Underneath Us
[Manuscript in progress]
Garrett Keely’s convinced nothing can surprise him. Not after his father terminated his sister’s life support. And not—as a delinquent teen in 2069—stuck living at a water-drilling outpost on the desiccated bed of Lake Mead, so remote Garrett’s playgrounds are the abandoned ruins of nearby Las Vegas. But when the drill jams twenty miles down—deeper than man has ever drilled—and the bit hoists up tangled metal with strange symbols on it, Garrett realizes life’s about to get interesting.
Then his dad takes him down the shaft to show him the discovery that will rewrite Earth’s history: the 500,000 year-old ruins of a subterranean city with technology more advanced than exists in present-day. So advanced, an entire crèche of cryo-preserved children are incubating under power derived from the Earth’s magma. When his father accepts cash in exchange for silence so the company can finish drilling without government interference, an outraged Garrett makes plans of his own: plans that result in some empty cryotubes. Garrett’s quest to rescue the Spindlings—as they’ve been dubbed for their long limbs—will take him on a journey of self-discovery, grieving for his little sister, and ultimately reconciliation with his father, and forgiveness.
Click on the image above to see “Las Vegas 2069″ by Phil McDarby (opens in separate window).
[Post-apocalyptic science fiction]