Starfall: The Rise Of Samuel: STARFALL

By Carson Kelly

"Starfall: The Rise of Samuel" is a thrilling science fiction novel that tells the story of a colony on a distant planet and the hero who rises to save it. The story follows Samuel, a survivor of the doomed colony on Mars, as he leads a group of survivors on a journey to a new planet known as Star Tron. They face challenges and obstacles as they try to establish a new colony and defend it from hostile alien forces. Along the way, Samuel faces personal demons and develops a love story with Ava, a leader of another colony. As the colony thrives, Samuel and Ava learn about the past of the planet and the secrets that lie beneath its surface. This novel is a page-turner that will keep you on the edge as Samuel battles to save his colony and the planet from certain doom.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carson Kelly Publishing, LLC
• Release date: Dec 29, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223379683

Book preview

OFFICIAL KEYART FOR CARSON KELLY PUBLISHING'S AND CARSON KELLY'S STARFALL: THE RISE OF SAMUEL

OFFICIAL KEYART FOR CARSON KELLY PUBLISHING'S AND CARSON KELLY'S STARFALL: THE RISE OF SAMUEL

STARFALL: THE RISE OF SAMUEL

CARSON J KELLY

CARSON KELLY PUBLISHING, LLC

Copyright © 2023 CARSON KELLY PUBLISHING, LLC

All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

ISBN-13: 9798223379683

ISBN-10: 9798223379683

Cover design by: Carson Kelly Publishing, LLC

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Prologue: The Last Breath of Mars

Chapter 1: Dust to Dust

Chapter 2: Stars in His Eyes

Chapter 3: New World Old Ghosts

Epilogue: The Dawn of Samuel

Afterword

About The Author

ABOUT SAMUEL BLACKBURN

ABOUT AVA

ABOUT THE DESCENDANTS

Books By This Author

STARFALL SERIES

INTRODUCTION CONCEPT ARTWORK FOR STARFALL: THE RISE OF SAMUEL

Introduction

In the vast expanse of space, amongst the countless stars and planets, lies a story of resilience, discovery, and the unyielding human spirit.

This is the tale of Star Tron, a distant world where humanity sought a new beginning. At the heart of this saga is Samuel Blackburn, an engineer, a leader, and a pioneer.

His journey from the red dust of Mars to the alien landscapes of Star Tron is a testament to the courage and determination that defines us as a species.

This story begins on Mars, Earth’s neighbor and the first step in humanity’s leap into the cosmos.

Mars, once a beacon of hope and exploration, now stands on the brink of collapse.

It is here, amidst the fading glory of mankind’s first venture into space colonization, that we find the roots of a journey that will span galaxies and shape the destiny of all who embark upon it.

As we delve into the lives of those who dared to dream of a new world, we find not just a tale of survival, but a narrative of transformation.

From the ashes of the old, a new chapter in human history is written, a chapter that takes us to the far reaches of space and into the heart of what it means to be human.

Join us as we embark on this journey, as we follow the footsteps of Samuel Blackburn and those who joined him on a quest to find a new home among the stars.

Their story is one of adversity, of friendship, of love, and of the endless possibilities that lie within the vast expanse of the universe.

PROLOGUE CONCEPT ARTWORK FOR STARFALL: THE RISE OF SAMUEL

Prologue: The Last Breath of Mars

Mars, once a symbol of humanity’s potential, now lay dying. The red planet, with its sprawling colonies and technological marvels, was succumbing to the harsh realities of decay and neglect.

Dust storms raged across the barren landscape, covering the once-bustling settlements in a blanket of red.

In one of the smaller colonies, struggling on the edge of survival, lived Samuel Blackburn and his family.

Samuel, an engineer by trade, had come to Mars with dreams of contributing to humanity’s expansion into space. But those dreams had withered like the crops in the arid Martian soil.

His family, once full of optimism, now faced each day with a growing sense of despair. The colony’s resources were dwindling, life support systems were failing, and hope was a scarce commodity.

Samuel’s wife, Elara, tried to shield their young daughter, Lily, from the worst of their reality, but the truth was inescapable – Mars was dying, and with it, their dreams of a future in the stars.

As Samuel toiled in the failing power plant, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being trapped, both physically on the dying planet and emotionally in the decay that surrounded him.

His skills as an engineer, once a source of pride, now felt meaningless in the face of such overwhelming odds.

The catalyst came one evening, as a dust storm stronger than any before swept through the colony. In its aftermath, the fragile life support systems failed.

The colony, already on the brink, was thrust into chaos. It was a wake-up call for Samuel – a realization that staying on Mars was a death sentence.

Amidst the turmoil, Samuel made a decision. He would not stand by and watch his family suffer. He would not let their dreams turn to dust like the Martian soil.

That night, as he held his family close, he vowed to find a way off Mars, to seek a new beginning, a new world where they could start again.

The prologue ends with Samuel looking out at the raging dust storm, a symbol of the end of one chapter and the beginning of another. It sets the stage for the journey to come, a journey to Star Tron, where Samuel Blackburn would emerge not just as a survivor, but as a leader and a protector of a new world.

CHAPTER 1 CONCEPT ARTWORK FOR STARFALL: THE RISE OF SAMUEL

Chapter 1: Dust to Dust

Samuel’s days were a litany of routine and repair. The colony’s lifeblood, the great machines that kept the encroaching death at bay, were his charge. His hands, stained with oil and rust, moved with the precision of a surgeon, coaxing life from the reluctant heart of the colony’s ailing infrastructure.

The engineering bay was a sanctuary of sorts, a place where the relentless grind of survival gave way to the purity of purpose. Here, Samuel was more than a mere denizen of a dying world; he was its guardian, its keeper of the flame.

But even the most vigilant sentinel could not hold back the tide. The pivotal incident came silently—a critical failure in the atmospheric processors. In the aftermath, it was not the sound of alarms that marked the moment, but the absence of them. The silence was a verdict, and Samuel knew the sentence it carried.

It was in this crucible of calamity that Samuel encountered them—the group that spoke not of saving Mars, but of abandoning it for the dream of a distant world. Star Tron, they called it, a name that sang of hope and a future.

As Samuel looked upon the faces of those daring to dream, he saw in their eyes the reflection of his own unvoiced yearnings. With a heart heavy with loss but buoyed by the promise of a new horizon, he cast his lot with them.

Together, they would rise from the dust of Mars, setting a course for the stars and a chance at rebirth. For in the infinite tapestry of the cosmos, even the forsaken could find a place to call home.

The Martian day waned, casting elongated shadows across the engineering bay where Samuel stood, his mind a tempest of thoughts as chaotic as the dust storms that battered the external shields. Around him, the familiar hum of machinery had dulled to a hush, like the colony itself was holding its breath, awaiting the inevitable.

He glanced around at the faces of his fellow engineers, each etched with the same resolve that had come to define the inhabitants of this red wasteland. They were fighters, survivors, but even the staunchest warriors knew when the battle was lost. The failure of the atmospheric processors wasn’t just another glitch to mend; it was a death knell for their way of life.

In the midst of crisis, the leader of the escapist group, a geologist named Elara, approached Samuel. Her eyes, the color of the Martian sky at twilight, met his with an intensity that spoke of unshared secrets and untold promises.

Samuel, isn’t it? she asked, her voice a soft contrast to the clanging of metal on metal that filled the bay.

He nodded, wiping his greasy hands on a rag. I fix things. But some things, he gestured vaguely at the dormant machinery, are beyond fixing.

Exactly, Elara said, her gaze steady. Which is why we need to leave. Mars was a dream, but dreams change. Or they become nightmares. We have a ship, the Astraeus. She’s old, but she’ll fly. And you, she paused, assessing him, you have the skills we need to ensure that flight isn’t a short one.

Samuel’s heart thrummed in his chest. The Astraeus was a relic from the first wave of colonization, a ship meant to bring pioneers to Mars, not take refugees away. Yet, the idea of flight, of escape, ignited something within him—a flicker of the old pioneering spirit his parents had instilled in him.

You’re asking me to leave everything. My family, he said, the weight of the decision pressing down on him.

Elara’s expression softened. We’re asking you to help save what’s left of everything. Mars is dying, but we don’t have to die with it.

The bay seemed to shrink around him, the walls closing in as the reality of the situation settled upon his shoulders. The red planet had been his cradle, but it could not be his grave. He thought of his family, of the father who had once told him stories of Earth’s oceans, of the mother who had taught him the constellations, and of the sister who saw beauty in the swirling dust.

Taking a deep breath, one that tasted of iron and despair, Samuel made his choice.

When do we leave? he asked.

Elara smiled, and it was like the breaking of dawn on the horizon. We start now. We prepare, we plan, and when the synodic period aligns, we take the leap. Welcome to the Astraeus crew, Samuel.

As the twin moons of Mars began their nightly dance across the sky, Samuel’s fate entwined with that of the Astraeus and her crew. They would venture into the void, chasing a speck of light in the vastness of space, harboring the fragile seeds of humanity’s persistence.

The colony of Mars would soon be a chapter in the annals of history, a tale of ambition