Rebel Gate

By Sanil Singh

Captain Brody, a seasoned veteran in space exploration, finds himself on the cusp of retirement after years of dedicated service. As he prepares to bid farewell to his beloved space station, a sudden and unexpected threat emerges.

These extraterrestrial beings, driven by unknown motives, pose a grave danger not only to the space station but also to the billions of lives. However, Captain Brody must confront not only the impending alien invasion but also other challenges.

Within his own ranks, he encounters religious fanatics whose beliefs clash with the pragmatic approach necessary to combat the imminent threat. Bureaucratic red tape hampers his every move, impeding his ability to swiftly respond and protect the lives under his command. Determined to overcome these obstacles, Captain Brody must gather a team of loyal allies, navigate the treacherous waters of politics, and confront the alien menace head-on to ensure the survival of the space station and safeguard the countless lives depending on him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jan 22, 2024
• ISBN: 9781446179659

Book preview

Table Of Contents

Chapter 1:  Arrival

Chapter 2: Hope

Chapter 3: Homeward Path

Chapter 4: Canoa Captain

Chapter 5:  Units

Chapter 6: Spetre Cells

Chapter 7:  Aliens

Chapter 8: Mutiny

Chapter 9: Damage Control

Chapter 10:  Forsake the few

Chapter 11: Gayas

Chapter 12: The Rebel Plan

Chapter 13: Escape to Nowhere

Chapter14: Survive

Chapter 15:  Last Time

Chapter 16: Demons

Chapter 17: Often We Only Need A Nudge.

Chapter 18 : False Path

Chapter 19: Hopeless

Chapter 20: Departure

Chapter 1: Arrival

Raven stared at the fading orange sky and prayed. O great ones, we, your children, seek your blessings and forgiveness. Protect us, for we are weak. Guide us, for we are lost. Unite our shattered hearts.

The gods watched from the heavens as the bright green planet illuminated the approaching night. It had a faded, dreamlike quality during the day but came to life at night, appearing closer than ever. Total darkness only prevailed briefly before and after sunset.

Insects and bugs began their journey, buzzing to declare their intentions. A cool breeze from the East brought relief to the scorching hot evening. However, the forbidden forest dashed Raven’s hopes for an eventful journey.

They were now entering Dwarf territory after navigating the Writhers’ territory. Writchers lived and hunted in dense forests, while dwarves sought shelter in desert caves. The dwarves had marked a red line, showing the group’s stopping point. No one, not even the brave, could enter dwarf lands without an escort.

The group, known as Sirens, comprised two mothers and ten sisters. They looked indistinguishable, with blue skin, pink eyes, tall and slim frames, purple hair, and six-inch horns on their skulls. They wore white rags made from spider webs.

Raven and her sisters were 20 years old. Older sirens who had given birth were called mother, while actual mothers and sisters were called blood mother and blood sister. They would gather in a group and gossip, but did they ever consider the risks and consequences if something went wrong? The sisters didn’t appreciate Raven’s habit of mentioning alternatives and worst-case scenarios. They labelled her a hater and a Neg.

Although none of them had siblings who had experienced it, there was a risk of dying during childbirth or at any point during their year-long labour.

Raven and her sister, Leha, would spend hours lying on a scared rock, gazing at the sky. The beautiful green mountains, purple rivers, and blue oceans fascinated them. They wondered what astonishing deities and creatures they might see. Would they live as queens or as insects?

According to religion, the gods expelled them from heaven because sirens seduced and manipulated monsters and beasts. The Dwarves plotted against the gods, while they knew the Writchers for their cruelty and hostility. Ogres stole from the gods, and as a result, no female ogres exist. The Writchers were insatiable and consumed everything.

All four species could emit pheromones into the air. Writchers emitted fear pheromones, Sirens released sexual pheromones, Ogres had rage pheromones, and Dwarves emitted calming pheromones.

Although male sirens do not exist and males cannot be born, the gods were not cruel and gifted the Dwarves with intelligence.

The dwarves came up with a clever plan to save the endangered species.

They calmed the ogres and collected their semen. They then gave it to Siren mothers. The chances of a male ogre or a female siren being born were equal.

When the babies were born, they had no control over their pheromone release. The Siren mothers loved their daughters, but when an ogre was born, the mother would tear it apart in a fit of rage.

In the mother’s village, the tribe raised the siren infants. The dwarves took care of the ogres until they could survive on their own and then released them into the wilderness.

This method has been successful for centuries in ensuring the survival of the three species.

Leha differed from everyone else. She would ask what if they made the stories up, or if they were crazy? Raven laughed at the mere idea. They acknowledged the truth, but questioning everything went against their religion.

Leha was not an outsider or eccentric. She took part in rituals, hunting, and gathering herbs. The two sisters had always looked out for each other since they were young. Their birth mother had moved to a different tribe and had no desire to be involved with them.

Three years ago, Leha joined the dwarf village. She was eager to become a mother. They would welcome her and raise her together. In the future, Raven’s turn would come, and their household would expand.

A year had passed when Leha came home. Alone.

She had become a different person.

She averted her gaze from Raven and scarcely spoke. She remained indoors and barely ate anything. Whenever her sister prodded her to talk, she would lose control in a burst of anger. The cave walls echoed with her shouts, screams, and punches.

When Raven woke up one morning, she discovered Leha had vanished. She joined a different tribe and won't return.

Mothers tried to calm down the weeping Raven as she cried, with many sisters coming to her aid to convince her they were one family. Every one of them fulfilled the roles of sisters and moms. They supported one another. They lovingly offered support and received love.

Were they motivated by their own desires, brainwashed, or forced to do these things?

Raven found herself at the same crossroad in the dwarf village. She didn't choose to come here.

She was terrified. Her biological mother, her biological sister. It was probable that she would meet the same fate. Even though mothers knew, they still subjected her to this torture. Some sisters were heading towards the same destination, but they avoided contemplating it.

Why were they so stupid?

The darn dwarves were nowhere in sight. As it grew darker, the possibility of turning back vanished. Their only choice was to move forward. 

A freezing icy breeze tossed into the air loose gravel. The trees, which were swaying, emitted sounds that resembled the snapping of branches. The mothers were on high alert, causing the girls to become fearful and stick together like cowards.

‘Raven, go to the girls now! One mother told her.

Before she could, she caught a strange scent. It was unlike anything she had ever smelled before. It affected her like an emotion rather than a sense. She remembered her early years when her birth mother was still with them.

Blood mother slapped Leha across the face, causing her to fall to the ground with a nosebleed. When her birth mother saw Raven, she stopped and became furious, wild, and confused. It seemed like she was fighting something inside of her, losing herself. Leha cried out for help. Blood mother struck Raven with a small broom. Leha protected Raven and endured the beating.

Raven felt scared but also hopeful, holding onto the memory.

Raven woke up and saw the other girls screaming. There was nothing around them except for their worst memories, overwhelming their senses. Their cries echoed through the forest and valley, reaching anyone within a mile.

Trees were falling loudly, and the darkness made it impossible to see.

One mother ordered, Take the sisters and go to the Dwarf village!

‘What about the traps?’ The other mother asked.

The first mother insisted ‘just go!’.

Raven tried to hold on to the girls, but they fought her off as if she was the enemy. Some girls fell to the ground, convulsing and foaming at the mouth.

What was happening? Was it the fear pheromone? How were the mothers unaffected?

The forest became more active as massive trees fell, showing the approach of colossal creatures.

Were they Writchers?

Three sisters stopped crying and started running towards the dwarf village, even though they couldn’t see it. Raven chased after them, taking one last look over her shoulder.

The mothers smiled, prepared for whatever was coming.

Her obstructed vision prevented Raven from seeing anything in front of her. She ran as if she were blind. The girls ahead of her were screaming again. 

‘Boom!’ There was a loud explosion and Raven fall backwards. Rising to her feet, she caught sight of what was pursuing her. It was a massive centipede. It approached her, zigzagging and surpassing the length of the trees in the forest.

Suddenly, a metallic sound rang out, and an object flew past Raven. It was the traps! The centipede was breaking through them. Raven noticed the two girls up ahead. Just as they reached them, another trap activated, swallowing one girl into the ground. Raven and the remaining girl kept running without stopping.

‘Boom!’ The second explosion went off.

The sister fell to her feet, but Raven kept running. She kicked something and felt a lot of pain, possibly breaking her toes. She fought through the pain and continued running, hoping to find a way. The ground became soft and grassy, leading her back to the forbidden forest. She needed to turn back and find the dwarf village.

Suddenly, a loud, scary sound echoed through the air. It was the sound of the Writchers. But what were those giant things? Raven felt the uneven ground and her ankle twisted. She fell face-first on the soft ground. The Writcher approached her, ready to attack. Raven wondered if she should get up, but it seemed futile.

The Writcher stood tall, with dozens of mouths and a hundred claws. It was a nightmare come to life, with jagged teeth and pieces of meat hanging from its mouth. Raven closed her eyes, accepting her imminent death. But then, there was a different explosion sound.

The explosions continued, coming from the direction of the supposed Dwarf village. The Writcher retreated into the forest, uninterested in Raven. She got up and saw fire through the trees. As she moved closer, she witnessed the chaos. They engulfed the valley in flames.

Another explosion shook the ground, followed by a fireball reaching for the sky. They scattered large metal boxes across the valley floor, some emitting smoke. There were people shooting green beams of light from their arms, causing the Writchers to collapse. They had a dragon!

Fearful, Raven stumbled, worried the dragon would attack her. But the dragon, with its metallic appearance, glided through the air without flapping its wings. It dropped large eggs, which exploded upon impact, creating fireballs.

Heaven’s grace and brilliance finally appeared. They scattered large metal boxes across the valley floor, emitting smoke. The people were different, not Ogre, Siren, or Dwarf.

They fired green beams of light from their arms, instantly incapacitating the Writchers.

They had a dragon! Raven feared it would attack her. The dragon, with its metallic appearance, glided through the air without flapping its wings. Eggs dropped from its belly. Upon impact, there was an explosion and fire.

Could they be...? Raven looked up and saw their massive palace, equivalent to twenty villages combined.

How were they defying gravity? The gods had revealed themselves once again.

No turning back now, Raven whispered.

Chapter 2: Hope

He exerted himself, putting his back into it. Ray questioned if someone had tampered with the pickaxe because it felt heavier than usual. It appeared to be the standard tool, but the standards kept changing.

It had to be close to midday, he thought, as he hadn’t stopped for lunch and was feeling fatigued. They were deeper in the mine now, making it harder to breathe. This explained why the axe felt heavier.

Ray was around six feet tall with a slim build. He had black eyes, a small nose, and a strong jawline. Scars covered his face and body, each with its own story.

He wore black pants, a yellow shirt, a bright yellow helmet, thick grey gloves, and safety goggles. He longed to remove the helmet for a moment and wipe the sweat from his forehead, but he had seen what happened to those who did that - they recovered their bodies three days later. The inhumane working conditions weren’t the only dangers in the mine. There were vampire mosquitoes hunting in the millions and parasitic worms that burrowed into people’s heads.

The installation of high-intensity UV lights in all the shafts kept these creatures at bay, but it raised the temperature down there by a few degrees. Management turned a blind eye to the situation and didn’t want to hear any complaints.

The light bulb above Ray’s head blinked twice. He left his work and headed towards the exit. Others joined him, but there were still many left deeper in the mine. It would take them longer to get out. The lights blinked again, and everyone started racing. They could see the light at the exit. They were almost there. Then the lights went off. There was a frantic dash towards the exit. Ray was one of the first to get out.

He took off his helmet and goggles and heard screams from inside the mine. Ray couldn’t do anything for them. Near the entrance, they set a marquee up with someone working on the generator. He wore an orange Hazmat suit like the armed guard with them. They were working on the generator, warning no one. The men only needed ten minutes to get out. They could have given them that much time.

Ray shook his head, and the armed guard pointed his gun at him. They enjoyed pointing their guns at the locals. None of them had done a hard day’s work in their pathetic lives.

Thousands of people were working on top of the mine. Most wore straw hats and used their hands or hammers to pick through the rock. Almost everyone was coughing. Some even had babies strapped to their backs, suffering in the blistering sun.

Ray went to the standdown station where they collected the equipment. The manager in a HAZMAT suit stood there with a clipboard. It was a sweltering day, and Ray wished he could use the Marquees for shade.

The manager’s guard saw this and threatened him, Get back, scum!

Ray nodded and backed off, tossing his helmet, goggles, and pickaxe into the bin. He also threw his shirt and pants in, wishing he had brought rags. The ground was scorching hot, like a frying pan. Ray removed his boots, feeling the burning ground beneath his feet. Now he only wore shorts and a torn black shirt, with no underwear.

The manager asked, Where is item 312516, the round end spear head hammer?".

Ray replied, they did not give me a hammer, stepping forward cautiously as the guard raised his weapon.

The manager coldly informed, we will deduct 200 Dinas from his pay as a penalty.

Ray reluctantly accepted I accept clause 1.4.2.9.5 point 6.A.

The guard growled, Move on! Come back tomorrow.

Ray walked away, filled with anger towards them all.

He channelled his anger into breaking rocks, a monotonous routine of eating, shitting, and breaking rocks. The mortality rate was 35, meaning he had 17 more years of this to look forward to.

The place smelled terrible. There wasn’t enough water, so many people hadn’t showered in months. There were no toilets, so people went wherever they could.

Everyone had sores and cuts on their skin, with pus running down their arms and legs. The labourers had been working since dawn without eating. Some chatted, while others had no time. Someone collapsed from heat exhaustion, but no one stopped working.

Shards of rock pierced Ray’s feet, but he hardly felt them. He stopped in front of an older-looking woman with a hunched back. Her hair was mostly gone, and she wore a straw hat. She had cuts and bruises on her arms.

She asked Ray, Have you eaten?, without looking up.

He realized he had lost his lunch, a small nut bar. The woman frowned and handed him another bar. Before he could react, his dad slapped him and took the bar back. The woman placed it back in her basket.

Ray’s dad was tall and skinny, with an enormous nose, black eyes, and bushy eyebrows. He had a fat chin and missing teeth. He was also missing fingers on both hands. The man coughed loudly and used his shirt to wipe away the blood. The cough sounded nasty, but others around them were worse.

"What are you doing here?’ He demanded.

The lights went out, Ray explained, So, I was told to go home.

The father shouted, So you find another shaft, choking for a moment before clearing his throat.

Leave him alone, the woman said.

I can help here, Ray offered, but his dad told Go home and rest. Do the night shift.

The mom protested, I don’t want him doing the night shift, and coughed, using a cloth to catch the blood.

The dad frowned and told Ray, Take the wheelbarrow.

It was old and falling apart, with a bent wheel and almost flat tire. Ray balanced it to the right as instructed. The