Free Range Protocol- Tales of the Tschaaa Infestation
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FREE RANGE PROTOCOL
TALES OF THE TSCHAAA INFESTATION
MARSHALL MILLER
Blue Forge Press
Port Orchard | Washington
Free Range Protocol
Copyright 2017
by Marshall Miller
First eBook Edition
February 2019
First Print Edition
February 2019
Second Print Edition
May 2019
Interior design by Brianne DiMarco
Cover art and design by Brianne DiMarco
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever, except in the case of short excerpts for use in reviews of the book.
For information about film, reprint or other subsidiary rights, contact: blueforgegroup@gmail.com
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, locations, and all other story elements are the product of the authors' imaginations and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or other elements in real life, is purely coincidental.
Blue Forge Press
7419 Ebbert Drive Southeast
Port Orchard, Washington 98367
360.550.2071 ph.txt
DEDICATION
I dedicate this book to my loving wife and my four-legged family, Benjamin, Cinnamon, Jasmine, and Lancer. Without their support, understanding, and love, this new edition would never have happened.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I wish to thank all my friends at Kitsap Literary Artists and Writers for their support and assistance finding the correct mix of writing, publishing, and promotions. Without their knowledge and advice, I would still be stumbling in the dark. Also, I must give kudos to my publisher, Blue Forge Press, who—in the form of the DiMarco Family—helped me find and sustain my muse.
Of course my friend Greg Brashear—who not only helps me keep my cardio rate up, so my heart does not explode—but also aided in reading my ‘stuff’ and letting me know if it rang a bell or two. He also helped with the ‘badass marine’ characters. Every book needs a ‘badass’ or two in it to keep the readers from being bored. Semper Fi, Greg.
Also, Darryl Small, actor, writer, businessman, filmmaker and friend, needs a shout out. After all, without him, ‘VILE SMUT’ would have never happened.
I hope everyone who reads these stories will want more in the Tschaaa Universe.
Muchisimo gracias!
FREE RANGE PROTOCOL
TALES OF THE TSCHAAA INFESTATION
MARSHALL MILLER
PROLOGUE
This is the history of the coming of the Tschaaa, the heroes and villains it produced, and the Great Compromise, which has allowed two species of apex predators to exist together in relative harmony.
Records of the coming of the Tschaaa appear in various places and have been touched by many hands. Their appearance was startling, as most unexpected arrivals are. People of the Earth had become accustomed to the usual sources of mutual opposition. In fact, as the 21st century proceeded, a certain inertia had set in. This may explain why some renegade groups rejoiced and aided the Tschaaa when they came. Some even attributed religious connotations to the invading forces. After all, they did come from the skies. Still others looked to the new regime of the World Order as a chance to obtain personal power and profit. The best, however, valuing their freedom above all else, escaped to the Unoccupied States and the other areas where the occupation had not extended its tentacles. They could retain the best of what the human race had ever produced and over time mount a counter attack.
Not everyone who acted as surrogate for the Tschaaa was evil. These individuals began to realize that every species has its own particular virtues. As time went on, the Tschaaa appeared to be less alien, and merely different. In fact, the human race began at this period to separate into its component parts, much as a prism separates the beams of light. Some scholars even suggested that, had the Tschaaa not shown up when they did, a final battle amongst us might have extinguished the human race altogether. Not that the beginning was any less horrifying. To all of those who disappeared and had family members who survived, but whose stories will never be told, the invasion was an unparalleled disaster, coming upon us like a thief in the night.
This history is not meant to vindicate the actions of the aliens to my readers, as I myself am a human being. But I ask all of my readers to recognize that although Shakespeare was correct when he wrote “There are more things on heaven and earth…” he was aware of only the ills of the human heart. However, he may have also been prophetic in hinting at what lay beyond in the vast abysses of space.
Royal Princess Akiko
Free Japanese Royal Family
This twenty-fifth day of December, 2053
PHENOMENA
THE FOLLOWING PAPER IS PRESENTED FOR SUBMISSION TO THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ASTROPHYSICISTS BY PROF JAMES L. STEVENS, NEW MEXICO ASTROPHYSICAL INSTITUTE.
TITLE: SOME ANOMOLIES IN THE PERTURBATIONS IN THE ORBIT DIFFERENTIALS OF ASTEROID 18666 AS IT ENTERED AND TRAVERSES THE SOLAR SYSTEM.
ABSTRACT:
This paper explores potential causes for the observed behavior of Asteroid 18666 between the dates of January 1st, January 31st, and February 28th, 2026. Strange phenomena were noted that could not be explained by the usual supposition of inaccurate observation or equipment distortions. Inquiries were made as to the possible effects of dark matter fields on the object in question as well. Consideration on the effects of the known planetoids, planets, asteroids, and other space objects were examined.
Simulations were conducted and still yielded negative results. No specific conclusions could be drawn as to the reasons of these unusual observations. Actions and movements are out of sync with current knowledge of the workings of the physics of objects passing through the solar system.
John C. Bodinky, Professor Emeritus, of the New Mexico Astrophysical Institute skipped down to the conclusions of the draft submission once again to insure he had read them correctly. He then cursed.
“What in holy hell is Jim trying to do?” he muttered to himself. He and Jim Stevens went way back in academia. In fact, Jim had married John’s baby sister Suzy and they were expecting their first child. Between the two men, John had always been the one more politically astute . He was always better at figuring out which way the academic winds were blowing. He always knew what not to say to piss off, first the University and now the Institute Administration, not to mention those with money.
Thus, he was now the Head of the Science Department at the New Mexico Astrophysical Institute, a nice sounding name for a foundation that completed basic research, as well as provided advanced education for emerging young scientists. Under John’s apt leadership, both government and private funding had greatly increased. More than one endowment had been received over the last year, because the estate of a local businessman or some self-made millionaire had wanted to feel like they had contributed to the scientific process.
John had become quite adept at dodging controversy and seeking consensus.
Thus, this draft submission of Jim’s for the Foundation’s journal was immediately unsettling, especially the initial conclusions. John could just hear some large contributor, after reading this article in the journal, or on the Foundation website, questioning if somehow one had lost their mind. Or, maybe asking if they were experimenting with some new type of marijuana on a staff wide basis.
John went to his computer and immediately composed a terse email to contact him ASAP. He had to nip this in the bud before things became too w
eird.
It was still surprising when, only two minutes later, John’s Administrative Assistant (read: attractive secretary-with-benefits) buzzed him and said that Jim was on the telephone.
“Jim, how are you.”
“Just fine John. I…”
“And how is my baby sister? Does she look like she swallowed a basketball yet?” John always tried to make some joke, but half the time they came off weird or out of place. Stand-up comedian material he was not.
“She is doing just fine, John. She’s still just as beautiful as the day I married her.” John tried to extend the conversation, but Jim cut to the chase.
“I know you want to talk to me about my submission, my paper.”
John sighed. He was hoping to slide into it a bit slowly, trying not to become adversarial straight off. No such luck. “You could always read me, my friend. Why don’t you come over to my office, and we can discuss it.”
“I’ll be right over.”
John knew this was going to be a pain in the posterior. Jim was a slender, red-headed dynamo who had the energy of any three people. It took just minutes for Jim to hotfoot from his office to John’s. Jim came in, plopping himself down into the most comfortable chair in the office.
“So, shoot, John.”
“Jim, I read your submission and…”
“Astounding what I found, isn’t it?” Jim broke in. “I didn’t realize what I had really found until I really crunched the numbers…”
John recognized Jim was in one of his periods of bubbling enthusiasm, like a young boy who had just found a new puppy, telling his mother how great it was and could he keep it?
“I crunched the numbers and boom! There it was. Smacking me right in the old snot locker. Well, I can tell you…”
“Jim…”
“…I checked and rechecked, thinking maybe I had too much coffee, or Susie’s pregnancy was distracting me, making me…”
“Jim…”
“But, boom, there it was again! Something was happening that was completely out of the ordinary, was new to the extent…”
“Jim…”
“It’s going to make everyone sit up and notice…”
“Damnit, Jim! Stop! Be quiet for a moment. Let me get a word in edgewise.”
Jim paused mid-sentence. John was one of the few people who could get Jim to stop and smell the proverbial flowers when he was in the midst of one of his scientific rants.
“Sorry,” Jim said a bit sheepish. “It’s just that this is so new, and so profound…”
“Okay, okay. I know how excited you are. But we have to take this one step at a time.”
“Once I publish this in the Foundation periodical, and put it up on the website, we’ll really be on the map, John. You think we get a lot of outside notice now, just wait…
“No,” said John.
“Wha…?”
“I said, No. N. O. No.”
“You mean no, as in no to publishing my findings, or…”
“I mean ‘no’ in not publishing your conclusions, which seemed to be a big leap from the observations you claim to have seen, from your calculations. So, let’s start from your calculations. Just how many times did you check you figures, calculations, assuming all you observations and measurements were correct?”
Jim flushed a bit. “You’re going to question what I have observed in through the telescopes? You know my reputation for accurate and precise observations.”
“Didn’t I just say I was going to assume you saw what you said you saw, Jim? Now, back to my question, how many times did you recheck your calculations?”
“I did three rechecks myself, John. I ran them through the program I designed that everyone here uses. And, then I had my best grad student do a manual, line by line, check. The young lady is a wiz catching any erroneous formulations, old fashioned math mistakes and poor calculating. They all checked out again.” Jim snorted. “Why all this, this concern, agitation over my work? You know the standards I set for myself and my grad students.”
John pursed his lips. How to explain this without having his friend and brother-in-law go storming out of here and doing something stupid.
“To put it bluntly, it’s the conclusions you reach based on your observations. Specifically when you state that, on the one hand, there is no standard reason for the anomalies in the perturbations in the movement of this specific celestial object. Then you jump into several what I consider as being wild theories as to why the asteroid is moving and behaving the way it is, as it heads out of the solar system.” John pulled out Jim’s work. “To wit. Here, I quote, ‘One very possible reason behind the movement of Asteroid 18666 outside of the range of standard deviations is the possibility of an unknown outside agency is affecting the course of the Asteroid. This would explain the minute course corrections, similar to those done by a yacht as it nears the harbor berth.’ Then…” John flipped to another page.
“Then you throw this comment into the mix. Quote: ‘There is also the possibility that large or dense objects hidden from our view behind the asteroid could also be providing just enough gravitational effects that would cause the object to shift its course, a little at a time.’”
John threw the submission onto his desk.
“What are you getting at? Space aliens? Unknown objects hidden behind the Asteroid so dense as to be a new class of matter? Hidden and moving black holes? What?” Now it was John’s turn to have a flushed face. He ran his hand through his thinning brown hair, and heard his paunch gurgle.
Jim paused, looked with concern at his friend, boss and relative.
“You read that stuff into all that, John? All I was doing was brainstorming a bit.”
“A bit? Jim, it sounds like you’re trying to throw everything but the kitchen sink into the mix.”
John paused, began drumming his fingers on the table.
“You observed these, anomalies, using both the conventional, as well as a radio telescope, correct?”
“Of course! You know I always use all the tools available.”
John stopped drumming his fingers, then yanked his right hand bottom draw open, and pulled out a very uncharacteristic bottle of bourbon out, with two glasses. He poured a shot in each as Jim looked on, a bit surprised.
“Shut the door, will you Jim.” His friend jumped up and complied, then began talking again.
“Look. John. I know this is weird. This asteroid was seen by complete chance as it came into our solar systems orbital plane. An amateur astronomer just happened to see it as it seems headed directly to Earth’s orbital sphere, past Mars. All of the analysis of its trajectory points to it coming from the edge of the known solar system, from those random hunks of material way out there that kind of orbit our system.”
Jim took a sip of his drink. “Which makes its current trajectory even more fascinating, strange. Did something bump it out from all the other left over planetary stuff? Or is it an object that has a huge orbit that which is only now resulting in it coming in at us? Then, of course, there are the small, mini almost seemingly purposeful course corrections outside the effects of the other planetary bodies.”
John held up his hand. “Please, stop right there. We are back to the same problems. Your brainstorming.”
John took a substantial swig of his scotch before continuing.
“Now, Jim, let me explain something. First, a little history lesson. Do you remember the Hale-Bopp Comet in the 1990s?”
“Kinda. I was just a kid, but I remember it was bright enough to see during the day, including a long tail. You’re not that much older than I am, what do you remember?”
“Okay. Well, remembering may be a bad term. But let me tell you the story. The Hale-Bopp Comet entered our solar system, and it was a big deal. It seemed to have had a very large orbit around our sun, larger than Halley’s Comet, and it came in off of the planetary orbital plane like most comets. Because it was bright and going to pass close enough to the Earth to be easily observed,
was bright, it immediately got a lot of people’s attention.”
“Well, some nimrods on talk radio began to spin some stories about it not being a real comet, that there was something hidden in its tail, that a spacecraft was shadowing it, or it was a spacecraft.”
Jim smirked. “So? There are always nut jobs on talk radio.”
John gave him a hard look. “Well, some people with PhD after their names were dragged into pontificating about it. Later on, it was discovered that a certain cult-like group that who adopted the name Heaven’s Gate decided that the comet was their sign of redemption by aliens, the second coming. Hell, it all depends whom you talk to. But what is remembered is that a large group of them, after the males castrated themselves, committed ritual suicide at their basic mini compound in California. They were all discovered in their beds, with almost matching running shoes, in these white almost uniform clothes.”
Jim frowned. “What has that got to do with me?”
“Anyone of those PhDs who were dragged into this were remembered along the lines of ‘Oh, yeah. You were connected to that comet which all those people killed themselves over. What did you say about it?’ See what I’m getting at?”
“Not…really.”
“Jim, you can be so dense sometimes. Think about it. You alluding to possible ‘unknown agencies’ affecting the path of Asteroid 18666. What do you think is going to happen when someone grabs onto that idea. Next will come ‘Professor Stevens says unknown agencies, possibly alien in nature, affecting Asteroid’s path.”
“That’s not what I said!”
“Close enough to leave yourself open to allegations and ridicule. And then to add the crap about possible objects hidden behind the asteroid affecting its path? That’s what a couple of nut jobs started spreading about Hale-Bopp. That there was something hidden behind it, maybe a starship, in its tail.”