Overture

by Mark Wandrey

  The view skewed, like a dropped camera’s, and spun around. The portal detached from the ground. It flew away, and a wildly spinning view followed. There were momentary glimpses of the ground and sky until it struck something and stabilized. It was facing across the horizon.

  “Oh my God,” someone gasped.

  The Earth was splitting, unzipping like a seam for hundreds of miles. Both sides rose at angles to each other, and her mind struggled to understand the scale of the events she was seeing. All of the eastern seaboard was visible, and inconceivable volumes of water and land were being vaulted into the sky as the ground split open. Then, from inside the split, blinding white light poured out.

  “Get away from the front!” Mindy yelled and ran. Everyone did as she said, and an instant later a swath of trees behind where she’d been standing burst briefly into flames. Smoke exploded in all directions. The portal suddenly shut off, and the fire went out with a chuff, leaving them all standing in stunned disbelief.

  Billy crawled out of the loader. There was a huge lump on his head, and he seemed confused, having regained consciousness to find everyone looking like they’d just seen a ghost.

  “What did I miss?” he asked.

  “Doomsday,” Mindy said. The ground in front of the portal was an insane mosaic of scattered and broken cases, with equipment thrown everywhere.

  “What in the hell?” a new voice said. They turned to see a group of soldiers near the edge of the woods, covered in mud and blood, looking like they’d been through their own version of doomsday. Several of them were looking at the debris, others at the scorched and still smoking trees. Some of the police brought weapons to the ready, and the military responded in kind. Mindy knew she had to act.

  “Woah,” she said and raised her hands in a placating gesture, ignoring the stab of pain from her injured arm, “we’re all on the same side.”

  “Are we?” one of the soldiers asked. “Where’s Osgood?”

  “Dead,” Mindy said. The soldier’s eyes narrowed, “Along with the Earth.” His eyes went wide. “We’ll explain everything,” Mindy said, “only right now, we have injured people and tons of supplies that need to be sorted through, organized, and stored.” He considered her words, then slowly lowered his gun. The soldiers followed suit, as did the police. “We’re here together,” Mindy continued, “and for all we know we’re the only humans left alive. We need to work together,” she said. Heads bobbed in agreement.

  “Okay,” the military man said. He gestured to the motley assemblage of primitive buildings. “Welcome to Ft. Eden.” Members from both sides began to come together. There were some smiles and handshakes. It was a little uneasy, but it was still the beginning of friendship.

  “Well done,” Billy said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him. He had a huge bloody bruise on his forehead. “You sound like a politician.”

  “Screw you,” she said, then laughed. Around the clearing, a few people were starting to go through the wreckage, others were sitting on crates or the ground, shaking their heads in disbelief. They’d all seen what happened, at least in part. All except Billy, ironically. One of the last human beings on Earth, and he’d missed its demise. The soldier who’d spoken came over and introduced himself.

  “Lieutenant Colonel Wilson,” he said, offering a muddy hand. Mindy shook it without hesitation. “I guess you’re in charge of these people?” he asked.

  “Yes, she is,” Billy said before she could reply. “This is Mindy Patoy, and I’m Detective…” he paused and shook his head, “I’m Billy Harper.”

  “What about the Komodo sloths?” Mindy asked, finally remembering the beasts and the condition of Wilson’s men.

  “It was touch and go for a few hours,” he said. “We constructed a barricade back on the trail where the monsters were coming up. By the way, we call them Kloth. They broke through just before we completed it. We lost three men, including Abbot. The little Brit really did himself proud at the end. We wouldn’t have held if Sergeant Simpson hadn’t come through with some batteries, so we could drop a couple of trees across the opening. Without her, we’d all be dead.

  The only female soldier was clearly uncomfortable being a hero. She walked with a limp and had an arm immobilized against her side, but didn’t look much worse for wear.

  “A Kloth tried to eat me,” she said with a wry grin. “I jammed my M4 in its mouth and emptied the magazine.”

  “Bloody beasties’ brains are easier to get at from inside than out,” Edwin said, coming up behind the soldiers. “But, I think we’ve put a stop to their adventures for a time. When we blocked the path, they started trying to climb over and as they’re fairly bad at that, kept falling over the cliff.”

  “I left two men behind, with flare guns, to keep an eye on things,” Wilson agreed. He looked at the huge assemblage of people and whistled. “We’re not set up to house this many.”

  “We’ll manage,” Mindy said, “with your help.”

  “Of course,” Wilson replied. “Like you said, we’re in this together.” With no more fanfare, the soldiers joined the civilians and the police, and began to put order to mayhem.

  “I’m not running the dog and pony show,” she said, rounding on Billy.

  “You got us here,” he said defensively; “it’s the least you owe everyone.”

  “Owe?” she said, unable to hide the incredulous tone in her voice.

  “Yes, owe. You don’t lead people to the Promised Land and leave them there. This was your plan, now finish it.”

  “I didn’t have a plan beyond getting us out alive.”

  “Then do what every good leader does,” he said. She looked at him curiously, and he leaned closer to look her in the eye. “Improvise.”

  All around the clearing people were working, but there was no order to it. They were stacking crates haphazardly in places where they’d ultimately be in the way, and a lot of people were looking confused. It looked like a disorganized logistics operation. That much, at least, she understood.

  “Okay, she said, “I’ll see what I can do.”

  * * * * *

  Epilogue

  Year 1, May 21—Plateau Colony, Bellatrix

  Many of the colonists called it providence that the first child conceived and born on Bellatrix was Mindy and Billy Harper’s. By their calendar’s reckoning, the happy event happened exactly one year to the day after Earth died. One of the projects Mindy Harper, as mayor of Plateau, undertook was the study of their planet’s daily and yearly cycles. They didn’t match Earth’s, so they were developing a new calendar.

  Billy came into their cabin and brushed snow from his floppy hat, made from local fiber. They made as much as they could from local materials. Almost all the plants they brought through the portal were growing well. A few insects had come through with the humans and were now making themselves at home. Billy swatted at a common housefly.

  “How are you doing?” he asked.

  “I’m fine,” she said, gently brushing aside bright red hair from the baby’s face as it nursed. “Hungry little bugger.”

  “I can imagine,” he said and smiled. She smiled back, amazed at how happy she was, even though they were on an alien world, hundreds of light years from the corpse of their old home. “The people want to meet the baby,” he said.

  “Give me an hour,” Mindy replied. “The midwife said I’ll be okay for a few minutes.” Billy nodded. Medical help was one of the things they were desperately short on. One physician’s assistant, two nurses (an LP and an RN), three paramedics and a single lay midwife were the extent of it. They spent a lot of time training others. They desperately needed a real doctor, but the schools were interstellar dust now. “Oh, and the trail observation tower reports spotting our Jewish friends a few miles away to the east. They’ll be here tomorrow.”

  “That’s good news,” she said. When Steve Edwin, on one of his many mapping expeditions, encountered a group of Jews on a similar mission three months ago, the
y had promised to send a diplomatic team. They discussed trade. Mindy was particularly interested in a shortwave radio. While Plateau had plenty of solar powered resources, the only radio she’d included was crushed flat during the escape from Earth. New Jerusalem, as they called themselves, was amiable to trade in exchange for a supply of bug repellent. There wasn’t much call for bug repellent on Plateau, but the Jewish colony was apparently located in a swampy region. It turned out the planet did have a few insects, and some were quite hungry.

  “Tell everyone to hold the party off until tomorrow.” She held up a hand to forestall his compliant. “I know tonight is the anniversary, but we can combine it with a party for the envoys from New Jerusalem. Tell supply to okay the release of some flour and sugar, make a few cakes.”

  “Ever the diplomat,” he said, to which she stuck out a tongue, then winked at him.

  “How’s Alexis?”

  “She’s out of danger,” Billy said. Mindy’s friend had tried to kill herself two days ago. So far, they’d lost four. They didn’t have a psychiatrist, but she thought it was a combination of despair at the loss of Earth and the new planet’s shorter days. Many were only now adjusting to the new cycle. As an astronomer, keeping weird hours was nothing new to her. She supposed with a new baby, that skill was about to be tested. Outside, she could hear a rising chant.

  “We want to see the baby! We want to see the baby!” Mindy and Billy both laughed. She glanced down and saw that the baby had mostly stopped nursing.

  “Come over and help me up,” she said and handed their daughter to him while she dressed in warm clothing, again glad she’d added lightweight synthetic arctic gear to the list. Bellatrix had serious winters, it seemed. When she finished, Billy handed the sleeping baby back to her. “Okay, let’s go.”

  “Hey,” he said as he took her elbow and led her toward the door. “Did you ever decide on a name?” He opened the door for her, and everyone cheered. The baby jumped and looked around in surprise. A short distance away sat the portal dais, shiny and timeless. The portal would still appear if someone touched the dais, but it showed only black darkness. Mindy hadn’t tried messing with the shifting symbols again. Maybe someday. Mindy looked down at her daughter who was drifting back to sleep.

  “Yes,” she said, and lovingly brushed her lips across the girl’s forehead, brushing some coppery hair back. “I think I have.”

  # # # # #

  About the Author

  Located in rural Tennessee, Mark Wandrey has been creating new worlds since he was old enough to write. After penning countless short stories, he realized novels were his real calling and hasn’t looked back since. A lifetime of diverse jobs, extensive travels, and living in most areas of the country have uniquely equipped him with experiences to color his stories in ways many find engaging and thought provoking. Now a bestselling author, he has no intention of slowing down anytime soon.

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  Caution – Worlds Under Construction

  Titles by Mark Wandrey

  Cartwright’s Cavaliers

  Winged Hussars

  A Fistful of Credits

  For a Few Credits More

  The Good, the Bad, and the Merc

  * * * * *

  The following is an

  Excerpt from Book Two of the Earth Song Cycle:

  Sonata in Orionis

  ___________________

  Mark Wandrey

  Coming Soon from Theogony Books

  eBook, Paperback, and Audio

  Excerpt from “Sonata in Orionis:”

  “Grenade,” Var’at ordered the male with him.

  The male hooked a grenade with one claw and armed it with another before handing it to him.

  “This is your final chance, human,” Var’at said. “My patience has expired.”

  “Consume your own excrement,” came the reply from down the hall. Regardless of the translation, the meaning was obvious. He activated the grenade and, with an underhand motion, tossed it through the doorway. He was careful so it wouldn’t roll all the way down the ramp inside and damage the cache. They flattened themselves to either side of the maintenance door and hissed warnings to the other males behind them as it exploded.

  The detonation shook the floor and sent a cloud of crushed ceramic concrete dust billowing out into the station. After a moment, one lone human came staggering out of the doorway, a weapon held loosely in one of its clawless hands. Var’at was surprised it survived the attack. With a shrug he fired his weapon again.

  The other male fired at the same time, unleashing a deadly hail of flesh-shredding darts. Instead of tearing the human into bloody rags, a shimmering trail of glowing sparks traced along the air between him and his target. The darts from the other male’s weapon fire were similarly overcome. The human stopped staggering and stood steadily as it raised its own weapon and bared a mouthful of blunt teeth.

  “It has a shield!” Var’at hissed in panic as the human fired. Instead of the booming of a projectile weapon, the air was rent by a sizzling Crrrrack! of a beamcaster.

  * * * * *

  Find out more about Mark Wandrey at:

  http://chriskennedypublishing.com/imprints-authors/mark-wandrey/.

  The following is an

  Excerpt from Book One of the Revelations Cycle:

  Cartwright’s Cavaliers

  ___________________

  Mark Wandrey

  Now Available from Seventh Seal Press

  eBook, Paperback, and Audio

  Excerpt from “Cartwright’s Cavaliers:”

  The last two operational tanks were trapped on their chosen path. Faced with destroyed vehicles front and back, they cut sideways to the edge of the dry river bed they’d been moving along and found several large boulders to maneuver around that allowed them to present a hull-down defensive position. Their troopers rallied on that position. It was starting to look like they’d dig in when Phoenix 1 screamed over and strafed them with dual streams of railgun rounds. A split second later, Phoenix 2 followed on a parallel path. Jim was just cheering the air attack when he saw it. The sixth damned tank, and it was a heavy.

  “I got that last tank,” Jim said over the command net.

  “Observe and stand by,” Murdock said.

  “We’ll have these in hand shortly,” Buddha agreed, his transmission interspersed with the thudding of his CASPer firing its magnet accelerator. “We can be there in a few minutes.”

  Jim examined his battlespace. The tank was massive. It had to be one of the fusion-powered beasts he’d read about. Which meant shields and energy weapons. It was heading down the same gap the APC had taken, so it was heading right towards that APC and Second Squad, and fast.

  “Shit,” he said.

  “Jim,” Hargrave said, “we’re in position. What are you doing?”

  “Leading,” Jim said as he jumped out from the rock wall.

  * * * * *

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  The following is an

  Excerpt from Book One of the Kin Wars Saga:

  Wraithkin

  ___________________

  Jason Cordova

  Now Available from Theogony Books

  eBook, Paperback, and Audio

  Excerpt from “Wraithkin:”

  Prologue

  The lifeless body of his fellow agent on the bed confirmed the undercover operation was thoroughly busted.

  “Crap,” Agent Andrew Espinoza, Dominion Intelligence Bureau, said as he stepped fully into the dimly lit room and carefully made his way to the filthy bed in which his fellow agent lay. He turned away from the ruined body of his friend and scanned the room for any sign of danger. Seeing none, he quickly walked back o
ut of the room to where the slaves he had rescued earlier were waiting.

  “Okay, let’s keep quiet now,” he reminded them. “I’ll go first, and you follow me. I don’t think there are any more slavers in the warehouse. Understand?”

  They all nodded. He offered them a smile of confidence, though he had lied. He knew there was one more slaver in the warehouse, hiding near the side exit they were about to use. He had a plan to deal with that person, however. First he had to get the slaves to safety.

  He led the way, his pistol up and ready as he guided the women through the dank and musty halls of the old, rundown building. It had been abandoned years before, and the slaver ring had managed to get it for a song. In fact, they had even qualified for a tax-exempt purchase due to the condition of the neighborhood around it. The local constable had wanted the property sold, and the slaver ring had stepped in and offered him a cut if he gave it to them. The constable had readily agreed, and the slavers had turned the warehouse into the processing plant for the sex slaves they sold throughout the Dominion. Andrew knew all this because he had been the one to help set up the purchase in the first place.

  Now, though, he wished he had chosen another locale.