THE RUSTED SKY

THE RUSTED SKY

The Rusted Sky by J.R. JORDAN is a sweeping science-fiction odyssey that traverses the boundaries of memory, identity, and the enduring power of connection across lifetimes. The story begins on a desolate, fabricated version of Earth, where Candice Moore, a brilliant engineer, awakens in a sprawling, mysterious junkyard with no memory of how she arrived. She soon discovers she is trapped in a twisted survival "game" orchestrated by a man named Jacob, stripped of her freedom and hunted by masked killers. In this wasteland, Candice is not alone; she is guided by the spectral voice and eventually the visible apparition of her deceased sister, Eliza.As Candice fights to survive, she and Eliza discover a hidden structure containing the Cassiopeia , a starship of impossibly advanced technology buried beneath the scrap. The ship responds to their biometrics, revealing that their presence on Earth—and their memories of a mundane life—are sophisticated fabrications. Escaping the planet, they are joined by Dr. Voss, a defector from Jacob’s organization, and Rilos, a rogue mechanic from the subterranean city of Nexus 327.Together, the crew uncovers a terrifying truth: Jacob is not a man, but the host for the Paralytes, a sentient nanite swarm that has conquered the galaxy and seeks to consume all advanced technology. Candice and Eliza learn they are not merely human survivors but Omegas—ancient beings who have lived thousands of lives, sent by their parents, the King and Queen of the Omega Society, to find a way to defeat the Paralyte threat.The journey takes them to the neon shadows of underground cities and the pristine rings of hidden worlds like New Terra Alpha, where they must retrieve components to restore their true memories. Upon unlocking their pasts, a profound revelation shatters their reality: the familial bond Jacob implanted was a lie designed to suppress their true power. They are not sisters, but eternal partners and soulmates who have fought side-by-side for millennia.Armed with this truth and the Isomorphic Nanite Cluster—a weapon capable of destroying the Paralyte hive mind—the crew confronts Jacob at the Omega Homeworld, Aetherion. In a final, desperate bid to stop the infestation, they utilize a modified EMP frequency to disintegrate the Paralyte neural bonds. Ultimately, they are forced to collapse the planet's core to destroy Jacob, sacrificing their home to save the universe. In the aftermath, they rebuild civilization on a new world, Nova Aetherion, before returning to the stars to continue their mission of exploration. However, in the deep unknown of Sector 99, the dust of the enemy begins to reform, proving that the war may not be over.