Venera's fall: Venera's Fall, #1

By Anthony Halen

After nearly causing a global apocalypse, the runaway planet was captured in Earth's orbit and became an asset in the worlds new defense system and an inviting target for an impending alien invasion.People colonize the new satellite and build an advanced military installation, which is used to train a professional team of space Marines. In the first volume of Venera's Fall, a determined and beautiful leader named Revelle begins the military training that prepares her for the daunting space missions ahead and teaches her to cope with a strange new world. Revelle and her team soon discover that their aspirations are very different from the people in charge. A collective space program is the idea being sold, but is that the truth?

261 million kilometers away on a futuristic alien planet called Venera, Queen Aya has held the throne because her people love her, and she is admired by her allies. Everything is perfect until their resources dwindle, and the people face imminent starvation. The only option for maintaining the Veneran civilizations existence is invasion. The Queen struggles with the idea of taking resources by force - the daunting reality that death and destruction lie between her and the survival of her people.The mind-blowing first book in this YA Science Fiction novella series will test your moral compass; nothing is what it seems, and it will leave you wondering what's next. Page Up and Order Now.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anthony Halen
• Release date: Dec 6, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386094913

Anthony Halen

Anthony has loved writing since the age of 15; he’s often found daydreaming at work about a new scene he wants to write in his book or excited about a new character, writing is when he feels alive!!. Check out his debut novella; Venera’s fall and subscribe to his mailing list for updates on his new book in the series coming soon. Connect with him @[e-mail]. Hope you enjoy the series.

Book preview

Chapter 1

20 years ago

Mountain View, California

Aviolent protest was already in progress just outside the SETI Institute. Large radio telescopes meant to detect radio emissions from the sky stood firmly behind the building, and the riot squad stood in a line blocking entry at the front of the building. Chants and jeers filled the street from the protesters as they held their signs high in the air. Do not occupy and Earth first the signs read. Reporters hustled out of their news vans and raced to get ready to go live on the air.

Hurry up; we need to get on the air before everyone else! Jennifer Walsh yelled, pounding on the side of the van and consequently knocking her award for best news reporter from the previous year off the dashboard.

A moment later, the cameraman stepped out of the van with his camera over his shoulder, nearly tripping over the wires. He got himself together, then began to count down with his fingers while using his other hand to stabilize the camera.

Jennifer teased her hair. We are here in front of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence building, where a protest has erupted over the runaway planet that has made its way into our orbit. SETI, in partnership with NASA and the military, have decided that we will not only research this new planet, but the militaries of the world have decided in a global effort to occupy this planet, Jennifer said, speaking to the camera. She reached out and tapped one of the protesters on the shoulder. The woman turned around, lowering her sign. What could you possibly have against this? Jennifer asked while placing the microphone to the woman’s mouth.

I don’t think we should be occupying a planet. If we were meant to be on that planet, we would be. What if it belongs to some alien race out there? I’m sure they are going to want it back sooner or later. Also, we have so many homeless and hungry people here on Earth, but they want to take our tax dollars to go to space? the woman yelled in protest.

Jennifer stared intently at the woman as she made her case. But isn’t this an amazing opportunity for humankind? For years, we have searched for life on other planets. We now have an opportunity to see if there is life out there.

***  Frontline

Present

The routine

Morning sirens rang out at 5:30 a.m. sharp across the base and Revelle jumped out of her sleep as if she were escaping a nightmare. She laid there for a moment, staring up at the ceiling. Fucking alarm, she muttered to herself as she finally pushed the button on the clock to turn it off.

She rose up from laying on her back and moved to the edge of the bed, reaching for the hair tie that sat atop her night table beside the alarm clock. She fastened back her long black locks and then while wiping the sleep from her eyes, she made her way to the washroom.

Evan was startled out of his sleep, hitting his head on a model of the solar system that hung from the ceiling above his bed. He immediately jumped out of bed and raced to the washroom to get ready for his day. After brushing his teeth, Evan slowly and gently placed the contact lenses he had sitting in their solution over his brown irises, then reached in the medicine cabinet and pulled out a small comb and began to run it through his black crew-cut hairstyle. When he finished, he took one last look in the mirror and put on his best smile, then exited the washroom. He sped down the stairs to the kitchen, where he already had his mop and bucket waiting for him. He placed the dry mop into the water, pulled it out and squeezed the excess water out of it, then dropped the swab to the already clean kitchen floor.

Revelle walked down the stairs. Disgusted by the smell that had accrued overnight from the water that was left in the bucket from the day before, she plugged her nose between her index finger and thumb as she went straight to the back door.

The formation run was rigorous as always—the famous four-mile run, while the drill sergeant led the cadets in chants. Evan glanced at the water-resistant watch he had around his wrist: 6 a.m. He leaned to the left and looked forward at the cadets, and then behind at the remaining cadets, making sure not to slow down; that would mean trouble with the drill sergeant. Once the run was completed, the squad dropped to the ground and began their morning exercises, the most famous being the mountain climber repetitions, followed by jumping jacks.

When Royce’s alarm went off for the second time, he reached for it with his face still firmly planted in the pillow. He slowly raised his head to glance at the clock, and seeing it read 6:45 a.m. muttered, Fuck! and jumped out of bed in a hurry. Managing to keep his balance while stepping around the dirty clothes and dishes he had beside his bed, he rushed down the steps to the kitchen.

He looked at the floor and shook his head in disgust at the many shoeprints and juice stains. Dad, where’s the mop? he called out, but he got no answer; the house was deserted. He opened the nearby closet and saw the mop and bucket sitting in the corner. Royce