Once Dead January 16, 2013
Posted by rhoagenda in Rho Agenda Updates.trackback
As some of you may have noticed, my last post was mysteriously titled, WatfordElephant87654@gmail.com . I’m very pleased that so many of you have expressed interest in my upcoming Jack ‘The Ripper’ Gregory novel titled “Once Dead”. I think it only appropriate that I give a hint to you, my blog and twitter followers here @RhoAgenda. That email address is one used by Jack Gregory in Once Dead and in anticipation of that, I have taken the liberty of helping Jack set up that account. Should you happen to send an email to that address, you will periodically find a different auto-reply that contains a new hint of just what is coming. Enjoy.
Richard
Richard Phillips Rho Agenda Blog 
Excellent writing! I thoroughly enjoyed the Rho Agenda trilogy. I purchased the first book little over two years ago after I discovered the kindle. I had been eagerly awaiting the third book, and see that there is room for another should you choose to write it. Typically I like to see things wrapped up in a trilogy, but I could read a couple more of the Rho installments. I look forward to Once Dead and will continue to be a fan. I can see the Rho Agenda series becoming quality movies at some point. It would beat the hell out of the Hollywood vampire movies. Something adults and teens could both enjoy. Best of luck and keep up the good work.
Hi Joe. I’m glad you enjoyed it. If you get a chance to post a short review on Amazon, I’d appreciate it.
Best,
Richard
Brilliant writing. Brilliant marketing. I only recently discovered the trilogy and I loved every minute of it.
Thanks for the comment. Glad you enjoyed all three books.
Richard
I noticed you did leave a few possible ‘outs’ in the third Rho book that could lead to a 4th book. I was wondering if you are indeed planning on more Rho books? i.e. Robie?
Hi Harry. After I get done with my Jack Gregory prequel, I am planning on doing at least a couple of followups on The Rho Agenda. There will definitely be a Robby book set about twenty years in the future. He’s going to be one interesting dude. Richard
Thanks for the heads up. Eagerly anticipating more “Ripper” and Robby. You Rock!
Not sure if you listen to the Security Now! podcast. But the host of that show, Steve Gibson, recommended the Rho Agenda books, and I picked up “The Second Ship” 3 days ago, and OMG what amazing read. Every free second has been devoted to devouring these books. Hell, I even ditched my coworkers during lunch to hide out in the corner to read. Can’t wait for the Jack Gregory prequel and anything else you plan to write!
Thanks Xin. I’m glad you are enjoying the novels and thanks to Security Now! for recommending them.
Best,
Richard
Spent 6 hours today finishing Wormhole.
My newfound enhanced insights tell me that Jen and Raul found a way to stay alive and are working to come home. Also revealed is Robby’s AI possession has both danger and great promise for humanity. Mark and Heather’s love will be tested as the world will not leave them alone in New Zealand. Neither will Jack and Janet find peace in the rain forest, as their deadly skill set is called upon to save all they hold dear.
Cripes…do I have to write the next book(s)?
MORE Mr. Phillips MORE
You read my mind. Scary.
Richard
Ohh, if we are going to speculate, then don’t mind if I do.
First, I think we need to find out a bit more back story behind the two alien races. It’s clear that the two species are similar in terms of technological development. They may even have been galactic neighbors and trading partners / allies at one point. But then at some point, their technological and social development diverged. The collective found the Wormhole technology, while the Alterians found subspace. Using wormhole technology, once mastered, is simple and grants the user instantaneous transport at the cost of tremendous energy expenditure, expenditures that are exponential in nature relative to the size of the aperture and the distance bridged. That is an incredibly tempting technology, and you can imagine that the Alterians fell prey to this temptation. Why bother investigating other “inferior” technologies like subspace transport when we have this. Of course the problem becomes, how do you scale this technology? The only way to do so is to eat up as many resources as you can. And that naturally lead them down the road to conquest. And once you go down that road, it’s pretty much impossible to get out. Chances are, they conquered their nearest neighbors, which only expanded their empire and increased their need for more resources, and more wormholes. And we are not just talking about intergalactic wormholes. It’s clear their entire society is built around wormhole technology, and even tiny worm fibers suck up incredible amounts of power. So then it’s off to conquer even more distant neighbors. And once you conquer all these people, you have to some how find a way to hold the land you’ve invaded, and the people you’ve subjugated, and that requires more resources, particularly if those planets are distant from the home world. So really they’ve found themselves stuck in an endless cycle. They are in so deep, they probably couldn’t get themselves out even if they wanted to. And from the looks of things, I’m guessing their political leaders have no desire to rock the boat and change what has worked for them for a thousand years, the rest of the galaxy be damned.
On the other side, we have the Alterians who are basically sitting there watching the collective grow stronger day by day, gobbling up planet after planet. More and more they find their home star system being surrounded by planets that have fallen to the collective. Everyday brings them one step closer to their own subjugation. So they devise this plan to send out these ships whose mission is to prevent the collective from gaining another planet at all costs, including the eradication of said planet if there is even a sliver of a chance that it might fall into collective hands. Of course this last part is something they probably can’t sell very well to their own public. So it’s a secret directive that’s only known to the ship’s AI, and maybe a few privileged members of the crew. That’s why those records are so well expunged.
So that’s my speculation on the back story between those two races. Now back to earth. In the wrap up for Wormhole, we see a bunch of politicians debating whether the collective is friendly or not. And I can totally see something like that happening on CNN. So I”d imagine fast forward like 15 yrs when young Robbie is all grown up and maybe about the same age as Heather and Mark now, the rest of humanity has probably finally figured out how to reconstruct a wormhole device, and there are politicians just stupid enough to give it another shot.
I also think there could be more to tell between Jennifer and Raul, assuming they are still alive. Of course if Jennifer did find a way to survive the transit, that is just bad news. Because now the Rho ship is even more dangerous then ever. Imagine of the collective got their hands on it. The universe is pretty much doomed. And maybe it’s up to Jennifer and Raul to work together to find a way not only to come home, but to prevent the collective from getting this technology. And maybe through their trials and tribulations, they can develop a relationship of sorts. I’m not against that. But before it can happen, Raul needs to grow up and prove himself worthy of Jennifer. Everything he has done up to this point has been self serving. And granted he is one unlucky kid, being thrown from one screwed up situation into another. But that’s life. And for him to prove himself worthy he needs to rise above the shitty circumstances he finds himself in, and do what’s best for others and to really sacrifice in a meaningful way.
It would also be interesting to see how the people of earth as a whole handle all of this new technology that’s dropped into their laps. So far, they’ve not done well. In Star Trek: TNG there is thing called the “Prime Directive” which basically says advanced star faring races shouldn’t interfere in the natural development of other less developed species, because giving them high tech toys their are not ready for could really screw them up. So I think there is a lot of stories to tell from that perspective too.
Just so many good threads left to explore. My mind just boggles thinking about it.
Now we’re getting some serious speculation going. I like it. Richard
But not as scary as the Kasari High Command when they investigate the first ever FAIL of a Shock Troop’s takeover once initiated. It was impossible and yet it happened. The humiliating defeat shakes the foundations of the Kasari Empire, resulting in bloody regime change.
The discovery of the Altrieian connection to the 3 humans who stopped the invasion (with one of them actually stealing a Kasari ship in the process) sparks a new rage against their old enemy and makes a final showdown between the 2 great powers inevitable.
Jack’s Team, which now includes his son, will need every skill they possess to save humanity from either permanent enslavement or total annihilation, as Earth becomes the focal point of intergalactic Armageddon.
Very interesting. Richard
I need to break the link between your superb narrative and my imagination. I find myself pursuing storylines during odd hours and my wife is getting worried. LOL. I’m sure you can relate.
BUT…one final thought. To fight the next war, Jack’s Team needs to brought in from the cold by the POTUS and put in command of the US effort to fight the Karsari onslaught. This allows for full rehabilitation of all the players. Jack, Mark, Heather’s insurgent skills would not be enough this time and they’d need every resource of the government at their disposal in this new war.
It would set up max tension between Jack and those who won’t forgive his slaughter of so many fellow agents. The need for them to unite in the face of an overwhelming enemy in the Karsari will lead to both treason and heroism.
Thanks for your outstanding work. We’ll be waiting for what comes next.
I was left with an unanswered question. Why is Jack so powerful? How can a normal human fight someone who has been augmented by the ship?
I will delve more deeply into why Jack is the way he is in my next novel, “Nine-Tenths of the Law”.
Richard
Exciting news to know Jack and Co. will soon be out of retirement.
Saving the earth AND stopping the tyranny of the Kasari High Command will an All Hands evolution to be sure. Jack’s Team will need to bring their A game and much more if we are to survive the encounter.
Can’t wait.
I really agree with Joe Allens february post regarding making a movie series of the The Rho Agenda. They would be a smash hit in the right hands…Any hollywood approaches yet?
Hi Peter. Glad you think so. There are several studios investigating The Rho Agenda as either a movie or TV series. Of course, that doesn’t mean much until there’s a deal. I’ll let you know when and if it happens.
Richard
Hi Richard,
Jack and Company are well defined characters now and we know them very well. Besides Jack’s back story (which will no doubt be gripping) give the screenwriters even more to work with by expanding our understanding of the Altrieian – Kasari worlds. How did they come to be enemies and what motivates their leadership? What are the limits of their technology? Are the Altrieians distant relatives of humanity?
The alien threat to earth is where the movie/TV hook will be found. Our heroes will need to discover the secrets of both alien races in order for earth to survive the coming invasion. And then Jack’s Team will have to overcome both the powerful Kasari and the DC defense establishment they bloodied so badly while saving the world.
Great comments. Here’s a brief update on where I stand in the publishing cycle. 47North, my publisher, wants to publish the next three novels one after the other, like they did with The Rho Agenda, even though these will be three Jack and Janet prequel novels and not a trilogy. The good news is that this means I have to write faster, something I plan to do since I will be letting go of my software development career to focus on writing beginning in January 2014. The bad news is it means you will have to wait a bit longer for the release of Once Dead and Nine-Tenths of the Law.
Anyway, once I’m done with these three prequels, I plan on following up on several of the topics you raise from The Rho Agenda. Keep those thoughts coming.
Best,
Richard
Good news indeed. Your next books will be “must reads” for all of us captured by The Rho Agenda.
Looking forward to 2014.
Thank You
Ditto to the comments above enjoyed the trilogy and looking forward to Jacks past and Mark and Heathers future.
Hi Paul. Glad you liked it.
Richard