So now you ’ve seen the first trailer for After Earth , Will Smith ’s fresh movie place in a futurity after the human wash has abandoned our original home major planet . But what kind of post - apocalyptic , space - fare future are we looking at here ? And what kind of challenges do our descendants look , in M. Night Shyamalan ’s place opera ?
Here ’s your first cue — an sole selection from Peter David ’s prequel narrative “ After Earth : Ghost Stories : Hunted . ” The full e - book go on sales agreement in a few days , and it ’s the first of six prequel e - underdrawers . David is writing two of them , and there are also two each by Michael Jan Friedman and Robert Greenberger . These forgetful Es - books will fulfill in more of the backstory of the After Earth universe , to get you up to pep pill before After Earth opens on June 17 .
Excerpted from AFTER EARTH: GHOST STORIES: HUNTED
by Peter David
On sales event December 14 , 2012
The Earth is a distant memory , abandoned by humanity during a clock time of ecological catastrophe millennia ago . Humankind ’s descendants found a new place on a populace they named Nova Prime . There they prosper and grew , until the comer of an aggressive alien metal money humans dubbed the Skrel , who snipe the subsister unrelentingly for class . But humankind fought back with unfailing determination , conduce by the valorous United Ranger Corps , and hold out the Skrel ’s best attempts to wipe them out . The war hang on off and on over C , and then the Skrel genetically engineered a weapon of aggregative wipeout — one that would quiz Ranger determination and imagination like no other .
IV
The Tangredi Jungle was situated on the other side of the satellite from Nova Prime City , although eminent - speed transport made it fairly easy to get to . Normally it was a pop seat with tramp and camping bus , but there had been recent composition of cleanup that could only be attributed to Ursa . Bodies rend apart , or devoured with just bits of pearl and shape bequeath to indicate that they had ever been there at all . accordingly , the Rangers had declare the area altogether off limits to citizens of Nova Prime . It was an fiat that made everlasting sentiency ; no reasonable individual would even cerebrate of disobey it . The Rangers patrolled the area with some regularity , so you would have thought that any kind of hound party through the Tangredi was an act of insanity . If the Ursa did n’t get you , the Rangers bloody well would .
This was a view that did n’t deter Ryerson in the least .
Daniel was n’t quite certain what to make of that . What possible ground could there be for a man as high up on the intellectual nourishment string as Ryerson to risk being arrested , not to mention perhaps dispatch by an Ursa ? It just did n’t make any sense to Daniel .
None of which changed the fact that he was busybodied crawling around on the ground , see for some sign that an Ursa had been through the area lately ; perhaps minute earlier .
Ryerson was tip over Daniel ’s shoulder , watching him with acute curio . Daniel was clad in an up - to - date camouflage kit , as were all of them . It seemed only fair , after all . The Ursa were fully capable of immix in seamlessly with their backgrounds , so why should n’t human pursuers have that same vantage ?
Ryerson ’s hired hunters were spread out through the jungle , but they were not so inexpedient as to be in a position where the Ursa could pick them off one by one . or else they were moving in groups of two , cover each other ’s backs . To countermine the reputed disguise abilities of the Ursa , each of their pulser rifles — nothing less would do the job — was equipped with a thermal sighting equipment . This should give the chemical group a drop on any positive Ursa run on the misguided August 15 that their camouflage would protect them .
“ You close in on one of the SOB , Silver ? ”
“ I ’m seeing definite sign , sir . Like right here . ” He tapped a small spate of crap in front of him .
Ryerson appear puzzled . “ Like what there ? ”
“ Ursa bury their feces . Makes them sturdy to track , or presumably they think so . The issue is niggling dirt mounds that look just like this . Also I ’ve seen traces of what looks like the talons of an Ursa in the soil . I could be untimely . It could be some other predator , one considerably less dangerous . ”
“ But you do n’t believe that to be the case . ”
“ No , sir , I do not , ” he said firmly .
“ Good lad . depend like I made the ripe choice , ” Ryerson said with a degree of self - gratification . “ You for sure know a slap-up great deal about them . ”
“ I interpret a hatful , ” he said , his vox flat . He break and then said , “ Mr. Ryerson , what are we doing out here ? I intend , really ? Are you — ? ”
“ Am I what ? ” When Daniel did n’t answer immediately , Ryerson cracked a smile . “ Did I just get a diagnosing from my doctor that my clock time ’s up ? Or am I terminally suicidal and depressed ? Something like that ? ”
“ Something like , yeah . ”
“ dismal to let down you , son . ” Ryerson pound his chest . “ But I ’m in the pink of health . Nothing ill-timed , at least that I know of . ”
“ Then why ? ”
“ Because it ’s the next affair . ”
“ The next — ? ”
“ The next thing I want to do . The next challenge that I could recover . That ’s how you get somewhere , son : by realise what stay to be done and then doing it . I want to be the old non - Ranger who has ever managed to defeat an Ursa . If you ask me — which admittedly no one did , but that ’s never kibosh me before — the Rangers are a caboodle of chesty , overconfident smug fools . Telling masses where they can and ca n’t go . Acting as if they are our only hope against the Ursa . I believe in ego - trust , Silver . Never a big fan of have someone else doing things on my behalf when I never asked them to , and then acting as if I owe them all some huge debt of gratitude . To infernal region with the Rangers . If you want a dead Ursa , then do it yourself . That ’s what I say . ”
“ Well , I ’ll certainly do my best to help you achieve your goal . ”
“ And what about you ? ”
Daniel was continuing to study the ground and was only listen with half an ear . “ What about me what ? ”
“ Feeling well about the girl hear to drive you out of her life ? ”
“ I do n’t give care . ”
“ That ’s the spirit ! ”
“ No , you do n’t empathise . ” He turn to look at Ryerson . “ I do n’t wish about anything . I ’m nothing without her . Hell , I was nothing with her . ”
“ Come on , Silver ! ” He sick him on the berm . “ Nothing good ever came from feeling sad for yourself ! ”
I do n’t feel good-for-naught for myself . I do n’t feel anything . That ’s the point .
“ You ’re right , sir , ” he read , hear his best to provide some stage of emotion to his voice . “ I ’ll endeavor to call up th — ”
That was when the deafening holla of the Ursa sounded through the clarification .
Ryerson jumped , startled . Daniel stay utterly tranquil , not offer any sort of seeable chemical reaction . To him , there was no ground for there to be any reaction . He had expected this the entire prison term . When you were leading hoi polloi into the abdomen of the beast , there was no reason to be galvanize when the brute made its comportment jazz . Indeed , he found Ryerson ’s shock and dismay to be mildly entertaining . What did you bear , old man ?
It was unimaginable to narrate from which direction the animal ’s noncompliant roar had initiate as it echoed through the clearing . It seemed to be come from all sides at once . Quickly Ryerson aerate the wrist communications social unit that would keep him in trace with his hunters . “ Nickerson ! Philips ! Chang ! Anyone ! Report ! ”
The response was a babble of shouts , one overlap the next .
“ No sighting yet , but the foliage is rustling — ”
“ There ’s emphatically one of them out here — ”
“ Could be two or three ! ”
“ Something ’s moving ! ”
“ I do n’t see any — oh my God ! ”
Shots fired . A abbreviated scream .
“ This is Vale ! Creighton ’s down ! I go out it buck his head off ! ”
“ keep attitude , Vale , we ’re fare ! ”
“ Screw that ! I ’m out of — ! ”
The second , higher - pitched scream , Vale ’s , was n’t premise by any pulser good time at all . He had n’t deal to get off any shots . He ’d only had time to die .
It was complete topsy-turvyness . Ryerson was spinning like a top , hearing destruction and destruction all around him , not know in which direction to look . Another roar , two more scream . Marsh and Inigo , by the sounds of it . Ryerson had hired some of the best hunters on Nova Prime , and the Ursa — for what else could it be?—was picking them off effortlessly .
“ What the hell is this thing ? ”
“ I am not become flat out here ! ” come a panic-stricken declaration from Chang , right before he was proven unseasonable . He managed to get off three shots , a personal best for the chemical group , before his death scream erupted over the comm unit .
Ryerson was find a severe depletion of boldness . His face was the color of clabber milk , his heart all-inclusive with repulsion . He fired several random shaft around him into the jungle . The only result that came over the comm whole was a startled yelp from what sound like Nickerson , yelling , “ I ’m take ! What idiot dissipate me ? ” right before the roar of the Ursa sounded and Nickerson shrieked like a sister demanding to be fed . Then Nickerson ’s comm unit went dead , along with Nickerson himself .
“ Silver , do something ! Get me out of here ! ” Ryerson ’s voice was just above a whispering , his throat constricted . Everything was happening so chop-chop . It had been scarce a minute since the Ursa had first made its bearing bang , and it was rip through his integral hunting political party with hellacious pep pill . Ryerson intelligibly had n’t yet been able to full grasp what was happening .
Daniel simply looked at him with bland disinterest . “ What is it about let a lot of money that makes masses feel they are invincible ? ”
Ryerson shake his nous in self-renunciation . “ If that ’s what you thought , then why did you make out ? Are you suicidal ? ”
“ No . Not especially . ” Daniel shrugged .
Suddenly a tree at the out boundary of the glade shattered into sliver and there was the Ursa towering over them , not ten feet away . Several pieces of human bone were lodge in its teeth , and its muzzle dripped with rake and gore .
In the font of his at hand demise , Ryerson — to his recognition — did not funk . The shrieks and the cries of death all around him had been overwhelming when he was dealing with things he could n’t see . Now that he was face - to - fount with the foe , Ryerson mount to the occasion . It was n’t bravery so much as it was pure , intestine - churn desperation as he dash diagonally across the clearing , firing his pulser repeatedly . “ Die , you son of a bitch , kick the bucket ! ” he shrieked as he fired over and over again .
The Ursa seemed more curious about him than anything , as if bewildered by this anserine lilliputian creature that intend it had the svelte chance against him . The pulser blasts rebounded off its fell . The unmediated hit actually left modest scorch marks where they struck , but that was all . The brute did n’t sway back or acknowledge the impact in any manner . It just stood there , absorbing the assault , like a parent waiting patiently for a child to finish its tantrum before take full restraint of its errant progeny .
For five seconds that seemed as if they stretch out into five minute , the Ursa simply took it .
Then it disappeared .
Daniel , gently curious about the issue , had the calmness of mind to see a wispy shimmer rippling across the landscape painting . Ryerson , by direct contrast , could not keep his terror and confusion in check . He whipped his pulser back and away frantically while shouting , “ Come out here and get what ’s coming to you , you phoney ! What ’s the thing ? Ca n’t take any more ? ”
My God , he actually thinks he was doing well against it .
Ryerson never saw the Ursa overlook its camo and play into profile directly behind him . Daniel could have shouted out a warning , but he did n’t bother . It was just prolonging the inevitable anyway .
Ryerson had no prison term to react as the Ursa ’s maw enveloped him down to the waist . His screech was muffled and then hush up as the devil ’s jaw thrash together with a sound like an ax hack into the side of the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . Ryerson was sting sporting in half . The fauna tilted its head back and Ryerson ’s head , coat of arms , and torso all disappear into its esophagus . His lower body in reality stood there for a bit , looking ludicrous , before it crack up . It lay on the ground , the cadaver of Ryerson ’s interior organ ooze out and soaking the ground in red .
Then the Ursa made a deep cough strait , like a cat about to toss up a trichobezoar . Sure enough , its mouth opened wide , and it disgorge Ryerson . The man ’s upper one-half had already been partly process by whatever abdomen acids pass for the Ursa ’s digestive system , and it was scarcely recognizable as human , much less Ryerson .
“ Guess it does n’t do well with deep foods , ” Daniel said morbidly .
The comment caused the Ursa ’s forefront to photograph around . The creature had no eyes , but it appeared to be looking correctly at him . It had doubtless reacted to the auditory sensation of his voice .
Daniel just stood there and stared at it . He was n’t get to ply the Ursa any more free guidance by speak , but he was n’t particularly concerned by the fact that it was bet his manner .
He remember the stories about how , when death is imminent , your life show off before your eyes . Daniel wait for that to fall out .
And it did , sort of .
The disapproving looks from his parents when he failed class after grade . The stern choler from his father when he ’d bewilder him out once he ’d turned 18 , telling him that if he was going to get anywhere , he ’d have to be on his own to do it , because otherwise he had no motivating . His female parent standing there , sob , but doing nothing to countermand her hubby ’s actions . There he was , crashing with various friend , get on their nerves with his purposelessness , going from occupation to job , give none of them , put together no savings , wearing out his welcome again and again , always seeing that same spirit of dashing hopes .
And he had n’t cared .
The only one he ’d ever care about was Ronna , and finally that same grammatical construction had been on her face as well . It did n’t matter what the Ursa did to him ; he was already dead , killed by that disappointed look .
Nothing matters without her . And I do n’t matter ; she made that clear .
The Ursa slowly approached him , but it looked confused , as if — without the guidance of his voice — it could n’t tell where he was . Its foul breathing spell washed over Daniel , and it was all he could do not to choke or gag or make some other phone that would certainly nail his presence for the Ursa .
Despite his indifference to his circumstances , Daniel could n’t help but be intrigued by what was happening . He was there , right there , in front of the Ursa , yet it seemed unable to zero in on him . Daniel hold up his hint , not for reverence of being reveal and killed , but out of curio as to how long he could elude detecting simply by doing nothing at all .
He had no theme how much fourth dimension passed as they just stood there , predator and prey . The Ursa seemed mixed-up and frustrated , sure there was something there but unable to figure out where it was .
Daniel realise he was still holding his pulser rifle in his right hand . He ’d find cheeseparing - up how useless the weapon system was against the Ursa . No marvel the Rangers used a techno - bladed weapon called a cutlass : The techno - filament were so penetrating that it was claimed a Ranger wielding this weapon system could cut off your arm even if his thrust missed ; supposedly the wind from the miss alone would get the job done . Daniel doubted this was true , but he knew from what he ’d observed firsthand that pulsers did nothing against the creatures , while the pulser - less Rangers had many kills under their swath , so they must be doing something right .
Very slowly , just to see what would happen , Daniel slant result , then right . The Ursa made no corresponding reaction . My God , it really ca n’t see me . At all . Emboldened , he cock the triggering mechanism of the pulser and then lobbed the inefficient arm to his right . It landed ten feet away and , upon impact , went off .
now the Ursa lunged toward the rifle , landing straightforwardly upon it with its huge , taloned paw . Rather than endeavor to depart the domain , Daniel remained where he was , watching the Ursa with something that seemed perfectly inappropriate to the situation : amusement .
Suddenly the Ursa ’s head snapped up . It permit out a angry roar and for an instant Daniel wondered if somehow it had perceived him .
And then the entire clearing was alive with activity . It was a team of Rangers , come in from all sides , including one who leaped directly in front of Daniel , shoving him off his feet . “ Get down ! ” grade the Ranger .
“ You get down ! I was all right ! ” Daniel tear at him , but nevertheless he remain on the earth . An Ursa he could handle ; fire warden were officious dork . No power point in antagonize them .
The Rangers meet on the Ursa , cutlas at the ready . The Ursa did n’t love which means to “ take care ” first , its head snapping left and right . The Rangers move with a fluidity that impress even the cynical Daniel . They slashed , jabbed , set on , and then retreated while others actuate in to take their place . Daniel recollect , in one of the many courses he ’d ultimately break down , reading about prehistoric man back on Earth , when trace parties of Isle of Man would attack creatures many time their size of it using their spears and their vaporous numbers game to attain their goal . Daniel suspected that it was much like this : attacking from many directions , then pulling back , and then assaulting their target once more so that the fauna wasted its energy defending the feints while being wounded by the strikes that did acres .
A dozen ooze wounds had appear all over the Ursa ’s hide . It tried to go away , to hide behind its disguise , but the Rangers would have none of it , anticipate its path and coin even though they were only gauge where it was . Yet somehow they oversee to hit home with their flak .
Finally the creature countenance out a roaring so thunderous that the ground under Daniel ’s foot seemed to shake . Then , gathering the power in its haunch , the Ursa leap straight up , high over their heads , its trajectory post it deep into the brush . Seconds later it was gone .
“ Secure the circumference , ” said the Ranger who appeared to be in burster . “ Make certain no other damned motley fool decide that hunt an Ursa is a plot for amateur . ” With this remark , he looked disdainfully at Daniel .
“ Do n’t glower at me , adult human , ” Daniel replied dryly . “ I was just the hired help . This was n’t my party . ”
“ Then whose ? ”
“ Ryerson . ”
“ Sigmund Ryerson ? ”
“ The very same . ”
“ He ’s under arrest , then . Where is he ? ”
“ There , ” said Daniel , nodding in one counseling , and then gesturing in the other , “ and there . ”
The Rangers check on opposite sides of the clearing the regurgitated remains of Ryerson ’s upper half and what was left of his modest half . Several wrinkled their font in disgust .
The police officer stare at him for a long time . Then he turned to his subordinates and said , “ Call in a detail to clean up this mess . And have him”—he pointed to Daniel—”brought to my place . ”
“ Sir , yes sir , ” they chorused .
place ? Why his office ? If they ’re going to arrest me , why not just clap me in jail and then schedule an appearance before a magistrate ? An office makes it vocalise as if we have something to talk about . What could we possibly have to talk about ?
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