The woman at the table, dressed in the turquoise smock of a United Systems' science technician looked up from a digital notepad of streaming numbers. "That's one of the wonders of Geralt. The planet's soil will maintain all the essential nutrients needed when we'll reintroduce new crops. It's really amazing how similar the ecology of that planet is to our own world. Those settlers dropped such an opportunity."
General Aldridge grunted. "Don't feel sorry for them, Ms. Kelso. That planet's treasure is all the more reason we can't afford to allow any of those settlers to remain on the globe after they've completed their construction contracts. They would've done far more damage to that planet in the long run than the blight itself if we'd given them the chance to remain."
Ms. Kelso flushed in embarrassment. "Forgive me if I gave the indication I felt sorry for those followers of Zeb at all."
"Understood," smiled Ambassador Kile, "but how long will we need to wait before we introduce new colonists to the planet?"
Ms. Kelso's fingers tapped along her notebook, and the hovering hologram turned from orange to green. "This starliner holds an ample supply of battery power to burn all the native grasslands below to ash. We'll take care to preserve the spaceports and the most vital of structures constructed by the Zeb crews, but we'll burn off everything else to be safe that we've vaporized any lingering spores and blossoms. We'll refrain from using anything out of the nuclear arsenal so that we we’ll not have to go through the lengthy and costly protocols of radiation cleansing."
General Aldridge's eyes glimmered as he watched so much green spread across the holographic globe. "Excellent tactic. No need to spend funds when we don't need to. So how long again until you believe we can return to planting?"
"My team considers five years a conservative estimation," answered Ms. Kelso. "That will give the ground some time to recover. We anticipate our burn will even help fertilize the soil in preparation for new seed. And that time window will also give us the opportunity to deal with any blight blossoms that might show themselves after the burn."
"Excellent," nodded General Aldridge.
Ambassador Kile leaned back into his leather chair. "We'll feel little blowback from the Zeb community. We've already located a new planet waiting for another Zeb construction crew. They won't find the new planet as hospitable. It's a real chunk of ice for most of its long year. But the important thing is that the Zeb folks will think they're once again slipping out from the United Systems' chains."
"Of course," replied the General Aldridge. "The students of Zeb cannot organize effectively enough to think of presenting a case to the interplanetary courts. They despise the courts anyway. Besides, they'll soon enough forget about what happened to their brothers and sisters on Geralt. Zeb's children will have a thousand new conspiracies to believe come tomorrow, but they'll never find one behind which they can rally."
"They could've possessed such a beautiful world," remarked Ms. Kelso. "All they had to do was accept a vaccination. The blossoms would not have spread if they simply allowed their children to receive such a simple medicine."
Ambassador Kile shook his head. "It probably only took a single holdout."
Ms. Kelso startled her company with a sigh. "It's still a shame about Dr. Rhodes. I worked with him on the vaccine. He was an exceptional scientist. The United Systems will miss him."
General Aldridge grinned. "He was a very brave man for trying those ignorant followers of Zeb. We've minted a new medal in his honor, and we'll have a fine ceremony in his memory."
* * * * *
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About the Writer
Brian S. Wheeler calls Hillsboro, Illinois home, a town of roughly 6,000 in the middle of the flatland. He grew up in Carlyle, Illinois, a community less than an hour away from Hillsboro, where he spent a good amount of his childhood playing wiffle ball and tinkering on his computer. The rural Midwest inspires much of Brian's work, and he hopes any connections readers might make between his fiction and the places and people he has had the pleasure to know are positive.
Brian earned a degree in English from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois. He has taught high school English and courses in composition and creative writing. Imagination has been one of Brian's steadfast companions since childhood, and he dreams of creating worlds filled with inspiration and characters touched by magic.
When not writing, Brian does his best to keep organized, to get a little exercise, or to try to train good German Shepherd dogs. He remains an avid reader. More information regarding Brian S. Wheeler, his novels, and his short stories can be found by visiting his website at www.flatlandfiction.com.
Take a brave, first step onto the flatland!
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Legacy of the Chain
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Marblefish
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Given to Glass
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Science Fiction
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Jimmy Jack and the Smartman
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Starlight, Starbright
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The followers of Griffin have built their thirteenth colony in record time. The United Systems rewards the effort by placing the governance of Griffin XIII into the hands of the colonists. For the thirteenth time, the followers of Zeb may live in true freedom. Only none of the twelve previous colonies named Griffin remain, and the ultimate danger resides in the colonists themselves.
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Mudder Stew
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Plastic Tulips
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Fantasy
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Shadow Weapons of Doom
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A Cruel and Burning Ice
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Glass Desires
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The Llungruel and the Lom
Llungruel linger in the lom fields around the village. The llungruel is a feared lizard, whose bite brings ravaging fever that drives the mind wild. Malek and Elloch hate the creature, but they must bear the poisonous lizard to grow a sustaining harvest. But after the llungruel kills a brother, Malek and Elloch vow to destroy the lizard, and so discover secrets more bitter than the choking lom.
Horror & Ghost Story
Depth of Field
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Risen for a Tower
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Opal, Is That You?
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Mary, in Need of Belle
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A Voice That Summons Monsters
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A Handicap of Shades
Lyle Davenport golfs for memories instead of birdies. The old course's clubhouse has vanished. His arms and back turn too stiff for a graceful swing, and Lyle realizes more tee drives arc behind him than fly in front of him. Still, Lyle keeps to his weekly rounds. He shares tee-times with ghosts, and Lyle would never traverse the narrow fairways of his memory from the comfort of a cart.
So That a Marigold Might Live Free Page 4