Out of the Ashes (Rise of the Empire Book 3) Read online

  OUT OF THE ASHES

  Book three – Rise of the Empire series

  By

  Ivan Kal

  Copyright © 2014 by Ivan Kal

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Timeline

  Map

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Chapter Twenty-five

  Chapter Twenty-six

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-one

  Chapter Thirty-two

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Chapter Thirty-four

  Chapter Thirty-five

  Epilogue

  Timeline

  December 2018 – World economy approaching collapsing point, unemployment at an all-time high.

  April 2019 – Corruption and economic failing brings about the collapse of the European Union, United States struggles with ever increasing number of homeless, Europe struggles with food shortages.

  July 2020 – With the collapse of the EU most countries are forced to implement population control, food and water shortages increasing, the price of water skyrockets. North African countries declare bankruptcy.

  February 2021 – Natural oil and gas reserves approaching depletion. United States increases their presence in the Middle East along with Russia and China. Relations between China and India deteriorate.

  November 2021 – African and South American countries reach bankruptcy points, people start rioting. Australia and Indonesian countries invest in solar, sea water, and thermal power research, they start building hydroponic and agroponic industries. Relations between Russia and United States deteriorate, China and India declare war.

  January 2022 – Russian military enters Iraq and Iran, United States responds by declaring war on the Russian Federation, the Middle East becomes a battle ground.

  February 2022 – UN tries to end the conflicts peacefully, most member countries unable to divert resources from their own problems. United States, Russia, China, India and other countries involved in the conflict withdraw from the UN.

  May 2022 – UN and NATO dissolved, most European countries approach bankruptcy points.

  Jun 2022 – United Kingdom joins the Middle Eastern war on the side of the United States.

  March 2024 – Australia and Indonesian countries sign a pact, creating the League.

  December 2024 – The League builds first hydrothermal power plant on the ocean bed in the Southern Ocean.

  January 2025 – United States forms an alliance with the UK and India, European and African countries struggle with food, water and oil shortages.

  March 2025 – United States soldiers bomb Iranian village due to faulty information, killing hundreds of innocent civilians. Using that as an excuse, Russian Federation arms their nuclear arsenal and points it at US major cities threatening to fire unless the US and their allies withdraw from the Middle East, with the dissolution of the UN and NATO there is no world governing body to prevent them, US arms their arsenal as well.

  April 2025 – Remaining nuclear capable countries involved in the conflict arm their armament.

  May 2025 – Russian Federation fires their nuclear missiles, the US defense network isn’t able to shoot them all down, western coast totally destroyed, US fires their missiles in response, within hours both countries mayor cities are destroyed. India fires their nuclear weapons at China totally destroying most of their mayor cities. China subjected to sabotage, unable to fire all of their arsenal.

  July 2025 – Death count in the billion rising each day, millions more infected with radiation sickness, China becomes a wasteland. Refugees from the US west coast move to the east and south into Mexico and Southern America, Russian refugees move to Siberia, hard conditions add to the death count, few remaining Chinese refugees are given aid and living space in the League. Radiation clouds move to India, killing millions.

  August 2026 – Final death count approaching three billion. Shock from loss of life forces all involved parties to sign a peace treaty, retreating from war torn Middle East.

  October 2026 – Accord of Life signed all countries agree never again to use nuclear weapons on Earth soil.

  January 2030 – Germany offers financial aid to other European countries, and proposes a union of all European countries into a single entity. Already desperate, all save for UK, Spain, France and Italy accept the offer.

  March – September 2030 – A new country is formed, all governments abolished, elections on various matters held. English accepted as primary speaking language, former prime minister of Germany Jonas Bauer voted and appointed as President of this new state, which took the name Concordis – Latin for united. A new governing system implemented, Concordis split into three regions North – Scandinavia and the rest of former Baltic countries, Central – countries of former central Europe, and South – Balkan Peninsula. Each region elected a single representative, the council of three was created, with the power to overrule any presidential decision if all were in agreement.

  February 2031 – League starts to export food and power to other countries in Asia and Europe.

  August 2033 – Concordis economy stabilizes, quality of life improves. People not living in the League or Concordis suffer. Concordis starts their own hydroponic program on a large scale, most of the fertile land allocated to farming. Water refining programs started. Underground lakes tapped for water.

  November 2035 – Radiation clouds over Asia and North America dissipate.

  December 2035 - August 2039 – US, India, Russia and UK pool their remaining resources and begin to clean up the nuclear waste left by the war. Their economies slowly start to stabilize.

  March 2040 – Olympus Corporation founded in Concordis southern region, primarily focuses on the development of new technology.

  September 2041 – League and Concordis finally able to sustain their populations and send aid to critical regions, League sends food packages to Asia, Concordis to Africa.

  February 2042 – November 2046 – Olympus buys the designs for the Leagues thermal power plants. Starts research on underwater habitats and development. Olympus builds first underwater farms at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean powered by thermal plants. Olympus invests into genetic research, hoping to imp
rove crop yields, and battle radiation sickness in refugees.

  August 2047 – Olympus starts mining the Atlantic Ocean’s bed for metals and oil. League does the same in the Pacific.

  January 2048 – African countries unite and jointly ask for the inclusion in Concordis, following their example Asian countries except Russia and India, do the same with the League, and are accepted. The Middle Eastern countries remain independent.

  July 2048 – November 2054 – Conditions everywhere begin to improve, the League and Concordis enter a time of technological advancement, Olympus develops first brain implants intended to help people with their everyday lives.

  February 2056 – January 2070 – Olympus builds first underwater city at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, it is named Nephthys. Population control is removed.

  March 2074 – January 2081 – Implant technology now widespread throughout Concordis and League. North and South American countries reach their prewar states.

  February 2081 – Olympus corporation finds an Alien craft at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

  October 2081 – August 2094 – Olympus develops technologies found in the Alien craft, and starts building facilities in space, mining operations on the moon and in the asteroid belt begin.

  November 2094 – Olympus announces sedition from Earth, they create their own state based in space.

  January 2095 – February 2103 – Tensions between Earth and Olympus rise, Earth economy dependent on Olympus.

  March 2103 – Concordis attacks Olympus resulting in the destruction of the Olympus station in Earth orbit and a Concordis warship.

  November 2103 – Olympus leaves the Solar system, taking all of their technology and people with them.

  October 2109 – Lack of resources and animosities between world leaders result in Earth being engulfed in a fourth world war between the three factions: the Coalition, the League, and Concordis.

  May 2129 – End of the Great War, the Earth population decimated, estimated population 4.5 billion.

  February 2159 – Ra’a’zani, an alien race arrive and conquer Earth enslaving the population.

  November 2160 – Ra’a’zani execute one third of the human population in retaliation against actions of human resistance fighters. Estimated human population 3.5 billion.

  May 2164 – Olympus arrives at their new home, they name the planet Sanctuary.

  August 2169 – Human resistance in Sol finds Olympus Scout ship left in the asteroid field.

  November 2169 – Olympus Explorer Ship Voyager encounters unknown alien ships and is attacked. Ship Master Eric Donaldson triggers the ship's self-destruct sequence.

  December 2169 – Olympus Explorer Ship Traveler encounter an alien race called Nel, at a planet called Nuva.

  February 2170 – An alien race called Sowir attacks Nuva – the same alien race that destroyed the Voyager. Olympus sends aid, resulting in the battle for Nuva.

  March 2170 – Message from the resistance in Sol reaches Olympus.

  Map

  Prologue

  Jun 2170 – Earth

  Aileen no name walked down the streets of what was once Rome. The once great city was now the Ra’a’zani base. As she walked, she couldn’t fail to notice the state of the city. It was a ruin even before the Ra’a’zani came, the Great War took its toll. But when the Ra’a’zani chose it for their base, they simply moved in the few buildings still standing or cleared the rubble and built new ones. Or rather their human slaves did the work. Aileen had no idea why they chose this place to make their base, but the more time she spent with the Ra’a’zani the more she realized that it was probably random. They had beaten us completely and had no need of making a fortified base. They destroyed our technology and killed those who knew how to use or make it. Although the Great War did a lot of the work for them. And there was really nothing humans could do. They had no weapons, and even if they did, it would do them no good. They had no way of fighting against the five Ra’a’zani ships in the system. Aileen had abandoned all hope of freedom long ago.

  With a few more steps Aileen arrived at her destination. She passed through the security checkpoint at the entrance, her red armband sending a signal to the guards identifying her as a personal slave to the Overlord. As she walked down the hallway of the base she noticed other humans moving about. At a glance she could see that they were ‘thralls’, it was the name that the other humans used. Thralls were those that were very young when the Ra’a’zani came, babies and small children, or were born after. They were raised separately from the other humans, by Ra’a’zani Taskmasters. They were different to the point that most other humans didn’t even consider them one of their kind. The oldest thralls were about thirteen to fourteen years old now, and had never known anything other than the Ra’a’zani, or if they did they were too young to remember now. They might have looked human, but Aileen knew that they were not. They were taught only the language of the Ra’a’zani, their ways and customs. They even wore custom made metal gloves that gave them sharp claws. They moved differently, their movements tense, always ready to lash out and attack. Aileen saw the looks they shot her way and knew that to them, she was nothing but a slave. There was no recognition that they were the same species, no mercy or compassion. They believed they were better. Aileen had been with the Ra’a’zani long enough to know that even though thralls were above the other humans, they were still nothing but slaves to Ra’a’zani. They had more freedom and could advance through Ra’a’zani society, but no matter how far they reach Ra’a’zani would never look at them as equals. And the worst thing was that they were fanatically loyal to their masters. Even Aileen, who had already made peace with the fact that she would never be free, still made small acts of defiance. A moment stolen, a heartbeat of hesitation to an order, small things. Thralls on the other hand were not only willing to obey, they craved approval from their masters. They would do anything asked of them.

  She finally arrived at the command room and entered. Six Ra’a’zani were inside, four standing in front of various stations in their relaxed positions with their four crab like legs locked in place, a Ra’a’zani version of sitting. The other two, one gray scaled and the other brown, stood in the middle of the room by the holo of the Solar system, talking. Aileen approached slowly and took her position behind the gray scaled Ra’a’zani.

  “… to expand our mining operations Dakar. The convoy from clan Uunaran will arrive in two years. We won’t be able to meet their order with the current output.” The brown scaled Ra’a’zani – Taskmaster Tra’r’an – said.

  “We will need to send more slaves to the asteroid belt.” The gray scaled Ra’a’zani – Dakar Vit’r’an Overlord of Earth – said.

  “It would mean taking more from the breeding programs. The others are too weak to survive for long.” Tra’r’an said.

  “The next shipment of breeding groups is in three years, by then the other breeders will reach maturity.” Dakar Vit’r’an said.

  “As you say Dakar, I’ll send out the orders.” Tra’r’an said and then left.

  Dakar Vit’r’an stayed looking at the holographic representation of the Solar systems. The holo showed all Ra’a’zani assets in the system. There were five total Ra’a’zani warships in the system, three that were on patrol duties near the hyperspace limit, covering the approaches from Ra’a’zani space. The fourth one was on guard duty in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter where all Ra’a’zani mining operations were. And the fifth – Dakar Vit’r’an’s flagship – was in Earth’s orbit. There were a few other ships in the system, transports that took workers from and to the asteroid belt. Every few years a convoy would come to Sol to take the materials and slaves back to the Ra’a’zani space, those ships usually stayed for a few months while Ra’a’zani exchanged personnel and everything got loaded.

  She knew that the original Ra’a’zani force, the one that conquered Earth, had more than 20 warships plus support ships. But such force wasn’t needed.
They took Earth easily. They had arrived at the worst time possible, just as Earth ended the Great War. It had decimated humanity.

  If Ra’a’zani came in the opening of the war, they would have had a lot harder time taking Earth. If there was one thing humanity excelled at, it was fighting. But they came after, when humanity was barely a shadow of what it was during the war. Aileen was young when Ra’a’zani came, barely fourteen years old, and everything she knew about human history came from the stories of those older.

  After the Ra’a’zani took her, Aileen had heard a story of Earth before the war and how things would have been different if Ra’a’zani came then, it was told by a young slave that was killed for trying to attack a Taskmaster. No one had believed him when he spoke, taking his words for the ravings of the insane. But sometimes when she slept, she dreamed of Earth free and strong. She hated those dreams, she knew that she would never be free. She had seen the wickedness of human spirit in the breeding camps, she knew that they would never free themselves. Too many had accepted the Ra’a’zani rule, too many had turned against their own for no more than an extra piece of bread. They would be ruled by the Ra’a’zani forever.

  And perhaps it was for the best, they didn’t deserve better. Even before Ra’a’zani came, Aileen learned on the streets of a slum city that humans would do anything to survive, she had done it herself. She killed and stole and lied to get food.

  Dakar Vit’r’an turned around to face her. “Did you do what I asked?”

  “Yes, Dakar.” Aileen responded.

  “And his reaction?”

  “He killed a slave that was nearby Dakar.” Aileen answered.

  Dakar’s lips drew back in a Ra’a’zani smile. “So he was insulted? Good. Perhaps he will think twice before moving against me next time.”

  Ra’a’zani society worked on principles of influence and a kind of twisted honor. A Ra’a’zani Taskmaster had tried to gain support and increase his duties on Earth, but by doing so he had encroached on the Vit’r’an’s territory. And as a retaliation Vit’r’an sent Aileen to deliver a message. It was a simple invitation to a meeting. But the retaliation was in fact Aileen. By sending her, a slave, Vit’r’an had insulted and degraded the Taskmaster. Soon, every other Ra’a’zani would learn about it and the Taskmasters influence would drop, effectively ending his plans for some time.