I don’t bring up the body poachers or my resolve to give their coordinates to the Fleet Commander and try to persuade him to destroy their venomous operation. We have unfinished business in the Netherscape, but our birth parents would most certainly try to talk us out of it if they caught wind of it.
I’ve already decided that if the Fleet Commander refuses to take on the body poachers, I will take matters into my own hands. I won’t be able to live with myself if I do nothing after seeing the face of the twelve-year-old boy on Razaran and knowing there are others like him being sacrificed every day so the obscenely wealthy can outlive their natural lifespan at the expense of the poor and vulnerable from primitive planets.
Our farewell the next morning is poignant and more painful than I could ever have imagined. Ayma elects to leave her mother on Mhakerta with familiar faces for the time being, at least until she can ensure her a warm reception on Aristozonex. There will be an uncomfortable reunion with the Fleet Commander to endure first, and then the question of the body poachers to contend with.
My father holds me close and whispers in a hoarse voice. “You will be a redhead next time I see you, won’t you?”
I laugh, choking back a sob. “That much I can promise you.” Daggers twist inside me at the thought of leaving behind the kindest, gentlest man I’ve ever met. Better than anyone, my father would surely understand my motivation if I explained to him why I need to go after the body poachers, but I can’t worry him now when he needs to focus all his energies on rehabilitating Mhakerta.
The entire population of the collective comes out to see us off. We, the four, are already legendary among them and our stories of life on foreign planets within the Netherscape have only added to the intrigue that mantles us in their eyes.
When the stealth fighter finally lifts off from Mhakerta, there is not a dry eye between us. Even Phin’s rugged face is wet with tears of both sorrow and joy—his father turned out to be his biggest hero after all.
When we reach cruising altitude, Ayma wipes a sleeve over her eyes and grimaces. “Time to have a conversation with my father and face the wrath.”
Velkan and I exchange harried looks. By now the Fleet Commander will have returned from Cwelt and will know the stealth fighter is missing. He probably suspects Ayma had a hand in its disappearance, so there isn’t any point in using the cloaking technology to try to sneak back to base and risk angering him further.
I reach forward and give Ayma’s shoulders a reassuring squeeze. “Remember, we live and die as a team.”
She turns and tweaks a wry grin. “You’d better believe it. If I’m going down, you’re going down with me.”
She takes a deep breath and flicks on the communications VidFeed so we can all participate in the dreaded exchange. I’m steeling myself for a severe reprimand, banishment from Aristozonex for life even, but all of that I can live with if the Fleet Commander confirms that the Maulers have been driven out of Cwelt, and my people are safe.
“This is the stealth fighter to tower one,” Ayma says.
A crackling comes over the line. “Confirm identity,” a voice responds. “I repeat, confirm identity.”
“This is Ayma, the Fleet Commander’s daughter, zero-seven-seven-five-three.”
The VidFeed comes into focus and a young Syndicate officer with a receding hairline and a shiny forehead appears on the screen. “Copy that. What is your position?”
“Approaching Aristozonex. Request permission to land in the militarized zone.”
“Permission granted.”
“Please put my father on the feed,” Ayma says.
After a long pause, another face appears on the screen, “This is Captain Monrovix speaking.” His gray eyes flicker for a split second, but his voice remains steady. “I regret to inform you that the Fleet Commander has been assassinated.”
“What?” Ayma gasps, clutching the control stick with shaking fingers. “How?”
“His squadron was ambushed by Maulers on Cwelt.”
My blood runs cold. Maulers on Cwelt. I grip my seat with both hands. What has happened to my people?
The Captain’s expression hardens. “The mission to liberate Cwelt was a ruse.”
“What do you mean?” I blurt out, terror constricting around my spine like a sand sniper.
The Captain frowns. “The chieftain struck a deal giving the Maulers dargonite mining rights before we got there.”
“No!” I cry out. “That’s not possible! He wouldn’t do that!”
“I’m afraid it’s true,” Captain Monrovix says. “I spoke with Parthelon myself.”
END OF BOOK TWO
<<<<>>>>
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BIO: NYT and USA Today bestselling author Norma Hinkens writes Pretty Gritty Fiction at a pace that will leave you slack-jawed. She’s also a travel junkie, legend lover, and idea wrangler, in no particular order. She grew up in Ireland, land of make-believe and the original little green man.
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed reading Girl of Stone as much as I enjoyed writing it. It has truly been a fun romp through space and the story continues with even more twists and turns in Girl of Blood which will be released soon. Thank you for taking the time to check out my books and I would appreciate it from the bottom of my heart if you would leave a review, long or short, on Amazon as it makes a BIG difference in new readers finding the series.
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Glossary
AmpliBots: Loudspeakers mounted throughout the CentroZone that broadcast public alerts from Preeminence.
BodPaks: Body-hugging pouches that come in a variety of shapes and sizes for carrying personal items around in.
CentroZone: The cities in the commercial zone on Mhakerta cordoned off from the countryside and the collective by a laser fence.
CipherSync: ID and communication device all-in-one that can be worn on the wrist or around the neck. It connects to the Stellarsphere and can also be used to handle financial transactions.
CortexImager: Brain scanner for measuring IQ.
Cryogenic Trade: Illegal transport of cryogenically frozen heads to be reattached to donor bodies typically snatched from impoverished planets by body poachers.
DigiPad: Digital notebook.
Elevachute: Sleek elevator capable of rapid transportation between floors.
Ethercopter: Aerial transport vehicle similar to its predecessor, the helicopter. Runs on ether.
MicroComm: Communications device that can be hidden inside the ear.
OcuLens: A distance processor that allows one to see up to thirty miles away. It can also scan and identify any life forms, and take the temperature of the area.
Preeminence: The self-actualizing software program that took over the planet Mhakerta.
Sentinel Drone: Drone used to patrol for escapees from the collective.
Stellarsphere: Galactic internet.
Syndicate: Most scientifically advanced and militarily superior civilization in the galaxy. Headquartered on the planet Aristozonex and controls a large number of planets under its jurisdiction.
TEP: Top-secret expulsion project.
Dedication
In memory of my grandmoth
er, Florence Cleeland Boal, who inspired me to always live fascinated.
A very special thanks to Michelle Gong, avid reader and fellow brainstormer extraordinaire, to whom I owe the inspiration behind the fearsome cat creature on Razaran.
Thank you again to all of my wonderful ARC readers and my Street Team without whom this journey would not be half as much fun!
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. For more information about the author, please visit www.normahinkens.com
Text copyright @ 2017 Norma Hinkens
All rights reserved.
No part of the book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Published by Dunecadia Publishing, California
ISBN 978-0-9966248-8-6
Girl of Stone (The Expulsion Project Book 2) Page 24
