Appears in The Compact Reader
Gimme Shelter tells the parallel origin stories of JT Austin and Lucius Kray in the months leading up to the Gelt invasion of Amargosa.
After nearly facing criminal charges on an orbital resort, JT—a privileged heir to Dasarius Interstellar—is stranded by his parents on the rural colony of Amargosa after a prank diverts him from Tian. Stripped of money, status, and legal protections, he is placed in the custody of Constable John Parker and forced to work on a farm under the supervision of Quan and Parker’s daughter Lizzy. As JT adjusts to hard labor and cultural isolation, he begins to shed his arrogance and form tentative bonds with those around him—particularly Lizzy, who finds him both infuriating and fascinating.
Meanwhile, in Dagar Township, Lucius Kray, a former Marine turned constable, is recruited by Marcus Leitman of Juno, a rogue biotech firm. In exchange for growing an illegal, high-yield crop called creeper, Kray receives untraceable weapons. He uses them to secretly form the Citizens’ Militia, a paramilitary force masquerading as a self-defense organization. With the aid of his coldly loyal deputy Saja, Kray begins training fighters, positioning himself as a future leader in a coming struggle—one he may already know is imminent.
As JT begins to grow up and Kray prepares for war, the story plants the seeds of rebellion, occupation, and transformation that will later define the Amargosa Trilogy.