Short Story Archives - Council Science Fiction

Short Story Part 2

Imperator — Sat, 16 Feb 2019 22:34:52 +0000

New Short Story Part 2!

Chronicles of the Expansion War: Episode 1 Part 2

Part 2 of my latest short story is now released. Click the link above to go to the story page and read it now!

For those who prefer, a PDF version of the complete story can be downloaded here:

Chronicles of the Expansion War Episode I: The Battle of Yates - Complete

1 file(s) 427.07 KB

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A New Short Story and A New Content Format

Imperator — Mon, 04 Feb 2019 20:12:37 +0000

New Short Story!

Chronicles of the Expansion War

Episode 1

The Battle of Yates (Part 1)

A Short Story By Gerold F. Eberl III

Click Here to Read it Now!

I had planned to release this last week but because of the length of the story I had to delay it for editing. The overall length of this story means it could technically be considered a novella. Because of this I have decided to split it into two parts, expect Part 2 to be released soon. As usual I will release a PDF version of the full story when I release Part 2.

New Content Format

This is something I am particularly excited about. I have some experience in 3D modelling and design, so for a while I have been considering creating some 3D concept art of ships or locations in my stories, and I finally have something to show in that regard. Below I have included a quick conceptual rendering of the colony ship that appears in my latest short story. This is very much a work in progress, the model, textures, and lighting are incomplete. However, I wanted to release it as a sample of things to come.

Work In Progress – Click for full sized Image

The post A New Short Story and A New Content Format appeared first on Council Science Fiction.

New Short Story: Resolute Outcast – Part 2

Imperator — Sun, 01 Jul 2018 19:06:43 +0000

I am pleased to present Part 2 of my new short story:

Part 1 can be Read Here

For those who prefer, a PDF version of the full story can be downloaded here:

Resolute Outcast - Complete

1 file(s) 355.02 KB

Download

May 12, 6303 Earth Standard

Freighter Blue Sparrow on Approach to Mendel II

Two and a half days after his departure from New Concord, Michael Bannik once again found himself seated in the cockpit of the Blue Sparrow. This time they were not leaving a world, but rather on final approach to Mendel II. It was a stark contrast to where he had come from, thousands of ships around the planet, numerous orbital installations some nearly a hundred kilometers across. He had seen it in VR, but seeing it himself was entirely different.

As they descended towards a city Michael became aware of just how large it was, sprawling out beyond any on New Concord, with towering buildings soaring kilometers above the surface, “How many people live here?”

“Nearly two hundred million.” Megan replied.

Two hundred million, the figure struck him. It was ten times the size of St. Anne, the largest city on New Concord, and Earth had cities with billions, he could only imagine how vast they must be. As they passed through a cloud layer the port came into view, ships that dwarfed anything he had ever seen were docked at numerous berths around a massive facility. The imposing sight just served to emphasize how small and isolated the colony on his home world really was.

“We’ll drop you at the passenger terminal before continuing on to the cargo docks.” Nate told Bannik as they neared a small landing area, “Just to let you know, the gravity here is a little higher than you’re used to. So be careful when you get off the ship.”

Bannik nodded as they touched down, he was far too distracted by the sights around them to offer any more of a response. The ship landing drove the realization into him; he was actually on a different world. “I made it.” He said aloud.

“All your documentation in order?” Megan inquired, she knew if it wasn’t he was in for a bureaucratic nightmare.

“Yeah.” Bannik replied as he picked up his bag, he had checked several times to make sure of it, “I filed everything before I left.”

“Well, we’ll wish you the best of luck then.” She continued.

“Thank you.” Bannik replied as he left the cockpit. He quickly made his way to one of the ships boarding ramps, a blast of warmer air hit him and his ear popped as the ramp opened. The atmospheric pressure here was slightly higher than on the ship. When he stepped off the ramp he quickly realized why they had warned him about the gravity, he must have felt 20 kilos heavier and he had to tighten his grip on his bag to avoid dropping it.

Looking around, the area appeared to be a landing zone for charter flights. Most of the people around him appeared to be significantly wealthier than him and he couldn’t help but feel a little out of place. Entering the terminal he had to stop and take in the overwhelming scope of the structure. It was unlike anything on New Concord, for a moment he felt like he might get lost, fortunately the directions to immigration were clearly posted.

His path led him to what appeared to be some sort of tram, at least it reminded him of the tram on New Concord, but it was significantly more sophisticated. The alien feeling of an artificial gravity field greeted him as he entered with a number of other people. He suppressed a gasp as the tram took off at an incredible speed, reaching its next stop nearly a kilometer away in a just a few seconds. People filed on and off and the tram took off once again; after several stops he was quickly becoming accustomed to it.

Finally the tram brought him to immigration, an expansive area dominated by a number of gated kiosks. Most of them appeared to be run by automated AI’s, but there were a few counters that had real people, likely to deal with any complications that arose. Michael Bannik made his way to the nearest open kiosk, he wasn’t entirely sure what to expect but he had heard that the AI would walk him through everything. The face of an AI appeared and a quick scan swept over him as he entered.

“Michael Bannik, age eighteen.” The AI stated as a holographic display appeared, “Please review and confirm the following data before continuing.”

Bannik looked at the data, birth date, planet of birth, various bits of biographical information; it appeared to have been compiled from the documents he had submitted. Everything appeared to be in order so he pressed the confirm button.

“Thank you.” The AI continued, “Your current status is: awaiting approval for temporary residency. Because you do not have a medical record associated with a doctor licensed by the Colonial Confederation you will be required to submit to a medical examination before your temporary residency status can be approved. The medical facility can be found down the hall on the left once this interview is concluded. Please note that it is a felony to intentionally lie or provide misleading answers to any questions posed. Please indicate your understanding and acceptance to continue or cancel this exchange and proceed to the service counters if you would prefer to speak to a human representative.”

A mass of text accompanied the AI’s explanation; most of it was simply the associated laws and other references. Bannik had already seen most of it when he was filing his initial documentation, “I accept.”

The AI display shifted to a questionnaire format, it appeared quite short so long as the conditional questions weren’t triggered, “Do you confirm that the information provided in your residency petition and subsequent interview is substantially accurate and free from errors?”

“Yes.”

“Have you visited any of the listed locations before your arrival on Mendel II?”

A list of locations appeared before Bannik, many of them, like Lambda Station he had never even heard of, “No.”

“Are you currently carrying, or were you asked to carry any of the following contraband items?” The AI continued.

“No.” Bannik answered after quickly looking over the list.

The final question came up, “Since your immigration interview, have there been any changes in your status that would require updates to the following information.”

Bannik reviewed the data displayed, “No.”

“Thank you, and welcome to the Colonial Confederation. Please proceed down the hall to your left for your medical examination.” The AI finished as the doors on the other side of the kiosk opened.

“Well that was quick.” Bannik commented as he looked around the area. To his right was an exit that appeared to have scanners, likely to prevent those who needed medical exams from exiting, and to his left, the hallway to medical.

The entrance to the medical facility consisted of a relatively small waiting room. Apparently there were not a large number of people in his predicament, but there were enough to warrant having such a facility on site. After a short wait he was called back to an exam room.

A doctor entered the exam room shortly after Bannik, “Michael Bannik is it?” The Doctor inquired to confirm she had the pronunciation right, “I’m Doctor Colfax, I’ve reviewed your data, I must say you’re somewhat of a surprise.”

“How’s that?” Bannik had no idea what she meant.

“Oh it’s nothing to be concerned about.” She replied with a wave of her hand to alleviate his concerns, “It’s just, this is the first time I’ve ever met someone who had absolutely no genetic augmentations, and I’ve been here almost two years. It’s somewhat exciting from a medical standpoint.”

“I see.” An uneasy nod accompanied Bannik’s response. He wasn’t too fond of being considered a medical anomaly, but in a time when over 99.7% of the human race had some genetic modifications it was hardly surprising.

Doctor Colfax gestured to the exam bed, “If you’ll lie down, we’ll take a preliminary scan for your medical records.”

Bannik did as he was instructed, then a large scanner slowly swept over him. Doubtlessly it was a far more intrusive scan than the security and identification scans he had been subjected to so far.

“That’s it.” Colfax commented as the scanner returned to its normal position. Quickly she glanced over the results, “Everything looks normal considering your unaltered genome. How are you handling the high gravity?”

“Alright. It’s a little tiring.” Bannik admitted.

Colfax nodded, “That’s to be expected. Once you’ve undergone the basic augmentations it shouldn’t be so much of a concern. I’m sure you’re aware you’ll need a medical confirmation of that within the next three months before your permanent residence status will get final approval. Have you found a doctor or scheduled the treatment yet?”

“I’m attending the military academy; they’re supposed to handle everything.” Bannik replied.

“Ah, shouldn’t be an issue then.” She replied as she walked to a counter and prepared an injection, “This is an immune booster; it should prevent you from getting sick until you get your genetic treatments. I can tell you, you do not want to be walking around with an unmodified immune system. There are some diseases out there that while harmless after the treatments, could put your life at risk right now.”

“Disturbing.” Bannik commented as the injection went in his arm.

“It is when you stop and think about it.” She agreed, turning her attention to a small tablet where she punched in a few commands before turning back to him, “There you go, your temporary residency status is now approved.”

“Thank you.” Bannik got up and grabbed his belongings as the doctor led him out of the room, activating the sterilization protocol as soon as they were both out. Before he left he turned back to her, “Do you happen to know where the Fleet Office is?”

“Somewhere on level four if I remember correctly.” It had been a while since she had been down there, “Ask the computer when you leave the office it should be able to give you directions.”

Doctor Colfax was right; the computer had led Bannik right to the office, doorways flanked by holograms about joining the military. With a deep breath he made his way inside to find a woman sitting behind a desk, her uniform identified her as a specialist second class.

“Can I help you?” She inquired as Bannik walked up.

“Yes.” Bannik pulled a tablet out of his bag and brought up the instructions he was given, before handing it to her, “I was told to report here upon my arrival on planet.”

It took the specialist a few seconds to look over his tablet and pull up some data, “Mr. Bannik, you’re on my schedule. A little earlier than expected, but that shouldn’t be an issue. I’ll let Lieutenant Tully know you’re here, please take a seat.”

Bannik knew what to expect here, before he could attend the academy as a provisional cadet there would be an interview. He didn’t know what they would ask him, but he knew that he would be scanned and monitored to assess the truthfulness of his answers. It was minor but it was the final hurdle that could derail his plans if they were not satisfied with his answers. He was getting nervous thinking about it, and his palms were sweating.

Suddenly the silence was interrupted by a man’s voice, “Specialist, is this Mr. Bannik?”

“Yes Sir.” She replied standing up.

The Lieutenant looked over, “Set him up in interview two, I’ll be in in five minutes.”

“Understood Sir.” She saluted and turned to Bannik, “Please come with me.”

As she led Bannik into the interview room he was surprised to see that it appeared to be a small conference room and had a window overlooking a park outside the building. He assumed the whole design was probably to help people relax.

The specialist gestured for him to take a seat in one of the chairs at the table in the room, “This room is equipped with sensors to monitor your vitals and assess the truthfulness of the answers you give during your interview. Lieutenant Tully will be conducting it, he’ll be in shortly.” Without another word she left and the door closed behind her.

Another specialist accompanied Lieutenant Tully when he entered a few minutes later. The lieutenant sat down across from Bannik while the specialist stood against a wall, his attention focused on a tablet that was probably displaying Bannik’s vitals. Tully looked at his own tablet and the data on Bannik, “Mr. Bannik, I’m sure you’re aware of the purpose of this interview and Specialist Jacobs told you that you will be monitored to assess your truthfulness.” Tully saw Bannik nod, “Good, because while you’re currently accepted to the Fleet Academy as a provisional cadet for the next term, that acceptance will be revoked if your answers here are not satisfactory.”

“I understand.” Bannik answered trying to hide how nervous he was.

Tully nodded approvingly and pulled up a list of questions, “Excellent, let’s begin. We’ll start with the basics. Are you Michael Bannik, born January 7, 6285 on New Concord?

“Yes.” Bannik replied.

“Have you ever been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a criminal offense?” Tully continued.

“No.” Bannik replied; after he answered he thought about how he had gotten his parents approval for the school he had attended, he doubted it rose to the level of a criminal offense under the circumstances. His parents had simply authorized it without reading. Judging by the reaction of the specialist, he was okay.

“Have you in any way falsified the data you presented in your immigration process or your Academy application process?”

“No.”

“Have you attempted to present any factually accurate data in a misleading way in the aforementioned processes?” The Lieutenant read from the questions before him.

Once again Bannik responded. “No.”

“Are you now or have you ever been a member of a group, movement, or any other organization with goals that might seek to undermine the government of the Colonial Confederation or the wellbeing of individuals under its jurisdiction?”
“No.” Bannik could feel his heartbeat, this was effectively an interrogation. He wasn’t concerned about the questions anymore; just that his agitation might make him look misleading.

“Do you harbor any ill will towards the Colonial Confederation, its government, or its citizens?”

“No.”

“Pay attention this question is a little different.” Tully cautioned, “Do you abandon any prior allegiance and swear your allegiance to the Colonial Confederation?”

“I do.” Bannik replied, realizing that he had just completely forsaken his homeworld. Strangely, that thought brought him comfort. The rest of the questions seemed to get easier for him after that, and he found his confidence growing as the interview went on.

“Final question.” Tully informed him, sliding his tablet aside, “How does it feel to know you’ll be an Academy cadet when the next term begins?”

It took Bannik a moment to process, “Great, thank you Sir.”

Lieutenant Tully stood up to shake Bannik’s hand, “Let me be the first to congratulate you. You know you’ll be the first cadet from your homeworld in hundreds of years.”

“I knew it had been a long time.” Bannik acknowledged.

“Well you still have a ways to go before you get there.” Tully reminded him, “You need to undergo some genetic treatments, so for the next three months you’ll be transferred to Kannalli Base here on this planet. There you’ll undergo your treatments at the base hospital and be put through a special training. At the conclusion of that, you’ll be transferred to Earth, where for the next six years you’ll attend the academy.”

Bannik couldn’t help but smile, “Thank you Sir, I can’t tell you how long I’ve wanted to get off my homeworld.”

After pressing a few commands into his tablet Tully returned his focus to Bannik, “Take the tram to the Fleet landing facility and get on transport G-14, it’ll take you to the base. I need to return to my other duties but hopefully we’ll meet again someday.”

For the first time in months, Bannik felt completely at ease, everything had finally come together. Even the prospect of the gene therapies didn’t bother him at the moment; he was probably one of the only people from his world who could say that. He took a minute to completely relax as the tram carried him to the transport docks.

It was a relief when Bannik stepped on to the transport, the gravity aboard defaulted to one g, considerably less than he had been enduring since his arrival. It wouldn’t last, but he was going to enjoy it before facing the prospect of several months on a high gravity world. The transport was far from full, but there were a number of other people aboard, some were uniformed military personnel, but most of the others appeared to be new recruits like him.

The flight to the base took less than ten minutes. As the transport approached, Bannik could see the sprawling complex in the otherwise remote region of the planet. On the far side of the base were berths for larger ships, and beyond that a large open area, currently occupied by what appeared to be some sort of massive landing ship.

Impressive as the view was, it was short lived as the transport descended towards a landing bay in the central part of the complex. When they landed the uniformed personnel guided everyone to a meeting hall for a thankfully short orientation briefing. Finally, everyone was assigned to quarters on the base.

Bannik’s quarters were small but more than adequate, about 3 by 5 meters with a tiny bathroom. Looking at the clock he had just enough time to shower before changing into the uniform they had provided and reporting to the base hospital. Everything he had already done paled in comparison to getting genetic augmentations, it would be the final rejection of the way he had grown up and the planet he had left.

At the hospital Bannik presented his orders and was immediately brought to a suite with far more intimidating equipment than he had seen at his initial exam. Dominating the center of the room was a table beneath an array of surgical equipment, Bannik swallowed as he looked at it, he barely noticed a man walk towards him.

“Michael Bannik?” The man inquired prompting a nod from Bannik, “I’m Lieutenant Commander Victor Lorne; I’ll be your doctor while you’re here. Try not to be intimidated, we just need the sensors in this room to customize your treatments.”

A wave of relief came over Bannik, he was beginning to wonder why he was in a surgical suite, “I was getting worried.”

“Nothing to be concerned about.” Lorne reassured him, “Though I understand you’re a rather unusual case. Absolutely no genetic alterations?”

“None.” Bannik confirmed.

It was quite unusual to meet someone like Bannik, Lorne’s curiosity had to be satisfied, “How are you holding up in the high gravity?”

Bannik frowned, “The other doctor asked me about that when I arrived. Can’t say I’m exactly enjoying it, but other than getting a little tired…”

“Well, it shouldn’t be an issue once your treatments are over. Speaking of, have you been briefed on what to expect in that regard?” Lorne inquired.

“Only that I’ll need several rounds of treatments over the next two months.” Bannik answered.

Lorne was unused to dealing with people who knew so little about genetic augmentation but it wasn’t surprising in this case. He grabbed his tablet and pressed a few commands, “I’m sending you the data sheets on the treatments, they’re long but they can answer most of your questions. As for what you can expect right now, we’ll examine your DNA and prepare a treatment accordingly; combined with some minor nano-surgery the treatments can reach full effect in about two months. The long list of changes is in the data sheet, but the big ones are increased lifespan, improved health and immune response, and better environmental adaptivity. The general treatments are pretty refined but there can be some side effects, most commonly nausea and disorientation, they’re temporary and usually very mild. The one exception to that is the augmentation to your muscles and bone structure, it’s not a mandatory part of the treatment, but on a high gravity world you’ll be very thankful for it. The downside is that it usually causes general body aches, normally they’re nothing more than an annoyance but they can sometimes be severe. Typically they start around forty-eight hours after the first treatment and end about ten days after that. If they get severe let us know, we’ll treat them. I can see this is a little overwhelming, you probably have some questions.”

At the center of Bannik’s myriad of questions was one major one, “Exactly how safe are these treatments?”

“Extremely safe.” Lorne reassured him, “These treatments are customized for the individual. As I said, there can be side effects, but as long as we’re not talking about black market clinics the odds of complications are about one in a billion, and of those complications only about one in fifty are serious. No one has died from a licensed treatment in well over a century and in that time there have been literally trillions of treatments administered.”

“And these won’t affect my mind or anything like that?” It was one concern that still lingered in the back of Bannik’s mind, left over from his upbringing on New Concord.

Lorne shook his head, “No, modifications to neurological function are extremely restricted and for the most part, only done under special circumstances. You have nothing to worry about in that regard.”

That reassured Bannik, for a second he had been having second thoughts, “And after this I’m supposed to have two months of special training?”

“That’s right; it will help you adjust to the changes, particularly the changes to your muscle and bone structure. Most of that will be done here in the hospital. Anything else right now?” Lorne inquired, to which Bannik shook his head, “Then, if you’ll lie down on the table we’ll get started.”

Bannik did as he was instructed; only now noticing the woman on the far side of the room configuring the sensors. With a brief smile she pressed the controls and a large ring like scanner moved over Bannik. As it finished the doctor moved to the display and examined the data, nodding as he mulled it over.

“Prepare a Series 1A-4 gene mod for the current sequence.” Lorne commanded the computer before turning to Bannik, “That’ll take a few minutes to prepare; you have no previous gene mods so I will ask you to wear this for the next few days.” Lorne produced a small translucent sensor patch and pressed it onto Bannik’s upper arm where it became all but invisible, “That will monitor the changes and let us keep track of your progress.”

Before Bannik could ask anything the console behind Lorne sounded with an incoming transmission, “Commander Lorne, lab here. You ordered a Series 1A-4 gene mod, can you confirm that?”

“That’s correct.” Lorne replied with mild frustration.

The voice on the other end sounded somewhat surprised, “Understood, you’ll have it in a few minutes sir. Lab out.”

“What was that about?” Bannik demanded with renewed concern.

Lorne just shook his head, “Series 1A treatments are for people that have no other augmentations; we don’t use them very often. They probably thought it was a mistake.”

“I see.” Bannik leaned back and tried to relax, he knew there really wasn’t anything to be concerned about but some anxiety still lingered.

A few minutes later a small drone delivered the treatment. Lorne examined it and placed it in an injector, “Ready?” He asked approaching Bannik.

“Yeah.” Bannik answered with a deep breath.

The next two days Bannik didn’t notice any difference but on the third he realized what Lorne had meant about the body aches. They weren’t unbearable but they were definitely uncomfortable. Slowly they subsided, and he began to become more aware of the changes. The most obvious one was that he wasn’t getting tired as easily in the high gravity. In one of his training exercises they placed him in a 1g environment, where he found to his surprise he could jump twice as high as he once could. As the training continued it shifted more to a military basic training regimen.

After a month on base Bannik finally decided to try contacting his family, hoping they might have gotten over their anger at that point. However, the notification that his transmission had been blocked by the receiver seemed to indicate otherwise. He didn’t have any more luck trying to contact his sister directly but in her case he would at least keep trying. For now, he was where he expected to be, completely on his own.

The day came after his three months on Mendel II, his transfer to the Fleet Academy on Earth. He had been looking forward to this day; it was what he had wanted for years. With a large group of other people he boarded the transport ship that would take him to Earth. It was far larger than the cargo ship that had brought him to Mendel II, but offered very few luxuries. Clearly it was not designed for long term habitation; each of its tiny rooms had two bunks, though the ship was not filled to capacity so most people had their own rooms. Unlike his room on the base, they did not have their own bathrooms or showers; still, they were sufficient considering he would only be aboard for a few days.

Those few days aboard seemed interminable as Bannik eagerly anticipated seeing Earth. It was the birthplace of the human race, the capital of the Colonial Confederation; a planet of well over two hundred billion inhabitants with history dating back over ten thousand years. During the trip Bannik had met two other people going to the Academy, one of them had been to Earth years before and described cities so vast Bannik had a hard time envisioning them.

When they were finally on approach to Earth Bannik made sure he was on the observation deck in the ship’s commons area. Looking out he could see more ships than he could ever have imagined, stations the size of small moons, and Earth’s moon, an industrialized military installation dotted with massive construction facilities. Beyond the moon he got his first look at Earth itself; a blue and green sphere, with cities that could be clearly seen even from 300,000 kilometers away.

Around Earth were several large ring structures, providing habitat for billions of people but also providing the backbone of Earth’s planetary defenses. The structures were the legacy of the Expansion War, fought against an alien threat thousands of years ago. Though victory had been achieved it had cost half the human race; in the aftermath of the war it had been decided that as the birthplace of humanity Earth needed to be unassailable, and so the long task of building those defenses began. Even by modern standards those rings were some of the greatest structures ever created.

The transport drew closer to the rings, bringing into focus their truly massive size. A series of docking bays became visible, according to the itinerary they would transfer to smaller shuttles and transports that would take everyone to their final destinations, one of those would carry him to the Fleet Academy. After docking he would have one hour until his next transport headed to the surface, not much time to explore, but enough for him to get a look at one of the rings habitation zones.

It was a detour that proved to be worth it, the massive space proved to be an entire ecosystem. An expansive green forested area, interspersed with habitation zones stretched on for kilometers. Even lakes and rivers flowed through the area. An hour wasn’t nearly enough to explore it; he was going to make a point to return someday.

After seeing that it was hard for anything to appear anywhere near as impressive, but the Academy grounds were inspiring in their own right. The campus was absolutely monstrous, a city unto itself, situated in a mountain valley. He only got a brief view of it from his shuttle, but according to the published information there were several million cadets from all across the Colonial Confederation.

Finally stepping off the shuttle Bannik stopped for a second and breathed in the air, it occurred to him that he was the first member of his family to set foot on Earth in over 2000 years. While his family would no doubt be disgusted with him, he took some pride in his accomplishment. Continuing on from the docking bay he joined a legion of new cadets arriving at the Academy. The sheer number of people made the area crowded, but without too much difficulty they made their way to an absolutely massive auditorium where Admiral Parker, the Academy Superintendent greeted the new class. Bannik let it settle in, this would be his home for the next six years, and as far as he was concerned, it was the best decision he had ever made.

* * *

March 22, 6309 Earth Standard

Council Fleet Academy, Earth

It seemed like the last six years at the Academy had simply flown by. Michael Bannik had become a citizen of the Colonial Confederation just six months ago, and in another two months he would be graduating from the academy. Thinking back on how it had all started eleven years ago he could hardly believe he had managed to get where he was. He had been so naive, but his determination had overcome everything, and at least now he had a future with better prospects than being an agricultural technician. His background had always made him a bit of an outcast at the academy, the guy from ‘that’ planet. Even with the number of people at the academy there very few who had ever even met another person from his homeworld. He had never let it bother him though, no matter what, he was more welcome at the Academy than with his own family, and eventually he overcame the stigma associated with his background. He had more friends here than he had on his homeworld.

Bannik was sitting in the commons of his residence hall, watching a sporting event with some friends when he heard a shout behind him, “Officer on deck!”

Everyone jumped to attention, Bannik recognized Lieutenant Kauffmann, but not the commander that accompanied him. It was unusual to see Kauffmann here, and Bannik could only wonder what they wanted.

“Cadet Bannik!” Kauffmann called out.

“Here Sir!” Bannik replied stepping forward.

“With us cadet. The rest of you, as you were.” Kauffmann ordered as Bannik joined him and the unknown commander.

Whatever was happening was beyond Bannik’s imagination. As far as he knew he hadn’t done anything wrong, and Kauffmann wasn’t responsible for discipline so he doubted it had anything to do with that. Furthermore, who was this Commander Griffin; Bannik had finally seen the name on his uniform. Yet another question was why they had shown up in person, they could have just as easily requested his presence by comm. It seemed Bannik would have to wait until they reached their destination to get his answers.

A short time later Bannik found himself led into a conference room in a nearby building. Commander Griffin turned to Kauffmann, “Thank you Lieutenant, you can wait outside.”

Kauffmann saluted and stepped out of the room, leaving Bannik standing at attention and even more curious as to what was going on.

“At ease cadet.” Griffin ordered as he paced back and forth, “I’d imagine you’re quite curious as to who I am and what this is about, but before I get to that, I need you to understand that what we discuss here is classified. You’re not to discuss this meeting or anything brought up here with anyone else without permission, is that clear?”

“Yes Sir.” Bannik answered even more confused.

“Good. I am Commander Darrel Griffin, Council Intelligence and Security Counterintelligence Division.” Griffin saw the bewildered look on Bannik’s face, “I see you have even more questions now.”

That was an understatement, CIS was a major security and spying agency made up of both military and civilian personnel; Bannik couldn’t even begin to understand why Griffin was here, “Yes Sir. I’m just not sure what CIS could possibly want with me.”

“Quite simple cadet.” Griffin smiled, “We’d like to recruit you. And your next question is doubtlessly, ‘why me?’ In addition to your academic performance here at the Academy, which has been impressive, you’ve shown a remarkable aptitude for what might be called… creative problem solving. Put bluntly, your record shows you have a talent for subterfuge when the need arises. Even before you arrived here, you managed to overcome the obstacles which would have prevented you from attending the Academy; and you keep your plans secret from your friends and family for five years. Yes, I’ve read your file. Point is, what you accomplished there could be difficult, even for trained operatives. Additionally, your history gives you a unique perspective, which could prove valuable under the right circumstances. We keep an eye open for individuals with these sorts of talents; you managed to get our attention.

“I want to emphasize, your under no obligation to take this offer, it is strictly voluntary. If you turn it down it will in no way affect you, and it won’t appear on your record; it will in no way be a blemish. But, if you accept, then after your graduation you will be assigned to CIS Counterintelligence for training, where it goes from there depends on our assessment of you. I don’t need a decision right now, take a few days to consider the offer and get back to me. If…”

“No need Sir. I accept.” He didn’t mean to interrupt the Commander, he just blurted it out. Despite being overwhelmed, Bannik knew he didn’t want to pass up the opportunity before him.

“That was quick.” Griffin replied, “Usually people take at least a few minutes to consider, or ask questions, but not you. I have to ask why?”

Bannik took a deep breath, “Sir, I’ve busted my ass to get where I am. The opportunities I’ve had, I had to make for myself. I’m not used to opportunities presenting themselves to me, so when one does and it looks promising, I take it. Maybe if I took some time to think over what you’re offering I’d have a few doubts or concerns; but in the end, I know I’d make the same decision Sir.”

“I think you have potential cadet.” Griffin responded with satisfaction, “Best of luck on your upcoming exams. We’ll meet again soon. Dismissed.”

Bannik saluted then turned and left. It was the most unexpected thing that had happened to him in his entire time at the academy. He wasn’t sure what awaited him, but he was eager to find out.

Thank You for Reading

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, actual events, or locales is purely coincidental.

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Fourth Character Profile and a Short Story

Imperator — Mon, 25 Jun 2018 19:57:58 +0000

The Character Profile for Michael Bannik is now available.

Click Here to Read it Now

Bonus content this time includes a complete short story!

Michael Bannik was determined not to follow the same path his family had for generations. Fueled by an unyielding resolve he sets out to rise above his humble origins. See the events that propelled him away from one of the galaxy’s most obscure colonies and paved the way for his future.

Part 1 is Available Now! – Read it Here.

This short story is set well before my novels and should not contain any plot spoilers for them. Part 2 will follow very soon (within a few days), and I will also post a full PDF version when Part 2 is published.

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New Short Story: Resolute Outcast – Part 1

Imperator — Mon, 25 Jun 2018 19:57:31 +0000

I am pleased to present Part 1 of my new short story:

For those who prefer, a PDF version of the full story can be downloaded here:

Resolute Outcast - Complete

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May 7, 6303 Earth Standard

New Concord Colony

Only 52 hours to go. Michael Bannik looked at the clock and smiled with some satisfaction, soon he would be off of this world. All of his forms were filed, his interviews complete; all he had left to do was leave. He realized that meant he might never return, but he had come to terms with that long ago. His future on New Concord was a predictable dead end, but in the Colonial Confederation he could quite literally start a new life.

It had all began five years ago when his cousin Richard had died. Rick, as he preferred to be called, had been 14, just one year older than Michael, and they had been close growing up. He had appeared in good health before the seizures started; his health deteriorated quickly after that. It wasn’t that there was no treatment for Richard’s condition, just that it was illegal on New Concord. At the time Michael had just accepted it, but that acceptance didn’t last long. A few days later, at Richards’s funeral, he just went numb. Looking around he could see everyone in tears, people reciting the usual platitudes. That Richard was in a better place, that it was his time. All Michael could feel was anger.

His cousin, his friend, was dead, that was all that mattered, and he knew who was to blame. It started with everyone who had colonized this damned planet in the first place and everyone who had followed thereafter; a bunch of luddites who rejected certain aspects of modern medicine. Some because of religion, others out of simple moral objection; their animosity was primarily focused on human genetic augmentation, but that hadn’t stopped them from outlawing the neurological procedure that would have saved Richards life. After them, the blame fell on Richard’s parents, they could have taken him off world for treatment, but they didn’t. Whatever they professed as to their reasons, Michael couldn’t help but see it as an excuse for stupidity. That was when he made his decision. This world and its philosophies had murdered Richard; and he would not stay here.

At 13 years old Michael knew there was no way for him to leave New Concord, but that didn’t stop him from figuring out what he could do in the future. He knew he would need to keep this secret from his parents, their beliefs may not have been quite as fervent as some others in his family, but they would still do everything they could to stop him. At first he was nearly overwhelmed, he had made his decision, but he had no idea where to even begin, quickly he realized what his real obstacle would be, money. His family was not wealthy, even if he had their support the expense of a trip off world would be significant, on his own, it would be almost insurmountable. When he combined that with the expense of immigrating into the Colonial Confederation he almost gave up. Then he saw it, it was only a small ad but that was all it took, reading the marketing pitch aloud was like opening a door, “The Fleet of the Supreme Council of the Colonial Confederation, a force for all Humanity. Enlist today.”

It wasn’t what he had in mind, but joining the military would cut his costs, they would cover his room and board, and provide him with pay. Still that wouldn’t help him if he couldn’t get off world in the first place.

Michael remembered the day when everything finally came together, if he had known then what he knew today things would have gone smoother, but he couldn’t place too much fault on his 13 year old self. That day his parents and sister were away so he wasn’t concerned about them knowing what he was looking up, it also allowed him to use the vocal interface, “Computer, access the Council Network and look up immigration travel… reimbursement?”

He wasn’t sure what he would find, but there were innumerable results. A news report: The Crippling Cost of Immigration, “Tell me about it.” He just shook his head, amusing, but not what he was looking for.

A few items seemed closer to what he wanted, some companies paying the cost for new hires, some waivers and exemptions, still none of it applied to him. Then he found them, travel grants for higher education for students from outside the Colonial Confederation. Much like joining the military, a college or university wasn’t something he had ever given serious consideration; apprenticeships and perhaps some tech training were the norm in his family. The only one in his family who had attended a college was his great uncle, and he was sort of an outcast. Still, if there was a way he could combine this with a military career, at least then he might be able to afford it, “Computer, look up Colonial Confederation Military Academies.”

As the results displayed in front of him he knew what he wanted, “Council Fleet Academy…Admissions…Requirements.”

A feminine but professional looking AI appeared in his display, “Hello, I am the Academy Admissions Assistant, how may I help you?”

“I want to know if I will be eligible to attend.” Michael replied.

“Certainly, at the time of attendance will you be at least 18 but not over 50 years of age?” The AI inquired.

“Yes”

“Are you a citizen of the Colonial Confederation or will you have become a naturalized Citizen of the Colonial Confederation at the time of attendance?”

It wasn’t something Michael had anticipated, but he guessed he should have, “No.” He reluctantly answered.

“Because you will not be a Citizen of the Colonial Confederation you will be unable to attend the Council Fleet Academy unless you are from an independent colony for which a treaty exemption applies. Please indicate your current citizenship status.” The AI continued.

Michael was sure his idea was dead, New Concord’s relation with the Colonial Confederation had never been good and were all but nonexistent night now, he winced as he replied, “Citizen of New Concord.”

“An exemption applies under the Treaty of Jernon of 3409. You may attend as a provisional cadet if you meet all other requirements. Your continued attendance and graduation from the academy are contingent on your successfully completing the naturalization process while in attendance. If you fail to meet these requirements you may be expelled and forced to pay restitution.”

Michael Bannik was beyond stunned, he had heard of the Treaty of Jernon in his history classes but he had no idea it contained such a provision, or even that it still meant anything. It was signed thousands of years ago, shortly after the New Concord Colony was founded. He had always thought of it as ancient history, but not today.

The treaty was from an era before the Council had started implementing mandatory genetic augmentation laws in the Colonial Confederation. Those laws eventually led to a near total breakdown of relations. But to this day New Concord had no standing fleets of its own and remained under the protection of Council military forces. When the treaty was signed it was intended to allow individuals from New Concord to be able to attend military academies.

The remainder of the requirements he could meet, the only one that posed a hurdle was a diploma from an accredited secondary education institution, of which there had been none on New Concord for nearly a thousand years. It was a problem but, one that he could overcome. There were a number of online schools on the Colonial Communications Network. For the most part they were targeted at children growing up on spacefaring vessels, but not exclusively.

He would still need his parents’ permission, which they would never willingly give. However, they never actually took the time to read his normal school forms anyway; he could just bury the other attendance forms with those and a few retinal scans later he would be good to go. He had his plan, for the next five years he just had to make sure his grades would get him where he wanted to go.

Reminiscing, Michael Bannik was pleased with the decision he had made. Somehow he had managed to keep it a secret from his parents and everyone else for that entire time, but he was leaving in two days, tomorrow evening at dinner he would have to tell them.

Finally the time for dinner came. Many times he had tried to imagine how bad their reaction would be, now he was about to find out. Dinner with his parents and sister began very much like it always did, a thanks for the food, then his parents asking his sister about her school day, but the normalcy didn’t last.

Michael watched his father wash down his food with a gulp of water before turning to him, “Michael, I was talking to my boss, Nick Hammond today, he said one of those technician’s apprenticeships we were discussing was open, but you’d have to start at the end of next week. I realize it’s sooner than you were planning, but you should take it, it’s a good opportunity, and not something you can afford to pass up.”

It took a great deal of restraint for Michael not to frown, his father wouldn’t know a good opportunity if it crashed into him. This was it, it was time for him to speak his mind, “I’m not doing an apprenticeship.”

“What are you talking about?” His father asked perplexed, “Of course you are, we discussed this? Besides, it’s not like you have a lot of other options.”

“I’m attending a university.” Michael replied flatly.

Both Michael’s mother and father glanced at each other then let out a laugh before his father continued, “With your grades, that’s a good one. Look, an apprenticeship is nothing to be ashamed of; I got my start that way.”

It was true, Michael had let the grades from his normal school work suffer, simply because it was irrelevant, but his grades from his online school had been quite impressive. His parents simply assumed he was a typical rebellious teen when he disappeared for hours each evening, in reality he had been focusing on what really mattered to him, forsaking many friendships and relationships in the process, “I’ve been attending an online school, graduate with honors, I’ve already been accepted to a university.”

“What?” His mother said with a look of utter confusion, while his sister simply tried to avoid getting in the middle of things.

Michael’s father grew frustrated, “Enough with this, it’s not like you could attend a school in secret.”

“That would be true, if you ever bothered to actually read my school forms.” Michael replied.

It was clear that his father still did not believe any of it, “Alright, then what university are you going to, hmm?” He mockingly demanded.

There was no stopping now, Michael knew from his father’s attitude that things were about to get very bad. Michael pulled out a small tablet that displayed his acceptance letter and tossed it onto the table, “I’ve been accepted to the Council Fleet Academy, on Earth. I applied and started the immigration process to the Colonial Confederation the day I turned eighteen.”

An uneasy lingering silence hung over the room, it probably only lasted a few seconds, but it felt much longer. Only ending when his father managed to voice his angry disapproval, “This better be some perverse joke.”

Michael’s mother picked up the tablet, hoping it was some kind of elaborate joke, but it immediately became clear it was not; as she read the letter her hands started shaking, “Michael… how could you…”

Michael didn’t give her the chance to finish, “I’ve been planning to get off this world ever since Richard died.”

“It was his time. Sometimes we just have to accept these things…” His mother tried to speak.

“No.” Michael snapped, “His condition was perfectly treatable, he died because of idiocy.”

“Treatable?” His father scoffed and stood up swinging his arms as he spoke, “If he wanted to have his brain mutilated then sure, I don’t know what would have come back from that operation but it sure as hell wouldn’t have been your cousin. And you know what you’d have to go through with what you’re thinking? You really want them to tear up your genetic code? To turn you into some sort of freak?”

“All pointless superstition.” Michael replied. Glancing to his right he could see how this whole thing was frightening his sister, unfortunate, but unavoidable. He stood up to confront his father who was trying to loom over him, “Maybe that argument had some merit a long time ago, when these treatments were in their infancy, but not anymore. The truth is this whole planet is a joke, the subject of galactic ridicule. The planet of a billion backwards fools who reject modern medicine and are lucky to live past a hundred and fifty. They let Rick die, and the way they let him die, Uncle Don should have just shot him himself, it would have been faster, and certainly less painful.”

Within a second his father’s fist slammed into the side of Michael’s face, nearly knocking him down and sending him stumbling into a wall. His mother grabbed his sister and sent her into the next room. With clenched fists his father glared down at him, “Now you listen you ungrateful shit, if you think we’re going to let you throw away your life you’re in for a rude awakening. I don’t know what that school polluted your mind with, but those people out there you want to join, they’re not human anymore they threw that away long ago, you want to throw that away too? There are some things you just don’t do, like defiling God’s creation.”

Michael had anticipated this, his parents were not deeply religious, but they fell back on it when they were under stress. He had planned in case things went this badly, standing up straight he glared back at his father, “I’m leaving; I’ll spend the night in the terminal.”

“No you’re not.” His father replied as he moved to block him, fists still balled up, “Don’t make me hit you again son.”

Michael ignored the warning, and his father followed through, this time Michael blocked the blow then shoved his father aside, knocking him to the floor. Without a word he grabbed the bag he had hidden behind a couch and headed for the door.

Suddenly his ten year old sister Jennifer ran towards him, “Don’t go.” She said with tears in her eyes.

She was the only one Michael would truly miss. Unfortunately she was too young to really grasp what had happened with Richard. At the time she had only been five, old enough to understand that he was dead, but not old enough to understand why and ask questions. She probably couldn’t comprehend why he was doing this. He stopped and looked at her, “I have to, but I’ll stay in touch.”

“You’ll do no such thing.” His father replied climbing to his feet, “I’ll not let you corrupt her too.”

“If you don’t hear from me, it’s because they won’t let me talk to you.” Michael told his sister. He knew it might be calloused to intentionally drive a wedge between her and their parents, but he hoped it might make her think before blindly listening to them, “Goodbye Jen. You should get off this planet too, the first chance you get, it’s no good for anyone.”

Jennifer wrapped her arms around him, “Please don’t go.”

He returned her hug and then tried to explain further before his mother grabbed Jennifer and pulled her away from him like he was some sort of plague bearer, “Not my son. Not my son.” His mother kept uttering as she shook her head.

Michaels father looked at him and fired off a last ditch attempt to dissuade his son, “If you go out that door you are never coming back!”

“I never intended to.” Michael replied as he turned and left.

As Michael sat on the tram heading to the transport terminal he thought about what had just happened. It wasn’t the worst case he had envisioned but it wasn’t far off. The only thing he remotely regretted was not being able to say a better goodbye to Jennifer, but he had planned for that as well. There was a message he had left her explaining everything, it would only play when she was alone, he didn’t want his parents to prevent her from seeing it. It was the best he could do under the circumstances.

As the tram raced into the city he looked out at the sunset, realizing it was probably the last time he would ever see it on this planet. For a moment it gave him pause, but then he thought about how his parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents lived; the truth was he wanted more than this world could ever offer, and he would never fit in here.

After switching a few tram lines Michael Bannik finally arrived at the passenger terminal. In reality it was just a part of a much larger freight terminal. Most major commercial carriers had stopped flights on and off New Concord many centuries ago. Scarcely anyone from the outside wanted to come here, and the very few who did never stayed long. The traffic on and off world was almost exclusively transport ships carrying a limited assortment of imports and exports. It was pretty much the only thing that really tied them to the rest of the galaxy.

It was on one of these transports that he had booked his flight. A small privately owned cargo ship; the first one he could get on to Mendel II with room for a limited number of passengers. He actually felt his heart racing out of a mix of fear and anticipation; this would be the first time he had ever been into space.

As he entered the terminal it looked abandoned with the sole exception of an active AI kiosk where he could check in. The tiny number of people that passed through meant that the area was extremely clean and well kept, something he was thankful for. He walked over to the kiosk which quickly scanned him and confirmed his flight; it was then a short walk to the departures. Except for him the terminal was empty, but at least it had a fantastic view of the landing area, illuminated as night fell; there was nothing for him to do but wait until his ship arrived and try to get some sleep.

When he awoke the next morning the terminal was still largely deserted with the exception of two other people who had entered while he was asleep. The fact that the area could hold hundreds if needed just further illustrated how little it was used. As he looked out the window he noticed that the berth where his ship was to dock was now occupied. Inspecting the ship closer he gulped and felt his pulse quicken, it was a little over a hundred meters long and bulky, but looked old, really old. This was what he had spent nearly all of his money on, he could only hope it kept him alive long enough to be reimbursed.

After two hours of watching cargo being loaded on and off the ship he heard the facility AI announce his departure. Picking up his bag he walked over to the door which led to docking berths, there he was met by a security guard.

“Michael Bannik?” The guard inquired.

“That’s right.” Bannik responded.

The guard just nodded, “If you’ll follow me I’ll escort you to your ship.”

Because of the limited number of passengers, almost all flights were treated as charters. It was easier just to escort people to their ships through the cargo terminal than to build a specialized docking area for passengers. The cargo zone was far more industrialized than Bannik’s home town, huge cargo skiffs were constantly entering and leaving; with the distractions around him Michael almost didn’t hear the guard talking to him.

“So going off world?” The guard asked in an attempt to make small talk, “Mendel II”

“Yeah.” Bannik responded regaining his composure.

“You’re not planning on coming back then.” The guard surmised.

It was surprising not to hear an edge of contempt in the guards voice, “You’re the first person who doesn’t seem to resent me for that.”

“I’ve been here for years, heard a lot of stories; some good, some bad.” The guard replied as they continued toward the ship, “In the end if you’re doing what you want to with your life, that’s your concern, not mine. Well, here we are, the Blue Sparrow. Best of luck wherever you end up.”

“Thanks.” Bannik replied as a woman walked over from the ship.

“Megan Vickers; you must be our passenger.” She said with a smile extending her hand, “We don’t get many on this run.”

Bannik shook her hand and nodded, “I’d imagine not.”

“Any other luggage?” She gestured to his bag.

“This is it.”

She quickly looked over his reservation and then waived him aboard, “Well then, let me show you to your cabin.”

Looking around the ship Michael realized the inside was better kept than the outside, but the age still showed, “If you don’t mind me asking, how old is this ship?”

“The Sparrow, oh my husband and I have been running her for nearly two centuries now, and she was nearly fifty years old when we got her so…” She noticed a look of apprehension on her passenger’s face, “Nothing to be concerned about, she may not look like new, but I can promise you she’ll get us where were going.”

While Bannik was concerned about being on a 250 year old ship, his thoughts had shifted to the woman he was talking to. She was over 200 years old. If she was from New Concord he would have guessed that she was maybe in her forties. She continued to lead him towards the top of the ship where he found a small corridor of cabins.

“Just pick one, you’re our only passenger.” Vickers told him, “Washroom’s around the corner to the left, and there’s a small lounge and galley to the right. Feel free to move around, just stay out of the cargo holds.”

“How long will it take to get to Mendel II?” Bannik inquired.

“About two and a half days. Your first time going into space, isn’t it?” She noticed the lingering unease on Bannik’s face as she replied, “Why don’t you come up to the cockpit when we depart, it’s the best view, and I’m sure my husband would like to meet you.”

“Thanks. I’ll take you up on that.” In truth Bannik just thought he might feel safer if he could see what was actually going on.

She stopped as she was about to walk away, “You sure you want to do this? I know how people on this planet are, you leave and I doubt they’ll welcome you back.”

“I’m sure.” He answered with what resolve he could muster. He gestured towards the bruise on the side of his face, “They weren’t exactly happy about my leaving.”

“Yeah, you might want to put something on that. There’s a med kit in the lounge.” She said pointing down the hall.

“Thanks.” He replied and did as she suggested. Fifteen minutes later his bruise was gone and he found himself entering the cockpit as they prepared to depart. The view from its panoramic window gave a clear look at the terminal and the city beyond. Megan Vickers was seated at a navigation console and sitting in the pilots chair was a man who spun around and extended his hand, “Nate Vickers, welcome aboard. Take a seat and we’ll get going.”

Michael looked at the chair Vickers had pointed to and noticed the lack of restraints, “Shouldn’t I be strapped in or something.”

“I love this kid.” Nate said with a laugh as he pressed a control. He could see the look of surprise on Bannik’s face as the artificial gravity activated, “So, not only have you never been to space before, you’ve never been in artificial gravity before. Where the hell are you from?”

“Smaller town, a few hundred kilometers outside the city.” Bannik replied with embarrassment as he quickly sat down, “Actually, I’ve only been in a big city a few times before.”

Megan turned to him, “You think this is a big city, wait until you see Mendel II. That you’re final destination by the way?”

“No. Eventually I’m supposed to go on to Earth.”

“Now that’s a planet with cities.” Nate commented as he completed the per-flight, “Wait until you see ten times the population of this planet in one urban area.”

Bannik wasn’t sure whether to be intrigued or disgusted by the thought of that many people stuffed into one area, but he could reserve judgment for the time being. Suddenly the ship started to move the Terminal AI had cleared them for departure. The ship slowly rose up out of the facility, affording an incredible view of the entire city. Once it was clear, it started to climb, quickly. Looking out the window Bannik caught a glimpse of his home town, they weren’t even out of the atmosphere but it already looked small. As they climbed the atmosphere slowly gave way from a cerulean blue to the abyssal starry black of space.

Nate saw Bannik looking down at his world, awestruck, “Never gets old. The look on someone’s face the first time they go into space.”

Bannik was too distracted to even hear him; this was by far the most exciting thing he had ever experienced. In fact it only served to convince him that his life up to this point had been isolated and boring.

The limited traffic around New Concord meant that they could go to FTL well within the system, something that otherwise required special clearance in systems with heavy ship traffic. Bannik had watched his planet grow small on a display as they pulled away but it was about to vanish.

“Alright, here we go.” Nate said as the ship moved to FTL.

Bannik watched as the stars outside became distorted by the drive envelope, it was almost surreal. Finally he was underway, whatever his life would hold New Concord would not be a part of it.

Part 2 is now Available – Click Here to Continue Reading

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