Download from Amazon
Download from Barns & Noble
SAMPLE CHAPTER
Prologue
Salara Takar looked up from the illuminated instruments on the control panel in front of her and into the blackness of interstellar space, which appeared void at the moment of anything other than a beautiful, multicolored nebula, filled with blue in the center and surrounded by strands of orange, red, and green.
The black pupils at the center of her golden eyes tightened into small dots as she stared past the nebula and peered into the darkness beyond it. A few seconds later, she was able to make out two tiny specks of light in the distance, which according to the navigational computer was a binary star system, and the coordinates at which they would have to deviate from their present course in order for her plan to work. If her information was accurate, the binary star system would be at the peak of its stellar cycle, and the stellar flares of this particular star system were known to be particularly nasty. With luck the electromagnetic radiation given off by the flares would mask the course change so that by the time the ship’s absence was detected back home, they would be long gone. She estimated she had only a few minutes before they reached the coordinates for the course change.
Takar glanced over at Captain Vale Kalise, the friendly, older pilot, a war veteran whom she knew had fought against the cleansing of the Great Purge. She liked Kalise and she respected him, despite their political differences. He had risked his life on more than one occasion in order to save hers, a debt she would forever be unable to repay.
“Captain, I need to check on a sensor for one of the fuel cells; would you mind taking over until I get back?”
Kalise, who had been preoccupied reading something on his data pad, raised his head and smiled. “Of course not, Salara. These ships are so automated these days that there’s not much to do anyway. I’ve got a few reports to review here, but I’ll keep an eye on things; go ahead and check on that sensor.”
“Thank you, sir.” Takar climbed out of the chair and hurriedly made her way toward the aft of the ship, glancing back to keep an eye on Kalise the entire way. The captain continued studying his data pad, which he began scrolling through, periodically glancing up to check on the instruments and the approaching binary stars before returning to his reports.
Takar stopped a third of the way into the ship and reached into a compartment that was directly underneath the access panel where the faulty sensor would be. She hesitated as she reached for the panel door, suddenly uncertain whether she could carry through with the plan. Salara glanced back at the cargo area, and in her mind’s eye she pictured who, and what, lay beyond the door. That thought, accompanied with the blissful memories of times past, gave her the resolve necessary to follow through. She opened the compartment door, removed the hidden weapon tucked inside, and slipped it into a concealed pouch behind her back. Takar began walking slowly towards Kalise, who remained distracted, scanning through something on his data pad. Just as she raised the weapon and leveled it at her captain, however, something happened.
Perhaps he’d seen the movement when she raised the particle disrupter; perhaps it was some kind of precognition or his years of experience as a war veteran. For whatever reason Captain Kalise turned, and upon seeing the weapon in Salara’s
hand instinctively ducked out of his chair and onto the deck of the ship just as she pulled the trigger, which initiated a discharge from the disrupter. The blast struck the control panel in front of the captain’s chair, causing the ship’s engines to shut down unexpectedly. The lieutenant was thrown forward when the ship suddenly decelerated before emerging into regular space near a gold-colored planet orbiting the binary star she’d seen earlier. The sudden deceleration followed by a subsequent lurch forward threw Salara backward several meters, causing her to drop the particle disrupter and fall to the deck.
Takar anxiously searched for the weapon, which now lay several meters in front of her. She crawled towards the spot where it rested until Captain Kalise appeared from behind an instrument panel. He reached down to pick up the disrupter, but as soon as he wrapped his hand around it Takar grabbed his wrist. The captain and his co-pilot fought for control of the weapon with the stronger captain soon prevailing, but not before a single blast pierced the center of Salara’s torso, mortally wounding her. Kalise knelt beside her, holding her head in his hand as he leaned over her.
“Why, Salara, why did you do it; why would you want to kill me? Please―I don’t understand why you would do such a thing?”
Takar looked away for a moment before forcing herself to look him in the eye. “I’m sorry, my captain. You wouldn’t…understand, I….” Lieutenant Salara Takar gasped one last time before heaving a heavy sigh as the spirit left her body.
Kalise continued leaning over her, trying to make sense of what had just happened, until alarms suddenly sounded.
“Warning; shielding is down and the transport is entering the atmosphere at a catastrophic angle of entry. The ship will disintegrate within thirty seconds unless action is taken immediately,” the onboard computer warned.
Kalise ran towards his chair, holding to the bulkhead of the ship for balance before grabbing hold of the chair itself long enough for him to take a seat. The computer was correct; the ship was entering the atmosphere of a planet with the portside of the ship facing forward. The captain quickly activated the ship’s shielding before grasping the steering control in a desperate effort to regain control of the ship.
The craft began shaking violently as the ship descended through a thick cloud layer. Once the ship finally began to slow somewhat, he looked up to find a valley filled with lush green vegetation rushing at him from all directions. Moments later the ship slammed into the ground and began plowing through a dense forest of trees, which further slowed the ship’s momentum. The transport continued its forward motion, however, until it crashed into the side of a mountain. The powerful jolt caused Kalise to lurch forward, slamming his head against the edge of the control panel, followed immediately by the sickening sound of bones cracking and splintering. By the time the ship finally came to a complete stop, it lay imbedded more than halfway inside the mountain, buried without by dirt, rocks, and debris. Inside the ship, Vale Kalise still sat in his captain’s chair, dead.
Chapter 1
“Life, for ever dying to be born afresh, for ever young and eager, will presently stand upon this earth as upon a footstool, and stretch out its realm amidst the stars.”
H. G. Wells, The Outline of History, 1920.
“History; it is the only mirror before which we can clearly see tomorrow. It has been just over forty-five years now since my father, Dr. Nick Reynolds, and my mother, Dr. Kate Reynolds, revived an alien, sentient, living computer, an Entelli, that they referred to as Ignis. Existing in a dormant state since his ship crashed in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947, Ignis’s reawakening was the direct result of a desperate effort by the United States government to find a way to combat the highly advanced Ares cyber warfare system, which had already caused the deaths of over a million Americans. The cyber warfare platform, an innovative and powerful system whose design was decades ahead of its time, had been commissioned by the former KGB agent Nikolai Chervanko, who threatened to use the weapon to bury the world in nuclear ash. My parents worked feverishly alongside my grandfather, Dr. Henry Summers, to reverse-engineer the alien technology they found onboard Ignis’s crashed ship, which had been recovered by the United States government from Roswell. The spacecraft, which they named Prometheus, offered their last hope of finding a way to stop Chervanko before millions or even billions of lives were lost.
“Well, many of you know the story―about Chervanko’s capture, and how Ignis and Prometheus gave us everything we needed to construct our own interstellar ship. This, of course, brings us to the event we have all gathered here today to celebrate, the 25th anniversary of humanity’s first interstellar flight, and the formation of the Earth Space Alliance.
“It was twenty-five years ago today that I took Frontier, Earth’s first interstellar ship, a craft modeled after Prometheus, on her maiden voyage to our nearest interstellar neighbor, Alpha Centauri. Who could have imagined back then the dramatic impact that single flight would have on humanity all these years later?
“Consider everything that has occurred as a result of that flight, and the work done to make it possible. Humanity hasn’t had a real war in almost twenty years now. The Earth Space Alliance has been a phenomenal success, helping to peacefully disseminate the dark energy technology all over the planet, while also creating incredible economic opportunities in harvesting raw materials throughout our own solar system. The First Contact, which came about after an alien ship answered Frontier’s distress call while I was stranded in Alpha Centauri, helped usher in lucrative trade with the many sentient species across the galaxy. Then comes perhaps the single most important benefit of all. Because of the Frontier program and the Earth Space Alliance, humanity has turned its collective energy away from war and strife and towards exploration of the universe, and the subsequent trade and interaction with other sentient species across the galaxy.
“The Alliance has already constructed a fleet of ships—enhanced versions of the ship I flew to Alpha Centauri—established trade agreements with over a dozen worlds, and funneled back to Earth some of the most incredible technologies imaginable. Our world is so preoccupied these days with discovering the universe that no one has time for war anymore. Finally, after millennia of conflict and war,
humanity is finally at peace.”
The audience at the FedEx Galactic Field in Landover, Maryland was filled to capacity, and once Hank finished his last statement, it seemed the entire audience rose as one before letting out such a resounding roar of applause, mixed with shouts, yells, and whistles, that Hank was certain it had been heard throughout the entire metro area. He joined in the celebration, however, knowing, as they did, that these accomplishments were something each of them had helped bring about, and they could all be proud of their achievements. After several minutes and with some encouragement from Hank, the crowd gradually quieted.
“I’m so very proud of everything we’ve accomplished at the Alliance; first under my father’s leadership for two terms as President of the Earth Space Alliance, and then during my time here as president. I don’t think I could be more thankful for the opportunity you have given me, nor could I have asked for a team of more dedicated, enthusiastic individuals than those I’ve worked with these last few years.
“With your permission, I would like to also take this opportunity to make an important announcement. Unlike my father, Dr. Nick Reynolds, who served two terms with the Alliance, I would like to announce that I will not be seeking a second term as president.”
The announcement stunned everyone in attendance so much it seemed one might be able to hear the proverbial pin drop. “I have been asked by the League of Sentient Species to be Earth’s ambassador there, and as important as my time with the Alliance has been, I feel I can contribute even more as your ambassador to the League. I haven’t decided whether to accept this position, but I have decided that in either case I will step aside to let someone else take over the incredibly important responsibility for leading the Earth Space Alliance.
“Once again, congratulations to everyone for twenty-five amazing years leading Planet Earth out of its protective nest and out into the far and amazing reaches of the cosmos. Thank you.” Hank turned, and without saying another word walked towards the exit before disappearing behind the closed door.
***
Hank drove his car to a pleasant-looking brick home in a rural neighborhood located outside of Ft. Meade, Maryland, where he set it down in a space along the curb designated for hover cars. He sat in the car for some time, staring at the house fondly, cherishing the precious memories that had flowed unbidden into his mind. He sighed and climbed out of the vehicle to begin the brief walk along the cobblestone path to the front door. He knocked at the door, and moments later he was greeted at the door by a sickly, aging Nick Reynolds.
“Hello, what can I…? Hank, my boy! It’s been so long; how have you been, son?” Nick reached toward Hank, who immediately came close to embrace his father. “So I just saw the bombshell you dropped on everyone on television. How has everyone taken it?” his father asked. “Have you mentioned it to Jim yet?”
“No, I planned to drive by the general’s place after leaving here, Dad. I haven’t had time to call to let him know yet, so I thought I would swing by now that I do have some and just tell him in person. The alliance has twenty-five years under its belt now, Dad. I think it will be fine without me, otherwise I never would have made the decision to leave.”
“Have a seat, son,” Nick said, pointing to the sofa across from his easy chair. “Can I offer you something to drink, Hank?”
“Maybe just some water, Dad, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course not; give me just a minute.” Hank watched as his father struggled to get out of the chair. He could see that his father’s condition was worsening, and he grew fearful that his father might have less time than everyone thought. That thought must have caused him to grimace, because his father ceased trying to rise from his chair and turned to his son.
“I’m okay, Hank, really. You don’t need to worry so much about me, son…you have enough to worry about.”
Hank jumped up out of his chair. “Here, Dad. Please…let me get it.”
Nick smiled. “If you insist.”
Hank walked into the kitchen and poured himself some water from the H2O station. One of the key benefits of the dark energy generators was that like hydrogen fuel cells, the waste byproduct was distilled water.
“You were right, you know.”
Hank raised an eyebrow as he made his way back into the living room. “What do you mean?”
“Your speech, Hank―you were right. We have come a very long way in my lifetime; I scarcely can believe it myself sometimes when I wake up in the morning. The Alliance, the League, the trade and commerce, the peace; it’s a wonderful world we live in at the moment, son.”
“‘At the moment’; what do you mean, Dad?”
Nick frowned. “Look, Hank, I don’t mean to throw a damper on things. It’s just that we live in an imperfect world, an imperfect universe; it’s just a matter of time until….” Nick’s voice trailed off as he looked out a window.
“Until something happens, Pop?”
Nick smiled. “Well yes, until something happens―I’m afraid it’s simply the way of things, Hank. Oh, it could be far off in the future, or it might be today or tomorrow, but challenges that test us and push us have always been a part of life, and I suppose they always will. You have to learn to relish moments like these, boy, when life is good, when it seems as if the bad times are gone forever. Just don’t ever expect them to last.”
Hank nodded weakly in agreement. “I know, Dad, you’re right. I’ve been trying to teach that to Nicole for a long time now.”
Nick raised his head and looked Hank in the eyes. “So, tell me, how are Hailey and
Nicole?”
“Well, as far as Hailey, you know how wives are, Dad. You can….” Hank stopped, realizing what he’d just said. “Dad, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s okay, Hank, don’t worry about it. Look, I loved your mother very much and I always will. I’ve missed her these last two years, of course, missed her something terrible, but I also know that I’ll see her again one day; soon, I expect.”
Hank felt a lump rising in his throat, fearful that his father’s words had been prophetic. “Come on, Dad, we both know you’re far too ornery to die!” Hank said with a grin, masking his sorrow.
“Well, I am ornery…I’ve had to be. But I think I’ve done just about all that I can do to fight this thing, Hank. I even tried C-Vax last week―”
“C-Vax? But you’re allergic to it, Dad; it could’ve killed you long before the cancer ever would have.”
“I know, I know. The doctors tried to suppress the allergic reaction long enough for the C-Vax to do its job and eliminate all of the cancer.”
“So what happened?”
“It failed. The allergic reaction was far too severe. The doctors even did a consult with several renowned oncologists, but they all agreed―nothing more can be done for me, son. They can continue giving me various other medications, some that will virtually eliminate the pain, which is wonderful; and they’ve given me others that have substantially retarded the cancer’s progress, but eventually….”
Hank got up from the sofa, walked over to where Nick sat in his favorite chair, and embraced his father.
“I love you, Dad,” Hank said.
“I know, son…I love you too.” Father and son embraced for several moments, until Hank turned and walked back to the sofa. Nick smiled at his son, who managed a weak smile in return.
“So…,” his father began again, noticeably trying to change the subject. “You never finished telling me about Hailey, and of course, my favorite grandchild, Nicole.”
“Well, as you know, Hailey’s been working on the Special Projects Team at the Alliance, testing and studying new alien technologies before deciding whether to submit them to the committee, who then evaluates her findings and recommendations and decides whether to give them the Alliance’s stamp of approval for use on Earth.”
“And what about Nikki?”
Hank shook his head in response. “She has got to be the most stubborn young woman on the planet, Dad. I’ve tried for several years now to get her to come to work for the Alliance, but she’s refused.”
“She’s as strong-willed as her Grandmother Kate was, that’s for sure,” Nick said.
“Yeah, well, Nikki started this corporate think tank, which is great, and she’s still doing that martial arts thing of hers.”
“Well, I seem to remember a young man of my acquaintance who found his martial arts training valuable on at least a few occasions.”
“Sure, I trained in some martial arts too, Dad. But for me it was a tool; for Nikki it’s a way of life, an obsession even. Did you know that at one time, she was absolutely determined to enter the Alliance Defense Force?”
“You have been pressuring her to join the Alliance—”
“But not the military end! It’s so frustrating, Dad. Nikki is crazy smart; I think she’s far smarter than I ever was. I just don’t want to see that go to waste.”
“You may just have to let her find her own way, son. I know she’s brilliant, but as you said, she’s a woman now, and she’s rather headstrong. Give it some time, Hank. I don’t think God would ever have given her such a wonderful mind just to let it go to waste.”
“I hope you’re right, Dad.”
“I am, Hank, just wait and see. But what about you; what do you plan to do about the ambassadorship to the League?”
Hank sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know; I guess I haven’t decided yet.”
“Really? Well you sure looked like a diplomat out on the campaign trail to me,” he told Hank.
“I’m just not sure, Dad. I want to go, but I’m not really much of a politician.”
“Then don’t be one, son. I’m not a politician either, and I’ve never been one. When I led the Alliance, I always focused on how to get things done, rather than trying to win people’s support. It seems to me this might be a golden opportunity for
someone with a mind like yours, Hank. Think about the opportunity you’d have to learn about alien cultures and technology. I don’t know, son, you might just find it’s right up your alley.”
Hank looked at his father with concern and a slight frown. “The League headquarters on Val is a long way from here, Dad, nearly a day’s trip each way.”
Nick raised his eyebrows and began nodding his head. “Ah, now I understand―you’re worried about me?”
“No, Dad, of course not, it’s just that—”
“You always were a horrible liar, Hank.”
“Look, you said it yourself, Dad, you don’t know how long—”
“No, I don’t know how long I’ve got, son, but there’ll be plenty of time for you to get here when it happens. It’s cancer, not a heart-attack, remember?”
“I know, but I’d like to spend some time….”
Nick sat up in his chair and leaned in towards his son. “Hank…you know that I love you dearly, and that there’s nothing I’d enjoy more than to spend time with you, Hailey, and Nikki. But you have your own lives to live. We can always keep in touch over quantum-links.”
“It’s not the same, Dad; what if you need something? What if you need to be taken to the hospital? You’re all alone in this old house.”
“Oh, now you’re being ridiculous, Hank. I have a lot of fond memories of raising my family in this old house. Besides, I’m not an invalid.”
Hank began shaking his head. “No, I think I’d better turn the ambassadorship down and stay here, Dad.”
“What, and pass up an opportunity like that? Nonsense! Not because of me, you won’t.”
“No, Dad, seriously, I’m staying. I love you, and I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to you and I was halfway across the galaxy.”
Nick let out a heavy sigh. “Well then, I suppose you could always invite me to come to stay with you and Hailey for a while…if it was okay with her, of course.”
“Dad, that’s a great idea! Do you mean it? Would you really do it?”
“Sure I would, at least for a while. After all, I think it would be quite something to live out my last days on an alien world.”
“Okay, that seals it then. I’ll let our current liaison to the League know right away. Thanks, Dad, you’re awesome!”
“What about Hailey?” Nick asked, concerned.
“Oh, she’s been after me to take that post for a long time, Dad, ever since they offered it; and you know how she adores you!”
Hank took his Quantum Link out of his pocket and made a quick call. Moments later, he’d conveyed the news to the League. He smiled, said thank you, and looking at his father, wondered how his life, like so many others, had changed so dramatically.
***
“Are you certain, I mean absolutely certain about this, Scott?”
The younger man seemed surprised to be questioned, even by someone as senior and respected as his boss. “Yes, sir, Dr. Goddard, I’m positive. Here, look at the data for yourself.” Scott Miller handed Goddard his data pad, which still had the data and the graph on it. Goddard studied it for several minutes before pressing a button on his desk. A holographic image of his administrative assistant appeared over his desk. It was a rather pleasing image, at least Miller thought so.
“Judy, please cancel my appointments for the rest of the day; and find out where President Reynolds is at the moment, and how I can reach him.”
“Yes, Dr. Goddard.”
The older man sat down at his desk, manipulating controls on his virtual pad until an image of the solar system appeared over the left side of his desk, and a graph with a number of data points appeared over the right side of the desk. He hurriedly pressed a number of additional buttons until times appeared next to each of the data points.
“Extend data points out seven days,” he instructed the A/I computer in his desk.
“The graph has been extended out exactly seven days from now, Dr. Goddard.”
Goddard followed the data points and the adjusted image of the solar system. “No, no, no, no…!” Goddard pressed the button on his desk. “Judy, I need President Reynolds on the line immediately. Tell him this is a Priority 1 crisis, understand? Priority 1!”
“Yes, Dr. Goddard, I understand.”