Jewel of The Stars - Season 1 Episode 1 - Earth's Remnant Read online

  Contents

  Copyright

  Free Book

  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

  Free Prequel

  Acknowledgements

  Other Books

  About The Author

  Jewel of the Stars

  Season 1 Episode 1 - Earth’s Remnant

  Copyright © Adam David Collings (2017)

  http://www.adamdavidcollings.com

  Cover Design by Dominika Hlinková (Inspired Cover Designs)

  Edited by Iola Goulton - Christian Editing Services

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or read, is fictionalised or coincidental.

  Note: This book follows Australian style conventions for spelling, punctuation and grammar

  Subscribe to Adam David Collings’ newsletter for the latest on new releases, freebies and behind-the-scenes news at http://eepurl.com/BjS5z

  Free Book

  Get the exclusive back-story to humanity’s first contact in this free prequel. The Fall of the HMAS Adelaide

  http://www.adamdavidcollings.com/free

  Chapter One

  Les Miller refused to teleport without his hat. As the captain, he had to set an example for the rest of the crew. He rummaged through his suitcase. He’d worn it home from the ship yesterday, so would’ve put it straight on top.

  He glanced at the time projected by his eye lenses. Quarter past seven. It would take fifteen minutes to reach the spaceport on Toronto Island. If he didn’t find his hat in the next few minutes, he’d be late.

  He moved into the living area. There it was, sitting on the chesterfield. He picked it up and slipped it on his head. Now he looked the part of ship’s captain-and it covered his grey hair.

  He headed back into the bedroom to close his suitcase. How had his hat ended up on the chesterfield? That’s right. He’d tossed it down last night when his brother called just as he’d arrived home.

  The door chime sounded. Seriously? He had no time for visitors. Les put the suitcase down and opened the door. The man on the threshold had a forehead dripping with perspiration and sporting a short scar leading up to wild orange hair. The guy’s rags had a whiff of smoke about them, and wild bloodshot eyes stared at him.

  Great. A homeless crazy had got past the security downstairs.

  “Can I help you?”

  “Captain Les Miller?”

  What was that accent? South African?

  “Yeah?”

  “You’re on your way to the ship, aren’t you? The Jewel of the Stars?”

  How did a tramp from the street know his name, let alone the name of his ship? A family of butterflies landed in his gut. Was this guy stalking him? He reached his left hand around the doorway and hovered his index finger over the security button. “Who are you?”

  “I’m … I’m not important. You can’t go.”

  “I can’t go where?”

  “Into space. On the ship.”

  “How do you know so much about me?” Les pushed the button.

  “Doesn’t matter. Something terrible is going to happen.”

  “Something terrible is already happening. I’m late for work and I’m being stalked by a crazy man. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” He picked up his suitcase.

  “I’m serious, Captain. There’s danger out there. Actually, the danger is coming here, but that’s irrelevant.” The man clenched his eyes shut, then opened them a second later. “The point is, you’ll be better off if you stay here. You might be able to prevent it.”

  This guy was either insane, or privy to some disturbing information. Les bet on the former. He wasn’t abandoning his job based on nothing more than vague predictions of doom. There was still the question of how this caller knew so much about Les. Why choose him as a target?

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “You will. Don’t let that ship leave.”

  Les put down the suitcase and clenched his fists. “Step away from my door.”

  Ding. The lift doors behind the crazy man slid open. Two uniformed guards stepped out.

  “Sir, you need to come with us.” One of the guards strode towards the door. “Nobody wants to be bothered by you.”

  The crazy man glanced over his shoulder at the guards. And bolted. The guard by the lift leapt after him down the hallway. Moments later, the guard dragged the intruder back into the lift.

  “Don’t go into space,” the man shouted. “Cancel the flight. Don’t let those passengers leave Earth.”

  The lift doors stole anything else the intruder would have said.

  Les turned to the remaining security officer.

  “Your men need to be more vigilant. If he’d been dangerous, you might’ve been too late.”

  “I apologise, Captain Miller. He slipped by us. Tricky guy. Not sure how he managed it.”

  Miller nodded. “Well no harm done, but I do need to get to the spaceport, so if you don’t mind …”

  “Of course. Have a good day, Captain.”

  Les couldn’t help a smile. His uniform and rank often impressed people, even though he wasn’t military. It was nice to be respected. He glanced at his watch.

  Stars!

  He needed to leave. Now.

  #

  The air around Les fizzed for a moment as he materialised in the teleport chamber aboard the Jewel of the Stars. He stepped out of the chamber, meeting the gaze of the pretty Asian teleport operator, and strolled out into the corridor.

  He stole a glance at the time display. He’d made it, but he no longer had the luxury of taking his time to ensure the ship was running smoothly. Everything had better be ready for their passengers.

  The hallways of the crew decks were plain. The raw metal walls and nondescript beige carpet were a stunning contrast to the opulence of the passenger decks. Up here, he could believe he was back on the cargo ship he and Joannah worked on for so many years. She’d have loved it here. Why hadn’t he taken her on a cruise back when he still had the chance? He now spent most of his days on a cruise ship and Joannah wasn’t around to share it with him. Fate was cruel.

  This particular hallway was redeemed by the floor-to-ceiling photo of the ship in all her glory. Passengers of space cruise ships rarely got to see their vessel from the outside, which was a shame. She was a sight to behold, like her ancient cousin in the next photo over, Jewel of the Seas. The older model looked similar, apart from the triangular bow and lack of a warp ring. Les smiled at the images. He was part of a grand tradition.

  He reached the end of the hallway, opened the door, and swept onto the bridge. Blue earth-light bathed the bridge through the front windows. Crew moved about from station to station, none of their faces betraying the usual pre-launch pressures. They were professional, eve
ry last one.

  Staff Captain Maya Rice, his first officer, strode forward.

  “Captain, the chief engineer reports minor problems with the electrical systems on deck 12.”

  “Tell her to get it fixed yesterday. You know my motto.”

  “Yes, Captain,” she said. “Everything must be perfect before the passengers get on board.”

  “And the early birds will start arriving in minutes.”

  Maya nodded. “And Captain, Director Mallick is on the line. He wants to speak with you.”

  Les dismissed Maya with a wave of his hand. “Better see what His Majesty wants.”

  He stepped into his ready room and closed the door. The ready room sat directly behind the bridge, and was little more than a closet. It offered him a quiet place to sit without leaving the bridge, but was nothing compared to his main office down on the administration deck.

  He sat at the tiny desk and pressed a control on his wristband, syncing his eye-lenses with the terminal. The communication screen was projected in the air in front of him. There it was, a pending call from Director Mallick. He reached out and pressed the receive icon. The screen vanished and Mallick’s age-creased face appeared, floating above the desk.

  “Captain Miller, I’m afraid you’re going to have to alter your route for this cruise.”

  “Now?” Les raised both eyebrows. “We’re about to leave.”

  “It’s unavoidable, I’m afraid. You’re not to go anywhere near Alpha Centauri.”

  “But that’s our first big attraction. People love to see the landing site on Proxima B.” Les tapped an icon, then glanced down at his desk. As he did, his eye lenses projected an image of the pre-flight checklist. He scrolled it with his finger.

  “They’ll have to settle for a view of the Helix Nebula instead.”

  Les locked eyes with Mallick. “People have paid good credits for this cruise. If we don’t take them to the advertised destinations, you’ll be drowning in complaints.”

  “Captain, we’ve received safety alerts for the entire Alpha Centauri system. Dangerous solar activity, I’m told.”

  “Glory of the Stars was there just two weeks ago.” Solar activity? His ship had shielding for a reason. Was Mallick trying to sabotage Les’s passenger satisfaction rate?

  “Yes, and Captain Moore reported unusual readings.”

  Funny. Moore hadn’t mentioned anything when they’d bumped into each other at headquarters yesterday. Still, passenger well-being came first. No matter what.

  “Well, if there are safety concerns …”

  “I realise this is unconventional, Captain, but it’s not negotiable. You let me handle the fallout from the passengers.”

  “As you wish.”

  Mallick nodded. His face vanished, replaced immediately by the Earth United Cruise Lines logo.

  Les huffed. Nothing was going right today.

  Chapter Two

  Braxton White took a quick glance over his shoulder. No familiar faces. Good. The last thing he needed was to bump into someone from the old days. The chances of that were low enough in the civilian terminal, but you never knew. All would be fine if he could make it to his gate undetected. The sooner he teleported up to the ship, the better.

  Braxton gave a long low whistle. Fancy being here in Sydney spaceport again. It hadn’t changed much in the last few years. Of course, this was the civilian terminal. The military areas were off limits. Now. Good riddance, too. It wasn’t like they deserved him.

  Something hard collided with Braxton’s shin, sending pain up through his leg. A fat man in a Hawaiian shirt hefted a hard plastic suitcase.

  “Sorry ’bout that mate.”

  Braxton glared.

  “In a hurry to get to my gate. Y’know.”

  “Be more careful in future.”

  The bloke scurried off, his shoes clacking on the plastic floor. Moments later, he had another near miss. The idiot was gonna kill someone with that case.

  Braxton’s bare scalp tingled in the cool air. They could establish a stable warp field around a ship but they still couldn’t comfortably heat a room of this size. The floor-to-ceiling windows in this terminal let in a bucket load of light. He squinted, and made out the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, monuments from two centuries past, behind the smaller spacecraft sitting on the concrete. Sunlight was one of the few things he missed about Earth when he was in space, but he’d had his fill lately. Bring on the darkness.

  A baby cried. Braxton rubbed his forehead. Oh, for the days when spaceports were filled with nothing but the hushed conversations of fellow soldiers. Here it was all mums and babies and granddads and young lovers. No wonder he’d avoided civilian areas in the past.

  He glanced at his boarding pass. Gate 23. That’s where he’d find the teleport chamber to Jewel of the Stars. Hopefully the ship would live up to her name.

  Braxton shook his head. How had it come to this? Taking a holiday on a cruise ship just so he could be in space? Well, it was better than nothing. It’d been too long.

  He reached a travelator and moved to the side. Most people stood motionless on these things. He could move quicker walking next to it.

  He looked behind him. He wasn’t the only one who’d opted to walk. A teenage girl with bright green eyes ambled along behind him. She met his gaze with a scowl. Her face might have been pretty if she could find the effort to crack a smile. Wasn’t the spaceport meant to be a happy place? She was on her way to a cruise ship, not the gallows. Braxton snorted. Teenagers. Good thing he’d always had the sense to stay single and childless.

  He touched his wristband, and a small digital clock appeared, floating before him. There was still plenty of time but he wanted to get out of the spaceport. Why was everyone dawdling today? Surely they’d be eager to get where they were going, especially those joining him on the cruise.

  Les dismissed the clock as he reached the end of the travelator. The gate was up ahead.

  “Braxton White.” There wasn’t a hint of friendliness in the voice.

  Braxton’s heart seized. He’d been recognised. He stopped walking and looked up. Lieutenant-Commander Campbell. Hold on, according to the insignia on the man’s shoulders it was now Commander Campbell. Surely Stokes hadn’t promoted this bloody idiot to XO? What an insult.

  And how humiliating to be seen taking a cruise. He’d once led men into battle among the stars. Now he was playing in them.

  “Commander.” Braxton nodded.

  “I didn’t expect to see you at the spaceport again.”

  “Just a relaxing cruise. Nothing for you to be concerned about.”

  Campbell looked him up and down. His face frozen in stone.

  “Well, try to stay out of trouble. Mr White.”

  Braxton’s jaw clamped down. He clenched his hands into fists but forced them to relax. “As always, Commander.”

  Campbell turned and headed towards the heavy security doors that would take him into the military terminal. Braxton let out a long hard sigh. Stars, what a mongrel.

  He looked back towards his gate. Thanks to Campbell’s interruption he was now stuck behind the green-eyed girl who was ambling through the crowd slower than ever. Perfect. Maybe this cruise had been a bad idea.

  #

  Braxton tossed his bag onto the bed. The mattress sagged under the impact but it’d be fine. Much better than anything he’d slept on in the military.

  For better or worse he was here now. Time to make the most of it, and maybe even enjoy it.

  “Will that be all, sir?” The porter asked.

  “Yep. Thanks, mate.”

  The porter nodded and retreated from the room.

  Would he expect a tip? Probably. Braxton tapped his wristband and transmitted the tip from the menu displayed by his eye lenses. Silly American tradition. Or was it European? He wasn’t sure. Either way, it seemed just another way to get money out of people. Not that money was a huge problem at the moment. At least his honourable discharge provided him
with a decent pension.

  Braxton strolled over to the porthole. Nobody could tire of seeing Earth from orbit. Seeing new planets was great, of course, but there was something about humanity’s home world that couldn’t be matched.

  His finger still lingered over his wristband. Might as well check for messages. He hadn’t done so in a few days.

  He scrolled through the list projected by his eye lenses. Most of it was junk. Hold on. There was a message from Jane, one of the few crew mates from the Hobart who still kept in touch. He opened the message.

  Braxton.

  Sorry to inform you that the HMAS Adelaide was lost yesterday along with all hands. We had a lot of good mates on that ship. Can’t believe they’re gone.

  There’s something bad out here, Braxton. Can’t say any more. I wish you were still with us.

  Jane

  Braxton’s mouth went dry. Lost. All hands. The Royal Australian Space Navy only had four ships, so the crews were all tight. Too many good men and women. Who’d done this? Not pirates. They couldn’t get the better of a warship. Something bad, Jane had said. What could that mean?

  Braxton shook his head. He wasn’t part of that world any more. He needed to forget about it, leave it in the hands of those still in active service. Still, all those good men and women lost.

  Braxton turned towards the door. Time to take his mind off everything.

  #

  The paperwork was done. Les closed the document, stood, and strode onto the bridge. Maya stood at ease, keeping watch. She could be a bit stiff, but that came from her history in the military.

  “How’s it all holding together?” Les asked.

  “All passengers are present and accounted for. Ship is in position for launch. Warp ring energised and ready. We’re clear of Earth orbit.”

  “And our course?”

  “Locked in for Helix Nebula view.”

  “Very good.” Les smiled and turned to the navigator. “Take us to warp.”