Romy: Book I of the 2250 Saga

by Nirina Stone

  The authorities—also a mix of Prospo and Citizens and Sorens—will determine how to handle the old Leaders’ punishment, but most of us don’t really care how they will be treated during their stay.

  John Diamond is also in Azure, being questioned for his role in manufacturing and maintaining biological weapons. The weapons themselves are being kept in a secure, fully contained area. Mother tells me this is ‘intel’ I am not privy to. I don’t insist on knowing. I’d rather not hear the details, anyway.

  The certification and auction system has been dismantled.

  The Vorkian no longer have a market, so most of them have officially retired. Their marketing skills come in handy when it comes to selling the idea that people should move to lands up north.

  They are banned from trying to sell plots of land since land is free, but selling mere ideas is nothing new for the Vorkian, and there are quite a few people in Apex who still need convincing.

  I’m just happy the Vorkian are selling life instead of death. They also no longer wear the dark suits and colourful bow ties. Their smiles are much less creepy or threatening when they’re dressed in more casual clothing. Still creepy, but less so.

  Most of the Apex population has already left for the north, west, and on to our ships across the great oceans.

  We still search for, and still occasionally find, collections of Ancient Books every few weeks. There are so many buried throughout the world.

  I am part of the effort to digitize them and make them available to all the people of Apex. It’s such a shame how many books have disappeared from the face of the planet, but what we have and what we are doing is so much better than the alternative.

  Books we do have from the days of the ancients are widely shared and downloaded throughout our world, so we can at least learn about past mistakes and try, simply try, not to repeat them. All we can do is be aware, teach our children what we’ve learnt, and try.

  Of all the people of Apex, the ex-Prospo undoubtedly had the most difficult time adjusting to their new way of life, but most of them surprised us with their various efforts to adapt. Apparently, several of them were unhappy with the way our world turned out, much like Father was. So they embrace their new reality, despite the challenges.

  Why did they not do anything when they were clearly unhappy, I wonder? That fact annoys me—but then I realize I didn’t really do anything about my situation either until the Sorens opened my eyes. Maybe sometimes, all we need is a little external motivation.

  There are still a number of ex-Prospo who are not convinced this is how things should be, and want to bring back P-City to all its exclusive luxurious glory. But they are few, and they are unsupported by most. There is no structure available that would help them achieve their narrow goals, so if they try to resist, what could they do?

  In any case, we have our eyes on them at all times.

  As for the colonies on the moon and Mars, Mother is disappointed that nothing much has really changed there. Some of the people have migrated back to Earth, but the rate of change is sluggish and Mother is frustrated. I imagine she’s not completely over her plan to destroy everything up there, but I’m more inclined to handle what is happening on Earth.

  Eric has decided to stay in Apex, rather than move north with us. I understand his decision, but I’m a bit dejected he won’t be by my side after all. “Apex is my home,” he tells me. “I should be part of the effort to rebuild it and turn it into something we can all be proud of.”

  He will act as a new leader, ensuring that old Prospo mentalities don’t re-emerge. He claims he’ll miss me but he is no longer my shadow, and doesn’t feel the need to be around me all the time anymore.

  I don’t admit to him it’s a bit of a relief not to have him as my shadow again, but I will miss him. Apex is my home too. Still, it doesn’t hold that many pleasant memories for me. We will do well by distancing ourselves for a while—our people and Apex—or maybe Eric and me. Or both.

  Commander Blair, on the other hand, has been assigned to secure the north for us. We haven’t seen any signs of other people here, or anything threatening other than a few of the wildlife. As a precaution, his team is in place to guard us, should anything happen.

  I find comfort in knowing he and his people are around—it feels like there is a part of home with us, and we are learning how to protect ourselves and our new houses while we settle.

  He hasn’t tried to kiss me again, but did mumble once while I walked past him that he’s waiting. Waiting for what? For me to kiss him first? He continues to annoy me and to confuse me.

  I have far too much to do, to work towards, and books to read, to be thinking about him or Eric or kissing or anything else like that.

  For now, I’m building my home. I’m building a new community.

  We haven’t yet decided what we will call the area of land we’ve selected, but we’re leaning towards Haven. We’ll see.

  There’s no rush, really, to pick a new name.

  There’s plenty of time to decide.

  THE END

  Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed Romy [Book I of the 2250 Saga]—and I hope you did—please leave a review on Amazon/Goodreads, or anywhere you prefer to leave reviews. And please, tell your friends! Did you know you can lend the ebook to someone in your network? There’s nothing more powerful than word of mouth, and reviews help fellow readers discover new authors. Thank you. Get Romy’s Legacy [Book II of the 2250 Saga]; available for pre-order now (and it’s on a special 99c for a limited time! Click here to get your copy). —Keep scrolling for an exclusive preview of the first chapter of Romy’s Legacy!—.

  Excerpt from Romy’s Legacy

  I tug the line, clenching all my muscles, but the beast is strong. Its body breaks the surface of the water, and I catch a blue and white shimmer in the sunlight.

  The long serrated sword from which it derives its name slashes in the air. By sheer luck, we’re not close enough to be hit. It flips and flops and splashes back in the ocean, spraying water every which way. I tug again, harder, and get some leeway. It’s just inches away, I can feel it.

  The line gives as the fish allows itself to get closer.

  “You have it!” A voice yells. “Pull it in! Pull it in!” They’re cheering me on and I crack a smile as my arms pull harder and my muscles stretch taut.

  It’s close to breaking the surface now—it has to be. One more quick pull and it will be mine. My smile widens. I’ll be the talk of the group for the day, and not because of my last name for a change.

  Then it yanks me forward. My eyes shutter closed in time as my entire face slams into what can only be described as a frozen brick wall. The pain radiates to the back of my head then through my body as it tries to fight the cold. I purse my mouth closed, but a gush of salt water flows through my nose, searing my nostrils on its way in. The top of my left foot grates against something sharp on the boat as I go over and I regret not listening to them when they suggested I wear boat shoes.

  The shock makes me breathe in and I swallow a mouthful of water. It hits the back of my throat, burns my nostrils more. This is not going as planned. My head slams into something hard before the current and something else pulls me down, down, deeper into the ocean’s depths. This could be it, I think. I start off my new life by dying.

  Well, that’s what they would call ironic, isn’t it?

  The visor automatically extends itself over my forehead, and once my eyes are covered, I look ahead, too distracted to worry that my snorkelbot hasn’t deployed over my face.

  The swordfish is flailing in the water and, with one final turn, it dislodges the massive weapon I buried in its side. For a moment, it faces me head on, and I wonder if this is the part where it brings about a revenge I more than deserve. Its weapon appears far more impressive than the metal rod which now twists and falls into the depths of the black ocean.

  Instead of spearing me as I expect, the swordfish turns and speeds away, leaving me in a wake
of white froth and tiny fish.

  Steadying myself for a moment, the only sound I hear is my heartbeat, about to escape from my throat. Looking down, I see a wisp of blood from my foot swirl up towards my face. Beyond my feet is the looming shadow of something else, and I swim up in a panic, not wanting to see what it is, not wanting to know.

  The surface of the water and the boat are further away than I thought, so I kick my heels harder, fighting my burning lungs’ urge to take in a breath. I make the mistake of looking down again, and the shadow grows larger as it moves closer.

  It’s soundless, its movements unhurried. Slow as only a shadow can be. Why rush? Though it’s still nothing more than a black mass, I know without a doubt it has teeth. I can’t stop the scream that makes me swallow another large gulp of salt water. Then something from below slithers around it, throwing occasional sparks in the water. I’ve been told about some of the giants in the ocean, but this—?

  That’s when the panic takes over and I try to scream, knowing I’m about to get eaten.

  …Want more? Pre-order your copy today! It’s on special for 99c for a limited time.

  About the Author

  Nirina Stone is a reader, occasional country-hopper, and novelist. She inhales psychological suspense, mystery, horror, speculative fiction and the odd comedy.

  Her writing may or may not touch on all of the above.

  She is one of those rare Canadians who hates snow but loves a stormy summer rain. This has led her to live in Sydney Australia with her hubby, two awesome kids, and one crazy Tortie kitten.

  ROMY is Book I of the 2250 Saga. The story continues in Book II, available for pre-order now (and it’s on a special 99c for a limited time! Click to get your copy).

  Book III (the explosive Finale!) will be available towards end 2016.

  To receive news and special deals, sign up to Nirina’s newsletter here.

  www.nirinastone.com

  Copyright © 2015 by Nirina Stone

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the express written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Edited by Laura Kingsley (any mistakes are the author’s alone.)

  Cover Design by Shardel (Selfpubbookcovers)

  ISBN-13: 978-1511894203

  ISBN-10: 1511894202

  ASIN: B00XPMGH48