The Future In the Sky (The Empyrean Saga Book 1) Read online

  The Future In The Sky

  The Empyrean Saga Book One

  Steve Stred

  Contents

  Start

  Chapter 1

  Decision

  Chapter 2

  Three Years Later

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Back

  Chapter 7

  School

  Chapter 8

  Savannah

  Chapter 9

  Home

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Mr. Eldridge

  Chapter 13

  Eric

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Savannah

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Blood Work

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Jump

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Earth

  Chapter 29

  End

  Afterword

  About the Author

  First published in Canada in 2021 by Black Void Publishing. Copyright © Steve Stred 2021

  1st Edition 2021 - The Future In the Sky: The Empyrean Saga Book One

  Steve Stred has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.

  This book is a work of fiction and, except in the case of historical fact, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Ebook ISBN 978-1-990260-00-1

  Paperback ISBN 978-1-990260-03-2

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated electronically or made free to view online without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding cover other than that in which it is published, and without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  Cover Design: Ross Jeffery

  Edited by: David Sodergren

  Formatting: Ross Jeffery

  Advance Praise for The Future In The Sky

  “In an overpopulated ship revolving above Earth, teens must leap for Salvation. But what exactly does that mean? In The Future In the Sky, a mind-bending post-apocalyptic study of survival, betrayal, and revenge, Stred solidifies his place as a creator of fresh nightmares. Take a leap of faith and read this book.”

  - Lee Murray, three-time HWA Bram Stoker Award - nominee and author of Into the Ashes.

  “Dark science fiction with a compulsively readable writing style and a strong emotional core.”

  - Tim Waggoner, HWA Bram Stoker Award-Winning author and author of Your Turn to Suffer.

  "In this coming-of-age tale set on a near-doomed generation ship, Steve Stred blurs the boundaries between internal and external realities. With straight-to-the-point prose and efficient narrative beats, he builds an unsettling portrait of post-adolescent Lizzie that is raw and ambiguous, capturing the uncertainty of every young person who struggles to discover who they will become in an unknown future."

  - Joanna Koch, Shirley Jackson Award Finalist and author of The Wingspan of Severed Hands

  "Using a crisp, cut-to-the-chase writing style, Steve Stred has penned a fascinating, dark sci-fi tale with The Future In the Sky. Following Lizzie's quest for truth and purpose in a dystopian world fraught with half-truths and secrets was a page-turning experience I won't soon forget."

  - Jeremy Hepler, HWA Bram Stoker Award nominated author of The Boulevard Monster and Cricket Hunters

  "Reminiscent of Bradbury, The Future in the Skies is an intimate, character-driven exploration of coming of age in a grim future. Dread builds from the first chapter and doesn't let up."

  - Laurel Hightower, author of Crossroads

  “I was only three pages in when I knew this story would be one I read in a single sitting. A sci-fi work of dystopian existence driven by Lizzie’s gut-wrenching fear and a need for the truth. Steve Stred’s characters jump from the pages, becoming part of your world, causing you to care what happens. Stred doesn’t waste a single sentence in this must-read novella.”

  - Cindy O’Quinn, HWA Bram Stoker Award nominated author of Lydia

  “Steve Stred has presented a tale of surreal, dark science-fiction here that asks questions of place and belonging, of duty and desire, and might leave you questioning your own choices... or lack of them.”

  - Alan Baxter, award-winning author of Devouring Dark and Served Cold

  “Stred’s venture into dystopian sci-fi sparkles with originality yet, at its heart, there is a darkness that lingers. Ultimately, it is a thing of sinister beauty.”

  - Dave Jeffery, author of A Quiet Apocalypse and Cathedral

  “The Future In the Sky is a brisk, engaging read with shades of Ender’s Game and The Lottery, emboldened by the mystery of Stred’s strange and ubiquitous orbs. This novella is sure to keep sci-fi readers hooked!”

  - Michael Patrick Hicks, author of Friday Night Massacre and the Salem Hawley series

  "The Future In the Sky is a fast-paced, gripping sci-fi/horror hybrid. Putting an emphasis on dialogue and characterization, Steve Stred writes with lots of ambition and heart."

  - Mike Thorn, author of Shelter for the Damned

  "The Future In the Sky is as heart-wrenching as it is horrifying. Steve Stred has created a truly bleak dystopian future, propelled by a strong character-driven narrative. The emotional turmoil is raw and believable. If you feel like having all your hopes turned to ash, jump into this novella."

  - Brian Fatah Steele, author of HUNGRY RAIN and CELESTIAL SEEPAGE

  “A chilling dystopian nightmare, imbued with an aching sense of both loss and hope. Strap yourself in, because Steve Stred is gonna take you on a journey.”

  - David Sodergren, author of The Forgotten Island and Maggie’s Grave

  "An absorbing, fast-paced ride through the Stredosphere, balanced with notes of tenderness and awe. Take the leap!"

  - J.R. McConvey, author of Different Beasts

  “With ‘The Future In the Sky,’ Stred provides an engrossing tale set in a unique sci-fi universe. A fast-paced, unputdownable read – I couldn’t tear myself away from Lizzie’s story!”

  - Sam Brunke-Kervin, reviewer

  “’The Future In the Sky’ proves Stred can’t be restrained by genre”

  - Gavin Kendall, Kendall Reviews

  "A bleak and beautiful portrait of the future, told with Stred's unique and amazing skill. I loved it."

  - Sonora Taylor, author of Seeing Things and Little Paranoias: Stories

  “Steve Stred’s The Future In the Sky is Boon Joon-ho’s Snowpiercer meets Brian Evenson’s The Warren, a dystopian allegory of lost possibilities and frustrated human potential, told with masterful concision and tremendous emotional depth. This is science fiction at its very sharpest, where every line contains profound meaning, and between those lines lie voids of all the things we don’t know but yearn to. I read this book in one furious, breathless sitting; Stred knows how to suck readers into his orbit and never let them go.”

  – Joseph Sale, author of the BLACK GATE trilogy

  “What we have with The Future In the Sky is a wonderfully crafted dystopian nightmare, one that could be mistaken as being from the mind and pen of Asimov or dare I say it the grand master of Sci-Fi, Philip K D
ick (I'm thinking more Ubik here than Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep) - such is the brilliance and scope, not to mention the sprawling narrative on show.”

  - Ross Jeffery, author of Juniper and Tome

  "Best buckle up. Steve Stred's rich dystopian vision of humanity in The Future In the Sky will strip your heart bare, and then fill it to bursting."

  - BP Gregory, author of Flora & Jim

  “Steve Stred gives us a dark, bleak dystopian world where the only way to have a future is in the hands of fate. A compelling story that will leave you craving for more.”

  - Melissa Nowak, reviewer

  “In The Future In the Sky, Steve Stred has brought with him the same things that make his horror fiction so great: strong characters, good setting, an interesting, unique story to tell, and yes, heart for sure. The first book of the Empyrean Saga is a worthwhile read for anyone. Period. And the ending is both surprising and perfectly ends the first bit of story and opens avenues for the next part to go. I truly loved this book!”

  - Shane Norton, reviewer

  "The Future In the Sky is a sci-fi allegory for the fears we shared becoming adults and the hard truths we found on the other side. A love letter to 70's dystopian gems like Soylant Green and Logan's Run mixed with tinges of Neon Genesis Evangelion."

  - Bo Chappell, author of Year 47 and Our Biggest Fears

  “With The Future In the Sky, Steve Stred provides us a dark and harrowing future about mankind, hope, and survival. This is masterful science fiction that is part “Ender’s Game,” part “Snowpiercer,” and 100% Steve Stred. You don’t want to know what happens if you miss your orb. But do you really want to know what happens if you manage to catch it? I can’t wait to see what Stred does next with these characters and this bleak future that he has created for us.”

  - Richard Gerlach, host of the Staring Into the Abyss Podcast

  “The Future In the Sky is a blighted dystopian coming-of-age tale with an immersive mystery that will leave reader's begging for more. Steve Stred is the master of bleak character-driven stories with an edge of abstruseness that is so compelling to follow.”

  - Andrew the Book Dad, reviewer

  Start

  Chapter One

  The students stared beyond the window, toward the infinite.

  The all-consuming darkness of space. An everlasting void. A longing to know what was to come. The weightless feeling of complete bliss. The all-encompassing light of the future. A decision would be announced soon, the ones making it enroute.

  Rolling clouds.

  Heart shaped hands.

  Sweet laughter of innocence swept along the current of anxiety.

  The playgrounds no longer just forgotten structures. Running, jumping, shouting, play time. What was ahead was pushing what came before away. A sorrow of the truth flickered here and there, but some would continue, others not so lucky.

  Childish rhymes of sing-song play echoed all around as the world they knew rotated around its axis. The mix of ages was an interesting dance to watch. The youth cavorting, the older, high school aged kids sitting on the periphery.

  The Earth 250,000 miles below, the atmosphere thinned and speckled.

  What would be found below the foliage? How would the air taste and the breeze dance?

  A bell sounded to tell them all to return to their classrooms.

  Decision

  Chapter Two

  The door to the classroom opened. Their teacher, Mr. Haverstock, entered, followed by two people the students didn’t recognize. Worried glances between them all shared their fears.

  “Quiet, please. Quiet. Attention class. We have a very important announcement. Please select digital imprint on your retinal screens now.”

  An old time countdown begins before the students' eyes. Some take notice, others remain slumped in their desks, absent of caring.

  The reel flickers before the black and white scene begins. First, they see a tall, thin man in a grey suit, sporting a bushy moustache and sitting on the edge of a desk, inspecting a file folder.

  He looks up, mock surprise at the camera nearby, and speaks.

  ‘Ah, children. Hello. My name is Albert Eldridge. I am the owner, founder, and chief scientist of Empyrean…’

  When the students hear the name, they all cheer, ignoring the teacher’s and administrators’ pleas to remain calm. Once they’ve settled, the digital administrator moves the imprint back to where they lost control.

  ‘… and you’ve been selected as my next class to have your life’s dreams fulfilled. You see, here at Empyrean, we look into the future to bring the present to you. Buckle up, my star pupils. The next three years will be like nothing you’ve ever experienced before.’

  The large ‘E’ logo of Empyrean with the soaring eagle and spaceship comes onto the imprint, then all goes black.

  “That’s right, students. Of the seventy-five classes that submitted for Survival and Salvation, our class was chosen by Albert Eldridge himself,” Mr. Haverstock said, grin across his face. He turned and shook hands with the two administrators, who unzipped their black jackets to reveal Empyrean emblazoned shirts underneath.

  Throughout the revolving level, beyond the walls of the classroom, screams and bangs sounded, the Empyrean squad eradicating the classes that weren’t picked.

  Only the chosen would carry on, continue the tradition of excellence above the clouds.

  Three Years Later

  Lizzie stood at the edge of the simulator, looking at the digital screen that was showing the open space outside of the plane.

  Their instructor, Maureen, stood beside them, a supportive hand on Lizzie’s shoulder.

  “OK, I will count to three, the screen will flash red. When it flashes red, take a deep breath, hold it and then leap. The simulator will have the same air speed pushing towards you, so you will stay in the jump pit. Got it?”

  Lizzie nodded.

  “You’ve done this before, Lizzie. You can do it!”

  Lizzie nodded again.

  “One… two… three…”

  Lizzie took a deep breath, held it, and then proceeded to jump straight outwards, feeling the immense air jet grab them and whip them into the air. Lizzie struggled to get into position, the power of the propulsive air tilting them up and down.

  “Like we practiced, Lizzie!” Maureen yelled. The helmet and earmuffs protecting their head muffled the instructor’s voice. Lizzie clenched, feeling their core muscles flex and stabilize their body position. Lizzie breathed calmly, looking below at the simulated atmosphere they were free falling through.

  “OK. Here is the key part. Watch the spheres as they come toward you. If they are glowing light purple, leave them alone. Your future, your orb, will slowly flash the glowing color that means the most to your heart.”

  “What does that mean?” Lizzie yelled out, as simulated orbs began to float by.

  Purple after purple after purple.

  Queasiness started to settle in the pit of Lizzie’s stomach.

  Staring at each of the reflective orbs that went by, Lizzie wondered whose life was in each, and what each one had within. A silicon device that contained the entirety of someone’s existence floating into the ether and… gone.

  Were they the lives of the generation of students snuffed out? The remnants of families and pets and children not brought into the world? Houses and jobs, vehicles and android servants that disappeared without a second thought after Empyrean’s team cleansed the selection year?

  Lizzie tried to shake the thoughts that pushed through their brain while attempting to focus on an orb that wasn’t purple.

  Too late.

  A reddish hued circle slipped through Lizzie’s peripheral vision and the simulator flashed bright orange while an alarm sounded, and the air dissipated until Lizzie was standing on the digital screen that had projected the atmosphere.

  “NOOOOO!” Lizzie yelled, stamping both feet.

  “It’s alright,” Maureen said, coming over
to give them a hug.

  “It’s not alright. What if that happens in real life? This is just a simulation. What if I miss and don’t grab my orb?”

  The instructor stared at Lizzie, running some replies through her mind, trying to figure out the best way to shield the truth from the student.

  “To be honest,” Maureen said, “we don’t know.”

  “Great,” Lizzie replied, beginning to struggle with the clasps that did up the helmet.

  “Leave it on, let’s go again.”

  “No thanks.”

  “Seriously. Relaunch simulator,” she called to the control room before Lizzie could complain some more.