Genetica
Page 20
Ten days to find an artefact at Maralinga in South Australia or all hell would break loose. He would have dismissed it as a prank except the message ended by saying Duke knew his Vofurian name, 'Articus'.
‘Shit,’ the Deputy Prime Minister mouthed. His cover had been impeccable, no one other than the Director of Vofurion Intelligence knew he was on Earth. A hundred years of undercover work about to get blown. Or not? Duke said he had a deal to make. In the Deputy's experience deals made with humans never went well. He hoped this Duke fellow was the exception.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
MINCEMEAT
Zhang woke to find himself seated in a small concrete room. His face felt swollen and his arms were bandaged. His legs ached and he struggled to stand.
A tiny mirror was screwed on the back of the door. He jumped back from the mirror in horror. He hadn't shaved for days, a General should never look so untidy. The Australians had no decency. A man of his rank should not be detained in a cell like this without access to basic necessities.
The door swung open and a short man with orange hair entered. The man's skin was deathly pale and his eyes were a bright green. Zhang had never seen contact lenses like these.
The man consulted a clip board. ‘Zhang is it?’ he asked in a strange accent.
Dutch maybe? thought Zhang.
‘Yes, General Zhang,’ Zhang said proudly.
‘I see,’ the man said.
‘Please make a selection and sign here please.’
The man offered Zhang the clipboard.
‘This doesn't make any sense?’
‘Oh, didn't the warden explain during your induction?’ the man asked.
Zhang shook his head. What warden, he didn't even remember how he got here? He assumed he was inside an Australian military prison, except this man didn't look at all Australian, or military for that matter. He wore a strange white jacket with rubber sleeves.
‘You need to select which option you prefer.’
‘What?’
‘If you don't make a selection, the default is dissection,’ the man said matter a fact.
Zhang stared at the man horrified. The clipboard only had two options, 1. Death by solar radiation, 2. Death by starvation.
‘Just who the hell are you?’ Zhang demanded.
The man rolled his eyes. He'd been warned this subject was a pain. ‘My name is senior technician 49271. I oversee this floor.’
Zhang frowned. ‘Who do you work for, are you CIA?’
The man showed no sign of recognition. He raised an eyebrow. ‘I don't know what that is, I am an employee of Prometheus Corporation, now please select an option.’
Zhang threw the clipboard on the floor. ‘I demand to speak to my lawyer. I am a prisoner of war and am entitled to a trial by a military court.’
What was this Zhang fellow on about? The next batch of humans was due in an hour. He'd wasted enough time.
Dissection it was then.
The End
Coming Soon
Book 2:
In Book 2, Drake Ryker makes a surprise visit to Earth orbit with his new Shadow Weaver allies. With things going South, Lord Akemi does the unthinkable - even for an Akemi.
Meanwhile Duke Fletcher and his team find themselves the most wanted outlaws in Vofurion space and persona non-grata on Earth. With no-where to go he teams up with the famed Buccaneers of Byzantium to even the score.
When the Invidium Security Service discover the Earth’s core contains a treasure trove of Triglesium, secretly planted by the Knights of the Abyss, the Vofurion Confederacy and Union face off in a battle so epic it will surely shake the rings off Saturn.
Thank you for reading Genetica.
I’d love your feedback in a review.
I love hearing from readers. If you adored (or despised) a character send me an email at:
HartSciFi@hotmail.com
Messages from my readers and their interests play a huge role in plot development. Many characters and planets in the Vofurion Empire are named by fans. If you would like to have a ship named in Book 2 send an email.
Other names up for grabs include:
1. The Chief of the Invidium Security Service
2. A resort planet in the Vofurion Confederacy
3. A chumpish ship that gets blasted by the
Emperor’s Battleship
4. A ship that does something epically heroic before getting similarly blasted by the
Emperor’s Battleship.
5. The leader of the lost but now rediscovered Knight’s of the Abyss.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Tom