by
The era of darkness has passed, and humanity has painstakingly rebuilt its technological prowess in science and engineering, medicine, and even space flight. Despite the gradual restoration of knowledge over the past millennium, much of history remains shrouded in a dimly-remembered, murky past.
Enter Reysa Sahin, a brilliant young archaeologist, who unearths a manuscript from the lost age, penned by the esteemed oracle Blessed Julia Lowell herself. This precious relic not only unveils a forgotten past but serves as a stark warning against repeating the mistakes that once nearly annihilated humankind.
Revealing Blessed Julia's wisdom triggers an unstoppable chain of events, ensnaring astronaut Kallman Dorn, his cautious and empathetic partner, the aging patriarch of the Holy See of Klen, and the fanatical, fiery leader of the Zealots—who is determined to finally purify the human race.
Once again, humanity is at a crossroads. Echoes from the past collide. Will a discovery on the far side of the moon reignite the powder keg and send it back to the Dark Ages, or will it point the way toward the stars and enlightenment?
Cover Artists:
Genres:
Tropes: Chosen One, Evolving Powers, Lost Civilization, Post-Apocalyptic
Word Count: 76,625
Setting: Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Same Universe / Various Characters
Tropes: Chosen One, Evolving Powers, Lost Civilization, Post-Apocalyptic
Word Count: 76,625
Setting: Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
Languages Available: English
Series Type: Same Universe / Various Characters
“I will not bear witness against someone of whose actions I approve. Whoever killed the king, I would not lift a finger against him. And I will neither confirm nor deny his identity. That is up to you to determine.”
Kelway nodded. “That’s what I expected you to say.”
Sarkos gave him a smile. “I’m glad to have confirmed your expectations.”
“What about the Patriarch?”
“What about him?”
“Did you incite your followers to violence against the Patriarch?”
READ MORE“I have no doubt you have agents of the police present at my meetings, and therefore know exactly what my words were. But no matter. If you wish to hear them again, what I said was that his time on Earth is nearing its end, and that whether I, or one of my followers, or the hand of the gods is what strikes him down hardly matters. The time of his false piety and corruption is almost over. What will come afterward will be purification. The choice will be to burn, or to be burned. Which will you choose, Mr. Kelway?”
“Are you threatening me?”
Sarkos laughed, and pulled at his handcuffs. “I am hardly in a position to make threats personally. But”—he fixed Kelway with a fierce gaze—“perhaps I am not the one you should be concerned about.”
Through the solid walls of the building, there came from the outside the noise of raised voices. Screams, shouts, clashes of metal against metal. Then the unmistakable report of gunshots.
Kelway and Sarkos stared at each other for a long moment.
“Perhaps, Chief Investigator,” he said in a completely calm voice, “you might want to consider repentance right now, while you still have time.”
COLLAPSE
