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Science Fiction and Adventure Books Page 3 |
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After the parceling of the galaxy, John Ross and Lindy take downtime to join Ross's family on vacation. But Lindy is kidnapped to planet Scavia Tengel. Ross and his father follow the spacecraft trail and find a planet where humans are turned into programmed cyvac beings under the leadership of the half-human, Sol. |
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Galactic Command Reunion
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Voyage 25
COMMANDER JOHN B. ROSS ESS-14 PELONIS-756A 6:35 AM 09 HUMANA-2154 TRANSMISSION TO MOTHER SHIP [normal frequency] Message arrival time: 3 days
I have requested downtime. Admiral Ebert has allotted one week's time to Commander Lindsay and myself to travel to a reunion with my family on cruising ship, Earthstar. ESS-14 will be commanded by Lieutenant Commander Kuchinski and will be sent four days travel time to the Capellian outer planets for geological consultations. Planet 11 is experiencing difficulty with sector 5's irrigation systems. Section Chief Webb will lead consulting expedition. Commander Lindsay and I will be departing vessel at eight am.
Ross, Commanding, ESS-14
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Seeing his father again was worse than a failed inspection by gaggle of Command admirals. Ross walked briskly enough to draw attention from personnel passing in the transparent conveyer tube dissecting ESS-14. He slowed to a normal pace, but his heart raced all the way to his cabin. Taking down time always threw his system into turmoil, but time with John Boyce Ross, Senior taxed all the discipline he had learned in his years with Galactic Command. He was secure within the regulations of an Explorer Space Ship, but that regimen would break down when he and Lindy left the ship for a week with his family on the Earthstar resort ship. Second rank Schaefer stepped from his cabin. She wore a regulation red and black uniform, her dark hair was cut short and she smiled when she saw him. He called out from fifty feet down the walking corridor. " Is everything ready, second rank?" " Sir, all your gear is stowed on the SAV. Internal maintenance just brought the last case to the sky pilot bays." " Thank you." They moved by his cabin toward the locus. " How about those Andorian trinkets I've been saving for my mother?" " Aboard, sir," she answered proudly. Ross knew Schaefer liked being one up on him. " And the archival disk&ldots; for my&ldots;" " Your father? " " Yes. " " Packed. " They reached the narrow stairs, rimmed with an amber archway up top and imprinted blue with the Galactic Command sphere of planets. He stopped at the locus' green doors and was scanned by Pelonis. 2
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ESS-14 LOCUS AREA AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL
The doors hummed and he stepped onto the upper rim's metal grid. He spotted the sandy-haired Kuchinski, assuming his command duties at the Commander's consoles in the sunken center area below. To his right, the science crew was working with Gil Webb in preparation for the trip to the Capellian planets. Not accompanying them on this voyage made Ross nervous. " Mr. Kuchinski, ship's status," he said loudly. Kuchinski, in his silver and black security chief's uniform spun around and stood quickly. Everyone on the locus came to attention. " Commander," began Kuchinski. " At ease," he said to all personnel. " At ease. " " Lieutenant Commander Muldoon is preparing for breakaway speed, John," he said, glancing down at one of the consoles. " You rogues aren't wasting anytime, are you?" asked Ross as he smiled and went down the stairs to his station. " What are you complaining about, John? A week away on the Earthstar ship. " " I'm just grateful my family were all within the area parceled by the Marsarvic People. " " How long since you've seen them?" asked Kuchinski.
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saw my mother and father six months ago, but, gee, my brother Cappy, it's been two years. Wayne, four years and Deborah last month. You met her at the Delta Six outpost. After she broke up with her husband. She's leaving the kids back home for this one," he said, turning Schaefer. " The stuff for the children, Melissa." " Packed, sir," she said with a smile. " Good," said Ross. His hands shook and he gripped the side of the chair. Nobody seemed to notice. Corridor A doors opened and Mike Pfeiffer entered the locus. He was still in his blue fatigues and he pointed at Ross as he moved his large frame down the stairs. " Where do you think you're going, John? You know you can't leave for down time without being checked out." " I'm in perfect health, Mike. And I am going on down time," said Ross. " Leave me alone, Doctor Pfeiffer. " " You sound like your second in command. Lindy said the same thing, word for word," said Pfeiffer as he attached a small black box to Ross' right arm. Lights he did not understand and flashing readouts appeared on the small screen. " Well? What's the verdict? Will I live?" The short haired Pfeiffer smiled. " What's so funny?" " You're right, you're in perfect health. Except..." " Except what?" " Except that bruise on your rump when we were sparring last week." " Listen, you're a level twenty, Mike. I shouldn't even be on the mat with you." Pfeiffer was the only one aboard with a higher defense proficiency than Ross. " Everything else is fine?" " Yes, go have some fun with your family, John. Try and relax," said Pfeiffer, releasing the box from Ross' arm. " I know that's a tall order. " " With the old man it's a tall order," he whispered, looking at the side viewer. " Gilly, tell me about the Capellian situation." " See, " said Pfeiffer. " You can't relax even if you wanted to. 3
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" Construction is needed," said Webb, grinning as he came on the viewer, " in a five kilometer section at the source. They aren't procuring the water and distributing it properly and that's where they are running into trouble. Should take us about four days to straighten it out." " Good," he said as then he turned toward the speaker. " Pelonis." " Yes, John. " " I want all reports from the Capellian planets transmitted to my SAV." " Belay that order," said Pfeiffer. " Doctor?" asked Ross. " John, you are on downtime. Forget about ESS-14. Forget about the Capellian planets. Just get the hell out of here." Ross looked at Kuchinski. " What else? " " With ESS-11 and ESS-19 engaged in mapping of the parcel," said Kuchinski. " Who will defend Axion Boroma? " " ESS-9 and ESS-6, " " John, get out, " said Pfeiffer. " One second, Doctor. What else, Krutch? " " ESS-43 is investigating a pilfering of planet cells, planet Vega 3. " " Vega 3? Defensive research? Anything serious?" Pfeiffer and Gil Webb took him by the arms and lead him to the conveyer tube. " Okay. I can see when I'm getting the boot. Everyone have a good voyage to Capella." He climbed the stairs to the deck level, turned and shook his head. " The locus is yours, Mr. Kuchinski. " " Go, John, " said Pfeiffer. " Before we have to get a restraining field. Get out. " " Yes, Commander Pfeiffer. " 4
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2 Ross backed into the conveyer car. The doors closed and the forward viewer, his own consoles and the locus disappeared behind the closing green doors. Pfeiffer was right, he thought as he plopped his frame on the rear bench and the car whisked him with a slight high-pitched whine down the ship's neck. He had nothing left to give after the end of the long and brutal Antarian War and the subsequent Anchaus vanquishing of Galactic Command into a single parcel evenly spaced within the M-81 galaxy. Relaxation with his family was now his top priority. The realization he had actual downtime swept over him as he passed saluting crewmen in the walking corridors. His family would gather on Earthstar and meet Lindy. Since his days at the Institute, Lindy had become not only his second in command, but also a close friend. Pfeiffer was right. It was time to shed his command duties and unwind. The car stopped at the propulsion end of the vessel's neck. Ross stood and the doors opened. His bearded propulsion engineer, Frank Muldoon was seated above with SR Ripka at the propulsion consoles. " At least somebody has downtime," remarked Muldoon loud enough for Ross to hear. " And we get to go to Capella, Rip. " Ross kept his course into the sky pilot bay corridor. " Rip, please inform Mr. Muldoon I've granted him forty-five minutes in the rec. room, upon arrival in the Capellian system." " Mr. Ripka, please relay to the Commander that I hope he enjoys his visit with his family. " Rip's brown eyes opened wide. " John, he says-" " I heard what he said, Rip. You tell him to mind the store. " " Have a good time, John, " said Muldoon.
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Page 3 Books
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Science Fiction and Adventure Books Page 3 |
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On vacation aboard a space cruiseliner, Harry Cobb is receives an emergency call from his old friend, Mark Belkin. Belkin fears for his wife Jenna's life. As he heads back to his cabin Cobb is kidnapped and almost killed in deep space. On Neptune's moon, Triton, Jenna Belkin is indeed killed-in a tracer explosion . Or was she? Cobb follows the murder trail through Station 32 on Triton.
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Harry Cobb The Ice of Triton 1
It only takes one thing to kill you. Commissar Nevins succumbed to a deadly form for daenz, peacefully everyone said, but I didn't believe it. The daenz had overtaken his insides so rapidly that even reengineering and splicing were not effective. Rumors abounded that Revine energy packets were discovered outside his village. Revine, utilizing a mercury alloy with deadly quanta emissions, had many uses. A city could be powered by a packet the size of a thumbnail. Even some proto-type tracers using Revine were under development. I would let the Bureau worry about any irregularities. Nevis, a dark skinned man, educated at Princeton in the United States and Oxford in Great Britain was instrumental in structuring the intra solar system government's precarious relationships with Earth and Mars governments. He had been Commissar for eight years, enough time for his hair to gray and his weight in-crease. More than any intra solar system Commissar over the past one hundred and ten years, Nevins was loved and almost adored by millions. And now he was gone. I postponed a cruiseliner vacation for two days and attended the funeral with my Secretary, Sadie, and former a prison con-signor and pirate of sorts, but now under my employ, Renee Co-burn. Along with thousands in Capetown, South Africa, we suffered through three hours in a blistering sun. I remember staring at Felix Alder, now director the Intra Solar System Bureau, a post my old boss, John O'Neil had earned. Alder, a tiny, thin man, gangly and stooped, had a hawk nose and deep brown eyes.
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I stared at him in his white succo as Nevis's mahogany casket was carried by. His trimmed peppered hair was caught by an occasional breeze. Behind him was Phil Sevrenson, his executioner, the man Alder called when he needed things done. Sevrenson always combed his straight gray hair to the left. I hated them both because they pushed O'Neil out of the Bureau and had also forced me out at too early an age. Alder wanted to be the next Commissar and a such he muted any discussion of a Revine link to Nevis's death. As I left Earth orbit, I was consumed with thoughts of Alder becoming Commissar. Renee had taken off for parts unknown and Sadie went back to Orbitus. Alder's tenure at the Bureau, according to insiders I knew, was brutal. He had no sense of the law and told subordinates he only had to account to himself for his actions. And Phil Sevrenson accounted to Felix Alder. I didn't need a vacation on a cruiseliner and probably wouldn't have considered a vacation if Mark Belkin hadn't called on a secure channel from Station 32 on Triton. I was in my Orbitus office, preparing for the Nevis funeral, and had captured the conversation on my zip. Mark was pensive and unusually apprehensive. He needed to talk about Jenna's retirement and mentioned they both needed my help. I thought that odd. Mark had been a nanodroit auditor for thirty years and Jenna was one of the more competent people I had ever met in my life. She had risen from a social worker who shipped food to poverty stricken areas of the Intra Solar System to a commissioner for Resources Humanity leading, was personally responsible for feeding millions. Why would they need my help?
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I had agreed to meet my old friends on a Calisto based cruiseliner as it approached the vicinity of Jupiter's gravitational influence. Mark had left the conversation and then returned out of breath. Jenna's career was in the balance he told me. When I asked him what he meant by that he said everything was about to fall apart. I wondered why they had gone back to Triton, one of Jenna's first assignments. The last thing he told me concerned being on the run from forces yet formed. I pushed the zip memo. " Harry, God damn them. They don't know what Jenna knows and now they will ruin her. It's all political. I think they will kill both of us!" " What?" I had asked as Sadie leaned over from her recliner. " Mark, who wants to kill you?" " We will be on the Starflighter from Calisto. We will join you, or try&ldots; my God." " Mark, what is wrong?" " We will&ldots; we will. Near Jupiter. Please, Harry." " All right, I'll be aboard. I'm on my way to Nevis's funeral&ldots; Are you there Mark?" " Nevis, Harry. Nevis never should have died." " What do you mean by that?" " We will brief you&ldots; It may be too late &ldots; I have to go. Just be aboard." " Mark? Mark?" 3
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The frequency went static. Sadie booked me on the liner a few days before Jupiter. Now on that liner I grew increasingly worried about my old friend. I had another day and half before the Belkins arrived and began to watch the texting messages that were passed between passengers while I drank filtered jafrin in a gathering room near the upper deck. I saw some woman called Paper-rose2 texting other passengers. I have no idea why I produced a pickup message to her other than Paper Rose was the name of the successful operation in the Venus Colonies, where I made my name twenty-five years ago. Three hours later I met Paper Rose2 on one of the upper star decks. Her name was Angelique and I found the age difference be-tween us should have been enough to inhibit any long-term commitment. But it didn't. And I was not up on deck, under the starry spread merely to satisfy my carnal desires. Although, I certainly could. Her thick dirty blonde hair crossed her shoulder s atop her one piece body suit; the fabric proportioned but draped to the knee. Her brilliant green eyes made me forget how upset I was Mark and Jenna. Seventeen years separated us, yet I immediately sensed an overwhelming mutual attraction. We quickly found we could talk about anything. And we did into the early morning. I forgot about Mark and Jenna, and Alder and Sevrenson. Angelique was a part of a group of professional oracle players, lead by Horace Valencia, an oracle legend throughout the Intra solar system. She imputed an invitation to one of Valencia's concerts in the Newport Dome along Mars's Valles Marineris trench. I accepted with a goofy smile. In fact, we both acted goofy. We even texted each other as we stood under the stars. 4
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" So, you just happened to be here-alone." I raised my brows. " For now. My old friends are scheduled to meet me." " Old?" " Watch it. I was twenty something once." " I find that hard to believe, Mr. Cobb." Then she smiled. I wanted to kiss her, but instead responded to her wit. " You Miss&ldots;" " You want to sleep with me, don't you?" " Maybe I do." I kissed her and didn't regret it. Her lips were sensual and her body warm. I felt we had started something that night wasn't going to end soon. At three am we were down by the empty pool, silver by starlight, and we sat in the waterside recliners. Mark and Jenna would arrive and would assume I was chasing the younger woman, but age was not a consideration. I just liked Angelique's company. Over the past six hours we had laughed and joked together and then we got so serious. " Shall I accompany you back to your cabin?" " No." " Really?" " Will I see you tomorrow?" she asked. " It is tomorrow."
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Her lips were electric when I kissed her again and tried to tell myself that I respected her for not letting this get any further upon our first meeting. The other side of Harry Cobb, probably the aggressive by nature man, wanted to be in that cabin. " Then tomorrow it is." She put her finger on my nose. " You can count on it." " Oh, by the way. Paperrose2. How did you get that name?" She produced a twisted smile. " I am your guardian angel, Cobb." " And who do you work for?" She shrugged her shoulders. " As your guardian angel I will watch over you." " Then you are working for someone." " Right&ldots; Horace&ldots;" She turned and I watched her body gyrate, probably for my benefit, as she walked along the pool and disappeared into the indistinct starlight. I was grinding my teeth and was well aware how much I wanted her, but I was unsure who hired her or if she was hired at all. My zip sounded and I saw a text sign.
Thinking of me?
I quickly texted back.
Maybe. 6
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***
An antiseptic palm oil derivative, hung in the humid air and I felt the hum of the liner engines in my bones. Kids splashed and yelled down the far end and for some unknown reason Latin music pumped from the waterside bar where the pool curved back toward the staterooms. On my zip I listened to Phil Sevrenson blasting the other candidates from the assembly. Sevrenson was an accomplished liar and liked to stare out into the crowd before his shrill voice continued. Like Alder, he would do anything to get ahead. While I was part of the Bureau, I heard stories of careers ruined, people paid off, and unproved murders. He and Alder were Absolutists, those who believed in an Intra Solar System government with a strong leader. I was surprised how easily members of the assembly were listening to his ranting. I was about to take a swim in the pool. In front of Chesapeake Bay, Sevrenson introduced Alder to the Assembly in Annapolis, Maryland on earth. I sat back in the recliner. Phil had a high pitched, articulate voice that reflected his formal Upper-Crop education. At age eighteen, both he and Alder had entered together the seven year program shared by the best colleges on earth. " Inhabitants of the Intra solar system. The time has come for a leader who just will not accept the edicts of earth or Mars governments. Someone who knows the power of what we have here in the inner solar system. Not a kindly old man who let it all slip away." I was surprised that he attacked Nevis. His face reddened and he tapped his clenched fist on the podium. " Felix Alder is the one man who will unite the far elements of the Intra Solar System from Calisto to Triton, Ganymede to the moon. With Felix Alder there would be no earth power, no Mars power, but the power the Intra Solar System so richly deserves. 7
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With Felix Alder the Assembly would reject the Neutrality Treaty and exercise the power of what is ours. Inhabitants of the Intra Solar System, I give you director of the ISS Bureau, Felix Alder." As Alder emerged from behind the blue velvet curtain I realized this was all about power now. Not letting earth control the Intra Solar system. Alder wore a dark succo and white neckliner. His gray streaked hair was now trimmed. The delegates cheered as he raised his arms upward. I shook my head, wondering if this was a good thing. I was not sure the Intra Solar System should be a ves-tige of power. Alder's voice was smooth, erudite, and natural. He appeared so genuine, knowing how he had jettisoned O' Neil and me out of the Bureau, he was just the opposite. " We live in threatening times." Listening to him twist the truth was not something I wanted to do. I stood, pinched my brow, gazed up at the starry the silcoplast star dome and then I dove into the pool. The coolness soothed my frame and I continued underwater. For a second I saw Alder's deep carved eyes and beak nose, but then I thought of Angelique. What would Horace Valencia say when he heard that his young oracle player and a much older Intra solar system investigator were dating. I emerged at the far end and realized I owed Valencia no explanation and I was worried about Alder actually making it all the way to Commissar. The Commissar's position was always subordinate to the earth nations. I needed to talk to John O'Neil about this. O'Neil must have been seething. He despised both Alder and Sevrenson for forcing him and me out of the Bureau. The water drained across my hair and down my face. I turned and placed my arms over the pool corner. My feet were weightless in the water and I exhaled. One of the wait staff hovered above me with a tray of drinks. I recognized him as a bumbler waiter from the bar last night.
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" You wanna drink?" I didn't like his gruff, arrogant tone. " What do you have?" " Do I look like a walking menu? You give me the request and I get it." " I'll take a Dante's Blaster." The cocky young man opened his dark eyes. " Whatever you say." I smiled. Maybe I had been drinking Blasters for too many years. A Blaster contained a high level of molecular alcohol mixed with a sweep of prime jafrin, a megacafinated derivative. The stimulant opened up your mind and your senses and the molcohol. With thoughts of Alder and Sevrenson I needed the drink. But I also let my mind wander to Mark Belkin. Why did he insist on this cruise? What was so pressing in his or Jenna's life right now that we needed time together? As soon as I finished the Blaster I would call him on Triton. I balanced my arms on the pool's silcoplast edges and slowly kicked my feet in the warm water. The palm oil bothered my eyes. I squinted as I thought about my friendship with Mark. Mark and I went back twenty-seven years to my days as a smart-ass young agent. We were the same age, our birthdays within days of each other. As an auditor with the Space Procurator's Office our early field assignments frequently crisscrossed. I didn't know until he told me that he and Jenna were back on Triton, but their actual residence was the Tempest Settlement on Ganymede. They had moved to Ganymede in anticipation of an extended retirement. For thirty years he had balanced ledger but now he wanted time with Jenna. Jenna had another twelve months with Resources.
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