The Red Rover: Ingression: The Rover Series Universe, #9

By C.E. Whitaker III

The pulse-pounding finale has arrived. A powerful force seeks to recreate the star system—pushing the Red Rover and its young adult crew to the brink of extinction. There is nowhere to run and hide as only the "strong" will survive the Ingression!

 

From the moment the Red Rover first disembarked from the Rover Base Alpha—they were on a collision course with destiny.

 

The trials and tribulations they had withstood across two-star systems and multiple foreign worlds could attest to that. Their courage and confidence in one another kept them strong—even when presented with overwhelming odds—time and time again.

 

Still reeling from the events of their last mission, the crew sets out to return to the alien world of Kethyrie. Along the way, they are hastily thrown off course by a powerful new enemy—landing them in a place that could only exist in a dream.

 

A paradise to some. A perdition to others.

 

With the fate of the entire system hanging in the balance, against all odds, the crew must do whatever it takes to keep this evil from achieving its malevolent goals—even if it means paying the ultimate price to do so.

 

Our youth remains the key as the journey careens uncontrollably towards its epic conclusion. A space odyssey to the bitter end. Some scholars have opined that the future is unwritten.

 

But what if they were wrong?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Darn Pretty Books
• Release date: Oct 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9781955476232

C.E. Whitaker III

A writer/director/producer based out of Los Angeles, C.E. is the author and architect of the sci-fi, action-adventure, space opera book series, THE ROVER SERIES UNIVERSE. In 2021, he was a finalist in the PGA Create Producing Intensive sponsored by the Producer’s Guild of America. In 2016, C.E. was selected as a finalist in the Warner Bros Emerging Film Director's Workshop. In 2019, he worked in London on the Guy Ritchie-directed feature, THE GENTLEMEN, for Miramax/STX and the Sir Kenneth Branagh-directed fantasy adventure, ARTEMIS FOWL; 2018, saw him work on the Jessica Chastain led-feature, AVA, directed by Tate Taylor in Boston; 2017 was busier with the Dan Gilroy-directed film ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ., the Chicago-based feature, WIDOWS, directed by Steven McQueen, and the live-action re-imagining of Disney's DUMBO directed by Tim Burton in London. Follow him on Instagram: @mrwhitaker3

Book preview

PROLOGUE

CONFUSION REIGNS SUPREME

Peaceful. Quite possibly the most over articulated term in the Herullian linguistic almanac. Ever since Naiaxion’s un-explained disappearance, Heru was no longer the same. By and large, Herullians were diplomatic with one another, but for some odd reason the harmony of existence seemed to be fleeting among them.

Kvidera stood perched in the lookout tower, high above the palace in the Herullian capital settlement of Chatoya. As a Cherubian and former apprentice of Zchalocrii, she had long been expected to become the new premier protector of the sycokenes. While they were the greatest combatants that Heru had to offer, being a Cherubian was not ideal in a post-Naiaxion world.

Her successor, Gigenexia, bypassed Kvidera entirely for the role—instead choosing to select her equal Lucenze—the type of Cherubian whose loyalty changed like the planetary seasons. Simply stated, he was the perfect sycophant for the new sycokene.

The atmosphere was tranquil during the evening hours. Above the illuminated cityscape were feathery vapors, with no appearances of storms in their infancy. The capital was meticulously-designed and hallowed ground for each and every citizen of Heru. To the south was a bountiful forest, while to the north was a mountain range—filled with useful ore. A reservoir rested to the east, with rolling hills filled with gentle creatures to the west. To live in Chatoya or anywhere else on Heru for that matter, was to be blessed by the universe itself.

Kvidera sustained her skyward glance. A scant light was descending rapidly from the upper atmosphere. Its trajectory appeared to be right above the settlement. She gripped her quarterstaff and hurried to the next roost.

Narisis.

Her Cherubian subordinate groaned, while keeping her face hidden behind her oversized annexes.

Yes, Kvidera. Has the seclusion got you down?

No. However, there appears to be something burning towards the settlement and I would like a second opinion. Would you be so kind?

Narisis expanded her annexes—revealing a nonplussed mien. Far be it from her to actually carry out her duties. She respired and rose from her comfortable footrest. She exited the roost as Kvidera followed her. Narisis glanced skyward. The light wasn’t quite so scant any longer and its entrail was leaving its mark in the atmosphere.

My apologies for doubting you, Kvidera.

Kvidera kept her eyes fixed on the descending entity.

Assemble our brothers and sisters. We will be prepared against any threats to our sovereignty.

As you wish.

Narisis pounded her chest in recognition of the order. She extended her annexes and departed to alert the remainder of the Cherubian protectors.

The unidentified entity continued its rapid descent towards the surface. Kvidera watched with bated anxiousness as its trajectory veered from the densely inhabited sections of Chatoya to the palace itself. She flew down from the lookout tower, never once taking her eyes off of it. At the rate this entity was falling, there wouldn’t be much time left before it landed within the ornate and spacious palace courtyard.

She held her illuminated quarterstaff at the ready. Who or whatever this was—was not going to enjoy their foray into these blessed lands without a swift and ferocious response. A few moments later, she was surrounded by Narisis and ten additional Cherubian allies. At least half of her brethren had arrived with supercharged melee deterrents. She took a brief glance around. They were all ready to do what was needed, should it come to that.

To think I was beginning to wonder if you had forgotten about me.

And leave you to have all of this merriment by yourself? Never. Narisis stated.

Kvidera grinned. She turned her focus back to the falling entity. It seemed to be losing velocity the closer it was getting to the surface.

It’s coming right for us, Kvidera. Rhym, another one of her Cherubian brothers stated. Shall we engage or not?

She placed her staff slightly above her head—requesting silence. Her eyes narrowed. A tingle filtered throughout her body—as if something familiar had been reaching out to touch her. She shook off the connection and held her eyes on the entity. It was becoming clearer by the second. This entity was a vessel from beyond their world’s atmospheric limits.

Everyone withdraw.

No one responded to her decree. She turned around and discovered that their eyes were glued to the falling vessel instead.

Did you not hear what I stated? Create some space.

Kvidera’s annexes extended abruptly. They had heard her this time. The Cherubians withdrew, effectively creating an open space for the vessel to land.

Thank you.

Another tingle rummaged its way through her. Kvidera turned to Narisis.

Did you hear that?

Hear what? I don’t hear anything aside from that.

Narisis pointed to the vessel. It was mere moments from landing. Kvidera fanned her annexes again as they withdrew further. The vessel landed in the main orchard—destroying the lovely blossoms that had imbedded over time. Vestiges of the entrails were still smoldering around the vessel.

Kvidera signaled to her unit to move into formation. An unfamiliar sound emanated from the vessel as the formation carefully made their way around its exterior—searching for an opening of some sort. A sissling could be heard followed by a fence of condensation. Kvidera flexed and swirled her quarterstaff—guiding the formation into a defensive stance.

A moment later, the condensation vanished—revealing their unwelcome interloper. Her eyes immediately enlarged at the sight. She dropped to one knee and lowered her eyes in deference.

Priestess.

She felt her Cherubian allies kneel in concert behind her. The priestess, Naiaxion, was before them. The true imperial sycokene of Heru had returned. And after so much time had elapsed. Naiaxion took a step forward out of the vessel and collapsed against it. Kvidera laid down her weapon and rose to assist her. She allowed the sycokene to rest in her arms.

Priestess. Your Cherubians are here for you.

Zchalocrii. Naiaxion weakly muttered.

Kvidera turned to Narisis and motioned for her to join them. Narisis handed her deterrent off to another Cherubian and hurried over. Kvidera passed Naiaxion to her.

I’ll be right back.

She pivoted and entered the vessel. The interior design was advanced—far beyond anything that had been built on Heru. Their culture was not one of over indulgence. Their prosperous home-world provided them with no need to seek external comforts from the stars. The illumination within the vessel was dull as she moved further towards the opposite side.

She took another step forward and gasped—covering her mouth in dismay. Lying on the floor of the vessel above his withered annexes was her former nestor, Zchalocrii. He had transitioned. It was apparent by his near alabaster coloring. Kvidera continued to investigate the vessel—including what seemed to be its facade. Naiaxion and Zchalocrii were the only ones on board.

Kvidera exited the vessel to find Naiaxion still in the arms of Narisis, along with the rest of the Cherubians. Naiaxion was unconscious. She was clearly exhausted.

Set up a treatment shelter for our priestess.

Where? Rhym stated.

Right here.

Kvidera pointed to an untouched area nearby.

We shall tend to the priestess Naiaxion first before we do anything else. Is that understood?

They remained stoic for a brief moment before springing into action. In what was tantamount to a blink of an eye, life as they knew it on Heru, had been completely upended.

CHAPTER ONE

AFTERSHOCK

Billows of black smoke were filtering out from all the honeycombs that had led the Red Rover to the hidden Conesus stronghold. Doctor Marius had taken this crew as far as he possibly could. Before his eyes closed for the final time, he was able to perform one last act of heroism. If there was one thing Jovan had to give him—it was that the man had balls. Big gigantic brass balls. Marius was a leader in every sense of the word.

Losing the good doctor was still so fresh that Jovan really hadn’t taken much time to process just how devastating this loss was. Orion and Delly, on the other hand, were able to speak much more candidly than he ever could—at least in the interim. After his reckless mistake on Cnaeus—Marius could have easily stopped their training right then and there. Doing so would have made Jovan persona non grata among the core seven—that was for sure. And yet, for some strange reason, he didn’t follow through with what would have been typical. And that was just another reason why they all loved Marius so much.

He was always quick to remind them of just how much they had matured over the years. But the same could be said for him. Through so many trials and tribulations across the stars, the one constant was that man’s undying yield to make sure that they were all okay. On Cnaeus. On Araneus. On Felicity. On Kethyrie. And finally on Conesus. He was their teacher, but most importantly, he was their dad. Make no mistake, he would be missed.

You stay here.

Jovan swiveled his chair around to see Callista pointing to the mission control’s floor. Witchy glanced up at her for a brief second before curling herself and lying down. That was another decision Marius had gotten right. Callista was the ideal choice to lead them moving forward. She was rational and rarely raised her voice. She also was the smartest person on the ship with maybe the exception of Kabibi and he was a different species.

Seriously, how the hell do you even do that? I’ve fed her now, so—you can’t use that excuse anymore.

I’m a woman of many talents, June. I figured you’d have learned that by now.

You know what? Forget I said anything.

A slight smile emerged from Callista’s lips. She turned towards him and approached. She stopped at the captain’s perch and grabbed her helmet. She attached it to her suit and climbed back up. She began securing her harness before the two made eye contact.

Okay, Jovan, we are officially ready to depart. You can take us out of here. Back to Kethyrie.

Roger that captain.

She saluted as he swiveled his seat back to the front. He turned to Gordie—who was in his usual seat as his copilot.

Prep for departure?

I’m on it.

His partner began checking the Red Rover’s diagnostics. Jovan opened the ship’s communication network. Each of the eight channels were working fine. Kabibi was the only one among them not connected to it.

Attention Rovers… and Kabibi. We are ready to depart. If you’re not strapped in, please do so now. Thank you.

Jovan double-checked his harness. It was secure. He did two silent prayers. One for himself and one for everyone else. He opened his eyes and turned to Gordie.

We good to go?

It’s all yours. Gordie gestured.

He chuckled before gripping the reins and activating the Red Rover’s auxiliary power for liftoff. The mission control shook for a moment before beginning its gradual ascent. He held the reins tight—never allowing them to tilt. While the space within the asteroid was rather large, damaging the ship was just about that the last thing he could afford to do.

Once the Red Rover had reached a suitable altitude, he executed a deliberate rotation to the left—while maintaining altitude. The ship rotated one-hundred and eighty degrees. He could hear Witchy’s yelping behind him, but remained focused on the task at hand. Just up ahead of them was one of the upper canals that led back to the asteroid field.

Shit.

Jovan had initially been hoping to use the lower entrance to exit as it was considerably wider. However, maneuvering the Red Rover in this space was challenging enough. The best way forward would be whatever was easiest. He veered the ship to the canal on the right and entered.

Kind of dark in here. Gordie remarked.

No shit. Increase the floodlights.

Copy.

Gordie proceeded to increase them as the path ahead was illuminated. The protruding spikes that canvassed the tunnel looked just as sharp as Jovan remembered. His control of the reins remained steady as they gradually sustained towards the asteroid’s exit. Moments later, a blinding yellowish light, almost akin to a solar flare, absorbed them.

Ah! Gordie said.

Jovan squinted. He pulled back on the ship’s velocity—causing the mission control to bounce back and forth before bringing it to a halt.

Jovan, what are you doing? Callista said.

I can’t keep going, Cap.

Why not?

He undocked his seat and swiveled partially to her.

Because it looks like we’re in direct opposition to the system’s star. I can’t see anything.

Can’t you just use the autopilot?

He scoffed and shook his head.

In this asteroid field? I strongly advise against it. I mean, it was a challenge flying through it with the sun at our backs. I don’t wanna imagine what it would be like flying right into it.

He’s right. A lot of those rocks are fuckin’ huge. Excuse my language.

What Gordie meant to say—is with such poor visibility, that’s just asking for trouble.

I see. Callista sighed. Okay. So what you’re telling me is… we’re trapped?

Temporarily. But yes.

The captain leaned back and shook her head. Clearly, this was not something any of them wanted to hear right now.

So what’s next? Reverse to the honeycomb?

Nope. We can just wait here. I’ll keep the Red Rover on auxiliary and use the autopilot to keep us stationary.

June, do we have enough power for that?

One moment.

They waited momentarily for her to return with that info.

We do. The ship’s power supply is currently operating at ninety-one and a half percent.

Okay. Jovan, it’s your show.

Roger that.

Callista remained seated in the captain’s perch—just trying to collect her thoughts for a moment. Due to circumstances beyond their control, they were temporarily stranded within the asteroid. Now that she was officially in charge, it would be up to her to let the others know of their current situation. She put her hands under her chin and detached the helmet from her spacesuit. She sighed and sucked her teeth. Being a leader was a lot harder than Marius had made it look.

She climbed down from the perch and placed the helmet where she had once sat. Witchy rose to attention as she made eye contact with June.

You need me to come with?

I got this. Callista answered.

She waved her hand over the control panel. The door slid open as she entered the cabin. Witchy was right on her heels. She entered to find Orion sitting beside Rio, while the other three were dispersed among the remaining rows. She cleared her throat as all eyes landed on her.

I know you’re all probably wondering what I’m doing in here, but we have a situation.

That doesn’t sound good. Orion said.

What is it now?

She instantly recognized the agitation in Andrew’s tone and tapped her chin.

Well… it would appear that Genara, the system’s star, has undergone a rotation since we first entered Conesus.

Meaning what exactly?

Meaning that it’s moved right into our line of sight.

Audible groans could be heard throughout the room.

What’s wrong with the autopilot? Delly asked.

Far be it from her to think about throwing either Jovan or Gordie under the bus. Next to Delly, those two were by far the best pilots they had. And if they didn’t feel comfortable navigating the asteroid field in its current state, Callista wasn’t going to argue with them.

What can I say? This ship used to be flown regularly by artificial intelligence. As of right now, the conditions beyond this cavern are too dangerous for us. So there’s not much we can do now—other than sit tight.

Callista paused and motioned to Delly.

Unless, of course, you happen to have some better ideas, Lieutenant. Cause if you do, I’m all ears.

Delly put both hands up in concession without uttering a word. If anyone wasn’t sure of the new dynamic post Marius, that would have been the defining moment when everything became clear. Callista was firmly in charge of this group. She took a moment to look at the four Rovers and the Fonantian.

Look, I know this is the last thing anybody wants to hear after what’s happened, but this is a tough group. If anybody can handle this, it’s us. So…

She took another pause. It was important that she spoke with a calming, yet confident tone.

Don’t hesitate to get some sleep in your pods, if need be. The boys are gonna do everything they can up there.

They all nodded as Callista double tapped the headrest of the seat closest to her. She proceeded to walk to the rear of the cabin and waved her hand over the control panel. Witchy followed her into the corridor. She approached Marius’ old quarters and entered—walking straight for his old recliner and plopping down on it.

Callista sunk into the chair and exhaled. She glanced at his old life pod and just zoned out—listening to the sound of her breathing. She placed her gloved hand over her face and held it there. Life after Marius wasn’t starting off as well as she had hoped.

We’re gonna get through this. I know we will.

CHAPTER TWO

REPLACEMENT THEORY

The flaps of the treatment shelter swayed against the calming night breeze. A collapsible parcel had been erected inside for Naiaxion to recuperate on, while Rhym and Narisis attended to her. Kvidera stood beside the shelter with five additional Cherubians. The remainder of their flock were tasked with either transferring Zchalocrii from the vessel and preparing him for burial or returning to their strategic roosts. Until their weary priestess was able to communicate the reason for her mysterious disappearance, they all needed to remain on alert.

Kvidera.

She turned back and parted the flaps. Rhym motioned for her to enter. He and Narisis stepped aside to give Kvidera some privacy with the priestess. There was anguish written all over Naiaxion’s face—like she had seen and been through a great calamity. Kvidera sat beside her.

Priestess, I am here.

Naiaxion’s eyes opened slowly.

Kvidera. It’s good to see you.

And it’s great to see you. We’ve missed you.

I know.

She weakly extended her hand. Kvidera cupped it with her own.

Priestess, I must know. What happened to you? And to Zchalocrii? You were gone for so long. Where did you come from?

Naiaxion slightly turned away. Kvidera amplified her grip of the priestess’ hand. The sycokene energy was not as powerful as she remembered.

Gigenex… She mumbled.

What did you say?

Gigenexia. That’s where the deception begins.

Kvidera could feel the limpness in her touch. She took a deep breath and exhaled. Something within her core always knew that Gigenexia was unfit to lead Heru. It made perfect sense that she was behind the disappearance of Naiaxion as well—considering she was the one who benefitted the most. Kvidera gently rested Naiaxion’s hand to the side and rose to her feet. She exited the shelter to find the remaining flock waiting for her.

What did she say? Rhym asked.

Continue to attend to her. If anything changes, I want to know immediately.

Rhym nodded and re-entered the shelter. Kvidera turned back to the other Cherubians.