GAIA

Abstract

What is it like being bound to two places? Knowing that you must sustain both or lose yourself? That is the feeling that Anthia, a young woman and Communer, must contend with as she transitions into a Scavenger. Anthia hails from a universe where planets are sentient and rely on their inhabitants to provide stability for them. These planets bond to individuals known as Communers, entrusting them to speak on their behalf and communicate their needs. These missives are passed to Scavengers, entrusted by their home planet of Gaia to search the reaches of space and gather the resources needed. But not everyone is appreciative of this connection. Others might even kill to get it! When a pirate attack forces an emergency jump, Anthia and her team wind up stranded on a foreign world. A foreign world that echoes hauntingly of home. To top it all off, Anthia and her newfound companions find that everything is not quite shipshape on board and threats exist within and withheld. Can they figure out why malignant forces revived an ancient plague in time? And will Anthia choose to accept a bond to a place not quite her own? Gaia is a science fiction novel I wrote as a desire to answer that question for myself. I am also from two places. I am fortunate in many ways because my parents insisted on maintaining strong roots with our heritage and language. My hope is that by presenting the experience of searching for connections through a sympathetic character, other young adults might be able to find the answer for themselves.