New Australia Book 2
Science Fiction/Post-apocalyptic/Dystopian
Date Published: 11/21/2019
Publisher: Chandra Press
The thrilling sequel to Rijel 12: The Rise of New Australia.
A planet on the verge of destroying itself. A young woman determined to stop it before all is lost.
Ten years have passed since Earth invaded. The volcanic blast that turned the tide of the war has changed the face of the planet forever. What was once a scorched wasteland has been quenched by frequent rains. Farms now cover the surface. The citizens of New Australia have thrived.
Anarchy, the flagship of the resistance thought lost during the war, suddenly returns. To Admiral Slout and his crew, it’s only been 6 months since the raid on Star fantasy. But on New Australia, seventeen years have passed, and much has changed. The pirates struggle to reintegrate into a society with rules and laws. Unfortunately that’s not all.
The Anarchy brought something back with it. Something more dangerous than anyone could have expected. With the planet on the verge of civil war and leadership in disarray, can anyone stop New Australia from tearing itself apart?
From Chapter Two,
GHOST FROM THE PAST:
"Hmmm ...
that's been up there a while," muttered Solomon. He was staring at a
large red banner with faded lettering adorning a wall which read “RENEW!”
in Galactic. It was a remnant of a
campaign he and his wife had conducted some time ago. Felina, as always,
was with him as he boarded a freight elevator which had been reconstructed
after the war. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he
then asked. She was quick to correct him.
"Solomon, you
know I can't do that. I've told you this before," replied the
elegant Enoshi. She was now in her early thirties but still looked
stunning despite being middle aged. Females from her species typically
lived only sixty years. Males rarely lived past forty. "I
cannot read your thoughts ... no Empath can do that ... we can only sense
feelings and react to them instinctively."
That's precisely what
made her kind so irresistible. Enoshi Empaths were highly sought after
throughout the galaxy. A male from most any species could be paired with
one of these delightful creatures and enjoy all their lovely attributes, not
the least of which was their ability to adapt completely to a partner's
needs. That, and they were widely known for their beauty. Felina
for her part was like a six foot tall, fur-covered, super model. Solomon
certainly appreciated that as well as many other things about his wife of
fifteen years. He loved her more than life itself.
"Oh yes, I know
my dear. But what I was referring to is that banner over there. 'Renew'
it says. Don't you think that's a rather outdated message? It's
been years since we ran that campaign. That sign is so old the letters
are barely legible."
Felina purred softly
while looking over at the sign. Soon the gate would be shutting and the
giant lift mechanism would begin its descent. Her husband made a good
point.
"Yes, I'll have
Estrella get right on that once we get back. After the parade it'll give
her something to do. She's growing tired of going on these diplomatic
missions with us. I've sensed that in her lately."
Solomon
chuckled. He didn't have to be an Empath to detect impatience in his
teenage daughter. Any father possessed that ability.
"You have; have
you?" he joked. Felina failed to see the humor. Sarcasm and
irony were still somewhat confusing for the beautiful feline. Her species
had a tendency to take comments at face value. Even being an Empath it
was difficult to tell whenever her husband was kidding. She could only
eye him suspiciously when he did. Solomon wasn't about to provoke
her; he wisely changed the subject.
"But I agree with
you. Estrella needs things to do, definitely. She's been on enough
of these missions to know all there is to know about our people. Besides,
this trip wouldn't appeal to her. The Bandicoots are a peculiar
lot. The environment down there ... not terribly inviting for a young
girl used to fresh air and sunshine. The odor, you know? It's
difficult even for me, and I've lived here half my life. I'm glad she
didn't come along with us this time."
Felina grinned
knowingly.
Not that there was any
danger. The Bandicoots were unwavering in their loyalty to Solomon;
especially to his wife Felina. It had been she who'd met with their
legendary Chief Murad years earlier and convinced him to change his ways.
She'd charmed the creature; impressed him with her knowledge of Schpleeftii
culture and customs. Challenged him to treat his female captives with
compassion and respect; offer them equality. If he would, she'd assured
him, it would demonstrate to other chieftains his generosity as well as his
wisdom. He'd reacted sharply at first; but with Felina's tremendous
talent for finding the right things to say in most any situation he'd seen the
logic. The next day he'd gone out and freed them - all of them.
Ordered his tribesmen to tear down their cages and share equally in their food
and resources. He even took several as wives, which he proudly displayed
at Solomon's and Felina's wedding months later. His death while leading a
squad of Spleef warriors on a raid during the war with Earth had only enhanced
his reputation. Among the Bandicoots he was revered as both statesman and
vaunted warrior. That, and a shrewd businessman - something equally
valuable among the Schpleeftii.
"Well ... shall
we?" Solomon asked, reaching over to engage the lift mechanism.
Felina only sighed. Honest to a fault, just like all Enoshi, she wasn't
about to feign enthusiasm. It was going to be a long day.
The journey would take
over an hour. That's how far down they had to travel. The
Bandicoots controlled a section of the mining network which contained a series
of caves where hydroponic farms used to exist. These had been devised by
Slart scientists working for the many prison gangs. That was back in the
days when guards rationed food to starving prisoners and to provide themselves
with additional calories they secretly grew their own fruits and vegetables
using cannibalized lighting equipment. After the rebellion these farms
were expanded for a time, yielding fresh produce. After the planet was
transformed following the war with Earth, these had been abandoned. Now
they were used in developing topsoil; and Schpleeftii tribes held a
global monopoly. Shipments of it ran daily up to the surface during
planting season. Unfortunately during the rest of the year that same
freight elevator was used to transport tons of manure to be processed ....
"Whew!
It sure reeks today, doesn't it?" declared Solomon. It had now been
twenty minutes since they'd begun their descent. A group of
passengers who'd joined them in the elevator several hundred feet down chuckled
in response.
Everyone knew Solomon
and Felina; recognized them instantly. They traveled freely between tribal
homelands and no one gave it a passing thought. Rarely needed
bodyguards. Solomon had been a hero during the rebellion; afterward was
Terminal Chief of the galaxy's most notorious pirate base. There he
oversaw New Australia's emergence as a military power, then spearheaded its
metamorphosis. When Earth invaded he once again rose to the
occasion. His leadership and his ability to bring together a talented
team of scientists led to victory over a technologically superior foe.
When it was over and the invaders had fled he continued his noble work.
Under his wise leadership New Australia struggled for a time then reestablished
itself.
"It certainly
does, Great Chief!" responded one of the passengers. He was a
Zorgolongian – or Zorg – and he was part of a work detail
heading down to the Lacertilia tribe's section of the mining network.
Each tribe had its own territory below the surface - allocated to them
following a bloody civil war many years ago. During those dangerous times
it would have been impossible to travel between homelands without a flag of
truce. Now it happened daily.
"Quite
pungent!" offered another. This time it was an Enoshi speaking,
a member of the Smilodon tribe. This particular specimen certainly wasn't
the largest Solomon had ever seen. Luckily he'd never had to do battle
with one! Hard to believe that less than two decades ago his own tribe,
the Schpleeftkorkii, had faced off against these monsters in combat.
"Always a bit
stronger as we get further down, I've found. Wouldn't you agree?"
quipped Solomon, endeavoring to keep the conversation going. Felina
smiled toward the other passengers, sensing what he was trying to do. The
oppressive smell was something she'd gotten used to over the years; best to try
and ignore it. But right now her husband was schmoozing, as
he liked to call it. Always the politician’s wife, she jumped in to help.
"Yes, it sure
does!" she answered, encouraging further discussion.
This eventually led to
the passengers joining in for a pleasant chat the rest of the way. It did
well in passing the time; plus Felina got to know several of them a little
better. These were not new acquaintances after all. A bit older
perhaps. Just like Estrella, many had been with her during the long march
up to the surface. Some, they would eventually learn, had been soldiers
in the Naustie Army, freed from their entombment when Felina led an expedition
all the way back down to search for survivors. Surging lava flows had
trapped thousands following the explosions. They could count their lucky
stars that their countrymen had the courage and resilience to burrow through
mountains of rubble in order to save them.
That's
why Felina was loved so dearly by the citizens of New Australia - veterans and
civilians alike. It was another half
hour before she and her husband finally made it to their destination ....
About the Author
King Everett Medlin has been writing since 2013, when he first developed the idea for Rijel 12. It was originally designed to be a SciFi series, with the objective of creating several short installments. Instead he got a lucky break when Chandra Press from San Diego responded favorably to the original draft, deciding to publish it as a full length novel. King lives in Denver, Colorado with his lovely wife Caroline and has two grown children. He's a graduate of the University of Oklahoma where he played college Rugby; and remains a diehard Sooners fan to this day. His specialties are Science Fiction and Mystery/Suspense novels, focusing on unusual stories with intriguing plot-lines and amazing characters.
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