“Rise” is a stand alone story set in my
Human Republic Universe. The story follows some of the events after the tragic
deaths of the colonists in a small colony in a distant star system.
Here is an excerpt to give you a sample:
There were days when MP Lyn Rankin just
hated the Earth. Especially Africa; especially Kenya. On the human level, she
could understand Sandra Lewis’s idea of placing the Capital of the Human
Republic – this brand new step in the history of Humanity – on the continent
that gave birth to Homo sapiens. On a political level, she could appreciate
using the location of the Capital as a way to placate a continent for centuries
of abuse and neglect. But on the personal level, she hated being here. The air
was too thick, too heavy, too dusty or, on days like this, too humid.
The window of her cab was streaked with
water. How anyone could find rain beautiful, something to look forward to, was
beyond her. Even inside her sealed cab everything felt damp.
To take her mind off the rain, she again
tried to figure out the summons to see President Väkelä. It must be Trident
Colony, she thought. But if it had been attacked by pirates or rogue Lumens,
you call out the Guard and Navy to hunt them down. You inform their MP, but
that does not require a meeting with the President.
Unless, something else had happened. Maybe
the colonists were being held captive. But what could she do? The Human
Republic would not negotiate with terrorists. An epidemic? Call in the CDA.
Then – to make things more confusing – Lyn wondered what if something wonderful
had happened instead? What if the colonists had found evidence for another
alien race, one the Pentans did not know of? Would that warrant a meeting with
the President?
She had been down this road several times
before, but could not get anywhere. To take her mind off the problem, she
looked back out the window.
***
