Katherine materialises inside a bedroom, alongside the strange future version of Alexand. She can see Inajda, sleeping in a chair beside a bed, and in that bed, a very sick Alexand.

The writer gives life to a story, the reader keeps it alive.
Alex hasn’t been able to speak or move for the past few weeks. She is rapidly declining, and her doctor has predicted she only has a few weeks left. Inajda and Heyem sit at her bedside, unable to do anything. Heyem sits opposite, after Inajda retrieved her from Hong Kong, warning her that Alex was close to death.

Alexand’s condition is rapidly deteriorating. The nature of her illness is cyclical, and degenerative, and her doctor has given her the maximum dose of Katherine’s inhibitor, to try to stabilise her.

Future Katherine takes Inajda to Nan Ha, to be with a very ill Alexand. Katherine watches from the trees, as Inajda makes her way down into the village, towards her brother’s house. Inajda turns around just in time to see Katherine dematerialise back to her future world.

After a month of overseeing Katherine’s rehabilitation, Inajda has been left behind, wondering where future Anesidor has taken her friend. She has been accompanied by the mysterious future version of Katherine, who seems to have an agenda for her as well.

The ethereal Samira Ganesh escorts Katherine down a grand marble corridor. The ship seems quite empty, but there are a few straggling people, occasionally signalling their welcome to a new face on board. (This issue is dedicated to all those rebels who fight injustice in society, particularly the women who won the vote 100 years ago. Without them, and those who followed, I would not be in a position to see a future world inhabited by such strong and uninhibited women.)

The very practical Inajda, who has been helping her get stronger, has speeded up Katherine’s rehabilitation. The day has arrived, for Katherine to be taken to the sanctuary, by future Anesidor Sumian, safely away from the reach of the Amanojuko.

Despite having remembered all the events previously erased by Future Anesidor Sumian, (the death of Farokh, and the fact Inajda came to Katherine to retrieve an inhibitor to slow Alexand’s illness) Inajda has been convinced that staying with Katherine is the best option. They are waiting for future Katherine to show up, with a future version of Alexand, and the promised cure for their Alexand’s illness.

Heyem has been very depressed since she got back home to Hong Kong. She has received no news about Alex, and is deeply worried about her sister. She has not heard from Inajda, and Alex hasn’t returned to her military base. Heyem has continued with her life, but has grown more despondent. She has taken to drinking, to attempt to suppress her emotions. After her lecture is over, she heads out into the city, to a bar, to get drunk and perhaps pick up a woman.

Inajda wakes up, after being ambushed by a future version of Katherine De Somme. (Read Afterlife Part 3) Her version of Katherine is not in the shack, and as Inajda hunts around, she begins to remember things, previously wiped from her memory, like the death of Farokh, and Alex’s decline.

Alexand and Jarad head towards the last room in the hotel, where Alex promises a solution to the problem of hiding Lord Anderson. (Thank you to everyone who has joined Alex on her journey these past seven years. To celebrate issue 300 and seven years on wordpress, Part 1 is released today and part 2 of the anniversary special will be released on Sunday 25th June, exactly seven years to the day of the first release back in 2010.)

Present day Anesidor Sumian has cut off all communication with Inajda, since she discovered tracking devices on Katherine and Alexand. She has severed links with the Indian resistance, whilst she re evaluates safety precautions. She doesn’t mind being alone. She has spent time researching the best combinations of location, to travel to, in order to avoid being captured by the Amanojuko tracking devices. Unfortunately this means that no one in the resistance can find her either, save one.

The Guild Master’s General materialises outside of Inajda’s cabin, along with Abouna Panak.

The group have been waiting for Alexand to return, and have set camp back in the cave, near Lake Baikal.

Professors De somme and Sumian, took a very frail but relieved Katherine to Inajda’s cabin in Russia (after giving her a blood shield) The cure has stopped her body degenerating further, and will allow her to recover in time, but she is very weak and can’t walk. They have left her on a bench outside Inajda’s cabin and told her they will collect her in a month’s time.

Inajda remained unconscious throughout the night. The future version of Anesidor Sumian has left her. Inajda wakes, inside her father’s cabin, some time in the morning. It’s the Fourteenth of May.

This future version of Anesidor Sumian has lived for hundreds of years. She is the creator of the writer, which the resistance use to stay alive. She has the ability to transport matter from one place to another, to store it inside a box, keeping it safe, like she had dreamed of as a child. She has to maintain time’s continuity, to ensure that her world doesn’t crumble. Unfortunately Inajda Rekaya is being rather uncooperative. (This issue is dedicated to my Mum, whose birthday it is today, and who is always there for me, when I need her, just like Mary Poppins, but a lot less scary.)

The group has headed northeast and zigzagged around inhabited areas, to where they are about eight hundred miles away from the Amanojuko factory, near Lake Baikal. Doctor Azizi has been tasked with convincing a very stubborn Inajda to part with her writer and potentially endanger the mission.

The group have donned themselves in the finest Amanojuko disguises, and are ready to set foot further into Amanojuko territory. Alexand isn’t feeling well, and doctor Azizi has noticed. (For the LGBT community, everywhere. Love outlasts hate.)

Alexand and the rest of the resistance have settled in a cave in the mountains of Southern Russia. Alexand has scanned the area; there are no inhabitants for hundreds of miles. Inajda has illuminated a map on the far cave wall, showing the topography for two hundred square miles. She scrolls through the map, until she reaches the nearest settlement.

Heyem materialises along with the others on the other side of the wall.

Inajda doesn’t need to scan the grave to realise what has happened.

(This is for you Dad. You died exactly 20 years ago today. My stories and my world are dedicated to you. I will try to find you in my stories, to go to places far away from this world, to search for you. Maybe one day I’ll know you again. Until then I’ll keep writing. I’ll never forget you. This issue is also dedicated to Kelly Priestley, and her family, a beautiful soul, taken far too soon. You are in my thoughts.) Alexand and her troops have travelled for days across the Red Sand Hills of Kekexili, in Qinghai, China. The cart has avoided the mountains, where tribes of bandits live. The land is dangerous, and the threat from bandits is ever present. Farokh sits at the front behind the driver, next to Alex.

Abouna has been listening to Inajda and Katherine’s conversation, from the corridor outside the living room.

Katherine is woken from a dream by a familiar voice.

Inajda has returned to India after a very long journey of espionage, on board the floating asylum ship. She materialises inside Abouna Panak’s office in Saskatoon, ready to submit her findings.

Inajda is thinking about life outside of her duty.

Whilst deep undercover on board a floating asylum ship, Inajda sits amongst a crowd of socialites, in an auditorium, which is part of the entertainment on board. She is secretly filming the events, so that she can report back to Field Marshal Panak with her findings.

Inajda has been working deep undercover as a socialite, in an attempt to infiltrate a new Amanojuko experiment, entitled “The Floating Asylum,” which the Amanojuko plan to use to cleanse the human population of any resistance. She has managed to get herself a pass, and using one of Katherine’s blood shields, she waits at the security desk ready to board the ship.

The group made it to the top of the mountain safely, and trekked another half an hour down to the base camp in Annapurna, a place shielded from the elements. They have paid for pitched tents and have set up a camp fire, with some food roasting. Heyem sits by the fire, next to Alex, who is unusually quiet.

After leaving the laboratory, Katherine retreated to her apartment, and sat staring at the wall for what seemed like hours. Once she’d stopped staring, she packed a bag of overnight supplies and set off outside, with one particular place in mind. After a few hours of traveling she found herself outside her father’s mansion, hoping somehow this would be enough to satisfy her need for closure. With, Inajda and Anesidor unreachable, Alex in Australia, her laboratory occupied, and her appetite for reading diminished by her failing eyesight, Georges and Kavita De Somme are all Katherine has left to turn to. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.

Alex and Katherine discuss the enemy base plans, which Inajda has secretly given them, in an attempt to help save their lives. (CLICK HERE for next chronological story)

A few weeks have passed and Katherine has been recovering from her surgery at home. Field Marshal Panak arranged for her and Alex to have leave. She has been very fatigued but is beginning to feel a little better. (CLICK HERE for next chronological story)

Two weeks have passed since the consultation with Dr Bhati. Katherine has undergone revolutionary surgery to replace her kidney and lungs with cloned organs, she has had a mastectomy and radiotherapy and lays unconscious in Doctor Bhati’s recovery ward, with Alexand sitting beside her, reading, waiting for her to wake up from the anaesthetic. (CLICK HERE for next story in the series)

Alex and Inajda walked to the laboratory and met up with Katherine and Anesidor. Katherine and Alex returned home to Saskatoon military base, (as Katherine was feeling really unwell) leaving Inajda to report back to her superior, Field Marshal Panak. Field Marshal Panak has been building a secret army, to counter the coming Amanojuko threat, and Anesidor has traced him to his operations base on an abandoned Christmas Island, leaving Inajda to report back to him. (CLICK HERE for the first story in this series) (CLICK HERE for next chronological story)

After returning from infiltrating the Amanojuko base, Inajda and Alexand walk back to Professor Sumian’s transient laboratory, with Alexand full of questions. (CLICK HERE for the first story in this series) (CLICK HERE for next chronological story)

Inajda and Alex paid the six coins to the guards at the city gates. The city is being made from stone and wood, and appears to be a deliberately medieval throwback. (CLICK HERE for the first story in this series) (CLICK HERE for next chronological story)

After having crossed over the bridge, Inajda and Alexand run into a socialite the other side. (CLICK HERE for next chronological story)

Dressed as socialites aspiring to become Amanojuko, Inajda and Alexand prepare to infiltrate an enemy base. (CLICK HERE to read the beginning of this long story) (CLICK HERE for next chronological story.)

Inajda and Alexand materialise in a forest, in Russia. Inajda leads Alexand down a pathway towards a place, which will help explain why she has been absent from Alexand’s life for so long. (CLICK HERE for the beginning of this long story) (CLICK HERE for next chronological story)

Alexand has told Inajda about Farokh joining the army. Inajda blames herself for his behaviour due to her absence. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.

Alex and Inajda have left the scientists to their work, (to catch up on a lot of lost mother and daughter time.) Meanwhile Katherine and Anesidor discuss the Amanojuko virus. (The Amanojuko mentioned are Ichitumbu Jalhavi and Helga Ritter.) (If you have missed this series and would like to start reading from the very beginning of this story, please visit Issue 110: Farokh Merek Part 3) CLICK HERE for next chronological story.

After analysing samples of her own blood and that of Helga Ritter’s, Katherine attempts to translate her findings to an expectant Alex, Anesidor and Inajda. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.

After Alex recovered from her injuries enough to see again, she and Katherine asked for Inajda’s help in locating the illusive Professor Anesidor Sumian. Sumian had mysteriously disappeared from radar due to the dangers faced by the resistance. Inajda has brought them to Sumian’s transient laboratory, so that Katherine has a greater chance of analysing the blood samples, with Sumian’s state of the art (and very illegal) technology. CLICK HERE for next chronological story

Katherine treats Alex for injuries suffered during a failed attempt to find out the identity of Helga Ritter. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.

Katherine had already analysed the hair attempting to find out something about the identity of her attacker. (See issue 118: You’re In The Army Now Part 8) After arguing about keeping the information from her, Alex insisted she helped locate the mysterious attacker and demanded Katherine provide her with every scrap of evidence she has, which could lead to an identity. Fearing the task too dangerous, but unable to dissuade Alexand from her new quest to save her life, Katherine left Alex with her findings, warning her not to do anything without consulting her first. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.

(This story is the first in a long series, which will continue on into the New Year. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for reading!) Farokh has lived with his uncle Antun, after the death of his father, Eric. (The absence of the rest of his family, Alexand, Heyem and Inajda, haunts him). He spends a lot of his time wandering the streets, dreaming of escaping his claustrophobic village. He has just turned fifteen and is waiting for a chance to ride to India so he can join the army to be with his favourite sister, Alexand. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.

Inajda Rekaya sits in Professor Sumian’s home, waiting to be handed whatever item Abouna Panak requested her to retrieve from the particle physicist. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.

After agreeing to sail to Maryland, (to retrieve an important artefact for Field Marshal Panak) in exchange for the safety of her daughters, (Alexand and Heyem) Inajda Rekaya is nearing her journey’s end. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.

Inajda Rekaya works undercover for Field Marshal Abouna Panak, and has not seen her daughters, Alexand and Heyem, or her son Farokh, for years due to the nature of her espionage. She has been asked to his office to discuss her next task, but she has an ultimatum. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.

After promising Alex that she would help find the cause of her haunting, (See Baio-Yujia’s Ghost Part 2) Katherine had collected a film recorder from her own room. She and Alexand are now in Alex’s room preparing to ‘capture’ the Ghost of Baio-Yujia Sun. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.

After a near death experience, (see issue 84: Ancille Merevija part 3) Ancille is angry with her mother for making her attempt to fly off Mount Kilimanjaro. This story is dedicated to Lee J Tyler from The Point Of The Quill, who requested an Ancille story. Thank you, Lee. (CLICK HERE for next chronological story)

After being taunted by her identical twin sister, (Anastasia) who isn’t really there, Ancille has been taken for some ‘time out’ by her mother, Alexand. Alex believes an adventure may be a temporary remedy to the voice in Ancille’s head. (Ancille was left deaf when her brother, Sam and sister, Anastasia were taken by The Amanojuko and has problems with memory, due to her injuries. Her mother Alexand does her best to help her daughter recover in the years afterwards) This story is dedicated to Lee J Tyler from The Point Of The Quill, who requested an Ancille story. Thank you, Lee. (CLICK HERE for next chronological story)

Antun and Inajda are given food by their rescuers, (Xan Medani and Edith MehXian) and although relieved to have escaped the trail which killed their parents, both are in severe shock. (CLICK HERE for next chronological story)

As the cart speeds away from the trail of Russian refugees, Antun and Inajda sit with their rescuers, Xan Medani and Edith MehXian, unable to change the past, but relieved to be safe in the warm with food and water. See part 1 here (Antun is 17 and Inajda 9 years old.) (CLICK HERE for next chronological story)

After being expelled from their homeland, Antun and Inajda Rekaya fight to stay alive, whilst being herded towards Mongolia by the military. Their parents died on the way, and the children are hungry and exhausted. (CLICK HERE for next chronological story)

After being given the option to take a pill which stops ageing, the group of Abouna Panak’s rebels decide whether or not to take the life altering drug, SIR2HX. (Thank you so much to Pamela Spiro Wagner, a very talented poet and artist, who inspired and encouraged me to finally complete a series of stories rather than tease the reader into gouging out their (and or my) eyes. This is dedicated to you, Pam.) (CLICK HERE for next chronological story)

Toreth Rek-cho has been offered eternal youth, by the mysterious Field Marshal Panak. She has also been shown a bleak future, and has ten minutes to decide her own fate. (CLICK HERE for next chronological story)

After her cousin Alexand, brought Toreth to Christmas Island to save her life, (See issue 67: Toreth Rek-cho) Toreth witnessed a projection designed by a race of Amanojuko, who apparently plan to take over the world in the near future. (This story follows issue 71: The Other Side Part 3.) (CLICK HERE for next chronological story)

After breaking into a high security room onboard the Floating Asylum, (see The Other Side Parts One and Two) Abouna Panak and Heyem Merek, race to retrieve proof of an Amanojuko takeover plan. (Note: Back on Christmas Island, the resistance includes (Alexand Merek) Inajda Rekaya, Juba Apfvarzian, Jarad Vijay, Anesidor Sumian and Toreth Rek-cho.) (CLICK HERE for next chronological story)

Toreth Rek-cho is an astronomer, and spends most of her time in an observatory she built, in the Sahyādri Mountains, India. (She is the eldest child of Antun Rekaya, Inajda’s brother and is Alexand and Heyem Merek’s first cousin.) CLICK HERE for next chronological story.

Alexand and Katherine have travelled to Alexand’s home village to get married. (As Alexand has a very large family, who couldn’t afford to travel to India, and none of Katherine’s family replied to the invitations) Alexand’s younger brother, Farokh is one of the guests. Heyem is Alexand’s “best Woman,” much to her delight. Even Alexand’s mother Inajda has managed to find time from her very busy military schedule to be there. Unfortunately Farokh sees through what should be a happy occasion to things disintegrating beneath. (From left to right: Inajda Rekaya, Jarad Vijay, Farokh Merek, Katherine De Somme, Alexand Merek and Heyem Merek.) CLICK HERE for next chronological story.

Doris (Inajda’s mother) was born in Russia and won a scholarship to a prestigious international school. She loved dancing. It brought her great joy. (This story is dedicated to my Nan. A very strong and brave lady. Throughout her life, my Nan has been a very inspiring woman, who was one of the cleverest and fairest people I’ve had the privilege to know. Most people leave positive impressions, but there are those who do much more. Nan has shaped my life. In Memory of Nan, (Doris Bartlett) 21.08.1920 – 04.09.2012 CLICK HERE for next chronological story.

After waking from a catatonic state, (due to her imprisonment in The Floating Asylum) Alexand is recovering at home with her family. Unfortunately for Alexand, her identical twin sister, Heyem has arrived, eager to ‘help’ Alexand recover from her trauma. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.

After her daughter, Alexand was released from a Floating Asylum, Inajda spent six months helping Alexand’s husband, Jarad to care for Alexand. Alexand returned in a catatonic and emaciated state, but eventually woke up. A month after Alex woke, Inajda is trying to help her daughter come to terms with what has happened to her. Unfortunately Inajda wasn’t there for most of Alexand’s childhood, but is trying her best to make up for the missing years. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.

Katherine has been in military correction for four years. (See issue 6: Katherine De Somme) Although her parents (George and Kavita) abandoned her, she still writes to them and records messages for them, sending them to her parent’s house every month, without fail. She hopes one day they decide to forgive her for accidentally killing her sister, Lali. She hasn’t heard a word from her parents in all the time she’s been in the military. (Note, also features Inajda Rekaya, Alexand and Heyem Merek’s mother.) CLICK HERE for next chronological story.

Eric Mehmed is a farmer, but dreams about making musical instruments. He has brought up his twin daughters Alexand and Heyem and his son Farokh without his wife, Inajda (As Inajda is in the military). Eric is very passionate about his children’s futures, especially that of Alexand, who shares his obsession for music. For her fifteenth birthday Eric made his daughter a left handed piano. (As he thought this may enable her to play with her strongest hand) Six months after this, the family’s struggle to find food forced Alexand and Heyem to go to India to attempt to find their mother. They took their friends Jarad Vijay and Baio-Yujia Sun with them. Unfortunately the teenagers ended up taking drugs and crashing a stolen military tank into a tree. Alexand was driving, Baio-Yujia died and the children were sentenced to serve in military correction. Eric was devastated. This story features his regrets. He reflects about what life could have been like. He wishes Alexand and Heyem had the same opportunities that his own mother, Edith MehXian had. (She was an opera singer in The Chinese Hall of Excellence.) The future looks bleak for his daughters. (Eric’s story is dedicated to my own father, who was also called, Eric.) CLICK HERE for next chronological story.

Inajda Rekaya (Ee-n-eye-da) is seventeen years old, but has joined the army to support her husband, Eric and twin Daughters, Alexand and Heyem. She doesn’t realise that her decision will not just save their lives, but change the future of her family. Special Thanks to Imran Malik for helping me with translating English to Hindi. (The Hindi reads, “It’s open!”) This story also features, Katherine De Somme. CLICK HERE for next chronological story. A Spanish version is now available, translated by Hernán Jara Droguett.
