Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Check out the New Cover for Book 5 - Insurrection
I just got my new cover back from the designer. It is original art by digital artist Markus Vogt. Check out his other work here on Deviant Art
Saturday, April 9, 2016
Here is the first Snippet of the upcoming Book 5 of the Athena Lee Series! Insurrection
Check out the first new snippet from Book 5, Insurrection. Due out later this month!
Enjoy...
The three old friend and shipmates met for dinner in the Captains private dinning room. Commander Tadeusz Kościuszko the Chief Engineer was the first to arrive. Know as Tad to his friends, the commander was a large strapping man in his mid 50’s. He was a proud graduate of the Kraków school on planet Warsaw. He and the Captain had been on the old Jupiter. Dr Zack Smith was a curmudgeonly older man with short thinning hair. He gave as good as he got and was the one that you wanted with you when the fire was the hottest. On the Jupiter, the three of them had all been just starting out their careers. The Jupiter was an old Gemini class cruiser. The twelfth to be built. The three officers had participated in many adventures before the war. Fate had put them together on this ship. Well that and a case of scotch to the personnel clerk at HQ.
“This dinner is a bit out of the blue, Hugh,” remarked Commander Kościuszko.
“I agree with that, I’m not complaining. But just why did you bring us here tonight?” The Dr. turned and looked at his old friend.
The Captain stroked his mustache and looked to his old friends. “Have either of you noticed anything funny or unusual about out new crew replacements?”
“Funny ha ha or funny strange? Is that what you mean?” The old engineer was now focused on the Captain. “If you mean funny strange I agree with you. Something is not right about the crew that we picked up. They know how to do their jobs but something is off.”
The Dr looked at his old friends. “Fine. Yes there is something. I have run a few physicals and treated a few for minor injuries. I have noticed some things. Tattoo’s. They seem to all have quite a few. While not unusual they try to hide them. That alone makes them unusual. The other thing would be scars. They have lots of them too. Far too many for some of their ages and ranks. One crewman, a member of the hanger crew I think, had a colony prison implant. He explained it away saying it was from a juvenile offense. Since him though, none of the new crew has been to see me.”
“Just between the three of us and the walls. By the way I scanned the room for bugs.” He had their attention now. “I sent a covert message to fleet during the recent course change. While the orders to change the crew came from the fleet, I am starting to not believe it.” He watched the faces of his oldest friends. “Other than you two, I really only trust Lieutenant Mutai our marine commander. He and his men have been with us before all of the changes.”
“Hugh, let’s get that marine up here then. Why waste time?”
The Captain stepped out of the room and whispered to his lone security guard. “Can you have your lieutenant come up here to a private meeting? Is there a way so it does not go out on the radio?”
The marine guard looked at the captain sharply and then nodded. He held up one finger in acknowledgment. Tapping the radio communicator at his collar the marine muttered a few word and letters to his security net “duty nco to lima tango RFI zoomie charlie delta romeo possible QRF.” The marine cocked his head to one side as if listening. He then said “wilco.” Turning to the captain he held up two fingers. Two minutes. The Captain went back into the dining room.
Almost exactly two minutes had passed when after a faint knock the door reopened. The marine Lieutenant Kinno Mutai entered the room. Sir’s he said coming to attention.
“At easy lieutenant. Thank you for your prompt response.”
“How could I not with that really smart message you sent. I take it this meeting is about the mercenary company that we have on board?” The marine lieutenant looked at the officers speculatively.
“Damn. I never thought of that. Mercs, are you sure Kinno?”
“Yes sir. One of my guys spotted a tattoo on one of the replacements and brought it to my attention. It was a round disc with a man’s profile on it and the letters BP on the bottom.”
The captain slumped his shoulders and sighed. “Really? Someone doesn’t like us. That is the symbol of the Bad Penny Clan.”
“Who are the bad pennies?” The Dr asked.
The engineer mouthed to the lieutenant, “what’s a penny?”
“The Bad Pennies are a pirate gang.” Nodding his head slowly/ “That explains how they know how to operate ships but don’t know navy procedure or terminology. I can’t believe that fleet put them on board us.”
“Could the orders have been faked?” asked the lieutenant.
“No they had the authentication that they were genuine.” Thinking for a moment. “All of our orders go through the Sector Government first. I must be someone in those offices that changed the orders.”
“Sir, I think they intend to take the ship.”
Enjoy...
The three old friend and shipmates met for dinner in the Captains private dinning room. Commander Tadeusz Kościuszko the Chief Engineer was the first to arrive. Know as Tad to his friends, the commander was a large strapping man in his mid 50’s. He was a proud graduate of the Kraków school on planet Warsaw. He and the Captain had been on the old Jupiter. Dr Zack Smith was a curmudgeonly older man with short thinning hair. He gave as good as he got and was the one that you wanted with you when the fire was the hottest. On the Jupiter, the three of them had all been just starting out their careers. The Jupiter was an old Gemini class cruiser. The twelfth to be built. The three officers had participated in many adventures before the war. Fate had put them together on this ship. Well that and a case of scotch to the personnel clerk at HQ.
“This dinner is a bit out of the blue, Hugh,” remarked Commander Kościuszko.
“I agree with that, I’m not complaining. But just why did you bring us here tonight?” The Dr. turned and looked at his old friend.
The Captain stroked his mustache and looked to his old friends. “Have either of you noticed anything funny or unusual about out new crew replacements?”
“Funny ha ha or funny strange? Is that what you mean?” The old engineer was now focused on the Captain. “If you mean funny strange I agree with you. Something is not right about the crew that we picked up. They know how to do their jobs but something is off.”
The Dr looked at his old friends. “Fine. Yes there is something. I have run a few physicals and treated a few for minor injuries. I have noticed some things. Tattoo’s. They seem to all have quite a few. While not unusual they try to hide them. That alone makes them unusual. The other thing would be scars. They have lots of them too. Far too many for some of their ages and ranks. One crewman, a member of the hanger crew I think, had a colony prison implant. He explained it away saying it was from a juvenile offense. Since him though, none of the new crew has been to see me.”
“Just between the three of us and the walls. By the way I scanned the room for bugs.” He had their attention now. “I sent a covert message to fleet during the recent course change. While the orders to change the crew came from the fleet, I am starting to not believe it.” He watched the faces of his oldest friends. “Other than you two, I really only trust Lieutenant Mutai our marine commander. He and his men have been with us before all of the changes.”
“Hugh, let’s get that marine up here then. Why waste time?”
The Captain stepped out of the room and whispered to his lone security guard. “Can you have your lieutenant come up here to a private meeting? Is there a way so it does not go out on the radio?”
The marine guard looked at the captain sharply and then nodded. He held up one finger in acknowledgment. Tapping the radio communicator at his collar the marine muttered a few word and letters to his security net “duty nco to lima tango RFI zoomie charlie delta romeo possible QRF.” The marine cocked his head to one side as if listening. He then said “wilco.” Turning to the captain he held up two fingers. Two minutes. The Captain went back into the dining room.
Almost exactly two minutes had passed when after a faint knock the door reopened. The marine Lieutenant Kinno Mutai entered the room. Sir’s he said coming to attention.
“At easy lieutenant. Thank you for your prompt response.”
“How could I not with that really smart message you sent. I take it this meeting is about the mercenary company that we have on board?” The marine lieutenant looked at the officers speculatively.
“Damn. I never thought of that. Mercs, are you sure Kinno?”
“Yes sir. One of my guys spotted a tattoo on one of the replacements and brought it to my attention. It was a round disc with a man’s profile on it and the letters BP on the bottom.”
The captain slumped his shoulders and sighed. “Really? Someone doesn’t like us. That is the symbol of the Bad Penny Clan.”
“Who are the bad pennies?” The Dr asked.
The engineer mouthed to the lieutenant, “what’s a penny?”
“The Bad Pennies are a pirate gang.” Nodding his head slowly/ “That explains how they know how to operate ships but don’t know navy procedure or terminology. I can’t believe that fleet put them on board us.”
“Could the orders have been faked?” asked the lieutenant.
“No they had the authentication that they were genuine.” Thinking for a moment. “All of our orders go through the Sector Government first. I must be someone in those offices that changed the orders.”
“Sir, I think they intend to take the ship.”
Thoughts, Comments, or additions you might like?
I'm looking for YOUR input for the Wilson Wednesday stories. While I have a great many of them planned I can alway use a new idea or three. Is there some situation or event that YOU think would be funny. Maybe a favorite Pop-culture refrence that you would like to see in a book or story? I am open to suggestions. My wife thinks I am insane most of the time. When I write I will sometimes start "giggling" in the middle of a paragraph. Help me out. Drop me a line by commnenting on this post, signing up to this blog (over there on the right column) or catching me on facebook. www.facebook.com/ForgottenEngineer
Just as an Update book 5 is already under way I am just about done with chapter 2.
Later ~ Scott
Just as an Update book 5 is already under way I am just about done with chapter 2.
Later ~ Scott
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Sunday, April 3, 2016
One last Snippet before the New Book comes out later this week
Here is a little taste to hold you over until later this week. Look for the new book, Revolutionary to be out mid week. Check this out.....
The ‘base’ already had anti-terrorism defensive measures like explosive barriers and blast shielding. His men had dug in some machine gun nests and put snipers up at key locations. The rear of the base was a sheer cliff with impassable ravines on all sides. There was no possible way for troops or vehicles to attack from that direction. His biggest worry was a frontal attack or an air assault.
“Sir, our spotters on the road have detected a column of vehicles approaching. They should be within range of us in about an hour.” Thanking his troop the Captain went to the makeshift command center they had created. The map on the wall showed where the vehicles had been spotted. Thankfully the local militia only had small arms and fighter aircraft. Empire law forbid heavy weapons like artillery and tanks. He and his men should have no problems holding this spot until the station could send help.
It was the explosion that changed that idea. A very large BOOM came from inside the compound. Rushing outside the Captain witnessed his two anti-aircraft batteries blowing up scattering flaming debris and live ammo everywhere.
The Captain began yelling to his troops, “we are under attack! Get into position.” There must be advance troops out there that the spotters missed. His men came running out of the barracks and jumped into the defensive trenches they had dug. The trench on the left exploded into flame, several of his men staggered out of the inferno on fire. They tried to crawl to safety but the combination of diesel fuel and thermite melted their bodies as it they had been made of wax. Horrified by what had happened to his men he missed the fact that the fuel truck was out of position and close to the gate. When it blew, the gate was shredded and now burning fuel had turned his defenses into cinders. The rest of his men, too afraid to use the trenches were taking up position inside the barracks and other buildings.
High above the ESS troops, up on the water tower, sat Sergeant Yannos. His group had infiltrated the compound and taken up position. All it had taken was a few pounds of explosive to freak those boys out.
The ‘base’ already had anti-terrorism defensive measures like explosive barriers and blast shielding. His men had dug in some machine gun nests and put snipers up at key locations. The rear of the base was a sheer cliff with impassable ravines on all sides. There was no possible way for troops or vehicles to attack from that direction. His biggest worry was a frontal attack or an air assault.
“Sir, our spotters on the road have detected a column of vehicles approaching. They should be within range of us in about an hour.” Thanking his troop the Captain went to the makeshift command center they had created. The map on the wall showed where the vehicles had been spotted. Thankfully the local militia only had small arms and fighter aircraft. Empire law forbid heavy weapons like artillery and tanks. He and his men should have no problems holding this spot until the station could send help.
It was the explosion that changed that idea. A very large BOOM came from inside the compound. Rushing outside the Captain witnessed his two anti-aircraft batteries blowing up scattering flaming debris and live ammo everywhere.
The Captain began yelling to his troops, “we are under attack! Get into position.” There must be advance troops out there that the spotters missed. His men came running out of the barracks and jumped into the defensive trenches they had dug. The trench on the left exploded into flame, several of his men staggered out of the inferno on fire. They tried to crawl to safety but the combination of diesel fuel and thermite melted their bodies as it they had been made of wax. Horrified by what had happened to his men he missed the fact that the fuel truck was out of position and close to the gate. When it blew, the gate was shredded and now burning fuel had turned his defenses into cinders. The rest of his men, too afraid to use the trenches were taking up position inside the barracks and other buildings.
High above the ESS troops, up on the water tower, sat Sergeant Yannos. His group had infiltrated the compound and taken up position. All it had taken was a few pounds of explosive to freak those boys out.
Check out the New Cover for Book 4 ~ Revolutionary
I just got my new book cover back from the designer. The artwork was done by this really cool Digital artist named Scott Richard Check out his stuff on Deviant Art .
Saturday, April 2, 2016
A shout out of Thanks to my International Readers
All three of my books are now on the Best Seller lists. I want to thank everyone who has read the books and liked it. I get lots of visits from people all over the world. It is a wonderful thing that Science Fiction is universal in any language. Thank you
Je vous remerciego raibh maith agat,
Danke
Dziękuję Ci
Спасибо
kiSwahili
hvala ti
tak
grazie
If I got a language wrong I apologize I use the power of Google
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