Résultats Éditeur "XlibrisUS" dans Science fiction et fantaisie

Growing up in the spacious hills of West Virginia, Sebastian Storm’s destiny was mapped out at a very early age. Tragically losing both of his parents while in his early teens, Sebastian’s fate was sealed, and a new path now lay before him. Through the destined guidance of a remarkable mentor, Sebastian learned the ways of military combat. It was quickly realized that Sebastian possessed the gifts necessary to become a soldier elite. The United States government honed his skills further and, in the process, crafted a supersoldier.

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The human race has begun to move into space, with viable colonies established on Mars and elsewhere. The situation on Earth remains volatile, but the immediate battle against the forces of collectivism has been won in Europe, spearheaded by a triumvirate of powerful women now running Spain, France, and Germany. But that is unstable, and further conflict is almost inevitable as the very foundational concept of freedom, that a single individual has intrinsic worth, remains under constant threat.

The West continues its precipitous decline. The ancient, magnificent, awe inspiring Christian Churches which had taken centuries to build are burning all over Europe, and that tragedy and violence on the streets are becoming so commonplace that it barely is mentioned by the media. Even the most egregious terrorist outbreaks are passed over by politicians as something which occurs in big cities and the indigenous population should simply get used to it.

The world has recovered from COVID-19, but a new danger soon arises: It is the outbreak of what could potentially be an even more deadly virus. To almost everyone, the situation seems tragic but innocent. However, is there something more sinister at play? A few people certainly believe so. Two top medical scientists have disappeared. They may hold the key to helping the world understand what is really going on with this new virus.

The development of fusion power in the small colony established on Mars leads to an explosive outward emigration from Earth to the moons of the solar system. On Earth, increasing civil unrest in Europe has led to the election to positions of authority of three strong women: Leda in Germany, Madeleine in France, and La Marquesa in Spain. With the assistance of others - including Tomiko from Japan and Hinchcliffe, with her paramilitary organization, the Legio - order is restored, at least temporarily.

With small colonies established on the moon and on Mars, the Prometheus Group struggles to increase the number of people living off Earth before widespread breakdown of civilization occurs in the Western world and catastrophic numbers try to escape, leading inevitably to overcrowding and conflict, which would likely see the colonies fail. A major war on Earth would mean the loss of the ability to resupply space colonies, so establishing independence is a priority.

The West is entering its final phase, like the fall of Rome or the Late Merchant Phase of the various Chinese empires. It is slowly grinding to a halt as the inevitable problems multiply, with no obvious will to counter the decline. One man dreams of humanity becoming a multiplanet species in the hope of preserving the basics of human knowledge through the coming dark ages. The great powers have turned inward, and there is little political will for further space exploration. Funding is minimal, and technological innovation has slowed dramatically.

When a disgruntled astronaut decides to get revenge, all hell breaks loose! By the time the final flight of the Russian space capsule, Soyuz, docks at the international space station, Derek Johnson - the oldest astronaut to fly in space - is sick with a severe case of food poisoning that does not respond to antibiotics, and he soon dies. Recruited to assist NASA’s medical team, Dr. Bob Kramer, a forensic toxicologist and expert witness, concludes that the cause of Johnson’s death is a mutated form of bacteria that is not normally found in nature.

This is a noir novel looking at the dark side of contemporary life, with romance, love, and fear amid the very real horrors of the present and the probability of the nightmare to come as Western civilization collapses. Jasmine, a budding artist, and her new boyfriend, Colin, become inadvertently involved in a terrorist/hostage situation in London. Kidnapped at gunpoint, Jasmine is smuggled to Iraq where she becomes an unwilling ISIS bride. Eventually she ends up as a concubine in Saudi Arabia. The Western authorities show no interest in trying to locate her.