Death Haunts the Stars Read online

  Death

  Haunts

  the Stars

  by

  Jeffrey M. Fortney

  Published by Jeffrey M. Fortney

  Copyright 2015 Jeffrey M. Fortney

  1st Edition License Notes:

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

  This book is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this book are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Cover art by Sean C. Fortney

  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgments

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Thank You!

  Glossary

  Other Books by Jeffrey M. Fortney

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  As always, I want to thank my beautiful wife, Julie, for her love, encouragement, devotion, and inspiration which helped me write this new e-novel. My thanks go out to our children and grandchildren, as well, for bringing so much joy to our lives.

  Special thanks go out to Bradley McLelland, my friend, co-worker, and an author in his own right! You inspired a character and what a character he is!

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to James "Jimmie" Badgett, friend and mentor, and his late wife, Charlotte. The Badgetts played critical roles in my career as a firefighter many years before I met them and for that I am truly grateful!

  After reading my other e-novels, Jimmie challenged me to write a murder mystery set in space. Science fiction, action, and adventure are genres I'm very familiar with. Mysteries, not so much.

  Well, Jimmie, here it is! It was most certainly a challenge to write! I hope I did it right.

  **********

  Chapter 1

  Ship's Log

  Terran Colonial Vessel Conestoga

  Earthdate: 23 September 2219

  Captain James B. Rivers, Commanding

  Day: 001

  The TCV Conestoga is preparing to break Earth orbit for the colony world of Camadin. The Connie, as we affectionately call her, is carrying 1,000 colonists on this voyage, many of them in stasis for the duration of the anticipated 100-day journey. In addition, the ship is loaded with equipment, livestock, and other supplies for Camadin's growing colony. The Conestoga is also transporting some major components for the space station being constructed in orbit above Camadin. Our Engineering personnel will mate these new components with those already in orbit there!

  It is fitting that we break orbit today...the 185th Anniversary of the end of World War IV. The historians finally agreed that the Cold War of the latter half of the 20th Century was indeed World War III, being fought on a smaller scale stretched over decades by a series of what the United Nations called 'police actions'. The fact that someone could end up just as dead from a 'police action' as from a war never seemed to enter the collective minds of those at the old United Nations.

  World War IV was another animal all together. WWIV was a classic example of Fourth-Generation Warfare, characterized by a blurring of the lines between politics, war, civilians, and combatants. That conflict lasted for decades, involved military and civilians, and was a clash between cultures and ideologies...between Western Civilization and a political/religious throwback to the 7th Century. Fortunately, nuclear, biological, and chemicals weapons were used only in a few limited exchanges.

  After the war, Humanity began to rebuild civilization rapidly...only to experience the mini-eruption of the Yellowstone Super-Volcano in 2035. The damage done to large parts of the United States was quite extensive and the damage to the world's economies was even worse. But Humanity refused to die out and reconstruction began again.

  Realizing that keeping all of Humankind on one world was to risk the possible extinction of the entire species, a new space race and subsequent technological leap forward occurred. First, Humans created permanent settlements on the Moon, then Mars, and, finally, with new propulsion systems, on other worlds in other star systems.

  The Connie is one of Earth's largest colonial vessels, measuring 1,235 feet in length and 500 feet wide. Her 20 decks contain power systems, life support, two drive systems, storage, and all of the necessities for living in space. Her crew complement is 350 personnel. One third of the crew is new to this ship because of promotions, transfers, and retirements. The majority of the replacements are in lower rank, non-critical areas; with the exception of my new executive officer, Commander Meaghan O'Reilly.

  It's our job to safely transport the colonists, their livestock, equipment, and supplies to their destination. Our secondary mission is to add to Camadin's space station. Then we haul whatever cargo the colony can send back to Earth.

  This will be the Connie's ninth trip to one of our outer colonies and her third with me in command. The past 18 months have seen her undergo an extensive overhaul and refitting at the Fleet's Orbital Docks above Earth. During the last six months of that refit, we've been loading cargo for this voyage. The last of the colonists came aboard yesterday afternoon. Now, it's time for the TCV Conestoga to stretch her legs once again and take us to the stars!

  Captain James B. Rivers stepped from the elevator and walked across the bridge to his command station. Rivers was tall, just over 6 feet; stocky; and quite distinguished looking with grey eyes and just hint of gray at his temples of his otherwise sandy blond hair. He moved with the ease of a deep space officer who had trod many decks equipped with artificial gravity; always ready to spring towards a handhold should a gravity plate fail. Rivers was 43 years old and one of the best captains in the Terran Colonial Fleet. His crew was intensely loyal to him, as he was to them!

  As he crossed the bridge, he said good morning to each of the crew who witnessed his passing. He paused at his chair and scanned the room, nodding and smiling once more at each crewmember. Then, he sat in his command chair and turned to scan the ship's status displays on the board before him. Though the captain appeared nonchalant, everyone knew the launch timer was counting down and that their captain shared their excitement!

  "Well, ladies and gentlemen," he said casually. "Here we go again!" Cheers and laughter resounded across the bridge. Rivers pressed a button on his command console. The ship's intercom attention whistle sounded and Rivers paused a moment before speaking. "Attention all crew and colonists. Launch countdown has commenced. All personnel to their assigned stations, please. I repeat, the launch countdown has commenced. All personnel to their assigned stations!" With that, he turned off the intercom.

  He paused then said, "All stations, let's go around the horn and get a report on system statuses. Engineering...power?"

  The gravelly voice of Commander Pat Deckard, the ship's chief engineer, came clearing through the bridge's speakers. "Power is GO, sir!"

  "Sublight drive?"

  "Sublight drive is GO, sir!"

  "FTL drive?"

  "FTL is warming up and will be ready on your word, Captain!"

  "Shie
lds?"

  "Shields are GO, sir!"

  "Artificial gravity systems?"

  "AGS are GO on all decks, Captain!" replied Deckard with a chuckle in his voice. Deckard knew that Captain Rivers was fully qualified in zero and reduced gravity operations as all Terran Colonial Fleet personnel were required to be. Deckard also knew that his captain did not enjoy anything lighter than 0.5g, thus his query about the artificial gravity systems.

  Rivers grinned then said, "Flight, Navigation?"

  "Course plotted to FTL insertion point. Course to Camadin laid in. Navigation is GO!" responded Lieutenant Commander Willem Gaines. The navigator was of medium height and weight with dark hair and eyes. Only 30 years old, Gaines was mature beyond his years.

  Rivers nodded back at his navigator. This would be Gaines last flight aboard the Conestoga. He was scheduled for promotion and rotation to a newly-launched colonial vessel upon their return to Earth. Rivers hated to lose Gaines, but he knew that the younger officer was on the fast track to commanding his own vessel one day in the near future.

  "Chief Pilot, flight controls?"

  Lieutenant Commander Wynona Polewytewa, Conestoga's chief pilot, replied, "Flight controls are GO, Captain!" Polewytewa was a Native American from Central Arizona, tall, and strikingly beautiful. Another fast burner in the TCF Command Training Program, LTCDR Polewytewa was also scheduled for promotion and reassignment upon the Conestoga's return to Earth.

  Wynona's the best damn pilot in the whole fleet! Rivers thought. Damn, I'm losing some great people after this trip. I've never held up someone's promotion or new assignment; I've always encouraged my people to self-actualize! And here I am losing several of the best crew all at once. At least they'll train up their replacements before they go, giving me another group of highly qualified personnel to mentor!

  "Cargo deck?"

  "Cargo is GO!" the voice of Lieutenant Mike Shelton, the ship's cargo master, came from the speakers overhead. Shelton was tall, skinny, and pale of skin and hair. He looked like he was perpetually ill but was, in fact, strong enough to keep up with the rest of the cargo crew while moving cargo onto and off of the ship! Shelton was well liked by his crewmates. He was also one of Rivers' special projects. The lieutenant was a good officer who had a tendency to get a little wild...and get into a little trouble from time to time. Rivers was trying to temper that wildness and prevent the fleet from losing a good officer.

  "Medical?"

  "Medical is GO, Captain!" replied Chief Medical Officer Charlotte Hanson via intercom from the ship's Medical Center. Charlotte Hanson was an outstanding doctor and officer and Rivers was glad she was on his ship...in more ways than one. He smiled thinking of Dr. Hanson. Charlotte had been his steady companion for the last couple of years and would soon, hopefully, formalize their relationship into something more permanent!

  Charlotte was only 5 feet 5 inches tall with long, curly blond hair and sky blue eyes. She was a beautiful woman who had just celebrated her 40th birthday, which in the year 2219 and given the current status of medicine, equated to a women in her mid- to late-20s. The doctor had flirted with a modeling career in her late teens before concentrating on her schooling and becoming a doctor.

  "Security?"

  "Captain, the ship is secure!" answered Commander McLellan E. Bradley, the Conestoga's security chief. Bradley was 40 years old and stood just a little over 6 feet tall...all of it solid muscle, like a well-toned swimmer. His dark hair and beard were streaked with gray. The beard helped hide a baby face that belied the seriousness of his profession. Bradley's eyes were blue and normally hid his emotional state...with two notable exceptions. When happy, many people said Bradley's eyes looked green. But when Bradley became angry, his eyes faded from blue to grey. After many years of friendship, Captain Rivers had become quite adept at determining "Mac" Bradley's emotional state by the color of the security chief's eyes.

  Bradley was the captain's other major project aboard the Conestoga. Where Shelton was a very good officer, Bradley was a fantastic officer! Highly trained in combat, whether it was handling security aboard ship, flying space fighters, or in large scale operations groundside, Bradley was hell on wheels. But, Bradley was also something of a joker. He never took himself too seriously, which endeared him to many aboard the Conestoga...including Captain James Rivers.

  Bradley was unusual for a career fleet officer in that he had quite a few tattoos on both of his forearms. Each tattoo represented a mission or deep space voyage that Bradley had participated in during the course of his career in the fleet. All were tastefully done and well within fleet regulations, but society as a whole had turned away from tattoos in the last generation. When troubled or in a contemplative mood, Bradley was known to tap or rub certain tattoos absentmindedly.

  Rivers and Bradley had known each other for years and Rivers was glad to have his friend aboard the Conestoga. The captain knew he could always depend on his security chief in a pinch and the going got rough!

  Rivers ran through the list of ship's departments, receiving their readiness reports with a sense of pride in his personnel and their vessel. As each station checked in, the list visible on his status board turned from red to green! Green for GO! Finally, they reached the end of the list. The Conestoga was ready to spread her wings and fly!

  Captain Rivers took a slow, deep breath then cleared his throat before speaking again. He turned slightly to his right and looked over at Commander Meaghan O'Reilly, his new Executive Officer, who was seated at her station.

  O'Reilly was tall, almost 6 feet, slender, with the graceful movement of a well-trained martial artist...which she was! Her green eyes and red hair, which she normally kept in a beehive style, fit both her lineage and her name. Many young and inexperienced officers and crew had been so taken with her beauty upon first seeing her aboard the Connie had either tripped over their own feet or walked into the nearest wall.

  "Mr. Bynes, patch us through to Fleet Headquarters, please," the captain asked his communications officer. Lieutenant Commander Jon Bynes pressed the appropriate controls on his board and nodded to the captain when the connection was made.

  "TCV Conestoga to Fleet HQ," Rivers began, "we are ready for departure."

  The answering call came within seconds, "Fleet HQ to Conestoga. Departure approved! Safe voyage! HQ out!"

  Rivers smiled as he replied, "Thank you, Headquarters! Keep a candle burning for us. Conestoga, out!"

  "Well, XO...the ship's ready to fly and we've got permission to leave. What do you say we get underway?" Rivers asked.

  O'Reilly's smile grew larger at the thought of putting this massive starship under power, breaking orbit, and heading into deep space. "Aye aye, sir! Navigator, set course to insertion point. Pilot, thrusters only until we clear the dock then bring us up slowly to full sublight to IP."

  Gaines and Polewytewa repeated their orders and then set to work on their consoles. An almost infinitesimal quiver passed through the Connie as the thrusters on the ship's stern powered up. The ship began to move forward and pull away from Earth and the Fleet's Space Dock. Rivers shifted his gaze to the view screen that looked aft and could see the beams and lights of the dock receding behind them.

  O'Reilly smiled then reported, "Captain, we have cleared Space Dock. Ready to go to full sublight."

  "Very well, XO. Engage...make it so...let's go! Oh, just pick one and let's move it!" Rivers responded with a chuckle. His crew knew of his fondness for old science fiction television series such as Star Trek, Stargate SG-1, Babylon 5, and many others. They chuckled at his small joke.

  "Launch!" O'Reilly said cheerfully to Polewytewa.

  "Aye aye, Commander," replied a grinning Polewytewa, "launching!"

  The muted hum of the sublight engines rose in pitch throughout the ship as more and more power was applied. The star field visible in the view screen shifted as the ship lunged forward.

  Polewytewa called out, "One-quarter sublight...one-half sublight....three-quarters...ful
l sublight! All power and flight systems are operating in the green!"

  LTCDR Gaines scanned his control readouts then reported, "Conestoga on course to IP! Navigation tracking all nearby vessels and navigational beacons!"

  "Captain, the Conestoga is underway!" O'Reilly scanned the ship's status boards again quickly then reported to her captain, "All ship's systems remain green."

  "Thank you, XO! And thank you, Commanders Polewytewa and Gaines!" Rivers said to his primary bridge crew. "Communications, signal Terran Colonial Fleet HQ. Message as follows, 'TCV Conestoga under way to Camadin. All systems go!'"

  Lieutenant Commander Jon Bynes responded, "Aye, sir!" He worked his communications control board then reported, "Message sent, sir."

  "Very well...thank you, Mr. Bynes." Rivers replied. "Well, folks...another flawless launch under our belts. Shipwide broadcast, if you please, Mr. Bynes." The ship's communication system hailing whistle echoed from the speakers throughout the ship. "Attention all personnel, this is Captain Rivers. We've successfully departed Earth orbit and are on course to our FTL insertion point at a speed of just under the speed of light. Before you start worrying about extreme time dilation issues, we'll only be moving at this speed for a little over 10 hours. This will give us time to shake down the ship's systems and reach the IP. Until then, you are free to get up and move around the ship. Rivers out."

  Rivers looked at his bridge crew. "Well, let's run the checklist again and make sure nothing's fallen off the ship in the last few minutes since we left orbit." The bridge crew jumped to it.

  **********

  After an additional two hours of systems checks, Rivers rose from his chair and stretched the kinks out of his back. "XO, I think I'll walk the ship. You have the bridge."

  "Aye sir, I have the bridge!" O'Reilly answered promptly.

  Rivers walked over to Bynes' station and received a portable comm unit from his communications officer. Rivers slid the rectangular device into a pouch on his belt and stepped over to the elevator. He scanned the bridge one more time before entering the elevator. "Captain's off the bridge!" he heard Bynes say before the elevator doors closed.