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    Short Stories from 2017
    Short Stories from 2017
    Short Stories from 2017
    Ebook170 pages2 hours

    Short Stories from 2017

    By Stephen Brandon

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    About this ebook

    This is a collection of short stories. All are fiction. Enjoy them as they are. Try not to think to deeply about what thoughts they may conjure up. Just enjoy!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherStephen Brandon
    Release dateDec 23, 2017
    ISBN9781370799879
    Short Stories from 2017
    Author

    Stephen Brandon

    I've loved westerns and science fiction since I picked up my first book at the public library. I've been writing on my computer for years. I never planned on any of my stories being published, just to be read by myself, family, and friends. The base journal is on forty spreadsheets with links to about a thousand files of short one day paragraphs plus other stories. {My claim to fame, written by someone else. Thanks.} "As an earthbound retiree, Stephen writes mostly science fiction and short stories. He is a voracious reader and has written for a few years, publishing his stories on Smashwords."

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      Book preview

      Short Stories from 2017 - Stephen Brandon

      Short Stories from 2017

      By Stephen Brandon

      Copyright 2017 Stephen Brandon

      Smashwords Edition

      * * * * *

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      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 use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      * * *

      Table of Contents

      An Evil Obsession

      Ballistic Granite

      Colony Ship 01A4

      FLT Propulsion

      The Destroyer

      The Garden

      The Mount

      The Teacher

      The Warning

      Training Detail

      Truckin' On

      Used Computer

      * * * * *

      Author's Notes

      This book is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, incidents, and dialogue are from the authors imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or other persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Real and fictional locations are used for background only.

      * * *

      About Stephen Brandon and his other books.

      {My claim to fame, written by someone else. Thanks!} As an earthbound retiree, Stephen writes mostly science fiction and short stories. He is a voracious reader and has written for a few years, publishing his stories on Smashwords.

      * * *

      Acknowledgments

      My wife has put up with me for over forty seven years. Without her support and love I don't know who, what, or where I would be, so I thank her from the bottom of my heart, and I dedicate all of my books to her!

      Librarians are another of my favorite people. They've dedicated their lives to maintaining the literary works. Thank you!

      Good teachers also rate high on my scale. Those that motivate students to read, learn, and think out their school problems. They prepare the young mind to tackle the challenges they'll meet later in life. I've known a few. Unfortunately, they're not as numerous as they once were.

      * * * * *

      AN EVIL OBSESSION

      In school the history book mentioned several terrorist incidents in the 20th and 21st century. They were interesting and questions were on the test. Most of them killed themselves in their attacks. Not even the jocks were that stupid.

      The fact that the terrorist killed so many people over the years was appalling, however interesting.

      Graduation was thrilling, however four years of university didn't appeal to much, especially the physical training program that everyone had to go through.

      Two years in, an interesting historical fact surfaced about linear projectors. They only worked efficiently in a vacuum. A small fact that got lodged in the brain.

      Graduation from university left a three year mandatory government service requirement. Twenty-four months on the moon weakens the body. Six months convalescence government and therapy at their expense never corrected all the problems. The discharge papers listed the expected physical problems and the governments liabilities along with a small pension.

      The ruined health and other physical problems that would last a lifetime, created a sore spot in the brain. That sore spot festered and bought up all sorts of revenge ideas until one latched on with a passion.

      Terrorist in the last century killed lots of people, but always got caught if they didn't commit suicide. Would it be possible to be a terrorist and not get caught? First was a covert weapon that left no identifying or traceable characteristics. A year of covert research brought the list down to one, a linear accelerator like the ones on the moon that launched cargo into orbit. The only problem was it needed extreme miniaturization.

      Going back to university wasn't desirable, but there was the only location were the knowledge was available. A surprise waited in the second year, there were many more in the solar system and many different sizes depending upon the use. The problem was, none of them were designed to work within an atmosphere. Design modifications and construction took six months, then carefully building into the car so that it was camouflaged took another three months.

      The ammunition turned out to be the simplest thing. The glass beads from a florist ship. A friend injured himself and received a bouquet of artificial flowers in the hospital. Half a dozen beads were easy to remove without leaving a trace.

      Targeting sighting, range determination, and impact velocity only took a dozen shots out in the county on weekends. Lethal range was a surprise, 0.6 kilometers although the target impact zone expanded to a 2 meter circle.

      It was a warm Saturday afternoon. Parking the car in a lot five hundred meters from the park was the first field test. The shot went into the crowd around the gazebo; where several bands were entertaining. Looking in the rear view mirror, several people could be seen falling and others screaming. The reports on the news web that evening told how two people were killed, and showed pictures of several bystanders with blood splattered on their clothing.

      The police were bombarded with scorn for being unable to locate the shooter. The police finally appealed to the public for any information on who might be the shooter.

      A few weeks later she read in the newspaper about an outside charity concert in the next town.

      * * * * *

      BALLISTIC GRANITE

      Hey boss, the president just announced that NK has launched another ICBM. We've still got that old factory tooled for a solid propellant ICBM with the throw-weight of two and a quarter tons.

      Yea I know. So what, they didn't like our missiles, and that was a deep pocket loss. That factory is amortized down to almost nothing so it goes up for destruction next year.

      But boss, think about it. That missile can carry two tons of payload. If it went straight up like the NK ICBMs and then headed back down, its velocity upon impact would be just below that of a meteorite.

      Go on.

      Putting a ceramic heat shield on a chunk of granite would just about insure an intact impact; especially with a smart bomb guidance system attached.

      What the hell are you talking about.

      Well boss, what I'm talking about is a kinetic weapon that impacts the target at about a half mile per second. The chunk of granite would hit and stop. The energy it possessed would be turned into a shock-wave and heat. Think of a crater at the impact point, not to mention the fires started from the heat.

      Go on.

      The shock-wave moving through the air would knock down any structure close-by. Further out non-reinforced structures would be blown over. The shock-wave through the ground would probably collapse bunkers and tunnels. The heat generated by the impact would be above the flash point of most construction materials; not counting the fact that it will be hot from reentry. Instant fires. A fuel dump or ammunition dump would instantly explode. Unfortunately the damn environmentalist would cry foul because of the damage caused.

      What would it take to prove your idea?

      I checked around, and we have half the guys that worked there still on the payroll. The other half are retired. With the right incentive the retirees could be enticed to return. I figured that a half dozen missiles would prove the idea. All we'd have to purchase off-site would be the chunks of granite and smart-bomb guidance systems.

      That will raise the cost. R&D ain't cheap.

      We don't need any R&D sir.

      Smart bomb systems would not be functional at the speeds you suggest.

      If they aren't then we'll use the space guidance system for mid-flight corrections. We're still making them.

      How accurate would this solid rock be?

      About as accurate as an arrow at a hundred yards.

      OK, let me check and see if I can get approval for a test site next year.

      Sir, make sure it's not near any built up areas. One of the old nuclear test sites in the Pacific would be best. If it misses the target, it will sink in the ocean without anyone being the smarter. The problem one of the old boys mentioned, was avoiding all those damn satellites in orbit.

      ~ ~ ~

      Mr Johns office, how may I direct your call.

      I want to speak to Johns right now.

      Whom may I announce is calling.

      This is General Schultz. Get him on the phone now, and I don't care if he's in a meeting or not.

      Hello Frederick, how's business on the east coast?

      Business is fine. What's this I hear about you starting up your old factory.

      You heard right. One of my boys figured out a new use for the Pathmaker missile since your people didn't want to use it. It's old technology with a twist.

      What the hell do you mean a twist.

      Oh well, I'm giving some of my retirees a chance to make some some money by building a dozen Pathmakers. You probably saw my request to use a couple of the atolls in the Pacific for test sites.

      I saw your request. The problem is those atolls are still radioactive. We don't need the damn international community bitching about radioactive dirt being tossed into the air.

      Well Fred, do you have any sites that are away from civilization and surrounded by ocean.

      Wait a minute, why do you want them surrounded by ocean and away from civilization?

      My boy thinks a two ton chunk of concrete or granite would prove the payload lift. I guess we could use the moon for a target.

      Whoa there, what kind of twist would give you that range? And how could you observe a hit on the moon?

      Oh that's easy. The dust plume would be visible.

      How much explosive is the payload.

      None.

      What will throw a dust plume visible at a quarter million miles.

      Just the impact speed Fred.

      Johns, before I let you play with something like that, I want to see you and your boy in my office.

      OK Fred, will tomorrow afternoon be convenient. We can catch the morning flight, and be home for a late supper.

      Hell no, I need a week to set up the meeting.

      No Fred, we don't want every blockhead in Washington knowing what we're doing. If word of our twist gets out, it'll start another arms race that we may loose because of those bureaucrats bitching about the purse strings. My company is going to carry all the R&D and testing cost. We just need permission to launch and someplace remote to prove our accuracy.

      Now hold on Johns.

      No you hold on Fred. We can launch off a ship or an oil rig. NORAD would have kittens, but I guess we could use Cheyenne Mountain for a target. It would definitely prove what the original planner ignored when Robertson challenged him.

      Johns, I'll have you shut down as a national security risk and confiscate all your research.

      Fred, the research in on one laptop. The design is on another. The software is on another. And they are not in Huntsville. I'll not have our ideas and research stolen like last time. Only when our design and software is proven by test; will I offer it to the Pentagon for purchase.

      Johns, you know what the politicians did that for their fair haired boys last time.

      Yea I know. It won't happen this time! That's why I am keeping everything in-house until I'm ready to offer the full program for contract. Have your secretary call my secretary with the meeting time. I'll need two passes.

      * * * * *

      Colony Ship 01A4

      The photographic plate showed a triangular shaped star where none should be. When the spectrum was analyzed it showed very little hydrogen, but a large percentage of iron. The observatory supervisor ordered another picture taken of that portion of the sky that night and called Hawaii to have them also get a picture for verification. The intern that loaded the photographic plate screwed up, and also hit the computer enhanced button that added a digital picture. When used together the digital picture is clear as a bell, however it degrades the photographic plate image by 40% unless the computer adds exposure time to compensate for the split image. The supervisor was furious until he checked the computer generated picture, and enlarged it to the verge of pixelation. There was a faint image of something beside the triangular image. He had to hit at the conference call button twice before it activated and started calling everyone on the ET list.

      ~o~

      The computer program checked its start up date and calculated that it had been in its search loop for 2927 years 10 months 14 days 2 hours 54 minutes and 13 seconds before

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