Cameron Mcvey

Monsters of Utopia Cameron Mcvey

"Monsters of Utopia" is a story of first contact with aliens from deep space and from deep within ourselves. It begins - as all great stories do - in medias res. The arena of action is the Rocky Mountains near Denver, CO, USA. The three main characters are Clark, Bob and Sharon. There is a war going on. Clark is a prisoner of the military - not an enemy, but a potential asset. Sharon is a facilitator sent to convince Clark to help the military in its efforts against the enemy, known only as 'jellies' at this point. We learn about Bob, left behind when Clark was captured, from his journal entries uploaded and reviewed by the military. The jellies are giant, flying jellyfish. They have the ability to overcome resistance by altering the public's perception of reality. Before he was captured, Clark had direct experience with these jellie-created illusions. Sharon manipulates Clark in order to use him as a guinea pig for the military. Clark infiltrates the jellie-controlled territory of Denver. Sharon does not necessarily agree with the military's plan but she understands the need for action against the jellies. Reports from the "World Archive," a digital repository of information established in response to the jellies attacking the planet, provide more details about the origin of the jellies and, possibly, some other forces involved in the battle for Earth. The military's plan goes awry and Clark flees Denver as Sharon escapes the base when the jellies attack. Sharon retrieves a device, the Psychosomatic Isolator, from the wreckage of the base and she uses it to make mental contact with Clark. Clark encounters a woman named Erica. He suspects she is another jellie-created illusion. Erica betrays him and, as he escapes, Clark is transported through unknown means to Bob. Bob is in the process of sacrificing himself to the jellies because he feels guilty for surviving the earlier attack. Bob and Clark are taken to a magical place called "The City." A mysterious figure called Alvheim describes to them the reason behind the jellies' attack. Sharon, too, encounters a strange being named Sebastian Oglethorpe. Sebastian explains that he is an imaginal, an etheric species intimately bonded to humankind. The imaginals yearn to leave Earth and travel out amongst the stars but humankind's fears and limitations hold them back. More details about other players in the conflict are provided by further "World Archive" entries. We are given the sense that creatures from outer space will have some part to play before the story is done. Bob and Clark, each acting from a distinctly different interpretation of what happened to them in "The City," are locked in battle when Sharon and Sebastian offer them a third option. The story jumps forward in time to a transformed Earth. Spaceships land and we witness the arrival of the Ziabu-Norn, the hinted at species that will play a key part in the culmination of the story.