Defiant Endurance: Interstellar Protectorate of Earth, #2

By Alice Sabo

Pirates, megafauna and natural disasters…

When the settlement on Blunder becomes too dangerous for them to remain, Tucker looks for alternatives. A surprise offer gives them a new chance at homesteading but will take them on another hazardous adventure. Tucker, Carol, Gary and the crew try to get past the disappointments and betrayals of the past, but trusting their new corporate partner is difficult. Especially when it hinges on their hopes and dreams for their future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Alice Sabo
• Release date: Jan 5, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224819447

Alice Sabo

Alice Sabo is the author of over 25 novels in 7 series. Her character-driven stories range across multiple genres including science fiction, post-apocalyptic, high fantasy, mystery and contemporary fantasy. Whether seeking lost cultures in an unforgiving galaxy or fighting the Darkness on the streets of the city, her books have strong world building, multi-layered characters and a satisfying culmination.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Carol sat at her desk in the greenhouse staring into space. They had all expected life to settle down into a normal routine, but there was nothing normal about it. No matter what they did, another catastrophe was unavoidable. They had built the underground shelters to prepare for any possible solar flares. They had figured out how to coexist with the indigenous insects and reptiles. She should be proud of all their accomplishments, but the specter of what might happen haunted her.

A quiet life of living on the land, growing her own food, had been the dream. Now she almost had it, but she couldn’t relax into the possibilities. Dale and the research group were trying to give them a timeline. They’d named the sun Loki, the trickster, for a reason. A lethal solar flare could be thousands of years away. Or a century. Or a week. They’d worked hard to get this far, and it was beginning to feel pointless.

She’d felt the restlessness in Tucker lately also. They had fallen into a comfortable companionship after their first few weeks of awkwardness together. He might have a few gray hairs among the brown, and there might be a new wrinkle or two around his gray eyes, but he was strong. And he’d make a good father, eventually. But not now. Not here.

They’d had an argument this morning. Nothing too serious, but it showed how tightly strung their nerves were. Unspoken issues were festering. It was past time to get it all out in the open.

Last night, they’d had another meeting about the settlement. Dirk, as head of Fauna, said it was still too soon to incubate any animals. There had been some halfhearted arguments about the whys, but no one could work up the anger to start fighting. In her heart, she knew he was right. They weren’t well enough established. And there was the ever-present risk of loss. Did they have any right to build a community here where it might be destroyed in a few seconds.

She finished her coffee and went to the workbench to plant some new seedlings. This used to be her favorite part. The bright, new growth reaching out, being encouraged with good soil and proper moisture. She loved seeing the tiny plants push up through the dirt, but she couldn’t find her usual enthusiasm.

Tucker was out doing his rounds, but there wasn’t a lot for him to do. The population of Opportunity had shrunk again. More people went looking for jobs on the new space station that Interplanetary Accessions had built near the back of the moon. They had a mining consortium on Shimmer which meant lots of ships coming and going. New faces, exotic foods, and lots of money changing hands was a big draw. Not much of that trickled down to this planet despite their optimistic planning.

They had free rein here on Blunder. They could build as they wanted. Create whatever government that they could envision. And yet, with the handful of people remaining, it felt a little hollow. She glanced skyward with a mix of fear and anger. It wasn’t fair. They could fight the elements and bring life to the barren land, but they had no control over the lethal power of the sun. The monitors would warn them to scramble for the shelters where they had stored food, and every living thing left on the surface would die.

She expected to meet Tucker for lunch at the cafeteria. The big room was quiet. Ross and Layla were in the kitchen. She served up the meal as he cooked. Gary was at a table with Braiden and Marcus. She wondered if they were planning on taking down buildings instead of putting them up. Gary’s beard was getting longer and it looked like Braiden and Marcus were following suit.

Tucker was waiting at the stack of trays. She could see the burden on him in the two-day stubble on his chin, and the shaggy hair that was weeks past his usual haircut. Things were on a downhill slide, and she didn’t want to admit it. Here in the communal space, it was painfully evident. They had too many empty chairs around the tables. She got her meal and went out on the patio where she could look at the flower beds instead of the lack of people. Tucker followed settling across from her without a word. Anything new? she asked.

Gary is adding on to his house again, he said with a chuckle.

He’s bored, Carol said surprised at how shrill she sounded.

Tucker frowned at her. Problem?

She picked at her salad. She had started the seeds for every ingredient on her plate. She knew the exact cultivar of the cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, all of it. Not really. I guess I’m just feeling a little cranky today.

Are you okay? he asked.

She felt the sudden concern from him and found it endearing. I’m not getting sick, if that’s what you’re asking.

Then what?

She frowned at the view. Is this what you were expecting?

Tucker leaned back into his chair folding his arms. He pursed his lips. It’s unsustainable.

What does that mean? she asked although she already knew. Today, she needed to hear someone say it out loud. They’d been tiptoeing around the brutal truth for too long.

Nobody cares if we stay because nobody wants this precarious foothold. We’ve got barely thirty people here. How many do you think will stay for the long haul?

I thought I was, she said wistfully.

Me, too. But it’s all just temporary. I think we’re going to lose a few more. There are rumors of another planet opening up. Safer. It’s hard to think about raising kids when Dirk won’t even let us have a dog.

And that’s what a lot of them want to do, she added. She’d heard the arguments for and against starting the next generation. She’d put it on hold, herself, but wouldn’t admit to her fears. Difficult conditions weren’t new. People had raised babies in war zones, on generation ships and in domed cities. It wasn’t easy, but it could be done. Do you want to leave? she asked, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

I don’t know. He turned his attention back to his meal. We worked so hard to get where we are. It’s hard to think about abandoning it.

Unsustainable.

The word bounced around in her brain getting louder and harsher. They’d even talked about a dome, but the cost to build one was beyond them. What they had was just a patch of dirt and a bunch of broken dreams.

She finished up and wandered back toward the greenhouse, but knew she wouldn’t be able to concentrate. She changed direction and went out to inspect the fields. It gave her a reason to walk around as she tried to sort her thoughts.

Their settlement had shrunk again. People left for a better life elsewhere. Those who stayed did so out of obstinance or lack of options. In a way, she felt like they were holding their breath waiting for the final disaster. Something had to give, or they’d be at each other’s throats by the end of the week.

She was on her way back across the field when she saw Tucker on the road. He waved her over urgently. She trotted down the path eager for a distraction. What’s up? she asked breathlessly as she joined him.

Interplanetary Accessions contacted me with a proposition, Tucker said.

Despite his calm tone, she could see the excitement in his eyes. To do what?

New Earth has been evacuated. They want us to assess the damage.

What happened? she asked.

The fighting on Earth is over, and there have been some major political changes. The Favored lost their privileges. They’ve been stripped of special status. Apparently, the conflict carried out to New Earth. They’ve been fighting their own battles against themselves. Too many casualties. The colony stopped being solvent or something. IA foreclosed on them, and they fought back. The survivors were rounded up and removed, but they sabotaged the settlement before they left.

You want to go into a booby-trapped zone? Carol asked nervously.

IA assures me that the settlement has been scanned for bombs.

And you believe them?

Not really. But we know ahead of time that it’s dangerous.

We. She heard the inference but wasn’t sure how many were in that simple we. Her heart was racing at the thought of a new puzzle to solve and an end to the constant tension of waiting.

They said they wanted me to head a team with you to assess the agriculture, Dirk for Fauna, possibly Gary and Braiden and whoever else I felt we needed.

That’s not a big enough crew to survey a whole planet, she said, but already knew she wanted to be involved.

They said they’d fill in any gaps. We’d get a support team, a ship, supplies…

As long as we can make sure the planet is profitable, she added uneasily.

It’s got tremendous potential for agriculture, mining, manufacturing…

Isn’t that what they said about Blunder? she asked snidely.

Tucker shook his head with a smile. Not everyone lies.

Chapter 2

Gary was jolted awake by the keening of the flare alarm. He grabbed Layla’s arm as they stumbled into the hall and hurried down the stairs to the shelter in the basement. It was still dark which meant they were probably protected from the worst of it. The other side of the planet would bear the brunt of the flare. But it still scared him.

They’d planned for this, but somehow he’d always assumed they had more time. The research had suggested a much longer cycle. Probably. He dreaded seeing the damage. Carol would be heartbroken to lose all her crops.

How long do we stay down here? Layla asked nervously.

The comm buzzed with Tucker’s voice asking for a head count. Gary called in to say that he and Layla were safe. I guess until we get the all clear, he said to her.

Then I’m glad you made this place so nice, she grumbled sleepily.

Gary had spent some of his spare time making a miniature home in the shelter. They had a bed, chairs, table and a small cooker. Ever since he’d asked Layla to move in with him, his ideas of comfort had changed. And as soon as he’d tasted her cooking, he made sure she had a top-quality kitchen.

Back to sleep? he suggested.

Layla pulled out some linens, and he helped her make the bed. Although she immediately crawled in, he was feeling too wide awake. Tucker had asked him a strange question yesterday, and it was banging around in the back of his brain. Would he be interested in going off-planet for a job that might earn him a new homesteading spot?

He sat at the table in the soft quiet of the early morning. Tucker had left him with the question and no other information. But he felt the pull of it. All the building work in Opportunity was complete. There was nothing more to be done. In fact, they had houses and apartments standing empty because so many people had left. He knew several of the miners were going to take jobs on Shimmer. They were just waiting for the next shuttle to leave. And that would make their community even smaller.

Braiden had said they could take down some buildings and feed them into the fabricators for raw materials. But there was no need for them now. With a functioning station so nearby, no one would want to live on precarious Blunder. There would be no more homesteaders coming here.

At this point, they had probably fallen below the viable threshold, but no one cared about their failed colony. They wouldn’t be removed or fined for the loss because no one was monitoring them. It was the strange combination of freedom and abandonment. There would be no one to rescue them when the end came. But it also meant they had nothing to prove, no numbers to hit or quantities to produce.

He checked the town’s news page. Tucker must be awake because he was updating it. The flare was minimal. They expected no damage. It was a good first drill. They would sound the all clear as soon as they got radiation readings from the six monitoring stations.

You can’t sleep? Layla asked. She was sitting on the edge of the bed. Her curly dark hair was a little wilder than usual. Her dark eyes were heavy lidded with sleep.

Would you leave here if you could? he asked.

Depends on the destination, she said calmly but her eyes sparked with interest. What are you thinking?

Tucker’s got some project going.

That sounds fairly safe.

Gary laughed. He picked Blunder to retire.

Layla grinned. We all made that mistake. I’d think he’d be a little more careful with the next one.

Yeah. I think I’d like to hear more about it, he said thoughtfully.

Sure.

He looked at her carefully. You’d be okay with it?

She pointed upward. If it doesn’t have a sun ready to cook me to a crisp, hell, yeah.

Might not happen for a century, Gary said.

We’re in the shelter right now, Layla said pointedly.

Practice run.

Did we know that when we rolled out of bed? I hate being scared awake for something that might destroy my home. I had ancestors who dealt with hurricanes and landslides. My people moved to the desert to try to get away from all that. She shook her head angrily. I’d like to be some place safer.

I’ll talk to Tucker.

She lay back down but was obviously awake. He hadn’t realized that she was unhappy. Maybe he hadn’t realized the same about himself. When there aren’t any options, it isn’t hard to accept the status quo.

Gary was thinking through what he should say next when the all-clear squawked over the comm. He went upstairs to inspect the house and grounds. The sun was just coming over the rim of the planet. His crops looked fine.

Layla came out on the porch to watch him. Would you be sad to leave them?

He glanced at his blueberry bushes. They were barely knee-high, but might not make it much taller if a serious flare hit. His tomatoes and peppers looked no different than yesterday. I don’t know. Most of this stuff is replaceable. But it would be stupid to have animals.

Can’t say I’d want chickens in the shelter with me, Layla admitted.

Gary didn’t say the next thing that he thought. It might be stupid to have children, too. Not when they would be in danger. No matter how much he and Layla wanted to start that journey, they couldn’t take the first step in a place like this.

After breakfast, he went to find Tucker. He was in his office for once and beckoned him in as he was coordinating a landing through the comm.

More folks leaving? Gary asked.

You can tell them the truth a hundred times, but when it really happens… Tucker said sourly.

Yeah, that long timeline had a lot of us hoping, Gary admitted.

Good thing it was a low level one, some of them didn’t go to the shelter.

Gary took a seat in front of Tuckers desk, waiting until he finished up. If more people left it would be foolish to stay. Even if it was just a boring job on the station, it would have more opportunities than here. He felt better about the decision. It was the right thing to do.

You’ve been thinking, Tucker said with a sly smile.

Yeah. And the siren was the clincher. Layla’s okay with it. So, I guess I’m onboard, too. What are you planning?

Chapter 3

Tucker hid away in his office to reread the contract making careful notes. It all looked above board. He and his crew would be hired to assess the damage of the evacuated settlement and the viability of three other sites. If those sites panned out, his crew would be allowed to stake homesteading claims in one of them. If no sites were viable, they would be compensated monetarily.

He read it a third time carefully parsing the legalese. He did not want to invite anyone into another disaster. They had all had enough disappointment in the catastrophe of Blunder. Putting the contract aside, he paged through the report on the planet. It had been called New Earth. Not very original, but neither were the settlers who’d turned it into a theocratic nightmare.

The descriptions were enticing. About the same size as Earth, giving it a similar gravity. The sun was in the same range, so that would feel normal. A 25-hour day that, again, was almost human norm. Water was plentiful, the planet had indigenous vegetation and small fauna. It really did look too good to be true. As had Blunder. But this planet already had settlements. If there had been some lethal deception, it should have materialized by now.

He met Carol back at the house for lunch. He’d shared all the paperwork with her and was waiting for her input.