CONTENTS
LMBPN Publishing
Dedication
Legal
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Author Notes - N.D. Roberts
Author Notes - Michael Anderle
Books By N.D. Roberts
Series List Michael Anderle
Social Links
Alpha Class: Graduation
Etheric Academy Book 4
By N.D. Roberts and Michael Anderle
A part of
The Kurtherian Gambit Universe
Written and Created
by Michael Anderle
DEDICATION
From Michael
To Family, Friends and
Those Who Love
to Read.
May We All Enjoy Grace
to Live the Life We Are
Called.
From N.D. Roberts
From One Fan to Another
This book is for you. Thank you.
Alpha Class: Graduation
JIT Readers - From both of us, our deepest gratitude!
John Ashmore
James Caplan
Mary Morris
Peter Manis
Veronica Torres
Paul Westman
Daniel Weigert
Larry Omans
Micky Cocker
If we missed anyone, please let us know!
Editor
Lynne Stiegler
Alpha Class: Graduation (this book) is a work of fiction.
All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.
Copyright © 2018 N.D. Roberts and Michael T. Anderle
Cover by Jeff Brown www.jeffbrowngraphics.com
Cover copyright © LMBPN Publishing
LMBPN Publishing supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.
The distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
LMBPN Publishing
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First US edition, June 2018
The Kurtherian Gambit (and what happens within / characters / situations / worlds) are copyright © 2015-2018 by Michael T. Anderle.
CHAPTER ONE
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Medical Level, General Lobby
Guardian Commander Peter Silvers crossed the lobby on his way to check on Craig. The hush of the night shift reminded him a little of being in church when he was young.
Same peace, or something.
He nodded at Madeline as he passed her at the reception desk. The administrator smiled and wiggled her fingers at him before returning to work.
Peter took out his tablet while he waited for the elevator to arrive and replayed the captured footage the guys at the APA had sent him of Craig’s latest failure to think before acting.
It wasn’t that the newly-booted Guardian didn’t have brains—he was damn smart for a wall of muscle—but Craig’s failure to apply that intelligence in the heat of the moment was going to get someone killed. Probably himself.
It was time for him to grow up.
Peter left the elevator and made his way to the ward to which Craig had been taken for observation. He checked the room number, put his tablet away, and knocked softly before entering.
Craig looked up as Peter came in. “Sir?”
Peter picked up Craig’s chart and sat in the chair by his bed. “We need to have a talk.”
Craig’s head dropped. “About me losing to the Chinese team?”
“No. About you assuming you’d win because you’re a Wechselbalg. And about you being foolish enough to give away your advantage for the sake of bragging rights.”
Craig was confused. “I don’t get it, sir.”
Peter held the chart up. “That’s because you took eighteen—no, make that nineteen, they found another when they got you in here—tranq darts. That’s thirteen more than they would have shot you with if you hadn’t had such a big mouth. I’m surprised you’re even awake.”
Craig sat up and put a hand to his head. “Yeah, well, I learned my lesson.”
Peter put the chart back at the end of the bed. “I’d love to believe that, but unfortunately, I know you.” He sighed. “Look…you have the potential to be one of the best, but it’s not gonna happen if you keep doing stupid shit. I’m putting you on probation.”
“But, sir!”
Peter shook his head. “No buts. You need to shape up, and until you do you’re off active duty.” He held up a hand to stay Craig’s protest. “You’ll be assigned to me until you don’t need a babysitter anymore. Seriously, if you would just take the time to think before–”
Meredith pinged Peter, saving Craig from his lecture–for now. “I have to take this,” he told Craig. “I’ll see you tomorrow, bright and early. You got enough sleep today, right?”
He left Craig’s room, speaking to Meredith as he made his way back to the elevator. What’s up?
There is a situation in the psychiatric wing. I thought you should know.
You thought? Peter asked, heading for the psych wing.
You know very well what I meant, she chided. It was appropriate to inform you, and I attempted to do so in a more human fashion to put you at ease. If it is a problem, I shall refrain from doing so in the future.
I’m just riding you. Practice away. Peter chuckled, getting his tablet out again as he stepped aboard the elevator. Show me what’s happening.
The screen lit up to show a room Peter didn’t recognize and a man wearing a hospital gown fighting valiantly against six orderlies. Where is this?
Meredith brought up a map of the level. He’s currently on Ward G.
Well, he’s not going to be there for long if he takes all the orderlies out. Dude’s got moves, that’s for sure. Put the live feed back on; let me see if they’ve managed to contain him.
Meredith switched back to the ward’s cameras. Peter sucked a breath in when he saw that the man had incapacitated all the orderlies. Are they okay?
Yes, Meredith replied. They are unconscious but alive.
The man’s head swung to the left and right, his hyper-aware gaze alighting on the open door. The next moment a wolf stood in the man’s place, sandy-furred and broad across the shoulders.
The wolf broke for the door.
Meredith—
We’re there now, the EI cut in as the elevator doors opened on the lobby. I have requested that additional orderlies be dispatched, and they are on their way.
&nbs
p; Peter strode out of the elevator on full alert. The lobby was completely silent now. Even Madeline had packed up and left for the night.
Where is our wolf?
Approaching from the west corridor, she told him. The orderlies I requested are in pursuit.
Before Peter had a chance to reply a sandy blur shot out of the corridor leading to the psych wing, closely followed by a bunch of orderlies with tranquilizer guns drawn.
Peter chuckled. I guess this guy won’t be walking back to his ward, he quipped when he spotted another two orderlies coming up the corridor pushing a gurney.
Is that really a laughing matter? Meredith asked. How will I ever get the hang of humor if the boundaries keep shifting?
The lead orderly was relieved when she saw Peter. She gestured for him to cover the exits while her team fanned out to prevent the Were from escaping farther into the medical level.
Peter swerved to intercept the Were, vaulting over the benches toward the revolving doors as the armed orderlies skidded to a halt and unloaded their tranquilizer darts into the rear end of the panicked wolf.
The darts didn’t slow the Were down. If anything, he was spurred on by the pain. He yelped when they hit his hindquarters and hurtled even faster toward the exit, unheeding of Peter standing between him and his freedom.
Peter hesitated for a split second. He didn’t want to hurt the Were; he wasn’t an enemy, just a sick man.
“Don’t let him get out,” one of the orderlies called.
I’ve locked the main doors, Meredith told him. You just need to make sure he doesn’t leave by the access ramp.
Peter altered his course again, placing himself between the open ramp and the wolf. Thanks, Meredith.
Don’t thank me yet. I calculate it’ll be another two minutes before the tranquilizers take effect. You may have to restrain him.
Peter agreed. The drugs were beginning to take effect, but not fast enough. He held his position as the Were almost lost his footing, his claws skittering on the smooth stone. Then he gained purchase and pelted toward the exit with the hospital gown flapping around him. He finally saw Peter blocking his way and leapt to the side to evade capture.
Gott Verdammt, he’s not going to give me a choice!
He winced at the choked cough the Were made when he slammed chest-first into Peter’s outstretched arm and dropped.
Peter prepared himself to take a rough dive as the Were hauled himself to shaky paws and shook his head sluggishly. He thought the wolf was about to bolt again, but the hospital gown he was somehow still wearing finally slipped all the way down and tangled in his front legs, tripping him. Peter grimaced as the half-conscious wolf lost his equilibrium altogether and crashed face-first into the bench.
The wolf was gone the next minute, replaced by a sturdy and heavily-scarred man with a bushy beard. The orderlies were already there and two began removing the darts from his rear end, while the other two with the gurney prepared it to transfer him.
The man moaned and mumbled incoherently as they moved him and strapped him in securely. “You cannot keep me...you... You must let me go to him... Let me go...”
A female orderly tucked a blanket around the naked man as he slipped from consciousness. “There, now. We’ve got you.”
Peter ran a hand over his head, grimacing as he saw the bruising on the man’s chest. “Is he gonna be okay, um...?”
The orderly smiled at Peter as she fastened a strap across the gurney. “Thanks for the assist. Dionne.” She held out a hand, which Peter shook. “Yeah, he’s not ready to be out unsupervised yet.” She attached a clip to the patient’s finger. “He keeps trying to get out, no matter what we do. This is the second time we’ve had to restrain him today.”
Peter frowned in sympathy. “Who was he asking for just then? His family?”
Dionne shook her head sadly. “We have no idea. We don’t even know his real name. He came up here with an old woman in one of the first evacuations. She called him ‘Ilya’ for lack of anything else.”
“She’s not his mother?”
“No, just some woman who found him near-dead at the edge of her farm and took him in. He’s been here, oh, let me see...over a year, anyway. It’s a sad story, really, but we’re doing what we can for him and he’s on the road to recovery. We hope that his nanos will repair the injuries and he’ll get his memory back.”
“Can’t the Pod-doc heal him?”
Dionne shook her head. “The Pod-doc repaired the structure of his neural pathways, but that’s as much as it can do. He had a serious brain trauma, if he hadn’t had nanocytes then he wouldn’t have even made it this far. He can function day-to-day but his memory is shot, for want of a better phrase, until we can help him re-establish the connections.”
Peter sucked in a breath. “Poor guy.”
She nodded her agreement. “It’s not hopeless. He’s usually pretty calm, but he’s been having episodes like this more frequently as his treatment helps him to remember. The problem is that the memories return out of order, often with no context. He has manic episodes; his latest is that believes he’s back on Earth looking for someone. Like I said, not hopeless, it’s actually a sign of recovery. Our main concern is keeping him safe until he regains control of himself.”
Peter frowned. “And you have no idea who he is?”
“Not a clue. The woman didn’t know anything about him. He’s strong for a Wechselbalg. He might be able to tell us something once he gets some more of his memory back, but that can’t be rushed. I can tell you one thing: he’s a hell of a fighter.” She nodded and bent to push the gurney at her end. “Thanks again, Commander.”
Peter nodded in return. “‘Peter’ is fine. Keep me informed, please. I want to know if this happens again. In the meantime, I’ll assign a couple of Guardians to be here in case he gets out again. I’ll also ask around, see if I can find anyone who might know who he is.”
Dionne nodded. “That would be great.”
Peter lost himself in thought as the orderlies pushed the gurney away. He couldn’t imagine the torment the man was going through. To have nothing left of his mind but the compulsion to find someone whom he couldn’t even remember? That had to be tearing him apart at the deepest level. He wondered who “Ilya” was searching for.
Who could be so dear to him that even the brain trauma he’d suffered couldn’t completely wipe him from his memory?
CHAPTER TWO
QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Etheric Academy, Administrators’ Office
The puppy was curled on her bed in the corner of the office. She let out a sleepy snuffle, all four paws moving as she gave chase in her dreams.
Diane was distracted, tapping a finger on her lips. “When we agreed to take Devi in I never considered that we’d be too busy watching her sleep to get any work done. She’s no trouble at all; such a sweetheart.”
“Especially now she’s had the same enhancements as Matrix and can talk to us properly. Who would have thought a dog would improve our lives this much?” Dorene smiled as she watched Devi sleep.
“Hmm?” Diane dragged her gaze away from the dog bed. “I’ll miss her when we reopen. But she has an inquisitive mind when she’s not busy accessorizing. Having her around will make the students feel safe, especially after the attacks.” Diane shook her head, “Can you believe jihadi terrorists attacked us all the way out here?”
Dorene nodded. “Yes, completely. Although I think I was more terrorized by the sight of Bobcat’s backside pressed against the window than those idiots in the caskets.” She shuddered. “Ugh. I can’t repress the sight of that video no matter how much I try!”
Diane cracked up at that. “What’s the matter, DJ? Was the moon too bright for you?”
Dorene gave her twin a sour look. “You know it was, dear. Now back to business, if you’re all done? There’s been enough to do just getting ready to go through the Gate. Did Max and Van agree to help out with the kids?”
Diane nodded. “They’re makin
g preparations as we speak. Max may need to be reined in a little. The last I saw him, he was shepherding a flock of antigrav pallets to the auditorium. When I asked him what he was up to, he said the least we could do while the men and women of the fleet protect our people is to provide a pleasant place to stay for their kids while they do it.”
“That man is an absolute treasure. We’ll go visit him shortly and see what we can do to help. But first, Devi’s protection vest has arrived and she needs to try it on for size.”
“She’s not going to be happy about it, DJ.”
“Don’t I know it,” Dorene replied. She pulled a silver-wrapped box out from under her desk and began undoing the bow on the top. “She’s doing very well in her training, and I have faith she’ll be a good guardian for the school. She just needs some time to adjust to wearing her uniform before she has to wear it every day.”
Devi’s ears twitched at the rustle of tissue paper, but her eyes remained shut.
Diane lowered her voice. “You know as well as I do how we’re going to get Devi to wear that vest. We’ll reward her for being brave. None of Bellatrix’ and Ashur’s puppies like wearing this stuff, but I think something shiny might help get our girl motivated.” She nodded at the box on her sister’s desk. “I’m guessing you’ve already thought of that?”
Dorene passed her sister one of the tissue-wrapped packages from the box with a wink. “You guessed right. I had a visit from one of ADAM’s fashionistas this morning and she dropped off our order.”
Diane peeked inside the tissue paper. “I think this might just do the trick, DJ.” She turned to the puppy. “Devi, sweetheart, we got you a gift.”
Devi jumped up at the sound of her name and trotted sleepily over to the desks. She sat in front of Diane and Dorene with her tongue lolling out and yawned. “A gift? What is it? Is it treats?”
Alpha Class - Graduation_A Kurtherian Gambit Series Page 1