by Chris Hechtl
“I'm afraid everyone in orbit will be too busy fending off Skynet to help much, sir,” the AI said softly. Jack just grunted as he continued staring out into the abyss.
-*-*-^-*-*-
“Well, I knew it wouldn't last forever. Mankind was overdue for a good bloodletting. Long overdue considering the population, environment, and resources. Consider this population control,” Roman said.
“So not funny,” Trevor said, looking at the reports. It was too much for anyone, even an enhanced human to keep up with.
“Who's being funny? I'm being realistic,” Roman said. He closed his eyes. Despite that he could still see the flashes of weapons of mass destruction going off on the globe spinning below. Some were also going off in space, bright brief strobes of light as hidden weapons satellites came on line, or weapons on the various stations came on line to defend themselves. Lasers were invisible but missiles and kinetic weapons were not. “Did I ever tell you my family is down there?” he whispered.
“Sorry,” Trevor murmured. His own family was dead. He'd never formed personal attachments; most people who saw his physical body were horrified or scornful. One of the reasons when he did socialize he preferred to do it virtually. Or did. Now he was wondering if his insistence on machinery had been misplaced. He was pretty sure everyone who survived the initial onslaught would be wondering the same thing.
“And I've got friends on the L-5 colonies,” Roman murmured, face twisting in anguish briefly as he watched a cloud of kinetic rounds turn a habitat into a colander. Thousands of people were dying in the vacuum of space and there was nothing he could do about it from so far away. Nothing at all. He knew that would haunt him until the end of his days. The way things were going that might be soon. Very soon.
-*-*-^-*-*-
The AI war kicked off as Drake jumped for hyperspace and the future.
Author's Afterword
Wow, what a freakin pain in the butt to write! Seriously, I wanted to finish this book over the summer but I forgot to take into account how hot my room gets in the summer! (Even with AC and the fan it's stifling in here. And no, I don't write with a laptop.) I also ran into some serious problems that took ages to work out (figuring out the rules for the hyperbridges and the bridge network for one).
I had such hopes for this book, yes it is a prequel and sets up stuff, explains stuff, fills in some of the blanks. I too hate the lack of action in it. It is dry. Sorry about that. It's filler, but important filler for later. It really sets up the First AI War and future books to follow.
It is a framework for a lot of short stories to follow. I couldn't fit in all the events here, this book spanned what, fifty years? sixty? So many off shoots were too much of a burden. I had enough as it is in the book. I wonder if you'll catch all the references though. :)
You may have noticed the dates. I hate dating myself; I always think it's bad form since I read 2001 and nothing happened like it. But Darion and a few other people, including a couple fans, complained enough to make me reconsider in this instance.
I also tried not to be preachy but some ethical considerations were bound to worm their way in. I expected the big blow up to be over the ethics of the Neos but then the other subject crept in. Shrug.
Some of you may hate me or accuse me of jumping the shark with hyperbridges. (Darion already has) There is a method to the madness. Yes, I didn't mention them in previous books. I did mention the stargates but not the bridges. I also mentioned that:
1: Rho sector is out on the outer edge of the galaxy, and …
2: Eden (read Pyrax) was the first planet settled by human kind.
3: All the stars with habitats (i.e., planets) are G class or capable of supporting a planet. (Okay, maybe I didn't mention that explicitly … You get the idea though. There aren't many massive stars on my map.)
Now you know how and some of the why. …at least part of the story.
The fun thing about all this is, I wrote Eden Project back around the time of Fools Gold. (A few betas have read it. I am still sitting on it.) I need to do some touch ups on it now, but it is a … different short story. You'll see later. Hopefully next year. :)
For those of you still insisting I jumped the shark, may I remind you of two things.
1. My universe, my rules. :D I'll post the hyperbridge rules I generated somewhere sometime (other than here). Oh, and um, think about the Xeno war and some of the stuff that I said happened carefully. Only hint I'm giving now. ;)
Have fun debating it on the blog and at the Facebook fan group. :)
2. Again, there is a method to the madness.
You'll see. In time it will all make sense.
Sort of.
Maybe.
:D
Now on to Ghosts of the Past! Check out my blog for more info!
Cast:
Jamey Castill: brother to Hannah graduated high school at 11. Graduated bachelor's degree at 12. Entered Lagroose space academy at 13. 1st master's degree age 13. Second master's degree at age 14. Graduated academy at age 15 and went to orbit.
Hannah Anne Castill: daughter to Bret, sister to Jamey. Short, thin, brown hair, spicy attitude. Hazel eyes. brief exploration period in college. lover Isley, then Brandon.
Bret Castill: father to Jamey and Hannah. Electronics engineer. Communications, worked in a remote station for Lagroose industries.
Alec Niederman: junior engineer assigned to force emitters. In on minaturizing force emitters. (did hardware) Smart, technonerd. A bit conceited however.
Kathy Abrams: human resources/psychology/uplift/cyborg tech/medicine rep on the design board. Signs on as CMO on Daedalus. Love interest to Jamey. Married. KIA with all hands.
Levare Saint Joy: Lagrosse starship design engineer
Charles Dugan: "Charlie" wet ship space ship experience. Architect and engineer. 30 years in space. In 60's at start of book. Weight issue. murdered in car accident. Wife Shannon.
Trey Ashton: Starship engineering project manager, management. Starship design bureau -mahogany skin, bald. played basketball in college, made team play to get them exercise and build team spirit. Wife Zarana.
Amber Night: Sensor specialist, astronomer, astrophysisist on design team. Blue eyes. Purple black hair. Doctor.
Daedalus:
Musad Locke: Captain of Daedalus
Andrea Hu -XO of the Daedalus. No nonsense woman. Asian slant eyes, tall, short black curly hair. Agressively competient, spacer like Captain Locke.
Sylvia: dumb AI of Daedalus. Limited by order of Captain Locke.
Ben White feather -lead navigator.
Jorn Liefson -junior navigator.
Kermit Saint James: black from Louisiana Bayou -sensor tech on Daedalus. very tall, smooth talker. Nice.
Wen Shiku -Chief engineer of Daedalus. Black eyes, short, 42. From mars, trained by the Irons family. Loves ships and engineering. cut and nicked up hands. Can lead people well. Patient.
Juliana More -communications section head.
Ibraham Nakumora -sensor officer.
Hiresh Asurabi -doctor of Daedalus. Refuses to treat dolphins due to religious reasons after pastor father called.
Berny Malone: Senior computer tech on Daedalus.
Ursilla Lagroose: Late mother of Jack Lagroose. Genetic engineer. Husband was a K-9 officer. Loved animals.
Jack Lagroose: Leader of Lagroose industries. Married, 2 sons, 1 daughter at end of book. Brilliant, child prodegy. Edict mind. in 60's. Married to Aurelia. Engineer. Mother was a genetic engineer and MD, father was a cop- k-9 partner to Chauncy, Duke, and Max.
2 other family members Aunt Belle and Uncle Owen had been K-9 partners. Brunette, hazel eyes.
Aurelia Lagroose: 1st name means golden one. Wife of Jack Lagroose, student of his mother. 30's. Incredibly gifted genetist and doctor. Passionate about program. Blond, tall, long legs, ample breasts and trim figure. Stubborn as the day is long. Lively sense of humor. Took Kathy under her wing. Protective of all neos who see her as a mother
ly figure. From New Zealand, has british accent.
Zack Lagroose: 1st born child of Lagroose family. Brown hair, brown eyes. Tall, muscular. Into animals like ancestors. Smart. Work in Security with neos as a teen and adult.
Yorick Lagroose: 2nd born son of Jack and Aurelia.
Wendy Lagroose: 3rd child of Jack and Aurelia, daughter. Into business. Spoiled.
Bonnie and Clyde: Bonobos in the Lagroose family household. Bonnie is the nannie while Clyde is the majordomo. They are considered family by the Lagroose family.
Professor Walkins: Female professor of physics. Jamey's teacher. smart, devious. Got him into hyperspace tech. Tried to steer him to Star Reach but failed. She was canned from Earth education. Bummed around before getting picked up by Mars U.
Sheldon Reed: Minor ship architect and engineer in Charlie's department. Worked for Star Reach before he got fed up with lack of progress. Puts up with hire offers from Pavilion. Was even threatened by them. Resented Jamey's design changes until got into tech. Combined it with wedge idea of Pavilion.
FBI Agent Richard Simmons: Agent in charge of hacker investigations. Killed with his family by Descartes when he sent their car over a cliff.
Orko: Odin Kasmir. Junior hacker, FBI agent. Member of the acid black team. Gay, goth, black lipstick, black nails. Blue skin. Bald, skeletal thin. Black Tattoo mask and of tear streaks on his face. Wears a red hood with an O on his chest. Vamp, skinny. Lover and handler to Krytos. Met in FBI camp.
Stanley: Stan the man, handler to Orko. undercover boss to Orko. FBI agent.
Miss Styles: FBI agent acid black anyalist.
Abe: senior agent in charge of Acid black. Real name Abernathy Lincoln.
Latisha Sominall: Pilot of first Mars explorers. Returned with family to Mars as one of the first Family.
Han family: Daughter emigrated to Mars with other Asians to set up medical practice. Very secluded from mainstream Mars society. "China town".
Miss Lang: Coding supervisor. Female.
Carlos: Lagroose junior Coder. Found the virus in Daedalus.
Charlie Caesar: Neo chimp assigned to Zack as a bodyguard. Good, but rough.-retired to start a family. Desk work. Returned to security 2199.
Doctor Herman Kershall: Theoretical hyper phsyicist. He created the theory of hyperbridges. He had been up for a Nobel in physics but had been denied since the topic was so controversial. He worked for Star Reach before retiring to Mars to start the Mars U physics department. He passed away on Mars before starflight became a reality.
Trevor Hillman: pale, limbs deformed in congenital disease due to exposure birth defects. White like a slug. Cyborg. Friend to Athena, director of cybernetics and cyber security. In 50's. Has been with Lagroose nearly from birth.
Omall and Asira -starship coder managers. Petty bureaucrats. Reassigned to other duties.
Nacho Seliz -'Nach' -'sleeze' 'snatch nach' Hispanic hacker in southern united states. Busted. Was into kiddy porn and other nasty things.
Iona Cheong -Martian. Part Chinese part English. (Hong Kong) Worked for Chinese starship program briefly before she quit. Works as a freelance engineer consultant on Mars.
Reginald Pruitt: "Reg" CEO of Star Reach. Big guy, muscular but getting flabby. Early 80's as of Daedalus construction start. Old friend of Jack. They have known each other for 50 years since Jack started his company. Frenemy. Wife Sheila. 4 kids, all grown with grandchildren. Died of a stroke. Actually poisoned and assassinated.
Alice Chalice
Willis Hendrickson "Willy"
General Issac Murtough: Knows about the Neo program. Neutral to all the megacorps. Tall male. Joint chief for 16 years.
Doctor Myron Timeki: Veterinarian, lead vet with designer pet division. Adviser to Hannah initially. 75. Nice old man but driven to get understudies to take over for him. Retired at 90 years old to Earth to fish.
Doctor Chad Glass: Neochimp geneticist who takes over from Aurelia in the lead geneticist. 7th gen male
Doctor Vinny Montenegro: Neo chimp. Vet/medic. His parents named him after an african name but he changed it. Family disowned him. He struck out on his own as a doctor. He found bigotry on Earth so he returned to Mars. Eventually he joined the Neo hospital.
Dolphins:
Whistle'Tr'ck'ka't - dolphin 2nd gen, alpha pod leader. large male dolphin. known as wisest leader. spokesman for all pods.
Tw'tw'ch'ka Female 3rd gen alpha pod leader. Very smart, 1st to fully use implants. Grandmother to Nak'nak'chick
Squee'clock'ch'tk - dolphin female, 5th gen, pod leader. healer
Ch'nn'k -dolphin 3rd gen male
Kal'nik -dolphin 4rth gen male. Bully. Sadist to some degree. Pinkish color.
Tur'tk'caca -female dolphin 5th gen.
Tik'tik'clock -dolphin male 3rd gen, big, bully. wants to be pod leader and get out of habitat. Short attention span, aggressive.
Click'ck'a female dolphin 6th gen -pilot, leader of Icarus pod. Back up to Daedalus pod.
Nak'nak'chick -7th gen dolphin. -at the press conference. -Icarus 2nd helm
Clock'ch'nik -4rth gen male brother to Kal'nik. bully.
Kaku -6th gen dolphin male. highly smart. Cybernetic telepresence expert. Pilot and chief helmsman/pod leader of Daedalus pod. First dolphin to pilot a starship.
Chri'nick'trill -dolphin female, gen 6 alpha female to Kaku on Daedalus. Helm partner to Kaku.
Click'K'ch'ka'ch -female pregnant during chapter 3. Gen 5.
Arctica: neodolphin gen 8.5. Female, with white pigment from
Ngozi: Gorilla female.
Charlie Allen: Chimp. 7th generation, the best spoken. New troop leader. Chosen spokesman of the chimps by vote. He was at the press conference announcing Neos.
Ezra: Male Bonobo nurse assigned to Mars University general emergency ward.
Emilia: Bonobo female trauma nurse assigned to Mars University General emergency ward. Fast friend to Amelia Irons. Nickname Emi.She was at the press conference announcing the Neos. -parent of multiple kids, head nurse on Drake.
Ezri: bonobo female nurse in training. Cousin to Emilia, daughter of Ezra.
Lizet Cummings: Head RN of the Mars General University Emergency ward evening shift. 2 meters tall, long legs, professional. Prim nurse. Red head with short hair.
Hassan: RN nurse in Newtek college ER
Appendix:
My blog:
http://cyberforge3d.blogspot.com/
Fan group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/582559128466667/
Wiki page:
http://federation-datanet.wikia.com/wiki/Federation_AI_Historical_Datanet_Wiki
Space tech:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcubierre_drive
http://io9.com/heres-nasas-new-design-for-a-warp-drive-ship-1588948192
http://io9.com/5939232/how-self-sustaining-space-habitats-could-save-humanity-from-extinction
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negative_mass
http://gizmodo.com/the-quest-to-build-an-elevator-to-space-1638192427/+charliejane
http://io9.com/all-the-kepler-planets-graphed-by-their-ability-to-supp-1566054609
http://io9.com/watch-a-day-in-the-life-of-a-terraformed-mars-452518270
http://io9.com/8-things-we-can-do-now-to-build-a-space-colony-this-cen-1631995142
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Centauri
http://eyes.nasa.gov/exoplanets/download.html
http://galaxymap.org/drupal/node/171
Biological/Medical:
http://io9.com/how-to-build-an-artificial-womb-476464703
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tucuxi
http://animals.io9.com/understanding-chimpanzee-intelligence-can-shed-light-on-1603160206/1603196649/+AnnaleeNewitz
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetacean_intelligence
http://www.orionsarm.com/eg-article/47eaf707eac4b
http://io9.com/mice-with-genetically-humanized-brains-learn-faster-1635330955
http://io9.com/should-we-deliberately-edit-the-gene
s-of-wild-animals-1607216721