The 25th Colony - Softcover

Rhodes, Larry

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1462044514 ISBN 13: 9781462044511

Verlag: iUniverse Publishing, 2011

Inhaltsangabe

In the near future, Earth becomes caught in the middle of an extraterrestrial turf war when the human species finds itself hopelessly entangled in a race between two alien species-the Octans and the Jubans-to colonize the galaxy. At a time when Earth's resources are stretched beyond their limits, the Octans, a seemingly benevolent species, offer Earth advanced technology to help resolve its food and energy crises if they will help in the colonization of distant planets. The Octans also promise to provide the colonists with their basic needs in order to thrive on their new home worlds-food, clothing and shelter. Planning expert Mike Silver shocks his family and friends by joining a colony destined for the supposedly uninhabited planet Kepler 14b. He steps up and is quickly elected city planner-only to find himself appointed mayor right before the colonists leave Earth. Unknown to either the Octans or the humans, a clandestine team of the competing alien species-the Jubans-is sent to Earth to disrupt the formation of the human colonies. The new colonists quickly learn that their uninhabited home is anything but. Kepler is full of countless new and strange animals and several cave-dwelling tribes. The colonists struggle to adapt, but just as the colony appears successful, Mike's abilities are further tested. He must assume multiple roles as an Octan ambassador, justice, and even sheriff to help resolve problems that are threatening the very survival of the far-flung human colonies. When both the Octans and the Jubans lay claim to the same colony, Mike must step up his game like never before as he now represents Earth in negotiations to prevent a resumption of hostilities between the two alien species.

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Larry Rhodes received a PhD from LSU in Analytical Chemistry in 1979 and taught Freshman Chemistry at LSU prior to entering the oil and gas industry, where he worked on many Major Capital Projects and authored many technical standards and documents. He was involved in process analytical instrumentation and was a global Knowledge Management Focal Point and coordinator of 36 Technical Discipline teams prior to moving into the process safety area. He was a member of the American Chemical Society and authored technical standards for the Instrument Society of America and the American Petroleum Institute. He transitioned from technical writing into screenplays and eventually to mainstream and science fiction novels. He enjoys photography and lives with his wife in Houston, Texas.

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THE 25TH COLONY

By LARRY RHODES

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Larry Rhodes
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4620-4451-1

Chapter One

Marisela Gomez wiped the sweat from her eyes as she watched her boyfriend Jason Steele effortlessly wield a machete to clear the brush ahead of them. She was regretting the day she asked to join his latest expedition in the Amazon jungle—to find the elusive and massive Green Anaconda. Although it was still early in the morning, wisps of steam rose from the dense underbrush. She felt the eyes of the expedition members behind her as she pulled a water bottle from her backpack.

"Jason, would you like some water?"

He paused and glanced back. "There's a clearing ahead. We'll stop there for a moment." Marisela took a quick drink and returned the bottle to her backpack as Jason resumed his fierce hacking of the vines and bushes ahead. She wasn't swinging a machete, but her arm was sore from constantly swatting the horde of buzzing and stinging insects Jason was stirring. She swatted yet another pesky gigantic mosquito on her neck and glanced behind at the team's cameraman. He was straining under the weight of a TV camera on one shoulder and another large bag of equipment dangling from his other shoulder. He was sweating profusely while he fanned himself with his hat, but managed to smile weakly at her. The team porters were used to the heat and humidity of a typical January summer morning and waiting patiently to move on. One porter grinned a toothless grin at her as she shifted her backpack to a more comfortable position.

Once in the clearing, Marisela found a fallen tree trunk without any obvious crawling insects and flopped on it with a sigh of relief. She pulled a handkerchief from her backpack and wiped her face and neck. After another drink of water, she applied more mosquito repellent and breathed a huge sigh. What was I thinking? When Jason and the lead porter left to scout ahead, she had time to reflect on her relationship with Jason Steele. As a features reporter for the most successful TV station in Sao Paolo, Brazil, she had often interviewed Jason when he returned from his famous expeditions. Over time, they had become close friends and eventually a couple. She was still amazed at his determination and resourcefulness in finding sponsors for his various adventures.

Jason was somewhat of a legend even among adventurers and survivalists. At thirty, he had taken every risk possible to satisfy an insatiable desire to experience danger first-hand. In college, he had compiled a list of 25 "high risk adventures" to master, and his degree in mechanical engineering provided the knowledge he needed to devise the special gear he would need for his expeditions. Since then he had hunted crocodiles in Africa with only a knife, swum with sharks in Australia, helped scientists document penguin migration in Antarctica, re-traced the Stanley Livingstone Expedition across Africa, skydived into a volcano in Hawaii, and explored volcanic caves in Mexico that most cavers were afraid to set foot in.

His latest venture in the Amazon was no less risky. There was a $50,000 reward for anyone capturing a Green Anaconda more than thirty feet long, and Jason was determined to win it. The capture would be adventure number eighteen on his list.

Unfortunately, adventurous expeditions are costly and sponsors are required. After some searching, Jason found a zoo willing to fund three weeks in the Amazon, with the stipulation that a camera crew accompany his usual support team. The team of four porters and camera crew had grown when his girlfriend asked to come along and Jason reluctantly agreed.

Many of the local Amerinds claimed to have seen gigantic Green Anacondas, but none could furnish sufficient proof to claim the reward. A large snake made a heavy burden to transport, and the skin was both illegal to sell and inadequate as proof, as it could be stretched. The zoo was offering a financial incentive if he could bring one back alive. He was determined to claim the record, the prize, and the zoo's incentive.

The oppressive heat and humidity of the Amazon would have sapped the energy of a less experienced hunter, but Jason had recently spent months looking for rare and exotic birds for the Brazilian zoo and he was up to the task. After searching along rapidly flowing streams and river estuaries for a week, Jason was encouraged by sighting of a more common yellow version and even a small Green Anaconda. He often trekked for hours at a time, taxing the hiking ability of Marisela as well as the cameraman and reporter following at a discreet distance. Fortunately, for them, Jason never ventured more than an hour or so from one of the Amazon's tributaries and the expedition's flat-bottom support boat that followed the team, and provided a safe harbor from the many nocturnal animals that prowled at night.

On the evening of the eighth day, while the rest of the team was recovering from the day's trek, Jason finally spotted a large Green, sunning itself near the river's bank only a hundred meters from the boat. It was partially hidden in some brush and he wondered if it was big enough.

Jason signaled the boat's captain, and as the boat pulled to shore, he readied his tranquilizer gun and slipped quietly through the jungle. An impatient wave kept Marisela, the cameraman and the reporter on the boat with his porters. As he deftly stepped over a fallen tree, a massive coil of another Green tripped him, knocking him to the ground. Any human or animal would have panicked as the huge snake quickly wrapped itself around him and started to squeeze. Jason, however, didn't panic and managed to fire the tranquilizer dart. It quickly became a race to see if the tranquilizer would work before the air in Jason's lungs was gone. He concentrated on keeping his lungs inflated, breathing shallowly. He dared not use air to yell to the team for help. His field of vision was narrowing, black closing in from the sides, when he felt the massive coils start to relax. He was finally able to take a deep breath and push the coils off.

As he stood up, his vision cleared and he remembered the other Green that was sunning itself. Maybe it was a mate of this monster! He crouched over and ran to the nearest tree. He was leaning against it, still breathing hard, when the other snake slithered into view. Jason reloaded the tranquilizer gun and waited. The Green slithered around the tranquilized Green until it saw him. The huge snake moved so fast he barely had time to raise the tranquilizer gun and fire it into its neck. At the last moment, it turned, and one of its coils rammed his feet, knocking him forward over it and against another coil. But Jason was ready this time. He didn't need two snakes alive and he jabbed his knife into this one as it slithered over him. The gash grew as the snake tried to encircle him. After a few moments it became still. Jason pushed away the single coil wrapped around him and stood up. This one was dead, but the other one was starting to move weakly and trying to slither away! Jason yelled to the team and camera crew. They came running and found him standing over the still groggy snake with both feet on its tail. Jason smiled when he saw his revolver in Marisela's hand. She swallowed hard and ran forward to hug him.

Michael Allred, the reluctant reporter on the crew stared in disbelief. "Are you all right?"

"Yes. Help me measure this one." Jason and Marisela were already pulling on it to stretch it out. The cameraman filmed them trying to measure the massive Green. The drug was...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: iUniverse Publishing
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2011
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 1462044514
• ISBN 13: 9781462044511
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 304
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: KreGa Onlinehandel GmbH; 4950000000000; info@krega-onlinehandel.de; ; Birkenweg 31; Brakel; 33034; Deutschland