Return to Anarchy by King Everett Medlin - Book Tour + Giveaway
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?
Excerpt
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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