Thorlainen finds his mundane and generally pointless life disrupted by an apparent galactic catastrophe and is soon on the run from the totalitarian world of Tellus, the non-affluents, like him, have reluctantly submitted to for too long.

His first impression is, he is the sole survivor but surviving brings mortal danger. He meets a young affluent woman, Chitmaa, caring for two intelligent children. Thorlainen is a Non-Commercial-Being but Chitmaa believes they must conjugate traditionally. Thorlainen agrees though he can see he is right out of his depth in this relationship and in his understanding of her motives.

Normally a solitary character, Thorlainen’s acquaintances snowball as they flee, and gradually he takes the lead, assisted by a paradoxical old man and a military officer, escaping execution.

Unlike Thorlainen, the others have friends and relatives, who (if they are still alive) are at the deportation area awaiting relocation. Thorlainen helps them, and then reluctantly takes command of a ship full of deportees: his nautical expertise becoming paramount, when it becomes evident they must try to escape by sea.

[OSAYKS]   ISBN 1-58939-548-4

As the close of book '1' relates, Thorlainen and his acquaintances are in a desperate situation, as he hastily takes command of a ship full of starved and PASC-processed deportees: their choice is flee or die.

The untested Aquatransporter functions well but who can help him operate it. He escapes from their allocated sector, by forcing the Aquatransporter to speeds beyond its design, but tragedy still awaits them, as they are tracked mercilessly across an unknown ocean.

If the death and destruction hurled at them by their pursuers was not enough, their vessel is severely damage by a strange galactical event.

Thorlainen's way of thinking is changed by these events and his personal life is refocusing, and though pledged to an affluent after one night of intimacy. Now on board, Thorlainen finds Chitmaa cool and even hostile towards him, and so he takes solace in the company of Sue Ling. Their friendship, however, is restrained by the overbearing shadows of Tellus.

On and on, the survivors flee towards an illusive freedom, rescuing several elite affluents on the way. This puts Thorlainen in a strange situation, but before he can make anything of what has happened to his life, the sea state changes dramatically and their Aquatransporter starts to sink…

[OSAKAKS]   ISBN 978-1-60264-237-9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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