2nd Draft Status, Release Details and Scoring a free copy of BPG: Prototypes

I went through over half of the 1st draft last night.  Changing a few things here and there, mostly adding details, dialogue and adjusting the timeline to the new one.  The biggest change is that Kyle's return is four years and a couple months after his death instead of a full five years.  This gives Al and Irene the rest of the school year to deal with over the first four to five books.

The 2nd draft is coming along really well.  I was a little scared of the quality when I re-read my work, but with no arrogance, I think everyone will enjoy the story (unless the dark elements are off putting, then... well this isn't your type of story).  I'm about to start the 'Reflections' section that covers the part of the fourth issue of the linear comic scripts (script archive links to the right).

Also I got stuck listening to The Used song Sound Effects and Overdramatics like four times when I was going over some of the Kyle memory sequences.

I don't think the lyrics were reflective of what was going on, but the emotion in the song is spot on... if that makes any sense.

Release Details... I hope to have the first volume out before the end of February.  I should have the 2nd Draft done before I go to sleep.  After that my wife, Sarah, will go over the 2nd draft, giving suggestions for how to make the story a little more streamlined.  Honestly, I've had this story in my head for so long that I may be missing out on details, that if left out, may confuse the reader.

WARNING VENTING ALERT!!

Also, I don't know why it pissed me off, but I was watching Comic Book Men on Netflix.  Walt and Co. went to Dynamite and got a book published with no script and a little art.  Stan Lee gave them a good word and bam, published.  No script.  I know it may be semi-scripted, but this is exactly the type of things that piss me off.  Not only in comics, but in most types of scenarios.  Favors making people successful.  I know that the guys on the show are okay guys and deserve a chance for their vision, but it was their Kevin Smith/Stan Lee/AMC connections that got them published, not their talent.

I couldn't even get one issue of BPG published and had a family member straight up tell me that they would not put $1 into my Kickstarter and everyone else important with a few exceptions just didn't pledge.  Not that their contributions would have mattered in the bigger picture, but with more $ in the beginning the project would have looked more attractive.  Like, 'Oh this guy is like 50% funded, so I'll probably get my reward, so sure I'll pledge,' but that didn't happen.  This doesn't have anything to do with the Ebook, it just sucks.  I've come to the conclusion I cannot count on anyone, unfortunately.  I don't want to be that type of guy, but that seems to be the reality.  I could go into specifics, but I'd end up burning the bridges I have, so yeah.

END OF VENTING

So, how do you, the hopefully soon to be BPG fan, get a free copy of The BulletProof Ghost: Prototypes?  Well once the final draft is... well finalized, I'll line up all of the Amazon Kindle specifics and put up a free copy online.  I will not post the link or make it available by search.  I will send a link to anyone who wants a free copy, in exchange for an Amazon review.  I know there will be several people who do this just to get a free copy and won't put up a review.  I am warning you, that if you do that, I can't take the copy from you, but I will NOT give you a free copy of the second volume for review.  Period.  Your name will be on a list and I will not give you another volume for review, you'll just have to buy the next one.

The reviews will help give the ebook legitimacy.  It may even help sell or put it on some sort of highest review list.  Also if you take a free copy and put up a troll review, I will also put you on the not free stuff list.  If you did not like it and give an honest review, fine.  I don't see why you would want vol 2, but I'll let you have one for another review.  I won't punish honesty, but if you lie about the content or insult me personally... yeah.

With all of the that out of the way, I hope you will enjoy the first volume.  More information to come.  Thanks for everything.

-Jake dh

Update: Book Cover and First Draft of Prototypes

Everytime I type the word 'Update' I think of Tourettes Guy -

Anyway, I wanted to inform everyone on developments other than the BPG Universe updates.  Which I enjoy doing to get everyone up to speed on the tech in the book.  So I will have the first draft completed this morning.  If you've read the scripts, I'm to the point after Four saves everyone from the Synth sent to kill Kyle.  I have the aftermath of the story and several revelations about William to write and then the epilogue, which wasn't in the original story at all.  I needed to explain why William didn't just blow up the entire town or send Synths to Kyle's friends and families' houses to find them.

Also I was contacted last week by a book cover artist from AEP Book Covers.  He completed work without me asking as a way to peak my interest, which it did, so I agreed to pay him for the work after some alterations.  I have to pay him next week, but here is the cover with watermarks (this is so no one can steal his work... if you've looked at this blog and the old wix blog I explain this about some of Scott's work).

Artwork by James Price at AEP Book Covers

I am thankful to have such great work for an affordable price.  This is subtile and much better suited to a book cover than the idea I had, which was good for a comic, but not an ebook.  Hopefully when the Ebook is out, this will help sell copies.  Doing BPG (or writing in general) is the goal, but doing it part time and quiting my night job is a nice conciliation prize.

That's all for now.  Keep in mind, I'll put up a facebook, twitter, website and blog post to let everyone know when it will be possible to get a free copy of BPG: Prototypes.  All you have to do is put a review on Amazon to get a free copy.  Thanks again and stay tuned.

-Jake dh

Edit: I'm about 7,000 words from Prototypes being considered a novel and not a novella.  I didn't expect this volume to be this big, but that's awesome.  I'll post it up on Facebook/Twitter if I go over the 40,000 word threshhold.

Another Edit: I just completed the first draft of BPG: Prototypes.... squeeeeee!

BPG Universe: Nanites

This is the third post in the BPG Universe series.  I've enjoyed writing these to help flesh out some of the details of The BulletProof Ghost as I write the first draft of Prototypes.

Nanites are microscopic machines built for specific purposes.  In science fiction nanites are generally portrayed as magic-do-anything entities or tools.  In the BPGU nanites are built for specific purposes.  You wouldn't use a screwdriver to drive in a nail.  The multiple types of nanites are used to several purposes.

The main type of nanites referenced in BPG: Prototypes are the Healing Nanites.  These are nanites that are used to boost and assist in biological beings normal healing processes.  This not only speeds up the process of healing (by a 100x depending on the injuries incurred), but keeping the subject alive due to what would normally be considered fatal injuries.  Nervous system injuries are notoriously difficult for the nanites to heal.  Current healing nanites cannot regrow limbs.

Theoretically if a William model Cybernetic Prototype's head is severed, the head will stay alive longer, but there is no process to reconnect the head.  The Nanites cannot repair a completely severed spinal cord.Cybers can lose a large amount of blood with these nanites in their system (in reference to the amount of biological tissue retained by subject).

Resurrection Nanites can resuscitate a dead subject as long as their nervous system has minimal direct damage.  The body must have the nanites administered within 24 hours of death (unless body is frozen after death).  Decomposition after 24 hours will render the nanites useless.  The body must be placed in status for the nanites to repair the damage that resulted in death (once again, these nanites also cannot regrow limbs, but organs can be regrown as long as some tissue of the organ or a type of organ is given to the nanites).  After the damage is repaired the body must be taken out of stasis at which point the nanites create an electrical jolt that restarts the heart and all body functions.  The nanites then self destruct and their components are recycled by the healing nanites that are then administered or flushed out of the body naturally.  This process takes much longer, since the natual healing processes are not enhanced due to the subject being deceased.

Transmutation Nanites are used in the creation of Invincialloy.  Steel is altered at the molecular level to make it stronger than typical metals created by 'normal' human society.  Cybers have the ability to take caches of these nanites to repair their armor. Maybe Spoiler - Kyle and Four keep stores of steel and the other components needed to create the strong metal around their base/home after Prototypes (well technically after In Spades).  More on Invincialloy later.

Synthetic Repair Nanites are similar to healing nanites, but not assisted by any natural healing processes.  This makes any non-armor based damage slow to auto-repair.  These nanites will try to keep synthetic functions running despite damage.  This includes damage that cannot be completely repaired by the nanites which may mean some functions will have to be done manually by the nanites.  Power Source damage may have to be repaired manually in 90% of situations.  The nanites will be disintegrated in most situations when trying to repair said damage.

Harmony Nanites are used to keep a cyber's biological and synthetic functions working in conjunction with each other.  They also keep the body from outright rejecting the synthetic components.

Nanites inside of a Cyber or Synth use the Power Source for fuel.  The self sustaining energy source inside of these beings is the end all for the Prototypes (and eventually standardized Cybernetic/Synthetic Enforcers).  They cannot come into direct contact with the Source, but use tiny microscopic ports that syphon energy from the Source.  More on Biodisian Power Sources later.

For a Non-Synthetic being injected with healing (or other types of) nanites, the nanites use any source of energy available.  In this case, they mostly use solar energy that is absorbed through the skin.  Non-body produced heat will also be absorbed.  It is not odd for the area around a nanite-enhanced human to be colder than other areas near said subject.  Especially if the subject had recently healed quickly.

There may by other types of nanites, but these are the nanites that are in The BulletProof Ghost: Prototypes and the only ones that Kyle and Four come in contact with.  Technically Kyle was the only person to be fully brought back to life by the resurrection-nanites.  The other Cybers were severly injured or simply kidnapped while in perfect health.

Thanks for reading and more updates to come.

-Jake dh

BPG Universe: Energy Blaster, Boosters and Kinetic Blades

This is the second post in the BPG Universe series.  Since Energy generation, alteration and transference are all connected, all of the tools that use this tech(within the first volume) will be in this post.  Most of this is touched on in the volume as the story progresses, but this gives a more in depth look into how the technology works.  The Power Source will be in a separate article.

Energy Blaster:  Energy Blaster is the nickname Cybernetic Prototype 005 (aka Kyle Richard aka BPG) uses for the Energy Transference and Dispersal Units (ETDUs).  These are weapons that can be used to fire projectiles made of certain types of energy.  The energy, depending on the type, takes on a different color to the naked eye.  Kinetic is the most used energy type, which takes on a light blue color.  For instance:

In the picture, BPG's stabilizers and kinetic blade are lit up with kinetic energy.  Kinetic Energy is defined as the energy which an object possesses due to its motion. In this case there is no 'object'.  The stabilizers push BPG in different directions as he flies.  The boosters on the bottom of his feet at made exclusively for kinetic energy usage, the motion of which is headed in the direction away from his feet.  This has the opposite effect of pushing BPG away from the ground and propelling him upward (or whatever the opposite direction the bottoms of his feet are facing).

The energy blaster's kinetic energy hits an object in the form of a ball of light.  The light dissipates once the energy is expended either by going a long distance and having the friction of the air use up its energy store or more likely, hitting an object.  This has the effect of a minor or extreme concussive force, equaling anywhere from a light tap to the force of a wrecking ball swung at full force.

The energy blaster can also use other types of energy such as heat, explosive (which isn't technically an energy type, but is a blast rigged to send out a concussive shock wave), heat extraction (freezing blast), electrical (low levels are very useful for stunning humans) and pure Energy blast.

Heat - Red, Explosive - Orange, Heat Extraction - Deep Dark Blue, Electical - Blue/White with a visible yellow electrical aura, Pure Energy - White

WARNING: Pure Energy is not designed to be shot from an energy blaster, but if safety protocols are waved, can be expelled from a high yield energy blaster.  Hand held units are incapable of producing these blasts.  Pure Energy takes on a white color and cannot safely interact with matter.  The result of combining these two is an atomizing effect on the matter that the Energy interacts with.  The matter simply stops existing as matter and is broken down to its base components.  The more Energy that is used, the more matter is dematerialized.  The energy blaster that fires this blaster will more than likely be damaged in the process, becoming atomized itself, but to a lesser degree due to invincialloy's molecular strength index (which is the result of nano-construction in its creation).  The Power Source inside of Synthetic and Cybernetic Prototypes (as well as William's Fortress) is composed of Pure Energy, is suspended in a Kinetic Field, therefore not touching any matter once it is ignited.

Kinetic Boosters: Touched upon before, Kinetic Boosters expels Kinetic Energy to propel the subject in the opposite direction of the expulsion.  This is normally used to take flight at speeds up to the speed of sound.  Cybers/Synths cannot go much over Mach 1, giving some military aircraft an advantage, but the stealth measures (see previous Masking Device article) can even the odds to some degree.  The other glowing portions are used as stabilizers and conduits to power other parts of Cybernetics (Synthetics).  The conduits look blue due to the kinetic energy used to keep the Pure Energy suspended, regardless if they are being used as stabilizers or conduits.

Kinetic Blade: The Kinetic Blade(s) is the most powerful close range weapon that the Prototypes have.  More deadly than their speed and strength, the KB can cut through any object.  The kinetic field it emits comes to a point and edges.  The results in the pushing effect then becomes a stabbing and slicing effect.

When used, the actual blade doesn't touch an object, only the field.  The blade can deflect energy blasts and can only be stopped by another kinetic blade.  Theoretically if an energy field is strong enough, it can deflect a Kinetic Blade, but such tech doesn't currently exist.  The blade is retracted by molecular compression (using nanites in the blade made only for that purpose).  A similar process is used to retract the various meshes on BPG's armor and body.

These energy stabilizers and the blade can be turned off on command.

A depowered BulletProof Ghost.

Thanks for reading and hopefully this clears up even more info about the tech and concepts in the BPG Universe.  Stay Tuned.

-Jake dh

BPG Universe: What is a Masking Device?

I'm starting a series of posts directed at some of the technology used in The BulletProof Ghost's world.  Most of this tech was invented by Creator William or another Biodisian.  Most of this will be explained in the ebook either directly or indirectly.  This is for those who wish to get a head start.

Masking Device: A piece of technology that makes objects invisible to the naked eye. It works by altering light and reflecting it back in the exact amount needed to make said object not register in the human visual spectrum or similar recording devices.

'Masking' an object requires a large amount of energy.  Standing still Cybernetic Prototypes 004 and 005 (aka Kyle Richard aka The BulletProof Ghost) have their energy drained to around 80%.  While moving at maximum on foot speeds drops this to 70%.  Flying at maximum speed using kinetic boosters drops this to 50%.  Said power sources can recharge if prototype has time to rest.  The amount of energy used is in direct correlation to the amount the device has to adjust its light reflection routines.  Flying at high speeds needs a very high rate of adjustment.

This goes without saying, but it is not recommended for a subject using this technology to engage in a fight with a being of similar stregth and abilities.  In fact even a being of one half the power of subject could be victorious if engaged.  This is due to the large amount of energy that is expended when the Masking Field adjusts to being breached.  If subject isn't flying and waits around one minute before engaging target, full power should be restored if no field breach is encountered.

WARNING: A masking device is made for stealth and information gathering, not for combat.  If hostile engagement with a powerful being is expected, do not use the device to travel to location of encounter or to sneak up on said being.  Using the device to sneak up on non-powered/non-cybernetic human with conventional technology is advised.  This applies to a non militarized group of humans only.  Some military weaponry can damage/breach invincialloy.  Normal projectile/explosive based weaponry used my civilians and even most organized criminals will have difficulty damaging a Kintaxin model Cybernetic Prototype's armor.  Loss of energy is not an issue for most hostile normal human encounters.

If a force as strong as a normal human's punch breaches the field, it will automatically become disrupted.  A rippling effect will ensue, therefore making invisible subject partially visible for a moment.  The adjustment process uses a large amount of energy.  Deactivating the device to a preferred option than trying to adjust for the breach.  The device must stay deactivated for at least ten seconds for normal energy usage levels.  The masking field can be breached without disruption if subject enters slowly.  This only works for expanded fields and obviously not tight fields intended for individuals and stealth.  Originally use for an individual was difficult, because foot falls would disrupt the field, but William has upgraded the field to where this is no longer a problem.

Masking devices also muffle sounds.  The muffling effect doesn't completely eliminate the sound.  Landing from a Kinetic Booster induced flight has the most risk of loud noise (and also is where the masking device user is at their lowest energy level).

As mentioned, the field can expand to resemble a dome.  Kyle uses this method in the linear scripts in the final issue of the first arc to sit on Irene's roof unseen by the world.  Irene enters the field upon Kyle's instruction.  Upon entering the field, light is reduced and one can see a disruption in the dark area where the field exists, but only from the inside.

This technology was used to hide Biodisia before its fate and disassembling by William.  This technology currently hides William's mobile fortress in the Antarctic. This is why Kyle and Four, after the events of 'Prototypes', cannot find William after leaving.

An advanced being or technology can tell if a masking device is blocking their/its sensors.  This is only from a short distance of around 500 feet (152.43567 meters).  The masking device therefore doesn't make the subject 100% invisible to Biodisian tech, but only at that distance.  Even inside this radius, Biodisian tech cannot pinpoint exact location.  Though there are methods that may be useful.  Detonating a low level explosive blast or shooting kinetic blasts in multiple directions for example.

Finally, this device is crucial in the media/public coming up with the name: The BulletProof Ghost.  The exact details of said event take place in Volume 2: In Spades and not in Prototypes (though I may include the chapter in which this happens as a preview after the Epilogue of Volume 1).


Thanks for reading and hopefully this will be useful for all of those interested.  Stay Tuned.

-Jake dh

A New Year and Tons of Progress

This sketch by Scott Loesch will be the basis for the cover of the First Volume.

Update:  I've completed the first section and then some of the ebook (if you've read the scripts, it's more than the first non-linear issue).  The first section is named 'The Trials of Cybernetic Prototype 005' (I kept writing Trails... I have to keep an eye on that in the proofreading process).  The second part is called 'Applied Dreamscape', which leads into the great way the flashbacks into Kyle's childhood and death are portrayed.  I won't ruin it, but it is better than a normal flashback or the original linear format.  Tonight/this morning I'll try to finish off the second section and move onto what will more than likely be Irene and Al's part of the story.  There is a lot of story I wanted to write in the comic's version (mostly having to do with Karen Richard (Kyle's mom).  A lot was supposed to happen with her in the first arc, but I had to cut so it would fit in a five issue comic book.  Some of this will end up in the third section.  Not sure on the name, but I'll let you know when I decide.

I touched on this on BPG's Twitter and Facebook pages (like and follow if you haven't please), but I'll be asking for volunteers to review the first ebook The BulletProof Ghost: Prototypes (working title).  I'll be able to put the book up on Amazon Kindle for free before the official release.  I'll put out another update when this is close so I can message you the link on twitter or facebook (or email even).  The prize for doing this is a free copy of the ebook (Hooray!).  I'll see what I can do for a better reward, but without Kickstarter money, I'm on my own funding this.  Maybe on book 2 (which will have the subtitle In Spades) if the first sells enough, the reviews will get some awesome goodies.  I hate to talk about sales, because this is mostly about getting the story finished and out there.  If I can sell the book and maybe, just maybe, quit my night job... I can get a lot of these volumes done and quickly (without hurting the quality) and maybe... also a very big maybe, get a graphic novel/comic book version made as well.

2014 is a new year for BPG and for me.  I have a baby boy on the way and I want to make him proud.  I'll keep the updates coming and my nerd blog will be 100% on hiatus until this is finished.  I'll keep researching how to publicize ebooks and if anyone has any advice, it will always be welcome.  Thanks for the interest and it won't be long until Prototypes is out in the marketplace.

-Jake dh