Release date: March 1, 2015
Subgenre: Science fiction, space opera
About Edifice Abandoned:
Inbound
on an interstellar flight, Archeologist Nosuma Okande sees far more ancient
sites to excavate on Achernar Tertius than the Institute has on record. Setting
out to unearth these sites proves more of a challenge than she realizes,
bringing her into conflict with local villages and ancient traditions—and with
a shadowy force called the Madziva Mutupo, the Hippopotamus Totem.
Excerpt:
Archeologist
Nosuma Okande surveyed the site. A cluster of tents across the entry square
looked to be the mess tent and sleeping quarters. Beyond them, atop a short
stone pyramid was an awning, under it a pair of khaki-clad Caucasians gesturing
toward the north rim. They were the only Caucasians, everyone else at the site of
African descent, native to the planet. The site directors, Nosuma could tell,
because they were the only ones not actually working.
She headed that
way, anxious about walking into Danamombe as if she owned the site. But I do
own it! she told herself vehemently. It belongs to me and my people, and the
ancestral spirits have given me the task of discovering why these great houses
of stone had been abandoned.
"I'll wait
here," her assistant said, stopping at the pyramid foot.
Nosuma nodded and
strode up the stairs like a priestess toward a sacred ritual, looking neither
left nor right, her gaze fixed to the canopy atop the structure.
"Doctor
Okande, I presume," said the man, his digs so immaculate they'd never seen
the insides of a trench. "I'm Peter Tuinstra, site director, and this is
my assistant, Katelyn Mulder."
"Good
morning," she said, nodding and shaking hands with each. "I see
you're expecting me, Mr. Tuinstra, Ms. Mulder. I won't be here long, and I'll
try to keep as low a profile as I can."
"Quite the
stir elsewhere, eh?" Tuinstra said. "But you won't find any similar
artifacts here, Doctor, I assure you. I'm afraid we've already unearthed
anything of major significance from Danamombe. But you're welcome to take a
look. Shall I show you around?"
"Oh, I can do
that, Peter," Mulder said. "In fact, I'd be honored." Her khakis
also looked as if they'd never known the gritty work of excavation. She had the
breathless manner of an absolute twit.
"Not
necessary," Nosuma said, "but very kind of you both to offer. If it's
all right, my assistant and I will browse the site at our leisure. I'm sure if
there's anything I need, someone will know where to find you, eh?"
"Well, if you
prefer, Doctor Okande. What happened at Regina, by the way? The Hallorans
arrested? For God's sake, on what charges?"
"They tried
to steal the statuettes by sedating me, my assistant, and Doctor Xironga.
Fortunately, Mr. Tuinstra, I was sickened and purged most the sedative, and
Doctor Xironga didn't eat much."
"Ghastly behavior,
I tell you. Never trust those English," Peter said. "Rumor is you
found another totem statuette there? Given the stir the first two caused,
understandable why the Institute would keep quiet about it."
"I'm afraid
I'm not able to comment on rumor, Mr. Tuinstra."
"Prudent,
that. By the way, your dissertation was wonderful, eloquently argued. No
mystery why Doctor Kaonde was so eager to bring you aboard. Quite shook up the
suits at headquarters too, you know, your finding that statuette on your first
day. I'd love to have seen their faces."
Nosuma gave him a
quick smile. "Thank you, Mr. Tuinstra. By the way, at Regina they found an
artifact, a pole sculpture, carved from bone or tusk, an ithyphallic figurine,
three inches tall and a half-inch through, with a prominent phallus. Any record
here at Danamombe of anything similar? Or of a female counterpart?"
Katelyn giggled
and blushed, her gaze raking Peter from head to toe.
Nosuma wished she
hadn't seen that.
"No, not to
my knowledge, Doctor Okande. If we do, I'd be happy to contact you
immediately."
"Thank you,
that would be helpful," she said. "The people working here, are they
all from the local clan?"
Peter nodded.
"Yes, the Fish Eagle Totem. Silly lot of rubbish, these totems. Serves a
purpose if it keeps them from inbreeding, I suppose."
"Peter!"
Mulder stared at him, giving Nosuma a brief glance, as if trying to tell the
site director he should watch what he was saying in front of her.
"Well, it's a
lot of bother whenever we go to break ground, all their rituals," he told
his assistant. "They can do their spirit possession frolic on their own
time."
Keeping
her thoughts off her face, she decided they were a perfect match for each
other. "I'll stop by briefly as I'm leaving. Thank you both." And she
descended from the pyramid as quickly as she could without seeming to hurry,
feeling sullied.Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords | Google Play | Scribd
About Scott Michael Decker:
.jpg){kind=avatar}
Scott Michael Decker, MSW, is an author by avocation and a
social worker by trade. He is the author of twenty-plus novels in the Science
Fiction and Fantasy genres, dabbling among the sub-genres of space opera,
biopunk, spy-fi, and sword and sorcery. His biggest fantasy is wishing he were
published. Asked about the MSW
after his name, the author is adamant it stands for Masters in Social Work, and
not "Municipal Solid Waste," which he spreads pretty thick as well. His
favorite quote goes, "Scott is a social work novelist, who never had time
for a life" (apologies to Billy Joel). He lives and dreams happily with
his wife near Sacramento, California.
No comments:
Post a Comment