Excerpt from The Culling Dark by Bettyann Craddock, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

On the one hand, a man unable of the trust empowering him grew more deviant each passing day, shoving dogma down their throats any school child would realize made little logical sense. Meaning, human explorers had here encountered a devastating enemy, and from this time forward, until they gained ascendancy in technology or outwitted them, TERRA would be thwarted in their efforts to capitalize on this frontier.

Probes hadn't attracted the enemy, probes had been coming here for decades. Human presence brought them. What this meant, he didn't understand. But he did understand that rescue would be long in coming, the foremost reason being hesitancy to venture again where once one had been slapped silly. TERRA wouldn't send rescue because of the risk. Human beings were self protective creatures. The loss here was staggering, if one considered the mission from start to finish. Added to that would be the very real threat that the power that obliterated here would follow up on obliterating there. He shuddered to think it, but it was a possibility that that had already taken place, Lord help the human race.

As disheartening as that particular scenario was, it needed to be addressed by one such as himself, merely attempting, as all individuals did, to survive in each his own circumstance. More simply put, if TERRA were not sending rescue promptly, the prospect of living under the rule of John Stessel was a fate worse than death. It was high time to cast the dice.

On the other hand, a man pure of heart, worthy to a fault, with a profound comprehension of things that made human beings tick, had said he knew a place where they would be free and happy. And Felipé, like nobody he had ever known, knew what those words meant. Yes, he was charismatic and that could be dangerous. But in Felipé, it was a rare gift to humanity. Mr. Bellamy had watched brilliant minds become drudges in two short years. He had never intended his own life to become one of drudgery. If Felipé were wrong he would rather perish with him pursuing the dream of freedom than remain behind a drudge, cemented by the feet by fear of the unknown, therefore a walking corpse.

This was the truest thing he knew. Wherever it was Felipé lead them, he would follow, putting out his fear as if it were a dreaded fire, rather than miss the adventure of being alive.

And he was not alone. When Felipé came to them in the night to extend the invitation there was little hesitancy. Sovic postured more than the others, and wouldn't release Tozian from his cell though he begged.

"Chri'sake Jim," Tozian told him, "I winked at a blonde. Get it? If that weasel slams me for flirting, what next?"

But it was because of his wife, the one on Surface. Sovic hoped TERRA would find her when they came back. He had moaned, "I have to wait for Marion!"

But then Felipé told him, "King Stessel is mad. He has made a new flag, a red, blue, and white flag," gesturing to describe it.

"I have to wait for her!" Sovic repeated. Then, quieter, when they stood stock still thinking to jump him and free Tozian by force but hesitated, giving him time to think because he was one of them, he surprised everyone by perking up and saying, "They're all dead, aren't they? Everyone."

They didn't answer him.

He added, "They won't let any more of our ships around here. Not until we can beat them. We won't know that for a long time."

Because they didn't answer him again, and because Mr. Bellamy was afraid he'd change his mind, he told him, "She was a good woman, Jim."

Sovic had thought only a moment longer, then said, "Let's go," and set Tozian free.

Tozian's broad handsome form slipped from the cell. He picked Sovic up in a hug. They had all laughed. It was the best company on the planet. Mr. Bellamy regarded all of them, before and behind as they trotted after Felipé, and approved.

Copyright Bettyann Craddock 2000. All rights reserved.