ABLE (Jim Able: Offworld Book 1) by Ed Charlton (the first e reader .TXT) 📕

time to see the bare rock glow with the fiery backlight. He continued to watch for a while, until it struck him that the others were all facing east. He had a momentary flush of embarrassment, fearing he had already missed something important, but the Regdenir had not moved.

He could hear Sopha’s voice lifted in prayer alternating with the others’ chanted responses; the language was not the Turcanian of common speech. He had hoped to follow the ceremony, to learn from it, but he could understand nothing of what was being said or sung.

The sounds of the forest faded as soon as the sun had set. Distant hissing and whistling noises rose from beyond the platform. The noise grew into the unmistakable sound of rushing water. Jim remembered Madhar’s description of the underground cisterns pouring their contents into the valleys and marshes to power the Regdenir electric grid. He understood the awesome scale of the tides when the sound of the water became a deep rumble that sent up a steady vibration through the platform.

As the night sky darkened, the Regdenir continued their prayers. Jim thought to go out into the middle of the platform and join them, but his feeling of being the forgotten guest held him back. He moved slowly over to the edge of the platform at his right and carefully looked down. He could see the wall of the valley falling away into the shadows below.

The Regdenir fell silent. All but Sopha knelt on the stone and bowed their heads. In the deepening darkness, they seemed to Jim to become a tableau carved from the black rock around them. It stirred a memory of the Christmas nativity scenes of his youth. Now, Jim noticed a green tinge on the eastern horizon.

Back across the platform, a similar glow reflected from the tops of the mountains. As he watched, it spread lower and lower down the mountainside.

The moment the green dawn lit Sopha’s face, the Regdenir spoke a single word, the others began to sing, and to Jim’s lasting astonishment, Turcanis Major V burst over the horizon.

Next Time

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Our story continues

in SOPHA, Episode Two of JIM ABLE: OFFWORLD,

where Jim’s small deception unleashes a large amount of trouble.

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JIM ABLE: OFFWORLD

Episode 2

SOPHA

is available here

Bonus

Don’t miss out on the bonus materials for this episode!

Available for free download at

edcharlton.com

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SEE bureaucratic forms!

MARVEL at Jim’s handwritten notes!

WONDER at how bad some aliens are writing in Standard!

The bonus materials are the pages Liz slams onto Jim’s desk. These are his working instructions and background to the mission to Turcanis Major V.

(And they’re free!)

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Also by Ed Charlton

The Aleronde Trilogy

Three very different books. One epic sci-fi tale.

Theo and his publisher friend Curt are the only humans aware of the danger

from the Aleronden empire.

But who can topple an empire?

Who else?

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The Aleronde Trilogy

What people are saying...

“The Problem with Uncle Teddy’s Memoir is a tantalizing, disturbing little story, carefully and lovingly designed to maximize suspense and provoke thought.”

-IndieReader. 4 Stars

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Saint John’s Ambulatory “Mystery and Mayhem”

“This author weaves an interesting web of mystery! St. John’s Ambulatory is a great read for those whom are drawn to the unknown, specifically when it comes to whether or not time and place exist objectively or simply as human constructs. The reader spends each chapter wondering what more will be revealed about the ambulatory, and what – or who – is within its dark expanse.”

Amazon Reviewer—March 9, 2021

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Aleronde the Great

This trilogy was a lot of fun to read. But for book 1 and 2 I didn’t understand how they were connected, like what made them a trilogy? But book 3 put everything together!

...well written ...extremely creative ...the plot was strong.

Amazon Reviewer—February 19, 2021

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