THE SETTING

The story takes place at the Calderon Geothermal Research Station, a remote scientific and military installation built beside a volatile volcano on a distant planet. The station is tasked with extracting energy from the planet’s deep geothermal systems, but their work may be waking something dangerous beneath the surface.

KEY CHARACTERS

• Commander Elias Vey A disgraced former military officer whose external goal is to protect the research station and save the local village from a volcanic eruption.
• Dr. Mara Sen The Head of Science at the Calderon station, specializing in geophysics and planetary energy systems.
• Talia Renn A village leader and advocate for the people of Namaru, the settlement located beneath the volcano.

CORE THEMES

The novel explores the conflict between rigid institutional protocols and the messy reality of human survival. It asks what happens when the very procedures meant to keep us safe are used to leave the most vulnerable behind.

I’m excited to finally share a look at my current work-in-progress, The Ashfall Protocol.

At its core, this is a story about what happens when the rules designed to protect us become instruments of disaster. It explores how institutions can sometimes value procedure and reputation over human life, and how true survival requires us to learn to live alongside nature rather than trying to master it.

The story follows Commander Elias Vey, a disgraced former military officer seeking redemption. Following a botched evacuation that ruined his reputation, Elias is sent to the remote Calderon Geothermal Research Station. There, alongside Dr. Mara Sen, the station’s Head of Science, and Talia Renn, a leader from the local village of Namaru, he must confront a looming volcanic catastrophe—and the terrifying possibility that his own desperate attempts to stop it could cause another mass tragedy.

I’ll be sharing more about the world of Mount Ashara, the ancient ruins scattered across its slopes, and the characters fighting for survival in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!