A K Lambert - Planet of the Remaining

A message from the author.

At the rear of this book is a list of the character locations at the end of Book Three. Also, there is a map of Preenasette, Zerot, and the Shadow worlds. If you require an additional electronic copy of these maps for greater clarity, email me on

A K Lambert

T he Giant Hornets only enemy is the smaller Yellow Hornet. They will attack a Yellow nest even though outnumbered, but their strategy of attacking alone is fatally flawed. The Yellows defend in clusters, eventually despatching each one with a lethal sting to the back of the neckthe only kink in the Giant Hornets armour.

All existence obeys mathematics.

So, at the point of the creation of the Universe, all events followed numerical equations on an infinite forward journey. But, in mathematics, numbers also go forever backward in the negative form. So with the creation of the ordinary reality, the Universe expanded outwards, with the Umbra and its reflected Penumbra beginning their journey forward in time. The Antumbra Realm went backwards in parallel with the positive domain, but following a completely unique set of rules.

The Antumbra Realm is a parallel dimension that is always just within reach, but its reversed time is always moving inextricably away.

The Small Village.

Placed upon a gently rising hillside of green Avaska grass, the village appeared a picture of tranquillity. The small, simple homes built of yellow stone with grey thatched roofs gave way to farm buildings, housing machinery and livestock. The village folk went about their daily routines with gusto.

Morgain was the only one who seemed to lack that zeal. The leader of this small community had stopped to observe two approaching from the valley below. His first thought was, which way do they fall? He hoped they were Neutrals. Without the haunting feelings of another life, they would add diversity to the community if they stayed. He would soon know. Visitors to this remote part of the world were few.

Morgain thought about his people and the burden they carried. They had been in this place for many thousands of years; exactly how long he didnt know. The scribes had kept comprehensive pictorial records, but timelines were not always clear. What he knew what they all knew was that they were descendants of a barbaric sub-species, banished to this place for wicked crimes against society. The awareness of this the curse of the Extremes in this world; knowing you arent what youre supposed to be. But of the two types of extremes, to be Dark Incongruent was a blessing. It was the other extreme that was cursed.

The unknown travellers were halfway up the hill now, and becoming clearer to Morgain. A slim being, possibly male, and a beast the likes of which he had never seen before.

He felt the merest of quivers in the space around him, signalling the next phase shift. On the hills to his left, a line of yellow was sweeping toward the village. Yellow. This phase was his favourite. The yellow shadow washed over the village and the travellers below, the land and sky taking on a yellow haze. The beast crouched, adopting an aggressive posture, only relaxing when the cloaked being reassured it. New to this world. The creature was yet to interpret the subtle but tangible changes of their land.

Phase shifting was part of life in this realm.

A male, he was sure now, hood or no hood, taller than his people. His coloration was much the same as Morgains own. A later addition to this world. The stranger came to a stop a short distance away

Some of the villagers joined Morgain but edged away at the creatures bared fangs and accompanying low, menacing growl. It looked up at the tall male. Was it seeking permission? But it held its ground behind him, alert.

We offer the hospitality of our village, travellers, said Morgain. Where are you bound?

If we decide we want your hospitality, the male replied, in a voice that Morgan thought youthful, we shall take it. And anything else we desire. And our destination is none of your concern.

Light Incongruent, Morgain. Beware, a voice whispered behind him. He nodded, the threat in the strangers voice was clear.

Apologies, said Morgain, calmly, just idle curiosity. Not meaning to pry.

A young female leading a large quadruped detoured around them on her way to the milking shed. The creature never took his eyes off the docile animal, saliva dripping from his mouth.

My pet needs to feed, the stranger said, removing his hood for the first time and revealing his features. Morgains earlier fears were confirmed.

We have food we can spare, replied Morgain.

No, he needs to feed now.

Released from whatever held it, the creature took two explosive leaps and landed on the bovines back, grasping it with long claws and biting deeply into its neck. The poor creatures panic caused the young female to dive away screaming, narrowly avoiding the large, gentle beast as it fell under the onslaught. The villagers tried to help her, but an unseen force prevented them.

The traveller left the beast to feed, striding into the village, leaving the small welcoming party unable to move, and with no choice but to watch the savage attack on their livestock.

T he Jadia Armada

The Less-than-Grand Depart

THE CAST:

Oncouch Zamball

There were no special ceremonies or cheering crowds to see the Jadia Armada depart Gemini 7; it wasnt their way. The hive mind was with them as Oncouch Zamball, leader of the armada, inched slowly out of Gemini 7 space. Soon the link would break, separating them from the one and a half billion minds on their planet.

The Jadia was now a vessel, not just a weapons delivery system. Thruster clamps were replaced by three ion particle star drives mounted on the primary hull with massive vents fluting away to the rear. The three turbine-shaped outlets of their delivery system dominated the front of the vessel. It bore little resemblance to the old fossil-fuel powered rockets of their spacefaring infancy it was now a craft worthy of the stars.

Zamball was aboard the Sepia, a much larger support spacecraft that housed the five hundred Geminians required to service the armada. A squadron of Harass fighters spread out, guarding the two vessels, and would only return to the Sepia to relieve the pilots and for the passage through wormholes.

A couple of hours later they were a hive mind of five hundred, the link to the homeworld severed. It was a strange sensation for all of them. Gone was the instantaneous decision making of billions. The hive mind mirrored the flight of a million migrating Breacher birds ebbing and flowing in a majestic dancing entity in the sky. But somewhere, at any one time, one would lead, with the multitude behind reacting by instinct only. Similarly, someone in the hive mind would make a suggestion assimilated by the others.

Now the five hundred could hear individual thoughts and they soon realised they had time to interrogate each other.