First Contact didn’t go as expected. Now they own us.
Earth has been conquered by a massive galactic empire, and its war machine needs soldiers. In a cruel twist of fate, 14-year-old Joe Dobbs accidentally ends up on a ship carrying Earth’s children to an alien training planet. To make it out alive, he must survive an apathetic bureaucracy that sees humans as little more than spare rations. Meat with guns. Or, if they’re really unlucky, servants.
The oldest of the children drafted from humanity’s devastated planet, Joe unwittingly becomes the centerpiece in a millennia-long alien struggle for independence. Once his training begins, one of the elusive and prophetic Trith gives Joe a spine chilling prophecy that the universe has been anticipating for millions of years: Joe will be the one to finally shatter the vast alien government known as Congress. And, the Trith cannot lie.…but first, Joe has to make it through boot camp.
For lovers of sci-fi thrillers, alien invasion stories, space opera, and sprawling first contact science fiction, this is an unforgettable post-apocalyptic epic about perseverance and survival in a harsh new world where humanity is just another item on the menu, performed by Jeff Hays with Soundbooth Theater.
Note: Contains an exclusive, audio-only zero story at the end of the book, The Legend of ZERO: Proposal of the Forgotten!
© 2013 Sara King ℗ 2022 Soundbooth Theater
Surprisingly awesome
I was a little hesitant to try this out because of the characters’ age range, but I wasn’t disappointed. This story has some similarities to Ender’s Game but still manages to be a completely unique spin on first contact (and without all the obnoxious homophobic and pro-life political undertones for an added bonus)
Highly entertaining
As usual, SBT delivers a quality performance of a great story. The story was a unique blend of man vs. man, man vs. self, and man vs. society/monster (aliens). I appreciate how Zero is the underdog, but never gets access to a super powerful weapon/AI/ship. This story has a creative mix of luck/character personality/and friends to hep the underdog come out alive, if not in a favorable manner.