“You are go for launch.”  Our rockets activate, massive g-forces press us into our seats, and our space shuttle begins climbing the sky.  First and second stage thrusters detach from our ship and fall back to earth .  We’re about to celebrate when a voice from behind us pipes up, “Hey guys, would you like to hear my poem?”  In the reflective glass of our instrument displays, we see the dyed-hair and pasty face of an Emo-poet.  “WHAT THE HELL?” I scream.  “Godammit, Stevens!  Weren’t you in charge of pre-flight security checks?”  Stevens tries to apologize but he’s too flabbergasted.  The emo-poet begins chanting dark, shitty poetry.  Alarms blare, red lights strobe, and our noses erupt with blood.  I yell to our onboard computer, “Xenobiotic compromise!  Initiate countermeasures!”  The computer replies, “The only acceptable countermeasure is complete annihilation.  Self-destruct initiated.”  I scream, “WHAT?  NO, WAIT!”  But the computer is already counting down.  In desperation, I open my eReader to Echo.  Magic flash.  A swirling, multihued portal appears behind the emo-poet, and I see the translucent outline of Chuck Norris emerge from it.  Denim-sleeved arms reach out and snap the emo-poet’s neck, and then drag him into the portal.  Before it closes and disappears, Chuck gives me a level stare and a thumbs-up.  Stevens and I breathe a sigh of relief as the computer powers down the self-destruct.

Has your spacecraft been infiltrated by shitty poetry?  Get Echo Vol. 1 on Kindle here:  Vol. 1 on Kindle.  Vol. 2 on Kindle here:  Vol.2 on Kindle. Links for Vol.1 AND Vol.2 on Smashwords/Nook/iBooks/Kobo are available here:  Echo on other platforms