The
Underminers
A.C.
Thompson
Genre: Young Adult Science
Fiction
Publisher: Short on Time Books
Date of Publication: August 20,
2014
Cover Artist: Tony Bryson
Book Description:
In an alien galaxy, two dangerous
criminals are sentenced to a remote prison planet known for its savage
brutality and low life expectancy. The planet is Earth. Many years later, a
mysterious substitute math teacher arrives at a suburban Southern California
high school. A wave of inexplicable vandalism begins. High school senior, Tory,
and her bullied brother, Jason, find themselves caught up in the conflict as
the entire population of the school, student and staff alike, are affected by
random acts of maliciousness. Although she hates him at first, Tory becomes
increasingly drawn to her very handsome, but oddly vindictive math teacher who
seems to be connected to what is going on.
Available at Amazon
If you could have any superpower what would you choose?
My superpower of choice would be teleportation of objects including myself. I would love to be able to pop over to Hawaii any time I wanted or pop a mocha in front of me without getting in the car.
Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
I’ve had many rewarding experiences since my book was published, but I think the best moment so far was when I received the paperback edition in the mail and held it in my hands. It was a dream turned into physical form. I almost couldn’t believe it was real.
Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.
Every book is a doorway to a new world and you might find mine worth the visit.
Favorite food?
I have many favorite foods, but for now I’ll pick macaroni and cheese.
What book are reading now?
Right now I’m reading “E-Squared” by Pam Grout for the fourth time.
What’s your favorite season/weather?
Fall is my favorite season for the weather and the holidays. My husband calls this time of year “the high holy months” because I love it so much.
What was your favorite children's book?
My all-time favorite children’s book is “Alice in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass” by Lewis Carroll.
Beach or Pool?
Absolutely the beach.
What is one book everyone should read?
I’m a big proponent of classic literature and I think everyone should read at least one.
Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?
I have two projects currently in the works: the sequel to “Underminers” and another project which I describe as being something of a mix between “Alice in Wonderland” and “Game of Thrones”. I’m very excited about both of them.
Excerpt
Prologue
Inside the
vermilion-hued walls of Court Number VXV on the gas giant planet of Kratora in
the Core of the Gateway Galaxy, the verdict of a trial was about to be handed
down. The court floated in the midst of giant banks of roiling clouds, its
thick, crimson cellophane-like sides gleaming dimly with the constant flashes
of lightning discharging all around it. Within, the silence hanging over the
chamber belied the fury of the atmosphere raging outside. The interior of the
court was vast and empty, with the exception of a large dais set in the center
of the dark, gleaming floor. The far wall facing it consisted of a huge screen
displaying the image of a sparkling whirlpool galaxy, its spiral arms streaked
with swaths of deep pink, red and silvery blue, rotating slowly in deep space.
At its heart pulsed a brilliant, blinding eye of light, hypnotic and
irresistible. Two figures stood on the dais, sealed inside individual energy
fields that hugged them like second skins. The fields held them completely
immobile, unable to even turn their heads to look at one another. Powerless,
helpless and frozen in their soundless environment, they waited for judgment.
A voice suddenly
broke the stillness, bodiless and ethereal. It filled the empty space in an
omniscient manner, seeming to issue forth from the walls, ceiling and floor,
enveloping the two captives. “Subject B-25841. Subject N-79306. Direct your
attention to the victim of your crimes.”
Mute and paralyzed,
they gazed forward at the galaxy on the screen, their eyes held open wide by
the invisible force surrounding them. “Is this not an example of the perfection
of the Universe? Have our paltry thousands of years of knowledge yet to explain
even a fraction of how such a miraculous creation operates and exists?”
On the left side
of the dais, a tremor passed through Subject B-25841. The energy field around
him shimmered in response.
The voice
continued. “The work you have both done is renowned throughout the Gateway.
Your discoveries have been remarkable and beneficial indeed. However, your
arrogance has kept pace with your advances.”
The image of the
galaxy in front of the prisoners began to fade away until the screen was
totally black. Gradually another image took form, almost impossible to see at
first, as the center of it contained an utterly blank void, gaping and huge.
Dots and circles of light appeared at the edges of the space, revealing a
massive black hole. Perfectly round, streams of light orbited around it,
outlining a sharply defined border. Beyond it, stars near and far shimmered
like crystals strewn across a black velvet cloth, providing a milky background
for the ominous emptiness. “Your meddlesome and dangerous experimentation has
put the entire Gateway at untold risk. A phenomena that has existed at the
heart of the Core for millions of years in benign balance with the matter
around it has suddenly grown exponentially in size and strength. The solar
systems in closest proximity to it are now in immediate need of evacuation. In
addition, we have not yet determined what the extent of this evolving disaster
will be, or what measures will need to be taken to resolve it.”
The voice
ceased, leaving the chamber bathed in tense, expectant silence. The bound
prisoners scarcely seemed to breathe, waiting. Up on the screen, the black hole
faded from view. As the quiet stretched to a nearly unbearable point, a final
picture formed above. It was a planet, glittering in the reflected rays of its
home star. Streaks of filmy white cloud cover drifted across the surface, and
far below great expanses of blue water shone, broken by large masses of land at
various intervals. The disembodied voice resumed to deliver final sentence.
“There is no
doubt the Universe will correct the imbalance you have wrought. However, the
cost to life in this galaxy is yet to be calculated. It is for that as yet
unknown tragedy that you are sentenced to exile at the farthest edge of the
Gateway Galaxy for the rest of your natural life cycle. The planet before you
is your destination. It is a Level 8 Containment World in the Vector 285-346
Quadrant of the North Hyper-Extension. The indigenous life forms there call it
Earth. Your sentence will commence immediately.”
Above the dais,
the glossy red cellophane material of the ceiling began to shift into a
colorless opaque color. With much pained effort, Subject N-79306 forced his
gaze upward to stare at it, his eyes dilated with fear. The energy fields
around the condemned pair sparked and rippled, tightening even further around
their hosts. Subject N struggled against the constriction, working his mouth
desperately to speak. A whisper pushed through his lips, hoarse and low.
“You…” he
croaked. Subject B-25841 shook slightly, indicating that he had heard his
companion. “I’m going to kill you,” he hissed. The ceiling became fully
transparent, revealing the violent electrical storm that never ceased beyond
the courtroom.
High above the
structure, a funnel-shaped space emerged, pushing the billowing clouds of gas
aside and blocking the jagged spears of lightning. The funnel descended until
it reached into the chamber itself, hovering over the heads of the captives.
Subject B-25841 closed his eyes with resignation as the fields around them levitated
into the blackness and disappeared.
About
the Author:
A.C. Thompson lives in Southern
California with her husband, a pooka in the form of a white bunny rabbit, and
two feline overlords. When she isn’t writing, she subtitles and captions movies
and TV shows, putting her degree in English literature to some use.
The Underminers is her first
novel.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ACTales
2 comments:
Great interview and excerpt!
Thank you very much for hosting me on your blog and for the great interview!
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