Alcheringa Trilogy (eBook)
468 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
979-8-3509-6748-7 (ISBN)
Dale explains that she began writing Sci/Fi stories long before she had a very close encounter with a Min Min Light. She states, 'That amazing experience I shared with my husband, changed my mindset. I am now open to all strange happenings people have told me about. I don't dismiss anything as pure gibberish anymore. These strange, unexplained lights need further study. To date, nothing new has been discovered, although there are many sightings every year. I lived for 33 years close to the area of the Carnarvon Gorge in Queensland, where this story takes place. The story flowed easily. I feel that I had little input and that the characters directed where the story went. I was often very surprised when reading it back, 'Did I really write THAT'? Dale had an adventuresome childhood, her parents traveled a lot. She says, 'I don't regret the disturbed schooling or the friends that were left behind. People from all walks of life became my teachers The dusty roads lured my family, two brothers and two sisters, ever onwards. When Mum and Dad decided to 'Go on the wallaby' again, it was time for another adventure for me.' Dale continues with her story, 'I wish,' she said, 'my boys could have experienced the joy of exploring as many places as I did'. 'My husband, Pat, and I settled down in a small mining town, I was lucky enough to own several horses. My sons rode in Gymkhanas and in local Shows. Those years were the happiest of my life.' Dale also owned two businesses that kept her busy day and night. Thankfully, trusted staff allowed Dale to have time for her boy's interests. The horses took up a great deal of time, yet Dale managed to explore her love of oil painting and outdoor bowls. Pat retired, and they moved closer to Rockhampton, where Pat took over the kitchen, allowing Dale to get some more stories she had stored up in her head down on paper at last. Several short stories, plus children's adventure yarns, are waiting to be published. 'The Alcheringa Trilogy has taken me on a long journey; one that, like the one my family took me on, had no set destination. 'Just go with the flow', my Dad would say, 'and hope there is a barramundi on the line'. Sadly, her husband died before she had time to have her books published. Dale concludes her story, 'I am living with my son. We laugh a lot at the antics of the newest members of the household ... four gorgeous kittens. It was so hard to give them away. We already have two adult cats but one kitten in particular stole our hearts, ... so ... now he is the playmate to our Cavoodle puppy. They love each other. When I'm typing, it is either the kitten or the puppy lying across my arms. They think the laptop takes too much of my attention away from them. They are right. I get lost in time when I'm with my characters, Jessica and Jake, Trax and Kra. E'la, and D'nae. I only realise when the sun comes up, that I should be in bed'. 'Nite for now. 'See ya' later, mate!'
Set in the Central Highlands of Queensland, Australia, in 1972. Trax, his wife D'nae, son seventeen-year-old Kra, and thirteen-year-old daughter E'la, are a loving family unit, (Zenilings), who believe Earth to be their home world. Trax's daughter is riding a stolen stallion; Cattlemen intend to shoot first and ask questions later. Old Wonga (an Aboriginal Elder), must save the Alcheringa child at all cost. Aboriginals knew the Dreamtime Spirits would return one day. Rock Art over 40,000 years old, in the Carnarvon Gorge, depicts the story. Jake Kingsman, stockman, and Jessica Landers, barmaid, meet in a fowl yard. There is a definite spark, no lightning strike despite the fact she is covered in sloppy bread and chook poo, and he, in oil and grease and smelling of cow dung. Their small plane encounters a UFO; they crash. Trax carries Jake's unconscious body into a cave. Jess should be screaming and running for help. Instead, she follows. Dazed from a head wound, she thinks she is hallucinating when she sees a silver craft in the domed cavern. A very skinny figure runs towards her. She sinks to the sandy floor, moaning. The child is over-excited and tugs at her arm. "e;Father said to hurry up."e; Jess opened her eyes; the ship and the alien child were still there. "e;Our drinks are getting cold,"e; she stated, tugging harder. "e;Ohh! Jess stuttered, "e;Your ... your father he's an Alien!"e;"e;No, he's an archeologist, cosmologist, and a Captain, but mainly he is just my father. You are the Alien!"e;"e;Oh ..."e; seemed to be all Jess' befuddled mind could think of to say. Kra couldn't take his eyes off Jessica. He is besotted by her long hair and nails. They have neither. His thoughts violate the strictest rules of their race. Max, rapist and murderer, has revenge on his mind. There'll be no Alien to save her virtue this time. But first, there's a fortune in gemstones to collect. If that bastard, Jake, gets in his way, so much the better; he won't miss with the next shot. Aliens from subterranean cities make themselves known to the Zenilings. They are ready to send electromagnetic pulses to the Earth's Ley Lines, which, they hope, will boost this fragile planet into the next century. Thousands of machines worldwide are ready to be switched on, but is it worth the risk to their own beautiful, subterranean cities to save these unpredictable, volatile humans? Are they really worth it? Trax is ecstatic. He must leave for home immediately. A Subterrian lad has volunteered to come with him. His blood may hold the answer to his race's premature aging. A Subterrian elder warns they have run out of time. They must trigger the pulses to the Ley Lines NOW!The button is pushed. The outcome is disastrous. Trax looks aghast at the spot where his ship sat. There is nothing there now except a massive pile of sandstone. His son was right. The Dreamtime Spirits are angry. These caves are jinxed! Life, for the men and women running Veronica Downs and Bindiburra Stations, will never be the same.
chapter one
THE SS BLUE HAVEN 1
Day of departure from Numoon,
3rd. moon of the planet Zeni.
Kra’s large, obsidian eyes sparkled when he first saw the starship.
“Ohhh! To the Gods of Zeni, it is magnificent!”
The new shape was extraordinarily beautiful! A design he hadn’t seen before, long, sleek, and shimmering blue. The hull was hard to focus on; it disappeared into the distance. He blinked and squinted until his eyes watered.
Hopping from one skinny, long leg to the other he eagerly scanned the closest boarding members. The VIPs leisurely moved towards the forward escalator, the others, less important members of society, strode up the several remaining ramps.
His mother and father would be among the privileged guests walking towards the escalator—not because they were wealthy or had a very famous name, but because his family knew well the captain of this fabulous Starship; his uncle, Arcri.
Kra’s father was Captain of his own, albeit, small … much smaller, spaceship.
Indeed, Kra thought, father is, in his own right, a renowned archaeologist, cosmologist, and explorer extraordinaire. He mixed easily in exalted company.
Kra’s chest expanded with pride. Closing his eyes, he sent a message to his dawdling parents to hurry onboard. He couldn’t wait to explore this marvelous misty cruiser.
**
The Starship was almost nine months into its journey. Its destination; the dark side of a small moon orbiting a planet known as Earth.
The ‘SS Blue Haven 1’ was fitted out with all the luxuries Kra’s parents were unaccustomed to. Every piece of innovative technology they saw on the cruiser, they loved and wanted it in their own modest ship.
As for himself and his younger sister, E’la, they made good use of the many entertainment areas that featured a walk-in, true to life, mock-up of the countryside they would be living in. The VV (Virtual Vision), included the flora and fauna they were to avoid.
Each day of their trip they studiously studied the beautiful, but deadly, plants and animals they might encounter.
**
Kra searched the starship for days before he found the tiny craft that was to become their home while on the planet to be investigated. It was a bitter disappointment.
Nestled into a docking bay inside the mothership, he observed it was hardly bigger than the Flyer used to commute from their home planet, Zeni, to the Numoon.
“Surely the CEST Committee could have done better than this!” he grumbled, kicking the bench they would eat at. “Pity father’s ship is still in dock back on Numoon. Even it is larger and a newer model than this tiny craft.” Squeezing between a table and a cooking module he swore, “I’ll never make fun of father’s antiquated ship again,” he vowed.
Mumbling and shaking his head in disgust he continued around the circular craft.
“How can we live in such a cramped space? Mother must cook in between all her research. Trying to decipher that mysterious rune stone will take up most of her time.
Father must trace all the lava tubes in the area, and catalog the results as well as go out hunting for food. And I must help with everything, as well as keep an eye on E’la; plus study in my spare time. All E’la has to do is feed Throc! She never has to do any dirty, or hard jobs,” he grumbled.
He tried to visualise his daily working conditions. “It’s not going to be hard; it’s going to be #! #*@# … impossible!” He slapped his hand to his mouth and quickly glanced around in case his mother was near. His enthusiasm for the lengthy stay on the world they were heading for, suddenly evaporated.
“What could father have been thinking to take on such a job?” He stomped along the corridor, muttering all the while.
“Father doesn’t even know exactly what we are looking for. And … E’la, being E’la, will be in everyone’s way. And … where do we eat and relax after we’ve explored? There’s not even a swimming pool.”
Still grumbling, “Surely Uncle Arcrei could have pulled some strings and managed a larger ship for his only brother.”
He left the bay thoroughly disgruntled. Entering the area reserved for paying guests, he spied his teenage sister animatedly chatting. It was the same as always, he thought; no one else could get a word in.
That brought a smile to his face, especially when he saw her pretty companion. He sauntered across to them.
“There you are, Kra,” E’la called, “we’ve been looking for you.”
She introduced her friend.
Under the pretty girl’s penetrating gaze, he felt lost for words.
Not so E’la, “We are off to find the ship our family will be living in,” she said, turning from one to the other, “T’nae wants to see how the other half lives.”
Kra, suddenly shy, mumbled, “What do you mean?”
“Us, silly!” she laughed, adding, “T’nae’s family has pots and pots of credits. We, on the other hand, are as poor as the little urchins on that last world we visited.”
He straightened up, squaring his shoulders.
“That’s not strictly true, Sis. We have a fine ship to travel in,” he defended the committee’s pathetic choice. “It’s just what we need to get our very important mission completed.” In a confidential tone to T’nae, he added, “My sister is too young to fully understand the complexity of our mission to other worlds.”
He strutted about, showing off his monogrammed uniform to best advantage, and said, “… or, to appreciate the complex, specialist equipment our ship carries.”
He smiled knowingly, glaring down at E’la from his taller frame he dared her to disagree.
“But you do?” the pretty girl responded with a beatific smile.
Puffing out his flat chest as best he could, he said, “Let me explain the finer points of both ships to you, young ladies. Of course,” he whispered to T’nae, “there are many details of our mission I am unable to discuss. Top secret, you know.”
To his delight, she smiled up at him with what he hoped was admiration.
“I heard that, Kra. You’re only four years older than me, stop big-noting yourself to cover up your woeful lack of knowledge.” She laughed and pulled T’nae away.
He hurried along to catch up with the giggling girls.
Striding past them he tossed casually back … “At least, I know how to fly!”
“Ohhhhh … really?” T’nae exclaimed, taking his arm in hers. She was really impressed.
“Yes. I’ll take you for a hop one day,” he beamed.
“You know he means a very short hop in our little home Flyer,” E’la added, slightly deflating her brother’s ego.
Kra accepted the remark with good grace. At least, he thought, thanks be to the Gods’ of Zeni, I won’t be chucking up in front of her, or anyone else, on this trip.
The mothership was fitted with the latest Synthesis Broach Drive. They’d spend less than a nanosecond near the ‘outer rim’ of each black hole. A far cry from his father’s old ship; they were deathly sick for hours after each ‘skip’ in that old bucket of outdated technology. The effects of the stomach-churning time-slips from galaxy to galaxy were a space/time malady they had become accustomed to on the sometimes, tedious trips.
The Gods must have whispered in the Elders’ ears when they decided to outfit his father’s old ship with the latest drive. It was a shame it wasn’t ready for this commission.
They were totally spoilt on this cruiser. Hiccups, very loud hiccups, were the only symptoms they noticed when going through each ‘skip’ on this vessel.
Remembering his family’s laughter each time they occurred, he enlightened his new friend. Then, with a cheeky grin to her and a wink to a couple of passing crewmen, Kra gave off a few extra loud examples, much to the amusement of the laughing girls and the grins of the men.
Good humour and enthusiasm restored, he invited them to each step onto a ship’s slider. (*much like an old-fashioned hoverboard. They chose three of thousands, stored around the ship for the convenience of crew and passengers alike.) The girls squealed in delight.
Kra patted himself on the back; the girls’ trip to his father’s depressing little craft was successfully side-tracked. Laughing with excitement, they sped off to explore further levels of this magnificent ship. What fun!
**
As a child, Kra had been told of the fabled, ‘Lost Cities of the Milky Way’. Earth wasn’t the only planet in this solar system. Had the Committee of Seven, Elders’ of CEST, chosen the right one?
He was only a young Zeniling, still a mere teenager, and not privy to all the details of this quest. However, he understood enough to know that their lives and the very survival of their race depended on the ‘lost city’ being found.
**
On the last day of their trip, they were packed into their father’s small craft, as ready as they could be for the adventure to begin. Their study of the planet was over; now they would be facing the real thing.
Snakes, spiders, crocodiles, and a deadly creature called a ‘drop bear’. They were puzzled; little could be discovered about the latter from the VV channels.
At last, their disk like craft dropped from the belly of the mothership.
It would take...
| Erscheint lt. Verlag | 30.9.2024 |
|---|---|
| Sprache | englisch |
| Themenwelt | Literatur ► Romane / Erzählungen |
| ISBN-13 | 979-8-3509-6748-7 / 9798350967487 |
| Informationen gemäß Produktsicherheitsverordnung (GPSR) | |
| Haben Sie eine Frage zum Produkt? |
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