Interstellar Islands: Two of the last remaining humans on Earth are rescued by a group that has populated the asteroid belt. They are taken to a new life, but can they trust their rescuers?

Interstellar Islands: Sci/Fi

Buy at: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Apple, Kobo, Google Play

Read first chapter

BLURB: Interstellar Islands

The world finally had its third and then final war. Two remaining teenagers, Marlow and Zane are left surviving in a church bunker with nothing but a couple ducks. They’ve watched everyone they love, pass on from the toxic conditions and know they aren’t far behind them. When they are found by a team scavenging for supplies, the teenagers don’t believe the claims that they are from the asteroid belt, the last settlement of humans that made it off Earth just before it all went to hell. They don’t believe they live out there on Interstellar Islands with artificial atmospheres. They don’t believe but they don’t have much choice but to board their ship and see where it takes them. Whatever the people from the belt have in store for them can’t be worse than what’s left on Earth. Can it?

EXCERPT: Interstellar Islands

The room was like a small hotel suite, already better than anything they’d stayed in in years. Arjen showed them the basic controls for the TechBubble. It ran off the ship’s power and was adjustable on each level, from temperature and lighting to gravity. Zane was still messing with it after Arjen left. Marlow was walking toward the bathroom and found herself leaving the ground on each step, before gently falling back. Honey sat in the middle of the bed watching them both.

“Would you pick a setting?” said Marlow.

“Sorry,” said Zane, his hand frozen at the panel. It was a small touchscreen by the door. “This is just so cool. It doesn’t seem like it will go all the way off though.”

“Probably ‘cause they don’t want you floating off in your sleep.”

“Yeah,” he said, absentmindedly still scrolling through the options but not changing them now. Finally, he turned away as Marlow came out of the bathroom, reveling in how basic it was with just a small toilet and hand sanitizing station. He was smiling at her.

“What?”

Zane walked forward and wrapped her in a hug. “We’re going to live, Mar. We really are, and if this place is half as good as they describe, we’re going to love it.”

Marlow was planted in his shoulder, just her eyes watching the door. “I’m still having trouble coming to terms with it. Why would they just pick us up? Just ‘happen upon us while out gathering.’ I don’t buy that, Zane.”

Zane sat on the edge of the bed and Honey crawled into his lap. “I can’t say I’m not skeptical, but you have to ask yourself, what would they want with two emaciated, sickly, starving kids from Earth? We have literally nothing to offer them. I mean, you talked to Arjen and Ice. They may just be nice people. They seem pretty genuine.”

“They do,” said Marlow. “My mom always warned me about nice people though. They usually have an agenda.”

“Yes, like me.” Zane rubbed his collarbone and pouted for emphasis.

“Oh, shove it. You were the exception. You and Jason.”

“All I’m saying is, enjoy the moment. Think about yesterday. When Marvin died, I could read the writing in the sand. One more duck and we were next.”

“I know. I feel good. My lungs especially have felt better than they have in a long time. Maybe they really can heal me with their Nutrient BS. I just have a hard time trusting any of this.”

“Funny, right? When they found us, I was the one who didn’t trust them. Now you don’t.”

She shrugged. “Yeah, well, when Arjen found me, he saved me from a lunatic. But who’s to say he’s not just a better-dressed lunatic?”

Zane got up, raised a finger and said, “Don’t worry.” He walked to the panel, hit a button and turned back. “We’re safe from the lunatics. I’ve locked the door.”

Marlow laughed. “Right. I’m sure that does it and they have no way into one of the rooms on their own ship.”

After a few minutes, they were under the covers, staring at the ceiling, side by side with Honey at their feet.

“It’s so bright,” said Marlow, used to the pitch-black look of the bunker.

“Let me try one more time.” Zane walked to the panel again and found a button called ‘Blackout’ and hit it.

“Oh, that did it,” said Marlow. “Can you find your way back?”

“I think so.”

“Hey, hey.” Marlow was giggling. “That’s me.”

Zane continued poking at her sides. “Oh, this? It’s so bony. I thought a skeleton was in the bed.”

She poked back. “Shut up. You’re pretty bony yourself.”

They were side by side again. Marlow tried closing her eyes, but they wouldn’t stay shut.

“Hagfish,” she said.

“Right?” said Zane. “That’s crazy. Your doctor told you about that too?”

“Yes. You know, thatmight be it. We’re science experiments. They want to try out new tech on us and if we die, it’s no loss to them.”

“That’s a long way to travel for two lab rats,” said Zane. “You’d think they would’ve gotten more.”

“Maybe they did. Maybe they just don’t want us to meet. If the rats start talking, it’s all over.” She paused for a second before cracking up laughing.

“Are you done with the conspiracies for one night?”

“Probably not, but I won’t say the others out loud if that makes you feel better.”

“Yes. It does. I would like to sleep in this super-soft bed, in a warm room. So warm I think I need to remove some blankets.”

“Oh, please do. I didn’t want to say it because it was nice at first but man, it’s like seventy degrees in here already. Maybe just the sheet.”

“I’ll try the panel again. Maybe I can turn it down further.”

Honey turned a circle in frustration as they adjusted again.

They finally passed out in the middle of the night, tossing and turning with identical nightmares of their lives on Earth. They awoke to a knock at the door just a few hours later.

“Wuah?” said Zane.

“The door,” said Marlow, “who’s at the door?”

“It’s locked.”

“I know.”

“Are we…? Where are we?”

Marlow shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. “A ship? Was that real?”

The knocking came again, followed by a voice. “Marlow? Zane? You guys okay?” It was Arjen.

“I think it was real,” said Zane.

“Go hit the lights.”

Zane managed his way to the panel, hitting buttons until the lights finally came on at full brightness.

“Ah,” said Marlow. When her eyes cleared, she saw a skinny, naked Indian boy’s butt facing her as he looked over his shoulder.

“Sorry, I…” He stopped when the door opened. Marlow pulled the sheet up over her own naked body.

“Good morning,” said Arjen, stepping in. “Oh, sorry, were you getting dressed?”

“Why did you just come in?” said Zane, covering his manhood while simultaneously turning away, showing his butt once more. “I didn’t say come in.”

“Sorry.” Arjen was turned away. “You unlocked the door. I thought it was an invite. I just came to tell you it’s breakfast time. It would be good if you hurried so we can meet Marlin with your special panels.” Arjen stepped out the door. “I’ll be right outside. Five minutes?”

“Okay, just close the door,” said Zane. He did and Zane looked over to Marlow, blushing hard.

“It’s no big deal,” said Marlow, pulling off the sheets and searching for her jumpsuit.

“I’m not ashamed of being naked,” said Zane, finding his own suit and sticking a leg in.

“It’s just in front of him?”

Marlow looked up and smiled at him. “You got a little crush on the big, tan, blond man? He does look like one of those romance novel dudes.”

Zane made a face. “No, he doesn’t. Well, okay, maybe one or two of them.”

“If we took his shirt off and greased him up, you’d see it, I’m sure.”

“Don’t say that.” Zane was smiling again. “I can use my own imagination, thank you very much.”

“Gross,” said Marlow. “Just keep him out of your dreams, or we’re never sharing a bed again.”

KEYWORDS Science Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic, Asteroid belt, Trappist system, Space exploration.

Website URL: scottboss.weebly.com

Blog URL:scottboss.weebly.com

Facebook page: Scott Boss Author

Twitter handle: @scottfboss

Triberr: Don’t have one

Trailer:https://youtu.be/z0YbmaOJYBo

KEYWORDS

LINKS

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08D63Z1KH

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/interstellar-islands-scott-boss/1137379328;jsessionid=9491C52CCC90F72931900007F9757E46.prodny_store02-atgap01?ean=2940162928935

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/interstellar-islands/id1524546628?mt=11&app=itunes

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/interstellar-islands

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Scott_Boss_Interstellar_Islands?id=cnDxDwAAQBAJ

New Release