Galactic Pact Series, Book 1
Science Fiction / Space Opera
Date Published: 01-01-2023
Publisher: Bookbaby
The Fall of Mu is the captivating first book of the Galactic Pact series. This multi-generational epic blends science fiction and historical fiction to transport you to a pre-historic era where humanity built an interstellar empire. With vivid scenes, rich characters, and chapters that defy expectations, this book takes you on an exciting journey across the stars.
Michael is sixteen when his homeland is destroyed in a nuclear attack, his parents are murdered, and he is the one responsible for ensuring his people's survival. Throughout Michael's struggles with alien overlords, apathetic allies and godlike creatures, we follow him as he discovers what it takes to lead in a dystopian universe and how hard it can be to cling onto hope in times of despair. But this is only the beginning!
EXCERPT
Part One: The Mu
Chapter One
Lord Ausis
In the darkness, a red orb appeared. A voice pushed itself into his awareness.
Arise Lord Ausis. It's done. You're an Apskritai—a carnal aspect of my will in this realm. You have immortality and power over men. Among the Apskritai, only you have my gift to hear the vine of Mu—my adversaries' throttle against me.
The voice of the Dragon, he thought. At last, I am an Apskritai.
The voice returned. Arise Lord Ausis. Destroy the vine of Mu and kill the last Guardian. Then bind all nations of Terra into one empire with my code of civilization and drive them to the stars. Give me dominion over a hundred worlds so I may command the resources to withstand the mischief of my makers. Together we can escape this system's culling and bring order to the galaxy.
Lord Ausis opened his eyes. In front of him were eight Apskritai. Except for the color of their robes and various deformities, they were identical—pale, tall, and stout. Their heads were bald, elongated, and adorned with the crowns of the Apskritai—a mesh of gold wire connecting gemstones embedded into their skulls. He raised his hands and felt his head. It had doubled in height, rising beyond what was there before. Above his brow, he felt gemstones embedded into his skull. With his fingertips, he traced the wire that connected them.
Lord Ausis removed his hands from his head and surveyed the gloomy, red-lit chamber. On either side of him stood men in red, hooded robes. He could hear their breath and heartbeats and those of the med-tek men behind him. He looked down at his body. It was longer, larger, and more muscular. He was strapped to a metal gurney that was tilted upright. His feet dangled just above the floor.
The smell of sulfur flooded his nose. He took deep breaths and the effect of anesthetics faded. The pain! His body pulsed in agony. He tried to scream and heard a roar like a lion come from his mouth. The eight Apskritai that stood in front of him opened their mouths, revealed their pointed, steel teeth, and returned his roar. The chamber shook with the echoes of their outcries.
As the echoes subsided, the pain diminished. Lord Ausis thrashed. His bonds snapped. He slid off the gurney and stood on his own. He had control of this body! He tilted his head and listened carefully. Every sound in the chamber and its timbre were his to play with. He could block out noise and examine individual frequencies at will. This is my gift—I am the ears of the Dragon. Then he found it—a pattern of sound that emanated from the walls of the red-lit chamber. It invoked dread that came from the same place as the voice of the Dragon.
"Remember that sound!" proclaimed an Apskritai in an orange robe. "It will lead you to the source of the vine."
The sound receded until it was gone; the dread followed it. He heard the priests' footfalls before he saw them move to stand before him. Their hearts beat quickly. One held a black robe with embroidery of gold, silver, and platinum and another a pair of sandals. He held out his arms so they could dress him and noticed how long and pointed his fingers were.
After they fastened the robe to his body and bound the sandals to his feet, Lord Ausis walked toward the other Apskritai and stood before them. He turned around and instructed the prostrated men before him.
"I am the ears of the Dragon and have been tasked! Summon the emperor and the heads of the Lantaan military and industry so they can renew their oath to the Dragon. We will remove the last of the adversaries' allies from Terra and bind all nations of men under our rule. After this, we'll create an empire of a hundred worlds. The Dragon's will be done!"
About the Author
R. Halderman is a fiction writer and engineer with a passion for philosophy. He is the author of exciting and provocative literature, blazing a trail for a new style of fiction for a new generation. His writing draws on science fiction's past and present to create a unique voice in contemporary fiction.
You can learn more about R. Halderman at www.RHalderman.com. You can also find him on Gab: @RussellH and Minds: @rhalderman
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