Starpiercer: Sunlight's Edge - Nathaniel Acharya - Wattpad

Story cover for Starpiercer: Sunlight's Edge by Neptondoodle

Starpiercer: Sunlight's Edge

Reads 444
Votes 37
Parts 22
Time 6h 29m

Reads 444
Votes 37
Parts 22
Time 6h 29m

Mature

adventure aliens astronaut drama fantasy fiction future hard interstellar journey politics realistic sci-fi science sciencefiction scifi serious space spaceship speculative suspense terraforming thriller war worldbuilding

Nobody said Rock Hauling would be easy. Throughout settled space, terraforming is the fuel that drives the interstellar economy. For some worlds, this is easy. For others, lacking resources, or on the periphery, this is an unattainable dream. Through the eyes of workers, astronauts and intellectuals, Sunlight's Edge follows an attempt to revitalize the crumbled terraforming project of the barren, poverty-stricken and resource-poor planet of Tylo. To carry this out, the beggared planetary government has commissioned the crew of the aging, if powerful asteroid-cracker Caroline Rowland to make the three-month journey to a distant asteroid belt and tug a selected asteroid back into orbit for conversion into a space station. This is difficult enough by itself, but located in a strategic demilitarized zone between two rival interstellar hegemons, Tylo and it's project may be the flashpoint for a conflict of apocalyptic proportions, with the Caroline Rowland and her crew as the spark that lights the tinder.

This is the debut novella for the world of Starpiercer, a planned series of novels set in the 200-world region of Solace with accompanying illustrations, sketches, maps, technical details and more. Read along to meet alien species, experience real and speculative technologies, and follow a sprawling interconnected narrative over multiple novels and multiple series, with fully realized histories, culture groups, physics, biology, anthropology and thousands of pages of worldbuilding.

This story has been fully written, and more sections will be published daily, hourly, or in other chunks.All Rights Reserved

adventure aliens astronaut drama fantasy fiction future hard interstellar journey politics realistic sci-fi science sciencefiction scifi serious space spaceship speculative suspense terraforming thriller war worldbuilding

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22 parts

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U.S.S.A Alice by Umbralmen01

In the distant future of the 28th century, mankind had survived near extinction then made it into the wider galaxy. With almost no other sapient life in the Milky Way to stop humanity's expansion. Space was ripe for the picking. Now mankind and the enigmatic Voidrians formed the U.S.S.A. The (United Solar Systems Alliance). Before Mankind became the dominant force in the Milky Way, Earth was in shambles. Natural resources were nearly depleted, diseases were rampant and most of Earth's population was in poverty. Then by some miracle of discovery or a cruel cosmic joke, in the mid-23rd century when all humanity could do was go out into space to search for a new home, a small planet that was black as the void around it was discovered. The humans who landed on the little planet had nearly lost all hope until they stumbled upon unknown ancient ruins beneath the planet's surface where they discovered untold amounts of bizarre advanced technology. Earth and humanity were saved, and the little planet to thank for their salvation was named Umbra. Alice is a xenoarchaeologist, her passion in life has always been the study of ancient cultures, and now she has the opportunity to study the most ancient one of them all. The very one that modern Human civilization was built on. Alice and her boyfriend accepted a posting on the famous and ancient ship, the U.S.S.A Umbra.

Something We Miss by Sophlamb

The year is 2889. Three hundred and thirteen years after fleeing a dying earth, the Universe Association has never been stronger. Eight colonized planets, an organized government, and one man at the head of it all are not expecting change. Still, change can spread like fire if sparked in the right place. Daisy Edelweiss, crown princess of Neptune, begins her first year at the Universe Association Academy. Life in a reconstructed Earthen city is as alien to her as her planet once was to Earth, and the invitations to join secret rebellion groups aren't helping. Not to mention the other royals in her class, some of whom can't get off their high horses, and some of whom have the nicest brown eyes... Artemisia McCourt, the youngest senator in training at UAA, must also adjust to life away from the blue planet. Her aptitudes for politics and writing land her a reputation among the Universe Association as either a tool or a weapon, depending on who gets to her first. Everyone's holding their breath for the Little Senator... Terra Solum, crown princess of Mars, is trying to decide whether to give up her crown to her diabolical younger brother, or keep the crown and be forever trapped in a life she doesn't want. A temporary arrangement is made, during which she is allowed to teach at UAA and keep her title while she decides which life she wants. The decision would be far easier without the former crown prince of Mercury and his perfect hair in her way... Royalty, rebellion, and romance collide in Something We Miss. Summary Credit: @mseverdeenherondale

Paradise Blight by wdhenning

The first terraformed world, Tau Ceti Four, was now ready for colonization. Some called it Paradise, and it seemed a fitting name. The initial conditions before the terraforming began were perfect, too perfect for botanist Mora Torr. Something was not right. Engineer Gan Finn came over with the other colonists on the Ark Hope ship. He, like Mora, was as much running away from an anguished past as seeking Paradise. But twelve light-years distance itself does not cure broken hearts. "So, are there any alien jubjub birds, bandersnatches, or jabberwocks around here I should be worried about?" Laughter rolled from her mouth at the Alice in Wonderland reference. "Oh, nothing like that. It's not the big scary creatures we should worry about, besides other humans that is, but the tiny ones. History has shown us that things like bacteria, virus, and small parasites are the real killers. The deadliest creature in all the human history is a mosquito with a pathogen." ** Re-edited ** ** Open Novella II - Short List and Ambassador Pick ** ** Wattpad Editor's Choice (January 2020) **

A Prologue Part Two ~ Growing Up(sample) by Leislies

(All content now has chapters approximately 1500-3000 words each) (Still being edited) "The Ventures of Captain Xavior" Series synopsis ~ The Federation is an overwhelming force of mankind waging war for control of the galaxy. Their primary objective is to claim habitable planets and assimilate human populations of slight genetic variation only, any intelligent species of alien that do not meet their standards is eradicated. The Pirate Nation's city, Valhalla, was created thousands of years ago to hide those who fight the Federation's tyranny to remain free. This series is a catalog of events from the third-person-limited perspective of the most infamous pirates that ever called the mountain city, Valhalla, home. ------------------------------------------ "A Prologue" Trilogy Synopsis - The Xavior family is known throughout the Pirate Nation, as one of the strongest families among them. This Trilogy is a backward glance at what made our anti-heroine, Reine Zoe Xavior. The stories included in this Trilogy are: the romantic tragedy of her parents, her own childhood story detailing her training, and the story of how she loses everything she holds dear. ‐-------------------------------------------- "Growing up" Part Two Synopsis - Reine, the daughter of Captain Zaül Xavior, is a motherless little girl who has been hidden from the outside world since birth. Her entire life changes the day her damaged father begins to train her as his replacement - completely ignorant and haunted by loneliness, our young anti-heroine strives to make him proud. She makes new friends as she navigates the ruthless pirate culture she was born into - facing trials no little girl should ever face. Will she rise to the challenge?

LEGACY CHILD by jan_claremont

Abriel Brighton exists solely to give birth to genetically perfect children-a role she has no interest in fulfilling. Created by the scientists who originally settled on and colonized a dead planet with the intention of terraforming it, she belongs to a breed of genetically altered humans designed to safe-guard humanity's DNA. Living in a protected underground society called Urbine's Crescent, she and others like her are to be retrieved once the surface is ready for habitation. However, they've been waiting a long time. Long enough that the idea of the surface world has faded into legend. When Abriel's father is murdered, she finds herself thrust into a conflict where all motives are suspect. As a scout and pair-bonded with a telepathic dog-like animal that's native to the planet, she struggles to determine the responsible party. Instead, violence escalates to the point where law becomes meaningless and she's stripped of all power. Worse, Abriel discovers the Crescent leadership is systematically destroying the only home she's ever known and her enemies are probably her only allies. When a stranger named Porter arrives, claiming to be from the surface and delivering the message that the planet is terraformed and ready to support human life, she has no choice but to believe him. Without his help, the Crescent won't survive. But with it, they just might be able to remake their entire world.

Star Rider by seagle3137

Ami: "We may be in different worlds, but we share the same moon and stars." This is a sci-fi love story, dedicated to those people who had to depart... Can you still see the stars in the city's sky? Have you ever imagined that your imagination could transcend what meets the eye? Slowly soaring towards the outer reaches of the solar system, you will encounter Mars first, followed by the asteroid belt teeming with activity, and then the radiant Jupiter and the ringed Saturn. Continuing further, there's Uranus, and beyond Uranus lies the deep blue Neptune, followed by the Kuiper Belt. Farther still is the Oort Cloud, a journey that takes at least 20,000 years... This is a pilot's logbook from the era of interstellar exploration. During that time, fusion technology has become practical, and humanity has embarked on voyages into the frigid expanses of the outer solar system, exploring the Kuiper Belt. Earth remains a stage for political and economic struggles, while the explorers are busy bees of that era, pioneers venturing into various planetary belts, far removed from human civilization. This story encompasses love, longing, psychological descriptions, speculation, as well as themes of loneliness, social anxiety, and PTSD. If you're a tech enthusiast, you'll find foundational elements of interstellar travel here: astronomical units, speed and time, the asteroid belt, Kirkwood gaps, Trojan groups, the Kuiper Belt, Lagrange points, orbital resonance, gravity assist, centrifugal force, the structure and construction materials of interstellar space stations, fusion engines, magnetic confinement, propellant propulsion, and other technological concepts.

Escaping Elysia by jessicarvasko

A dystopian young adult novel involving romance, secret experiments on human subjects, and a group of teenagers' will to survive. Reader Comments: "I'm gonna gush about your book real quick...all the technology has a purpose and is beautifully explained so I can picture it in my mind...the whole concept of the book is completely original...*moment of silence for your beautiful arch of character development* everything your characters do is strictly them but they develop enough to show more about themselves without you straight up telling the reader about them" -Vairl9023 "Ahh!!! This is so good!! I will be anxiously awaiting the next Chapter!!" -CrystalBagot "Brilliant...ohh, this is very catchy, good work" -IndeeMaynard "I love this so far" -BrianneMorris "You've done a great job at creating a mysterious mood" -poisonedpen *** All Evita Creedy, 17, wants is to finish her degree and be accepted for a prestigious job with the city's Department of Energy. On the way to take her placement test she sees a man take a gun out of his bag. Panicked, she reaches into her purse for her phone to call 911. Instead she takes out a gun. She doesn't know where it came from or how it got there, but when the man turns his gun on her she shoots him. It would be easy for Evita to forget about where the gun came from and let her life return to normal, but its mysterious appearance won't stop nagging at her. When Evita starts asking questions Evelyn Sheer, the head of the city's Department of Energy, takes her captive and places her in a secret, underground research facility. Evelyn Sheer and the researchers are trying to create a genetic modification that enables humans to photosynthesize. Once in the facility, Evita is tagged as a test subject and loses all say over what happens to her body. She has to escape. By the time she comes up with a plan there is only one problem. Evita isn't ready to leave.

MINDSLIP by TonyHarmsworth

MINDSLIP is the catastrophe which hits the Earth at 8.15am GMT next Wednesday morning. It began six hundred and fifty years earlier when Betelgeuse fulfilled its long-held prophecy to turn supernova. The radiation, gamma rays and gravitational waves hit the Earth at the same time as a coronal mass ejection. The combined bombardment causes all creatures on the Earth to swap minds, leaving people in animals, animals in people, men in women and children in adults. The nightmare which follows becomes a social and economic catastrophe. Geoffrey Arnold becomes a key figure in the government catastrophe committee, formed to resolve the myriad issues raised by MINDSLIP. Power generation, the health service, farming, pay, pensions, education, the banking system and asset ownership spiral into chaos. In addition, Geoffrey must save his wife from an imminent premature death brought on by one of the MINDSLIP effects. MINDSLIP is a realistic, frightening and sometimes amusing work of imagination which explores how people and families react to the world being changed beyond recognition. Note: MINDSLIP had been acquired by a publisher who, regrettably, has now folded. Rather than put the original version up on Wattpad, I have decided to give it a considerable edit. I'd love to know what you think. The early chapters might disturb, but hopefully they will also make you think about how you would deal with Geoff, Andrea, Angus, Caroline or Allan's situations. Use the comments to tell me what you would have done? (C) 2017 Tony Harmsworth - All Rights Reserved. For the avoidance of doubt, anyone using this storyline, characters or copying prose or dialogue without written permission, will be prosecuted under international intellectual property laws. If you wish to write fan fiction based on my work, please seek written permission.

Ava and Aphrodite: The First Human in 8000 Years (Featured) by SalmanHannan

Thousands of years have passed since mankind's extinction, now the remaining society of Humanoid robots on Mars and Machine-like robots on Europa are at war. Ava, a stealth Mars-unit is sent on a mission to Europa to learn more about the enemy's new secret super weapon: the first biological human in 8000 years. (Now a featured Wattpad story, made it to 6 on the hot list!) *** This story is a mix of Nier: Automata, Do Androids Dream of Electric sheep, and what I thought Saturn's Children would be until I got to the half-way point. Updates are: Monday: New Chapter Wednesday: Poem (thoughts of featured character in the chapter) or Data File (extended info of elements brought up in previous chapter. Friday: New Chapter (usually try to end these with cliffhangers ;D) I haven't failed with this update schedule yet so don't worry! Keep reading and you'll have material to read for months to come! I value everyone's feedback so please vote and comment your thoughts on the themes and characters as I introduce them :)

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Slide 1 of 9

U.S.S.A Alice cover

Something We Miss cover

Paradise Blight cover

A Prologue Part Two ~ Growing Up(sample) cover

LEGACY CHILD cover

Star Rider cover

Escaping Elysia cover

Ava and Aphrodite: The First Human in 8000 Years (Featured) cover

U.S.S.A Alice

In the distant future of the 28th century, mankind had survived near extinction then made it into the wider galaxy. With almost no other sapient life in the Milky Way to stop humanity's expansion. Space was ripe for the picking. Now mankind and the enigmatic Voidrians formed the U.S.S.A. The (United Solar Systems Alliance). Before Mankind became the dominant force in the Milky Way, Earth was in shambles. Natural resources were nearly depleted, diseases were rampant and most of Earth's population was in poverty. Then by some miracle of discovery or a cruel cosmic joke, in the mid-23rd century when all humanity could do was go out into space to search for a new home, a small planet that was black as the void around it was discovered. The humans who landed on the little planet had nearly lost all hope until they stumbled upon unknown ancient ruins beneath the planet's surface where they discovered untold amounts of bizarre advanced technology. Earth and humanity were saved, and the little planet to thank for their salvation was named Umbra. Alice is a xenoarchaeologist, her passion in life has always been the study of ancient cultures, and now she has the opportunity to study the most ancient one of them all. The very one that modern Human civilization was built on. Alice and her boyfriend accepted a posting on the famous and ancient ship, the U.S.S.A Umbra.