by M. G. Herron
Pieces of rock and specks of light separated themselves as they rose into the air over his head. They moved apart until they resembled a map of the galaxy—but he didn’t recognize any of the systems, despite his years of experience reading such starmaps.
Lifting his hand, Omar extended one finger and made slow, clockwise circles in the air. The specks of rock that represented planets began to churn around their respective stars. Slowly, at first, and then faster, until the whole array of objects and light were swirling like a storm. After several minutes, the storm slowed, then stopped. He rewound it slightly until he found the point in time he was searching for.
The present.
He searched until he found Robichar, checked it against Overmind X’s collective memory of the system. They matched. His mandibles rubbed against each other.
Well done, my child, a voice whispered in his mind. Very well done. We finally have a starmap to guide our search.
Omar made another gesture Overmind X had taught him. Bright beacons of light shot up from four different planetary bodies. Of the seven major relics they knew about, three had already been retrieved. There was the one Omar wore sewn into his belt, which gave him and anything he touched the ability to phase through solid objects; the one Overmind X carried, the source of her knowledge of the Telos; and the one the Solarans had taken from Father Pohl, reputed to be the last of the artifacts, the one that resonated on a destructive frequency with the Kryl genome. That left four major relics in their original resting places, their powers waiting to be discovered.
He turned to Father Pohl, who had grown pale and very quiet.
“Your people are free to go,” Omar said.
“Thank Animus.” The man closed his eyes. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “You’ll let us live in peace?”
Omar nodded slowly, trying to keep his mandibles from rubbing together. “Your people are safe.”
“May the Spirit of Old Earth protect us. Thank you. Thank you.”
As Father Pohl spun on his heel, Omar’s mandibles began to clack a rapid staccato. In a single fluid motion, he reached out and drew a sharpened talon across the exposed front of the priest’s neck. Blood sprayed across the walls of the golden chamber. The man’s limp body crumpled to the floor.
Omar fell on him, drinking greedily, lapping at the blood that poured down the priest’s neck.
Like the priest, it was too late for all of the Solaran Empire. They just didn’t know it yet.
Next in the Series
Grab the next book, Hidden Relics, and read on to find out what Overmind X and Subject Zero’s next gambit will be…
* * *
How Kira breaks the bad news to the Colonization Board…
* * *
Why Casey erupts over the arrival of her new squadron commander…
* * *
And what new trouble Elya lands himself in while digging for the truth about Telos relics.
* * *
Get it now: Hidden Relics
Thank You
I have a lot of people to thank for helping to bring this project to life.
My wife, Shelly, whose unwavering support and belief in me has lifted me up more times than I can count. Without her, none of this would be possible.
All the freelancers who have contributed to this project deserve to be mentioned by name: the artist Elias Stern, Vivid Covers for typography, and my editors Amy Teegan and Steve Statham.
Let's not forget the military veterans and pilots who read early versions of Starfighter Down and corrected my many mistakes and goof-ups: my father, Colonel James Herron (US Air Force); Lt. Colonel Tim Hebel (US Air Force); combat journalist Sullivan Laramie (US Army); Chief Warrant Officer Jerry Leake (US Army); and commercial pilot Jenny Avery. These people taught me a lot, and any mistakes with flight mechanics that might have snuck through the rigorous editing process are my own!
Beta readers, including those above, helped me improve the story and they deserve a special mention, too. Specifically, Bob Truman, Wayne Key, and Paula Adler.
And the following readers jumped in to help with proofreading and catching flubs and errors in the first novel: H Chesno, Jenny Avery, James Green, Wayne Key and Maureen Henn.
Special Thanks to Kickstarter Heroes
This series was first launched on Kickstarter! The campaign raised $12k in 4 weeks, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of these heroes. A special shoutout to:
Tim Hebel, Jennifer Whitesell, Jacob Moyer, Gregory Clawson, Jerry Leake, James Herron, Tim Cross, Leigh, Lawrence Tate, Sebastián, Tyler Prince, Adam Knuth, MJ Caan, Jacen Spector, Jerome, Chad Anthony Randell, Linda Schattauer, Peyton, Marouane Jerraf, Mette Lundsgaard, Destin Floyd, Pierino Gattei, Rhett and Kathy Leonard, Dietrich Thompson, Becky Herron, Missy Burrows, Cindy Lorion, Chris Wooster, Lauren Appa, Nikhil Daftary, and Joe Bunting.
Also by M.G. Herron
Translocator Trilogy
The Auriga Project
The Alien Element
The Ares Initiative
The Translocator (Books 1-3)
The Gunn Files
Culture Shock
Overdose
Quantum Flare
The Gunn Files (Books 1-3)
Other Books
The Republic
Boys & Their Monsters
* * *
Get science fiction and fantasy reading recommendations from MG Herron delivered straight to your inbox. Join here: mgherron.com/bookclub
About the Author
M.G. Herron writes science fiction and fantasy for adrenaline junkies.
His books explore new worlds, futuristic technologies, ancient mysteries, various apocalypses, and the vagaries of the human experience.
His characters have a sense of humor (except for the ones who don't). They stand up to strange alien monsters from other worlds... unless they slept through their alarm again.
Like ordinary people, Herron's heroes sometimes make mistakes, but they’re always trying to make the universe a better place.
Find all his books and news about upcoming releases at mgherron.com.