Violent Souls (Blood City Chronicles, Book 1)

“And if you look to your left, you can see Episcopius Naomi IV give her victory speech after the Talmudic Wars. The Talmudic Wars lasted five years. Fifteen percent of the LaRoccan population was wiped out and a great number of those were civilians who starved to death.”

The chariot keeps rolling along the track and the hologram tour guide points out the next attraction. Inside the chariot, or, more accurately, on the bottom, are Jorge and Alva. They are engaged in carnal acts not suitable for the history museum they’re currently touring. 

“Next, we have the visage of Episcopius Naomi V, daughter of Naomi IV. She would go on to start the second Talmudic Wars when a section of text in the good book sparked an argument of interpretation. This time, ten percent of the remaining population would die.”

With their legs intertwined, Jorge and Alva are panting and sweating. Alva rubs the sore from where she took the serum. Three red dots had sprung up in the area, but this was a good sign. 

The hologram, STACY—an acronym for a series of boring engineering terms—wears a smile. Her clothes change to match the era she’s discussing. Her voice is cheerful, like a preschool teacher. It is as though she’s a PR person for the planet. “And now we enter the era in LaRoccan history known as ‘Pax Di Epoch’ or ‘God’s Peace.’ The wars had ended, and for the first time in LaRoccan history, the planet was united. It lasted for a decade and saw over twenty-five percent of the population killed through famine and disease.”