Star Traders (Corporate Marines Book 3) (12 page)

O
ut in deep space after a supply pickup, Two and Eight have adapted to their section and are fitting in. They receive the news reports seven weeks after it’s release in the Sol System. Two cannot believe what she is watching and hearing.

She turns to Eight. “That’s not how it happened.”

Eight nods agreement as he keeps watching the screen. “Yup. The Corporation modified what happened.”

Two glares at Eight; his statement infuriates her. “There is no mention of the saboteurs. Everything was blamed on the pirates and there is no mention of any of the screw-ups. They are saying the captain responded well when he caused some of those deaths with his slow responses.”

Eight keeps watching the screen and talks to Two without looking at her. “You were briefed like I was, Two. The Corporation has enemies that would cut spending. If it became common knowledge that humans were helping aliens to take a human ship? Now in this case that would be bad, real bad.”

Eight freezes the clip and turns to look at her directly. “Humanity needs heroes out here. Everyone has to know that the best of the best are out exploring, mining and building trade routes. They are the best. The captain was just outside of his area of expertise and didn’t respond well enough or fast enough. It worked out. Humanity needs to be ready for what is out here and be unified, or they’ll tear themselves apart back at home. You know, there are those who say we should stay in our own system and fortify it.”

He turns back toward the screen and points at Derek, who has just come on. “Just listen to what he says, and is he right to be saying this?” He hits play and the footage continues rolling.

Eight starts the screen and Derek is sitting down. Bradley Shmidt smiles at him and the screen zooms in until the two fill it.

Bradley starts, his smooth, calming voice filling the room. “Hi Derek, I want to thank you for taking the time to come and talk to my viewers before you head back shipboard.”

Derek smiles but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “No problem, Bradley. I have talked to a lot of people on Earth for the last few days and I have to say that you are the best. I only have a few minutes before I have to head out, though, so I am afraid I have to keep this short.”

Bradley nods. “I understand, my viewers are feeling your crew’s loss and they are really feeling your personal losses with a tremendous outpouring of support – and even offers of marriage, I understand?” There is quiet laughter in the background at that and Derek smiles while his face turns pink.

Derek looks down and the smile seems more natural when he looks back up at the sensor. “Well, I am a bit too young to marry right now. But if any of those young ladies want to come to space in a few years, we can see.” The laughter is louder this time.

Bradley smiles and then his expression turns more serious. “Derek, I know you have minutes before you have to go. The big question is: Do we want to be in deep space? Is it worth the risks?”

Derek looks at Bradley and his expression is cold. Then he turns so that he is facing the sensor. His eyes stand out as he stares into the sensor. “Bradley, we have to be in deep space. The resources are readily available and the scientific research is hugely important so that we gain more knowledge. If the Marines had not been on the ship, then this may well have gone differently and I would not be here. Those Marines saved my life and other crew members’ lives. They are ready to stop other pirate attacks and keep humanity safe as we go out to those distant stars. I have heard people talking about humanity just staying in the Sol System. We have enough resources and space to grow for a long time.”

There is no other sound from the audience and Bradley is completely focussed on Derek. “If we lock ourselves off, then everyone else will get strong and we will only have our knowledge to fall back on. There are lots of examples of societies in Earth’s history that tried to isolate themselves. It did work. Then, one day, some other society or culture came along and was further along and the isolationists were wiped out or even enslaved. Earth was invaded not that long ago by some sort of alien empire that felt we could be taken. A lot of people died then, and we won. What about the future? I would rather see humanity out in the stars growing instead of wiped out because some evil alien empire figures out how to successfully carry out intergalactic war.”

Bradley starts clapping and then the rest of the audience joins him.

Eight stops the screen again and looks at Two. “Do you see what is going on here? You know as well as I do that if the isolationist movement wins, then one day, maybe in a thousand years, deep-space battleships will come to the Sol System and humanity will be dead. We need to be out here. Grow or die.”

Eight stands up and walks away.

Two just stares at the screen and sees Derek’s intense eyes staring back at her. She knows that Eight and the Corporation were correct. True interplanetary warfare was not possible today, but with breakthroughs, one day it would be. Humanity needs to expand its knowledge and resource base, as well as make allies or at least friends with the other races out there. But will a system that lied to its people be able to survive for the long-term?

She just doesn’t know. She stares at Derek, and his intense eyes stare back at her and they do know.

Two turns off the screen and stands up. She has some time left but wants to check her armor over before she heads for some sim training. She sets off for the armory and the comfort of routine.

The information from the Corporate brief that had come in with the updates keeps playing over and over in her mind. She had already known most of what was going to be said. Having it as part of the update just drove the point home. The alien attackers are from a previously unknown race. There is no record of them or where they came from. Their equipment had been knock-offs of the Kah-Choo Empire’s and it gives away no information.

A hostile alien race that is well-armed and trying to capture star ships far from any inhabited systems. Worse, there had been human help. How had the aliens been able to recruit humans?

Earth and the Corporation need answers, and soon.

Two takes a deep breath, concentrating on the calming, focussing techniques she had been taught and walks on to work on her equipment.

She had to be ready.

End

in the Corporate Marines Series Book 4:
First Deployment

S
am Slate has finished his training successfully. Now he has to head out to deep space as a replacement Marine to a section that has just lost a member in action. He has been taught one way to be a Marine to this point. Cold, emotionless without forming attachments.

When he reports to his section he finds it much more difficult to fit in. Training is hard and constant. He doesn’t have his ‘space legs’ yet, the section has issues with him and he is really NOT fitting in.

Then training time is over. A human out post has been hit and wiped out. Everything points to the Kah-Choo. The section catches the Kah-Choo in a second raid and deploys to deal with them.

But something is wrong.

In the unexplored depths of space something else is happening and no one is paying attention.

T
his was a lot of fun to write and a lot of work as well. Book 4 First Deployment is coming along nicely and will be in for editing soon. The first introduction to one of the alien races out there, the Kah-Choo Empire, there are rough similarities in appearance to rats.

Book 5 will happen and of course life is just BUSY!

So I hope you had as much fun reading this as I did working it up.

There are always some questions that may not be answered and sometimes those questions just aren’t slated to be dealt with in a future book as there may not be enough information there to justify another book. At least not today. But no one likes loose ends and most of us like to see some of the inner workings and the behind the scenes information about unmentioned meetings and more info on secret organizations.

So, for my subscribers (through the link below to the new announcements) I am going to let you know when some of those free short stories are released. The first one is just out of editing now.

Really “Corporate Marines The Isolationist Movement” as a little over 8,000 words may raise more questions than it answers……. So more short stories later!

Finally, if you want to help an author out (like myself!) I would greatly appreciate if you left feedback at whatever site you purchased this book. A review is the feedback that every author needs to improve their penmanship. Without reviews how can I improve on my works?

If you would like to check out what Tom is working on in novels and series check here:

www.tgermann-sf-guy.com

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