Allied: The Planet Home Trilogy, #3

By C.A. Gleason

Royah lives, having only barely survived the journey. Exhausted, she recognizes that her quest has been far more arduous than she could have ever imagined.

But now her destination is in sight, and the answers to all her questions about why humans were abandoned in deep space, how they can survive, and how they can avoid extinction are within reach. All of the answers are at her fingertips.

But she encounters a deadly new foe at the worst possible time—a man with all the power in the world and an army at his back. If she refuses his demands, he will unleash a weapon of mass destruction, forever ending Royah's quest—and her life.

It will also annihilate every living being on Planet Home.

• Language: English
• Publisher: C.A. Gleason
• Release date: Sep 29, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223526315

Book preview

1. Onnin

Remembering the Dredge and everything he’d done there made him want to keep it a secret even more. Especially from his friends. Unfortunately, Melvin had recounted too much.

Rage intertwined gaining strength. All of it something more powerful than anger. More potent.

Melvin had been the one with the long gray beard Onnin remembered speaking to his teacher when he was in school.

The old man had mutilated his young life, and then for the remainder. Onnin was stronger because of it, but the incident robbed him of his innocence, hobbling his ability to live normally. He was shy, wary—and a little afraid—of strangers.

Strangers likely wondered why he stared sometimes. It was because he hoped they never discovered the beast that was dormant inside them, what arose when pushed to extremes. Ever since the Dredge, his life had been only about survival.

Until Emma. Until Royah. Even Buddy. They were all close. Their own group. Before this terrible place, it had gotten to the point that whenever Royah handed Emma over to either him or Buddy to carry her, Emma reached for them.

Now the same man responsible for experimenting on Onnin when he was young, was doing it again in an attempt to get him to become as brutal as the others in the Dredge. But what could be worse than turning on those he cared about?

He couldn’t grasp Melvin’s true purpose, couldn’t fathom it, or what he gained from it. But also, he didn’t care. He’d been through it already. No one should have to go through something so horrific. Especially not twice.

Melvin’s news had been informative, but Onnin had heard enough. He didn’t need to listen to anymore. Onnin was allowing Melvin’s nonsense, so he could gain strength. It would buy them time.

Melvin had attempted to weaken Onnin’s friendships, destroy them, to turn his life upside down again for his own curiosity or amusement and under the guise of an experiment. But Onnin wasn’t going to allow that to happen. He just needed to come up with a plan.

Onnin outmatched his friends in every way. The way of escape for them, if he couldn’t get them out by breaking them out, was to allow them to kill him.

If they wouldn’t do it, if he couldn’t convince them, then he would kill himself. He would rather go down another path, then get to the point when he would harm them.

Kill himself and then let them know it would be okay to do what others had done in the Dredge. If they must, so they can live. Live on. It might buy them the time they needed to escape on their own somehow.

He cared about them so much that he was willing to do anything to ensure their survival. He’d accepted it.

Except, if he was willing to sacrifice himself, then he should pool his strength enough to at least try to get them out.

They didn’t deserve to go through the kind of horror he’d gone through, as everyone who had been cast down near Orthal.

No one should have been forced into the Dredge by Melvin, him or his henchmen, even those who did the worst of the worst after they were down there.

I’m going to kill you, Melvin.

The old man was actually smirking. Onnin could see him clearer now. His mind was no longer as foggy. He was feeling much more like his normal self.

Although difficult or perhaps impossible for you to understand, because of what is happening to the plants, their decline a predetermined and engineered eventuality planet-wide, the experiment was necessary. So emergers will live on after the protein plants disappear.

No.

What’s happening to the plants? Buddy said.

Melvin ignored Buddy, instead addressing Onnin again. I observed you for a long time. I paid your parents a plentiful amount of currency to participate. So much so, they were murdered. I may have mentioned it to some desperate outliers. But after you escaped, I lost track of you.

Escaped? No. I killed my way out.

Both Royah and Buddy were staring at Onnin. If they were aware of everything he’d done to survive, he didn’t know if they would still be his friends.

But they weren’t looking at him with fear, as people had throughout his life, they were fearful for him. It was concern. Sympathy. He’d never experienced it before.

Royah’s gaze turned. You’re a maniac.

Melvin ignored her. You truly are similar to your ancestors. All you need is time.

What does he mean? Royah said to Onnin. What’s going to happen?

He’s wrong, Onnin said quietly. We’re going to escape.

Melvin laughed. I have so much planned. After you do, what you do.

What is it you think he’s going to do? Royah made sure only Onnin saw the look.

Melvin sighed, annoyed. It isn’t what I think. It’s who he is and it doesn’t matter what happens to you or the baby or the littler man. You’re variables in my new experiment.

I don’t understand.

Why would I waste my time speaking to someone who is expendable?

Royah glanced over at him and gave him a hard look. This time it wasn’t so secret. Onnin must act fast.

Something occurred to him. A detail Melvin mentioned earlier. He said the enclosure they were in was a container.

It was probably a casual term but a container is often sealed, and because there were people inside it, oxygen needs to be regulated. If he was correct, it meant there was a power source.

The drugs Melvin administered had worn off. For some reason, Melvin wanted them awake for the next phase, but first, he wanted to torture them with fear. It had given Onnin the time he required to come up with a plan.

It’s clear that you don’t care what happens to us, but what do you want Onnin for?

If you knew what he was truly capable of, you wouldn’t be asking. Instead, you would be silent and afraid.

You’re a liar, Royah challenged. You’re also a coward who hides behind walls.

Melvin laughed. Your attempt to provoke me will not be successful. Nothing will prevent me from witnessing the rebirth.

Onnin peered up at the ceiling of the enclosure once more. The components looked to be crudely assembled.

He was probably the tallest man on Home. He’d never seen anyone taller. No doubt he was much nearer to the ceiling than anyone else who ever had the misfortune of ending up in the box. He bet Melvin never thought of it.

If he could just identify the right tube...Or whatever those were.

Onnin jumped as high as he could, trying to get a grip and he did briefly, but his hands slipped out and he fell back to the floor.

What are you doing?

Again he jumped up, his fingers searching for a secure grip and finding it, holding his own weight by the ceiling as it groaned, working his hands deeper in between mysterious wires and tubes. But his grip slid and he landed. Sure footed though.

His fingers were red and he felt blood’s sticky warmth. He didn’t have much time. Melvin was busy pushing buttons outside the box. He was probably going to administer the concentrated drug he’d used to knock them out.

Buddy gazed up. What can I do?

Get back.

Buddy did. Onnin had been called a giant by many. The name always embarrassed him. Made him feel ashamed even. But not anymore. Because of his height, he knew where to aim his hands.

He sprung straight up, nearly twice as high as he was tall, and this time when he shoved his powerful hands into the ceiling, his grip held.

That’s highly electric! You’ll die!

If I have to! Onnin bellowed. For them!

Blood streamed down his bulging arms. He glanced down at Royah to convey to her how much she meant to him. For a moment, he thought maybe he saw what he was hoping for.

Then he looked to Buddy. Get them out!

How? Where?

Flexing his abdominal muscles, Onnin raised his legs and kicked his boots into the ceiling. The busted electronics stabbed into his footwear. Knowing he could hold on for only so long, he pulled as hard as he could, using all the strength in his arms and shoulders and back.

Stop!

He grunted, straining with all his might. Fortunately, the tubes and wires and all those tiny electronics were thin enough for him to keep a grip.

The enclosure was designed to confuse and incapacitate using the drug Melvin concocted. His ego had gotten the better of him. As Melvin had explained his deranged rhetoric, it had given Onnin the time to prepare.

Enough time, not to make a terrible mistake in another terrible place and allow himself to die and doom his friends.

Onnin didn’t know anything about Melvin’s tech and probably never would. All of it looked the same to him; wires and tubes and visible arcs of blue power surging.

It didn’t matter that he didn’t understand how it functioned, all that did matter was he was going to detach it all from the power source.

Flexing harder, he distributed strength to all his muscles, every one of them a steady and pleasurable burn, and he wrenched with all his strength.

Impossibly, the ceiling bowed toward him. It turned out every component was connected.

Go to the corner! Buddy yelled. He’s gonna pull the whole thing down!

Onnin glanced down to see them dart further away, and then to where he could only see them out of his peripheral vision.

He yelled, in pain but also rage, as bright blue electricity danced across his fatigues in erratic waves. His thick, calloused hands absorbed steady, pulsing throbs. He could even feel the power of it in his teeth. As blood gushed out of his hands.

No! My research! Ash, do something!

There was the sound of an alarm and a flashing red light, a windstorm of pops and crunching and tearing metal, and even small explosions.

There was more yelling, from Melvin, and from Buddy and Royah too. Emma was wailing.

The last thing Onnin remembered was that he was falling.

Falling hundreds of feet off the top of the highest spire on the flat of Home at night. And feeling so tired.

He hit the floor, jarring him awake briefly, the explosions must have knocked him out, and when he looked up a second later the sparking, smoky ceiling crashed on top of him.

2. Onnin

Wake up!

Someone was pushing on a sore shoulder. Then he felt the weight of mechanical pieces of the ceiling over him. The soreness made more sense now. He pushed the wreckage away.

Slowly, he moved his arms and legs around, then his neck to see if everything still worked. They did.

Then he stuffed a thick finger in his mouth fishing around for loose or missing teeth. As he brushed from side to side and up, then down, he found they were all still in there. But his entire head ached.

What are you doing? Are you okay or what?

He opened his eyes to see Buddy standing over him, a look of concern painted all over his face. They were still in the box, except now it was no longer an enclosure. A side door was open and he could see wavy ribbons of daylight above.

At least he hoped that was daylight. He might have hit his head harder than he thought.

Say something, so I know you didn’t fry your brain.

Onnin groaned dramatically.

That doesn’t count. I think your fatigues saved your life.

Why?

You were being electrocuted.

Oh. Is that the sun?

Yeah. You okay, big guy?

I am, Onnin grumbled. I think. Is everyone all right?

"Yeah. I think you got knocked out, which wasn’t a surprise. You got electrocuted before the ceiling landed on you. We’re lucky the whole thing didn’t explode. We thought you were dead for sure, until we saw chunks moving. It took a couple of minutes for you to come to, though."

Onnin groaned as he sat up. He eyed the floor but didn’t see Royah or Emma. Where are they?

Up top. You wouldn’t wake up and I wanted to get them out of here.

Smart. Thank you.

Plus, I thought you might want to stay down here for a few more minutes. Take care of any unfinished business.

Buddy’s gaze went toward Melvin beyond the open door to the box. Buddy had towed some of the ceiling over and secured Melvin to it with some crude metal wire pulled out of its remnants.

The skinny old man breathed heavily. His left cheek was swollen and there was blood in his beard. Buddy subdued him, but looked like that required a beating to make it happen. Or maybe he’d done it because he felt like it. Onnin was fine with either reason.

Beyond Melvin were the far reaches of the lab. The underground space was much larger than Onnin could have realized.

It looked like a junkyard, filled with relics from a forgotten world. Pieces collected by a determined man over a very long period of time.

On various tables were also things, but hidden with blankets or tarps. Probably more of what he was already working on. His experiments. Experiments of evil.

I didn’t kill him. But I wanted to. Buddy pointed up. The elevator isn’t working because of what you did but there’s a ladder. See it?

Onnin leaned back and looked up, squinting because of the streams of sunlight dancing across his vision. He spotted the outlined shape of a ladder reaching upward. His backpack was at its base. My backpack?

Too heavy for me to lift, so I dragged it over there. Royah has your guns with her.

What about her necklace?

She got it back. She’s wearing it.

What a relief. What was around Royah’s neck was the nucleus of their quest.

Need help up?

He shook his head.

Buddy patted Onnin’s shoulder. I’m glad you’re still alive.

Me too.

Buddy hurried to the ladder. He took a quick glance behind him, and then began climbing.

Even though he was beat up, Onnin found enough strength to stand. After he was upright and remembering how slick the floor was from the powdery residue Melvin created using plants, he carefully walked outside of where they’d been trapped.

Over to the man responsible.

Light was blocked temporarily as Buddy climbed off the top of the ladder, casting Melvin in shadow long enough for Onnin to see fear in his eyes. Then light exposed the old man for what he truly was; a frail, frightened madman.

This is your final opportunity to explain yourself.

Melvin tore his gaze upward from the way out, to Onnin, and stared. Without the upper hand, he was just a fragile old man. And as afraid of Onnin as most people were who crossed his