Ascent - Volume One of the Galactic Citadel SeriesCitadel - a forgotten inheritance - An obsidian-black monument one hundred and forty feet long, thirty feet high in Redcliff, a small coastal town in Maine, prominently situated on a residential road close to the rocky shoreline, oddly out of place amongst old houses and quaint cottages, but somehow never noticed over uncounted years... until now.A lonely, pale wisp of a girl recently registered for the final year of high school. Her registration lists her as a life-long Redcliff resident and this apparently solid Citadel as her home.The lone survivor of a family car crash unexpectedly returned to consciousness after many months, moves to Redcliff to complete the final year of high school and pick up the pieces of his life. Unlike the locals, he is drawn to and fascinated by the crenelated Citadel and even more by... the girl.A physicist and his wife, guests of a rich industrialist friend, spend a day on his private cruiser, Getaway -... A nuclear submarine finds the boat strangely damaged and deserted, the occupants mysteriously missing, after being indifferently targeted and effortlessly damaged by a gigawatt-strength laser from a shadowy black shape high in the atmosphere. This laser makes the most powerful, current earth-bound prototype look like a child's worn-out flashlight.An isolated series of structures on a cold and barren planet, an almost inhuman, human jailor - brilliant blue eyes, gaunt grey skin and patchy hair, a jailor who in turn is a slave of a series of cold, ruthless 'Controllers' searching one sector of the galaxy for new options.An air force fighter jet broiled by a massive microwave beam crashes into the waters off the coast of Maine close to Citadel. An eclectic collection of items 'disappears': a trailer full of frozen food; a huge haul of exclusive jewellery; a motley assortment of vehicles and expensive ingots of super-pure beryllium.A long-overdue federal investigation. A civil evacuation, a military blockade and an attempted airborne invasion - one very ordinary helicopter against the cream of the armed forces - resulting in a deadly battle and an impossible escape.Thorby Rudbek has spent most of his life ensuring ionizing radiation safety for governments, health providers and energy companies in the West and the Middle East. He began by making radar and microwave circuitry for fighter jets. His relocations make him feel less focused on his nationality, and more like he is a Citizen of the Planet."Ascent" is the first in the "Galactic Citadel" series about the mysterious girl from Arshonnan stock, the boy from Boston, and the Narlavs. Thorby's stories are fast-moving, feel-good SF adventures that centre around real heroes with old-fashioned values and morals. The series continues with "Passage" and "Impact." Look for "Cavalry" soon!
About the Author: "Why write? There are so many others already, writing away busily... All I can say is that I write because the stories are waiting to be told! Limited so far only to the Planet (Earth), I have lived in many different places, and each place has been a source of inspiration. Driving through stunningly beautiful rolling hills one day, I found a story, freshly born, in my head. As soon as I stopped for the night, I bought a spiral-bound notebook and a few pens. That's when Richard Fletcher and Karen Amer began their journey - I was many miles away from them, but I knew they were enjoying (at times!) the view of the coastal area of Maine. Why Maine? It just had to be - I don't really know why. There was something compelling about the two of them: both were a bit lost, and both knew they needed to carry on, despite the hurdles that presented themselves, regularly, and with ever-increasing size and frequency! "I've lived in some very distant places, but wherever I've gone I found wonderful people. Many is the time when those people have cheered my spirit. In return, I've started the "Galactic Citadel" series. I have a feeling that Richard and Karen will continue having adventures, and that their 'sphere of influence' will continue to widen. I can't recall how often I have read and loved a story, but have felt a little cheated by some aspect of it. I hope you never feel that way after reading an instalment of the "Galactic Citadel." Instead, I determined to avoid those things that annoyed me, and give something that will excite, fascinate, and make you smile. I have always loved telling stories, and am enjoying this saga so much that I hope many others will love it too! My goal is to provide some escapism from the dull routine that sometimes seems to take over our lives - to entertain, to amuse, and to give the reader a bit of a boost."