First Colony: Books 1 - 3

by Ken Lozito

  “Is someone going to tell me what’s going on?” Connor asked.

  “Barely awake for a minute and he already wants a mission report,” Diaz said and grinned.

  “The Vemus are gone,” Sean said.

  Connor tried to remember his last moments on the Vemus Alpha. “Were there any other survivors? Wayne Randle was with me.”

  Sean shook his head. “No one else aboard the Vemus Alpha survived.”

  Though Sean met Connor’s gaze, he had the impression there was something they weren’t telling him.

  “You all suck at poker,” Connor said and frowned. “Am I infected?”

  There was a deafening silence in the room and their expressions became somber.

  “According to the nanobots, there are no biological contagions in your system,” Ashley Quinn said.

  Connor gave her a level look. “But there’s no way you can be sure,” he said.

  He looked at Dr. Kim. “What do you think?”

  Dr. Kim sighed. “There’s strong evidence that supports your continued health. But there’s also a lot we don’t understand. We only figured out how to stop the Vemus. We’re not adept at detecting whether someone is infected.”

  “Well, if I were infected, wouldn’t symptoms start to show by now? How long have I been in a coma?” Connor asked.

  “Yes, they would,” Sean said. “And you’ve been in a coma for two months.”

  Connor took a moment, considering. “So monitor me. Have the nanobots continue to monitor me for as long as it takes until we’re sure. Any deviation and we’ll deal with it then.”

  Sean’s eyes widened and Connor watched as he glanced at his mother.

  “They were worried you’d find a more permanent solution to the problem that involved you removing yourself from the equation,” Ashley said.

  Connor’s mouth hung open as he looked around at all of them. Then he started to laugh—a chuckle at first and then a full-on, hearty bellow of a laugh.

  “Maybe at one time I might have, but . . .” Connor shook his head. “No,” he said and frowned at the thought. “No, definitely not.”

  He swung his legs off the bed and stood up. Ashley was closest to him, and he reached out and pulled her in for a hug.

  She hugged him back and then pushed him away. “You need a shower.”

  “Where’s Tobias?” Connor asked.

  A pained expression showed on Sean’s face. “He died fighting the Vemus.”

  The momentary elation he’d felt diminished. “I’m so sorry,” he said.

  Ashley gave him a nod and he finally noticed the pain in her eyes. She was still grieving. Sean met his gaze and Connor leaned on the bed.

  “Alright, tell me the rest of it,” Connor said.

  For the next few hours, they brought Connor up to speed about what had happened since the Vemus Alpha had been destroyed. More than a few times he found himself glancing at Nathan. If there was anyone he’d appointed to the right post, it was him. Connor suspected there was much more they hadn’t told him. He had the distinct impression they were pacing him in regards to how much information they were sharing.

  “General, we’ll need to tell everyone you’re alive,” Sean said.

  Connor pressed his lips together. “That would be good, but you shouldn’t call me that anymore.”

  Sean frowned. “What do you mean?” he asked and glanced at Nathan.

  Connor shared a look with Nathan. “I can’t be the general of the Colonial Defense Force.”

  “There is ample evidence that you’ve not been infected. The colonial government would certainly approve it,” Sean said and glanced at his mother.

  Connor looked at Ashley. She’d been his friend since he’d woken up from stasis all those years ago. “I know, but I’m resigning my commission.”

  Their reactions ranged from complete surprise from Sean, to relief from Nathan, and then to intrigue from Ashley. The others in the room had varying degrees of the same.

  “But—” Sean began.

  “Any one of you,” Connor said, pausing to look in turn at Sean, Nathan, and Savannah, “are more than capable of taking command of the CDF. I’m going to take some time off.”

  There was a loud snort from Diaz. “Take time off? I didn’t think you even knew how to say that, let alone do it.”

  Connor smiled. “I’m going to start right now, assuming I’m free to leave this place.”

  Nathan stood ramrod straight and saluted Connor. He was quickly followed by Savannah and then Sean. Diaz renewed his stoic features in an instant and followed suit.

  Connor’s throat thickened, and he returned their salute.

  “I’ll handle all the formalities of your . . . retirement,” Ashley said with half a smile. “And there’s a Hellcat that will take you anywhere you’d like to go, but I do suggest you put on some clothes. You can find them over there.”

  Ashley pointed to a metallic footlocker by the wall and the others left the room while Connor put on some fresh clothes. He walked out of the room and Sean was waiting for him.

  “I can’t believe you’re going to just walk away from all this,” Sean said.

  “I’d like to think of it as walking toward something. The CDF is in good hands. You’ve exceeded all my expectations and I have no doubt that you’ll continue to do so,” Connor said. What he didn’t say was that he needed to put a lot of distance between himself and the CDF. They hadn’t shown up yet, but Connor knew that the ghosts of those who were no longer with them would be felt in earnest before long.

  “Thank you, sir,” Sean replied.

  “Your father was really proud of you,” Connor said.

  The skin around Sean’s eyes tightened. Connor knew that, with time, the grief wouldn’t sting quite so much as it did now. There was no shortage of that going around, judging by the somber expressions of those around him.

  Sean escorted him out of the secure warehouse. The CDF soldiers had been dismissed so Connor’s return wouldn’t become public knowledge just yet. Ashley had assured him that they’d wait a few days to announce his miraculous recovery.

  Sean walked with him to the Hellcat and went right for the cockpit, taking the pilot’s seat.

  Connor arched an eyebrow at him.

  “You’ve been in a coma for two months. I’m not going to let you fly one of our Hellcats. Just tell me where you want to go,” Sean said.

  “I retire just a few minutes ago and you don’t trust me anymore?” Connor asked.

  Sean calmly waited for Connor to tell him their destination. Connor did.

  The Hellcat landed at a remote site about as far away from the colony as they could get. Scorched craters could be seen from the sky, marking where the battle had been fought at Sanctuary. Connor saw the wrecks that had been the Vemus troop carriers, and Sean filled him in on the battle here. One day he’d return to Sierra, but right now he just wanted to be here.

  “There’ll be a supply run here in a day or so and I’ll make sure there’s a package for you,” Sean said.

  “I expect your mother will want me to return to the encampment in a few days for the formal announcement,” Connor said.

  “They might want to make you governor,” Sean said.

  Connor winced. “I hope not,” he said.

  “Good luck, sir,” Sean said and made a show of looking past Connor. “You’re going to need it.”

  Connor walked down the hatchway and stepped onto the ground. The hatch closed and Connor watched as Sean flew the Hellcat away. There were a few temporary structures, and the archaeological team had gathered outside. There were a few CDF soldiers there with them and one noticed Connor’s approach.

  Connor smiled as Noah walked over to him, grinning. “You’re alive!” he said in a tone that sounded as if he couldn’t quite believe it.

  “They had me under lock and key for a while,” Connor said.

  Noah shook his head in disbelief. “I don’t believe it.”

  Connor looked
around at the people, searching.

  “She’s not here. She’s in the dig site. They found a new chamber . . . well, one of the refugees did. I’ll take you down there,” Noah said.

  Connor followed Noah into the alien city. There weren’t many people there, but the few they passed gave Connor strange looks, as if they thought they recognized him from somewhere. They went down into the central city, and he heard Lenora’s voice.

  “. . . and now that the refugees are finally gone, we can get back to our work here. We’re a bit shorthanded with the new chamber, but the data archive we found should help us figure out who used to live here,” Lenora said, speaking to a small group of people who looked over at Connor and Noah as they approached, and Lenora turned around.

  Connor just stood there, taking in the sight of her. Her long auburn hair was tied back and her hands had dirt on them. She must have been digging. From the corner of his eye, Connor saw Noah motioning for the others to leave them alone.

  “I heard you were looking for an extra pair of hands,” Connor said.

  Lenora narrowed her gaze. “It’s been months and you show up now as if nothing has happened?”

  She stalked toward him and then stopped. “You . . .” she hissed. “You’re still alive?” she said accusingly.

  “I was in a coma. They only just brought me out of it today,” Connor said.

  Lenora’s mouth opened and she licked her lips. “That’s crap. Ashley would have told me if you were alive,” she said and walked away from him.

  Connor sprinted after her. “I swear to you, it’s true. They didn’t know if I’d been infected.”

  Lenora rounded on him and shoved him away. “If you’ve come here to tell me you’re dying, I swear I’ll shoot you myself.”

  Connor shook his head. “I’m not,” he said and then repeated himself. “They found me in some wreckage and kept me in quarantine.”

  Lenora glared at him. “And you thought what? You’d come back here and we’d patch things up until the next crisis?”

  Connor had known she’d be angry with him, but the level of fury in her eyes wasn’t what he’d been expecting. “I had to see you,” he said.

  Lenora held up her arms. “Great, you’re alive. You’ve seen me. Now leave me alone,” she said and started walking away.

  Connor stepped toward her and grabbed her arm. “I’m sorry,” he said.

  Lenora snatched her arm away from him.

  “I should have listened to you sooner. I’m sorry for leaving, for not being able to let it go. For everything,” Connor said and reached out, taking Lenora’s hand. “You were the first person I wanted to see when they woke me up and you were the last person I thought about when I thought I was going to die on that ship. You might hate me now, but I’m not leaving. I don’t care how long it takes. I’m staying.”

  Lenora pursed her lips. “What if I’ve already moved on? Would you still wait?” she said.

  A momentary doubt seized Connor’s chest, but then he pushed it away. “Someone once told me I’d make a good archeologist,” he said and stepped closer to her, “so I thought I’d work with the best.”

  Lenora snorted and her lips curved upward. He pulled her into his arms. There was no one else.

  “It’ll take years to become the best. A lot of work. A lot of time,” Lenora said.

  “Time is the one thing I do have,” Connor replied.

  Lenora shook her head. “You’ve got an answer for everything.”

  “Not everything. Just this,” Connor said.

  He knew the colony would carry on despite the heavy toll that had been paid for their survival. Throughout his whole life he’d been restless, always moving from place to place. He’d struggled to know where he fit in, and he’d found a home in the military. When they learned of the threat to the colony, he’d reacted in the only way he knew. He was familiar with that life, but now he was ready for something new with the woman he loved. He didn’t know what was in store for him and he’d lost count of the many chances life had given him, but he was determined to make the most of this one.

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you so much for reading the first three books of the First Colony series. I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed the story.

  The series does continue with the fourth book, but before you grab the sequel, I’d like to offer you a free science fiction story I wrote. If you join my mailing list, I’ll send you a free copy of Crash Landing, a story set in the Ascension series (A difference SF series I wrote.)

  Click Here to download your FREE copy of Crash Landing

  The series continues with the 4th book

  First Colony - Sanctuary

  Thank you for reading.

  The series continues with the 4th book

  First Colony - Sanctuary

  I’ve created a special Facebook Group specifically for readers to come together and share their interests, especially regarding my books. Check it out and join the discussion!

  About the Author

  Ken Lozito is the author of multiple science fiction and fantasy series. I’ve been reading both genres for a long time. Books were my way to escape everyday life from when I was a teenager to my current ripe old(?) age. What started out as a love of stories has turned into a full-blown passion for writing them. My ultimate goal for writing stories is to provide fun escapism for readers. I write stories that I would like to read and I hope you enjoy them as well.

  If you have questions or comments about any of my works I would love to hear from you, even if its only to drop by to say hello at KenLozito.com

  Thanks again for reading.

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  Also by Ken Lozito

  First Colony Series

  first colony - genesis

  first colony - nemesis

  first colony - legacy

  First Colony - Sanctuary

  First Colony - Discovery

  First Colony - Emergence

  Ascension Series

  Star Shroud

  Star Divide

  Star Alliance

  Infinity’s Edge

  Rising Force

  Ascension

  Safanarion Order Series

  Road to Shandara

  Echoes of a Gloried Past

  Amidst the Rising Shadows

  Heir of Shandara

  Broken Crown Series

  Haven of Shadows

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