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    Saline
    Saline
    Saline
    Ebook78 pages1 hour

    Saline

    By Dick Gillman

    ()

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    About this ebook

    Ben Grissam is a PhD student finishing his studies. His final flight to complete his thesis is wrecked by a cataclysmic navigational error caused by a fellow student. He awakes from the turmoil to find his damaged craft is in orbit around the sea world Saline. Light years from home and with little chance of survival, his only hope is to board an abandoned alien mining vessel.

    The intrigue begins as Ben's presence initialises the dormant crafts systems. Ben explores the ship and triggers the awakening of the vessel's hologram Science Officer, Kira. Together they piece together the grim story surrounding the disappearance of the crew.

    As the mystery unfolds, Kira's homeworld, Hebros, is threatened by a warlike race, the A'rath. Treachery is afoot when Ben and Kira discover a subterfuge. A cloaked A'rath fleet is poised to attack Hebros. They must somehow use the mining vessel to prevent the destruction of Kira's homeworld.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDick Gillman
    Release dateDec 9, 2012
    ISBN9781301006380
    Saline
    Author

    Dick Gillman

    Dick Gillman is a Yorkshireman in his 70's. He retired from teaching Science in 2005 and moved from the UK to Brittany, France, in 2008 with his wife Alex, Truffle, the Black Labrador and Poppy, the cat. As well as writing, he is an accomplished digital artist and lives near the coast where the rugged landscape and the Atlantic Ocean influence his artwork. He still has strong links with the UK where he visits his two grown up children and his four grandchildren.During his retirement he has written well over thirty Sherlock Holmes short stories, many of which are published here. Successfully publishing both e-books and paperbacks, he has also been selected to contribute many stories to the superb, World Record beating and ongoing MX Sherlock Holmes anthology. His stories appear in several volumes published by MX Publishing and also in the monthly case solving letters entitled 'Dear Mr Holmes' published by Letterjoy. More are to follow in the latest volumes by MX and Letterjoy.Watch out for further Sherlock Holmes short stories throughout 2022 and treat yourself to his very latest seven story collection, 'Julia Moriarty - in memorium' which contains all seven stories in which Holmes crosses swords with the beautiful, but deadly, Julia Moriarty. This is available an e-book and can be found as a paperback at all major online bookstores.

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      Book preview

      Saline - Dick Gillman

      Saline

      By Dick Gillman

      Copyright 2012 Dick Gillman

      Smashwords Edition

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your own use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Original cover image of 'Cassiopeia A' courtesy of ESA/Hubble Heritage with additional images courtesy of NASA and Free Stock Images.

      Chapter 1- The awakening

      Consciousness gradually returns. He manages to open one eye and look towards the ceiling. His vision is blurred; it’s as if he’s looking upwards, underwater from the bottom of the bath tub. He gasps for breath and pain wracks his chest, Whoa! The next breath he takes is more measured and he gently breathes in. Better, he says aloud. His vision is clearing and his other eye is now opening, more of his senses are retuning. Still unsure where he is, he's becoming aware of an intensely annoying and intrusive warning sound coming from his left side. He reaches out a hand to silence it but the painful electric shock he receives instantly grabs his attention.

      Sitting upright, all is in darkness...well, not quite darkness. There are inky panels to the right and left of him as well as a large panel in front. As his head clears, he looks to his left and can make out reflections of small points of light, some steady, some flashing. He looks to his right and gasps. Shit! There, below him, illuminated by some alien Sun, is a huge blue sphere.

      Looking around again he slowly begins to recognise the familiar shape of the cockpit of a survey craft.... one that is in deep trouble. Panels are loose revealing the massed bundles of optical fibres beneath. There are multiple alarms sounding and the acrid smell of burned out components stings his nose. He reaches out and briefly touches the pilot’s madly flashing data display, the alarms are silenced. Now he can think.

      Putting the word ‘How?’ to the back of his mind for a few moments, his basic survival instincts take over and he begins to take on board the messages on the display. To his relief, he sees that the life support systems are undamaged and the craft is not venting atmosphere. He is not so happy when he flips to the propulsion screen. The diagnostic tells its own story. A wire frame, 3-D image of the ship with all the main propulsion system is shown in yellow.....except... not all is in yellow, some is flashing red. The hyperdrive that allows the craft to travel at velocities greater than the speed of light is off-line....permanently off-line. Major components are damaged beyond repair. He taps the screen and the sub-light engine schematic is overlaid on the wireframe, this time in blue.....a steady blue. He has power. Without the hyperdrive he’s unable to travel the immense distances of space within any reasonable time frame.

      Finding that he is safe for the moment, he looks round the cockpit again. His eye is caught by a shining object in the number two seat, the place where the navigator should be sitting. Picking it up he recognises it as a data film. It’s been ejected from the navigation console and it holds the flight plan and navigation data for the ship's journey. Memories return in a sudden avalanche....he screws up his face and bellows SHUNT!!

      Chapter 2 – The Patsy

      Sitting outside his tutor's office, the Dean of the faculty no less, always makes Ben feel uncomfortable. As a small boy, he'd felt like this when sitting with his mother outside the doctor's office or any office for that matter. Perhaps it was his upbringing where his parents had tried to instil in him some respect for authority and his elders....anyway, he doesn't like it. He sighs loudly. The secretary opposite him looks up from her work station. She smiles and says, He won't be a moment now Mr. Grissam.

      Ben still hasn't got used to being called 'Mr. Grissam'. Up until this year he’d always been called Ben but now it was a sign of both his academic prowess and his age that he has become Mr. Grissam. A tone sounds softly next to the secretary, Ben feels his stomach muscles tighten. The secretary is in conversation with an image on her desk surface, Yes, he's here, I'll send him right in. She turns to Ben, smiles and says, Dean Stanley will see you now Mr. Grissam.Ben heads towards an illuminated section of the wall that has a small name plaque on it. At his approach, the wall blinks out of existence leaving Ben with a view into the Dean's office. Ben continues into the office and he senses rather than sees the wall flick back into place.

      The Dean is one of the old school and the decor of his office reflects this. The furniture and seating are very 21st century. The chairs are stainless steel with seats that look like...yes…it’s leather. There are even some items made of wood in the room! Dean Norman Stanley looks up at the approaching figure....he stands and extends a hand. Ben takes the hand and they engage in a good old fashioned hand shake, Ben, how good to see you, please, sit down. Ben pulls out one of the antique chairs and sits down very gingerly. I've been looking over your final dissertation and there's some fine work there. I think this final observation of yours of the Magellan cluster will complete the work nicely. Ben nods and thanks his tutor, still not quite sure why he had been asked to call.... and in person, "Err, yes, I think so

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