Sandstorm Box Set Read online

  Sandstorm Box Set

  The Complete Dystopian Sci-Fi Series (Books 1-4)

  By

  T.W. Piperbrook

  Find him at

  T.W. Piperbrook

  www.twpiperbrook.com

  www.facebook.com/twpiperbrook

  ©2020 Post Script Publishing

  Cover Design

  Jeff Brown Graphics

  Typography

  Polgarus Studio

  Editing & Proofreading

  Cathy Moeschet

  Technical Consultants

  John Cummings

  Studio A.

  Table of Contents

  Preface

  SANDSTORM Prologue

  Chapter 1: Neena

  Chapter 2: Raj

  Chapter 3: Neena

  Chapter 4: Raj

  Chapter 5: Neena

  Chapter 6: Gideon

  Chapter 7: Darius

  Chapter 8: Neena

  Chapter 9: Gideon

  Chapter 10: Darius

  Chapter 11: Neena

  Chapter 12: Raj

  Chapter 13: Darius

  Chapter 14: Gideon

  Chapter 15: Neena

  Chapter 16: Raj

  Chapter 17: Neena

  Chapter 18: Darius

  Chapter 19: Neena

  Chapter 20: Gideon

  Chapter 21: Raj

  Chapter 22: Raj

  Chapter 23: Neena

  Chapter 24: Raj

  Chapter 25: Raj

  Chapter 26: Gideon

  Chapter 27: Neena

  Chapter 28: Darius

  Chapter 29: Darius

  Chapter 30: Neena

  Chapter 31: Raj

  Chapter 32: Darius

  Chapter 33: Neena

  Chapter 34: Raj

  Chapter 35: Neena

  Chapter 36: Gideon

  Chapter 37: Darius

  Chapter 38: Neena

  Chapter 39: Gideon

  Chapter 40: Neena

  Chapter 41: Raj

  Chapter 42: Darius

  Chapter 43: Darius

  Chapter 44: Raj

  Chapter 45: Neena

  Chapter 46: Neena

  Chapter 47: Gideon

  Chapter 48: Neena

  WINDSWEPT Preface

  Chapter 1: Samel

  Chapter 2: Samel

  Chapter 3: Neena

  Chapter 4: Helgid

  Chapter 5: Neena

  Chapter 6: Neena

  Chapter 7: Darius

  Chapter 8: Gideon

  Chapter 9: Helgid

  Chapter 10: Darius

  Chapter 11: Neena

  Chapter 12: The Abomination

  Chapter 13: Gideon

  Chapter 14: Neena

  Chapter 15: Neena

  Chapter 16: Darius

  Chapter 17: Helgid

  Chapter 18: Neena

  Chapter 19: Gideon

  Chapter 20: Neena

  Chapter 21: Neena

  Chapter 22: Neena

  Chapter 23: Darius

  Chapter 24: Darius

  Chapter 25: Neena

  Chapter 26: Gideon

  Chapter 27: Neena

  Chapter 28: Neena

  Chapter 29: Kai

  Chapter 30: Neena

  Chapter 31: Neena

  Chapter 32: Neena

  Chapter 33: Darius

  Chapter 34: Darius

  Chapter 35: Neena

  Chapter 36: Neena

  Chapter 37: Kai

  Chapter 38: Kai

  Chapter 39: Kai

  Chapter 40: Gideon

  Chapter 41: Kai

  Chapter 42: Kai

  Chapter 43: Neena

  Chapter 44: Gideon

  Chapter 45: Helgid

  Chapter 46: Raj

  Chapter 47: Raj

  Chapter 48: Samel

  Chapter 49: Neena

  Chapter 50: Raj

  Chapter 51: Gideon

  Chapter 52: Helgid

  Chapter 53: Raj

  Chapter 54: Raj

  Chapter 55: Neena

  Chapter 56: Gideon

  Chapter 57: Neena

  Chapter 58: Raj

  Chapter 59: Neena

  Chapter 60: Darius

  Chapter 61: Raj

  Chapter 62: Neena

  Chapter 63: Darius

  Chapter 64: Thorne

  Chapter 65: Neena

  Chapter 66: Neena

  Chapter 67: Thorne

  Chapter 68: Thorne

  Chapter 69: Neena

  Chapter 70: Neena

  Chapter 71: Neena

  Chapter 72: The Man

  DUSTBORN Preface

  Chapter 1: Neena

  Chapter 2: Neena

  Chapter 3: Raj

  Chapter 4: Neena

  Chapter 5: Raj

  Chapter 6: Neena

  Chapter 7: Neena

  Chapter 8: Raj

  Chapter 9: Gideon

  Chapter 10: Kai

  Chapter 11: Darius

  Chapter 12: Neena

  Chapter 13: Raj

  Chapter 14: Neena

  Chapter 15: Darius

  Chapter 16: Neena

  Chapter 17: Raj

  Chapter 18: Raj

  Chapter 19: Darius

  Chapter 20: Gideon

  Chapter 21: Raj

  Chapter 22: Neena

  Chapter 23: Bryan

  Chapter 24: Bryan

  Chapter 25: Raj

  Chapter 26: Bryan

  Chapter 27: Neena

  Chapter 28: Neena

  Chapter 29: Bryan

  Chapter 30: Bryan

  Chapter 31: Neena

  Chapter 32: Raj

  Chapter 33: Raj

  Chapter 34: Neena

  Chapter 35: Raj

  Chapter 36: Raj

  Chapter 37: Neena

  Chapter 38: Neena

  Chapter 39: Neena

  Chapter 40: Raj

  Chapter 41: Raj

  Chapter 42: Sherry

  Chapter 43: Bryan

  Chapter 44: Raj

  Chapter 45: Raj

  Chapter 46: Bryan

  Chapter 47: Neena

  Chapter 48: Neena

  Chapter 49: Bryan

  Chapter 50: Bryan

  Chapter 51: Raj

  Chapter 52: Raj

  Chapter 53: Bryan

  Chapter 54: The Watcher

  Chapter 55: Darius

  Chapter 56: Neena

  Chapter 57: Bryan

  Chapter 58: Raj

  Chapter 59: Bryan

  Chapter 60: Darius

  Chapter 61: Raj

  Chapter 62: Bryan

  Chapter 63: Bryan

  Chapter 64: Neena

  WAR TORN Preface

  Chapter 1: Neena

  Chapter 2: Bryan

  Chapter 3: Raj

  Chapter 4: Samara

  Chapter 5: Samara

  Chapter 6: Bryan

  Chapter 7: Samel

  Chapter 8: Raj

  Chapter 9: Samel

  Chapter 10: Raj

  Chapter 11: Bryan

  Chapter 12: Samel

  Chapter 13: Bryan

  Chapter 14: Sherry

  Chapter 15: Raj

  Chapter 16: Bryan

  Chapter 17: Neena

  Chapter 18: Kai

  Chapter 19: Neena

  Chapter 20: Neena

  Chapter 21: Sherry

  Chapter 22: Raj

  Chapter 23: Bryan

  Chapter 24: Neena

  Chapter 25: Bryan

  Chapter 26: Neena

  Chapter 27: Raj

  Chapter 28: Adriana

  Chapter 29: Adriana

 
; Chapter 30: Neena

  Chapter 31: Sherry

  Chapter 32: Neena

  Chapter 33: Neena

  Chapter 34: Neena

  Chapter 35: Neena

  Chapter 36: Neena

  Chapter 37: Raj

  Chapter 38: Raj

  Chapter 39: Bryan

  Chapter 40: Sherry

  Chapter 41: Neena

  Chapter 42: Samel

  Chapter 43: Raj

  Chapter 44: Neena

  Chapter 45: Samel

  Chapter 46: Neena

  Chapter 47: Neena

  Chapter 48: Raj

  Chapter 49: Bryan

  Chapter 50: Louie

  Chapter 51: Sherry

  Chapter 52: Sherry

  Chapter 53: Sherry

  Chapter 54: Neena

  Chapter 55: Raj

  Chapter 56: Ed

  Chapter 57: Neena

  Chapter 58: Bryan

  Chapter 59: Sherry

  Chapter 60: Neena

  Chapter 61: Neena

  Chapter 62: Neena

  Chapter 63: Neena

  Chapter 64: Neena

  Chapter 65: Raj

  Chapter 66: Neena

  Chapter 67: Neena

  Chapter 68: Neena

  Chapter 69: Neena

  Chapter 70: Bryan

  Chapter 71: Neena

  Chapter 72: Kai

  Chapter 73: Neena

  Chapter 74: Kai

  Chapter 75: Samara

  Chapter 76: Samara

  Chapter 77: Neena

  Chapter 78: Kai

  Chapter 79: Kai

  Chapter 80: Neena

  Chapter 81: Kai

  Chapter 82: Neena

  Chapter 83: Neena

  Chapter 84: Neena

  Chapter 85: Louie

  Chapter 86: Neena

  Chapter 87: Neena

  Chapter 88: Neena

  Chapter 89: Louie

  Chapter 90: Nicholas

  Chapter 91: Neena

  Chapter 92: Neena

  Chapter 93: Neena

  Chapter 94: Neena

  Chapter 95: Kai

  Chapter 96: Neena

  Chapter 97: Kai

  Chapter 98: Neena

  Chapter 99: Neena

  Chapter 100: Neena

  Chapter 101: Neena

  Chapter 102: Neena

  Chapter 103: Raj

  Chapter 104: Neena

  Chapter 105: Neena

  Chapter 106: Gideon

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  Email & Facebook

  Other Things To Read

  Preface

  Writing ideas come from the strangest places.

  Sometimes they creep into our heads while we are on the cusp of sleep. Other times they tug at our subconscious as we go about our normal routines. In this case, the idea for Sandstorm came from a song title, which spawned a full-fledged world, filled with characters and a premise that I couldn’t ignore.

  As the idea solidified, I envisioned a colony on a harsh desert planet called Ravar, its members cut off from their counterparts on Earth and forced to make do with limited resources. Over time, and with no communication from the supply ships or from Earth, the colonists accepted that perhaps this new planet was their home, and that they weren’t leaving.

  New caste systems emerged. Stories and rumors developed into truths. And new generations would be taught the most important thing they needed: to survive.

  The SANDSTORM series is the story of a young woman on a harsh planet, trying to provide for her family, but it is also the story of a group of outcasts, forced to come together and fight for the only world they know.

  In this story, I pay homage to some of my favorite sci-fi classics, while (hopefully) providing some new twists and turns!

  I hope you enjoy the SANDSTORM series!

  Tyler Piperbrook

  May 2018

  SANDSTORM

  A Dystopian Sci-Fi Story

  Book 1 of the Sandstorm Series

  Prologue

  Something hissed at Akron.

  He lifted his torch higher, inspecting the gloomy walls of the cave. Shadows grew and fled on the red, sloping stone on either side of him. Somewhere in the darkness above him, wings fluttered. He flicked his eyes upward, watching a bat’s shadow flit from one perch to another.

  Another, louder hiss bounced off the walls. Something he couldn’t see was giving him a warning.

  From outside, he heard the howl of the wind and the pelting debris from the sandstorm, from which the cave sheltered him.

  His eyes searched the darkness.

  Several crevices in the walls spoke of hiding places from which something might spring. But Akron couldn’t see what he’d alerted. He clutched the long knife in his hand as a thin scrape echoed around him. Sweat traced trails down Akron’s cheeks—sweat he was afraid to wipe. The humid cave felt even hotter.

  Another hiss. A slither.

  He turned.

  A snake slid from the shadows, flicking its tongue as it exposed its venom-filled fangs. The light of Akron’s torch reflected off its black, oval eyes and its brown body. Akron froze with fear. He recalled the last time he had encountered a similar reptile. The venomous, six-foot-long creature had slid out at him before he’d had a chance to retaliate, striking the top of his boot. Those twin marks—still visible on the worn leather—should’ve warned him to stay away from the caves.

  And yet here he was.

  Slowly, the snake coiled, rubbing its keeled scales together. It inflated its body in a gesture of attack. He had seen several such creatures strike the colonists unaware, sending them into sicknesses that caused fiery pain and death. Those people had spent their last moments gasping for air, whispering for someone in the heavens to save them. Akron didn’t wait for a dose of deadly venom. Stepping forward, he hacked downward in a quick swing as the snake leapt.

  Blade cleaved flesh.

  The reptile’s head fell.

  A last hiss was cut short as the snake’s mouth opened and closed and its tongue flicked. The back end of its body twisted angrily, following a chain of commands from its separated brain.

  Akron blew a relieved breath and stared at the dead animal for a long second. The torch cast shadows that could easily be another menacing, deadly creature, come to bite him. It took him several moments to convince himself the danger was over.

  Bending down, he speared the animal’s head, lifted it up, and carried it to the wall, finding a small crevice where he could stuff it. Thick boots or not, he didn’t need to chance stepping on its still-venomous head.

  Returning to the snake’s body, he realized his luck. The six-foot animal was one of the largest he’d seen recently. Its meat would feed him a day or two—enough that he could spend the rest of his trip exploring. The snake was deadly, but delicious.

  Unslinging his pack from his shoulders, he tucked the snake’s body into his game bag.

  The wind continued howling outside, close enough that he could hear it, and still feel a faint gust of it as he traveled deeper and away from it.

  Akron held his torch high, stepping even more carefully than before. The light revealed the cave’s giant, sloping red walls. Some places were smooth, but others were craggy, or recessed deep into places he couldn’t see, home to other reptiles and insects, some of which could be just as deadly. Akron knew better than to stick his hand in any of those holes.

  He’d learned a lot of things, in his twenty years on his home planet of Ravar.

  Ever since he was a teenager—old enough to ignore his parent’s warnings and the laws—Akron had traversed the two enormous, cave-filled formations jutting out of the desert on Ravar’s surface, creating protective walls on either side of his colony of Red Rock. In the times of his great-grandfather, the colonists had mined the caves, extracting metals and other things of value that could be traded or exported. Old, gaping slashes told the tale of their hard work, all
those years ago.

  Now, the caves were forbidden.

  Generations ago, Akron’s people had lost contact with Earth’s supply ships. Most speculated Earth was dead. The more cynical of the colonists guessed that the mining mission had been aborted, and a decision had been made to strand the settlement. Whatever the case, The Heads of Colony warned the colonists away from the dark, winding caves. Too many of the early colonists had fallen to their deaths, been trapped, or gotten lost. Even if The Heads of Colony hadn’t ordered people away, most were scared by stories of vicious, cave-dwelling animals, or warded off by the humidity and hot temperatures in the caves’ many tunnels. The punishment of the loss of a week’s crops wasn’t enough to outweigh Akron’s curiosity.

  He’d never been caught, and he didn’t plan to be.

  Akron preferred the solace of the caves to the loud, abrasive tones of his people, chatting about the wives they’d take, or the game they’d kill. Most in his colony made him uncomfortable. Out of the two thousand people among whom he lived, Akron had few acquaintances, and fewer friends.

  Sometimes he slipped to the edges of conversational circles, listening to people talk of the day’s heat, or the Green Crops—none of which were green enough—that grew by the southern bank of the colony’s river. Occasionally, he’d add something, but too many conversations ended after he spoke, with people either shuffling away or ignoring him. Few sought him out for anything other than a passing question. Akron’s lack of confidence might as well have been drawn on his forehead.

  His parent’s pressures didn’t help.

  They wanted him to marry. They wanted grandchildren. It wasn’t that Akron didn’t dream of finding a woman, as well, but his few attempts at conversing with the young females gathering water down by the river were followed by awkward silences. The best he’d received was polite laughter.

  And so he’d thrown himself into his exploration.

  The caves didn’t ignore him when he talked. They didn’t smirk when he went past. And they held secrets of which he could only fathom. He’d dreamt about exploring them ever since he’d taken his first steps outside his mud brick house and saw the red, massive formations looming high above him on either side of the colony, like the twisted appendages of some fantastic creatures, planting their massive girth into the sand. He felt as if he was one of the first colonists, before Earth had abandoned them, or died.

  One day, he’d make a discovery that would change the way the colonists felt about him. No one would ignore him when he brought back something that changed their lives. It might be worth the risk of breaking the rules.