Frontier's Reach: A Space Opera Adventure (Frontiers Book 1) by Robert James (best android ereader TXT) 📕

She couldn’t imagine what he’d seen during the war. And maybe that was what she couldn’t understand.

“Get out,” he told her. “Get out now, Aly!”

Aly struggled to remember the last time he’d looked at her with such demonic eyes. She stood and edged toward the door. Jason grabbed the bottle and tightened his grip on it. She sighed and slinked out into the corridor.

Damn it…

Fifteen

Decium Ore Mining Facility - Orion V

“And this is where we maintain the facility’s climate-control system.”

Nicolas viewed the active monitor of the web-like network that spread throughout the underground of the facility. He was impressed, but had trouble showing it. All he could think about was Susan.

Before Mister Bloch moved on, Nicolas pointed out a series of red lights blinking across various worksites. “Have you been having issues down there?”

Bloch checked the monitor and waved it off. “You have to understand, with such a large system it’s difficult to keep it operating at one hundred percent all the time. Work crews are constantly doing maintenance.”

“Like your landing pad?” Nicolas said, laying the bait for the young man.

Bloch seemed at a loss for words, which Nicolas had already figured out was very unusual. Before he could grill him anymore, an alert rang out from one of the consoles on the opposite side of the operations center.

Saved by the bell, kid.

Bloch hurried over to it and Nicolas followed, peering over his shoulder at the scanners. “We’re picking up an unknown bogey.”

Beyond the blip representing the Vanguard in orbit, another contact appeared on the outer edge of the star system.

“Does it have a transponder ID?” Nicolas asked.

“No. It’s running dark.”

“And heading straight for us. Are you expecting any company?”

“No.” Bloch shook his head and activated the intercom while grabbing a blue rubber ball and squeezing it tight. “Operations to Koeman. Can you come up here, Chief?”

“On my way.”

Administrator Koeman arrived quickly and stared at the monitor with pursed lips.

“It’s the same bogey, I’m sure of it,” Bloch said.

Nicolas raised an eyebrow. “You’ve seen this before?”

Koeman nodded. “On and off for the last week.”

“And you didn’t think to let us know about it?”

“The bogey made no movements. It appeared and disappeared at random locations beyond the star system.”

“We came to the conclusion it was a malfunction with the satellite,” Bloch said. “We assumed the system was picking up scanner ghosts.”

“That’s no scanner ghost.” Nicolas pointed at the monitor. “It seems to be making a pass by the satellite.”

Koeman tapped Bloch on the shoulder. “Can you get hold of Jensen?”

Bloch punched in the commands and opened a commlink.

“Jensen?” Nicolas inquired.

“When we thought we were having issues with the satellite, we sent a man out there to run manual diagnostics on it.”

“You have a man out there?”

Koeman nodded, biting his bottom lip.

Orion VIII Tracking Satellite

“Diagnostic underway.”

The voice of the satellite computer beeped while Noah Jensen made another check to ensure his harness was latched to the satellite properly. He hung off it in the same vein he’d seen construction workers do so on old Earth skyscrapers in photos. He always thought they must’ve been crazy. One slip, and they’d fall to their deaths. But as Noah looked around at the pod he’d parked a hundred meters away, and the large gas giant of Orion VIII beyond, he knew he was just as crazy. If he fell from his harness and his booster failed, he’d tumble to oblivion, too.

While Noah had trained for extravehicular activity before entering the mining business, it’d been a long time since he’d needed to use his training. He relished getting a chance to use his skills. Sometimes he forgot how exhilarating a spacewalk really was.

Static filled his helmet, then a voice filtered through. “Can you hear me, Jensen?”

Noah opened the commlink with a press of the comm panel on the wrist of his space suit. “I can hear you, Chief. Go ahead.”

“We’re detecting a bogey coming through Orion VIII’s orbit,” Koeman said. “Have you got a visual on your end?”

Noah peered around into nothingness and activated the scanners on the satellite. The monitor blinked on, and the same scans seen on Orion V showed up for him.

“Jensen?”

“I’ve got no visual. But—”

“Can you make it back to the pod?”

“That’s a negative. It’ll take too long—” Noah stopped mid-sentence when something appeared in the corner of his eye. He turned, and it moved toward him. “Whoa!”

“Jensen? What do you see?”

“I—” The shadow of the object hovered over him and he momentarily struggled to find the right words. “This isn’t—”

Static rang in his ears. He inspected the inoperative comm panel on his wrist and pressed it repeatedly. Whatever it was, something was jamming him.

Noah stared at the goliath above. The commlink was the least of his worries.

Part of it opened, and a green bolt of energy burst forth, heading in his direction. Trying not to panic, he unlatched his harness and activated his booster.

But he was too late. The green energy showered over him and the satellite. His last thought was of what would greet him in oblivion.

Decium Ore Mining Facility - Orion V

Susan stepped from the carriage and walked out into the cavernous surrounds of Worksite Fifteen. In the center, was the solitary elevator shaft, which led down to the antechamber. The Marines behind her placed the container on a hover lifter, while the safety rail of the elevator opened and a figure appeared.

“Javier!” She walked toward him, and the man greeted her with a faire la bise.

“It’s good to see you, Susan,” he said to her.

She hadn’t seen Professor Javier Petit since he’d left for Orion V fourteen months earlier. There was a weariness in his features and a slump in his back.

“How are all our friends at TIAS?” he asked.

“Well, Doctor Gregori continues to complain about his deadlines. Professor Walters wants more staff, and Doctor Wells keeps asking for more money.”

“So, nothing has changed?”

Susan laughed. “Nothing at all.”

The Marines brought the container toward them.

Javier put his hand on top of it. “I appreciate you coming along. I