The story begins on Jefivah, the Compact’s oldest interstellar colony. Once proud, now derided as the “Appalachia of the Stars,” Jefivah faces agricultural collapse, social unrest, and increasing dominance by religious factions—chief among them, the cult of Marilyn.
Key Characters:
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Douglas Best – Jefivah’s Minister of Agriculture. Sarcastic, frustrated, and politically boxed in. He’s tasked with finding a way to ensure his world’s survival.
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Carolyn Best – Douglas’s wife, a university professor. Grounded, affectionate, and one of the few voices of reason in his life.
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Myra Gillorn – First Minister of Jefivah. Tough, cynical, and deeply committed to finding a way forward for her crumbling world.
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Luxhomme – A mysterious representative of JunoCorp. Charming, evasive, and possibly dangerous. Offers a trio of colony worlds with strings attached.
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Grand Dimaj McLaren – Leader of the Marilynist cult. A self-declared spiritual guide with political ambitions and a desire to secure a theocratic homeworld.
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High Normaj Jayne – A senior Marilynist cleric on Earth whom Best encounters during his off-world investigation. She proves not to be what he expects.
Plot Overview:
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Unrest on Jefivah:
With riots breaking out and food production collapsing, Best faces mounting pressure to fix the unfixable. The rise of the Marilynist cult—whose rituals and iconography parody ancient Terran celebrity worship—adds to the turmoil. -
A Dangerous Deal:
Luxhomme, acting on behalf of JunoCorp, offers three Class-E colony worlds formerly used as military storage sites. He promises independence from OCD interference and introduces a GMO organism called creeper to jumpstart agriculture. -
Colonial Assessment:
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1955b (“Barrataria“) – Humid and fertile, ideal for farming. Interest from South Africa and Bromdar.
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2354e (“Mercia“) – Cold and sterile, but being terraformed by Bonaparte engineers. A long-term prospect.
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9402d (“Marilyn“) – A desert world, already being informally colonized by the Marilynists under Luxhomme’s guidance.
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Loss of Control:
Luxhomme acts without Jefivah’s consent, placing Marilynists on 9402d and arranging for Compact nuclear weapons to be shipped out via civilian contractors. Best discovers some warheads have gone missing, prompting an investigation by Compact Security and Naval Intelligence. -
Fall and Rebirth:
Best is arrested for mishandling the weapons but is unexpectedly released into the custody of the Marilynist clergy, who view him as a prophet. He reluctantly begins tracking Luxhomme across the Compact with the help of High Normaj Jayne, a prominent Earth-based Marilynist cleric who challenges his expectations—and his assumptions about faith, power, and control.
Preceded by Tishla's Journey