Conduit

What if the power inside you wasn’t yours to control?

At the heart of this story is Marcus — a man shaped by trauma, visions, and a destiny he never asked for.

Meet the Protagonist: Marcus

Marcus never had a chance at a normal childhood.

Orphaned as an infant after a violent shooting that took his mother’s life, he grew up carrying a trauma he couldn’t name — and a gift he didn’t understand.

The visions started early.
Flashes. Voices. Moments that didn’t belong to him.

Adults called it imagination.
Doctors called it something worse.
No one believed him.

As the years wore him down, Marcus slipped into the only escape he could find. By his teens, he was fighting addiction, isolation, and a mind that refused to stay quiet. Every vision felt like a warning he couldn’t decode — or a curse he couldn’t outrun.

But then he found Jack.
The stranger who had pulled him from the chaos the night his mother died.
The one person who didn’t look at him with fear or pity.

Jack became the anchor Marcus never had — guiding him toward help, toward stability, toward the possibility that his visions meant something more than madness.

And just when Marcus begins to rebuild his life, the world fractures.
The rules change.
The visions sharpen.

And the truth he’s been running from finally comes for him

Why You’ll Love This Book

If you crave sci-fi that hits with psychological weight and emotional depth, Conduit delivers:

• Alien Legacy
• A protagonist shaped by trauma, isolation, and unwanted power
• A slow-burn unraveling that blurs reality and perception
• Alien influence woven into human vulnerability
• A collapsing Earth where survival demands impossible choices
• A story that asks what happens when the thing inside you wakes up

This is sci-fi for readers who want dread, tension without cheap tricks, and characters who feel painfully, dangerously human.

Themes

• Identity fracture
• Unreliable perception
• Psychological unraveling
• Survival under oppression
• The cost of connection

At the heart of Marcus’s journey stands Jack — an ordinary man whose single act of courage changes everything.

Meet Jack Connor

Jack Connor is the kind of man the world overlooks — an ordinary father doing his best to hold his family together, even when life grinds him down.

Dependable. Easygoing. Hardworking. The kind of person people trust without thinking about it.

But Jack isn’t weak.
He isn’t passive.
And when someone he loves is threatened, he becomes unshakeable.

Jack hates his job — the monotony, the disrespect, the feeling that he was meant for something more. But he shows up every day anyway, because his family needs him. That quiet, stubborn loyalty is the core of who he is.

Then everything changes.

A routine day at the mall erupts into chaos, violence, and a split-second decision that will alter the fate of the world. Without hesitation, Jack throws himself into danger to save an infant he’s never met — a baby who will grow up to be Marcus, the reluctant conduit and humanity’s last fragile hope.

Jack doesn’t act out of destiny.
He doesn’t act out of prophecy.
He acts because it’s right.

Jack represents the truth at the heart of Conduit:
Heroes aren’t chosen.
They’re revealed.

In a world collapsing under alien influence and psychological unraveling, Jack stands as proof that ordinary people matter — that courage can come from anywhere, and that one selfless act can change everything.

Beneath Adrianna’s hard edges is a heart that loves fiercely, fights relentlessly, and refuses to let the world take what matters.

Meet Adrianna Connor

Adrianna Connor is fire wrapped in steel — beautiful, sharp-tempered, and absolutely unwilling to be pushed by anyone.

She’s the kind of woman you want beside you when the world falls apart: steady aim, steady nerves, and a heart that refuses to quit.

Raised in the country, Adrianna learned early how to survive hard times with little help. She doesn’t trust easily, and to outsiders she can seem cold, guarded, even unyielding. But those who make it into her inner circle know the truth: Adrianna loves fiercely, protects relentlessly, and feels everything more deeply than she lets on.

As Jack’s wife, she shares his instinct to shield the people she loves — and she will not tolerate harm coming to her family. Beneath her tough exterior is a woman shaped by grit, loyalty, and a lifetime of pushing through adversity.

When catastrophe strikes and the world unravels, Adrianna’s true strength emerges. The walls fall away, revealing the courage, compassion, and raw determination that make her one of the most vital forces in Marcus’s story.

Adrianna isn’t just a survivor.
She’s a fighter — and the world is about to need her.

Behind Tim’s confidence and charm is a surgeon who has spent his life fighting for others, no matter the cost.

Meet Tim Eddins

Tim Eddins is the kind of man people judge too quickly — handsome, wealthy, a bit cocky, and every inch the high-profile surgeon he appears to be.

But beneath the ego and polish is someone who genuinely wants to help others, someone who has spent his life fighting to save people with his own hands.

Tim is proof that first impressions lie.
What looks like arrogance is often confidence born from skill.
What looks like vanity hides a man who has seen miracles — and believes in something greater because of them.

Unlike his friend Dwight Zellar, Tim clings to his faith. Years in the operating room have shown him things he can’t explain, moments that feel like grace, and he refuses to dismiss them. His debates with Dwight are constant, spirited, and rooted in a deep love for life and the people in it.

And when the world collapses, Tim’s abilities become more than admirable — they become essential. His medical expertise, his drive to help, and his refusal to abandon those in need make him one of humanity’s last fragile hopes.

Tim isn’t just a surgeon.
He’s a lifeline — and the Conduit world would fall apart without him.

Behind Dwight’s quiet intensity is a mind sharp enough to reshape the world, and a wound deep enough to break it.

Meet Dwight Zeller

Dwight Zeller is the opposite of Tim Eddins in almost every visible way. He is quiet where Tim is charismatic, analytical where Tim is intuitive, and blunt where Tim is warm. He is the man people misread instantly: distant, and uninterested. In reality, Dwight is not ignoring the world. He is studying it.

A brilliant scientist with a mind that never slows down, Dwight lives in the space between logic and possibility. He speaks the truth as he sees it, even when it cuts. His honesty is precise and sharp, and he often hurts others without meaning to. He is not cruel. He simply does not know how to soften the edges of reality.

Where Tim sees faith, Dwight sees friction.
Where Tim sees miracles, Dwight sees variables.
Where Tim sees purpose, Dwight sees probability.

Their debates are constant and intense, shaped by years of friendship and a deep respect that neither of them would ever admit out loud. Dwight believes humanity’s future depends on science alone. Tim believes there is more to the universe than equations. Somewhere between them is a truth neither can fully grasp.

Dwight’s path is shaped by tragedy. A single moment shatters his certainty and forces him into the center of humanity’s unraveling. What begins as a scientific pursuit becomes a fight for survival, and Dwight’s brilliance becomes both a weapon and a burden.

He may never call himself a hero. He may never believe in destiny. But when the world begins to fall apart, Dwight Zeller becomes one of the few minds capable of understanding what is coming, and one of the few people strong enough to face it.

Dwight is not just a scientist.
He is the spark, and the Conduit world changes because of him.

Behind Joseph Baxter’s perfect smile is a darkness shaped long before he ever learned to hide it.

Meet Joseph Baxter

For every good person in Conduit: The Beginning, there are others who thrive in the shadows. Joseph Baxter is one of them. He is the kind of man who appears charming, generous, and deeply involved in his community, yet takes pleasure in the suffering of others. His cruelty is not an accident. It is a legacy.

Joseph grew up in a home where kindness did not exist. His father, Reverend Baxter, carried a darkness that he passed to his son through fear and control. Joe was exposed to that darkness early in life and was taught to accept it without question. His mother, Belinda, offered no refuge. She cared only about wealth, reputation, and the illusion of perfection. Her abuse was quieter than the Reverend’s, but just as damaging.

Joe learned quickly that love was conditional and that power was the only safety he would ever know. He was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps and preserve the family’s influence. He wanted that more than anything. Fame, wealth, and admiration became his armor, and he wore it well. The community saw a handsome, intelligent, charismatic young man. They saw a leader. They saw a Baxter.

They never saw the truth.

Beneath the polished exterior is a man shaped by fear, resentment, and a hunger for control. Joe hides his family’s secrets with practiced ease, and he hides his own even more carefully. His charm is a mask. His kindness is a performance. His ambition is a warning.

Joseph Baxter has a dark story to tell.
And in the world of Conduit, his story is only beginning.

Behind Rick Marnell’s violence is a childhood that taught him survival through blood, fear, and the belief that justice only exists when he delivers it himself.

Meet Rick Marnell

Rick Marnell is one of the darkest figures in Conduit: The Beginning. He is not evil in the same way Joseph Baxter is. Rick is something far more complicated. He is a young man shaped by trauma, driven by instinct, and convinced that the only way to stop monsters is to become one.

Rick’s descent begins early. At eight years old, he experiences a moment that fractures his sense of safety and warps his understanding of the world. From that point on, he is drawn to violence the way others are drawn to comfort. Death and blood become familiar to him, almost calming, because they are the only things he can control.

Writing Rick is unsettling and fascinating at the same time. His darkness is not random. It is purposeful. Every act he commits, he believes is necessary. He believes he is removing threats. He believes he is doing what no one else has the courage to do.

Rick grows up with an abusive, alcoholic father who teaches him that cruelty is normal and that strength is the only protection a person has. Because of this, Rick cannot tolerate people he sees as evil or corrupt. He cannot stand by when he believes someone deserves punishment. His sense of justice is twisted, but it is sincere. In his mind, he is not a villain. He is a solution.

When Rick takes action, the result is almost always fatal. He does not hesitate. He does not question himself. He does not feel remorse. He feels certainty.

Rick Marnell is not a hero.
He is not a victim.
He is a force, shaped by pain and convinced that the world is safer when he intervenes.

In the Conduit universe, Rick is a reminder that some of the most dangerous people are the ones who believe they are doing the right thing.

Behind Meagan’s confidence is a young woman who must learn to survive a world that no longer rewards beauty, popularity, or comfort.

Meet Meagan

When I created Meagan for Conduit: The Beginning, I wanted to explore how an ordinary young woman would respond when her entire world collapses. Meagan begins her journey smart, pretty, and a little self-centered. She has always been able to rely on her looks, her charm, and the easy social power that comes from being well liked. Life has never forced her to look deeper than the surface.

That changes quickly.

Meagan is the daughter of Maggie and Max and the sister of Sam. She has grown up surrounded by love and support. Her family has always been her anchor, the place she returns to when life becomes overwhelming. When tragedy strikes, that anchor is ripped away. For the first time in her life, Meagan is alone. The safety she once took for granted is gone, and she must face a world that does not care who she used to be.

Her journey is one of painful growth. She must learn to use her intelligence instead of her appearance. She must learn to see people for who they truly are, not who they pretend to be. The need for her to trust the right allies and see the danger in friendly faces is clear.

There are people who will help her. There are also people who want to harm her. Meagan’s path is filled with fear, uncertainty, and hard lessons, but it is also filled with moments of strength she never knew she had.

Meagan is not a warrior when her story begins.
She becomes one because she has no other choice.

In the Conduit world, Meagan’s transformation is a reminder that survival is not only about strength. It is about adaptation, courage, and the willingness to grow when everything familiar has been stripped away.

Behind the Story

Conduit began with a simple question:
What if an alien invasion didn’t start with ships in the sky or monsters tearing through cities… but with ordinary people trying to survive something they couldn’t understand?

I didn’t want green-skinned invaders or chest-bursting creatures. I wanted to explore the human side of an apocalyptic event — how everyday people would cope when the world unravels around them.

I had characters. I had an emotional arc. I even had the beginning and the end.
But one piece was missing: How do the aliens invade?

A traditional militaristic assault never felt right. If a species is advanced enough for interstellar travel, why would they rely on brute force? Why not use something far more efficient — us?

What if they could tap into our minds?
What if the invasion spread like a virus?
What if the transformation passed from person to person without a single shot fired?

That idea haunted me… but I didn’t yet know how to make it real.

Then I remembered something I’d read years earlier — an article about zombie ants, a parasitic fungus that rewires their behavior and hijacks creatures. Later, I stumbled across another piece about zombie bees.

Both were real.
Both were terrifying.
And both unlocked the final piece of the puzzle.

If nature could do this to insects…
What would happen if something out there learned to do it to us?

That question became the spark that ignited the entire Conduit universe.

Begin the Conduit Journey

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