Far Space

by Jason Kent

  Copyright © 2014 Jason Kent Far Space

  by Jason Kent

  ISBN-10: 1496145275

  ISBN-13: 9781496145277

  All rights reserved solely by the author. The Author guarantees all contents are original and do not infringe upon legal rights of any other person or work. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without the permission of the author.

  Cover Art by Ravven www.ravven.com

  Dedicated to Missy,

  who encouraged me to follow my dreams

  and to my kids,

  who still think I’m cool.

  CONTENTS

  PART 1: BATTLE IN NEAR SPACE

  CHAPTER 1-1: “POSTCARDS FROM FAR SPACE”

  CHAPTER 1-2: “BATTLESPACE”

  CHAPTER 1-3: “STRANGERS IN THE DARK”

  CHAPTER 1-4: “DISCOVERY IN SATURN SPACE”

  PART 2: TRUTH & BETRAYAL IN FAR SPACE

  CHAPTER 2-1: “BREACH OF TRUST”

  CHAPTER 2-2: “SEEKING JENNIFER”

  CHAPTER 2-3: “TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES”

  CHAPTER 2-4: “RESCUE”

  PART 3: HUMAN SPACE

  CHAPTER 3-1: “RECKONING”

  CHAPTER 3-2: “HOPE FLEES”

  EPILOGUE

  Soosuri Dictionary

  Bullard Space Elevator – Lift-Car 47

  102 km Above the Earth’s Surface

  First Lieutenant Ian Langdon paused just inside the hatch, careful to avoid the jagged edges carved by his entry charge. To get this far, his team had performed a flawless insertion and then crushed the armored Merc Troopers defending the outer hull of the wounded cruiser. Ian’s next move was to find his way to the reactor core where he would plant his sapper charges. All he had to do after that was fight his way back outside before the enemy starship’s engines went super-nova.

  No problem.

  “This is it, guys,” Ian called over the combat net. He twisted around to verify the rest of his squad was still with him. Jake, Walker-6, Nero, and Hampton were right outside the hatch. Kite, Eldridge, and Vic were already taking up defensive positions to cover their evac. Satisfied his team was ready, Ian said, “Let’s do this!”

  “Movement!” Walker-6 called at the same instant he pulled his trigger. A string of slugs zipped past Ian’s helmet.

  Ian spun around and brought his rifle up. The light amplification equipment on his helmet kicked in just in time to show a Shadow Merc in full combat armor pop out around a corner further down the corridor. The enemy trooper was aiming his plas-gun straight at Ian.

  “Crud,” Ian grunted. He fired his plasma rifle before he had a good bead. Ian’s beam slashed a line of burning slag along the bulkhead as he fought to bring his weapon to bear in the deadly draw.

  The Merc won, pulling his trigger nanoseconds before Ian’s plas-beam made contact.

  Ian felt his reinforced armor start to boil then shatter as the ceramic composite reached its max thermal load. Ian was thrown out the hatch as the blast dislodged his boot’s grav-lock. Tumbling into open space, Ian caught glimpses of the on-going battle at the hatch.

  Walker-6 fired again, knocking the Merc back a step. The Merc shrugged off Walker’s slugs and brought his weapon around to fire again even as the concentrated fire from Ian’s remaining team members converged.

  The small victory was short lived for Ian. Even as the flashing warnings in his helmet became unreadable, he had no problem hearing the warnings being screamed in his ears above the high-pitched sound of atmosphere escaping the shattered suit. Falling back on his training, Ian held his breath, closed his eyes and tried to think what his next step should be. He knew this was vitally important because he would only have time for one shot at survival.

  Pushing aside the searing pain in his chest and the panic building in the back of his brain, his lungs burning, Ian concentrated on clearing his mind.

  “Patch,” Ian hissed through clenched teeth and fumbled for the emergency pack in its hip pouch. One step at a time, he thought. As Ian pulled the kit out, it snagged on his pistol holster.

  “Not good.” Ian knew he had only seconds. He yanked hard on the patch and pulled it clear of its pouch only to lose his grip and have the kit sail from his hands. Ian made a mad grab only to have the lifesaving equipment brush against his fingers before spinning forever beyond his reach.

  “Rookie mistake,” Ian muttered as black claws stretched across his vision.

  Chinese Space Agency Ganymede Research Station #1

  Jupiter Space

  Yan Wu gently thumped the side of his computer monitor. He was not sure if what he was seeing was real or an artifact of the jury-rigged system of mismatched hardware and software he was forced to work with out here on Ganymede. The screen jittered for a moment then cleared. The anomaly readings were still there. Wu took a deep breath and tried to ignore the smell of sweat and ozone the air scrubbers never completely removed. He ran his hand over the stubble on his head and sighed. The only thing worse than discovering something out of the ordinary was bringing it to the attention of his supervisor.

  “Sir?” Wu said.

  Zhong Lee, Senior Research Station Administrator, continued tapping at his keyboard and let several long moments pass before responding, “Yes, Mr. Wu?”

  “Please, excuse the interruption, Administrator. I have some unusual readings here.”

  Lee finally glanced up and held Wu’s gaze until his subordinate lowered his eyes. Lee looked back down at his monitor and took the time to tap a few more keys before straightening his back and taking a deep breath. Lee came around the side of his station desk, moving carefully in the moon’s low gravity. He ducked under the thick cable bundles strung over the aisle of the narrow compartment.

  Wu stood as his superior approached. The Administrator never sat while manning the command console; a habit he claimed to have inherited from his father who had spent his life on his feet working in the booming Chinese construction industry. Wu hoped showing respect when interacting with the Senior Administrator would hold off any change to the control center furnishings for a little while, namely the loss of his seat.

  “The computer is reporting six new gravitational wells near Io,” Wu said with a quick dip of his head.

  “And?” Lee said, taking in Wu’s multiple screens with a single uninterested glance.

  Wu opened his mouth to respond then paused. Was the Administrator asking for more information about the anomalies or was he asking after the importance of such a find? Lee preferred open-ended questions and gave only the briefest of direction. All seemingly for the sole purpose of not having to actually make a decision or show his hand. Wu realized early on the Administrator’s style left plenty of room for Lee to heap criticism upon his subordinates when they failed to decipher his true intent. Each encounter required a wearying amount of thought and the crafting of many assumptions on Wu’s part.

  “It appears there are several unexplained points showing an increased localized gravity gradient,” Wu said, deciding to compromise in his answer. He assumed two things: Lee had no idea what a gravity well was and he wanted to know why he should care at all. When Lee raised his eyebrows, Wu added, “I know of no previous precedent for this type of find. Your report to the Agency concerning this type of anomaly would be a first, sir.”

  “Tell me more,” Lee said, now interested. He leaned closer and turned his full attention to Wu’s screens.

  Wu smiled inwardly and pointed at the left screen.

  “Six gravitational points were recorded by our satellite network. Three of our sensors were in good position to pin-point them. A forth satellite was also in line of sight, but its data proved to be of marginal use in the calculations.”

  Lee rubbed his eyes and sighed.

 
“Gravity wells are generally fixed in relation to a stellar body,” Wu added hurriedly, not wanting to lose his supervisor’s fickle interest with technical details. “They should not simply appear as these have…” Wu stopped, his eyes drawn to a set of new readings on the adjacent screen. “That can’t be right,” Wu murmured.

  “Mr. Wu?” Lee said, impatience edging his words.

  “Sorry, sir.” Wu gestured at the screen, his hand shaking. “Several objects have separated from the wells and they’re heading this way.”

  Bullard Space Elevator – Lift-Car 47

  132 km Above the Earth’s Surface

  Ian Langdon was bored. The rest of the group he had joined on-line to play Hull Breach – Stellar War Edition disbanded after successfully completing the Shadow Merc cruiser mission. Ian wondered if he should have stayed on-line and found another group to join. He rubbed his chest. His death at the hatch had been the first of many in the virtual reality session. Although his wounds had been only in his mind, Ian swore he could still feel the tingle of those plasbeams. Maybe, he mused, a little time away from the VR hook-up in his room was not such a bad idea.

  With a few hours under his belt on the elevator, Ian was already growing depressed by the thought the trip to Gateway Station up at geo-synchronous orbit was going to last another four and a half days. He had managed to get an upgrade to a single berth cabin on the elevator car. More thanks to his smile and amiable personality than his original Y-Class government ticket or shiny, newly acquired rank of First Lieutenant. But privacy and a VR hook-up were about the only amenities the tiny closet provided. There simply was not enough real entertainment available in his cabin or here in the common room to engage the senses of a restless young man.

  The lack of extra-curricular activities brought back Ian’s deep-buried unease about his assignment to US Space Command’s Orbital Defense Wing. The ship he was heading for, the USS Schriever, would have much less common space, a worse view, and no simulated gravity. At least on the space elevator, the constant velocity - imposed by the treads engaged against the tether - provided a convenient up and down reference frame, even if it was at a fraction of Earth normal.

  Ian leaned his forehead against the cool permaflex of the observation deck window. Well, he would have work to occupy his time once he reached his final destination. Ian pushed thoughts of his life aboard the Space Corps ship from his mind as he stared out the panoramic floor-to-ceiling window.

  The deep blue of the Pacific occupied much of the planet surface in view, interrupted by a few dazzling white clouds. Only South America marred the view as a dark smudge crowding the eastern horizon. Ignoring the continent on the edge of his vision, Ian could almost believe he was rising from a planet covered by a single, uninterrupted ocean. Above the curve of the Earth, stars shown as bright pin pricks, having lost their twinkle as the car climbed above the planet’s atmosphere. He gazed out into the heavens. It was hard to pick out any constellations amid the thousands of bright lights but he was fairly certain the bright star off to the left was Jupiter.

  Ian had seen it all before though. The awe lasted a few seconds and when nothing new broke onto the scene, his focus slid back inside the car to the milling passengers. He tugged at his flight suit and took in the usual mix of businessmen and women – no doubt looking to score a deal face-to-face out in the stars. They were absorbed in checking their e-mail or polishing their presentations on datapads. Each looked perfect in their coordinated suits and ties and carefully sculpted hair. Most would be staying on Gateway station or catch a connecting shuttle to some other hab in Earth orbit. He wondered if any would be heading to the Moon to visit one of the heavy industrial or nano-manufacturing plants which had been cropping up in the regolith.

  The business types were joined by various other travelers. A knot of techs stood talking in a corner dressed in fresh coveralls. Ian easily picked out the vacationers and retirees. They stuck out as they tried to take in everything at once during their first trip up the space tether. Plus many were dressed as if they had stepped off the fashion train a decade or so ago. A group of young adults sat cross-legged on the floor, staring ahead into their dark VR specs; their gloved fingers twitched nonstop as they interacted on-line. As far as Ian had seen, he was the sole military member on board.

  Space veterans like the techs sported not only the right clothes but the right hair; short or close-cropped, like Ian’s. Once a sure indicator of military service, the practical hair style was commonly employed to combat the inconvenience caused by any other style in a zero-gee work environment. Even women were prone to lopping their hair off, especially if it had all the bounce and body which would have made it so attractive back on Earth. Other options included the use of tight braids to constrain long hair or simply live with crazy, swaying locks. Ian ran his hand over the fresh stubble on his head and looked down at his flight suit. No one was going to confuse him with a businessman, student, or vacationer.

  Ian blew out his breath. Bored, bored, bored.

  Might as well go down and get out of this flight suit, Ian thought. That should kill a whole five minutes. He could also grab his personal data pad and plug into his downloads instead of being forced to watch the inane babble emanating from the screens spaced around the inside curve of the room. The talking heads on the 24/7 news stations just did not have enough fresh stories to fill the day. He made a mental note to check into re-programming the video circuits –one of those history channels would at least be educational. Ian turned and took a long, low-gee stride toward the ladder-way connecting the decks. He was about to head down to his small cabin on Level Two, or steerage as he had dubbed it, but was forced back from the edge of the vertical passage by the abrupt appearance of a head of dark hair at his feet.

  The woman misjudged her step onto the observation deck and all but fell off the ladder into Ian’s arms.

  Ian found himself supporting a rather attractive brunette in a tailored, hip-hugging body suit. From her dark hair pulled back into a tight braided pony-tail and the Far-Side patch on her shoulder, Ian assumed she was at least a second term science geek. Probably heading back out to the lunar observatory.

  Ian realized he had been holding on much longer than was needed to allow her to catch her balance. He stepped back and held out his hand, “Hi there. First Lieutenant Ian Langdon, Pilot. Just call me Ian.”

  “Jennifer,” the brunette said and pushed a stray strand of hair out of her face and took the proffered hand. “Just Jennifer Wright, Applied Physicist.”

  “Coming up for some company?” Ian asked.

  “Actually,” Jennifer said cutting off a smirk and managing to look serious. “I’m here for the view.”

  “Of course,” Ian said. “I just happen to have reserved the perfect spot.” He offered his arm and gestured to the still open area in front of the window he had just vacated.

  “Wow, a guide to the stars,” Jennifer said. “How can a lady refuse?”

  Moving carefully in the reduced gee, Ian led Jennifer to the overlook of the Pacific.

  As Jennifer gazed down, absorbed by the earth-scape spread out below, Ian looked sideways at his new companion. The curve of her neck and the loose strands of hair falling down along her cheek were much more interesting than what was outside the window.

  Perhaps, Ian thought, these four and a half days might not be so bad after all.

  Chinese Space Agency Ganymede Research Station #1

  Jupiter Space

  Working furiously, Wu flipped through one analysis program after another. He was growing frustrated by his inability to answer one basic question; what was coming toward Ganymede?

  “This is most disturbing, Mr. Wu,” Lee said, squaring his shoulders and clasping his hands behind his back. “As Officer of the Watch, it is your duty to execute these sorts of tasks on a routine basis.”

  “Of course, sir,” Wu replied, managing to not grind his teeth. “I apologize, it’s just…”

  “Do not apol
ogize, Mr. Wu,” Lee interrupted, “perform as expected.” He had to step over cable trays as he paced. “I must know the nature of this attack at once.”

  Wu paused in his second check of the catalog of natural bodies orbiting Jupiter and turned to follow his superior’s movement.

  “Attack? Sir, the readings only indicate…”

  “Attend to your duties, Mr. Wu,” Lee said sternly. “Tell me who is out there, if you can. Until I have verification they are not hostile, I cannot assume otherwise.”

  Wu stared at Lee’s back, his mouth hanging open. Wu slowly turned to his monitors but was at a loss for what to do. The gravitational anomalies had ceased but in their place six unidentified objects had appeared. They were now accelerating on a trajectory which would take them directly over the Research Station. In his experience, the computers, even with their eccentric faults, should be able to identify any object among the fifty-three moons and lesser debris orbiting Jupiter. The programs and databases at his command were also reasonably good at tracking and plotting all the man-made probes, transports, and other items including two mysterious Chinese derelicts.

  The objects Wu had on his scopes seemed to be something entirely new.

  Any other time, Wu would be smiling. He had stumbled across what appeared to be real-life unidentified flying objects. He glanced back at Lee’s station and had the sobering thought – Lee was treating the appearance of the UFOs as an enemy action. The Administrator was absorbed with his computer console and did not look up as Wu stared at him for several long moments.

  Something inside Wu clicked. He took a memory stick from his jacket and inserted it into the side of his computer, taking care to conceal the small device with a few loose sheets of paper. No matter what happened, the data he was analyzing would be saved. The thought of the unnamed derelicts drifting in their highly elliptical orbits around the gas giant haunted him for some reason. No records of those ghost ships existed as far as he could tell. What had happened to the crews? What had been their mission? His nation had been up to something with these spacecraft, failed, and then covered the whole thing up. Wu did not want his discovery to be deliberately lost in a dark vault in Beijing.