[Watty Awards 2019 Winner - New Adult!] Damian Ryker is something of a nomad. In his 22 years of life he's moved a grand total of 14 times. But he's here to stay this time, honest. He's already got himself a cushy new job in town and he's exploring the popular local shops, like that coffee shop down the road. It seems nice enough, perhaps a little too hipster for his taste and the barista is awkward, if not the slightest bit weird. But there's something strange about the innocuous café, like-oh I don't know-earthquakes that seem to destroy it every morning before miraculously repairing themselves and leaving him with the only memory of it. And just when that sounded a tad off, things start to get...a little out of this world. ------------ This was my 2017 Nanowrimo story that I couldn't quite fall out of love with. Inspired by the fun and fascinating world of fan fiction AUs, I hope you'll have as much fun with this as I had writing it!

Brian Walker, the IT guy at a small government contractor, has two problems. First, he hasn't had his morning coffee, and second, a strange voice in his head claims an alien invasion is underway. Solving the least pressing of the two should be pretty simple, but that leaves the coffee issue to deal with! Still, what if that voice is telling the truth? Brian's lunch buddy, Dale, thinks so-but then, he also thinks the government has been putting mind control drugs in the water supply. After deciding to trust the voice in his head, all he needs is a first-rate team to face off against the aliens. He ends up with a Princess Bride fanatic (with eyes for him), a conspiracy theorist, and a cosplayer. Follow Brian and his ill-equipped band of office workers, as they try to save the world from well-meaning aliens that have finally lost patience waiting for the human race to kill itself off.