6/8 |
The Bastion Prosecutor Episode 3 £6.99
Genre: Crime/Thriller/Adventure
Category: Science Fiction
Subcategory: Sci-fi Series (Kalahari)
Author: A.J. Marshall
Paperback, 384 Pages
ISBN: 0-9551886-7-9 / 978-09551886-7-1
Synopsis
The Bastion Prosecutor is about man’s legacy on planet Earth. It is about where our ancestors may have come from as much as where faith dictates we did. It is a glimpse into a future. It is about the antagonism between learning and belief; science and religion; a dilemma that has risen and waned since the earliest civilisations. It is about conviction, not just in accepted ideals but also the unacceptable. The Bastion Prosecutor is about the frontiers of space. Man’s inevitable pursuit of the unknown and his innate need to colonise, driven in this case as much by environmental calamity as by instinct. It is about technology and the misuse of knowledge. The Bastion Prosecutor is about high adventure and love, about deceit, greed and the unexpected. It is about a tapestry of secrets where threads pass from past to future. Finally, it is about hope. The Bastion Prosecutor, an epic trilogy – science fiction at its most believable.
Extract from the book
After several minutes, Preston stepped back into the cabin. Richard was in the small flight deck talking to the crew. He overheard one of them say, ‘Are you sure you want us to leave you here?’ The question did seem ominous.
Richard finalised the pickup time for sunset the following day, with the proviso that if it changed he would call using a coded, military satellite link and then he backed out through the narrow doorway. He turned and looked squarely at Preston. ‘Well?’ he asked.
Preston’s expression seemed to sum up Richard’s own appraisal of the area: inhospitable and probably very dangerous.
‘The place is deserted, Boss,’ Preston replied. ‘No sign of the contact.’
Richard nodded and glanced at Naomi. ‘We are exposed here,’ he said. ‘Best we move out to one of those buildings and wait. The crew want to leave as soon as possible. Quite frankly I don’t blame them!’
Preston pointed behind him. ‘There is something suitable over there.’
‘Okay, let’s get the kit.’
The kit was comprised of three rucksacks, one of which was overly bulky because Asharf had filled it with what had become his prize possession – the Humatron’s cape. Despite Richard asking him if it was now strictly necessary, Asharf had insisted that it might yet prove helpful. The men carried close-support weapons, enough provisions for three days and a backup communications device. Naomi carried a hydromix water maker. Essentially, this is a lightweight, contoured backpack containing a tank of compressed hydrogen and a mechanism for mixing the gas, in the correct proportions, with atmospheric oxygen in order to produce liquid water. The unit could produce several thousand litres of freshwater.
Richard checked the integrity of his ISTAN and then replaced it into his shoulder holster, whilst Preston checked the charge on his sonic pistol. Naomi was the last to leave the aircraft and no sooner had she alighted onto the concrete runway than one of the pilots closed the door behind her. Preston indicated what he thought was the most appropriate building and the group scurried towards it. As they neared the dilapidated wooden building, the Tiltrotor climbed vertically, transitioned to forward flight and accelerated towards the southern airfield boundary. Dust and debris blew in all directions. Barely climbing above 50 feet, it was soon out of sight and moments later there was silence.
Reader's reviews
"This episode blows the lid off this absorbing sci fi adventure-quest. Action all the way - great storytelling - a compulsive read!"