The Planetsider Trilogy

by G J Ogden

  He picked up the ranger seal, misted it with his breath, and polished the simple metal pendant, before placing it reverently back on the stone. He tried to imagine what Elijah would have looked like now, as a man, but could still only picture the wonder-struck ten-year-old that used to sneak out of the settlement and sit under the tree to watch the flashes of light with him. The memory always made him smile.

  Next to Elijah’s stone was one that read, ‘Katie’, followed by another that read, ‘Sal’. Resting on top of this stone was a silver bracelet adored with the letter S. Ethan picked it up and rubbed it gently with his thumb, brushing off the dust that had accumulated on it over the last couple of days; remarkably the metal never seemed to tarnish, regardless of the changing seasons and the passage of years.

  “Rest easy, Sal,” Ethan spoke softly, before placing the bracelet back onto the stone.

  The final stone bore no name, because his name had never been known. Ethan often lay awake at night, thinking of the old hermit and the wisdom he had imparted to him. And he often reflected on the sadness of his extraordinary long and lonely life, and the sacrifice he had made in order to restore the hope he had so tragically lost a long time ago. In place of his name the stone was engraved with the words, ‘The Last of The Firsts’.

  Ethan closed his eyes and allowed the sounds of the settlement to wash over him; the wind rustling the leaves and branches of nearby trees; the joyous sound of children playing; and the music of Katie’s wind chimes, which now hung outside the bakery. Like the cousin she had never known, little Maria would often bat the chimes with a stick, causing them to clang chaotically. The new baker would often rush outside to scold her, though he never managed to catch her in the act.

  “Hello Daddy!” said a bright little voice.

  Ethan opened his eyes to see his daughter, Maria, on the mound; she was looking at him with a slightly perplexed smile. Ethan shifted so that his back rested against the tree and invited the girl to join him, which she did, gleefully. Together, they both watched the sun vanish below the horizon, and as the sky darkened, they looked up at the stars that were beginning to peek through the veil of night. A light flashed overhead like a burning arrow, brilliant and clear.

  Maria raised her little hand and pointed to it, “Look, Daddy, did you see!”

  “Yes, I saw it, Maria. Beautiful, aren’t they?”

  Maria nodded, enthusiastically, but then frowned. “What are they again, Daddy?”

  Ethan stroked the little girl’s shiny auburn hair and took a long, deep breath of the clean evening air.

  “They’re our special guardians, little one. They come from our past, and help guide us to our future. They’re good luck.”

  The little girl glanced back at her father and frowned again. “Then why are you crying, Daddy? Are you sad?”

  “No, Maria, I’m not sad. I’m very, very happy.”

  The End

  Thank you

  Many thanks for reading The Planetsider Trilogy. If you enjoyed it, please help by leaving reviews on Amazon and Goodreads to let other potential readers know what you think!

  If you’d like updates on future novels by G J Ogden, please consider subscribing to the newsletter mailing list. Your details will be used to notify you about upcoming books from this author in addition to a hand-selected mix of new releases and special offers from other sci-fi authors.

  http://subscribe.ogdenmedia.net/

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  At school I was asked to write down the jobs I wanted to do as a ‘grown up’. Number one was astronaut and number two was a PC games journalist. I only managed to achieve one of those goals (I’ll let you guess which), but these two very different career options still neatly sum up my lifelong interests in science, space and the unknown, and computer technology.

  School also steered me in the direction of a science-focused education over literature and writing, which strongly influenced my decision to study physics at UMIST, now part of Manchester University. What this degree taught me is that I didn’t like studying physics and instead enjoyed writing much more, which led me to become editor of the University magazine, GRIP. This was a stepping stone into the first of my careers in IT journalism. The lesson? School can’t tell you who you are, or what you want to be!

  During my professional career, I spent seven years as a technology journalist, including creating and launching Custom PC magazine for Dennis Publishing, the most successful enthusiast PC magazine in the UK. I then moved into PR and marketing for world-leading technology brands. But, my passion for Sci-Fi and writing only grew stronger and more than twenty years after choosing to study physics instead of writing, I came full circle and now write and independently publish science fiction novels.

  When not writing, I enjoy spending time with my family, walking in the British countryside, and indulging in as much Science Fiction as possible.