by
Danger is in the air ...
Fourteen-year-old Muree and her little brother live in the tunnels under Homa, stealing to survive, hiding from the alien Zecla and their mechs.
But when the mechs suddenly focus on them, the two children are forced to run ... into a pandemic of galactic proportions.
Warning: creepy absentee father, depictions of illness and death, underage sexuality, parental betrayal, pregnancy loss, innuendo, humans used for food by aliens.
There are four point of view characters: two human, two alien.
This book is a standalone story which is not in the Red Dog Conspiracy universe. It was written in 2008, and is being published for the first time. The ebook is exclusively available on my website.
Publisher: Red Dog Press
Cover Artists:
Genres:
Tropes: Antihero, Bad Robot, Band of Misfits, Benevolent Aliens, Cross-Species Friendships, Dying World, Dystopian Governments, Enemy to Ally, Found Family, Galactic Civilization, Interstellar Travel, Killer Aliens, Lost Civilization, Post-Apocalyptic, Reluctant Hero, Space Pilot, Wise Mentor
Word Count: 40500
Setting: Future Earth/Space Station/Space ship
Languages Available: English
Tropes: Antihero, Bad Robot, Band of Misfits, Benevolent Aliens, Cross-Species Friendships, Dying World, Dystopian Governments, Enemy to Ally, Found Family, Galactic Civilization, Interstellar Travel, Killer Aliens, Lost Civilization, Post-Apocalyptic, Reluctant Hero, Space Pilot, Wise Mentor
Word Count: 40500
Setting: Future Earth/Space Station/Space ship
Languages Available: English
A Trader stand, and a basket of oranges on the corner. Oranges!
I pulled at my brother's hand. "That's a new Trader. Ready?"
Johba looked up at me and nodded, a broad grin on his freckled face. An easy mark.
The air in the crowded, metal-lined tunnel felt steamy hot, and metal-greasy. Mechs had been here.
Me and Johba went towards the Trader booth through the crowded passageway. The Trader stood behind the counter, talking to another Umun in the flickering long-bulb light.
Zecla didn't come here often; I liked it better that way. Only the Slaves knew what the Zecla did if they caught you, and they would never tell.
READ MOREThe counter held a stack of jars of hair cream (Want to move up in the world? Use Vyoh's arm and leg cream, guaranteed to grow a thick furry coat!), a basket of tools, several bags of greens, and a shallow basket, too full of oranges, near a corner.
Holding Johba's hand, I moved to the side the oranges sat on. The mun talking to the Trader finished up and left. The Trader turned to us and grinned at Johba. "What you need?"
The Trader wore the same brown and black we all did, but he had to be an escaped Day Slave. No other Umun would speak Inglis with such a strong Zecla accent. I reached into my bag. "I got copper wire."
"Oh!" The Trader's dark blue eyes brightened, and he leaned forward, over the counter.
I kept my hand in the bag, as if rummaging around.
The Trader said in a bright voice, "How much you got there?"
I pulled my hand out with a jerk, my elbow jostling the oranges, which spilled onto the floor.
"Oh, no!" I cried out. "I'm so sorry!" I knelt beside the stand and picked up the oranges as they rolled around the floor, putting two in my bag, the rest back in the basket.
"No worry, young one," he said, in a soothing tone. "You get that copper out the bag, just take your time. Any time you find copper, missy, I give good price." Another mun came up to the counter; he turned to him. "One minute, sir, then I help."
The second he turned, we ducked down, moving into the crowd, keeping our heads low, pulling our hoods up to blend with the rest. Mama told me rushing only draws attention, so we didn't rush. We turned the corner as the tunnel did.
No shouts came from behind.
Johba did well, never once looked back.
We walked the charred, rusted tunnel, Johba's hand slick with sweat. This tunnel's lights worked. No mechs up or down, and the other Umuns moved along past without a glance.
I lost grasp of him, then felt a jolt of fear as I scrabbled to find his hand.
"We should have worn gloves," Johba whispered.
"Too hot." I moved him faster, to keep with the pace of the crowded tunnel, the sack banging against my leg as we walked.
Something didn't feel right.
COLLAPSEMiki A. on https://pattyloof.com wrote:A future Earth - and all is not well...
In this future Umuns have despoiled the Erth and almost wiped themselves out... Now the planet is managed by the Zecla and Umuns are either slaves/workers or pets - though some are 'free' or living in secret underground.
Homa follows a number of Umuns as well as a few Zecla as they navigate a new disease that seems to have jumped species - from Erth animals to Umuns and also to Zecla... In a series of short chapters we learn a surprising amount about everyday life in the several groups, both on planet and in space (Over-Homa - a space station; on several ships). The various individuals are connected in ways that don't become clear until almost the end of the book.
I enjoyed the clever use of altered language (Erth, Umuns... ) - which is easily read phonetically (unlike Feersum Endjinn by Iain Banks!). As mentioned the various groups are connected - and it gradually becomes clear just how. The ending isn't entirely 'feel good' but is optimistic.
Less daunting than The Red Dog Conspiracy this is a good 'taster' for those new to the author.
Dystopian but . . .
The beginning of this story is so dark that I had to stop reading it for a while. However, as the plot unfolds there is a flicker of hope that eventually becomes a flame. The resolution might be a bit pat, but it works given the nature of the characters as we get to know them. I would recommend Homa as a good introduction to the genre and the author.
