‘Life on the Fringes’ is the working title of an online serial novel by Tom Barendse.
Our hero is Sam, his brother is Vig, and both are officers of the Confederate Naval Forces. Neither one has seen the other in several months, having split up after being stranded on a failed CCS terraforming project known as ‘Earth II’.
The Confederacy of Cooperative Systems (CCS) is at war with the Central Social Treaty Organisation (CSTO), and the United Systems of New America (USNA) are looking like joining the fight. If the Americans get involved, the Confederacy could be in a lot of trouble.
The war’s been running on and off for the last ten years, and most people can barely remember what the fighting is about anyway. There’s no clear ‘good and evil’, only ‘us and them’.
Sam and Vig are both listed as MIA, and the temptation to stay that way is strong for Sam, when he manages to hitch a ride off-planet. If his old employers find him, they’ll put him back to work on a frigate.
However, Vig is more than just ‘Missing’; evidence suggests he’s been eaten by the mutated Earth II wildlife, though no remains have been found. Sam will move heaven and earth to find out what really happened to his brother, but if CNF knows he’s alive, he’ll be listed as AWOL and brought before a court-martial . . .
Note: Life on the Fringes is unfinished, with no recent updates.
