You have entered into the realm of my notes and my visions of these beings. You may prefer to keep them as you imagined them. However, if you dare, you are welcome to see them as they sprang from my mind.
... Refuge for the Khymera
Major Characters
Martin Godfrey - Junior high math teacher, self published sci fi author, and the accidental human who becomes the first point of contact for the Khymera. Rational, anxious, imaginative, and ultimately heroic in ways he never expected.
As with most of my books, Martin is partially me. So, this book is autobiographical in a way, except of course for the alien. On the other hand, Martin is a figment of my imagination, built from bits and pieces of my real life where useful, and with the necessary fictional additions to make the story work. He is an avatar in the world beyond the Reality Field.
Martin has no attachments. He is single. He lives alone in his deceased parents’ big old house. His father was into genealogy, and the pictures on the walls of the billiard room fill his mind with memories and stories of the ghosts.
Martin is a sci-fi self-published author of sci-fi, having written all of my actual books, as well as Outer There (so that the wild guess thing sort of works later). He attends sci-fi conventions and writer’s workshops. His readers are scattered around the world. He is nerdy, geeky, not woke, not cool, not a gamer, not a boarder. He is a runner, and does much of his writing while running. He lives in his head.
Martin teaches junior high school math, and has recently transfered within the district, thus is alien to the new school. His students think he is ancient, although actually a younger me, about twenty-five years old. He is not in the cool crowd, but is accepted by his colleagues, and teased by the gym teachers as they would any newbie.
Nancy Sinclair - English teacher at Martin’s school. Practical, empathetic, grounded, and unexpectedly brave. She becomes Martin’s partner in survival and emotional anchor.
Aki Koaloakai - A Khymeran scientist who initially pretends to be a princess. Curious, intelligent, evasive, and morally conflicted. Her arrival triggers the entire chain of events.
Hoorookai - Aki’s husband, also a Khymeran scientist. Injured, irritable, proud, and deeply protective of his children. His arrival reveals the truth about the Khymeran war.
Secondary Characters
Sarah Connor - the main character of Martin's next book
The Khymeran Children - Aki and Hoorookai’s offspring. Intelligent, frightened, and capable of limited English. Their disappearance and rescue drive the middle of the story.
Sheldon, Mercedes, Brad, Danny, Larry - Martin’s “fan club” — a group of bright, nerdy, enthusiastic students who accidentally become involved in first contact. They provide humor, heart, and unexpected heroism.
Angie & Larry (the gym teachers) - Comic antagonists in Martin’s school life. Represent the mundane social pressures that contrast with the cosmic stakes.
Sal - Martin’s department chair. Supportive, oblivious to the alien drama, and a source of normalcy.
The FBI / “Men in Black” - Agents who investigate the alien sightings and briefly raid Martin’s home. Their presence adds tension and realism.
The Phack - The antagonistic species hunting the Khymera across the galaxy. Angelic in appearance, genocidal in behavior. Their arrival escalates the story into a full scale interstellar crisis.
The Thinmen - Tall, technologically advanced inhabitants of Ossifay. Locked in their own war with the Phack. Their world becomes the setting for the climax.
Minor Characters
- The face painter, ninja artist, and other vendors at the sci fi convention
- The Borg ticket taker
- The marching band
- The pizza place man, supermarket clerk, and townspeople
- The priest at St. Cabrini
- The homeless women near the church
- The Thinmen soldiers and civilians
- Various Khymeran refugees
- The opossum in Martin’s yard** (a small but memorable cameo)