Lush Planet
Excerpt from the Sci-Fi Thriller Lush Planet. This 150 page novel is now completed as of summer 2016 and is available to read in both electronic and printed versions. It is as yet unpublished but under copyright.
Siri took in the warm night greeting of a lush planet. Snakes uncoiled around her; huge birds hooted above her; the jungle seemed to hum with life.
Where was Smake Station? Siri tasted blood on her lip. Possibly from Tat's slap – the last one, before he'd pushed her through the spaceship door into thin night air. There had been a long moment of silence while she'd waited to hit the jungle canopy. The stars had seemed incredibly close as she'd waited – every second expecting the slap of leaves, the sting of vines –
She'd slapped through foilage for what seemed like an eternity. She hit huge, watery leaves, fur once, snakeskin twice, thick branches that knocked the air out of her as she tumbled down them....
But somehow she was alive. Something Tat had never intended.
Smake Station. She had to get there. If she did, she could warn them about Tat's plan to blow up their planet.
She had trusted her husband Tat. – Until she heard Reum ask Tat during take-off, "Did you get Farke heating Gaster up?"
"Yeah."
“Cruu really isn't going to see this coming, are they? – After all their humanitarian pledge drives – did they really build that hospital with interspace pledge drives? There's nothing so nauseating as a bunch of people who want more than they deserve....“
She had removed her hand from the doorknob to stare at the door as Ruem blathered on. Farke was their employee. He looked after Gasternark, Siri and Tat’s superweapon. It was on Yvona, the tiny planet they owned and on which they had built a profitable corporation. Siri knew about Gasternark because she had helped design it, long ago in the warm mini-kitchen of their spaceship, before they had any of their employees or buildings or clients, when it was just Tat and her. But Gasternark was for self-defense, not war. Owning your own planet would bring plenty of bullies to your door, looking for an easy win. They had needed an impressive show of strength. Gasternark was enough to shoot ships out of the sky. Think what it could do to a small planet with so primitive a defense system as Cruu's.
There was a loud silence that jerked Siri back into the present.
Tat wrenched open the tiny aluminum door.
Siri had stared at him in horror.
Surely her husband would never use Gasternark on Cruu, a peaceful planet full of primitive peoples but facinating and inovative sciences – and full of buyers, full of opportunity for them!
Cruu of the wild hums, the whispering wind through the jungle branches.
Siri came to herself out of the jungle of memories into the living jungle she was left alone to contend with. That and her misguided trust. How could she ever forgive herself?
Maybe if she made it to Smake Station in time to get their defenses up. Maybe then.
Maybe.
Siri took in the warm night greeting of a lush planet. Snakes uncoiled around her; huge birds hooted above her; the jungle seemed to hum with life.
Where was Smake Station? Siri tasted blood on her lip. Possibly from Tat's slap – the last one, before he'd pushed her through the spaceship door into thin night air. There had been a long moment of silence while she'd waited to hit the jungle canopy. The stars had seemed incredibly close as she'd waited – every second expecting the slap of leaves, the sting of vines –
She'd slapped through foilage for what seemed like an eternity. She hit huge, watery leaves, fur once, snakeskin twice, thick branches that knocked the air out of her as she tumbled down them....
But somehow she was alive. Something Tat had never intended.
Smake Station. She had to get there. If she did, she could warn them about Tat's plan to blow up their planet.
She had trusted her husband Tat. – Until she heard Reum ask Tat during take-off, "Did you get Farke heating Gaster up?"
"Yeah."
“Cruu really isn't going to see this coming, are they? – After all their humanitarian pledge drives – did they really build that hospital with interspace pledge drives? There's nothing so nauseating as a bunch of people who want more than they deserve....“
She had removed her hand from the doorknob to stare at the door as Ruem blathered on. Farke was their employee. He looked after Gasternark, Siri and Tat’s superweapon. It was on Yvona, the tiny planet they owned and on which they had built a profitable corporation. Siri knew about Gasternark because she had helped design it, long ago in the warm mini-kitchen of their spaceship, before they had any of their employees or buildings or clients, when it was just Tat and her. But Gasternark was for self-defense, not war. Owning your own planet would bring plenty of bullies to your door, looking for an easy win. They had needed an impressive show of strength. Gasternark was enough to shoot ships out of the sky. Think what it could do to a small planet with so primitive a defense system as Cruu's.
There was a loud silence that jerked Siri back into the present.
Tat wrenched open the tiny aluminum door.
Siri had stared at him in horror.
Surely her husband would never use Gasternark on Cruu, a peaceful planet full of primitive peoples but facinating and inovative sciences – and full of buyers, full of opportunity for them!
Cruu of the wild hums, the whispering wind through the jungle branches.
Siri came to herself out of the jungle of memories into the living jungle she was left alone to contend with. That and her misguided trust. How could she ever forgive herself?
Maybe if she made it to Smake Station in time to get their defenses up. Maybe then.
Maybe.