eyes and let my head rest against the cushion of the seat. Sasha stirs slightly in her sleep. She sighs in contentment and pulls closer to me as she sleeps on my shoulder. We are on the train to New Mexico.  Senator Calvin is holding a press conference in Dulce at the MECH construction plant and military facility there. The large armored robotic sentry tanks, that we now rely on daily for  our protection have been manufactured there for the last thirty years.  I tried to convince her that I should go alone on this trip but she wouldn’t hear it. So here we are on the train to Dulce New Mexico. 

The trip itself wasn’t dangerous and I couldn’t stand being away from Sasha any longer than necessary. The problem was I couldn’t shake the images of my dreams as of late out of my mind. I would close my eyes each night and I would see the images of  Sasha and myself in danger. The closer we got to our trip to Dulce the stronger the recurrences of these images flooding into my mind became. Maybe it’s because Dulce has always been the center of secrets and conspiracies.

Nathan had an expansive collection of data and research on Dulce, dating back to the early twentieth century. Nathan’s theory centered around alien underground bases and alien hybrid experimentation. The government he believed was in collusion with aliens in an attempt to subvert and fundamentally change the human race.  He had a compelling argument but very little proof. Second hand testimonies and whispered stories  from military bases wasn’t enough to convince me. The idea of the government working with aliens to create hybrids seemed a bit far fetched to me. What would be the reason behind such a thing?  Nathan’s theory suggested the aliens were a dying race. They could no longer breed and reproduce so the only answer was through hybridization with human DNA. The idea didn’t sit well with me.

The human race is selfish and greedy. We still let our own die in the name of profit and power. I couldn’t grasp the idea of our leaders helping an alien race survive. We still had issues over race among our own kind. How could we step past that and not apply it to an alien race? Nathan always said it was all by design, instigated and fostered by the governments to keep us distracted and unaware. I still wanted to know for what reason. Who was ultimately pulling the strings and why? I would never settle for half answers and conjecture. I needed solid proof and tangible evidence.

I will admit that when the government seized all the land in Dulce and built the entire area into one of the largest military research complexes, it did raise suspicions.  Dulce may or may not be an alien underground base where they perform nefarious experimentation and breed hybrids. However,  there is definitely something that the government wants to keep secret at Dulce. I have a feeling the Senator knows what it is and he plans on revealing it.

The unseen shadow.

The Marshall Kaine Journals – The unseen shadow.

It has been weeks since Nathan disappeared. He’s gone underground to hide. He fears he will be the next one to disappear, I wish him luck. I don’t have the luxury of running and hiding, though at times I wish I could. I tried that before, it drove me to the edge of madness.

All the research and notes that he had been collecting over the years, either lay across my apartment floor or loaded up on my laptop.  He had volumes of notes and old books. Old DVD discs and documentary footage filled up three data drives along side his own personal musings. The task was daunting and I wasn’t sure what I was looking for. Nathan had been looking for that common link that connected everything. He was convinced it existed and he dedicated his life to finding it. He had researched it all. Project blue planet, Jinn, Anunnaki, Nasca lines, star gates and on and on. He had notes on  the Sumerian language, creation myths and documentation from every alien conspiracy and documentary  ever created since the beginning. He cataloged them all, separating them as governmental cover ups, internal operations as well as hoaxes and fear mongering.

I spent hours trying to figure it out and in the end I was more confused than when I started. Nathan’s research gave rise to more questions than answers. He talked about two things over and over, the unseen shadow and the old ones. I have no idea what he meant by this. I can only assume he explained it further somewhere in this mess of documentation and research material.

I did however come across an envelope labeled with my name written on it. The envelope was stuck inside one of his hand written journals. Why he hadn’t just given this to me in the first place?

The note listed only an address. I assumed it was a new contact or resource. The address was deep in Gypsy town. The old city, buried beneath the new city construction. Gypsy town was a rough place, mainly forgotten by most people. Those that lived there preferred it that way. People started calling it that during the early days of the first world economic collapse. Refugees from around the world had started  to settle there since there was nowhere else to go.  No police patrols or city planning control, just people living in and where they could. Crime and violence was the way of life down there.

I decided it was best to head out early in the morning the next day. The police drone patrols would be less active and I would be able to move about without a lot of attention.  The government still was watching though, tracking and recording every citizens movement. We sacrificed freedom in the guise of security and the government abused it. They told us it was to safeguard us and prevent crime, funny though that crime and safety statistically never changed, in some cases it was worse.

I arrived in Gypsy town with little incident. The dark dank streets smelled like rotten vegetables. The steam pouring out of the old sewer vents smelled even worse. I didn’t even bother trying to figure out what it reminded me of. I figured it was best to not know. I found the address rather quickly. The sign above the door read, “The unseen hand – Have your fortune read here”.  Of course Nathan would send me to a fortune teller. I did however notice something odd about the sign, the word hand was the only word that had a shadow under it.  I wasn’t sure if I had spent to much time reading Nathan’s research or if it meant something. The first mental association I made was his reference to the “unseen shadow”.

I decided to just knock and not try to make any connections. You would think that a fortune teller would know I was here and greet me at the door. The door opened and I was instantly stunned. I remember her being beautiful, but this was something else.

“Hello Marshall. It’ been a long time.”

She smiled and I felt it right down to the sole of my feet. When we were younger she was the most beautiful girl to me. I would spend hours hanging out with her, just being in her presence made my heart sing. So many years later her beauty had grown. The green eyes and luscious black hair was the same, as was her smile.

“Sasha.” I instantly reached out and hugged her. The smell of her hair and perfume was intoxicating and I let our embrace linger for a moment. She returned the embrace and seemed to not mind letting it linger.

“We have a lot to discuss.” She looked around cautiously as she motioned me to enter quickly.

I couldn’t believe it. I had been dreaming about her for months and now here she was.

The lone watch at the gates.

The lone watch at the gates – The Marshall Kaine Journals.

“Always be ready. Keep watch long into the dark night. The end will be sudden,and a great culling will cover over the land.”

The suppression of the truth is becoming more difficult for them each day. The sleepers are starting to awaken. I fear though it will not be soon enough. There are powerful forces are work, that want to distort and control the message. They know they are running out of time. The control of the message and its distortion is now the top priority. The awakened sleepers are now the hunted and the hunter is still unseen and unknown.

The attacks on Senator Calvin have failed and the investigations have garnered nothing. The populous is increasingly behind him. They are supporting him and encouraging him to release more information on a daily basis. The demand for disclosure is echoing through out the world. Governments are being pressured to admit  what they know or face more shaming information releases.

The response from the governments has been severe. Senator Calvin’s supporters have been rounded up in the name of “national security”. They have been branded liars and conspirators, deemed a threat to society and civilization. They disappear never to be heard from. The official word is they are being treated at the federal campuses. They are in need of psychiatric help an thus not allowed visitors. The media has stopped reporting on the senator and his supporters. The disappearance of civilians is ignored and his claims are simply not reported. The news has responded by flooding the air waves with distractions and new scandals on a daily basis. They cannot hide the truth any longer so they try to distract us from it.

The senator has proof of alien contact with the U.S. government. He has gone as far as releasing documentation and recorded footage, demanding the government come completely clean on the matter. He’s become a target. I hope he knows that. This will not end well for him. The government’s denials and counter claims are being believed for the most part and those of us who believe him are being targeted. The senator continues to fight back and has plans to prove to the world his claims are not lies. What he is planning no one knows exactly.

I don’t know why I continue doing this. I want to simply forget what I know and join the masses once again in blissful ignorance. I cannot turn back, once awakened you cannot simply go back to sleep. The nightmares haunt you and force you to continue seeking the truth. I understand Nathan’s story now. I use to get annoyed at his insistence to tell me the story over and over.

Nathan would always tell me about the bright shining light that he saw in the night sky one night. He was walking his dog and noticed a bright light that was moving slowly back and forth in the sky. He stood there watching it, wondering was it a star or satellite. He then would proceed to tell me how it would move slowly back and forth in a circular pattern. In the distance a plane was approaching.  He could see the red and green flashing lights. It was just after dusk so he could make out the form of the plane itself. The plane drew closer and as it neared the light  it just blinked out. The plane continued on its course flying straight through the spot that the light had just moments before occupied.

Nathan would always look at me and wait for me to respond once he finished. I never did. I had heard too many stories like that from too many people before. They never had proof and each story was easily explainable. The last time Nathan told me the story was just a few days ago before he went underground into hiding. He was convinced that someone was after him and he was not going to be the next disappearance.

Nathan’s story wasn’t about proof or experience it was about understanding. Once you thought you understood what the story was about you would stop seeking the answers and your mind would no longer be open.

I’ll continue on. I have all of Nathan’s research and his results. The Senator is who I really need to speak with next. It wont be easy to get a meeting with him.