Freedom

by Maureen Toonkel

  BEYOND THE GALAXY

  Adventure 2: Freedom

  By Maureen Toonkel

  Copyright © 2019 by Maureen E. Toonkel

  Cover design by Flint D. Million

  Editing by Flint D. Million

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Printed in the United States of America

  First Printing, 2019

  ISBN 978-0-9980583-2-0

  Me Too Publishing

  Mankato, MN 56001

  www.beyond-the-galaxy.com

  Dedication

  As always I dedicate this book to my son Flint, who has been a tremendous asset to me particularly over these past four years and to my husband, Dennis who is always in our hearts and memories. Flint and I miss you greatly.

  I would also like to dedicate this book to an amazing young woman who left us way too soon, Megan Bening.

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  There are several individuals that I need to acknowledge for their assistance and support with this book. Specifically, I would like to acknowledge and thank my reviewers who have continued to support and encourage my writing activities and those who have assisted with the technical aspects i.e. website development, ebook conversions, book listings, cover designs etc.

  Reviewers

  Flint Million: My son, Flint, has been a HUGE help in editing and publishing my work. In addition to being my editor, he was my technical advisor. He also designed the covers of both Adventure 1 and Adventure 2, converted the text into an e-book format and posted the books online. Then he designed the layout for the soft cover editions. I could not have published these works without his assistance. He is an amazing, talented person and a loving son.

  Brenda Kupfer: Brenda, who is my step-daughter, continues to be an important person in my life. I am grateful for her positive support and her presence in my world.

  Luba Sato: My sister has always been one of my confidents. She has been there for me since we were kids growing up in the Bronx. And even though we now live 1200 miles apart, we still share the same interests particularly Star Trek and the Marvel Universe.

  Jesse Anderson: Jesse is not only a co-worker and a fellow science fiction fan but he is also a friend. I enjoy our discussions on movies, books, comics, and computer games. I also appreciate all the encouragement he has given me.

  John Hamilton: John is another co-worker and friend. He was the first person outside of my family to whom I revealed that I was writing a book. And when I sent out the book launch announcement for Beyond the Galaxy: Captivity, he was the first one to respond with a very congratulatory email. John was also the one who gave me the idea of having a prologue and epilogue to the stories.

  Technical Support

  B507, Minnesota State University, Mankato: I would like to thank the students and staff of this department, especially Daniel, Max and Yunha. They did a tremendous job in developing the www.beyond-the-galaxy.com website.

  Flint Million: Again, his technical support has been immense and I cannot thank him enough for all the time and energy he has devoted to my writing.

  Promotion

  I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the Aktion Club for giving me the opportunity to promote my work at their performance of Circus Metamorphosis.

  Preface

  It is hard to believe that it has been four years since I completed the first Beyond the Galaxy novel in June 2013. I had immediately begun writing the second adventure and by December of that year I had written the first eighty pages. My husband, Dennis had broken his hip on October 26 when he tripped in our garage. He needed surgery and afterward he was admitted to a nursing home to recuperate. It was on December 2 that he and I were talking on the phone. We were discussing his doctor’s appointment set for the next morning. He would be having his hip x-rayed and if all was well he would be coming home. We were excited about his homecoming as we were preparing to celebrate our 34th wedding anniversary on December 8. Dennis said he was having some heartburn. I told him to ring the nurse and see if he could get something for it. We said our goodbyes and “I love yous” and hung up. I had no inkling that it would be the last time we spoke to each other. I received a phone call early the next morning. When the nurse checked on Dennis at 5 AM he was doing fine. But when they checked on him at 7 AM he was gone. He had died in his sleep.

  It took me a very long time to be able to return to writing this book. Dennis was such a huge supporter of my work that for a while it was hard to work on editing the first book or concentrating on the second one without feeling sad. But I know Dennis would want me to continue my writing, and so I have pushed on. To my surprise, Dennis had chosen one character as his favorite, and he suggested a possible plot for that character. At first I was not sure I wanted to go in that direction, but after Dennis died I decided to honor his request. I won’t tell you here who the character is or the plot twist. However, if you are the type that thrives on spoilers, you can check the Post Script for the reveal.

  There was another untimely and unexpected death that has greatly affected me. My son Flint’s constant companion and girlfriend died on January 28, 2017. While on a ski trip she collapsed from a brain hemorrhage. Megan was a very intelligent and cheerful young woman who is sorely missed.

  I hope my readers will find as much enjoyment in this adventure novel as they did in the first one. Once again I have not dwelled on the technology, and I have refrained from crude language. My goal was to tell a fun and adventurous story set in space during an unspecified time.

  So, enjoy the book and be sure to visit the website to learn more about the Gladiator crew and their future adventures. And you can leave comments as well. www.Beyond-the-Galaxy.com

  Maureen Toonkel

  October 2017

  PROLOGUE

  The dark ominous sky hung over the city like a thick blanket. The little boy’s nose was pressed up against the cold window pane as he tried to peer around the large raindrops that pelted the glass.

  “Maybe he isn’t coming,” moaned Little Josh.

  “He’ll be here soon,” his mother answered. “It’s the bad weather that’s making him late.”

  “Maybe he forgot or maybe he doesn’t want to come,” brooded Little Josh. “He promised to tell me a story.”

  “Don’t be so pessimistic,” warned his mother. “You’ll give yourself an ulcer.”

  “What’s an ulcer?”

  His mother laughed. “It’s something you are too young to have. Look it up.”

  Little Josh walked over to the kitchen table and picked up an action figure of a blonde man wearing a blue uniform emblazoned with a silver diamond shaped insignia. His Great Grandpa had had it custom-made and gave the figure to him on his birthday a week ago. He repositioned the figure’s arms, straightened its hair, and set it back down.

  “Captain Stoner,” said the boy. “What is an ulcer?” The action figure came alive. Its deep blue eyes lit up and its mouth began to move.

  “Good morning Little Josh,” said the rubbery statue. “According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, ‘an ulcer is a break in skin or mucous membrane with loss of surface tissue, disintegration and necrosis of epithelial tissue and often pus.’ ”

  “Mom, it doesn’t say anything about worrying.”

  His mother laughed again. “There’s an old wives’ tale that says stress causes ulcers.” />
  “Oh.” Little Josh went back to the kitchen window and pressed his face against the glass. After several minutes, he jumped away from the window and ran to the door. “He’s here,” shouted the boy.

  The heavy wooden door opened and a tall grey-haired gentleman holding an umbrella walked in. Once the umbrella’s drying mechanism ceased, the umbrella collapsed itself into a small pencil-sized object. The man tucked it into his coat pocket.

  “Great Grandpa,” shouted Little Josh excitedly. “You’re here. I was afraid that you weren’t coming. Mom told me that I would get an ulcer if I worried too much.”

  “Well we certainly wouldn’t want that. I am here now so there’s nothing to worry about,” responded the man as he removed his black leather coat and handed it to Little Josh’s mother.

  “You didn’t forget about the story, did you?” asked Little Josh.

  “The story? What story?” teased Great Grandfather James.

  Little Josh looked forlorn. “You promised to tell me the rest of the story about Captain Stoner. I want to hear what happened to Dr. Loring and I need to know if Wayne Shasta ever returned to the Gladiator.”

  His Great Grandfather grinned. “Oh, that story. No I didn’t forget. But you need to be patient a little bit longer.”

  After a while Josh’s mom and dad put on their jackets and got ready to leave. Mom gave Great Grandfather some final instructions and added one for Little Josh. “Don’t make too much noise, your sister is sleeping. Have fun.”

  “OK they’re gone,” said Little Josh. “Tell me the story. The Gladiator was going to Lexter. So what happened next?”

  “My, my,” said Great Grandpa. “You are quite impatient. Let’s go in the living room and get comfortable on the couch. This is going to be a long story.”

  CHAPTER ONE

  June 17

  Joshua Stoner leaned back against his chair and shut his eyes for a moment. He still couldn’t believe how much his recent ordeal had depleted his energy levels. Nurse Rugan told him not to be alarmed. It was to be expected. Poor Amanda. She certainly has had her hands full these past several days, thought Josh. Without a doctor aboard she had to oversee the entire functioning of the Sick Bay. Perhaps it was a good thing. With so much to do, she didn’t have time to think about Paul. That was Josh’s problem. After filing all the reports on Brisula and reviewing the orders for Lexter, there wasn’t much for Josh to do other than the normal day-to-day activities of running a spaceship. There was too much empty time for his mind to wander back to that last conversation with Paul Loring. He couldn’t shake the picture of his best buddy laying on the bed with his wrist chained to the sidebar. Make that former best friend. Dr. Loring was a spy and a traitor. He had passed on confidential information to the enemy. He had endangered the lives of his fellow shipmates. And worst of all he was a Tradian. Why hadn’t I picked up on that years ago when we were college roommates? If I had, I probably could have convinced Paul to denounce his allegiance to the Tradian Army and instead defect to the United Galaxy Command. Or could I have?

  “Sir, we are approaching Sub Space Station 16 A,” Lieutenant Keith Hampton announced breaking into Captain Stoner’s reverie.

  Josh sat up straight and opened his eyes. “Thank you, Lieutenant. Please alert Lieutenant Commander Pearson of our arrival.” He swiveled in his chair to face Lieutenant Diane Pearson stationed at the Communications Bay on his right. “Diane,” he commanded, “please request Dave Andrews and Amanda Rugan to meet me in the Conveyor Port in two hours.” The communications officer turned and flashed him a smile. Her bright red curls tumbled down upon her shoulders. Dennis is sure a lucky guy, reflected Josh. He got up and headed for the elevator.

  Lieutenant Commander Dennis Pearson surveyed the Conveyor console. Everything looked clean and spiffy. He had checked and tested all the dials, levers, and mechanisms at least twice earlier that morning. He had also oiled and greased the hangar doors and shined up the stainless steel launchpad floor panels. Yes, Dennis prided himself on maintaining a well-kept transport station. He still was incensed at Paul Loring’s insinuation that he had booby-trapped the James K. Obviously it was meant to be a joke, but Pearson took offense at even the mere suggestion that he could ever do such a thing.

  The elevator doors clanked open and Josh Stoner stepped out. The Captain’s blonde hair was parted on the left as usual and his blue eyes had regained their sparkle. The scar from the cut on his forehead was barely visible. He knew that Josh hated to admit it, but those two weeks on Brisula had taken a toll on him.

  “You’re looking good, sir,” said Pearson.

  “Thank you, Denny. I am starting to feel much better.” Josh took a seat at the console. “Any word yet from the Sub Station?”

  Dennis sat down in the console chair alongside Josh. “I received a communiqué about ten minutes ago indicating that the pod should be ready to lift off in fifteen minutes. So it should be any minute now.”

  Just as the console phone buzzed, the elevator doors opened. Commander Andrews and Amanda Rugan had arrived together.

  “The pod has lifted off,” announced Pearson as he began working the dials and levers on the panel. Eventually, the hangar doors slid open and a small transporter space pod entered and landed. The silver and blue door emblazoned with the UGC logo rose and two officers clad in navy blue uniforms departed from the pod. A hatch door at the bottom of the pod opened and a tray slid out loaded with luggage. Seaman Chase and another security guard removed the luggage. The tray automatically slid back and the hatch closed. The craft backed out and the hangar doors slowly shut. The four Gladiator officers stepped from behind the Conveyor console then walked over to the launchpad.

  “Welcome aboard the U.S.S. Gladiator,” said Josh proudly. “I am Captain Joshua Stoner. This is Commander David Andrews, chief science officer.” He pointed to Dave who nodded. “Over here is Lieutenant Commander Dennis Pearson, our chief engineer who has just safely guided you to our ship.” Dennis murmured a hello. “And lastly I am sure you will be happy to meet Lieutenant Amanda Rugan, head nurse.” Amanda smiled shyly.

  The two newcomers studied the group assembled in front of them before responding. Finally the woman spoke. She had long, wavy brown hair, which was tied in a ponytail clasped with a blue scrunchie band. Her skin was quite fair and she wore rimless silver eyeglasses. Her pale blue eyes and thick eyelashes could be seen through the glasses.

  “I am your new chief medical officer, Lieutenant Commander Marlana Berg and this is General Medical Officer Lieutenant Tobias Carter. We are honored to be assigned to your ship.”

  “And we are honored to have you,” answered Josh. “I would be pleased to give you a tour of the Gladiator.”

  “If you please,” said Dr. Berg, “we would prefer to go directly to Sick Bay.”

  “As you wish,” said Josh clearly taken aback by Dr. Berg’s brashness. “Nurse Rugan and I will accompany you.”

  “Can you believe the nerve of her?” lamented Captain Stoner. He plopped down on the hard wooden office chair next to Dave Andrews. He had rapped his knuckles on the door but entered without waiting to be invited in.

  “Of who?” questioned Andrews looking away from his computer monitor. He had been reviewing the history and basic statistics of Lexter, their next destination.

  “Dr. Berg,” spit out Josh. “Amanda and I were showing Dr. Berg and Dr. Carter around Sick Bay, the Medical Lab, and the Morgue. She demanded to have everything rearranged. She wants the computer desk in Paul’s office moved to the other side of the room and she requested that I order a totally different chair. Then she asked that Amanda change the location of the stress and muscle evaluation equipment.”

  Dave stared unbelievably at the Captain. He was quite surprised at what he was hearing. “Josh,” he said, “I don’t see anything wrong with Dr. Berg’s requests.”

  “You don’t?” responded Josh. “Isn’t she being unreasonable?”

  “Unreasonable? How?” answered Da
ve. “She should be able to arrange things so she can work comfortably.”

  “But things were perfectly fine the way Paul had them.”

  “Josh, you need to accept that Paul is never coming back. Don’t hold it against the new doctor just because she has been assigned to take his place. It is not her fault.”

  Josh looked at Dave and just as quickly looked away as a wave of embarrassment flooded him. He was acting like a child. Dave was right. He should not be lashing out at Dr. Berg. But, he couldn’t help himself. The thought of her moving into Paul’s office and taking over Sick Bay was making him feel resentful. That was irrational thinking. He needed to pull himself together.

  “Dave, please, forget—” The satellite phone on Josh’s belt pack sounded, cutting off his words.

  “Captain Stoner,” Josh said into the phone.

  “Sir,” came Diane Pearson’s voice, “Admiral Wilcox needs to speak to you immediately.”

  Dennis Pearson drummed his fingers lightly on the wooden Conference Room table. It was the first time he’d been back in the room since the Captain’s briefing nearly ten days ago. He couldn’t say he missed the place. For a while he hated these four walls. That final vote still haunted him. It was hard to shake the thought that a couple of his crewmates actually thought he was a traitor.

  The Captain entered the room and shut the door. He called the meeting to order. The sparkle in Josh Stoner’s eyes that Dennis had noticed earlier that day was gone again, replaced by something else. Despondency? Yes, the Captain definitely looked dejected.

  “Gentlemen,” began the Captain addressing the three men he had summoned to the Conference Room: Lieutenant Commander Dennis Pearson, Commander David Andrews, and Lieutenant Keith Hampton. “I have called you to this meeting as I would like to request your assistance in responding to a number of questions from United Galaxy Command in reference to our recent mission to Brisula.”