My new novel Dead Moon will be published and available on Amazon by August 31st, and is available for pre-order via this website. In the days running up to release I’d like to share with you a short prelude, step-by-step, here and on social media. This will develop and prepare the way for Dead Moon, including original content not in the novel. I will release one part a day: I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing.
A Prelude to Dead Moon.
1/14 When the invasion began it was thought to be an error. An object was detected by Titan’s long-range scanners travelling faster then the speed of light. This was obviously impossible. The operator was about to be fired when, suddenly, the object stopped.
2/14 Even at this great distance it was possible to observe that the object, having stopped, doubled in size, stayed that way for 147 minutes, then resumed its previous course. Something was coming to Titan.
3/14 A fleet of vessels, scientific, military, and diplomatic, was assembled to represent the Great British Interplanetary Empire, while swift action was taking to quell uprisings on Mars.
4/14 Yet the object was preceded by heralds. Sliver-thin starfighters of gold and green attacked immediately that they dropped below the speed of light. They destroyed scientific vessels first.
5/14 The alien weapons, however, could not penetrate the armour of Imperial Dreadnaughts. British Starfighters co-ordinated their attacks on the invaders, and it seemed the battle could be won.
6/14 Admiral Kearns, from his flagship, broadcast “We are in the midst of victory against the invading alien Kalak***—” in the moments before his ship was destroyed. Thus the aliens were named.
7/14 The stalemate was ended by the Kalak, who, without warning split up and jumped away. Celebrations were cut short. This was only the beginning of the second phase of the war: the Blitz.
8/14 The Kalak would appear in small groups and annihilate whatever they found. It appeared indiscriminate: military installations, schools or hospitals, fields of trees.
9/14 Imperial Dreadnaughts on constant high alert would intercept as quickly as possible: the Kalak would chance a shot at the Dreadnaught, then withdraw, leaving devastation behind.
10/14 During 3 years of Blitz, 9 out of 10 Imperial citizens were killed. Losing love ones became normal. Firearms were handed out to the citizenry to defend against inevitable invasion.
11/14 When exhausted Imperial Dreadnaughts limped back for refit, the Kalak would strike. Soon, the Imperial fleet was in ruins, and the original object – the mothership – still had not arrived.
12/14 Then, after three years of war, the final battle. What was left of the Imperial Navy was cobbled together for a last stand at Titan. The vast, tesseract Kalak mothership annihilated them.
13/14 Once the last Imperial fleet was annihilated, the mothership, now known as the Dead Moon, advanced towards Earth. Its heralds hunted down the last remnants of a desperate Empire.
— To be continued tomorrow—
