Release date: February 7, 2018
Subgenre: Space colonisation
About Wetworld:
New Bali is a swamp world located 20 light-years from Earth. Colonized
by humans almost two hundred years before, the planet is also home to an
intelligent, methane-breathing race of amphibians. The natives have a
unique culture that precludes war and vengeance, but recent events have
begun to unravel a once fragile peace.
Sophie Singh, heir to a vast conglomerate, must decide whether to retain her family's control of Wetworld while Brother Moises Borbon, a conflicted Jesuit researcher, races against time to unlock the true meaning behind an alien art form that might be the key to truly understanding the natives.
These and many more unforgettable characters will experience critical choices ahead in the first part of this science fiction saga on colonialism, war, and sociopolitical upheaval.
Sophie Singh, heir to a vast conglomerate, must decide whether to retain her family's control of Wetworld while Brother Moises Borbon, a conflicted Jesuit researcher, races against time to unlock the true meaning behind an alien art form that might be the key to truly understanding the natives.
These and many more unforgettable characters will experience critical choices ahead in the first part of this science fiction saga on colonialism, war, and sociopolitical upheaval.
Excerpt:
In less than a second, a holographic projection of a young woman
wearing a traditional kebaya costume was projected in front of him. She bowed
before speaking. “Hello, and welcome to the New Bali Museum of Culture and
History. I will be your guide to the displays and galleries you will see today.
As per the new artificial intelligence laws of the United Nations of Earth, my
interactive suite is limited to answering a few basic questions only. If you
have further questions, please do not hesitate to speak with any of our live
museum staff members; they will be happy to assist you. Shall we begin?”
Moises nodded. “Yes, please.”
The woman smiled as she gestured at him to look at scale models of
several starships inside a number of displays along the hallway. “Upon the
discovery of the Tesseract drive, this wondrous invention has enabled humans to
travel to the distant stars. New Bali was first discovered by astronomers over
two hundred years before, but actual spaceflights to the planet did not begin
until one hundred fifty years ago. The planet was officially classified as
Gliese 581h, but was soon given the informal name of New Bali by the commander
of the starship Lesmono, the first
manned vessel to orbit the planet. Captain Harminder Johan, an Indonesian national,
named the planet after his birthplace, the island of Bali. The name was
eventually accepted by the UNE and the League of Colonized Worlds as the
accepted designation for the planet.”
The opposite wall displayed a full sized map of the world. “Within a
few months of the first expedition, several dozen starships arrived. The fleet
was funded by the Muspel Corporation, a conglomerate made up of business
interests from the Sol Asteroid Belt. A majority of the employees hailed from
Southeast Asia, with large numbers of Filipinos, Indonesians, Thais, and
Malaysians among the crew. The main colonial city of Virac was named for a
province in the Philippines, and many other towns springing up were eventually
named by the first colonists based on their respective hometowns and regions
from Earth.”
Moises walked into the adjoining hallway. The interactive
holographic screens now showed the swampy landscape of the world. The
holographic guide re-appeared just a few meters in front of him. “New Bali has
certain similarities to Earth. The gravity is .87 Earth normal, making it a
highly attractive world for human habitation. Unlike planets such as Mars that
have only one-third of Earth’s gravity, children born in New Bali are well
adjusted to Earth norms, and therefore do not need special assistance should
they travel to their homeworld or on to other planets with similar gravity
fields.”
“The atmospheric pressure of
New Bali is slightly higher at 15.12 pounds per square inch, yet very close to
Earth’s 14.7 pounds per square inch at sea level. This means there is no need
to wear pressurized suits when venturing outside the domed cities and vehicles.
Due to the toxic atmospheric composition however, it is still recommended to
wear environmental breathing suits when venturing outside,” the hologram said.
The virtual guide made its way towards the other end of the hallway,
beside full-sized displays of plants, water and soil samples. “But there are
also major differences when it comes to the atmospheric composition of New Bali
as opposed to Earth’s. On our homeworld, the atmosphere consists of 78 percent
nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen and trace amounts of other gasses. New Bali’s
atmospheric composition is comprised of 73 percent carbon dioxide, 20 percent
methane, 5 percent nitrous oxide, and trace amounts of other gasses. This means
humans must wear artificial breathing equipment when venturing outside of their
enclosed habitats. New Bali’s rotational period is twenty-six hours, twelve
minutes and thirty-four seconds.”
“With only trace amounts of
oxygen in the air, fires cannot be started naturally outside of human built
habitats,” the guide said, pointing to a sealed glass display showing a robotic
hand trying to ignite a pool of kerosene, but failing to do so.
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About John Triptych:
John writes thrillers of differing genres, from
hyper-realistic crime books to fantastic, post-apocalyptic sci-fi novels that
make you want to turn one more page just before bedtime. A former fanfiction
writer turned self-publishing novelist, John Triptych’s varied interests
include: reading other people’s books, recreational diving, watching movies and
TV, guns, internet, politics, computer and tabletop gaming, cooking, art,
architecture, wines, spirits, beer, history and travel.
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