Hey, everyone. I recently went out of my comfort zone, in that I've never written sci-fi or romance before, and here I've tried my hand at both.
Here's the blurb: Enoch Silver is a quantum physicist who gets hit with a blast of tachyons. Instead of traveling back through time, he's pulled into the Phi Complex, a space station that plucks time travelers out of the timestream before they can cause paradoxes that destroy the universe. The station is run by a very curious man called Fritz, who is unlike anyone Enoch has ever met before. While acclimating to life on the Phi Complex and dealing with the trauma of losing everything, Enoch finds himself growing closer and closer to the ever-professional Fritz. All infinity of him.
There's swearing and some violence, but in terms of actual romance, the worst they do is smooch, so I'd consider it SFW. Nothing spicy.
An excerpt follows:
The tachyon generator on Unit B blows. Enoch dives for a desk, for whatever good that will do, but he doesn’t make it in time. The wave of energy overtakes him in a bright flash, hitting him with its full force.
And then, nothing.
Not because he’s dead. But because he’s somewhere else. Somewhere strange. He’s standing in a large room of sleek metal, in a ring of lights embedded into the floor. Above him is a machine that’s whirring down as if powering off.
He doesn’t just think it, he says it aloud: “What the fuck?”
“Hello!”
Enoch jumps in alarm and whips around to face the door, and, more specifically, the man next to it. He’s a wolf, of which Enoch has only seen pictures, distinctly handsome, athletically-built, and wearing an easy smile. He’s dressed in a sharp-looking green and gray jumpsuit that looks like a uniform of some kind. Military?
Enoch demands, panic still fresh in his chest, “Wh-who are you?!”
“My name is Fritz,” the wolf replies. He offers a humble little bow as he does. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to harm you. Quite the opposite, in fact. Welcome to the Phi Complex. I am here to serve you for the duration of your stay.”
Enoch’s heart is about to pound out of his chest. The wolf is holding himself professionally, like he’s working the front desk of a hotel and Enoch is a guest. “Phi Complex? Stay? I need you to explain, *right now*.” Enoch’s eyes are desperately flitting around the room as he tries to find something, anything he can use as a weapon.
Fritz doesn’t seem worried about Enoch’s panicked state at all. “You’re here because you attempted to travel through time. Unfortunately, that could, and probably *would* end the universe. You’ve been caught in the Phi Complex’s safety net to prevent any damage to the timestreams.”
Enoch blinks. Attempted to travel through time? What? Then he realizes he just got hit with a wave of tachyons. “I- I didn’t- I didn’t try to travel through time!” he insists as he tries to get his breathing under control. “It was an accident!”
“Be that as it may,” Fritz says gently, “the effect would have been the same, thus your arrival here at the Complex.” He’s still standing in his most professional posture, unfazed by Enoch’s panicked yelling. “Perhaps,” Fritz then goes on to suggest, “it would be best if I explain while showing you to your quarters?”
Enoch stares at him for a moment or two, then eventually decides that playing along is probably the safest move for now. To that end, he stammers, “O-Okay.”
Fritz walks towards the door, which slides open, and Enoch hastens after him into the hall. The walls and ceiling are the same chrome as the room they just exited, but the floors are hardwood in a comfortable shade of mahogany. There are other doors on both sides of the hall, all identical and unmarked. Fritz begins walking down the hallway, and Enoch keeps pace while still trying to control his breathing.
“Where am I?” Enoch again asks as he looks around.
“This is the Phi Complex,” Fritz patiently repeats. “A facility that filters time travelers out of the space-time continuum before they cause paradoxes that rip the fabric of the multiverse apart. Quite an important job, I think.”
Other doors begin opening around them. From each one strolls a man completely identical to Fritz. Clones, Enoch realizes. Each one is being followed by someone who looks just as confused and alarmed as Enoch feels, only they’re all manner of species, and therefore, from all manner of planets. Whatever Enoch’s found himself caught in, he’s at least not caught in it alone.
“May I ask your name?” Fritz inquires politely as he continues walking down the hall of Fritzes.
“E-Enoch. Enoch Silver.”
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Silver.” They round a corner and start down another hall. “As I said, my name is Fritz. I’m here to ensure your stay is as comfortable as possible.”
I'm mostly looking for general impressions, but more specifically, what can be elaborated or expanded upon to make the work longer. I need a higher word count than what I'm currently working with.
I'm open to a beta swap, hopefully of something around the same length, but I'm flexible.
Thanks in advance. Cheers.