The Heart of Matter: Odyssey One

BOOK: The Heart of Matter: Odyssey One
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The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Text copyright © 2012 Evan Currie
All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Published by 47North
P.O. Box 400818
Las Vegas, NV 89140

ISBN-13: 9781612182353
ISBN-10: 1612182356

DEDICATION

To Wynn Currie, my mother, who never doubted that I would eventually succeed in my writing endeavors. Without her support, I would never have made it as far as I have.
Thanks, Wynn.

CONTENTS

PART 1: Once More Unto the Black

LIBERTY STATION

TEMPORARY COLONIAL EMBASSY

NACS ODYSSEY

LIBERTY STATION

WASHINGTON, DC

NACS ODYSSEY

LIBERTY STATION

NACS ODYSSEY

CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN

TEMPORARY COLONIAL EMBASSY

NACS ODYSSEY

MILITARY COMMAND AND CONTROL

NACS ODYSSEY

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

NACS ODYSSEY

PLANET RANQUIL

NACS ODYSSEY

PLANET RANQUIL

NACS ODYSSEY

COMBAT SPACE PATROL

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

RANQUIL

INTERSTELLAR SPACE

PLANET RANQUIL

NACS ODYSSEY

RANQUIL

INTERSTELLAR SPACE

NACS ODYSSEY

PLANET RANQUIL

PRIMINAE COLONY, THEORA DEICE

NACS ODYSSEY

PRIMINAE COLONY, THEORA DEICE

PLANET RANQUIL

PRIMINAE COLONY, THEORA DEICE

PLANET RANQUIL

PRIMINAE COLONY, THEORA DEICE

PLANET RANQUIL

PRIMINAE COLONY, THEORA DEICE

PLANET RANQUIL

PRIMINAE COLONY, THEORA DEICE

PLANET RANQUIL

PRIMINAE COLONY, THEORA DEICE

NACS ODYSSEY

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

NACS ODYSSEY

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

NACS ODYSSEY

EMBASSY OFFICES

INTERSTELLAR SPACE, RANQUIL REGION

NACS ODYSSEY

PRIMINAE VESSEL HERALC

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

PRIMINAE VESSEL HERALC

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

NACS ODYSSEY

PRIMINAE VESSLE VULK

NACS ODYSSEY

INTERSTELLAR SPACE, RANQUIL REGION

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

PRIMINAE VESSEL HERALC

NACS ODYSSEY

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

NACS ODYSSEY

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

NACS ODYSSEY

PRIMINAE VESSEL HERALC

NACS ODYSSEY

PRIMINAE VESSEL HERALC

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

NACS ODYSSEY

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

NACS ODYSSEY

DRASIN FORCES, RANQUIL SYSTEM

PRIMINAE VESSEL HERALC

NACS ODYSSEY

PRIMINAE VESSEL HERALC

NACS ODYSSEY

PRIMINAE VESSEL HERALC

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

NACS ODYSSEY

PRIMINAE VESSEL HERALC

NACS ODYSSEY

NACS ODYSSEY

PRIMINAE VESSEL HERALC

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

COMMAND BUNKER

NACS ODYSSEY

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

NACS ODYSSEY

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

NACS ODYSSEY

PRIMINAE VESSEL HERALC

NACS ODYSSEY

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

ARCHANGEL SQUADRON

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

ARCHANGEL SQUADRON

NACS ODYSSEY

ARCHANGEL SQUADRON

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

ARCHANGEL SQUADRON

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

ARCHANGEL SQUADRON

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

ARCHANGEL SQUADRON

NACS ODYSSEY

ARCHANGEL SQUADRON

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

ARCHANGEL SQUADRON

PRIMINAE VESSEL VULK

ARCHANGEL SQUADRON

PRIMINAE VESSEL HERALC

ARCHANGEL SQUADRON

NACS ODYSSEY

PART 2: Delivered From Darkness

TRAINING FACILITY/TEMPORARY TERRAN COMMAND AND CONTROL, RANQUIL

RANQUIL

DEEP SPACE, NEAR RANQUIL SYSTEM

MONS SYSTEMA, RANQUIL

BRIDGE, NACS ODYSSEY

RANQUIL, ARCHANGEL TEMPORARY FLIGHT BASE

NACS ODYSSEY

RANQUIL SYSTEM

RANQUIL SYSTEM, CEREKUS

BRIDGE, NACS ODYSSEY, UNCHARTED DYSON CONSTRUCT

PRIMINAE VESSEL CEREKUS

RANQUIL SYSTEM

CENTRAL COMMAND, MONS SYSTEMA, RANQUIL

CEREKUS

BRIDGE, NACS ODYSSEY, UNCHARTED DYSON CONSTRUCT

CEREKUS, RANQUIL SYSTEM

COMMAND CENTER, MONS SYSTEMA, RANQUIL

RANQUIL MILITIA TRAINING BASE

NACS ODYSSEY, UNCHARTED DYSON CONSTRUCT

TEMPORARY AIR FIELD, RANQUIL

TERRAN COMMAND AND CONTROL

RANQUIL, UNDERGROUND

RANQUIL’S SURFACE, EXERCISES ZONE

PRIMINAE SYSTEM COMMAND

TRAINING BASE, SITUATION ROOM

RANQUIL, FIRST IMPACT SITE

SKIES OVER RANQUIL

NACS ODYSSEY, UNCHARTED DYSON CONSTRUCT

PRIMINAE VESSEL CEREKUS, RANQUIL SYSTEM

RANQUIL, OVER DRASIN IMPACT CRATER

RANQUIL, BRAVO AO

MONS SYSTEMA COMMAND CENTER

RANQUIL, BRAVO AO

TERRAN COMMAND AND CONTROL

NACS ODYSSEY, UNCHARTED DYSON CONSTRUCT

RANQUIL, EN ROUTE TO BRAVO AO

BRAVO AO

NACS ODYSSEY BRIDGE, UNCHARTED DYSON CONSTRUCT

RANQUIL, TERRAN COMMAND AND CONTROL BUNKER

BRAVO AO

COMMAND AND CONTROL BUNKER

BRAVO AO

NACS ODYSSEY

HIGH OVER RANQUIL

NACS ODYSSEY, UNCHARTED DYSON CONSTRUCT

PLANET RANQUIL

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

PART 1:
Once More Unto the Black
LIBERTY STATION
Lagrange Four, Earth Orbit

▸CAPT. ERIC STANTON Weston walked along the gently curving corridor that circled the exterior of the immensity of Space Station Liberty. He had to admit that the sensation of generated artificial gravity felt quite different to him after the time he’d spent on the
Odyssey
, both within the Sol System and without. The larger curve of the station’s outer wall felt more natural, but after spending so much time on the smaller, faster moving habitats of the
Odyssey
, he found that he preferred the sensation that had once nearly made him nauseous. They’d seen so much out there that he’d occasionally caught himself thinking of Earth as somewhat provincial compared to the huge megacity he’d seen on Ranquil.

The alien world—or perhaps not so alien, he supposed—had been the indisputable highlight of their last mission. Eric only wished it had been more of an accomplishment of note, but considering the horror and destruction they had witnessed across three star systems, it didn’t take much to qualify as a “high point.”

Rather than a simple shakedown cruise to confirm the viability of the
Odyssey
’s transition drive and other experimental
systems, they’d found themselves on a charge across the galaxy right through the very middle of a war that they probably had no business involving themselves in. Eric was fully aware that was certainly the opinion of more than a handful of his superiors. He’d seen too much death in his career, however, to ignore genocide when it was danced in front of his face, so he had no regrets. For all the action they’d seen, and sacrifices made, he was proud and confident of the fact that his crew had none, either.

Still, coming back now jarred his sensibilities, to be able to look out on space through horizontally mounted ports, unlike the few sections of the
Odyssey
that allowed such a personal view of the expanse. He followed the lines that adorned the floor, mapping out the various areas of the station, watching the rainbow idiot guides drop off as he climbed through the security zones into officer country.

He had an appointment with Admiral Gracen, presumably concerning the new orders for the
Odyssey
. He hoped that the orders weren’t more of the same, since he’d spent the last three weeks after completion of repairs working the crew up to an invisible standard that no one appeared willing to tell him. It was time for the
Odyssey
to be under way again, long past time. He could feel his crew getting antsy, sitting still in a ship that was the fastest thing ever built by man. Steph was checking in almost constantly to see if they had their orders yet, and Eric had been forced to order several of his junior officers to relax. They’d seen the universe, and now they all wanted more.

BOOK: The Heart of Matter: Odyssey One
2.59Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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