Ngaire and Whakamua

By Pip Ballantine

New Zealand like the rest of the world, has been broken and remade by the zombie apocalypse. Humanity is scattered, sheltering as best it can in isolated settlements. However, there is hope, and it rests with one old woman and her machine.
Whakamua, the track laying train's mission is to connect Ngaire's home to the rest of civilization. As they set off for Wellington, where they hope to find more survivors,Ngaire knows it is going to be a long road, but she can't anticipate the dangers that are waiting for them just outside the gate.

A short story by the co-author of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences, and the author of the Books of the Order.

• Language: English
• Publisher: ImagineThat Studios
• Release date: Aug 23, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310982804

Pip Ballantine

Born in New Zealand, Philippa (Pip) Ballantine has always had her head in a book. A corporate librarian for thirteen years, she has a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Library and Information Science. She is New Zealand's first podcast novelist and has produced four podiobooks. Many of these have been shortlisted for the Parsec Awards, and she has won a Sir Julius Vogel Award. She is also the author of Geist and the soon-to-be-published Spectyr. While New Zealand calls, currently Philippa calls America home.

Book preview

Ngaire and Whakamua

NGAIRE AND WHAKAMUA

A TALE FROM THE NEW ZEALAND APOCALYPSE

PHILIPPA BALLANTINE

Published by Imagine That! Studios 2013

Copyright © 2013 by Philippa Ballantine.

Interior Layout by Imagine That! Studios

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, digital, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or conveyed via the Internet or a website without prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead is purely coincidental. Any actual places, products or events mentioned are used in a purely fictitious manner.

ALSO FROM PIP BALLANTINE

Books of the Order

Geist

Spectyr

Wrayth

Harbinger

The Chronicles of Art

Chasing the Bard

Digital Magic

The Shifted World

Hunter and Fox

Kindred and Wings

The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series (with Tee Morris)

Phoenix Rising

The Janus Affair

Dawn’s Early Light

The Diamond Conspiracy

The Ghost Rebellion

Operation Endgame

Verity Fitzroy and the Ministry Seven (with Tee Morris)

The Curse of the Silver Pharaoh

The Mystery of Emerald Flame

The Secret of the Monkey God

Steampunk Anthologies

The Books and Braun Dossier

Magical Mechanications

Ministry Protocol: Thrilling Tales from the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences

It was almost impossible not to think of the rig as hers. Ngaire ran her wrinkled hand along Whakamua, heard the pulse of the engine’s steam against iron, and felt the vibration of the beast just waiting to be let loose.

Everything about the rig was powerful, dependable and measurable. Those sort of valuable qualities were hard to come by in a world turned upside down, so you had to hold onto them when you found them. She stepped back, and leaned on her cane just a little as she hobbled over the tracks, so she could cast her one good