Penumbra

By Mary Browning

Life on the desert planet Penumbra is cruel and unforgiving, but Jonathan Crowe is more than familiar with it. He and his teenage son, William, brave the desolate terrain day and night with their jobs as rover wranglers. For them, a brush with danger is all in a day work from the scorching heat to the screamers that prowl the sands. They risk it all for the greater good of the colony they live in. However, nothing strikes fear more than Penumbra's native inhabitants, the Aksems. A race of human-like warriors, the Aksems are known for their natural aggression and brutality. They devastate the lives of everyone they come across and then vanish, leaving carnage in their wake. Jonathan has seen what they are capable of firsthand, but discovers there is more to them than he thought. The father and son receive hands on experience full of surprises and an insidious part of their primal culture.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 18, 2020
• ISBN: 9781646283866

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Penumbra

Mary Browning

Copyright © 2019 Mary Browning

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

Conneaut Lake, PA

First originally published by Page Publishing 2019

ISBN 978-1-64628-385-9 (pbk)

ISBN 978-1-64628-386-6 (digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Prologue

E milla Bastille, we have been through some rough times. Your father objected to us, but now we have a beautiful little boy together, and I think it’s time we made this official—no, that’s not right. Too sappy.

I shook my head, standing in front of the toilet as I was coming up with the perfect proposal speech for my woman. I reached down with a defeated sigh and flushed, watching the speech that never was go down the drain. I left the bathroom, making sure to wash my hands before doing so, lest I wanted Milly’s wrath down my back. She always wanted to set a good example for our boy.

I heard a loud rumble in the room next to me and shook my head. Emilla never snored that loudly. She must have been exhausted, but Penumbra’s days were long and the nights longer. She’d have no trouble getting the rest she needed. I flipped the lights as I walked down the hall and peeked at our baby boy, asleep in his crib.

He was my pride and joy, almost a spitting image of his old man.

My chest swelled as I eased the door closed. I was still smiling when I got to our door. I heard rustling as I pushed it open. Baby? Are you awake?

There was a crunch for a reply, soft and wet.

In the moonlight that poured from our bedroom window, I saw a slender, lightly furred figure on top of my wife. My breath caught in my throat. E-Emilla?

The thing raised up, turned to me. Silver eyes pierced me, and my heart began to race. Blood, made black by the darkness, filled our entire bed and crept over the corner of the mattress. The thing roared at me, and I roared my fear back at it, slamming the door as I bolted toward the nursery. I scooped him into my arms just as I heard the bedroom door crash against the wall. I opened the window leading outside and jumped.

Part I

Into the Depths

Chapter 1

My eyes snapped open, and I shot up from my bed, eyes darting around the room. No growling, no blood, no silver eyes. I let out a sigh but jumped when the door flew open. A teenaged boy no older than seventeen stared dead at me, panting harder than I was.

Dad, he said. I thought someone had broken in.

I shook my head. No, William. I’m fine.

Was it that bad dream again?

I sighed, head down. Not just a bad dream, son. A reminder. I got out of bed, holding my knee with a weary grunt. As if this leg isn’t enough of a reminder. My finger ran across a large scar that spanned my entire kneecap. The ceiling fan above us spun hard, jerking its base with each whip of its blades. A chill crawled down my spine like an insect. Will, this is no way to live.

William furrowed his dark-blond brows. And living in Aksem land is?

I stretched and slipped into my bathroom. We have no choice on that, son. It’s their planet. Man has only been on Penumbra for two hundred years.

Going soft on me, Pops?

I shook my head. Just tired, boy.

Tired of what?

I smiled at him. He was seventeen now, a memory of my own youth. A blond version of me, but I could still see Emilla in him. He had her nose and her green eyes. Sometimes just looking at my son made my eyes sting. Heh, I was only thirty-three, but my weary body made me feel like I was fifty. Go figure.

My feet padded on the metal floor while eggs and ham started to sizzle in a pan. I pushed them onto a plate. William sat at a grungy island counter, a paper in his hand and coffee in what I hoped was a clean mug. His brows furrowed. Hey, Dad, check this out. Aksems attack at the post. The victim, Roland Wayne, age 29, was attacked by an Aksem. What a way to go, huh?

I nodded. Yup. Those Aksems are brutal—well, I can’t say they’re people, but uh— I trailed off. Anyway, I’m going to hop into the shower and then we’ll go see Mad Alayna.

William beamed. So that means we get our rover back!

I just chuckled. Yeah, son. We are going to get the rover back. I laid his ham and eggs down and started eating mine.

Can I drive it?

No way! That’s what got it totaled in the first place.

Aw, come on, William said. He swallowed his mouth full of food. I know the difference in reverse, drive, and neutral.

I raised a brow. Are you sure? I specifically told you to put the rover in drive and you put it in neutral on a hill, of all places. A hill!

Hey, Dad, don’t judge me.

I rubbed my temples. My point is no keys for you!

Lame… He picked at the rest of his food.

Love you too, kid. I waved him off and headed for the shower.

Penumbra’s sun was twice the size of ours back on earth and twice as hot. But Penumbra was so far away, it didn’t hurt us. Not too bad anyway. My great-grandfather compared the planet’s six-hour day to a summer on earth. He would know. He was eight when his family joined thirty thousand other families to go on the first space expedition.

Hey, Dad,

My thoughts dissolved. Yeah?

William wiped his sweat-covered forehead. How much farther do we have to walk? I think my shoes are melting.

Not too much. Don’t complain. You and I both know we need the exercise.

He scoffed. You do, maybe…

What was that?

Nothing, Dad, William said.

I chuckled. I still had the fear of dad instilled in him, and deep down I enjoyed it.

About thirty minutes later, we reached Alayna Cogwell’s garage. She was a few months older than Will, but the girl knew her stuff. I tapped her hand bell as we went to her workstation. Hey! Alayna, are you done with our rover?

The spacious workstation was silent, save for the soft clink of chains dangling from the ceiling.

Alayna? My boots echoed with each step.

William stayed in my shadow as we walked past another totaled rover.

A head popped up from beneath it. Hello!

I thought Will was going to jump through the ceiling.

The goggle-wearing girl grinned up at me. Mr. Crowe, what grinds your gears today? she asked, tucking her blond hair behind her